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Home Organization

by Filed Under: Home, Lent, Organization 4 Comments

It was part of our Lenten program, to have a Father over for dinner and to entertain friends that we have not seen in some time.  We hadn’t planned to have them all in the same visit.

One priest turned into two priests plus Sweetie’s Godfamily with five children.

Needless to say, we had a surge in our Lenten cleaning.

The pressure was on. We had less than a week’s notice.  And if that weren’t enough, Rose, my #1 helper was miserably ill.

Praise God, we were able to persevere.  With a couple of all nighters and a scurry in the eleventh hour, the house was ready for our special guests.

We are just about 50% done with our entire Lenten cleaning.

Here’s a peek at some of our progress, minus the before pictures. Let’s just say, I’m still working on humility.  : )

  entryway & hallwayJOYfilledfamily entry way

holy roomJOYfilledfamily holy room

schoolroom JOYfilledfamily school room

family roomJOYfilledfamily living room

kitchenJOYfilledfamily kitchen

high school schoolroom, craft room & office JOYfilledfamily high school space

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You can see more about our Lenten cleaning program resources here.

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I have also been watching some great Women of Grace episodes on the topic of organization.  I listed the links below.

Women of Grace Shows on Organization: 

Possessed by the Mess: Clean Up and Clean Out with guest Dale O’Leary – Some time ago we aired a program called “Saver, Collector, Hoarder – Which One Are You?” The viewer response was overwhelming and we just knew it was important to revisit this topic in more detail. Our guest is going to tell us why saving is not a virtue, and why, in fact, it could be detrimental to your soul. But she is also going to give us a four step spiritual approach to cleaning up and cleaning out.

Getting Organized and Staying that Way – Getting organized is one thing. Staying that way is quite another. How do we put our homes in right order and maintain a predictable environment for our family – one that yields security, hominess, comfort, and peace? Today’s guest has the answers for us. She is a professional organizer who has helped many people find the way to the joy that comes from a well-ordered home.

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Here is an examination of Conscience for home cleaning, created by Dale O’Leary.

Possessed by the Mess

Getting the Heart Ready to Unload the House

Step 1: Examination of Conscience

  • Have I desired things that I didn’t really need?
  • Have I bought items I’ve never used?
  • Have I coveted things that belong to another?
  • Have I envied those who have more than me?
  • Do I trust God to meet my needs?
  • Have I failed to return items I have borrowed?

 

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Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection.  ~ St. Benedict

Blessed Sixteen

by Filed Under: Birthday, Rose, Rose GFG

Rose's pic

Rose

Fiori Principessa

caring, sweet, humble, generous, big sissy, slave to Jesus through Mary, reliable, trustworthy, beautiful, self-less, athletic, crafty,  JOYfilled, Mary’s flower, Jesus’s Princess…

Yes Day

by Filed Under: 03 March, Annunciation, Picture Recap

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a beautiful feast day that is also known as YES Day in our home.

We usually start the day with Mass and a renewal of our vows of Total Consecration to Mary.  Last year didn’t go as planned.  This year was almost a repeat.  Rose, Papi and Sparkles were all sick.  In addition, I was becoming preoccupied with prepping for a special dinner with Father M & Father Louis Baudon de Mony.  Dad was running on 3 hours of sleep.  The trials were building up.

Praise God that we did not let these very small obstacles steal our joy. 

We did not get to attend Mass but we did complete a renewal of vows in our home as a family. 

We were also able to keep our tradition — our simple way to celebrate the big feast day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Dad and I say yes all day to all reasonable requests.  The children are also encouraged to say a profound and JOYfilled yes to all requests asked of them.  In addition, the children must give all praise to God for the granting of their requests.

Let’s just say there was plenty of praise giving happening in our home.  Deo gratias!

clip_image001

This was my yes to dad.  He asked me to turn my Marian ParFIAT into a Marian SmoothYES with whip cream on top, of course.  And If you give a dad some whip cream, he’ll find some kids to spray.

Notice that my littles already had a popsicle, a result of dad’s earlier yes.

ALL FOR!

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by Filed Under: 03 March, Annunciation, Marian

"Ecce ancilla Domini; fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum." ~ Luke 1:38

Annunciation BVM  THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

New Calendar – Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
FIRST CLASS / WHITE
Every year this feast recalls anew Mary’s reply to God’s angelic messenger: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word." Every work of the Creator is called to perfection, and perfection consists in obedience. The heavens and the earth inevitably announce the glory of God, but to human beings alone God granted a free will to serve Him. At the Annunciation, the obedience of Mary brought Christ down on earth to save fallen humanity. we, too, are called upon to co-operate with the Creator. The glory of God awaits our human word of obedient consent.

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Colloquy:

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Not only is God the Son with you, to whom you gave your blood, but also God the Holy Spirit, by means of whose operation you conceived, and also God the Father, who generated from all eternity Him whom you conceived. The Father, who gives you His Son, is with you; the Son is with you, who, wishing to accomplish a prodigious mystery, conceals Himself in. your maternal bosom without violating your virginal integrity; the Holy Spirit is with you, who, together with the Father and the Son, sanctifies you. God is truly with you" (St. Bernard).  

"0 Mary, my sweet love, you opened to the eternal Divinity the door of your will, and the Word immediately became incarnate within you. BY THIS YOU TEACH ME THAT GOD,  WHO CREATED ME WITHOUT MY HELP, WILL NOT SAVE ME WITHOUT IT…but knocks at the door of my will and waits for me to open it to Him.  (St. Catherine of Siena) 

O Mother Mary, I beg you to teach me and help me always to open wide the door of my soul to every divine appeal, to every solicitation of grace. At each manifestation of the divine will, may I repeat with you a humble, prompt, " Ecce, fiat!"

~ Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen OCD (Divine Intimacy)

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"Like Mary, let us be full of zeal to go in haste to give Jesus to others. She was full of grace when, at the annunciation, she received Jesus. Like her, we too become full of grace every time we receive Holy Communion. It is the same Jesus whom she received and whom we receive at Mass. As soon as we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, let us go in haste to give Him to our sisters, to our poor, to the sick, to the dying, to the lepers, to the unwanted, and the unloved. By this we make Jesus present in the world today." ~ Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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RESOURCES:

 

 

 

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"O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen" (Memorare).

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