Lena {JOYfilledfamily}

Faithfilled Gifts

December 24, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, FREE, Gifts, Prayer, Saint Cards

I am praying for you during this Holy season and throughout the New Year. I also wanted to share my latest FREE online find.

I love creating things and always try to make my crafts faithfilled. I usually make my gifts and my gift tags. However, this year I’ve spent more time giving the gift of myself, being present for my family and less time focusing on presents. Needless to say, there has not been much time for handmade gifts this year. I did keep it simple but the gifts lacked the faithfilled touch that (I believe) should always be present. That led me on a search for Holy gift tags.

I found the most charming faithfilled CATHOLIC gift tags. They are free and printable. Did I mention that they are FREE!!!

The site is Holy Reflections. It is a creation of Mildred Lee Bozeman.

I received my love of God from my Mother, my love of collecting from my Father, and my love for antiques from his two sisters, so it seems only natural that one day I would begin a collection of antique holy cards. These old holy card images enhance your meditation during prayers and they assist you in expressing the deepest feelings of your heart and soul to God. My holy card collection has enriched my faith, renewed my spirit, and increased my joy. That is why it is so important to me to be able to share it with you. I add prayers to the back of the scanned images, laminate them and give them away to people as gifts. I have given them to strangers, the homeless, family, and friends. It is my small way of giving back what God has given to me. Remaining always grateful to my Lord Jesus Christ whom without I can do nothing. ~ Mildred

The collection at Holy Reflections is endless!

Here are some items that I used for Christmas gift giving and wrapping…..

FREE Printable Religious Gift Tags Prayer For Peace Card Advent Stationary Prayer to the Most Loving Infant Jesus The Joys of a Divine Advent

Here are a few more items that I have used or will be using in the very near future.

First Communion Prayer Card The Hearts of Jesus and Mary Consecration Prayer Cards Ava Maria Prayer Cards Our Lady of Perpetual Help Adoration Holy Souls Reflections and Prayer Cards Images from a 1870 French Catholic Prayer Book FREE Printable Stationary Antique Holy Card Slide Show

ENJOY AND SHARE IN THE BLESSINGS!

Check out Holy Reflections FaceBook Page for site updates.

Mildred also provided a link to her friend’s site. Julie Brown offers an additional array of antique holy cards for a fee at Holy Cards.

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

December 23, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, Cookies, Recipe 4 Comments

A friend hosted a Cookie Exchange during the first week of December for moms and daughters. It was a great outing and jump start for Christmas baking.

Rose and I decided to try a new recipe. We were in a chocolatey mood and liked the look of Chocolate Crinkles. We used Bakers Royal recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies.

Rose found this to be a simple and fun recipe. She noted that she would use less powdered sugar. Also, we tried the Crinkles with and without peppermint. Peppermint is the way to go!

I printed the recipe on the JOY cards for all to take home.

A tall glass of milk is definitely needed. This is one rich cookie, just the way my kids like them!

check out more cookie ideas at Catholic Cuisine’s Christmas Cookie Recipe Exchange and our last year’s Christmas cookie post.

Thanksgiving and Prayers

December 23, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, Dragonfly Leave a Comment

We have sought simpler times. This year a Christmas Topiary is part of the plan. We decided to decorate our tree early this year in honor of our gift from above, Dragonfly.

He turned 7 months on Dec. 17.

He is a precious baby with a sweet disposition. He is easy and always happy. Dragonfly…sits up on his own. has 6 teeth. wears 9-12 months clothes. pulls himself to a standing position, on his own. eats avocados. loves to fight with dad and brother. enjoys his adventures with sweetie. prefers men to women. is ready for a hair cut. crawls everywhere.……brings us much JOY!

prayers for a

JOYfilled CHRISTmas

We pray that we continue to be filled with the JOY that only Christ can provide. We extend this prayer to all our blog friends and their loved ones.

Waiting For Jesus Christ

December 23, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, Nativity 1 Comment

We are anxiously awaiting the birth of Christ. On Christmas Day, the children will add Baby Jesus to the Nativity Scenes in our home, that do not have Him present. He is the true gift of Christmas!

mantle – Fontanini Nativity

tree topper

living room side table – Jim Shore Nativity

kitchen calendar – Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

bookshelf – Dollar Tree Nativity trinket box

papi – Oriental Trading Nativity

altar

schoolroom – Oriental Trading Nativity

entry table – Fontanini

piano in Holy Room (on display year-round)

snow globe nativity

schoolroom calendar – Seton Homeschool

front yard

not pictured: bedroom nativity sets, veggietale nativity, little people nativity, cloth nativity, …..

more nativity scenes can be viewed at the Nativity Parade.

San Juan de la Cruz

December 14, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: St. John of the Cross

Nov. 24 – St. John of the Cross, confessor and doctor; St. Chrysogonus, martyr; Sts. Flora & Mary, virgins & martyrs (Hist)

“With what procrastinations do you wait, since from this very moment you can love God in your heart?” ~ St. John of the Cross, Prayer of a Soul Taken with Love

John of the Cross was born near Avila in Spain in 1542. Educated by the Jesuits, he entered the Carmelite Order at the age of 21. He felt attracted to the life of a Carthusian, but Teresa of Avila asked him to co-operate with her in the restoration of the primitive Carmelite rule. After John established several monasteries of Discalced Carmelites, those opposed to the reform had him imprisoned at Toledo. During the nine months of his imprisonment, he wrote many of the poems and prose works that have made him one of the foremost authorities on mysticism in the West. He had asked God for suffering, and he received an abundance of both physical and spiritual torment right up to his death in 1591.

Lord,
you endowed our Father Saint John of the Cross
with a spirit of self-denial and a love of the cross.
By following his example
may we come to the eternal vision of your glory.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. ~ Prayer from the Proper

Resources:

St. John of the Cross Bio for Kids
The Works of St. John of the Cross – an outline of St. John, an intro to his works and links to his complete writings (including the Dark Night of the Soul)
Ascent of Mt. Carmel – electronic version. “This treatise explains how to reach divine union quickly. It presents instruction and doctrine valuable for beginners and proficients alike that they may learn how to unburden themselves of all earthly things, avoid spiritual obstacles, and live in that complete nakedness and freedom of spirit necessary for divine union.” ~ Saint John of the Cross
Sayings of Light and Love – John of the Cross’s teaching first comes in these hard, clean, unsentimental sayings that overflow with spiritual wisdom. They give to their recipients treasures that must first be unlocked; as maxims they were to be repeated and mulled over.
Saint John of the Cross – Reformer – Mystic – short story by Bob and Penny Lord
The Self-Portrait of St. John of the Cross – EWTN
St. John of the Cross – St. of the Day Audio
Litany of Saint John of the Cross

“Preserve a loving attentiveness to God with no desire to feel or understand any particular thing concerning him.” ~ St. John of the Cross, The Sayings of Light and Love. #88

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