I think the world today is upside down. Everybody seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater development and greater riches and so on. There is much suffering because there is so very little love in homes and in family life. We have no time for our children, we have no time for each other; there is no time to enjoy each other. In the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.
– Mother Teresa

As single parents, there may be a very real need for us to work most of time in order to bring in enough money to pay the bills.  This leaves little time  (and energy) to simply be with our children – which is so important for them.  Still…no matter how little “extra” time there is in your day…strive to make spending some time with your children a priority.  And remember that the little things add up – hug your children in passing every chance you get…say, “I love you” as often as possible.  This takes very little time but goes a long way.

And you’ll reap the rewards in many ways, not the least of which is when your children, following your lead, will one day come to you and, “out of the blue” say, “I love you, Mom.”  There is nothing more heartwarming and rewarding than that….except maybe when they hug you “out of the blue.”

Manya

This quote was received from Daily Catholic Quotes.  Thank you Matthew Warner!

Lord, may I think what you want me to think. May I desire what you want me to desire. May I speak as you want me to speak. May I work as you want me to work.
– Blessed Pedro Castroverde

Some people feel guilty about their anxieties and regard them as a defect of faith but they are afflictions, not sins. Like all afflictions, they are, if we can so take them, our share in the passion of Christ.
– C.S. Lewis

It’s easy to conclude that if we’re anxious about things in our lives, then our faith isn’t strong enough, and if our faith isn’t strong enough, then that’s somehow a sin.   The very wise C.S. Lewis is telling us that we can turn this around and offer our anxieties (and weakness of faith) up to God.  Jesus suffered for us and offered that suffering to God.  We can share in that offering and sacrifice by simply offering our anxieties up to God.

On a bit of another line of thought…

I love the Ann of Avonlea series.  In the first episode, Ann asks Marilla if she ever despairs.  Marilla replies, “No…to despair is to turn your back on God.”

I think this is exactly the kind of thinking that C.S. Lewis is warning us against.  And still,  while it sounds very harsh on the surface, I find strength and comfort in it (not guilt).  I believe that God exists and, therefore,  hope exists.  When  hope exists, there’s no reason to despair.

As human beings, there will be times when we have doubts over whether or not God exists.  We don’t need to feel guilty about having such doubts.  Offer up those doubts to God and ask for his help in dispelling them.  Of course, if you’re doubting that God exists, it’s going to feel ridiculous to offer up anything to Him…but do it anyway.  If you’re doubting He exists, that means that you’re also doubting that He doesn’t exist.

Thanks for bearing with my ramblings…please don’t hesitate to share YOUR thoughts, too.

Manya

This quote was received from Daily Catholic Quotes.  Thanks to Matthew Warner!

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
– C. S. Lewis

It’s difficult to trust God enough to accept that what He has in store for us is far better than anything we can bring into our lives ourselves or better than anything we can even imagine.  If only we could trust Him enough to give him the gift of our free will and follow Him….I believe that amazing lives (and eternities) await those who do.  I, for one, want to stop settling for “mud pies in a slum.”  I pray that one day soon I’ll be able to truly give up my will to God and follow Him.  Not an easy thing to do even when you believe it’s the best thing you could possibly do.  Sigh…we’re silly creatures.

Manya

This quote was received from Daily Catholic Quotes.  Thanks Matthew Warner!

Many of us spend our whole lives running from feeling with the mistaken belief that you cannot bear the pain. But you have already borne the pain. What you have not done is feel all you are beyond the pain.
– St. Bartholomew

We’ve experienced divorce so we have obviously experienced a great deal of pain. There is a temptation to never again be involved in a loving relationship (and, of course, as a Catholic you should not become involved in another relationship unless you’ve received a Declaration of Nullity and are again free to marry in the church). At any rate, the fear of going through this pain again can keep a person from being open to another relationship.

“What you have not done is feel all you are beyond the pain.”

To me this means that if we shut ourselves down due to fear of experiencing this pain again, we may very well be shutting ourselves off from huge blessings – and the possibility of fully recovering by growing beyond the pain and experiencing the best we can be. And…it seems to me that if I built a wall around my heart, I would be dooming myself to never actually moving beyond the pain and, instead, accepting and even embracing a certain level of pain that would always remain. It’s that old, “this hurts but I’m used to it and can handle it – I don’t, however, know if I can handle what might happen if I move on.”

Each time I read this quote and think about it, it seems to have a different meaning to me. Please let me know what it means to you.
Manya