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!)

Another Beautiful Day!

Today is:

1-The feast of the Dedication of Mary Major in Rome.

Mary Major--From Church Photos

  

2-The First Friday in August.

Adoration at Mary Major -- From Church Photos

 Double Adoration Day: I will go for my usual hour of guard from 1:30-2:30 in the afternoon and whatever evening shift my mother needs me to take.

 Rosary Day: Before Mass, I meditated on the Joyful Mysteries. Around noon, I hope to do the Luminious Mysteries. The Sorrowful Mysteries will be prayed over at my afternoon shift, and God willing, in the evening, I will meditate on the Glorious Mysteries.

3-And also...

Word to Life Day: the Friars will be discussing the upcoming Mass readings for Sunday on Word To Life from noon until one o'clock this afternoon....but I'll have to listen later, because I don't have access to Sirius Radio.

The first day I've been joined by my littlest sister in my morning water-the-garden with water from the dehumidifier frolic. She didn't quite make it down to my 'cell' in time to join me for Office of Readings and Lauds, but maybe tomorrow? All of a sudden, she is rather enthusiastic about joining me for prayer, which is wonderful!

The last day before I begin the Novena in preparation for the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.

And various other things...none of which are really blog-worthy.

Uncalculating Love

As I work on the cross-stitch project for Maribel Therese, I am listening to the Dominican Friars' Word to Life on the Mass readings for tomorrow. As Fr. introduces the show, he quotes Nash from  A Beautiful Mind and interprets his words thusly:

“ ‘it is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reason can be found.’ Nash’s discovery points towards the ultimate discovery that any human being can make: That each of us is only here because we have been brought into existence by the uncalculating love of God.”  

...The Uncalculating Love of God...sounds familiar! Just a few days ago, I was reading The Foundations of Religious Life: Revisiting the Vision by the CMSWR, and came across this quote, which struck me at the time:

"What man experiences for the first time in Christ's presence is love totally devoid of the taint of calculation."

...there was more to the quote, but for the sake of time, I'll have to post it later, perhaps. not now.

But Someone is apparently trying to teach me something. Maybe this is the first lesson of the Conspiracy of Love: Love does not calculate. Say it one hundred times, let it sink in until you live and breath this truth...Love does not calculate. Neither should I.

And the Conspiracy goes on...