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JOY{filled}family

striving to radiate Him always

A Family Walking for Life

by Filed Under: Pro-Life, Walk For Life

We are walking as a complete family in 2013 for the WC Walk for Life!  DEO GRATIAS!!

We pray to help build up the culture of life.

Please raise up this effort and all those participating in your prayers.

WC WALK FOR LIFE

WALK FOR LIFE WEST COAST ~ January 26, 2:30 PM ET; January 27, 9:30 AM ET – EWTN

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“I was excited to go on the Walk for Life WC (2012) for the second time. I prayed as I walked. The crowd (opposition) made me sad because they were being mean to God. I prayed for them.

I pray that we all will love God and that He let them know that killing babies is wrong.” ~Sparkles, age 8

~~~

LIFE IS THE ONLY CHOICE – wonderful song but not for viewing (for all audiences)

A Master Bedroom & Birthing Suite

by Filed Under: 31 Days, Home, Pregnancy

Master Bedroom JOYfilledfamily Jan 2013My birthing suite (aka master bedroom) is complete.  It was not an easy task but it has finally come together with the help of my entire family.

Master Bedroom collage v2 JOYfilledfamily Jan 2013

Master Bathroom collage JOYfilledfamily Jan 2013

Prior to now, my master bedroom was serving as a storage room – a catch-all from quick cleans and all the other rooms in the house.  It was never my intention to live amongst clutter but it became easier to store it away than to deal with it.  Dad and I really never minded because having a clean room, a haven, has never been much of a priority.  We spend the majority of time as a family in the main living areas of our home.  Also, cleaning in itself is not the priority of my family (proof can be found here).  Sure, we have basic cleaning chores but anything beyond that is often reserved for special guests or yearly liturgical cleaning.  That’s the reality of our growing family who spends majority of the day together (dad, mom, and all five kids) homeschooling while trying to make due with my aliments. 

The hope is that my birthing suite will remain a haven for the remainder of my pregnancy (currently 36 weeks 2 days along), labor, baby G’s infancy, and beyond.  ALL FOR!

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31-Days-of-reflections-from-a-pregna[2]

What every homeschooling parent wants to hear…

by Filed Under: College, Homeschooling, Rose, Rose GFG

…Ave Maria and congratulations!  We are pleased to notify you that you have been accepted as a studeRose - college acceptance-001nt of (desired college).

Rose has been accepted to a wonderful Catholic college!  We are all offering prayers of thanksgiving for this very special blessing.  Our Lady of Bethlehem, pray for us!

Our homeschooling unofficially started when when Rose was first born and it went into full throttle when she was 6/7 years old, in third grade.  It’s been slightly over eleven years of “official” homeschooling for us.  Our goal has always been to give Glory to God, foster family relations, and provide a sound education (according to God’s plan for us).  Dad and I have always encouraged further education but were persistent that college is NOT the only way to go.  The emphasize has always been on following God’s call.

Yet more has He done for you! He bestowed on you the inestimable benefit of a thoroughly good training. Under the parental roof the inexhaustible love of a tender mother, the wholesome severity of a judicious father, worked together, with the blessing of God, to educate you wisely and well. Perhaps you have also been fortunate enough to finish your studies in some excellent Catholic academy or college. Thus has God given proof of His special love and care for you. Be grateful to Him, love and serve Him!  
~ Fr. Lasance, Catholic Girls’ Guide

As a family, we discerned some options for Rose as she focused on wrapping up her homeschool years.  It was determined that it would be necessary to complete a college application to keep her options open as we continued our discernment.  She did just that.

The discernment continues with another viable option to consider. DEO GRATIAS!!  We now pray for further direction and His providence as Rose seeks God’s will.

We will make the announcement of the Catholic college once Rose formally accepts or declines the acceptance. 

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May Rose be a true follower of CHRIST, always.

IMG_7660 v2JOYfilledfamily v2

“True followers of Christ were meant to be at odds with the world: The pure of heart will be laughed at by the Freudians; the meek will be scorned by the Marxists; the humble will be walked on by the go-getters; the liberal Sadducees will call them reactionaries; the reactionary Pharisees will call them liberals.”

~ Archbishop Fulton Sheen

{pretty, happy, funny, real} Rosa Mystica Girls’ Society

by Filed Under: {phfr}, RMGS, RMGS 2012-13

Rosa Mystica Girls’ Society (RMGS) is a society of young girls, ages nine through thirteen from St. Stephen the First Martyr Catholic Church. Under the Patronage of Our Lady of the Mystical Rose, the girls meet once a month on First Saturday for: Mass, Spiritual talk, teatime, and skills/activities.

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~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ 

Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

{PRETTY}RMGS group photo with aprons 12.1.12 sewing WM

Forty girls joining together every month to grow in faith, virtue, and service, through hospitality, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The girls completed their aprons by the end of the third sewing session.

{HAPPY}

RMGS CHRISTKINDL

Thirty-three girls exchanging their Christkindls,

{FUNNY}

Fr. B with the french horn

Thirty-two girls and several moms enjoying some impromptu entertainment – Fr. B. getting down with the French Horn.

You can a watch a video here (at the bottom of the post).

{REAL}

RMGS Fall Bake Sale 2012 logo

I’m attempting to plan another bake sale – St. Valentine’s Bake Sale.  I’m feeling a bit optimist since the bake sale will be seven days before my due date. 

The bake sales help us fund our projects for the year, provide an opportunity for the girls to serve our parish community, and the girls get to showcase their baking talents.

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Our Lady of the Mystical Rose ~ Pray for us!

A Gem for Mothers

by Filed Under: Book Review, Meditation, Motherhood, Rule of Life

Perfection is accomplishing the will of God in a constant and generous fashion. That person, then, is perfect who does at every instant what God wishes. Ask her at any moment what she is doing, and she will always respond: “That which God wishes.”

~ Monsignor P. Lejeun, Counsels of Perfection for CHRISTIAN MOTHERS

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I wanted to re-share this gem since I am re-reading it this New Year.  I recommend this book to all mothers.  It is packed with precise direction and meditations that seem to be a personal prescription for all my needs.CPCM

Counsels of Perfection for CHRISTIAN MOTHERS is written by Monsignor P. Lejeun.  It is out of print but can be found online as a PDF.  An audio version is also available.

  • Counsels of Perfection for CHRISTIAN MOTHERS PDF 
  • Counsels of Perfection for CHRISTIAN MOTHERS MP3 – scroll down the page
    • COUNSELS OF PERFECTION FOR CHRISTIAN MOTHERS.  Father P. Lejuene explains in very practical ways what real Christian Perfection is.  He goes through the various Spiritual Exercises and explains how to derive the most benefit from them.  He addresses his book to Christian Mothers, but it is very beneficial to all.  Imprimatur 1913.  Three Tapes read by MH.  

 

I am diligently working on refining my Rule of Life.

Every woman, whatever her lot in life, and whatever her obligations, ought to have a rule of life. Of course, the rule of a religious will be less open to modification, and will entail greater precision and severity than yours. Nevertheless, you must have a rule, otherwise your life will be squandered in a thousand follies and futilities.

~Counsels of Perfection for CHRISTIAN MOTHERS

Below are my two objectives that I am currently working on, taken from the Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers.

  • I shall draw up for myself a rule of life, adapted to my state, comprising only a few articles, and capable of being applied to the diverse circumstance of my life. I shall ask myself every evening if I have observed this rule in all its essentials.
  • I shall be faithful to the following rule which, so to speak, multiplies time, and permits even the busiest person to find time for everything.

    • The rule is this: I shall never put off what I can do now.

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“My God, what will happen to me today, I do not know; but I do know that nothing will happen to me which Thou hast not foreseen and ordained for my greater good.  I accept, then, Thy thrice holy will; I submit myself to it, and desire to delight in it despite all the revolts of my reason, and the repugnances of my nature.”

~ Monsignor P. Lejeun encourages all to recite this morning prayer of Mme. Elizabeth, daughter of a king, and sister of Louis XVI.

~~~

You can find more, here.

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