I’ve been rather quiet on here for way too long but I know that you all understand – after all, we’re single moms and life is forever busy.

I’m supposed to be finishing up my packing because I’m heading to the airport in a little over any hour from now! (yes, life is forever busy!).  I’m really looking forward to this, though.  I’ll be spending this weekend in San Diego with an old friend who found me on Facebook about a month ago!  I’ve really come to love Facebook for connecting with family and friends.  My kids are getting to know AND staying in touch with their cousins…that’s priceless.

Then, from Sunday through Thursday I’ll be in Marina del Rey at a business conference!  These are always fun.  I get away on my own for a few days (almost a week this time)…get to meet new people (most of whom are potential clients!)…and I learn new stuff for my business.  I’m sure I’ll be more than ready to come home at the end of the week and be with my kids again!  Coming home to them is always lovely.

At any rate, I wanted to share this quote with you that I just found on Facebook (of course).

Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.- Winston Churchill

Gotta love that attitude!

Have a wonderful week and may God bless and bring you peace.

Manya

You have to say no to something else, in order to make time to pray.
– Peter Kreeft

Yep…”that’s about the size of it.” 

Manya

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

Let us not be afraid to be humble, small, helpless to prove our love for God. The cup of water you give the sick, the way you lift a dying man, the way you feed a baby, the way you teach a dull child, the way you give medicine to a sufferer of leprosy, the joy with which you smile at your own at home – all this is God’s love in the world today.
– Mother Teresa

Manya

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

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!