Kara Tippetts....Gone Home To Jesus

For the last several months I've been following closely to the blog Mundane Faithfulness. The author is Kara Tippetts she is the wife of a pastor in Colorado Springs, Colorado who was raising four beautiful children and starting a new church.  She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.  She lived 2 years while fighting it.  Unfortunately she lost her courageous battle yesterday afternoon.

The reason this story touches me so much, is I lived this story 43 years ago as the oldest child of a mother who also died of  cancer, just like Kara's oldest child Ella who was about the same age I was when I lost my mom.  I wish I could reach out to her (Ella) and her siblings and let them know that they will survive this horrible loss and that it will never be the same, but it will get better.  At the time I thought I wouldn't be able to live without my mother but I found strength to battle on until it did get better.  My mother, as Kara, instilled faith, hope, & love of Christ that is what got me through the rough times.

Kids have a way of bouncing back from things.  Even though I miss my mother, always have always will, I know this is the path that God set me on and it may have been rough, it may have been hard, but it was the right path. I was supposed to grow up without my mother....as many children before me and after me will do it's what is supposed to happen, there is a reason for everything God does.  It is for your benefit he allows things to happen they way they do.....embrace what you are going through, there really is a reason you have to go through this and only He knows why.

Faith

Six Practical Steps to Catholic Joy

1.Surrender to Christ. Every day I recommit to putting Him first in all areas of my life.

2.Give up my burdens to Jesus in daily prayer. I can’t do it alone and I need His help!

3.Go to frequent Reconciliation. Unburdening my soul of sin brings me peace and joy.

4.Be thankful for my blessings. I can gripe about my problems or I can focus on all of the incredible blessings in my life and express my gratitude to the Lord in prayer.

5.Stay out of the “Catholic Cafeteria Line.” I fully accept the teachings of the Catholic Church and follow the Magisterium. I don’t follow the parts I like and reject those I do not like. I know that what I may not understand will be revealed to me over time if I have faith.

6.Start with the end in mind. Are my actions each day serving Him? I hope to hear Jesus say at the end of my life on earth, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” My goal is Heaven and I must live a life that leads me there.

I so loved this!!!  I copied it from The Integrated Catholic Life.  With Lent just around the corner it's time to reflect and prepare our hearts for the Resurrection.

Goodbye 2014...Hello 2015

Can't believe that it's been so long since I've blogged....this time of the year is so busy for me. Not only work but all the family things that are going on. So after tonight we can look forward to a brand new year and I pray that this year will be better than the last.  We are waiting on hearing if my hubby gets his disability (we have been waiting since 2009). It's been a hard and long wait and I hope the good Lord sees fit to bless us this year.

 We went out to dinner earlier this evening and made sure that we made it home before all the celebrations start. I doubt that I will see the ball drop tonight since tomorrow is a holy day of obligation and the only Mass being said is at 8:00am so I need to get to bed so I can get up and go. The one day I could sleep in.....I can't. But it's a great way to start the day! I wouldn't mind so much except the temp will only be in the single digits....burrrrrr, I don't like the cold at all!

 So with that said Happy New Year!

Liza the Bravest Silkie in the World!

Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE chickens and I am the keeper of 20 chickens I have at work.  I am a dental assistant who works for a dentist in a small town in Iowa, he loves chickens and decided to build a pen out back of our dental office for patients to look at while they are getting numb.  It sure beats an aquarium of fish!  I so loved this little story of a brave Silkie who faced a hawk to save her babies....please take a minute to watch....I promise you will not be disappointed.

Just Married!

Well I am officially married in the Catholic Church!!  Today was our "wedding" it didn't take long.....not like my daughter's hour and half Catholic wedding!  It was more like a blessing than a wedding, but it does not matter it's official.  Now it's onto the next step getting myself confirmed, can't wait till that happens!!!  Then I will finally be a "Complete Catholic"!

The Date Has Been Set!

It is OFFICIAL!!!!! Saturday, October 25, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. I will finally be married in the eyes of the Catholic Church! I am just as excited about this as I was when we first got married in 2003!  It's what I've been working on for the last two years!

It seemed like a very long journey just getting my annulment (and it was!) but things are falling into place as they should be.  I guess the lesson here is patience....something I have very little of, but am learning to accept the fact that I can't have everything when I want it.  I will tell you this.....it's well worth the wait!

It's A Go!

I was a nervous wreck, I woke up at 2:00 a.m. and could not go back to sleep, had a bad headache, and an upset stomach.  All because today was the day we went in to talk to Fr. Mark.

I have to say I was very intimidated by him not sure why because I am hard pressed to think of anyone I have ever been intimidate by.  It was crazy.....he met us at the door and took us in a room to get all the paper work out of the way.  We went over the application for a lack of a better term, I went first it was a breeze! My hubby went next, I was worried he would use "colorful" words (part of the reason I was all nervous), but he was good and didn't.  Thank God!!

Fr. Mark didn't waste anytime getting a "wedding date" he said he was free on Saturday so he penciled us in for 10:00 a.m. October 18th, unfortunately our witness's are not available.  I would rather wait until the 25th or even the 1st  or the 8th of  November.  No rush now that I know things are in place.  This is such a weight off of me.  I thought that he might make us do pre-cana classes, I guess at our age he knows this is a forever thing.

He did bring up the fact that I want to be confirmed he said we could talk about that at a later date.  THAT, is the one thing I really wanted.  Once that happens I guess I will have to change the name of my blog. LOL! Then I will be a COMPLETE CATHOLIC!  I can't wait to say that!