Today's Readings

John said to Jesus,“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Today's Gospel is one of my favorite quotes from the Bible. It demonstrates that Christ does not want strife among denominations. All of the nit-picky things that we criticise other faiths for, really does not matter. In the end, all that he cares about is that we know and serve him. When I first converted...I was so prideful about being Catholic! I wanted to tell everybody the good news. I did not realise that sometimes I was hurtful. They need to hand out this quote at the end of every RCIA class. Anyway, I think I made my point.

The Puzzle

Today, I was reflecting on the irony of Autism as being described as a puzzle. Because in many ways that is always how I have felt about my life. I knew God always had something beautiful planned for me but I could really never see the whole picture. Just bits and pieces. My youth was very unstable and chaotic. There really was never enough consistency to plan the day, much less my future. Sprinkle that with a little ADD and you have the first 25 years of my life. Before you get out your hankie...it was not all bad. Something priceless came from my early life experience: patience and resiliency. I don't have to plan every minute of my life and I am very easily contented. My crazy past prepared me for life with an Autistic child. I always tell people Willow just "fits" with our family and life would be so boring without her. I know now, that God allowed the suffering in my past to prepare me for my future. With that knowledge, I am blessed.

Sleepless nights

I don't know why I continue to do this to myself. Last night, I couldn't sleep. Time alone is a rare thing for me. So I find myself thinking about my day and planning the next. Before I realise... it is 1, 2, then 3:00 in the morning. I would not necessarily call myself an insomniac, but the more responsibilities I have, the more I feel guilty for sleeping. I know. I probably need therapy...but that is not the point. I always make the most of the time. I pray and reflect upon my day. Landon started stirring around 3:00am and I felt a longing to hold him. Normally, I would let him fuss but last night it really hit me how fast they grow up. So I sat in the dark and stroked his soft hair, kissed his fat cheek, and let him sleep on my chest. I literally held him for three hours. Feeling the rhythm of the breathing on my chest. Wondering to myself:"Is this season of my life really over?" and "am I really ready for it to be?" Motherhood has been such a powerful, rewarding experience for me. I have felt God's call from the very beginning of my marriage to be open to life. It is difficult for people to understand this sometimes. God has formed and changed me through every birth. As crazy as my life appears to be; I have peace in knowing that I am living my true vocation: motherhood.

WWJD?

I am sure most of you have seen
"WWJD?" before. It stands for "What Would Jesus Do?" Right? Wrong! In my case, It stands for "What Would Julie Do?" Well, meet Julie Helow and her amazing family. My friend Anita and I came up with that phrase one afternoon. We both had the privilege of being touched by this amazing woman and her family. She has often been described as a "living saint." When I think of what kind of person I would like to be...I think of her. She is probably the most inspiring woman I have ever met. She has been an incredible role model for me. There are several things I have learned from her that I would like to share.

Tips for a strong Catholic family:

• Make attending daily Mass a priority. She has 10 kids and she can make it. Enough said.
• Pray the Rosary daily and try to instill a strong prayer life in your children.
• Make your marriage and family a priority. If at all possible, stay at home with your kids.
• Make Catholic education a priority. Teaching your children about their faith should be your first priority.
• Don't be afraid to hire help. You should not have to do everything. The kids can help too. It allows you more time with your family and helps teach responsibility toward others.
• Surround yourself with people who share the same values as you!
• Be consistent. They have the same address, friends, and church...forever. Stability is key for secure kids.
• Take time for faith formation. Read, go to conferences, etc... You can't evangelize if you don't know your faith.
• Live the principles of Catholic social teachings. Which is simply...live simply so that others may simply live. Let your children see you sacrificing to give to others.
• Last, but not least, don't be afraid to be open to life.

Julie also told me one time to start your day with a morning offering. A practice I try to live every day. I fall very short most days but I strive to spend more time with God every day. That is probably the most important thing she taught me. That God can give you the strength to get through anything. I am also sure that she probably has no idea how much she has changed my life and the life of my family. Which brings me to my point. Most us us do not realise how much we influence others. More important than asking people if they know Christ, is showing people that you know Christ. Being a light. My only hope is that someday, someone will say that about me.

Happy Mothers Day!

I probably have had the best Mother's Day EVER!!!! Chris and the kids made me breakfast this morning. They gave me their gifts and we went to our old church. We saw tons of people we haven't seen in ages and I sat next to one of my best friends and her four children during Mass. The kids were perfect. You will here this from me over, and over, again. Our daughter Willow is Autistic and we never know how she will react to a novel situation. New experiences scare her and she often reacts in the only way she knows how: crying fits. Visiting family or friends is always a source of incredible stress for us. So when things go smoothly it is AWESOME! Earlier in the week, I told my Uncle I wanted to come to his Mother's day cookout but I was worried about Willow. I explained how stressful it was to take her places. My Uncle listened carefully and then did something novel. He said: " Tosha, what can we do to make things more comfortable for you and set things up for Willow?" I explained a few things and he said they would be happy to do it and told me not to be anxious if Willow had a bad day. We went to my Uncle Gary's....and the kids blew out in their backyard. No crying, no fits, no meltdowns. Despite my Grandmother's warnings about keeping Willow out of my Aunt's flowers, every pluck, was met with a smile and shrug from my Aunt. We had one of the nicest family outings we have had in ages. I think the most interesting thing is that my Aunt and Uncle never had any children. Because they did not have any preconcieved ideas about childrearing, they were able to accomidate us in a way that most can't. Because they lacked judgement. There was no criticism, parenting advice, or running around telling my daughter "No-No! Don't touch the pretties (which should be put up--but that is another column)!" They were happy to have us there...even if it meant a few missing flowers. Ahhhhh...I can't wait until the next cookout!

First Communion

Make a Smilebox photobook

Miss Momma

This week has been so crazy. I have finals, my BFF's Dad is in the hospital, my husband is studying for the LSAT, yadda, yadda, yadda...The thing that keeps me sane is how I see God working in our lives. We are so blessed. The more we give the more it comes back.