Simple Woman's Daybook - April, May, and June 2017

I am participating in a Simple Woman's Daybook for April, May, and June 2017.

Outside my Window...it is presently a cool overcast day.  It is a great day to home-school.  I usually don't turn the fireplace on in April...but I did today for a little while.  I think we have global cooling in Maryland because it is June when I type this next sentence and it is still cooler than usual. 

Finally, today: June 13th, we are having some sunny hot weather. A wonderful home-school father and his sons are putting in a new back deck for us.  I might have to give them some popsicles later to cool them off.

I am Thinking...that I hope the Lord guides the progress of my children.  

Colin/26 - Receiving his Ph.D. in Engineering and this fall going to live with some Franciscan Monks in New York to help serve the homeless for a short period. He expressed that he does not want to become a priest nor has he given up on girls.  Therefore, we will see where the Holy Spirit leads him! 

Brandyn/25 - Living at home to finish up his Nursing Degree at the local community college. Also working part time at University of Maryland in Baltimore Hospital. 

Kristen/21 - Just transitioned from University of Maryland to Montgomery College to finish up her Nursing Degree.  She will be going on a mission trip this summer to Latin America and working as a lifeguard sub at the local pool.  

Claire/17 - Attending University of Nebraska in the fall to begin her degree program in early childhood education.  We are currently attending her high school graduation celebrations.  She is on swim team and life guarding at the local pool for her summer job.

Patrick/10 - Continuing to finish up 5th grade home-school lessons and participate in swim team and soccer.

I am Thankful...for the deacon at our local parish as he communicated with my brother who has colon cancer to see if the Church can assist him in any way while he is getting treatment. That was in April.  Now it is June and they should offer him Prayers of the Sick sacrament.  

I am also thankful that my fifth grader was able to speed up his completion of his fourth quarter home-school material. Now he is basically finishing up just reading and vocabulary.  He is working on a book report about Saint John Bosco by Catherine Beebe.  He said that he may choose this Saint for his Confirmation name. Right now he is outside at recess playing with a neighbor.

In the Kitchen...We had pork chops, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob.  That was in April.  In June, Brandyn helped me make up my own seasoning for the pork chops.  It turned out very good.  

Last night, June 12th, my hubby barbecued chicken and potatoes.  I love the way potatoes taste when they are barbecued. Although I didn't have dinner last night as my stomach did not feel so good. 

I am Wearing...Black sweats with a blue tee and grey and pink jacket.  Cozy clothes to snuggle indoors on this rainy day.  That was in April.  Now (in June) I'm wearing black jeans, short sleeved blouse, black sweater, and flip flops. Today, June 13th, I'm in shorts as it is very hot today.

I am Creating...a simple craft to have for my journal writing class and a yummy dessert for the end of the year celebration for our home-school coop. That was in April.  

In June, I am continuing to develop ideas for my journal writing class.

I am Looking Forward to...sunny and warm weather with the swim team starting up for our two youngest children and life guarding positions for my daughters.  The swim team pasta dinner is this Friday evening.  I am making Creamy Pesto-Chicken Casserole.

I am Hearing...three of my kids and the dog fooling around and playing in the background with hubby talking on the phone about college to my daughter at University of Maryland.  That was in April.  

Now it is June and I was the first one up today.  It is 8:00 a.m. and I hear a couple others beginning to rise. Today, June 13th, I hear the men and boys working on the deck.

Around the House...In April, we finally cleared out much of the clutter in our basement, got new walls and new floor with some book shelves too.  It looks much better.  We will be getting a new air conditioning and new deck in June.

I am Praying...for my brother who has colon cancer. I am also praying for my mother who is very worried.  I am also praying for myself that I do not have any setbacks or recurring issues with my illness as I have recently. I am currently receiving some treatment. I am also praying for my oldest son who is over in Sweden for his career.

One of My Favorite Things...was celebrating Easter with the family and taking a weekend trip to Ocean City, Maryland.  That was April.  Now in June we are busy with Claire's graduation celebrations.  Here is a pic to share:

A Few Plans for Next Week...finish my craft for my journal writing class and turn in religious education registration to Mother Seton Parish.

Here are some recent pics to share of one of the graduation events my family attended for my daughter:

Typical Homeschooling Day

My fifth grader is homeschooled and here is a record of a typical homeschool day from yesterday.  Yes, it was halloween but we still were diligent in doing our work.  Afterwards, my son went out with his big brother for an hour before he got dressed for trick-or-treating with the neighborhood kids.  Neighbors gathered in our court for a potluck and fellowship.

Religion:  Study and discuss two paintings of the Nativity and Coronation

Math:  Converting Units of Weight and Mass (Saxon 65 - second edition)

English:  Exercise on Nouns of Prepositions

Handwriting:  Cursive

History:  Complete chapter review on Andrew Jackson and Map Skills (Latitude and Longitude)

Reading:  Read stories on the Wright Brothers and the Israelites and answer questions

Phonics:  Work on dipthongs

Science:  Complete review quiz on brain and nerves

Spelling:  Spelling Test

Vocabulary:  Exercises on passage containing words and writing the definitions, circling the correct word used in the meaning of a sentence, synonyms and antonyms

Nucleus of Life (Journal)-picture above: Write first draft paragraph of story about a character who displays virtue.

Science Coop work:  Stinging, Crawling, and Squirming Animals - Read chapter, complete worksheet, and make vocabulary cards

Physical Education:  Patrick has his last soccer game this Saturday.  He will be taking an Upward basketball program over the winter.

Art/Music:  He is learning from some wonderful teachers at his Coop.  We attend Coop once a week.

Simple Woman's Daybook - April 13, 2016 - April 14, 2016

I am participating in a Simple Woman's Daybook:

Outside my window...it was a bright sunny day today and yesterday in Maryland.  It is finally warming up a bit but is still too cool for me.  It is often cool lately for this time in our state...in the 50's or low 60's.  It is more often in the 70's during April in Maryland. 

I am thinking...that I am grateful for the Bible study my hubby and I are attending at our parish.  Some of the questions were:

1)  Identify people and events that God used to help you come to faith in Jesus.

The constant love between my own mother and father greatly greatly assisted me in falling in love with the Lord.

Also, when I broke up with my first serious boyfriend, I finally realized how important family was to me.

After I was assaulted in a woman's restroom, I turned to the Lord more often.

Each of these situations played a huge role in fostering my faith life.

2)  Who cultivated your curiosity?

My religious education classes taught me a lot about Jesus, the Mass drew me in, my parents constant love, and the suffering after the assault all cultivated my curiosity or planted seeds w/in me to explore further into His love. Both words, actions, suffering and His very presence drew me closer to the Lord.

3)  Who explained the Gospel?  

My religious education teachers taught me the parables and sacraments while my parents taught me through virtuous actions and living.

4)  Who invited you to make a personal decision to accept Christ into your life?

It was never a choice.  Christ was always present, and I ran to him.  I've accepted the Lord from the beginning.

I am thankful...that I was able to hold the Journal Writing Class at my house today.  The boys had so much fun.  It was a beautiful day and they were able to play outside often.  I am also grateful that my leg stopped hurting.

In the kitchen...We are having shish kabobs tonight.

I am wearing...a pair of blue warm ups with a grey jacket.

I am creating...I finished my craft and chose some Bible verses for my Journal Writing Class Thursday.  I also chose some books for the Journal Writing Class I'm teaching at our homeschool coop next year too.  I sent out the song with sign language we are going to learn and asked the moms to do a summer prerequisite for the class.  They are to teach their children what the word VIRTUE means, point out examples, and practice the song occasionally.  Friday I am looking at a closer coop to home which means we might do both coops as the one I'm in now only meets every other week and is 50 minutes away.  Here is my Virtue Song:

Virtue Song

(Tune:  Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)

Help Me See the Virtue

The Virtue

The Virtue

Help Me See the Virtue

In the World Around Me

Help Me Have the Wisdom

The Wisdom

The Wisdom

Help Me have the Wisdom

In Decisions I Make

Help Me Seek the Knowledge

The Knowledge

The Knowledge

Help Me Seek the Knowledge

In People that I Trust

Anchor Thoughts bring Joy

Bring Joy

Bring Joy

Anchor Thoughts bring Joy

To Everyone I Meet

I am going... to check out another coop tomorrow that is closer to home.  They offer History, Science, Art/Music, and IEW course.  It sounds great.  They meet once a week.

I am wondering...how my daughter will enjoy her junior prom tomorrow night.  She is double dating with a friend. I picked her dress up from the cleaners today as it needed to be hemmed.

I am looking forward to... picking up my dog, Bella, from the vet later today.  When I woke up, I noticed a big stain of blood on our white couch.  She kept licking as though she were swallowing the blood.  The vet said, "she had a 3.5 leison under the right side of her tongue and her tooth was loose.  The tooth had to be extracted and she needed stitches.  Nobody knows what she did to herself.

I am hearing...my two sons and I clicking away on computers.

Around the house...I need to organize better.

I am praying...for Ted Cruz and his family.

One of my favorite things...teaching my son how to write and communicate.

A few plans for the rest of the week...is to visit the new coop, get my nails done with my daughter, drive my daughter to her friend's house on prom night and take pictures, pick up my dog, and continue to pray for the list of people I wrote down on paper.  It helps me to remember when it is written down.

Here is a recent picture of Journal Writing Class today:

Love Defined: Giving versus Using

Sexual desire is supposed to be an EXPRESSION of the person who desires to make a gift of self (self-donation) to another person which involves responsibility as opposed to just emotion, desire, and attraction.

1.)  Express:

1a) directly, firmly, and explicitly stated (he disobeyed my express orders) b) EXACT, PRECISE

Only a husband and wife in their sexuality can directly, firmly, explicitly, exactly, and precisely express their love for each other as God intended.  Thus it is not only in their emotions and characters but their very design of their bodies created in the image of God that fulfills this purpose of self-donation.

2a) designed for or adapted to its purpose b) of a particular sort: specific (he came for that specific purpose)

As stated previously, the sexual desire between a husband and wife are only able to fulfill God's purpose for their lives...both emotionally and physically.

4.) Express.

1a) DELINIATE, DEPICT b) to represent in words: STATE c) to give or convey a true impression of: SHOW, REFLECT d) to make known the opinions or feelings of (oneself) (expressed himself very strongly on that subject) e: to give expression to the artistic or creative impulses or abilities of (oneself) f) to represent by a sign or symbol: SYMBOLIZE

Only the sexual desire of a husband and wife deliniates (portrays, or represents accurately, or describes in sharp or vivid detail) the design suggested by God for total whole-hearted self-donation.

Only the sexual desire of a husband and wife accurately and naturally depicts (to represent by a picture, describes) the kind of self-donation God suggests for married individuals.

The bible clearly represents in words and explicitly states the one analogy God uses above all others to express His love for us: the love between a husband and wife.

Only the sexual desire of a husband and wife gives or conveys (communicates the knowledge of) the  will of God designed by His plan.

God has made known the opinions and feelings he has for us to be united with him in heaven which clearly states sodomy as a divergence from this plan.

God has illustrated in the bible that traditional marriage is used to symbolize His relationship with Israel and Christ's relationship with the Church as His spouse.

2a) to force out (as the juice of a fruit) by pressure b) to subject to pressure so as to extract something

This is what gay marriage legislation subjects Christians to: pressure applied on us in the way of fines or punishment to force us to cave or be silent on the choice to avoid this immorality.  This is how too many homosexuals express their sexuality...by forcing others to change.  Heterosexuals have never used the law to punish homosexuals and heterosexuality was never imposed on human beings.  Why is gay marriage suddenly allowed to be used as an imposition on everyone?  It appears that some gays do want to express their sexuality but clearly can not do it in line with God's plan.  Therefore, they attempt to make the Christian submit to their desires by forcing them with fines, punishment, and silence.  We are targets for them and if we do not stop this insanity now...later it will be too late.

5 Minute Friday: Cherished

I am joining 5 Minute Friday to type for five minutes on the word

Cherished. 

Go...

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska said, "God filled my soul with the interior light of a deeper knowledge of Him as Supreme Goodness and Supreme Beauty.  I came to know how very much God loves me.  Eternal is His love for me."  It appears that when we know God is all Good and all Beautiful, we can come to know God will love us forever!  Through our loving efforts in CHERISHING God, more of His graces will be sent to strengthen the bond and awareness that connects us to Him in relationship.

Afterwards, she felt a greater intimacy with God and said, "I felt so immensely happy; it seemed to me that I had stepped into the life of Paradise."  In order to feel part of 'heaven on earth,' does it help if one is thankful for God's Goodness and Beauty?  It seems to me that this may be so!  Then we can CHERISH our life on earth all the more!  Let's CHERISH our relationship with Our Father in heaven!

Stop.

Please click on the link to join!  (I hope it is o.k. if I used quotes.)

T for Teaching Truth

I greatly admire many of the religious products for teaching children that most Christian faiths have created to help them follow the Lord.  Be careful though when you come across a story that does not make enough sense.  In any event, my six year old and I read from a wonderful devotion book for Christian children.  It contains nice stories with a bible verse to read each day.  We've thoroughly enjoyed the stories and verses...except when we got to todays.  We still enjoyed the story and verse but had to correct the mistake with the correct quote and explanation of the verse.  The story was a bit vague also and we needed to discuss the error here.  It is a good lesson to be able to search for the truth and to be aware of some things that may conflict with truth.  Anyway, here are the two bible verses we compared:

"He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy." (Titus 3:5)

and

"But when the kindness and generous love of God our Savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life." (Titus 4-7)

One verse appears to be saying God our Savior appeared because of his mercy and another verse appears to be saying God saved us because of his mercy.  One verse speaks of saving through baptism which is our movement toward the Savior.  It requires our work, deeds, and participation.  The other verse makes you think there is nothing you can do to gain eternal life...except, I guess, believe or something.  Just interesting to note the difference here.

NOL-A Trustworthy Remedy

A Trustworthy Remedy - Nucleus of Life  Thought I would share an earlier post from my website that holds much truth to it.  Forward to Obama means movement away from our strong Christian American heritage although he does not come right out and say this.  It is a return to past failed philosophies.  Click on the link to read about the virtuous pursuits of Conservative principles that have a proven successful track record with the knowledge of persecution from the beginning of time in mind.

Principle of Subsidiarity

Spread the news about the wonderful job Bishop Marino is doing in Madison.

In 1931, the principle of subsidiarity was definitely pronounced by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical, Quadragesimo Anno. It simply states that a higher entity in the social order may not do for the lower order what it is capable of doing for 

itself. This principle is not relegated only to the social order. It must be recognized as the principle that guides all entities in the spiritual order. There is also a positive role for natural market realities to foster help to the poor without burdensome and wasteful regulation and bring the greatest good for the greatest number of people by letting local entities take care of the poor. I bet there are a great many Catholic families who would love to sponsor a poor American family themselves. I know I would. Why hasn't anyone in the Church asked yet? Or are they not in that much need? I would love to get to know and help support a poor American family myself. Where are they? Does anyone know?

http://madisoncatholicherald.org/bishopscolumns/3366-bishop-column.html

Catholic Social Teaching

Please go to http://cuf.org/ (Catholics United for the Faith) website and click on their blog to join in commenting on their post for Catholic Social Teaching - A Primer which includes a podcast linked to the USCCB website.  There are 11 topics.  I've commented on 10 of them and I have one more to go.  I ramble a bit in the beginning but got better at editing my comments toward the end.  So far - I'm the only one that has commented.  Let me know what you think - join in the dialogue.  The topics include:

1)  Option for the Poor
2)  Peace and Disarmament (made mistake on this one and then corrected myself)
3)  Political Participation
4)  Role of Government
5)  Social Justice
6)  Stewardship of Creation
7)  Common Good
8)  Dignity of the Human Person
9)  Economic Justice
10)  Global Solidarity
11)  Individual Rights

Finding Joy during the Holidays

It is now Advent season and my two youngest children and I have began our Jesse Tree.  This is all being done in the midst of cleaning, decorating, shopping and preparing for Christmas.  So often, at this time of year, I wonder how it will all get done.  Worry and anxiety can set into my mind.  Then, something wonderful happens.  I hear the voices of my children.  I hear and see how they are growing and showing compassion to eachother. 

I take a moment to turn to my Bible to read a passage:  "A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you." (Isaiah 26:3)  My life is really such a joy with Christ at the helm.  Even though it is a bit hectic and disorganized at this time, the voices of my children cause me to send up a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord.  His Word reminds me that those who keep their minds on Him will have great peace.  Any worry or anxiety seems to melt away as I read God's Word and prepare for the day ahead.  Let God's Word melt your troubles away.  How do you prepare for the coming of the Lord during Advent?