dragonfly is keeping his eyes on papi to be sure that he doesn’t try any funny stuff.
Faithfilled Gifts
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
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
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
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!
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
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
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
Saint of Light
Dad coordinated St. Lucy’s breakfast in bed. He made eggs, lil’ smokies, oatmeal and Minibon. The little girls St. Lucy(s) wore their crowns and delivered the food to Rose and I. It was a lovely surprise.
Dad tried to take pictures but the camera battery was dead, go figure.
Dad also made star cookies for Star Boy.
We will be doing activities from last year’s celebration and additional ones from Jessica at Shower of Roses.
I’ll be back with updates, Dad is on a roll.
+++
LITURGICAL PRAYER: Hear us, O God, our salvation, as we rejoice on the feast of Saint Lucy, Thy virgin and Martyr, and grant us to learn the spirit of pious devotion.
***
Not much of an update. Dad capped out at the cookies but did take the kids on a procession (a.k.a.walk to the park).
Sugar and Spice…
and everything nice, that’s what reminds us of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
We celebrated the feast day of Our Lady Guadalupe on Sat., Dec. 11 instead of Dec. 12. Our parish was granted permission by our Bishop to move the feast day for a Solemnity and First class celebration since Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of our diocese and her original feast day fell on Gaudete Sunday (this year).
We kept it simple with a field trip to the Mexican Market and a small Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea Lunch inspired from Shower of Roses and Cottage Blessings. For dinner we had chicken tacos with rice and beans. Rose and I made Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Crispies for dessert, a family favorite. The Crispies are made with a little sugar and spice and remind us of Our lady of Guadalupe.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, ora pro nobis.
Field trip to the Mexican Market, Rancho San Miguel (St. Michael Ranch)
The girls and their friends were thrilled with the bright, yummy desserts. They had a great time looking at the ethnic dishes; cow’s tongue, “fish head with eyes” (tilapia), pig’s feet…… They decided to stick with rice and beans.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea Lunch
Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Crispies (cinnamon chips)
-
Flour tortillas
-
Cinnimon
-
Sugar
-
Oil
Directions:
- heat oil on stove
- mix cinnamon and sugar together
- cut tortilla into triangles
- fry tortilla wedges until crisp (fry a small amount at a time)
- remove tortilla wedges from oil
- place tortilla crisps on cooling rack, over a drip pan/cookie sheet
- generously sprinkle tortilla crisps with sugar/cinnamon mixture
- turn the crisps over and repeat step 7
- cool and serve
One Sink At A Time
I have been somewhat overwhelmed since having our newest blessing. My home has been a reflection of my state. Nonetheless, I am determined to follow His prompting to regain order during this Advent season, one sink at a time.
Like Mother, Like Daughter is hosting a Kitchen Sink Linky Party. Thank you Auntie Leila for the gentle prompting.
Pretty over the kitchen sink ~ Share your "flow" progress and your pretty windowsill or other space above your kitchen sink! Link back here to Like Mother, Like Daughter, and leave a comment if you like! Then visit each other to show everyone sink love!
Preparing my soul and my home for the coming of Christ.
St. Lucia Crowns
Saint Lucy
Feast – December 13
We made this crown for Little Flowers, St. Lucy and loyalty.
inspired by As Cozy as Spring & Shower of Roses
Lucy, patron of Sicily, and one of the saints of the Canon of the Mass, was martyred at Syracuse in the persecution of Diocletian about the year 304. The legend of her martyrdom says that she was denounced as a Christian by a rejected suitor. Refusing to apostatize, she was condemned to a brothel, but a mysterious force prevented the persecutors from moving her from the tribunal. After an unsuccessful attempt had been made to burn her to death, her neck was pierced with a dagger.
Supplies:
-
sewing machine (for optional embellishments)
-
strip of white fabric
-
red felt balls
-
green felt
-
green thread (optional)
-
yellow felt
-
red ribbon
-
hot glue gun
-
scissors
Directions:
cut green leaves (i used a template and cut multiple leaves at once)
sew a vein onto the green leaves
cut yellow flames
glue the yellow flame to the tip of the cookie stick
drizzle hot glue on the stick to resemble melting wax
cut red ribbon and tie into bows
(I tie several small bows on the continuous ribbon and cut in between the bows when done. This makes tying small bows easier.)
cut plastic canvas
tie a red ribbon to each side of the cut plastic canvas
cut the white fabric the same size as the plastic canvas
adhere the plastic canvas to the white fabric. this will give the crown a smooth surface to be placed on the head and will help to secure the leaves.
begin gluing the leaves to the artist canvas
glue the red bows (created in a earlier step) onto the leaves
glue 4 cookie sticks to the crown, behind some leaves. coordinate the candles with the bows
glue the felt balls/berries as desired
tie the red ribbon to the desired size
+++
St. Lucy, your beautiful name signifies light. By the light of faith which God bestowed upon you, increase and preserve this light in my soul so that I may avoid evil, be zealous in the performance of good works, and abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.
By your intercession with God, obtain for me perfect vision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them for God’s greater honor and glory and the salvation of all men.
St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. Amen.
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