Notable Quotes and the Winner of the Giveaway is…

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“It is wrong to deny one’s self all diversion. The mind becomes fatigued and depressed by remaining always concentrated in itself and thus more easily falls a prey to sadness. Saint Thomas says explicitly that one may incur sin by refusing all innocent amusement. Every excess, no matter what its nature, is contrary to order and consequently to virtue.” – Light and Peace, Quadrupani, 1795

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Quotes to Sprinkle a Christmas Sparkle on Your Day

Happy 2nd Day of Christmas! Below are some inspirational quotes to lend a Christmas sparkle to your day. Don’t stop celebrating and listening to those Christmas songs!

“For Christmas begins and ends with a Child. About the Infant in the manger prophecies are fulfilled, and angels sing, and the poor kneel giftless save for the unpurchasable gift of patient affection, and the rich come gilt-laden, but with a strange humility bringing low their heads, and all mankind is reborn to a new era of grace and hope and God’s revelation of love and graciousness.” -Fr. Daniel A. Lord, Painting by Nellie Edwards, https://www.paintedfaith.net/

We ought to live lives exuding with joy – as though we actually believe that Divinity has come to us in the Flesh as a new-born Babe! We need to spread that Christmas joy to the people around us. -Finer Femininity

Love and friendship are the remnants of the earthly paradise. In this vale of tears, when we encounter so many difficulties, to have people you can call friends is such a joy, such a comfort, such a gift. -Dietrich von Hildebrand

Being a homemaker is one of the best gifts that we can bring to our family. Your joyful presence in the home is greater than any present you’ll find under the tree. – Darlene Schacht

“Be a kind wife. Kind words can have such a powerful impact on your marriage. Speak gentle, thoughtful things to this man you love.” -Lisa Jacobson

This Christmas, let us pray for peace….in our own hearts, in our country and in our world. Let us contemplate the Babe in Bethlehem, may He reign in our hearts so we may receive that peace which he promised to “men of goodwill.”

“It is easy to understand how enraptured children can become at the contemplation of a tiny Babe in a manger.
To have God reduce Himself to their own status, to become a child like them, to need a mother, what more could they desire! They feel on a footing with Him. The Almighty is of their stature!” – Fr. Raoul Plus, S.J., Christ in the Home

The Christmas season is a season of good will. If we really have in our hearts good-will to men, we shall not only wish every one well, but we shall seek every opportunity to do good to every one, beginning with those at home. It will make us good wives, good mothers, good neighbors, kind, obliging, ready always to lend a hand, to do another a good turn.

To Mothers: “Instead of setting yourself up as a model of wisdom, it is much wiser for you to act the role of guide and confidante. This gives your child a much better feeling of security and fulfills your destiny of mother as well, because your children then find you a real individual in your own right. Personal success and happiness in life come only in the knowledge of our usefulness to others; as a mother, you have this opportunity in your own home at all times. You need not look elsewhere where for it.” – Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik. The Catholic Family Handbook

Reality has a way of wearing the shine off of a once gleaming romance, but don’t let it get in the way of your love for a second! If you haven’t already, you can start by giving up on the question, “What’s in it for me?” and replace the question with, “What can I offer?” Every time that you work through any obstacles with patience, humility, and kindness you are building and strengthening your bond of love.      – Darlene Schacht, The Good Wife’s Guide

 

“There is nothing insignificant in the life which we live within our own doors. There is nothing which is without influence in the building up of character. Let no one think that the history of any day in the life of a home, is not recorded imperishably on the sensitive lives of the children.” -J.R. MIller

“A man feels ‘successful’ when he knows his woman is behind him – no matter what his other accomplishments may be. He needs to know that she believes in him…That she thinks he’s a terrific husband (not perfect – just terrific). A first-rate guy. And, if there are children, that he’s a fine dad too….That she thinks the world of him, even though he might mess up or make mistakes.” – Lisa Jacobson

Our Lady is an attractive example for every wife and mother. Not only was she perfectly devoted to Joseph, her husband, but she was always an inspiration to him. -Fr. Lovasik

“For the families who begin to suspect that they have let their lives get too complicated with worldly cares, too much involved in secular values, too materialistic, living through the year with the Church is the stabilizer, the way to keep to first things first.
And for the families who conceal behind their front doors some hardship or cross, whether a suffering shared or inflicted or borne, the tempo of life in Christ as He leads the Church at prayer through the year is calming, enriching; it brings wisdom, sheds light, gives courage.” -Mary Reed Newland

Each one should seek to make Christmas first in his own heart and life. Christmas is Christlike-ness. The life of heaven came down to earth in Jesus and began in the lowly place where he was born. Is there any measure of that same sweet, gentle, pure, quiet, lowly life in us? It ought to be a very practical matter. Some people get the sentiment of love; but the love fails in its working out in their disposition, conduct, and character. The kind of Christmas a Catholic wants is something that will show itself in deeds.

A Christmas Prayer
By Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father,
help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate
and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift
and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing
which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning
make us happy to be thy children,
and Christmas evening bring us to our beds
with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven,
for Jesus’ sake.
Amen.

The laughter of children never grows old!  “For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a Child Himself.”
~Charles Dickens

St. Zelie Rosary Christmas Giveaway!/Quotes to Live By

Today, I’d like to offer you a Christmas Giveaway!!

The winner will receive this lovely and durable, handcrafted St. Zelie wire-wrapped Rosary, along with the black, lacy chapel veil/scarf!

Just leave a comment here, and your name will be added! It is always great to hear from you. 🙂

I will announce the winner next Tuesday, December 19th!

Inspiring Quotes for your day…

It is not the solitude of the Himalayas that makes prayer. The essence of prayer is the company of Our Lord.
A person may be exceedingly busy, yet there may be still that quietness of the spirit necessary to prayer.
You need not give up the most troublesome and onerous line of life, but if you desire to set your heart on God, there must be quietness from the noise of the world. So will you be with God and God with you. -Fr. Daniel Considine, S.J., 1950’s

“It is a high honor for a woman to be chosen from among all womankind, to be the wife of a godly and true man. She is lifted up to be a crowned queen. Her husband’s manly love laid at her feet, exalts her to the throne of his life. Great power is placed in her hands. Sacred destinies are reposed in her keeping. Will she wear her crown beneficently? Will she fill her realm with beauty and with blessing? Or will she fail in her holy trust? Only her married life can be the answer.” -J.R. Miller

His grace does not operate on our imaginings, ideals, or dreams. It works on reality, the specific, concrete elements of our lives. Even if the fabric of our everyday lives doesn’t look very glorious to us, we can be touched by God’s grace. -Fr. Jacques Philippe, Interior Freedom https://amzn.to/2QL5a5D (afflink)

“God made us to be happy in this world and eternally happy in the next. Doing His will – as expressed in the commandments and by the voice of His Church – is the surest way to attain our destiny.” – Fr. Lovasik

“Parents are often to blame for the rebellious spirit of their children, because they give little of themselves – of their time, interest, and practical love – and then complain that their children do not obey. Let your good example be a sufficient motive for your children’s obedience, even when you are obliged to ask them to do things that few other parents ask.” – Fr. Lovasik

Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary? Be careful of those sins of the tongue! Great sermon! http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/20140323-Seven-Ways-to-Sin-By-Detraction.html

♥♥♥ “How often do the father and mother of a large family remain young at heart because of the love they give to, and draw from, their children and grandchildren? In fact, many say that old age is their happiest time of life because they can enjoy to the fullest the love of the children!” – Rev. George A. Kelly, Catholic Family Handbook

“Never be ashamed of your home or family because it is humble. People who look down on those whose home is humble and who lack social prominence are not worthy of the friendship of decent families. The most important things in life are character, honest work, humility, loyalty, friendliness, and love.” -Fr. Lovasik, Catholic Family Handbook

“God has so constituted us, that in loving and caring for our own children—the richest and best things in our natures are drawn out. Many of the deepest and most valuable lessons ever learned, are read from the pages of a child’s unfolding life. There is no influence more potent than that which touches us when our children are laid in our arms. Their helplessness appeals to every principle of nobleness in our hearts. Their innocence exerts over us a purifying power. The thought of our responsibility for them, exalts every faculty of our souls. In the very care which they exact, they bring blessing to us.” J.R. Miller

“Whenever and however the vocation is received, to be among the chosen few of the Lord is of itself a great privilege, a high distinction and an enviable honor.” -Rev. Fulgence Meyer O.F.M., 1928

Don’t insist on perfection. Expecting perfection from yourself and others is a setup for disappointment. Things won’t go as planned and you won’t be perfectly organized. Let it go. This, too, shall pass. -Charlotte Siems

🌸🌸Everyone is drawn to a smile. Who and what you are is reflected in your face. Does your husband see you as a happy, grateful woman? Love is like a flower: you can’t expect it to grow without sunshine. Has your husband seen your sunshine lately? ☀☀

 

A picture of the incredible Beauty of God….

 

“Look at the birds of the sky. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? But which of you can add any time to your life by worrying?”

The great St. Bernard wrote in his rule that whenever the monastic bell rang, the monks were to drop what they were doing and go to whatever they were being called to.

In our homes, our monastic bell is all the many things beckoning at us throughout the day…the diapers to be changed, the dishes that need doing, the laundry that needs to be done, etc.

We respond to these things right away, even though we many not want to, remembering that these duties are the very things that will make us holy.
www.finerfem.com

Prague At Christmas… Dear Infant of Prague, O Little Jesus, have mercy on us!

 

 

One man found the secret of true happiness. His name was St. John Bosco. He was a man who experienced many trials, but who also lived a life full of gladness and joy. St. John Bosco was so happy that he could hardly contain it. “Dear friend,” he wrote to an associate, “I am a man who loves joy and who therefore wishes to see you and everybody happy. If you do as I say, you will be joyful and glad in heart.” Read more here at The Catholic Gentleman.

Are you blessed by this site? Consider donating today. Our benefactors are remembered in our daily, family rosaries….

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Inspirational Quotes

Here are a few inspirational quotes for your day!

 

“As far as possible, be at home with your children. As you nourished your child before he was capable of eating solid food, so in the early formative years, nature has determined that you must nourish your child in virtue.” –Fr. Lovasik, The Catholic Family Handbook

The education of your children is the result of the combined efforts of both parents. But in his youngest years, the child is almost exclusively under the mother’s guidance. Your efforts are to produce effects that will have their final reckoning in eternity. Although your educational influence is of a nature entirely different from that of the father, your vocation as mother is equal in importance to your husband’s. –The Catholic Family Handbook, Fr. Lovasik

Aprons tell a beautiful story…..a story of love and sacrifice….of baking bread and mopping floors, of planting seeds and household chores. Sadly, many women have tossed the aprons aside and donned their business attire. Wear your apron with joy….it is a symbol of Femininity….”Finer” Femininity! (Gemma’s lovely apron, given to her as a gift for her Confirmation, from her sister Rosie. Made by her sister, Gin.)

“A woman’s role is supportive, and she is to be her husband’s helper, confidant, counselor if need be, friend and one of his greatest allies. You should be more than willing to make your man feel important, appreciated and admired.” –Fascinating Womanhood

“Don’t get serious about a boy who is not willing to prove himself by avoiding sin, especially impurity and drunkenness, frequenting the sacraments, and spending a reasonable amount of time in prayer daily. Never think of marrying someone who will not be able to make you better for living with him, for the foundation of a happy marriage is a holy love which will enable you to aid each other to practice virtue and fulfill your duties.” –Fr. Lovasik, clean Love in Courtship 

“Although good homemaking is an admirable virtue, it can be overdone. Create a home, not a showplace. A man appreciates efforts for his sake, but doesn’t want homemaking to take priority over him, or things he considers more important. The castle is not more important than the king that dwells therein.” – Helen Andelin

As Catholics, we “venerate” images such as the image of Jesus, the saints, the Blessed Mother, which simply means we regard with great respect and reverence the person portrayed in the image, an action which is not contrary to the First Commandment. Saint Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, said the following: “Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement towards the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2132). http://www.finerfem.com

A woman can triumph over any faults of her early training and develop into a competent housewife as long as she has a willing spirit, never stops learning and never gives up! http://www.finerfem.com

Dear Blessed Mother, you were chosen by God to bear within you our world’s greatest gift, the Savior of all humanity. I come to you now asking for the health and safety of the child that God has graced me to conceive. Guard this life that God has created, and let your gentle hands, like that of a skilled physician, assist my delivery so that this baby will know good health and lasting happiness. May my child be favored with the grace of Holy Baptism, and grow to love our Lord Jesus Christ above all else in this world. Amen. http://www.finerfem.com

“While the procreation of the race is the primary purpose of marriage, it also fosters the love and devotion of husband and wife. It answers man’s craving for intimate companionship, sympathy, understanding, and lasting friendship. It enriches the personality of man by increasing his unselfishness and deepening his capacity for love, friendship, and sacrifice.” – Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik. The Catholic Family Handbook

“Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself…do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage.” Introduction the the Devout Life― St. Francis de Sales

Thank you for all the lovely comments on the Giveaway post! It is good to hear from all of you and please know you are in my prayers!

And now the winner of these Advent goodies is…

Jennifer! (jennkray)

Congratulations!

(I have sent you an email)

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Apron! Feminine and Beautiful!

Fully lined, lace overlay, made with care and detail. Available here.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

 
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Inspiring Quotes/The Winner Is……

First, I’d like to thank all of you for the kind and encouraging comments on the Giveaway! It does my heart good to hear from you, to know that this site is helping you and just to “see” some faces. 🙂 I pray for all of you in our daily Masses.

I have two winners today for my New Catholic Mother Goose, Volume Two! It’s exciting for me to share it with you. If you like the book (and for those who have purchased it), would you be kind enough to leave a review on Amazon? It would be very much appreciated!

A couple of reviews (Thank you so much, Ladies!)

“Beautifully written Catholic nursery rhymes for both young and old! This makes a wonderful gift for new mothers as well as new grandmothers. The color version is very eye-catching! My little grandchildren love to hear me read it while they enjoy looking at the colorful pictures.”

“Catholic Mother Goose is a ‘one of a kind’ treasure for young and old alike! Little minds will be captivated by the beautifully colored and illustrated pages. Throughout the nursery rhymes, children will learn the lessons of kindness, unselfishness, the efficacy of suffering and the value of prayer! They will become more familiar with the lives of the Saints, St. Therese, St. Francis, etc. and their great love for Jesus and Mary. These beautifully written poems will plant the seed for good literature and a love for reading for years to come. This is how we make our Catholic faith and culture come alive for our children! This book is a must!”

The Catholic Mother Goose Volume Two Book is available here. The package of Volumes 1 & 2 is here.

And now, the winners of the Giveaway are……

I have sent you a message to get your address. Congratulations!

Some inspiring quotes for your day….

“Happiness in marriage must be earned. It is something you must work out for yourself, chiefly by forgetting yourself and serving others. No marriage is a success unless less you make it so, and that takes persistent effort and, still more, a constant and humble reliance on God.” – Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik. The Catholic Family Handbook http://amzn.to/2rsThRU (afflink)

“It’s better to submit a thousand times to losing an argument than let children see a parent fail to exhibit the patience and consideration he’s trying to teach.” – Mary Reed Newland, How to Raise Good Catholic Children https://amzn.to/2v4Reaj (afflink)

Introduce your children into the family’s prayers at the earliest age possible. As often as possible, say morning and night prayers or the Rosary with your children. Train them to take part in prayers before and after meals. In time of danger or sorrow, resort to prayer as the first and most important source of help and consolation. -Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik. The Catholic Family Handbook http://amzn.to/2r8cxGP (afflink)

Since marriage is beautifully sacred, so should be the courtship that precedes it. Your courtship must be pure if it is to be happy; and pure and happy, it will provide the test of character that is necessary for a blessed and a happy marriage. -Fr. Lovasik, Clean Love in Courtship https://amzn.to/2JZBF8A (afflink)

 

“A desire to be beautiful is not unwomanly. A woman who is not beautiful cannot properly fill her place. But, mark you, true beauty is not of the face, but of the soul. There is a beauty so deep and lasting that it will shine out of the homeliest face and make it comely. This is the beauty to be first sought and admired. It is a quality of the mind and heart and is manifested in word and deed.” – Beautiful Girlhood, Mabel Hale http://amzn.to/2pOKmtj (afflink) Illustration by http://www.genevievegodboutillustration.com/

The thought of the Holy Family suggests the love of simplicity. Domestic and marital happiness are closely bound up with the simple but good things of your state of life. Seek your happiness within the range of your income and your social, domestic, and family circles, and you will spare yourself many heartaches. -Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik. The Catholic Family Handbook https://amzn.to/2JY52YS (afflink)

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Quotes to Live By

The following are some tidbits for you to “chew” on this weekend.

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“It is a high honor for a woman to be chosen from among all womankind, to be the wife of a godly and true man. She is lifted up to be a crowned queen. Her husband’s manly love laid at her feet, exalts her to the throne of his life. Great power is placed in her hands. Sacred destinies are reposed in her keeping. Will she wear her crown beneficently? Will she fill her realm with beauty and with blessing? Or will she fail in her holy trust? Only her married life can be the answer.” -J.R. Miller

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“God made us to be happy in this world and eternally happy in the next. Doing His will – as expressed in the commandments and by the voice of His Church – is the surest way to attain our destiny.” – Fr. Lovasik

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“Parents are often to blame for the rebellious spirit of their children, because they give little of themselves – of their time, interest, and practical love – and then complain that their children do not obey. Let your good example be a sufficient motive for your children’s obedience, even when you are obliged to ask them to do things that few other parents ask.” – Fr. Lovasik

 

 

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Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary? Be careful of those sins of the tongue! Great sermon! http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/20140323-Seven-Ways-to-Sin-By-Detraction.html

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♥♥♥ “How often do the father and mother of a large family remain young at heart because of the love they give to, and draw from, their children and grandchildren? In fact, many say that old age is their happiest time of life because they can enjoy to the fullest the love of the children!” – Rev. George A. Kelly, Catholic Family Handbook

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“Never be ashamed of your home or family because it is humble. People who look down on those whose home is humble and who lack social prominence are not worthy of the friendship of decent families. The most important things in life are character, honest work, humility, loyalty, friendliness, and love.” -Fr. Lovasik, Catholic Family Handbook

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“God has so constituted us, that in loving and caring for our own children—the richest and best things in our natures are drawn out. Many of the deepest and most valuable lessons ever learned, are read from the pages of a child’s unfolding life. There is no influence more potent than that which touches us when our children are laid in our arms. Their helplessness appeals to every principle of nobleness in our hearts. Their innocence exerts over us a purifying power. The thought of our responsibility for them, exalts every faculty of our souls. In the very care which they exact, they bring blessing to us.” J.R. Miller

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“Letting children play in the dirt, making roads, bridges, lakes, and buildings is creating the next generation of builders and makers.
Consider this: any project that they get involved in – whether it be music, painting, mud building, writing, storytelling, stacking, making tents, performing plays, making cameras, or whatever – that result in someone being able to say, ‘Wow, that is interesting, what are you going to do next?’ is creativity.” – Mrs. D. Pearl

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“Whenever and however the vocation is received, to be among the chosen few of the Lord is of itself a great privilege, a high distinction and an enviable honor.” -Rev. Fulgence Meyer O.F.M., 1928

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Don’t insist on perfection. Expecting perfection from yourself and others is a setup for disappointment. Things won’t go as planned and you won’t be perfectly organized. Let it go. This, too, shall pass. -Charlotte Siems

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🌸🌸 “Everyone is drawn to a smile. Who and what you are is reflected in your face. Does your husband see you as a happy, thankful woman? Love is like a flower: you can’t expect it to grow without sunshine. Has your husband seen your sunshine lately?” ☀☀
-D. Pearl

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A picture of the incredible Beauty of God….

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“Look at the birds of the sky. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? But which of you can add any time to your life by worrying?”

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“All monasteries have a bell. St. Bernard, in writing his rules for monasticism, told his monks that whenever the monastic bell rang, they were to drop whatever they were doing and go immediately to the particular activity (prayer, meals, work, study, sleep) to which the bell was summoning them. Our home is our ‘Domestic Monastery’. Our monastic bell is each task to which we are called. We respond immediately, not because we want to, but because it’s time for that task and time isn’t our time, it’s God’s time.” -Ron Rolheiser OMI

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One man found the secret of true happiness. His name was St. John Bosco. He was a man who experienced many trials, but who also lived a life full of gladness and joy. St. John Bosco was so happy that he could hardly contain it. “Dear friend,” he wrote to an associate, “I am a man who loves joy and who therefore wishes to see you and everybody happy. If you do as I say, you will be joyful and glad in heart.” Read more here at The Catholic Gentleman.

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Ten Rules to Being Happy Parents from Christ in the Home, Fr. Raoul Plus, S.J.

1. Always appear before your family in good humor.
Nothing is so depressing as a father or mother out of
sorts. See that the family never has to suffer because of
your nervousness or irritability.

2. Never weary in cheering your family with your smile.
It is not enough to avoid depressing them; you must
brighten them up and let their spirits expand. Be especially
vigilant when the little ones are around. Give them
the alms of a smile, hard though it be at times. What a pity
when children have to say, “I don’t like it at home.”

Read more here….

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The Catholic Mother’s Traditional Lenten Journal is now available!

 Mothers, we live out our lives of service and love, and every season becomes an opportunity of teaching and planting seeds of the Faith in the minds and hearts of our children. I have prepared this Lenten journal to help you to keep on track. It is to assist you in keeping focused on making Lent a special time for your family. We do not have to do great things to influence those little people. No, we must do the small things in a great way…with love and consistency. Catholic culture is built on celebrating, in the home, the feasts, the seasons, the saints, the holydays ….making them come alive in a beautiful and charming way.

Lent is that special season wherein we teach our children the value of sacrifice and of discipline. This journal will lay out some simple activities in which your children will be doing their sacrifices and will have a tangible means of “counting” them for Jesus. You, Mom, will have a place to put a check mark if that the activity is remembered and completed for the day.

This journal also includes a place for you to check off whether you are fulfilling your own personal resolutions…your Spiritual Reading, your Family Rosary, etc. It makes it more palpable if you can check it off at the end of the day….there’s just something about putting pen to paper when an accomplishment has been fulfilled! My hope is that this journal may help you stay focused on making this Lent fruitful for your own soul and the souls of those little people entrusted to your care!

  Available here.

Bits ‘n’ Pieces to Meditate Upon Today…..

“Respect includes more than just words. It includes our facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language. The issue is really attitude. Our negative attitudes can stem from our past hurts, the lies of our negative inner script, and how we happen to feel in the moment. But a bad attitude can cause a wife to become chronically disrespectful and do damage to her marriage. In thinking she is justified in her actions and feelings, she actually tears down her house with her own hands.” – Emmerson Eggerichs, Love and Respect

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Aprons tell a beautiful story…..a story of love and sacrifice….of baking bread and mopping floors, of planting seeds and household chores. Sadly, many women have tossed the aprons aside and donned their business attire. Wear your apron with joy….it is a symbol of True Womanhood! 🌺 💗

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“Keep before the eyes of the child from his early years, the commandments of God and accustom him to observe them…. Counteract the desire for luxury and pleasure with an education in frankness and simplicity. Youth must learn again to control itself and face privation…. Educate youth in purity … in obedience and respect for authority.” – Pope Pius XII

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Take the time to get some Epiphany water in your home! It is very powerful (and who doesn’t need some good power going on in their homes)! The blessing of Epiphany water has special exorcism prayers that no other holy water has. Use it often….teach your children the value of it and get them used to blessing themselves with it.

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Let us make a home that is warm and welcoming, comfortable and freeing-a place where we can express the beauty of our Faith and nurture relationships with people we love. Let us build a home that reflects our personalities and renews our souls. Today, do something special to show your loved ones you care. Put a tablecloth on the table, light a candle, bake a cake, buy some flowers to grace your table….It doesn’t have to be huge….just something to lighten the burdens of the day and to bring a smile to those who cross your threshold.

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As the educator and trainer of the immature minds and wills entrusted to you by God, your vocation is difficult. It calls for many qualities that are virtues in themselves: zeal, painstaking effort, patience in weariness, and the humility that joyfully stoops to the level of the child. It is hard work, and the temptation must come at times to abandon the effort and take life easy. Only the seriousness of the undertaking and the knowledge that it is done for God can sustain the untiring effort demanded. – Father Lawrence Lovasik

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“For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy!” ❤❤❤-St. Therese of Lisieux

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“If your large family brings ridicule from neighbors and even strangers, remember that you have a lasting treasure worth suffering for, and that the Lord called blessed those who suffer persecution for justice’s sake.” – Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik. The Catholic Family Handbook

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As your journey continues, your gathering of memories continues. Take the time to make sweet memories with the wonderful children in your life….

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“Respect is very high on a man’s list. Figure out the kinds of things that communicate that respect to him and then decide to respect him. You don’t have to feel it to do it. Respect has a language all of its own… now it’s the matter of becoming fluent in it.” – Lisa Jacobson

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Take the time, today, to thank your husband, your sons, your brothers for their labor of love performed each day for their family. Your gratefulness will touch their hearts.❤❤❤

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Housewife, Mother – the most beautiful profession!❤❤❤

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The wisdom and training you give to your child will determine the outcome. It is not the time to give in to weariness, indifference, laziness or careless neglect. Their souls are in your hands.

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Family, Home – It’s where it’s at. Your happiness lies within these four walls. “A good Catholic home is the one supreme need of the hour. And a good Catholic family life alone makes up a good Catholic home.” – Fr. Lovasik

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“A true wife makes a man’s life nobler, stronger, grander, by the omnipotence of her love, turning all the forces of manhood upward and heavenward. While she clings to him in holy confidence and loving dependence, she brings out in him whatever is noblest and richest in his being. She inspires him with courage and earnestness. She beautifies his life. She softens whatever is crude and harsh in his habits or his spirit. She clothes him with the gentler graces of refined and cultured manhood. While she yields to him and never disregards his lightest wish, she is really his queen, ruling his whole life and leading him onward and upward in every proper path.” – J.R. Miller

 

 

Handcrafted, Wire-Wrapped Rosary Bracelet Sets! Take your Rosary wherever you go!

Available here.

Book Reviews and Inspiring Quotes

What better gift can we give than the words of wisdom that come from these good books. Words that inspire and uplift, words that can change a life!

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The Valiant Woman

by Monseigneur Landriot, Archbishop of Rheims,
Translated from the French by Helena Lyons

“Long out of print, this rare jewel is destined to become the favored spiritual guide for Catholic wives and mothers. Msgr. Landriot gave these conferences over 100 years ago, but they are as relevant to us today as the Gospels. This book is a guide for women who want to achieve sanctity in the home. Reading this book is the best thing you could do for your husband and children, as well as for yourself. This book was published to help women to raise and keep their families Catholic.” – Loreto Publications

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Sins of the Tongue or Jealousy in Woman’s Life

by Monseigneur Landriot, Archbishop of Rheims,
Translated from the French by Helena Lyons

“This book consists of fifteen discourses (four on Sins of the Tongue, three on Envy and Jealousy, two on Rash Judgments, two on Christian Patience, and four on Grace) that were originally talks given to laywomen of his diocese in the late 19th century. At the beginning the good Archbishop says “I propose, my children, to give you some instructions on the tongue, and the faults which it causes us to commit. I shall commence today by speaking of the power and beauty of that organ, of the noble use which ought to be made of it, and of the many advantages we may derive from it.” There is precious little teaching on the topics covered in these instructions which is accessible to the average man and woman of today.”  Loreto Publications

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This particular book I read three times. It is excellent and would be good for anyone, but especially the young ladies in your life.

The story of “Terisita” Quevedo (1930-50), the Catholic beauty who wanted to become a saint

The life of the party, a dancer, an expert tennis and basketball player, popular, Maria Theresa Quevedo wanted more—eternal glory. She entered Carmel before finishing high school and her cause for canonization is under examination. “For him alone I lived,” she said, and Mary was her secret.

A female St. Dominic Savio. A Spanish bishop is quoted in the book:

“The book which you have in your hands is not one to leaf through and set aside for someone else to read. That God has placed it in your hands should be sufficient to assure you that there is something in it written for you. If you are a man, prepare to enter into a beautiful and chaste feminine world. If you are a father, the intimacy of the authentic Catholic family sketched on these pages will delight you. If you are a woman, there are a million things in this book for you. If you are a young girl, walking the same path as that of Teresita, it will fascinate you! Whoever you are, read to the end and you will learn how a holy and happy young girl finds God.” -Angelus Press

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Ah yes! Christ in the Home! A real treasure, that is for sure. I took this book and did a complete PowerPoint presentation on it. Families and young people met every Monday night to read some of it on the Projector Screen with pictures added. It took 5 months to get through it but what a wonderful wealth of wisdom this book has! Worth every penny, indeed!

Christ in the Home – Fr. Raoul Plus, S.J.

Ideal for the engaged, marriage instruction classes, and for those married many years. This guidebook to finding a happy marriage, keeping a happy marriage, and raising happy children has been out of print for over 50 years. Loads of practical and spiritual advice on family life and raising children that will never be outdated because the principles are as timeless as human nature and virtue. Dominicana stated in 1951:

This is a work that fulfills the needs of the marriageable and the married – it not only unveils Christian Marriage in its majestic supernatural setting, but it is also a solid psychological guide to a tremendously successful married life. Fr. Plus points out, that “supernatural love, far from suppressing natural love, makes it more tender, more attentive, more generous; it intensifies the sentiments of affection, esteem, admiration, gratitude, respect, and devotion which constitute the essence of true love.

A series of meditations grouped under four general sections: Courtship, Marriage, the Home, and the Training of Children. His section on imparting sex knowledge to children will be helpful to parents faced with this complex problem and duty.

It is sad to know that many young Catholic couples entering marriage today will never enjoy the happiness of true love because they are tainted with worldly ideas on marriage culled from the mass media. Fr. Plus strikes at the root of these evils by presenting Marriage in its true light as a sacrament. -Angelus Press

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INSPIRING QUOTES:

 

How many opportunities do we, as wives and mothers, have each day to do God’s will, not our own?? Many….many. We do not need a retreat to figure this out. A wife and a mother’s journey is laying down her life for those she loves. And we prove it each time we tend to the needs around us. We learn that most important life-lesson that the hermit in the desert is learning…..to lay down our lives for Christ.

-Leane Vdp, Painting by Trent Gudmundsen

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The truly religious wife finds God at Mass and from Him receives the strength to become the ideal helpmate to her husband. She does not leave God at church but keeps Him with her every minute of the day in every nook and cranny of her home. Each menial, repetitious task she must perform is a work of love for her husband and children, and through them, a work of love for her Creator. – Fr. Raoul Plus, S.J. 1950’s

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“A happy heart, a smiling face, loving words and deeds, and a desire to be of service, will make any woman beautiful.” – Mable Hale

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“We must live in the present moment. This is the only moment within our hands, the only one that can make us happy. The past exists no more; let us leave it to the Divine Mercy. And, though it does not yet exist, let us entrust the future to God’s loving Providence and live happily in the present.” -Fr. Narciso Irala, S.J.

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The Magic of Gratitude
“Before, I always remembered to complain when my husband didn’t do something he was supposed to, but I rarely remembered to thank him for what he had done. Naturally, he felt that his efforts were invisible, as though it didn’t matter what he did or how hard he tried.
Today, I’m quick to thank him for big and small things alike, even if I consider them his responsibility, such as taking out the trash, driving us home from a late party, or paying the bills. I used to worry that if I thanked him, he would come to see those jobs as optional. Now I realize that expressing my gratitude just lets him know I notice how hard he works, and that I don’t take it for granted. He does more than ever for me, and seems happy to do them — all because I say thank you.” -Surrendered Wife

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“The first area that you must succeed in, since you are a woman, is in the home, in the roles of compassionate wife, diligent mother, and successful keeper of the home. Yes, the key to your happiness lies within your own four walls. To reach these goals you may have to go beyond the call of duty…go the second mile, doing more than is asked or expected. ” -FW

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Visit my Meadows of Grace Shoppe to browse through these truly lovely Kanzashi Ribbon Flowers made by my daughter, Virginia! What great gifts for that special someone!

Intricate and Classy Hand-Crafted Kanzashi Accessory Flower.. Hair, Scarf, Collar, etc…. This fetching ribbon flower is a perfect accent to any special outfit and provides a sweet final touch!
Each petal takes undivided attention! First, it is cut and shaped, then burnt to ensure there will be no fraying. The petals are then folded and glued into a flower design and the finishing touches are then added.
The back of the flower has a clip that easily opens and holds firmly.
Ribbon flowers are an excellent alternative to real flowers and will look fresh and beautiful forever!

Notable Quotes

 

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

 

“For years, while raising children, a mother’s time is never her own, her own needs have to be kept in second place, and every time she turns around a hand is reaching out and demanding something. Hence, a mother raising children, perhaps in a more privileged way even than a professional contemplative, is forced, almost against her will, to constantly stretch her heart.” -Fr. Rolheiser, OMI

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

 

“It is wrong to deny one’s self all diversion. The mind becomes fatigued and depressed by remaining always concentrated in itself and thus more easily falls a prey to sadness. Saint Thomas says explicitly that one may incur sin by refusing all innocent amusement. Every excess, no matter what its nature, is contrary to order and consequently to virtue.” – Light and Peace, Quadrupani, 1795

 

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

 

“Dear Girls, contemplating the final leap, I want you to understand that you can afford a great deal less to be careless after marriage than before; because you have now to keep the husband you have won. Men like what is bright and cheerful, and pleasant to behold. So far as you are concerned see that you are never an eyesore. Even if you have your own work to do, there is no necessity why you should be a dowdy or a slattern. Even a cotton dress clean and daintily made can be as becoming to you as a robe of silk and lace.” -Courtship and Marriage and the Gentle Art of Home-making, Annie S. Swan, 1894

 

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

 

“Christian humility does not lower, it elevates; it does not cast down, but gives courage, for the more it reveals to the soul its nothingness and abjection, the more it moves it toward God with confidence and abandonment.” – Divine Intimacy, Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.

 

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

 

 

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

“Children must not feel that because of their littleness, their prayers lack power. Because of their stunning purity and their childlike love, their prayers are probably far more powerful than our own. We should encourage them to pray boldly and should point out all they can accomplish by uniting their prayers to Christ’s prayers for all men. This gives them the soundest, most mature, and most inspiring reason for acquiring habits of prayer.”
-Mary Reed Newland, How to Raise Good Catholic Children

 

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

 

“The first area that you must succeed in, since you are a woman, is in the home, in the roles of compassionate wife, diligent mother, and successful keeper of the home. Yes, the key to your happiness lies within your own four walls. To reach these goals you may have to go beyond the call of duty…go the second mile, doing more than is asked or expected. ” -FW

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

The truly religious wife finds God at Mass and from Him receives the strength to become the ideal helpmate to her husband. She does not leave God at church but keeps Him with her every minute of the day in every nook and cranny of her home. Each menial, repetitious task she must perform is a work of love for her husband and children, and through them, a work of love for her Creator. – Fr. Raoul Plus, S.J. 1950’s

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“Lord, You know my weakness; every morning I make a resolution to practice humility, and every evening I acknowledge that I still have many failures. I am tempted to be discouraged by this, but I know that discouragement also has its source in pride. That is why I prefer to put my trust in You alone, O my God. Since You are all-powerful, deign to create in my soul the virtue for which I long”. – St. Therese of the Child Jesus

 

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

St. Francis de Sales gives us some words of warning on the company we keep: “Be very careful, therefore, dear reader, not to have any evil love, because you will in turn quickly become evil yourself.
Friendship is the most dangerous of all love. Why? Because other loves can exist without communication, exchange, closeness. But friendship is completely founded upon communication and exchange and cannot exist in practice without sharing in the qualities and defects of the friend loved.”

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

“Although it is doubtless pleasant to feel assured that no microbe-producing speck can possibly lurk in any corner of the house, and to be certain that food and everything pertaining to it is perfect so far as cleanliness is concerned, there is a sense of insecurity and unrest in the abode of the over-particular woman which often develops into positive misery and discomfort. It is the sort of discomfort specially distasteful to the male portion of mankind.”
Annie S. Swan Courtship and Marriage And the Gentle Art of Home-Making, 1894

✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽✾✿❀❁❃✽

 

“The many troubles in your household will tend to your edification, if you strive to bear them all in gentleness, patience, and kindness. Keep this ever before you, and remember constantly that God’s loving eyes are upon you amid all these little worries and vexations, watching whether you take them as He would desire. Offer up all such occasions to Him, and if sometimes you are put out, and give way to impatience, do not be discouraged, but make haste to regain your lost composure.”
― St. Francis de Sales

Quotes to Live By

The following are some tidbits for you to “chew” on this coming week. God bless you and I hope you are having a very fruitful Lent! 🙂

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“It is a high honor for a woman to be chosen from among all womankind, to be the wife of a godly and true man. She is lifted up to be a crowned queen. Her husband’s manly love laid at her feet, exalts her to the throne of his life. Great power is placed in her hands. Sacred destinies are reposed in her keeping. Will she wear her crown beneficently? Will she fill her realm with beauty and with blessing? Or will she fail in her holy trust? Only her married life can be the answer.” -J.R. Miller

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“God made us to be happy in this world and eternally happy in the next. Doing His will – as expressed in the commandments and by the voice of His Church – is the surest way to attain our destiny.” – Fr. Lovasik

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“Parents are often to blame for the rebellious spirit of their children, because they give little of themselves – of their time, interest, and practical love – and then complain that their children do not obey. Let your good example be a sufficient motive for your children’s obedience, even when you are obliged to ask them to do things that few other parents ask.” – Fr. Lovasik

 

 

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Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary? Be careful of those sins of the tongue! Great sermon! http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/20140323-Seven-Ways-to-Sin-By-Detraction.html

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♥♥♥ “How often do the father and mother of a large family remain young at heart because of the love they give to, and draw from, their children and grandchildren? In fact, many say that old age is their happiest time of life because they can enjoy to the fullest the love of the children!” – Rev. George A. Kelly, Catholic Family Handbook

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

“Never be ashamed of your home or family because it is humble. People who look down on those whose home is humble and who lack social prominence are not worthy of the friendship of decent families. The most important things in life are character, honest work, humility, loyalty, friendliness, and love.” -Fr. Lovasik, Catholic Family Handbook

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“God has so constituted us, that in loving and caring for our own children—the richest and best things in our natures are drawn out. Many of the deepest and most valuable lessons ever learned, are read from the pages of a child’s unfolding life. There is no influence more potent than that which touches us when our children are laid in our arms. Their helplessness appeals to every principle of nobleness in our hearts. Their innocence exerts over us a purifying power. The thought of our responsibility for them, exalts every faculty of our souls. In the very care which they exact, they bring blessing to us.” J.R. Miller

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“Letting children play in the dirt, making roads, bridges, lakes, and buildings is creating the next generation of builders and makers.
Consider this: any project that they get involved in – whether it be music, painting, mud building, writing, storytelling, stacking, making tents, performing plays, making cameras, or whatever – that result in someone being able to say, ‘Wow, that is interesting, what are you going to do next?’ is creativity.” – Mrs. D. Pearl

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“Whenever and however the vocation is received, to be among the chosen few of the Lord is of itself a great privilege, a high distinction and an enviable honor.” -Rev. Fulgence Meyer O.F.M., 1928

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Don’t insist on perfection. Expecting perfection from yourself and others is a setup for disappointment. Things won’t go as planned and you won’t be perfectly organized. Let it go. This, too, shall pass. -Charlotte Siems

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🌸🌸 “Everyone is drawn to a smile. Who and what you are is reflected in your face. Does your husband see you as a happy, thankful woman? Love is like a flower: you can’t expect it to grow without sunshine. Has your husband seen your sunshine lately?” ☀☀
-D. Pearl

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A picture of the incredible Beauty of God….

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“Look at the birds of the sky. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? But which of you can add any time to your life by worrying?”

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“All monasteries have a bell. St. Bernard, in writing his rules for monasticism, told his monks that whenever the monastic bell rang, they were to drop whatever they were doing and go immediately to the particular activity (prayer, meals, work, study, sleep) to which the bell was summoning them. Our home is our ‘Domestic Monastery’. Our monastic bell is each task to which we are called. We respond immediately, not because we want to, but because it’s time for that task and time isn’t our time, it’s God’s time.” -Ron Rolheiser OMI

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One man found the secret of true happiness. His name was St. John Bosco. He was a man who experienced many trials, but who also lived a life full of gladness and joy. St. John Bosco was so happy that he could hardly contain it. “Dear friend,” he wrote to an associate, “I am a man who loves joy and who therefore wishes to see you and everybody happy. If you do as I say, you will be joyful and glad in heart.” Read more here at The Catholic Gentleman.

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Ten Rules to Being Happy Parents from Christ in the Home, Fr. Raoul Plus, S.J.

1. Always appear before your family in good humor.
Nothing is so depressing as a father or mother out of
sorts. See that the family never has to suffer because of
your nervousness or irritability.

2. Never weary in cheering your family with your smile.
It is not enough to avoid depressing them; you must
brighten them up and let their spirits expand. Be especially
vigilant when the little ones are around. Give them
the alms of a smile, hard though it be at times. What a pity
when children have to say, “I don’t like it at home.”

Read more here….