Surrounded by Grace

Squirrel-proof! We have one smart squirrel….

Three of a kind…

New look with church sale find…. Messy room. Hmmm…

Imagine his surprise, when the watermelon turned out to be yellow!

The Saint of the Day for today is St. Oliver Plunkett - (1629-1681). He is the patron saint of Peace and Reconciliation in Ireland.

We have a blue hydrangea in our backyard. Yesterday, Anna came in with a bouquet of flowers for me from the bush.

Anna: “Mom, I picked the flowers that were the bluest just for you!”

What a special surprise!

Today we worked on organizing our basement and donating some items to our church sale. We are getting it organized and straightened one box at a time. It is amazing how much stuff you accumulate over the years!

More later…

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable.
Be honest and transparent anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People who really want help may attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt.
Give the world your best anyway.

Mother Teresa

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Butterfly image courtesy of Wikimedia.

Christopher: “Mom, I have to tell you someping”.

Mom: “Yes, Christopher.”

Christopher: “You wuv me.”

Mom: “Yes, Christopher, I do love you!”

Thank you, Lord for my blessings!

Dear Lord,
Thank you for 15 wonderful years! with my one in a million husband…

This evening we went out to the scout camp that my son is attending for the week. It was family night, so we brought some dinner and ate together. The most interesting thing happened there. My daughter found a precious little butterfly, just outside my son’s tent. It had just come out of it’s cocoon, so was struggling to open it’s wings and fly. The wings were like velvet and looked so fragile. Yet, the butterfly was strong and had the will to fly. We took it home with us and released it into our backyard. Now this might just be a butterfly story to some, but to me it was a sign. Ten years ago this year, I had a baby girl that was born and passed away the next day. I have always believed that she sends me signs… little things to remind me of her. One of those beautiful things are the butterflies that surround me seemingly most of the year. The fact that the butterfly was outside my son’s tent made it even more special. I felt like somehow my daughter was watching over him and helping him along in his week away from home. For me, another reason to smile and remember my dear daughter!

Thank you, Mary Elizabeth for the butterflies!!!

Keep them coming. They make my day and make me smile.

Christopher is talking to his dad on the phone.

“I have a run on my nose”.

He had a runny nose.

Aren’t kids funny?

The Fifteen Promises of Mary to Christians Who Recite the Rosary

• Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.
• I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.
• The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
• It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the heart of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
• The soul which recommend itself to me by the recitation of the rosary, shall not perish.
• Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
• Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
• Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
• I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.
• The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
• You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.
• All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
• I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
• All who recite the rosary are my son, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
• Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.

(Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan) Imprimatur: Patrick J. Hayes DD Archbishop of New York)

From:

http://www.catholic.org/clife/prayers/rosary.php

Rosary image, compliments of:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Rosary_2006-01-16.jpg

Steve and I are spending some time in France.  He has a business trip here and decided to take me along!  Wow, what a beautiful and different place, it is.

We just returned from a weekend trip to Lourdes!  I have to say that has been my favorite part of this trip.  We had a wonderful and faith filled time.  It is so nice to be around so many people who share your faith!

We have a few more days here.  I wanted to share France in pictures…