![The Mother's Day Trap]()
by Catherine | May 8, 2015 | Faith, Family
I’m not gonna do it. I’m not gonna fall for the Mother’s Day Trap.
It’s so gosh darn tempting to expect what the Hallmark commercials are selling. We see all of these picture perfect scenes of cherub children and adoring husbands gently, lovingly waking Mom with beautifully handmade keepsakes, poetic cards, and expensive jewelry. They shower her with affection. The children, perfectly dressed and coiffed, use indoor voices, remember their manners, and play sweetly with each other.
How many loaves of bread does this woman need?
No wonder it’s so easy to get in a rotten mood on Mother’s Day when the day is, well, ordinary.
This year, I’m not falling for the Mother’s Day Trap. Instead, I’m gonna anticipate ordinary.
I’m gonna anticipate that even on Mother’s Day there will still be diaper blowouts, epic temper tantrums, spilled milk, or fighting children. Full disclosure: I’m anticipating ordinary so much that I asked Philip if we could go to Mass just the two of us on Saturday before our dinner date. That way, we can enjoy a peaceful-ish (with a big “ish”) Mother’s Day morning at home with the kids. (Mass has been anything but peaceful or prayerful the last few weeks. Just ask the other St. Joseph’s parishioners! They can tell you about the Divine Mercy Sunday extravaganza. A smuggled minion, open flames, and a St. Joseph statue were involved.) Any you know what? Praise God! Really. All of the crazy day-to-day stressors and power struggles that I’ve grown to accept as normal are signs of life around here.
I don’t need to cherish every diaper change or temper tantrum to be a good mother. I do need to celebrate the gift of what has become my ordinary, though. When I take the time to stop and think about it, motherhood blows my mind. It is an extraordinary grace to be entrusted with eternal souls. The longer God gives me to hone my skills as a mama, the more I see that He has sent me exactly the souls I need to be the person He is asking me to be. It’s exactly the life I need. There’s so much grace to be found in the imperfect.
So, when it’s Mother’s Day morning and someone has a fever and someone else lost their left shoe, I’ll remember that the imperfect won’t make it a bad Mother’s Day; it’ll make it a real Mother’s Day. Last year, our family spent Mother’s Day in my brother’s basement during a tornado warning, so stay tuned for what’s in store this year. Whatever happens, it’ll be a tailor-made Mother’s Day with opportunities just for me to find the graces.
![The Mother’s Day Trap]()
by Catherine | May 8, 2015 | Faith, Family
I’m not gonna do it. I’m not gonna fall for the Mother’s Day Trap.
It’s so gosh darn tempting to expect what the Hallmark commercials are selling. We see all of these picture perfect scenes of cherub children and adoring husbands gently, lovingly waking Mom with beautifully handmade keepsakes, poetic cards, and expensive jewelry. They shower her with affection. The children, perfectly dressed and coiffed, use indoor voices, remember their manners, and play sweetly with each other.
How many loaves of bread does this woman need?
No wonder it’s so easy to get in a rotten mood on Mother’s Day when the day is, well, ordinary.
This year, I’m not falling for the Mother’s Day Trap. Instead, I’m gonna anticipate ordinary.
I’m gonna anticipate that even on Mother’s Day there will still be diaper blowouts, epic temper tantrums, spilled milk, or fighting children. Full disclosure: I’m anticipating ordinary so much that I asked Philip if we could go to Mass just the two of us on Saturday before our dinner date. That way, we can enjoy a peaceful-ish (with a big “ish”) Mother’s Day morning at home with the kids. (Mass has been anything but peaceful or prayerful the last few weeks. Just ask the other St. Joseph’s parishioners! They can tell you about the Divine Mercy Sunday extravaganza. A smuggled minion, open flames, and a St. Joseph statue were involved.) Any you know what? Praise God! Really. All of the crazy day-to-day stressors and power struggles that I’ve grown to accept as normal are signs of life around here.
I don’t need to cherish every diaper change or temper tantrum to be a good mother. I do need to celebrate the gift of what has become my ordinary, though. When I take the time to stop and think about it, motherhood blows my mind. It is an extraordinary grace to be entrusted with eternal souls. The longer God gives me to hone my skills as a mama, the more I see that He has sent me exactly the souls I need to be the person He is asking me to be. It’s exactly the life I need. There’s so much grace to be found in the imperfect.
So, when it’s Mother’s Day morning and someone has a fever and someone else lost their left shoe, I’ll remember that the imperfect won’t make it a bad Mother’s Day; it’ll make it a real Mother’s Day. Last year, our family spent Mother’s Day in my brother’s basement during a tornado warning, so stay tuned for what’s in store this year. Whatever happens, it’ll be a tailor-made Mother’s Day with opportunities just for me to find the graces.
![Put It To Work 26]()
by Catherine | May 4, 2015 | Faith
Another Monday means another opportunity to swap prayer intentions and start “putting them to work” for one another!
Here are my prayer intentions for this week:
- That abortion will not legally return to Lincoln and for all those participating in the candlelight vigil tonight at Planned Parenthood. That their prayerful witness will change the hearts of those considering abortion.
- For my sister and brother-in-law who are celebrating their wedding anniversary today
- For my sister and brother-in-law and their family as they commemorate the death of their daughter, Veronica, on Wednesday
- For all those struggling with infertility or have estranged relationships with their mothers as we near Mother’s Day on Sunday
Your turn! What prayer intentions can I “put to work” for you this week? As always, I will add them to my prayer journal and pray for you by name throughout the week–especially during my morning prayers. Please share your intentions in the comment box below, on the blog Facebook page, or send them to me via the blog contact form. Thank you in advance for your prayers.
Have a great week!
![Put It To Work 25]()
by Catherine | Apr 27, 2015 | Faith
Another Monday means another opportunity to swap prayer intentions and start “putting them to work” for one another!
Here are my prayer intentions for this week:
- That abortion will not legally return to Lincoln and for all those participating in the candlelight vigil tonight at Planned Parenthood. That their prayerful witness will change the hearts of those considering abortion.
- For our GodTeens home Mass on Wednesday
- For Philip as he runs in the Lincoln Half Marathon on Sunday
- For our time management during a busy week
- For all of the victims of the earthquake in Nepal and their loved ones left to heal and rebuild
Your turn! What prayer intentions can I “put to work” for you this week? As always, I will add them to my prayer journal and pray for you by name throughout the week–especially during my morning prayers. Please share your intentions in the comment box below, on the blog Facebook page, or send them to me via the blog contact form. Thank you in advance for your prayers.
Have a great week!
!["What did Jesus say, to carry the cross in front of Him or to follow Him?"]()
by Catherine | Apr 24, 2015 | Faith
Remember how I created a 2015 Board of Spiritual Directors? I’m slowly but surely working my way through some of the writings of those holy men and women. Currently, I’m reading, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta.
There are so many beautiful nuggets of wisdom in Mother Teresa’s writings. One in particular is standing out to me today:
“Once I saw a Sister with a long face going out for apostolate, so I called her to my room and I asked her, ‘What did Jesus say, to carry the cross in front of Him or to follow Him?’ With a big smile she looked at me and said, ‘To follow Him.’ So I asked her, ‘Why are you trying to go ahead of Him?’ She left my room smiling. She had understood the meaning of following Jesus.”
Yes! That’s it! That’s exactly it!
It’s Friday afternoon, and it is so easy (and so tempting!) to put on that long face after a long week of work. When I give in to that temptation to forget my smile or consider a big ‘ol pity party, it’s probably because I wasn’t following Mother Teresa’s advice. Instead of listening to Jesus’ command to pick up my cross and follow Him, I’m usually picking up my cross (often begrudgingly, if I’m honest) and looking behind me.
“C’mon, Jesus, follow me. Let’s get on with it. I know the way. I’ve got things to do and people to see.”
It would be so much easier if I’d just listen. Let Him stumble ahead. Follow His footsteps. Show me the right way.
“Nah, I’ve got this. C’mon, Jesus. This way.”
He loves me so much that He lets me continue along. Now that I’m a mom, you’d think I’d be familiar enough with this move to know better myself. He’s the loving Father watching the stubborn toddler (me!) say, “I DO IT MYSELF!”
“Okay, Catherine. Go ahead. I’m here when you’re ready.”
The inevitable pattern continues. I grumble. I stumble. I fall. I give up. I’m the toddler reaching up for help. “Daddy! Daddy! I CAN’T DO IT! HELP!”
He loves me so much that He doesn’t take the cross away. Like the loving Father that He is, He does better than that. He gave me His Son to show me how to carry it.
“Like this, sweetheart. Just follow Me.”
The cross is waiting for me everyday. Whether I choose to lead or follow makes all the difference.
![“What did Jesus say, to carry the cross in front of Him or to follow Him?”]()
by Catherine | Apr 24, 2015 | Faith
Remember how I created a 2015 Board of Spiritual Directors? I’m slowly but surely working my way through some of the writings of those holy men and women. Currently, I’m reading, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta.
There are so many beautiful nuggets of wisdom in Mother Teresa’s writings. One in particular is standing out to me today:
“Once I saw a Sister with a long face going out for apostolate, so I called her to my room and I asked her, ‘What did Jesus say, to carry the cross in front of Him or to follow Him?’ With a big smile she looked at me and said, ‘To follow Him.’ So I asked her, ‘Why are you trying to go ahead of Him?’ She left my room smiling. She had understood the meaning of following Jesus.”
Yes! That’s it! That’s exactly it!
It’s Friday afternoon, and it is so easy (and so tempting!) to put on that long face after a long week of work. When I give in to that temptation to forget my smile or consider a big ‘ol pity party, it’s probably because I wasn’t following Mother Teresa’s advice. Instead of listening to Jesus’ command to pick up my cross and follow Him, I’m usually picking up my cross (often begrudgingly, if I’m honest) and looking behind me.
“C’mon, Jesus, follow me. Let’s get on with it. I know the way. I’ve got things to do and people to see.”
It would be so much easier if I’d just listen. Let Him stumble ahead. Follow His footsteps. Show me the right way.
“Nah, I’ve got this. C’mon, Jesus. This way.”
He loves me so much that He lets me continue along. Now that I’m a mom, you’d think I’d be familiar enough with this move to know better myself. He’s the loving Father watching the stubborn toddler (me!) say, “I DO IT MYSELF!”
“Okay, Catherine. Go ahead. I’m here when you’re ready.”
The inevitable pattern continues. I grumble. I stumble. I fall. I give up. I’m the toddler reaching up for help. “Daddy! Daddy! I CAN’T DO IT! HELP!”
He loves me so much that He doesn’t take the cross away. Like the loving Father that He is, He does better than that. He gave me His Son to show me how to carry it.
“Like this, sweetheart. Just follow Me.”
The cross is waiting for me everyday. Whether I choose to lead or follow makes all the difference.
