MARY, MARTHA AND ME

According to Luke, Martha was head of the household; she welcomed Jesus into her home. Mary was probably younger. Like most sisters, these two women had conflicts which emerged because of their different personalities, roles, and simply the fact that they were siblings.


Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).

Isn't this what everyone of us would do.  Rush around trying to make sure we were as hospitable and serving as we could be to our guest?  It is the same thing in our everyday lives.  We rush around from the moment we get up to the moment we lay down our heads.  There is so much that we feel must get done in this 24 hour day that we have no time for anything or anyone else. 

What we should be doing is what Mary did.  We should be sitting at the Lords feet.  Of course not literally.  What I mean is we should be taking the time each day to pray and listen through our hearts at what God is telling us.  Taking some time in the morning before you start your day to pray and ask for guidance, read scripture and meditate upon that, will change the way your day is carried out.  Ask God to be with you at all times.  Don't end with the morning prayer.  Continue throughout the day.  Ask the Lord to be with on your way across town, to the bank, to the store or even when you make a phone call.  Ask him to give you the words to say.  Let God speak through you each day in your actions and in your words.  If you are like Martha rushing around and stressing out not only do you not her God speaking to you but you are unable to let Him speak through you.  Be like Mary and sit still and listen.  You will be amazed at how smooth your day flows, how the stresses of each day are not as bad, how you feel calmer and interact in a much less agitated manner.  This is something I have started and each time I pray I feel the Lords presence in me.  Try this and see.....I dare you!

Faithful To Me, Jennifer Knapp

All the chisels I've dulled carving idols of stone,
that have crumbles like sand 'neath the waves,
I've recklessly built, all my dreams in the sand,
just to watch them all wash away.
Through another day, another trial,
Another chance to reconcile to One who
sees past all I've seen, and reaching out 
my weary hand, I pray that you'd understand,
You're the only one whose faithful to me.
All the pennies I've wasted in my wishing well
I have thrown like stones to the sea.
I've cast my lots, dropped my guard, searched aimlessly,
for a faith to be faithful to me.
Through another day, another trial,
Another chance to reconcile,
To One who sees past all I've seen,
and reaching out my weary hand,
I pray that you'd understand, You're the only one
whose faithful to me.
You're the only one whose faithful to me.


Sometimes the verse of a song says what is exactly upon your heart!

BUSY

When you see or talk to a friend, one of the first questions asked is usually " How have you been ? ".  I can guarantee that the answer will be most likely one of two answers.  You will either say " Fine " or " Busy".  Most of the answers I give and receive is " Busy ".  Life has become busy for almost everyone.  People work and have families.  You have to take care of your families at home.  But these days you take care of them out of the home as well.  With things such as volunteering at school, groups, church and sports.  You have to make sure everyone has what they need when they need it.  You have to make sure you have food to feed them and either prepare it or go out to eat.  You have to get everyone where they need to be when they need to be there and picked up when they need to be.  There is laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, working, cooking, errands to run and volunteering.  I could go on and on and on.  My point is we are all way to busy.  All of this takes time and what spare time we have I guarantee someone with find something for you to do.  What does busy mean?  It could have a different level of the meaning to different people.  I could say I am busy, and you could disagree because you  may be doing more than me, however, my level of busy may be all I can handle and your level could be much more.  I heard once that the definition of busy is: B- being , U- under , S- Satan's , Y- yolk.
Read today's reading and then I will continue on my thoughts......

Gospel, Luke 8, 4-15

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
"A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold."
After saying this, he called out,
"Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
"Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.

"This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart.


Being overly BUSY is another way of not hearing.  If we do not slow down and listen, how do we expect to hear.  If we listen but do not retain what we hear, how do we expect to follow out and live what we heard.  God speaks to us all the time in many ways.  But when your mind is full of all that has to be done then how does your heart here what NEEDS to be heard.  
I recently have gone through some things that have made me slow down and listen.  What has been laid upon my heart which is what I am hearing God say is the most important order of life for me should be, God, Children and Husband and then myself.  Friends and Family are great to have.  Some come and go and those that stay should be living this way to.  I am here to raise these children to be happy, healthy and faith filled.  I am to raise them and take care of them as God himself would.  I have to take care of my husband and his needs.  I must make sure he is happy and has what is needed from me.  I do not want to ever look back and wish I had done this or that.  Taken the time I didn't take.  I want no regrets.  I also do not want my husband and my children to look back and think I wasn't there as I should have been, I didn't spend the time I should have spent and I didn't do the things I should have.  My life at this point is being lived for our Lord, my family, myself and others.  When time permits I will nurture my friendships and family time is always nice.  It is good to be with friends and family as they are always there.  One day my children will be grown and I pray that this is how they live their lives.  If I choose to be BUSY it will not be under Satan's yolk, it will be under God's word and the seed he has sewn on my heart.

Be Blessed!

One More Angel Graces Heavens Gate

September 17, 2010

Reading

1 Corinth 15:12-20

Brothers and sisters:
If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,
how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then neither has Christ been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching;
empty, too, your faith.
Then we are also false witnesses to God,
because we testified against God that he raised Christ,
whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised,
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain;
you are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ,
we are the most pitiable people of all.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Gospel

Luke 8:1-3

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.


I recently learned that an old friend from Jr. High passed away.  He has been battling cancer since February of 2004.  He was told at the most he had two years to live.  His name was Billy Ingle.  He leaves behind a wife, Heather, and two daughters, Scarlett and Isabella.  I am posting a video that they made several months ago and also his wifes Caring Bridge post the day of his passing.  Once seeing and reading them, if you ever had doubt that the Lord is working through us all and that he has risen, will rise again and one day Billy will rise with him, you will doubt no more.  Please keep this family in your prayers.

Billy Ingles Video...Please Watch  


Heathers Caring Bridge Post:

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2010 12:30 PM, CDT

As most of you already know, a band of angels and possibly Jesus Christ himself came to 6367 Glenview Drive at 10:45 and took Billy home.  Oh, what a relief it was when his soul finally departed his worn and weary body.  Billy put up the strongest fight, as I knew he would.  I have always said that he is the strongest and most gentle man that I have ever known or ever will know.  

Billy's last month of his life was a hard struggle but the last two days were the absolute worst.  I just couldn't have ever prepared myself for what Billy went through at the end.  But because of that, when Billy took his last breath I was so relieved that his struggle was over and he would never struggle again.  I couldn't even cry because I had such joy in my heart for him.  I felt like a robot because everyone else was crying and upset and I couldn't squeeze out a tear if I tried.  I almost felt an elation.  Just to think, that I was there to see his last breath on this earth and know that his next breath was him entering into the gates of Heaven.  
The girls are dealing with this better than I thought they would.  I know the road will be long before I ever really know how this has affected them. They have so many people who love and care for them, so they are not traveling this road alone.

I want to let everyone know that there have not been any plans made for Billy's memorial service yet.  I should know something by this afternoon or tomorrow.  I am trying to see if we can have his service on Saturday the 25th, which is not this coming Saturday but the next.  Billy wanted to be able to help someone by donating his body to UAB.  So there will be no viewing or grave side service.  Just a celebration of one amazing life.  

I will update with more information when I can.  Thank you, to everyone who has helped us through these past 6 1/2 years and especially to those who helped take care of Billy the last two days of his life on this Earth.

Love,
Heather

First Holy Communion

On May, 2, 2010, my youngest and last child made his First Holy Communion.  What a very blessed day.  He was so excited to finally get to go to communion and get to partake in the body of Christ rather than just get his blessing.  He told me "Finally all the Marks get to do this!"  He was very proud.  He dressed in the same suit and tie that his brother wore.  He was so handsome and looked so yummy.  He had his whole family there and that meant everything to him and to me.  To watch these children learn about the Eucharist and become close to Jesus is amazing.  They say "Children are like sponges, they absorb everything you teach them".  This to has been absorbed.  They now realize the importance of the Eucharist and the bond that it gives us with our Lord.  They now understand the importance of kneeling before the tabernacle and acknowledging our Lord is there.  This is one of my favorite sacraments.  It is one of the most special times in our life as Catholic Christians.  I am very honored and blessed to have received and watched all three of my children acknowledge and receive Christ.

The Holy Father speaks to Children:

Your First Holy Communion

Pope John Paul II speaks directly to children about the solemn importance of First Holy Communion in this excerpt from his "Letter to Children" written in 1994 during the "Year of the Family".

Dear friends, There is no doubt that an unforgettable meeting with Jesus is First Holy Communion, a day to be remembered as one of life's most beautiful.
The Eucharist, instituted by Christ at the Last Supper on the night before His passion, is a sacrament of the New Covenant -- the greatest of the sacraments. In this sacrament, the Lord becomes food for the soul under the appearances of bread and wine.
Children receive this sacrament solemnly a first time -- in First Holy Communion -- and are encouraged to receive it afterward as often as possible in order to remain in close friendship with Jesus.
To be able to receive Holy Communion, as you know, it is necessary to have received baptism: this is the first of the sacraments and the one most necessary for salvation. Baptism is a great event! In the Church's first centuries, when baptism was received mostly by grownups, the ceremony ended with receiving the Eucharist, and was as solemn as first Holy Communion is today. Later on, when baptism began to be given mainly to newborn babies -- and this is the case of many of you, dear children, so that in fact you do not remember the day of your baptism -- the more solemn celebration was transferred to the moment of First Holy Communion.
Every boy and every girl belonging to a Catholic family knows all about this custom: First Holy Communion is a great family celebration. On that day, together with the one who is making his or her First Holy Communion, the parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, godparents, and sometimes also the instructors and teachers, generally receive the Eucharist.
The day of First Holy Communion is also a great day of celebration in the parish. I remember as though it were yesterday when, together with the other boys and girls of my own age, I received the Eucharist for the first time in the parish church of my town. This event is usually commemorated in a family photo, so that it will not be forgotten. Photos like these generally remain with a person all through his or her life. As time goes by, people take out these pictures and experience once more the emotions of those moments; they return to the purity and joy experienced in that meeting with Jesus, the one who out of love became the Redeemer of Man.
For how many children in the history of the Church has the Eucharist been a source of spiritual strength, sometimes even heroic strength! How can we fail to be reminded, for example, of holy boys and girls who lived in the first centuries and are still known and venerated throughout the Church? Saint Agnes, who lived in Rome; Saint Agatha, who was martyred in Sicily; Saint Tarcisius, a boy who is rightly called the "martyr of the Eucharist" because he preferred to die rather than give up Jesus, whom he was carrying under the appearance of bread.

John Paul II

PASSION

Passion....Do you have it or don't you?  I feel that everyone has it to some degree about something or someone.  What exactly is it?
PASSION /ˈpæʃən/ [pash-uhn] –noun
1. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.
2. strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor.
I have passion about many things such as crafts, family and friends.  I even have passion about places, such as the beach and my newest passion for a place would be Disney World.  But I have discovered recently when I started focusing more on me and my husband and children, that I hold an extremely passionate place for them.  I have spent so much time over the past several years focused on other things and worrying about other people that I lost that passion I have for my family.  I have taken the time to re-prioritize my thoughts and actions.  I have found my way back to the passion for my family that I once had.  Days I have spent wrapped up in drama that is out of my control, I will never get back.  From the point I realized this to now and here after, my focus remains my little family.  I feel I have neglected the ones that need me most.  I can no longer worry about what I can not control.  Worry is Satan's work.  I have one to many times been caught up in worry.  When I worry, I tend to let it consume me and everything around me is affected. 
I have a wonderful husband and three absolutely beautiful children.  They are gifts that are on loan to me and I need to take special care of them.  I want no regrets.  I do not want to ever look back and regret.  I do not want to ever look back and wish I had done or said, this or that.
These three sets of eyes that look at me with such innocence and such love.  It is an unconditional love.  It is the love they deserve to get in return.  The feel of there little hands around my neck gives me such a feeling of completeness.  They are what I desire.  They are what I am passionate about.
My passion is being the best wife and mother I can be!
"Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:"

Proverbs 31:28

Life

We pray to give thanks for the things we have around us and we pray to give thanks for answered prayers.  Sometimes we pray for things we want or need and then pray to give thanks when those things have been received.  Have you ever stopped and prayed and given thanks for the things that happen in our everyday life.  Such as the scrapped knee your child got that day, or the high grocery bill you paid at the store that day or even the argument you had with your spouse that morning.  Every night when I lay my head down I give thanks for the day and all the blessings this day held and then I take a moment to give thanks for the things that I would not have placed in my day had I been in total control.  I give thanks for the argument because of the apology and the closeness and love you feel when everything is okay.  I give thanks for the scrapped knees and tears of my children because without those I may not have been able to hold them for that 10 minutes that they would have been doing other things.  I give thanks for the high grocery bill because at least I can pay it, there are those who starve everyday because they can't.  Not all things in our lives are things we would pray to receive.  However, when we do receive these things good and bad, happy and sad, we should give thanks.  Through all things we have our lives, our health and our loved ones.  Most important through all things we have our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  So when your day is filled with the unwanted things and happenings and you wish the day to be over, take a minute to say thanks because when you close your eyes it could be just that....over.
John 12:25
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.