Suffering...

This Saturday morning when we checked online to see if the cheque had posted as the teller had said it would, we discovered not only had the cheque not posted but that the account had disappeared.

We were, to say the least, shocked. We called the 1 - 800 number listed there for for us to inquire as to why our account was no longer available on line. What we were told did nothing to relieve our shock and worry. Due to the account having been overdrawn for an extended period of time - it had been closed. I bleakly asked the customer representative where our money was and she cheerfully announced that 'the bank has it'. She helpfully tried to see if anyone would be available at the branch we bank at on a Saturday. No luck. I thanked her and hung up and turned around to stare into Hugo's grief stricken eyes.

I tried to encourage him to think positively; I said; 'you know we should be grateful that God provided for us this weekend with the large donation from one of my readers. BEFORE this all went wrong. We can assume God knew what was going to happen and so He inspired a reader to help out with a donation."

Hugo asked well - "Why didn't he just help the cheque to get here on time... Just an hour earlier and we would have made it there before two and avoided the account being closed... Or if FEDEX hadn't lost it for a week, all this could have been avoided."

I completely saw his logic - so I could not respond except to shrug my shoulders. What could I say?Just how much is under God's influence? A tornado hit Atlantic last night - twenty families have lost their homes. Numerous people will be without work for weeks while the hotels repair the windows in their rooms and divert clients to other hotels. Jesus calmed the wind with a few words - could he not have turned the tornado away, why did He let it happen. Of course - I am simply asking rhetorical questions. God does not cause evil - He simply allows free will.

But was it free will that someone did not notice the wrong address when they printed the shipping label? Maybe it would be wise to say this is the effect of original sin. Sounds like a huge leap, eh? But is it? When you think of how we are to aim for Heaven and to perfect ourselves through our everyday lives, using every moment to improve and push ourselves closer to heaven; that even sloth is a sin, it makes it a little more reasonable to think that what happened with the cheque was the result of original sin.

Someone was careless at Mutual. They did not double check their work. Maybe they were hung over from a late party the night before. Maybe they were nursing anger with a colleague and so not paying attention. Maybe they had a cold... also a side effect of original sin.

Whatever was the reason, someone missed the opportunity to use an ordinary moment to do their best and sanctify their work to the glory of Christ, and thus began a dynamo effect that cascaded down around Hugo and I. But God in His goodness, inspired someone to send us that donation so that we would have enough food and gas for the weekend. Monday - I will need to cover a 500 dollar utility bill, (high I know but the insulation sucks in this house, the water drips non stop in all of the sinks and the thermostat does not work - causing the furnace to run non stop - requiring me to operate the thermostat manually. Too hot - turn heat off, getting cold - turn heat back on.) or the hydro will be turned off.

At that time - God will provide, either someone at the Hydro company will give us an extension, or we will be told by the bank to go ahead and write a check - or something will happen.

The one thing I have learned from the past six years - we will all have our crosses. For us right now - it is the finances and having, at times, to beg. I can so identify with this quote "If you want God to hear your prayers, hear the voice of the poor. If you wish God to anticipate your wants, provide those of the needy without waiting for them to ask you. Especially anticipate the needs of those who are ashamed to beg. To make them ask for alms is to make them buy it. " St. Thomas of Villanova

The cross is a hard truth to accept. Right now my children are more or less healthy. My adult children are all doing well. But they will all, in their turn, suffer. My temptation is to ask Christ to spare them; yet - it is in suffering that we grow closer to God, that we are perfected. To ask God to protect them from suffering would be like asking Him to never let them walk - for fear they will trip and fall down. Instead I have learned that I must pray for them to have the graces to bear the sufferings that they will endure in the future. I recently heard (on EWTN) a priest talking about just this. He said that we must pray NOW for the grace to endure sufferings to come; other wise when we are given our cross it will be too heavy to bear, and we will find it impossible to pray then for the graces we need. I have learned this the hard way!

So as difficult as it might seem, I now refrain from asking God to prevent suffering for my children or myself. Rather I ask for the graces to bear what will come - and the wisdom to enjoy the small joys found my everyday life. Read more!

A little more reason to support our own....

Contaminated fish? Antibiotics illegal for use in food meant for human consumption? Filthy?
These are just some of findings of Alabama when they decided to test foreign imports of fish.

CLICK HERE
to view the video.

Read more!

the saga continues....

Our financial adviser in Canada emailed us a tracking number. And OH - you will not believe what has happened. Mutual - the company that held the funds in Canada sent the cheque via OVERNIGHT courier and thank GOD requested a signature. According to the tracking number something was wrong with the address and TODAY - it was signed for by an employee of Mutual back in CANADA....

So praise GOD - we know where the cheque is - it just isn't in our hot little hands yet.

Now I could whine and moan about the incompetency of Mutual who told us it went by UPS and, as such, did not have a tracking number.... BUT I KNOW whose fault it is and when my friend reads this - she will know who she is - because she predicted that the Good Lord would hold this money UNTIL EASTER!!!

And I refused to believe her. HA! I was so wrong wasn't I my dear friend, and you (dang it) were right!!!

But the Good Lord has kept us with just enough Manna and continues to be faithful in that regard. So we begin the process all over again while the good Lord enjoys His little chuckle along with His lesson in practicing the virtue of PATIENCE and of FAITH.

THANK YOU everyone for your continued support and prayers. Read more!

Sharing...

If you have been following our saga you know that company that held our Canadian Retirement funds did not bother to keep a record of the tracking number of the package that contained our cheque and now it has been almost a week since they sent it through UPS.

I am having to work on letting go and trusting. It was so easy the first day when the cheque did not arrive as we expected it to. We simply assumed that it would be here on Monday as the person we spoke to on Friday said it had gone out with UPS that morning... sadly we did not even think to ask for a tracking number at that time, although I doubt that would have made a difference as who ever sent it had already NOT recorded it.

However, I can truly see the benefit of this wait. I can even see God's hand in the tracking number being left unknown to us. In this way we have to blindly trust. Because of this we cannot be continually reassuring ourselves by tracking the cheque's progress online. "Ok, the package is at the border, the package is in NY, the package is...."

The disciples had to walk through all of Holy Week - not knowing the future and they had to trust that all would be alright, that God's hand was in all of these mysterious events they were facing. So too are Hugo and I being asked to trust that God is in control. Not UPS, not us, GOD is.
And it is so HARD! So please pray for the graces for Hugo and I to let go and trust. Read more!

Tomorrow...

... my oldest baby is leaving for here:




Aimee, dearest, is there any chance you could squeeze me into a small corner of you suitcase so I can enjoy some of this scenery with you??? Read more!

Love is...

...seeing that mummy is too tired to wash out the tub
and run a bubble bath for herself so you do it.
Thank you Bethany!

Read more!

You know you are really tired...

...when your two year old who routinely asks you around 7 am every morning 'if its morning' and today you have to stop and think before you can say: "Umm, yes it is morning." Read more!

Prayer prayers prayers....

... we need a few prayers please!

We are waiting on a cheque that has been sent by courier and apparently the company that mailed it, chose to mail it the slowest, cheapest way possible and without a tracking number.

Groceries are low and the pennies are being counted and stretched as far as possible.

Please join our pleas to Heaven that this money gets to us as soon as possible. God willing tomorrow, because even if it were to arrive tomorrow we will not be able to access the funds from it until Wednesday. The Lord has been good providing for us with Manna from Heaven - always just enough.

We have rarely, for the past two months, had more than a third of a tank of gas - usually it is just a quarter tank - just enough to get us there and back for any errands needing to be done. We have been buying food enough for one to two days at a time.

Hugo is about one third through his certification process and sadly - although I have been working for two months writing for this non profit company - they have yet to be able to pay me. This Lent has been a streeeeeetching of faith exercise for us.

I have not always done well - but I have done better than in the past. And we have experienced some little miracles as a result. For instance last week, old Mother Hubbard's cupboards were bare and so were the bank accounts. There was little reason to expect any eBay sales to pull us through the next 48 hours and I was feeling low.

"Lord," I grumbled, "I thought we had a deal. I thought I was to have faith and you were to provide." I grumbled some more to Him and struggled with the crisis of faith I was having and finally I threw up my hands and said; "Okay Lord, if this is how it is to be - I am needing some graces to deal with this. I can not do this alone - I NEED You to carry me. I need YOU to give me the graces I need to believe and to relax and not to worry."

It was then that, out of the blue, I remembered our gracious priest from a previous parish who had mailed us a gift card a few weeks previously but I could not remember where I had put it. I asked Saint Anthony to help me remember where it was.

"A black binder," sounded in my head.

I reached for the one next to me - nope.

"Upstairs," whispered a voice in my brain.

I dashed upstairs and found another black binder beside the desk in my bedroom. I opened it and looked in the sleeve. There was the Wal-mart card!

I danced a jig and the whole family rejoiced. We were able to buy enough food for two days with that card. Always just enough - just like the Manna from heaven.

So please pray with us while we wait for next gift of Manna or the cheque to come - whichever happens first. Read more!

Please pray

(Photo Credit Salisbury Post)

for the souls of two fire fighters, Justin Monroe, 19, and Victor Isler, 40, who died today in a ferocious five alarm fire that has completely destroyed the Salisbury Lumber Mill.

To read more about the fire click here. Saint Florian please pray for all who are still fighting this fire and may all the Saints and Angels in heaven join us in prayer for the souls so recently departed and for their families.

The words to TAPS, the melody typically played at a fallen hero's burial.

Day is done
Gone the sun
From the Lakes
From the hills
From the sky.
All is well,
safely rest.
God is nigh.

Fading light
Dims the sight
And a star
Gems the sky,
Gleaming bright
From afar,
Drawing nigh,
Falls the night.

Thanks and praise,
For our days,
Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.

(Words were found at this SITE.)

Read more!

My apologies...

...once again to my readers - assuming I even have anybody reading me anymore! Life has been a challenge - learning how to accommodate a part time writing job into my daily schedule and still be able to find time to write for my enjoyment of writing.

I have had some great family moments that would be fun to share but simply have not had the time to sit down and compose my thoughts. I have also had some inspiring moments I have wanted to share but again - not the time to sit and write them in a lucid and entertaining manner. I will not post just to simply post. I want my readers to be entertained, or enlightened and sometimes both!

Please pray for us while we seek discernment regarding some difficult decisions facing us in the upcoming weeks and possibly months.

God Bless and I hope to be able to find some time in the very near future to post. In the meantime - enjoy some photos from the wonderful Sunday afternoon we shared today as a family in the park. Read more!

A sunny day in March...

Read more!

"God's grace can fill us this Lent, provided we do not close the doors of our heart. We must be well-disposed, we must really want to change; we cannot play with God's grace. We cannot regard this Lent as just another liturgical season which has simply happened to come around again. It is a unique time: a divine aid which we should accept. Jesus is passing by and he hopes that we will take a great step forward - today, now." St. Josemaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By Read more!

Little lost girl

This little girl has been missing for almost a year. The URL I have pasted below takes you to Urban Legends where one can see that this is a true story and not just a joke or urban legend. Please pray for her and her family...

To read more about Reachelle Marie Smith's disappearance click here.

Then read an extra story to your little ones and give them lots of hugs! I'll be doing that today for sure! Read more!

Note to self...

When next we visit Charleston and my loving husband generously offers to walk fourty minutes back to where the van is parked to save the children, and I, the long arduous walk back... remember to give him the van keys. Read more!

Charleston...

As you know from my earlier post about keys and long walks in Charleston you now know we were in Charleston a few days ago. We drove down to deliver a compressor for a customer. It was cheaper to deliver it than to ship it.

What has often happened on our business/pleasure trips is that once we arrive it is almost lunch time or just past and everyone is starving and we drive around wasting gas trying to find an inexpensive place to eat - if we have not brought a picnic lunch. In which case we drive around looking for a park to eat in. This time we decided to be smart and head straight for the visitor center loudly proclaimed on a nearby street sign.

Once there, we parked and soon found a friendly volunteer whom we asked where one might find a Subway or similar eatery where one could feed a hungry crew of eight children cheaply.

"Weeell," he drawled. "you won't find much of that in the downtown area - it's mostly your regular restaurant fare. For the fast food joints you want to go to Spring Street." And then he kindly drew a black line on the map he was using to show us the highlights from the area to us, and made a few more suggestions about where to sight see.

As Hugo and I hustled back to the starving captives in the family van we discussed whether to sight see just a little in the down town area before heading to Spring Street. I argued that the children would not enjoy walking around downtown much as long as their tummies were grumbling. Consulting the wiggly black line our friendly volunteer had drawn for us - we agreed to compromise. We would walk to the local fast food strip. It appeared to be within ten blocks. Blocks, that our volunteer had assured were much shorter than most city blocks.

We released the hungry horde and strapped the two youngest, Emma and Elsa, into their strollers and I heaved the knapsack, filled with the essentials, onto my back. Remembering I wanted to add to my booty the waterless hand sanitizer that I rarely leave home without these days - I asked Hugo for the keys... the fatal error you recall reading about earlier this week.

Loooong story short - we strolled for about 3 blocks to get to Spring Street - so far so good. However, about 20 blocks later - we began to realize this was not going to be the short jaunt we thought it was going to be - but by then we were so far from the van that it seemed to make more sense to continue on as surely we would soon see a fast food joint.

A quick stop in a florist shop and we were assured that we would see a MacDonalds about 2 - 3 blocks after the very next set of lights.

Three sets of lights later - and we were really beginning to lose hope. Suddenly one of the children spied golden arches in the distance and we hurried our sore and aching feet a little more quickly.

Thirty minutes later - tummies full and Hugo ready to head off for the van, I prepared myself to keep the smaller clan members busy. We waved good bye to Daddy and Anna and refilled our cups at the Soda Fountain.

Forty minutes later - when I confidently announced that Daddy and Anna were probably at the
van Noah asked the fatal question... at which point we began to hurriedly pack every one and everything up and. About 2/3rds of the way back down Spring Street we met up with Anna and Hugo walking back up towards us.

Deciding we had not driven four hours just to deliver a compressor and eat at MacDonalds, it was decided that even though it was rather late, starting to get chilly and dusk was just a short time away - we would still explore the downtown...

We were enjoying the old fashioned store fronts and the incredible architecture
when I spied a familiar sign in the very near distance. In a horrified tone I exclaimed; "HUGO LOOK!"
"What, look at what?" he asked.
"LOOK" - I commanded and pointed.

There, not ten minutes from where we had parked beside the visitors center, was....

(Not my photo)

My husband looked at me and asked "What did I want to do? EH? What did I want to do?"


None the less - we had a great time and we are really looking forward to heading back to Charleston soon and seeing all the sights we didn't have time to see due to our decision to be smart and eat first....




We arrive in Charleston and catch sight of an awesome bridge in the distance. This picture was taken from the van as we were driving, with the camera set on the sports/action setting.


Next thing we knew - we were actually crossing this really cool and huge bridge.


A very tall hotel downtown.


At some point in Charlestons history - it was decided that property taxes would be determined by the amount of road frontage one took up. This led to very narrow and incredibly long houses. One house's windows numbered ten and then there was an addition beyond that.



The highlight of the trip came soon after the shock of learning that our friendly volunteer clearly knew not of what he was talking about.

We do not sport any Catholic bookstores within an hours drive of us, so for some of the kids - this was their first experience of a Catholic bookstore. They were delighted. Here below I caught a photo of Bethany and Noah after a friendly exchange with Sister Jane. All of the children had the opportunity to chat with her.


Sister kindly invited us to visit their enclosed rose garden that one enters through their little tea room. It was a delight as you will see...

Elsa enjoyed blowing kisses to the Baby Jesus cradled in His Foster Father's arms. She is clutching the post card she was allowed to pick out and pay for.


Emma and Bethany posed under the palm tree for me.


Another, much smaller, statue of Saint Joseph in the Daughters of Saint Paul's rose garden.


Our Lady Of Guadalupe graces their garden wall.


They have very thoughtfully created a lovely little play room in the back of the store where you can easily keep an eye on the children and browse the many books nearby.



Some of the trees sprouted very large roots. Bethany sat here for me so we could show how big this set of roots are.


Nathaniel enjoyed pushing his baby sister in her stroller. In fact he was very determined to push her as much as he was allowed.


Here Benjamin, Noah and Bethany are exploring a very knobby tree trunk.

Despite the crazy turn of events that lunch took, we really had a good time and all of the kids agree that they are looking forward to going back. But most especially - they are all looking forward to visiting the Daughters of Saint Paul again. Read more!

Urgent Alert from the Knights of Columbus...

Congress considers transforming AIDS relief into a massive abortion program financed by U.S. taxpayers

ACTION:

A Congressional committee is about to take America's overseas AIDS relief program and use it as a vehicle for population control and abortion promotion. Knights are urged to write to their members of Congress (especially if they're members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee) to oppose this change. See additional details at the bottom of this e-mail alert.

BACKGROUND The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is due for reauthorization in 2008. In 2003 this bill was passed with bipartisan support and has a proven record of success in saving lives. Last month, however, the House Foreign Affairs Committee proposed a reauthorization bill (the "Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008") which would drop the program's exclusive focus on HIV/AIDS, and define HIV/AIDS and pregnancy as a "dual threat" to women's lives. The $50 billion authorized by the bill would then be used for both AIDS relief and what are termed "women's reproductive health services" and "family planning services." Although the bill's definition of "reproductive health" does not mention "abortion," abortion advocates have long interpreted "reproductive health" and "family planning" to include abortion. Women seeking solely HIV/AIDS treatment could unexpectedly find themselves subjected to abortion counseling. MEXICO CITY POLICY Currently, the Mexico City Policy provides that no U.S. population assistance funds can be given to non-governmental organizations unless they certify that it will not perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning. But the Mexico City Policy does not apply to AIDS relief legislation. The insertion of "reproductive health" and "family planning" in AIDS relief legislation is a ploy to redirect AIDS relief money to international abortion organizations, and represents an end run around the Mexico City Policy restrictions. Foreign abortion groups that cannot currently obtain US funding for family planning would be able to do so under this AIDS relief legislation. CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES AFFECTED Catholic health institutions deliver approximately 25% of all HIV and AIDS care worldwide, and this bill places Catholic participation in jeopardy. Men, women and children seeking treatment for HIV and AIDS by Catholic providers in the world's poorest regions could lose their access to treatment. On February 6, Bishop Thomas Wenski, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Ken Hackett, President of Catholic Relief Services, wrote to the Foreign Affairs Committee, welcoming the major increase in funding for AIDS relief, but said that they were "deeply troubled" by inclusion of 'reproductive health' and 'family planning' services . . ." That is why the National Right to Life Committee and many other organizations are asking that the legislation be changed, and we ask that you do, too. Click here for the full text of Bishop Wenski's letter and a fact sheet.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Contact members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee by phone, FAX or e-mail. This is especially important if your own representative in Congress is a member of the committee. Click here for a list of committee members.

Even if your representative is not on the committee, it will also be helpful to contact your representative and your U.S. senators by mail, Fax, e-mail or phone. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121 or call your representative's local office.

MESSAGE:

"When you reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), please do NOT link the AIDS/HIV program to family planning and abortion. PEPFAR should keep its bipartisan focus on saving human lives. Those suffering from HIV/AIDS should not be sacrificed to the cause of abortion and population control."

WHEN:

Due to the death of Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos, markup of this legislation has been postponed until February 25. Immediate action will ensure that your voice is heard before the committee action is taken. Read more!

Pinata Slide Show...

The day after Christmas is observed in Canada, and other countries, as Boxing Day. This is the day our family has our Christmas dinner for various reasons I may have explained before; but if not feel free to ask and I will tell all later. This year our oldest daughter Amanda decided she thought it was time for a new tradition and she opted for a Pinata.

I have added a slide show on the side bar of some of the highlights - but unfortunately it does not show as well in the side bar as it does full screen. After all of my work I feel obliged to leave it up, at least until I have something better to put in its place.

I hope to post more later but to be honest, my brain has run away again. Hopefully it will come home soon. Tomorrow though, we will all be Charleston, South Carolina delivering a compressor so if it should come home tomorrow (my brain - that is) there will be no one here but the dog to receive it. Let's hope he doesn't decide it is a chew toy!

You see how my humour deteriorates when I have no brain... Read more!

We have recently begun journaling as a part of our prayer life. Here is a small taste of some of the fruits of Lenten journaling.

You pick me up when I fall.
You pat my shoulder if I bawl.
Show me how to count my joys,
and not be greedy with my toys.
This hard, hard life I can not bear
but yet you help me persevere.

Bethany Rose, age 9

(photo credit http://www.childoflight.org/children.html)

Read more!

This blog is currently....

I am slowly changing things around
Check back now and then as I figure out
how to add stuff.

Read more!

"The Devil tempts us so that he may ruin. God allows him to tempt so that He may perfect us in virtue."

-- Ambrose of Milan

Read more!

Sometimes a tragedy hits close to home.

I did not know the two young college students who lost their lives when their van plunged into the icy depths of the lake they were trying to cross last week. Yet, somehow I feel their loss more deeply than I would for most strangers.

Sometimes a tragedy hits close to home. Maybe because you knew the extended family, or you went to school with a friend of someone involved, or maybe its just because it was where you used to live or visit often. In this case - Combermere is a place of special memories for our family. We traveled up the mountain roads on more than one occasion to visit Madonna house or friends who owned farmland up there. And having lived so far north it is easy for me to envision the snowy white roads and the frozen lake where the tragedy took place.

While we have not been to Madonna house or in the nearby area where the two college students drowned in over 11 years, learning of this tragedy has brought back many memories. And mixed with them are my prayers for all of those involved in this very sad event. Yet while all who knew the two young people who died are greatly saddened, it seems that this college is filled with a hope. A hope that springs from living out their Catholic faith.

The president of the college has shared; "While the college, and indeed, the surrounding community, was shocked and saddened at the news, the sadness at the college is pervaded with a hope and even a joy at the near knowledge that these two souls, so close to God on earth, are bound to be with Him in Glory.", and one of the professors stated that; "I'm going to continue talking with them," he says of Sanders and Lieu. "I'm going to tell the students they're more real now than they were when they were alive."

Such amazing faith. To learn more about the college the students were from go here. And please remember this tiny Catholic community that is tucked away in the snowy valley of Ontario Canada as they mourn the loss of two beautiful lives while they also celebrate the life they brought to the community. Read more!

Sometimes...

...just sometimes you get the words you need to hear/read at just the right time.
Sister Patricia has been sending out a novena for employment and I read the first days prayers and then a fit of rebellion slipped in and I refused to read any more of the prayers as they came into my inbox the past few days. (If you do not know Sister yet - click here)

Now after my wonderful announcement of employment why am I irritated by a novena for employment? Well, while I am working... it is on commission and it will take a while before I see the fruits of my labour. Hugo is busy with school, maintaining the eBay business at a very low key level and has not had the time to begin the Spanish classes we had hoped to start. He is still looking for a job and we are w a i t i n g, w a i t i n g, w a i t i n g for a withdrawal from our retirement funds in Canada and it is a p a i n f u l l y s l o w process. If all goes well - so many prayers will be answered and our life will improve immeasurably. But so many things have gone wrong the past years that sometimes I have a very difficult time being able to trust in God.

Sadly the past few days, partly I suspect because I am suffering from what I am calling 'battle fatigue' due to the illness our family has been battling against, I have been finding it especially difficult to be patient and to trust in God's goodness. Until recently I had just kept giving this whole "waiting" scenario over to God.

Then tonight I was eating a quick bowl of cereal and writing a note of thanksgiving to my Dad and step mum, when I noticed an email had come in. I was curious so I clicked on it - it was from Sister Patricia. I sighed, felt grumpy and was not going to read it - after I had not read the last 4 or 5 so why read this one, eh?

Well - I decided to take a peek just to see how irritated it would make me feel.

This is the message I got...

Now its time to spread a little Franciscan wisdom. One of our own American Franciscan saints to "be" (he's a blessed but not canonized) is Bl. Solanus Casey. A very wonderful and holy man. Father Solanus's favorite saying, was "Thank God ahead of time!"

Of course we know its very St. Paul based too! But this is such a great and wonderful way to pray. If you want a miracle - then Saint Paul tells us we must believe we are going to receive one. What better way to jump start our faith than to start "Thanking God ahead of Time!"

Solanus Casey used to say with a twinkle in his eye (he was a very warm-hearted and holy man) that when we thank God ahead of time... we put God in a tough spot....God is almost obliged to give us what we want because we've already thanked him for it!

Trusting God enough to thank Him before we get what we want is a great way to step out in faith. It's like trusting your parents to provide good things for you - trusting that your best friend is going to help you out when you are in trouble. Thanking God is all about trust and appreciation. I truly believe that God likes to be thanked .... and doing it ahead of time is showing our great confidence in our loving God. Anybody can thank God "after" they get what they prayed for - but it takes faith to do it "before" the answers come!

So go ahead! Spend the whole day thanking God for the wonderful job he is finding for you or for those you are praying for. Almost immediately you will feel stronger and excited about what is going to happen. A Joyful heart is good medicine and a joyful spirit makes someone want to be around you. If you are looking for a job than you really need to have people be glad to be around you because who knows where that job opening might come from? A family member, a friend, a person you smile and help on the street?

Dedicate yourself to Thankfulness!

So... that is what I am going to do this LENT - spend each day thanking God for the blessings that have yet to come. I am going to thank Him for my first pay cheque from SIT, for Hugo's job that is just around the corner and will be a perfect fit, for the mortgage we will get. I will thank for the good health also just around the corner. I am going to thank him for the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit as he guides us in the purchase of our new home. I will thank him for my success in building a better prayer life and for success in creating and following a solid family rule - and on and on and on.... This Lent - I am going to just keep thanking God. And in thanking Him - I will be believing in Him and His graces and His gifts. Read more!

When do you praise the Lord that we have the Influenza?

When you drag a very sick toddler into the doctor's office, trying really hard not to think how much your child's behaviour and symptoms for the past month have been like that of the two year old who was just diagnosed with Leukemia.

When the pediatrician looks very worried because he can not find an explanation for the sudden onset of a 105 temperature... after weeks of flu like symptoms that keep coming and going and had finally seemed to be gone and then this sudden spike in her fever brought you into his office.

When the doctor orders a blood count test and a Flu test and tells you our best hope is a positive flu test, and his voice trails off...

When the nurse comes back with a big grin on her face and says "SHE HAS THE FLU!" and you laugh in relief.

YES, we have the influenza - Type A - highly contagious, but treatable. Very treatable.

Praise God.

Read more!

When does hearing Thank You put a lump in your throat...

...when your 2 year old, while running a fever of 104, says thank you as you move the cool clothe to a different spot on her head.

... and again later while this same two year old lies limply in your arms and whispers thank you as you put her favorite cartoon back on for her to watch for about the 12th time in a row.

This being the same 2 year old who has recently fallen in love with the word HATE. In fact you have heard "I hate dis tupid thing! " so much you begin to wonder how much you are carelessly using the word hate and resolve to be more attentive to your own vocabulary.

Yup - that is when the expression 'thank you' wrings your heart. Read more!

Out of the mouths of babes...

This morning (Sunday) our 2 yr old Elsa woke up shivering and groaning. She complained she needed to use the bathroom, but when I picked her up I realized at once she was a little furnace. Her temp was about 103. After a quick trip to the potty, I grabbed a 'vitamin" out of its package on the medicine shelf. (Vitamin is code for Tylenol as if we call it by its proper name - she won't take it...)

She tearfully chomped on the tablet and then grabbed her legs complaining that they hurt. Then she jumped. "Mummy, der's a monster over der!!" she whispered.

I peered into the darkness to try and see what might be disguising itself as a monster but could not identify the culprit. I scooped her up and carried back into our bedroom where she shivered and shook in my arms.
"Mummy, DER it is!" She gasped.. "It's in my drawers." I flipped on the closet light and we both examined her drawers and again could not find the culprit.

I was beginning to worry she was hallucinating from the fever. As we turned away from the closet, she whispered, "JESUS!" Startled, I looked at her and said, "What?"

She whispered again to me, this time she said "Mummy, I want Jesus!"

As we lay in bed together, she continued to see monsters and then would call for Jesus. I talked a little to her about Jesus being with us in our hearts and all around us. Eventually she drifted off to sleep, leaving me to wonder about the innate ability of children to seek what is right and good. She was ill and frightened, seeing who knows what terrors of the imagination, and when I could not make the monsters go away - she instinctively called to Jesus for help. It is for no small reason that Jesus commands us to believe like little children. Read more!

Silence is Golden...

"God is a friend of silence. We need to find God, but we cannot find Him in noise, in excitement. See how nature, the trees, the flowers, the grass grow in deep silence. See how the stars, the moon, and the sun move in silence. The more we receive in our silent prayers, the more we can give in our active life. Silence gives us a new way of looking at everything. We need silence in order to touch souls. The important thing is not what we say, but what God says to us, and what He says through us. There is no life of prayer without silence."

To read the entire article that I have borrowed this quote from, click here. (If for any reason this link does not work, the blog is HERE. )

I have to admit, I am not a friend of silence, which is why this quote struck me with such force. I find silence lonely and sometimes overwhelming. When the house is silent - I turn on EWTN on my computer, or I put some music on. But I prefer hearing human voices in the back ground. Maybe that is why Ia m able to deal with the constant babble of noise in our home. None the less, I think I need to learn how to value silence and maybe in doing so - I will be better able to hear God. Read more!

Calling ALL Parents!

Do you have a paper shredder in your home, possibly because of the increased risk of identity theft? Well - if you have a child under five in your home AND a paper shredder - you now are entertaining one of the newest 'hidden hazard' scenarios.

Because this is typically an office machine that until recently, was only found in the office - the voluntary standards only call for an opening above the blades that will prevent a twelve year old's fingers from being caught in the machine.

And if your machine boasts of auto stop features to prevent entrapment in the blades one family's recent experience begs to differ. Danielle Bean shared one friend's horror story on her blog. Danielle's friend, referring to her two year olds situation, shared the following:

"his hand was between two pieces of paper, so the machine still sensed paper and didn't stop..."

And while this two year old is recovering well from the surgery it took to repair the damage " his hand will never be the same" his mother also shared with Danielle's readers.

Danielle posted a link to an article that explains in full detail the dangers these now common home office machines pose to our young children. Please, if you have children or know somebody with children who might have access to a paper shredder - take the time to read this article and share it with others. Lets all try to work together across the world wide web and see if we can't turn the statistics around and prevent other similar tragedies from happening.

Currently our shredder will be staying at our business location, but if we ever decide to bring it home - I will be following the advice proposed by the article. Given that many of these accidents occured while children were under the supervision of their parents doctors suggest the following: "...Paper shredders should be kept unplugged and out of children's reach. They also urge parents not to let young children use or be near shredders at any time, adding that the No. 1 way to avoid an injury to a child's fingers is to keep them away from shredders altogether"

To read the article click here - if for any reason your browser does not open to this link simply copy and paste the following URL in your browser.

http://www.factory-express.com/blog/2006/02/shredder-safety-and-children.html Read more!

CALLING ALL NC HOMESCHOOLERS

Thank you to Maria, who brought this to my attention.

"In September, the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE) sent a letter to some randomly selected homeschooling families requesting that they voluntarily meet with a representative of DNPE to review their school records. Parents agreeing to meet with the state official were required to bring their attendance, immunization, and standardized test records to be reviewed. Parents were also requested to bring their school-age children, a textbook list, a daily log/lesson plan book, and samples of each student’s work for review by the state official."

To read the complete article CLICK HERE

Please do take the time to read this article, especially if ou are a homeschooler here within NOrth Carolina. Read more!

Going for a fourth....

...am I catching my readers off guard? Making you worry that maybe you should start reading me daily again? Nah - don't worry. Maybe tonight I will get enough sleep to be able to focus on the more important things in life - like laundry, meals, grant proposals. Don't worry - I don't think I will top the number of posts today for quite a while.

In the meantime - I am here to tell you that while waiting for Canada Revenue to decide to either a) install more phone lines,
b) hang the phone up from their lunch break
or
c) for the majority of Canada talking to Canada Revenue to hang up so I can get through,
I have continued to entertain myself by doing further research on the origins of Canuck, aka Cannuck, aka Kanuck.

I was successful, but in the interim realized that while I do not miss Canadian taxes, I do miss Canadian humour. To share in my enjoyment - click here. (Note the last name given by the person writing in to ask the origins of Cannuck) Read more!

WHAT? Another post, THREE in one day?

This is what happens when you are brain dead and trying to complete paper work that entails frequent online research. You get sidelined by interesting questions like what is the origin of Cannuck... which leads you to stories online - like this one: Click here to read!

As to the origin of Cannuck (AKA canuck) - still working on that, in between getting busy signals from Revenue Canada. Who would have thought Canada's equivalent to the IRS would be so popular - or maybe they just took the phone off the hook for lunch!

PS for those who click to read the story above - the author does a great job of explaining various Canadian terms but forgot to explain that the Hydro bill is not the water bill - it is Electric bill. This is because so much of Canadian electricity is derived from Hydro Dams. Read more!

Some days this is how I feel as Elsa trails behind me asking "Ooopa Mummy Ooopa!"
(Ooopa is a Spanish/Argentinian term for up, spelling probably not accurate, but Hugo is not home for me to check.)

Read more!

Too tired, too sore...

... to move let alone think of something worthwhile to post. Most of us are down with some nasty flu bug that I swear must be traveling via the internet disguised a a computer virus as we have hardly been anywhere but on the internet these days. Yet everyone I know has/had this flu!!!

So once more I beg my readers for their prayers. We woke to a beautiful light blanket of snow covering the ground and about six stuffed, snuffling noses pressed to the windows - pining for snow boots so as to be allowed to play in this ever so rare occurrence. And despite the light rain that is now melting everything away and threatening to turn into freezing rain, several volunteers lined up to walk to the puppy.

In truth the children are too sick for me to allow them to enjoy this snow for more than it takes the time to walk to the dog. Please pray for me to have the graces to deal wit the frustration the littlest ones will have about not being allowed out to enjoy this miracle of whiteness and pray for my tired, sore body that has spent the past number of nights squeezed between two small bodies that might as well have been stone boulders for all the rest I got.

Please also pray for our eBay sales - as things stand it will be at least a month, maybe two, before we receive any pay from my new job and Hugo's new venture, and if we lose the power due to freezing rain - we will not be able to monitor potential customers questions and concerns. A power outage can be very disastrous for an eBayer.

And thank you ALL for all of your prayers. If I disappear for a while - it could be the weather or just plain fatigue! If your comments do not get moderated though, you will know it is the weather. (Or we were not able to pay Internet bill!!)

God Bless
Christi Read more!

Thank You Hugo

I want to publicly thank Hugo for being such a wonderful husband.

Sometimes love is shown in little ways that we can take for granted. He did not sleep well either last night while we coped with two sick children, watching Pink Panther on Youtube at 2 in the morning as we waited for a the tiny drop of Motrin I squeezed between reluctant lips to kick in. This was followed by waking up at 3 am by a still feverish child who was murmuring, crying and tossing turning until she finally fell back asleep leaning on me with both baby and I still sitting up. Five year old Emma clambered in at I don't know what time, adding her inferno temp to the warmth of our crowded bed. Now we each had our own live heating pad crowded up against us.

Yet he rolled out of bed first thing this morning and started in on the dirty dishes everyone was either too sick, or too tired to cope with last night. With his hands in hot soapy water he informed me that my toast was in the toaster and while I sat bleary eyed at my desk rescheduling a dentist appointment that took a month to get - he dashed out to get apple sauce for those whose throats are too sore for toast.

So thank you Hugo for being the best Husband EVER! I love you, and when you do these things for me - I know you love me! Thank you!!! Read more!

The Power of Prayer and the Promised Announcement.

If you recall, before Christmas, I promised an announcement of something big. Well, after much prayer Hugo and I decided, just before Christmas, to close down the business. Currently we are in the process of liquidating and Hugo has begun the application process to Grad School and is also looking for a job, part time or full. This was decided with some trepidation as we really were not sure where we would go from here.

Last week Hugo and I began a nine day novena to the Infant Jesus with the request being a job for Hugo, a job for Miguel and a job for Jonathan who is returning to college and badly needs money to help pay for his next semesters expenses. As usual, Baby Jesus is coming through for us. Miguel had a job interview today at 4 pm and a few days ago I received a call from a fellow parishioner. He had read some of my writing and wanted to know if I might be willing to try my hand at writing grant proposals!

I was! So long story short, Hugo had the cell phone when Charles Patten of SITorg called and later the next day both Hugo and I met with the staff as well as the founder of SITorg. We were very impressed with the enthusiasm of everyone involved in this organization and it seems that they in turn were pleased with us. So both of us will be involved with SITorg for the next little while. (Hopefully for some time to come!) I will be involved in procuring funds for the organization and Hugo will be developing the Hispanic line of courses and teaching classes in Spanish/English. He will keep our business going for a little while longer esp. as what he is doing actually works well with the mission of SITorg, which is:

To Provide free upgraded computers for those in need.

Low cost technology services, and computers to benefit the community.

Provide environmentally sound solution for technological waste.

And all of is this is accomplished through the mentoring of the young children who participate in this after school program. What the children gain from this program is priceless. They are not only learning marketable skills, but the importance of proper stewardship of the environment as well as practicable means of accomplishing this, and all of this in a safe, Christian environment.

We have not yet finished the novena for jobs for Hugo, Miguel and Jonathan, we will be finishing it this Saturday, but the sweet Baby Jesus has already been busy! Not only have Hugo and I found something, but tonight Miguel received a phone call telling him that he had the job he interviewed for today.

I am very excited about this new venture and have already been working on finding some local donations as SITorg is between grants and would be very happy to receive monetary donations as well as computers! Please be sure to move your cursor over the red print in bold and check out the pages they take you too. Please note that SIT's website was created by the students involved in this program and if you wish to view another website created by them you can click here . If, after exploring SIT's site, you think this is a worthy program and would like to support it in some way, large or small, please click here.

In the meantime, Hugo and I need to finish our Novena and then begin another of Thanksgiving and we would certainly appreciate all of your prayers for success in these new endeavors, my grant proposal writing, Hugo's classes and Hugo's studies as he pursues a Master's degree in Project Management. Please also keep Miguel & Jonathan in your prayers as they further their studies and Miguel begins a new job!

And I would like to finish this post with a note of gratitude to all of you, my readers, for the prayers you have offered up again and again for us!

Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

Read more!

Landry AKA Mount Everest

Mary left an interesting comment on my blog asking for advice on laundry. Oodles and oodles of laundry - the kind of laundry only a large family, especially one with lots of young kids, can generate.

Here is the crux of Mary's problem:

I am a homeschooling mom of 5 little children all under 7 years old....

So, anyway, my question is: do you have a set number of pants/shirts (not including Sunday best clothes) but every day clothes. Do you have the kids in uniforms? With all the changes of the seasons, we have such a huge amount of shorts/t-shirts/pants/shorts

/sweaters etc…the list could go on.

Do you have any type of system that works for you?

I know of another mom who has ONLY 5 OUTFITS-per child per season-hung on hangers-1 per day. They wear them stains and all.

I am a bit on the fence about this….well it is tempting to get rid of most of the kids’ clothes to just have 5! But I do like to see my children dressed nicely without all those stains(if I can help it).

Overwhelmed with the laundry loads, I figured I would ask you and I can’t wait to hear what you (or others) have to say about this deal.

Thanks in advance!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to your family!!!

God Bless you,

Mary

Here, at last, is my promised answer to you Mary.

I have tried a variety of systems. I have tried only having a specific number of outfits per child per season as your friend does - but there is a set back to this as insinuated with the " stains and all" comment. So I tried doing that with back ups put aside in my closet, or in a storage closet, but then when you need them they smell like, well stale laundry.

I have also struggled, as you do, with the feast or famine of donations. Because one can never be sure when the next drought might strike - you never like to say no to an offer of clothing. And then some seasons you get an overload of say, size six and absolutely no size eights so there is the temptation to hoard against the future. But I have learned to go with the ebb and flow of the donations and to not keep things that I do not believe I can use within one year of receiving - trusting to the Lord to provide when the need occurs.

I have a few ideas I can share with you - some I am currently using and some I am no longer using but might work for you, and at least one I am doing that you might not want to try until your children are older.

I will start with the one thing I am currently doing but your children are probably not old enough to do yet. Once my children are tall enough to reach the back of the washer and dryer and so the dials - I begin to teach them how to do their own laundry. They learn to sort their clothes and they learn how to use the machines. Each bedroom has their own laundry day with one day of the week free from laundry. They also learn what happens if they miss their assigned laundry day - no clean clothes!

Is not a perfect system but it works fairly well and when I notice the washer has finished and throw a child's clothes into the dryer for them - I am rewarded with a large smile and a huge thank you.

However, something your children can start to learn with you when they get ready for bed each evening is how to sort their clothes. I have used a white basket hamper for the lights with a darker one for darks.

To deal with the challenge of the change of seasons, I have begun purchasing the huge zip lock bags. I like that you can see through them and that they seem to be quite durable. When the season begins to change I keep them near the laundry area and as we make our way through the laundry the bags are slowly filled. I assign a bag to each room, but one for each teen. In other word the three boys rooming together get one bag and the two little girls get one bag but the two teens bunking together - each get one. They have more clothes and the individual articles are larger in size as well. When the bag is full I put them away in the corresponding bedroom's large closet. We have been so blessed with awesome closets in this house.

A suggestion I have not implemented but hope to soon, is to use baskets of different colours to indicate whether the laundry in the laundry room is fresh or waiting to be washed.

One disadvantage to the system I use of teaching the children to be independent with the laundry is that we sometimes experience a back up or over flow in the laundry area. And others waiting their turn for the facilities do not always know what has been washed and what hasn't. If the child before them is not around to clarify the situation we can end up with dirty clothes mixed with clean. This can be compounded by the general laundry, such towels, being left in the laundry area so I am hoping to be able to budget for some colour co-ordinated baskets soon.

My intention is to use a light coloured hamper for clean clothes and a dark one for dirty in hopes of preventing some of this confusion.

Now as to the number of articles of clothing, I do try to keep it somewhat limited but not as strictly as I once did. If I can't fit all of the clothing for one child in one large dresser and their alloted closet space, I know we have gone overboard. I have one drawer assigned for good clothes per child in his or her dresser. I also keep some good clothes separate in my closet for the younger children so that I know for sure that they have a good out fit for Sundays. When I have a special occasion coming up I do this for some of the older children as well. (Not the teens though) This removes some of the stress when preparing for the special occasion.

As I mentioned when I described how the older children learn to do their own laundry, each bedroom has their laundry day. This is something you could try to implement, it helps me a lot although on occasion we can get thrown off by being away on someones laundry day, that free days helps and when I know ahead we will be away, we try to squeeze a small extra load in ahead of the missed day.

I hope that some of these ideas help you Mary. I pray that one day soon you are able to tame your Mount Everest. Please, if any other readers have some ideas or solutions that have helped you - please feel free to share them with Mary and I in the comment section.

Read more!