Confessions of a family planner

As a newlywed, I would smugly remark that we didn't plan on using NFP. But even then I was only able to half convince myself that this had anything to do with “generosity” or “trust in God.” Actually it had everything to do with the fact that abstinence fell somewhere just below charting on the bottom of the fun scale. The truth was, I hadn't thought much about the matter; I hadn't prayed to know God's will. It wasn't a matter of discerning a call to a large family, it was a matter of me being lazy. I then effectively silenced my conscience on the issue of responsible parenthood with various snippets of rhetoric I'd heard or read.

With time I've learned lessons and faced some hard facts. Choosing to make love whenever we feel like it isn't “leaving the planning of my family to God.” It's me making a choice that I know is likely to result in pregnancy. When my husband and I discern that inviting God to send us another child is the loving decision, that's the time for us to let things take their course and leave the results “up to God.” I realize that for some couples this is the situation for the duration of their marriage, but it's not so for me. There are other times in which I have to make the generous decision of self-sacrifice for the well-being of myself, my husband, and the children we already have. At times the decision to sacrifice through self-denial is the harder choice than just doing what I want to do.......and calling it “putting it in God's hands.”

I can't get around the fact that God won't just send me children. There's only one time in history that a Child was born without the involvement of a man and woman (and even then He asked the woman for her free consent.) The only ones who owe their human existence directly to God's intervention are Adam and Eve - everyone else got here through the free choice of other humans. When I was laying out my plans for dodging NFP, I was denying my personal responsibility for my actions. In nothing else did I hold God accountable for some deed of mine reaching its natural fulfillment. If I choose to make pregnancy possible, I am responsible for that choice and its consequences, bottom line. This means we've had to accept the fact that this choice carries the same moral and ethical ramifications as any other action and “plan” our family accordingly, trusting God to help us know His will and do it.

Beauty from Firewood

Since the last time I wrote about Tom's woodturning, a lot has happened. One main event for Tom was the purchase of a new lathe, a Vicmarc VL300. A significant event from my point of view was that he was able to sell enough of his other tools to cover the cost! Tom had a memorable and beneficial week at Mike Mahoney's woodturning class in Provo, UT. That was a memorable week on the home front, too, since all but one of us ended up being sick and the power went out........ Tom has also been trying some new bowl styles this year.

The wood for the bowls Tom turns mostly comes from friends and acquaintances who have fallen trees in their yards or trees that need to come down. This means that Tom starts with logs or basically chunks of firewood. His gift is that he can see the potential for something more, and the results keep getting more impressive.

 

 

The bowl above is turned from Ambrosia Maple, and its special coloring is created by the ambrosia beetle. Interestingly, this means that the beetle has also left some tiny round holes in the wood! This flared design is one of Tom's favorites.

 

 

 

This paper bark maple bowl is different from many others because of the bead around the exterior. It's a simple addition, but it really makes the bowl stand out.

 

 

 

Here is an enclosed rim walnut bowl. The shape is out-of-the-ordinary in that the rim turns up just a bit right at the top. Overall, it is very eye-catching style.

 

There are lots more pieces to see at http://www.etsy.com/shop/BowlsByTomZepeda, and Tom keeps adding new bowls for the Christmas season. Anyone local should contact us directly so we can waive the shipping fee. :-)

 

 







 

Are we honey or vinegar?

"You can catch more bees with honey than vinegar." But is reactionaryism (yep, it's a word) turning faithful Catholics into vinegar?

-A person piles up Styrofoam to light it on fire and announce, "I'll care about the environment when they make abortion illegal."

-The fad of spending time in church watching out for any signs that the priest is "liberal" and/or carrying out modesty inspections.

-The mode of Catholic education that ignores or gives a token nod to historical issues like the oppression of women and racism.

-The "unbiased" Catholic history lessons that judge non-Catholics by objective Catholic moral standards and devote sentence after sentence to "explaining" Catholic misbehavior on grounds of cultural norms and "no worse than what everyone else did at that time."

-The replacement of joy with a focus on the faults of popes, bishops, and priests as well as anything else negative happening in the Church.

-Ignoring papal wisdom if it does not match one's politics, while practically elevating one's own opinions on education, dress, hymns, etc. to the level of dogmas.

-Conservative Catholic subcultural - "We don't recycle....on principle." "We're not ecumenical." "We're loyal to the Pope, but even though the Pope says Mass with altar girls, we're 100% against them."

These things yield counter-reactionaryism (that one's made up) and revulsion. On the other hand, a healthy human is attracted to goodness that's accompanied by joy, by humility, by gentleness, and by a positive attitude. Being a Catholic who's faithful shouldn't bring out the worst in us - our love of gossip, our smug rejoicing in the failure of others, our snobbishness, or our tendency to rationalize. Let's use the vinegar in us to disinfect ourselves, killing the germs of sin, and attract others to Christ through the honey of a positive, loving approach.

Emergency in the lunchroom

After a seventh grade year being bullied as a homeschooler that showed up at the public school for band class, after years of social awkwardness, after fighting for the ability to walk into a room full of my peers without wanting the floor to swallow me, I made the mistake of thinking I could walk into the Steubenville cafeteria by myself. Unwisely disregarding my rule of never showing up anywhere without a friend, I strolled in, confident that I'd see someone familiar and sit down with them. Besides the fact that it was the first week of my freshman year and I did not know many people yet, it wasn't like everyone went to lunch at the same time. So, I stood there with a tray full of food as panic set in. None of the open seats seemed like a safe bet - the danger of rejection was lurking everywhere. Any poise, any confidence I had gained since seventh grade vanished. I was once again the girl with no friends, the girl whom no one liked. The fact that I remember this moment so vividly 16 years later speaks volumes.

In a couple more seconds, I'd have probably dumped my lunch in the trash and gotten away as fast as possible. But then someone I'd never met came up to me, and he asked if I'd like to "sit with us for lunch." It wasn't flirting, it was one of the kindest acts of charity I've ever experienced. The memory of the relief and gratitude I felt is just as strong as the memory of the hellish thirty seconds before that. I sat down, had lunch, and chatted with a table of upper classpersons that I probably never talked to again - except maybe a smile and "Hi" in passing.

It was a little act of kindness, of consideration, of seeing a "deer-in-the-headlights" look on the face of a stranger frozen in the middle of a college cafeteria and not just looking the other way. It was not little to me, it was huge. But too often, I look the other way - I don't reach out because I'm still afraid of rejection or because I'm lazy or because I think that there's no way ______ could want or need help from me. But the person who seems to have what I don't - a nicer house, a prettier face, a better job - might still need a moment of my time, my little act of kindness.

This was clearly brought home to me at the grocery store. I was shopping with Tommy at a time when both of us were getting over being sick. And when Tommy gets sick, it tends to be a major event with trips to the doctor, breathing treatments in the middle of the night, etc. I was at the end of my rope before I even got to the store, so you can imagine my state by the time we were in the check out aisle. One of the grocery baggers is the nicest, most helpful person you could hope to meet. He also has intellectual challenges and a job that is probably looked down upon by many. If he had an attitude like mine, he'd probably tell himself that others did not need his help. But, as usual, he asked if I'd like help bringing the groceries out the car, and this time I said, "Yes." He brought them out and loaded the huge cartful into my trunk. At that moment, this help was so needed and appreciated - it really helped me get through that difficult day. It's hard to risk rejection or lack of appreciation, but it should be harder to risk missing an opportunity to help someone in a moment of need!

10 Ways to Make a Husband Glad

OK, after my "public confessions" in the last post, I don't feel like such a hypocrite sharing these.     :-)

10.Think of something he wants but isn't buying because it's not on the budget. Try to find a way to buy it and surprise him.

9.If you're realize you're wrong in the middle of a fight, don't drag it out for another hour. Admit it and go on a beer run to give him time to cool off.

8.Don't keep the things you love about him to yourself.

7.Resolve to think only positive thoughts about him.

6.Get all dressed up one day just to spend the evening at home with him.

5.If you're not sure about his motives, assume the best. You'll probably be right.

4.You both need peace and quiet right after a hard day of work. Give it to him.

3.Let it go when he does something you don't like. DON'T say nothing and record in the mental notebook!

2.Next time you take out the trash, take the mental notebook with it.

1.Be, you know, "romantic." ;-)

Top 10 Ways To Make A Husband Mad

Obviously this post is written tongue-in-cheek, but these are all things I've caught myself doing. It's funny how they sound terrible in print but can seem so righteous when they're being done. Dare I say hypocrisy?

1.If he does not express his feelings very often, assume that he has none.

2.Never do anything without expecting something in return, even if it's just the pleasure of correcting him when he fails to say "Thank-you."

3.Never do anything for him or the kids without recording it in the mental notebook that you take out during all arguments.

4.If you're not 100% sure what his motives are, assume the worst.

5.After carrying out #4, spend some time dwelling on these heinous motives and don't forget to meditate on what a good wife you are.

6.If you realize that he's right during a disagreement, don't admit it. Just find something else to fight about.

7.Criticize him in front of his family.

8.When you have a problem with something he did, address him like you're a lawyer delivering your summation to the jury.

9.Refuse to tell him why you're mad and then get mad at him for not talking about it.

10.If you're feeling down, assume it's his fault and come up with the twisted logic to prove it.

Uncomfortable with Holy Thursday in prison?

Pope Francis celebrating Holy Thursday Mass in a juvenile prison makes me uncomfortable - uncomfortable with how little I reach out to those most in need. Uncomfortable with the fact that "meaning" to donate to charity so often turns into forgetting to donate. Uncomfortable because the clothes I bagged up for C-Cap are STILL sitting in a trash bag in my laundry room not doing anyone any good! Uncomfortable with how easily I bask comfortably in the "piety" and "orthodoxy" of my life.

But it does not just make me uncomfortable; it's also inspiring. It reminds me of how Jesus both made people uncomfortable and inspired them by forcing them to think about those they had written off. Think lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans, adulterous women. Pope Francis is doing the same thing for us.

I'm very good at coming up with the things I can't do because I don't have the time, I can't afford it, or it's not compatible with my vocation. When it comes to thinking about what I can do, that's where I fall short. Here are some new resolutions and I'm hoping that sharing them will help me to follow through. :-)

Give to charity with the same consistency and regularity that we pay our mortgage. Setting up monthly credit/debit cards payments is the way to go for me.

Bring the bag of clothes to C-Cap the next time I go out!

Put a few dollars in an envelope every time I treat myself or my family and give it to the Pregnancy Center next Easter.

Make a point of celebrating Christmas with a visit to a nursing home. Maybe bring goodies and homemade cards.

Most importantly, be open to new ways that I'm being called to give and keep paying attention to our wonderful new pope!

Paying attention to popes

The Pope resigning has a lot of impact on someone like me who can't stand admitting that something is beyond my capability. And now that Benedict XVI has resigned, I realize that I should have been listening more closely to what he's taught by his words and actions over the past eight years. I only recently read one of his encyclicals - the one on the love of God - and was struck by how it meets the reader where she or he is. Somewhere along the way, the concept of God actually loving me had gotten buried under my preoccupations with worry, rules, and general worldliness. The words of the encyclical were a powerful reminder.

John Paul II became pope before I was born, so to me he "was" the pope in the same way that DC is the capital. I still haven't really gotten used to the fact that he is not the pope, or that the pope is not he, and this might be why I had not been as "tuned in" to Pope Benedict as I should have. As part of an effort to do better, the girls and I visited the "Adopt a Cardinal" website.

The website suggests praying to Holy Spirit before clicking "Enter" and getting your cardinal. I did it but did not think it was possible for us to get a cardinal that would have any personal meaning for me. The cardinal it gave us was Stanislaw Dziwisz. I was so surprised - I did "know" him, but I hadn't realized he was a cardinal.

Since he died, I've had more and more of a devotion to Blessed John Paul II. No matter how badly things are going or much I am failing, I'm always comfortable praying to him. I know in my mind that none of the saints will hate or shun me, but sometimes I don't feel that way, which makes it harder to pray. John Paul II, though, is so real to me, and I have seen how he treats each person with love, even - so I tell myself - people that are worse than me. Now that he has died, he is still one of the strongest supports for my faith and one of the most helpful reminders of God's mercy.

Getting back to Cardinal Dziwisz..........because of this devotion, I ordered a book about Pope John Paul II written by the monsignor who had been his secretary, Stanislaw Dziwisz. So for me, the computer randomly selecting Cardinal Dziwisz was a message of love from one of my favorite "Blesseds" and a reminder to give both the new pope and the Pope Emeritus my full attention.

To despise myself and want others to despise me?

The title is "inspired" by a book of daily meditations, a good book on the whole, but one that urges the reader to "despise yourself and to want others to despise you" - words that are written in the context of growing closer to God.

This advice grated on me, but I can remember trying to manufacture these sentiments. What a bad idea!

Despising myself never got me anywhere.......other than farther away from God. Why is despising myself the right thing to do? I'm one of God's creatures, loved by Him. Why would I want others to despise me? Shouldn't I want everyone to answer Christ's call to love? I don't want people to despise me; I want them to love me. And I want to grow in love for the people who come into my life. Those who go around "despising" are not happy or holy, so why would any Christian wish this behavior on someone?

Undoubtedly, my sins are ugly, and even more so than I realize. Despising my sins helps me love God and others, as well as myself. Despising myself doesn't do anything for anyone. I am not my sins; people are not defined by their sins unless they choose to be. "Love the sinner and hate the sin" is great advice - and it applies to ourselves, too.

"Beer with Jesus"

"....a beer with Jesus..." The words coming from the radio caught my attention, and my scrupulous evil twin reached over and turned it off.

The song didn't get another thought and that was the end of it, until Tom asked days later if I was really sure it was wrong to want to have a beer with Jesus. As he mentioned, that's basically what the apostles did, except it was wine (which I like better anyway!) This was the start of a thought-provoking conversation and some time spent thinking about how I tend to approach God vs. how He chose to approach us.

So the next time the song came on, I listened all the way through........and ended up loving it. It might not be theologically perfect on all points (nor am I attempting to give all Thomas Rhett songs an Imprimatur!) but this one is really worth hearing and pondering.

The idea of having Jesus here, in 2013, sitting down for a chat (regardless of what we're having to drink!) at first seems to me childish or even irreverent.......but then, that is what He did - just in a different "messed up" age. At  times that my faith has been shaky, this image of Jesus is the one that's been farthest from my mind.

Philosophical arguments aren't that helpful when I'm trying to fight back the image of God as "someone who lets terrible things happen." I may never really understand this issue or grasp why He saved us through His own torture and death. Embracing the fact it's my understanding that is lacking, not His love, is the answer, but getting there can be hard.

Remembering that Jesus did become an actual Person - a Person who ate, and drank, and talked with His friends - and that He did choose to save us through pain and death, helps me to keep faith and sanity when "bad things" happen or when the news is full of events that make me sick to my stomach. And yes, when it's hard to keep believing and trusting, I think sitting down and having a talk and drink with Jesus is what most of us really want to do!

The unmentionable "m" word

Before you figure out what the post is about and quickly exit, let me say that its NOT about what I think people should wear or how long or short skirts should be. The mention of the "m" issue is enough to generate a lively, if not heated, conversation in many circles, which might be why lots of people keep their thoughts on it to themselves.

That being said, the opinions about "m" that I do hear are often in one of two categories.

1. After hearing their thoughts or reading the quotes, I feel like a walking, talking instrument of Satan, an occasion of sin that needs to be swathed in layers of shapeless fabric lest an unsuspecting man be dragged into the pit of hell.............No, they don't come out and say that, but it's a negative, "can't be too careful," burden on the women approach.
2. People should wear whatever they like, whatever is in style; it's up to those around them to keep their minds pure and clean.

Admittedly, the second viewpoint has some appeal. Finding clothes that fit AND I like AND are affordable is hard enough, without also worrying about whether they are "m." But I can't see that this approach is in line with the concern we should have for the souls of others. On the other hand, option #1 seems to insult the beauty and dignity of women and the self-control and integrity of men!

I'm not sure that society has ever had a view of "m" based on a real understanding of women and men and even of humanity in general. For me, some of the most healthy and helpful words about "m" are in Love and Responsibility written by Blessed John Paul II before he became pope. He says -

"What is truly immodest in dress is that which frankly contributes to the deliberate displacement of the true value of the person by sexual values, that which is bound to elicit a reaction to the person as to 'a possible means of obtaining sexual enjoyment' and not 'a possible object of love by reason of his or her personal value.' The principle is simple and obvious, but its application in specific cases depends upon the individual, the milieu, the society. Dress is always a social question, a function of (healthy or unhealthy) social customs. We must simply stress that although considerations of an aesthetic nature may seem to be decisive here they are not and cannot be the only ones; considerations of an ethical nature exist side by side with them. Man, alas, is not such a perfect being that the sight of the body of another person, especially a person of the other sex, can arouse in him merely a disinterested liking which develops into an innocent affection. In practice it also arouses concupiscence, or a wish to enjoy concentrated on sexual values with no regard for the value of the person. And this must be taken into account."

He further writes -

"If then we wish to pass a moral judgment on particular forms of dress we have to start from the particular functions which they serve. When a person uses such a form of dress in accordance with its objective function we cannot claim to see anything immodest in it...Whereas the use of such a costume outside its proper context is immodest...For example, there is nothing immodest about the use of a bathing costume at a bathing place, but to wear it in the street or while out for a walk is contrary to the dictates of modesty."

John Paul II has written so much more that is relevant to the "m" issue - and that goes much deeper - but these quotes are great food for thought and a starting point for getting away from extremes.

One last observation is that, to some degree, everyone probably bases their decisions about "m" on their own experiences, outlook, and temptations (or lack thereof). It's not just that men and women tend to have substantially different outlooks, but this seems to vary a lot even from one individual to another, regardless of gender. For me, this is a reminder to avoid judging people for what they wear and that it's worth going through the extra inconvenience of trying to be "m" out of love for others.

The real future

Even in my very early twenties, the "me" I pictured in the future was a tall blond with long, thick hair........about the time we got married was when the reality struck that I was who I was, and my only hope for a gorgeous head of hair was an expensive wig! Oddly enough, that's not the only time that my vision of the future has been just a bit off.

The career woman or amazing homemaker has been replaced by someone who's still in PJ's at 4pm because she's trying to work on the computer every minute the baby is asleep! When dinner and I are both ready on time, Tom is sometimes running late. And when I have neither gotten dressed nor put the frozen pizzas in the oven, he sometimes gets home early. Not having totally accepted my failure to live up to my own ideal, panic sets in. Then a mad dash to swap pajama pants for jeans, lock myself in the bathroom, and see what lipstick, hairspray and perfume can do in the 60 seconds it takes him to get from the car to the house!

I was also someone who wasn't going to change my ways simply because I had children. When I needed new clothes, I'd spend a couple hours picking out my outfit, fixing and touching up my hair, and applying makeup (half hour minimum on this part alone). Then I'd spend the day at the mall with a friend, get something to eat, and then shop some more. How drastically things have changed really struck me yesterday. In the vicinity of Target with about 10 minutes to spare before picking up the girls from school, I ran in with Tommy, grabbed four shirts off the clearance rack, paid, and zipped over to the carpool line. (Surprisingly, they all fit.......help from the guardian angel perhaps!)

Hopefully, my goals for the future are more realistic (and less materialistic) now, but I'm sure grateful for these funny memories that help keep it light!

Can a working mom be saved?

Sometimes I feel damned, doomed, whatever, just by the century we live in.........I read about saintly people and find it hard to relate. There's a standard answer, but perhaps more meaningful are some of the people I've run across lately who lived in this same crazy world. For me, they give hope, and I really love how they demolish some popular judgments and stereotypes, too.

Blessed Chiara Luce Badano - http://www.chiaraluce.org/ - was born in 1971 and died at age 18. As a teenager (besides being holy) she went to school, socialized with friends at a coffee shop, played tennis, and wore makeup.........among many other things. Saint Gianna Beretta Molla - http://www.saintgianna.org/ - I've known about for a while, but it was wonderful to see a photo of her dressed in pants! And she was a working mom, too, who enjoyed dancing and date nights with her husband.

Someone less well-known is Servant of God Charles Untz - http://catholicism.org/another-patron-for-boy-scouts.html - who died in 2000 at age 18. He was homeschooled with Seton (and lots of us can relate to that!) and was an Eagle Scout who was involved with the parish youth group and had a part-time job.

Obviously, all the things I'm pointing out aren't what make them great, but they do make a point about what's essential and what's not. Since my pants, job, and makeup don't disqualify me, it's time to start trying to be like them in what does matter.

(See Chiara Luce A life lived to the full, by Michele Zanzucchi)
(See Saint Gianna Molla, by Pietro Molla and Elio Guerriero)

The Surprise

Saturday was a long day. In the evening Tom fell asleep on the couch watching a movie, and that always means he stays there.............I learned about a decade ago that it's not really possible to wake him up without WWIII. :)

Sometime Sunday morning, I half woke up when he came in the room and thought, "Oh good, he got up and can go to bed for a few hours before Mass." I fell back asleep hearing - as I thought - Tom finding his PJ's and getting ready for bed. But when I kept hearing him, I started to wonder........so I cracked open my eyes and he was in his dress clothes.........the alarm hadn't even gone off yet.

"Watcha doin'?" "It's a secret. I'm going to Mass now because I'm doing something special for you." ?????????????????????
I had no idea what was going on, but he took Tommy and headed to the 8:30 Mass.

Still wondering, I got home later after 10:30 Mass and CCD, walked into the dining room and.............the room was cleaned up, the table looked nicer than it has in years - good table cloth and dishes, bouquet of roses. AND the dishes were done and he had bacon, scrambled eggs with veggies and bacon, pancakes with lots of toppings, donuts, and mimosas all ready to be served! (This from a man who loathes cooking BTW.) Of course it was wonderful to come home to delicious food, and it also brought back good memories since Tom and I used to make a huge brunch (including cocktails) on Sundays when we were engaged!

It was not hard to find something to be positive about this Sunday - thank you, Sweetie, you're the best!

Girls' Night Earrings

My sister-in-law Jeanne is more a friend than an "in-law"! A few years ago, she invited another sister-in-law and I on a late night outing with some of her friends from Northern VA. Now, to voluntarily invite your older-than-you, married sister-in-laws is a real act of friendship, but when she said that she was "bringing some friends along", not "can my sister-in-laws come?" our hearts were really touched!

Now that Jeanne is married and a mom, too, we have even more in common, and I'm so glad that she introduced me to earring-making this past year. A fast learner I definitely am not, but Jeanne has always been able to keep her tact and a straight face!  Her seed-bead earrings are, in my opinion, the highlights of our joint collection, and I'm excited to learn how to work with them. I invariably drop or lose a bead when we get together, so I've been hesitant to try these tiny beads!

For someone like me who doesn't draw, knit, sew, etc., making earrings is a rewarding way to be creative - not to mention a good excuse to get out of the house for a relaxing girls night! We also love that fact that we end up keeping and wearing our favorite pairs, and displaying the earrings at festivals has been fun, too. I've been a person with no hobby for years - thank you, Jeanne, for changing that!

Burning Candles not Houses

I've always loved burning candles; even the fact that I once lit our house fire with candles  has not deterred me! I just don't leave them burning in cheap glass containers on a plastic shelf full of papers in an unoccupied room anymore................. Right now there are candles all over the house, but for a while I've been terrible about actually thinking to light them!

Recently we bought a pure beeswax candle made by our friend, Michael Turner - http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeeswaxCandlelight?ref=pr_shop_more - and I've already lit it to brighten things up when skies or moods were a bit gray. Since winter means lots of gray days, I'm sure we'll be burning it often, and the beeswax candle is extra-special since it glows more brightly than regular candles and has a natural honey smell that we all love. We've also learned from Michael that burning a candle like this removes impurities from the air instead of adding them, and an interesting side note is that it takes about a quarter of a million miles of bee flight to make one candle like ours!

The candles come in lots of other shapes and are beautiful even when unlit. (There's one that reminds me of Winnie the Pooh that I want to get next!) Besides being on Etsy, Michael often sets up at local festivals and craft fairs, sometimes sharing a table with Tom and I, so if you love candlelight you might like to give pure beeswax candles a try!

Can two people fit in a bed this skinny?

Yep, as narrow as this bed is, it's where Tom and I both slept - for the brief stints when sleep was possible - on Sunday night. Tommy is happily at home now, but we were squeezed into this scrawny bed because it's in the hospital room where Tommy ended up when a cold turned into asthma.

Well, I thought I'd have written more posts by now, and I thought we'd be on a road trip to visit my family today. But not much has gone like I thought it would since Thursday night, with the unexpected trip to the ER and hospital being the best example. Mostly, we are thankful to God that Tommy is OK and grateful for the care he was given by the doctors and nurses at Warren Memorial. Along with that, though, we're so disappointed to miss our visit with my parents, four siblings, sister-in-law, two nieces, and three nephews, including one nephew whom we have not met yet!

I can't pretend to know why things happen the way they do, but I'm grateful for what the past couple days have taught me. I had been worrying and stressing about getting my work hours in, packing, etc. and none of it happened. What did happen was much more difficult than all the things I'd been stressing about, but in the moment I was given the strength I needed. Feeling awful on Sunday night, I told Tom I HAD to go to bed as soon as we finished Tommy's breathing treatment at 10pm. Instead of getting better, Tommy got much worse, so instead of going to bed, I spent most of the night helping with Tommy and driving home to pick up clothes, Tommy's stuffed animals, etc. Somehow, though, I made it to Monday at 7pm, when I REALLY had to go to bed and did. When I woke up at 2am it was with a great feeling of relief as I realized Tommy was peacefully sleeping and of gratitude to Tom to taking over and getting everyone to bed so I could crash.

At the hospital.

So, the moral should be trust and don't worry, but being a realist, I'll work on trusting more and worrying less!

St. Nicholas Coming to New Moms!

Today I want to write about my friend and sister-in-law, Naomi, as well as her new business and a great project she is working on. Naomi and I have been friends since highschool and are now happily married to Zepeda brothers, Ted and Tom. I am so blessed that Naomi and I have been able to stay close over the years and now watch our kids play together as cousins!

A few months ago Naomi began a business and is now a District Manager with Arbonne,  a company that offers health and beauty products with a focus on safe, natural, and effective ingredients. I"m already using the shampoo and facewash with good results! If you're interested in natural makeup, skincare, health supplements, etc., you should get in touch with Naomi. She knows a lot about the products and is just a wonderful lady to get to know. Right now Naomi is also using her business to brighten up the lives of women who are facing challenges this Christmas.

She is organizing a St. Nicholas project to give special Christmas presents to new moms through the Front Royal Pregnancy Center - http://www.frontroyalpregnancy.org/. A small, loving gift can do so much to lift someone up during a difficult time, so Naomi is hoping to provide an Aromassentials Awaken Gift Basket or  Pampermint Gift Basket from Arbonne to each FRPC client. She is offering these items at cost, which means that every donation of $35 purchases a Gift Basket for a mom in need of love and support. Donations of any amount are welcome and will go towards the purchase of more gifts. To contribute or get more details about Arbonne products, contact Naomi at tedandnaomi@gmail.com or (540)635-9785. To allow time to wrap and distribute the baskets, the donation deadline is November 29. What a great way to celebrate Christmas through giving!

My Love Hate Relationship with Woodworking

My two favorite Christmas presents - end grain cutting board and natural edge salad set - are the result of Tom's woodworking talents. So, the "love" part is easy to understand, but what's to hate? Well, not only do I love the beautiful and practical things Tom makes, but I'm pretty fond of him, too! This means that I "hate" the time in the shop that a woodworking hobby involves. Ideally, I suppose, the more I love Tom, the more I'll love knowing that he's enjoying creating beautiful pieces for people to cherish.

Tom's first bowl

On the left is Tom's first bowl and on the right and bottom are two of his latest pieces. In the past 3-1/2 years, Tom has journeyed from small, simple vessels to high-end works of art - often with a conspicuous lack of support on the homefront. Honey, I'm proud of you and what you've accomplished!

You can view more of Tom's work in the Plank and Nickel Gallery in Middleburg, The Good Life on Main Street in Front Royal, on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BowlsByTomZepeda?ref=ts&fref=ts, and in his Etsy shop - http://www.etsy.com/shop/BowlsByTomZepeda. Also, he is often set up at local festivals and will be at St. John's Christmas Crafts Fair on November 24 and 25 as well as the Holiday Craft show in Leesburg - http://www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=572.

Praise and Worship

Writing shower door blogs for work gave me the idea of writing a blog for fun, and I've mulled over lots of different ideas - faith, politics, cooking, kids...........and unfortunately I don't have a shortage of opinions about any of them! I do often run short of "positivity", though, so the blog will be about the amazing things that I often take for granted.

That being said, I want to write the first one about a friend who put herself on the line to share her talents in a way that I truly appreciate. She has taken the initiative to get a Praise and Worship Mass started at our parish once a month, and while I haven't always been there, I've really been inspired by the joyful, prayerful music each time I've made the effort to get out the door on Saturday evening. It's so easy to see a need or have an idea and just leave it as a thought - thank you for making this a reality in spite of the sacrifice of time and the stress that goes with starting some thing new!

It often seems easier to go to God with sadness, repentance, and even reverence than with joy, but praise and worship music can help a person to pray happily. And with all the Biblical commands to rejoice, this is a good thing!