Busy but Blessed

It has been a busy but blessed week.

Most every day from Monday to Friday has been spent across the street
with three of the most beautiful kids in the world.
Running around with strollers, bottle feeding, building blocks, fun!

Days of playing nanny and mother's helper from 8:15-4:30
doesn't leave much time or energy for anything else,
but as I told a friend, it doesn't matter all that much in the end.
God's will, God's providence, has placed me here,
given me these things to do, and if I can do them with love, that is enough.
And over the last two weeks, I have been learning to love what I do.
God has given me a growth in confidence,
more than I had when I started out
trying to fill my sister's shoes in that household.
May He be blessed forever!

Today, on my day 'off', I spent several hours
helping out at a yard sale for the local Woman to Woman crisis pregnancy center.
I was a little bit nervous about this, but in the end it was a very good experience.
It was wonderful to see so many different people, and to pray for them,
and to know that a few hours of my service could make a difference in the life of a woman in need.
So I am exceedingly grateful to the woman who not only put it all together,
but also invited me to help out with the children's games,
and also to my mother, who not only helped make some of the games better,
but also baked the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

Home again, I found this beautiful video on In the Heart of my Home.

Just beautiful. The last few moments sent chills down my back.

That's enough for now...
I have to look at the Mass readings for tomorrow,
listen to Word to Life,
and work on a surprise for my littlest sister (something I got for a donation at the yard sale)

Sweet Jesus, Jesus Love,
before I go, a few words, please.
I ask that You bless all the kids and families who came to the yard sale,
all the volunteers and people who contributed to this day in any way.
Bless also the women who will benefit from the proceeds, Lord,
You know what they need, and will give it.
My Jesus, I love You.
My Jesus, I trust in You.
My Jesus, I adore You!

Praise be to God
for the grace of this day,
for the grace of this week,
and for the promise that next week holds in store (including more nanny work!)

To be a Victim of Love

These are the words of Father Jean C.J. d'Elbee that I read before going into the examination room this morning, from his conference on The Eucharist:

"Let Him [Jesus] be sure of your smile. To be a victim [of love] is to smile. Total abandonment--'O Jesus, I thank You for everything'--that is enough." (I Believe in Love, 235)

When the nurse called my name, I followed her with prayer. After she had done a basic physical check and explained some things to me, I waited with prayer, and read some more of I Believe in Love...
 
Later, the doctor, perhaps sensing my nervousness and trying to calm me down, said to me, "You're always smiling, aren't you?...you have a beautiful smile!"

It is a smile for God.

I received the Eucharist this morning, and was surrendering at every moment -- surrendering everything to God Alone. He was my strength, and I did not cry out to anyone but Him.

In the end, the test was a success, though I was incredibly weak about the minor discomfort it involved.

And when it was all over, I gave thanks for my good health, and through some tears of joyful relief I pledged my life to God forever.

It is over. They say that the other test is not necessary, praise be to God. All I have left to do is to write a letter. And after that...just wait on God's mercy.

My Jesus, I trust in You!

"God always gives more than we ask"

Thus says Saint Marie Victoire Therese Couderc.

While helping D. look up Theresa/Therese saints for a project, I just discovered Saint Marie Victoire Therese Couderc, a woman of France. Though her page on the SQPN Saints site does not contain much information, I fell in love with her immediately.

Thanks to Fr. Mark Kirby of Vultus Christi, words like "Cenacle" send a thrill right through the core of my being--Saint Marie Victoire Therese Couderc founded the Congregation of Our Lady of the Retreat in the Cenacle!  
 (afternoon update: Fr. Mark has written about Saint Marie, this is a link to the posts wherein he mentions her.)

And her quotes are quite beautiful and reminded me of the writings of Saint Francis de Sales, De Caussade's Abandonment to Divine Providence, and other writings that have shaped my life in recent years.

Needless to say, I had to look up the Cenacle sisters, and to my delight, I found a collection of some of Saint Marie Victoire Therese's writings here. I will definitely have to study them at more length when I get the chance, especially this Act of Consecration, which is only in French. I wish I knew French. But because I have studied Latin and Spanish and am relatively familiar with other Acts of Consecration, I think I can figure it out and get a rough translation, anyway.

That's enough for now...I just wanted to record this amazing find, a gift of Divine Providence to me this day! And now it will be easy to find the website with Saint Marie Victoire Therese's writings again.