Australian Catholic Families

National Association of Catholic Families Conference, Albury

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 05:22:00 +0000

By Lucy Robinson:

Just letting everyone know that we have done a brief summary of our recent trip to the NACF conference and it has some great links to the talks on Catholic family life.

If you want to take a look, you can head here.

Novena to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 00:20:00 +0000

Written by Lucy

My husband and I had been accustomed to praying novenas for years, especially to St Joseph. After the birth of our daughter 8 yrs ago we felt called to begin a novena to the Holy Family, but after extensive searching were unable to find one that suited our needs. We wanted it to be instructive for us as well as prayerful, helping to form our hearts and minds in the God’s vision for marriage and family life. We decided to compile one ourselves, loosely based on a liturgical format with a reading, psalm, Gospel and “homily” from the teachings of the Church as well as an Introductory and Concluding Prayer. We felt drawn to pray this novena 9 times each year, for the first 9 days of the first 9 months (Jan-Sept) each year. We have experienced many blessings during this period which have been as a direct result of this. Each year we dedicate our Novena to God’s will for our family.

In the first year of praying this we were living on acreage on the outskirts of Brisbane in a beautiful Queenslander which we were in the process of renovating. It was to be our permanent family home and we had poured all our time and savings into it. However, we discovered that my husband was hardly ever home, having to work so hard to pay our huge debt, commute over 3 hours each day and spend the weekends renovating as well as maintaining our block of 5 acres. We had two small children but felt it was important to keep committed to what we had begun with the house and land. I was also discovering I was very lonely as I cared for our young children and found it such a long drive to see any of my friends.

Our hearts began to change as we prayed this novena. We became freer to see God’s vision for a more cohesive family life. We began the year with no intention at all of ever moving. 6 months later we felt we should put our home on the market just to see if it would sell without any real certainty about it.

By the September and the end of the Novena we had listed our house for sale and it sold on the first day it went on the internet at $10,000 above its list price. This was a sign loud and clear to us that God was blessing our decision.

We bought a low maintenance home on 600m2 only 1 km from the train and knocking off half our mortgage, 1 hour off my husband’s commute and many hours off his weekend renovating commitments. We downshifted in a big way but couldn’t have been happier. I am so thankful that the Lord spared us years of unnecessary toil on something that was not His will. I am thankful that our children have spent countless more hours with their father than they would ever have had if we had stayed where we were.

And that was just the first year..

Each year of the past 8 we have prayed this and seen some additional clarity in how God wishes to form us as a family to “become what we are.”

I hope that this Novena assists other families in a similar way to living out our common call to universal holiness and contemplation.

God bless you through the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Novena to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Days 1-3: Reflections on God’s Love

Days 4-6: Reflections on Married Love

Days 7-9: Reflections on Family Love

Conclude each day with the following:

Consecration of the family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

and the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, united in perfect love, as you look upon us with
mercy and caring, we consecrate our hearts, our lives, our family to you. We know the beautiful example of your home in Nazareth was meant to be a model for each of our families. We hope to have, with your help, the unity and strong, enduring love you gave to one another.
May our home be filled with joy. May sincere affection, patience, tolerance and mutual respect be freely given to all. May our prayers be filled with the needs of others, not just ourselves and may we always be close to your sacraments. Bless those who are present, as well as those who are absent, both the living and the dead; may peace be among us

and when we are tested, grant us the Christian acceptance of God’s will.
Keep our family close to your Hearts, may your special protection be with us always.

Most Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, hear our prayers. Amen.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Pray for us

Prayer for the Family (Pope John Paul II)

Lord God, from you every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 

Father, you are Love and Life. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, born of woman, and

through the Holy Spirit, fountain of

divine charity, grant that every family on earth may become for each successive

generation a true shrine of life and love. 

Grant that your grace may guide the thoughts and actions of husbands and wives for the good of their families and of all the families in the world. 

Grant that the young may find in the family solid support for

their human dignity and for their growth in truth and love.

Grant that love, strengthened by the grace of the sacrament of

 marriage, may prove mightier than all the weakness and trials through which our families sometimes pass.

 Through the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth,

grant that the Church may fruitfully carry out her worldwide mission in the family and

through the family. 

Through Christ our Lord, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life

 forever and ever.  

Amen.+

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Pray for us

DAY 1 God’s Love

Sign of the Cross…Father, help us to live as the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light: Jesus, your Son – the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God’s call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to Him. Teach us to know and love him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world. May the Divine Will of God be lived out in our family. Amen

READING 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love never comes to an end.

PSALM 103: 11-13

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,  

so great is God’s love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,  so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

GOSPEL John 3:14-17

As Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.

REFLECTION Benedict XVI Deus caritas est. 39

Faith, which sees the love of God revealed in the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross, gives rise to love. Love is the light-and in the end, the only light- that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible , and we are able to practise it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world-this is the invitation.

DAY 2 God’s Love

Sign of the Cross…Father, help us to live as the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light: Jesus, your Son – the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God’s call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to Him. Teach us to know and love him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world. May the Divine Will of God be lived out in our family. Amen

READING Ephesians 3: 14-21

This, then is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every fatherhood, in heaven or on earth, takes its name. In the abundance of his glory may he, through his Spirit, enable you to grow firm in power with regard to your inner self, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, with all Gods holy people you will have the strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; so that, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you may be filled with the utter fullness of God.

PSALM 23: 1-4

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

 He makes me lie down in green pastures,  

he leads me beside quiet waters,  he refreshes my soul.

 He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,

 for you are with me;  

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

GOSPEL Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.  

From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done

great things for me- holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.  

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.  

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

REFLECTION Benedict XVI Deus caritas est. 39

Faith, hope and charity go together. Hope is practiced through the virtue of patience,

which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humility, which accepts God’s mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness. Faith tells us that God has given his Son for our sakes and gives us the victorious certainty that it is really true: God is love! It thus transforms our impatience and our doubts into the sure hope that God holds the world in his hands and that, as the dramatic imagery of the end of the Book of Revelation points out, in spite of all darkness he ultimately triumphs in glory.

DAY 3 God’s Love

Sign of the Cross…Father, help us to live as the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light: Jesus, your Son – the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God’s call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to Him. Teach us to know and love him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world. May the Divine Will of God be lived out in our family. Amen

READING Philippians 4:6-8

Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude, and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, let your minds be filled with everything that is true, everything that is honourable, everything that is upright and pure, everything that we love and admire – with whatever is good and praiseworthy.

PSALM 37:3-7

Trust in the LORD and do good;

 dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;

 trust in him and he will do this:  

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,

 your vindication like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD

 and wait patiently for him;

 do not fret when people succeed in their ways,  

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

GOSPEL Matthew 11 : 25-30

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

REFLECTION Benedict XVI Deus caritas est. 39

In Jesus Christ, it is God himself who goes in search of the “stray sheep”, a suffering and lost humanity…His death on the Cross is the culmination of that turning of God against himself in which he gives himself in order to raise man up and save him. This is love in its most radical form. By contemplating the pierced side of Christ, we can understand the starting point (that) : “God is love.” It is there that this truth can be contemplated. It is from there that our definition of love must begin.

DAY 4 Married Love

Sign of the Cross…Father, help us to live as the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We pray you help our love be unselfish and complete, as we share everything with one another, without keeping anything back, without measuring how much we are going to give, each of us loving for the sake of the other, each glad to make the other happy by giving oneself. Lord, keep us faithful in our love until death. Help us to refuse our married love to everyone else as we promised on the day we were married. Amen

READING Tobit 8:4-8

(Tobias & Sarah prayed):“ You are blessed, O God of our fathers: blessed too is your name for ever and ever. Let the heavens bless you and all things you have made for evermore. You it was who created Adam, you who created Eve his wife to be his help and support: From these two the human race was born. You it was who said, ‘It is not right that the man should be alone ; let us make him a helper like him’. And so I take my sister not for any lustful motive, but I do it in singleness of heart. Be kind enough to have pity on her and on me and bring us to old age together.”

PSALM 128: 1-6

Blessed are all who fear the LORD,

 who walk in obedience to him.  

You will eat the fruit of your labor;  

blessings and prosperity will be yours.  

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine  

within your house;  

your children will be like olive shoots

 around your table.  

Yes, this will be the blessing

 for the man who fears the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion;

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.  

May you live to see your children’s children—

 peace be on Israel.

GOSPEL Matthew 19:4-6

Jesus answered: “Have you not read that the Creator from the beginning ‘made them male and female’ and that he said: ‘that is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and the two become one flesh’. So then, what God has united, human beings must not divide.”

REFLECTION Tertullian cf Familiaris Consortio 13

How can I ever express the happiness of a marriage joined by the Church, strengthened by an offering, sealed by a blessing, announced by angels, and ratified by the Father?... How wonderful the bond between two believers, now one in hope, one in desire, one in discipline, one in the same service! They are both children of one Father and servants of the same Master, undivided in spirit and flesh, truly two in one flesh. Where the flesh is one, one also is the spirit.

DAY 5 Married Love

Sign of the Cross…Father, help us to live as the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We pray you help our love be unselfish and complete, as we share everything with one another, without keeping anything back, without measuring how much we are going to give, each of us loving for the sake of the other, each glad to make the other happy by giving oneself. Lord, keep us faithful in our love until death. Help us to refuse our married love to everyone else as we promised on the day we were married. Amen

READING Ephesians 5:25-33

Husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because we are parts of his Body. This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and the two become one flesh. This mystery has great significance , but I am applying it to Christ and the Church. To sum up: you also, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband.

Psalm 127: 1-5

Unless the LORD builds the house,

 the builders labor in vain.  

Unless the LORD watches over the city,  

the guards stand watch

in vain.  In vain you rise early

 and stay up late,  

toiling for food to eat—

 for he grants sleep to those he loves.
Children are a heritage from the LORD,

 offspring a reward from him.

 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior  

are children born in one’s youth.

 Blessed is the man  

whose quiver is full of them.  

They will not be put to shame  

when they contend with their opponents in court.

GOSPEL Matthew 2:13-15

Suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.” So Joseph got up and taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead.

REFLECTION John Paul II: Familiaris Consortio 25

Love for his wife as mother of their children and love for the children themselves are for the man the natural way of understanding and fulfilling his own fatherhood. ..In revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God, a man is called upon to ensure the harmonious and united development of all members of the family: he will perform this task by exercising generous responsibility for the life conceived under the heart of the mother, by a more solicitous commitment to education, a task which he shares with his wife, by work which is never a cause of division in the family but promotes its unity and stability, and by means of the witness he gives of an adult Christian life which effectively introduces the children into the living experience of Christ and the Church.

DAY 6 Married Love

Sign of the Cross…Father, help us to live as the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We pray you help our love be unselfish and complete, as we share everything with one another, without keeping anything back, without measuring how much we are going to give, each of us loving for the sake of the other, each glad to make the other happy by giving oneself. Lord, keep us faithful in our love until death. Help us to refuse our married love to everyone else as we promised on the day we were married. Amen

READING Proverbs 31: 10-12, 25-31

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life...She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

PSALM 131: 1-3

My heart is not proud, LORD,  

my eyes are not haughty;  

I do not concern myself with great matters

 or things too wonderful for me.  

But I have calmed and quieted myself,

 I am like a weaned child with its mother;

 like a weaned child I am content.
Israel, put your hope in the LORD  

both now and forevermore

GOSPEL John 2:1-5

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. And they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the feast had all been used, and the mother of Jesus said to him, “they have no wine”. Jesus said, “Woman what do you want from me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants “Do whatever He tells you.”

REFLECTION Catechism of the Catholic Church 1613

On the threshold of his public life Jesus performs his first sign- at his mother’s request- during a wedding feast. The Church attaches great importance to Jesus’ presence at the wedding at Cana. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christ’s presence.

DAY 7 Family Love

Sign of the Cross…Father, help us to live as the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Heavenly Father, from whom all parenthood comes, help us to grow in gratitude, love and respect towards our parents, whom by the gift of life, have brought us into the world and enabled us to grow. Teach us to understand our children so that they may grow in your wisdom and love according to your holy will: to be the best parents that we can, to model our parenthood on the parenthood of God, and to follow the example of Mary and Joseph. Amen

READING Jeremiah 1: 4-8

The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

PSALM 139: 13 – 16

For you created my inmost being;  

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  

your works are wonderful,

 I know that full well.  

My frame was not hidden from you  

when I was made in the secret place,

 when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  

Your eyes saw my unformed body;  

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

 before one of them came to be.

GOSPEL Matthew 18:5-6,10

At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said “ Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” So he called a little child to him whom he set among them. Then he said, “In truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. ‘Anyone who welcomes one little child like this in my name welcomes me. But anyone who is the downfall of one of these little ones who have faith in me would be better drowned in the depths of the sea with a great millstone round his neck. …See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

REFLECTION John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae 92

As the domestic church, the family is summoned to proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life. This is a responsibility which first concerns married couples, called to be givers of life, on the basis of an ever greater awareness of the meaning of procreation as a unique event which clearly reveals that human life is a gift received in order then to be given as a gift. In giving origin to a new life, parents recognize that the child, "as the fruit of their mutual gift of love, is, in turn, a gift for both of them, a gift which flows from them". It is above all in raising children that the family fulfils its mission to proclaim the Gospel of life.

DAY 8 Family Love

Sign of the Cross…Father, help us to live as the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Heavenly Father, from whom all parenthood comes, help us to grow in gratitude, love and respect towards our parents, whom by the gift of life, have brought us into the world and enabled us to grow. Teach us to understand our children so that they may grow in your wisdom and love according to your holy will: to be the best parents that we can, to model our parenthood on the parenthood of God, and to follow the example of Mary and Joseph. Amen

READING Colossians 3: 12-15

You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.

PSALM 112: 1-5

Blessed are those who fear the LORD,  

who find great delight in his commands.
Their children will be mighty in the land;  

the generation of the upright will be blessed.  

Wealth and riches are in their houses,

 and their righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

 for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,  

who conduct their affairs with justice.

GOSPEL Luke 2:51-52

He went down with them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with people.

REFLECTION Vatican II, Gravissimum Educationis 3

As it is the parents who have given life to their children, on them lies the gravest obligation of educating their family. They must therefore be recognized as being primarily and principally responsible for their education. The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute.

DAY 9 Family Love

Sign of the Cross…Father, help us to live as the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Heavenly Father, from whom all parenthood comes, help us to grow in gratitude, love and respect towards our parents, whom by the gift of life, have brought us into the world and enabled us to grow. Teach us to understand our children so that they may grow in your wisdom and love according to your holy will: to be the best parents that we can, to model our parenthood on the parenthood of God, and to follow the example of Mary and Joseph. Amen

READING Colossians 3: 16-21

Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, give way to your husbands, as you should in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives and treat them with gentleness. Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord. Parents, never drive your children to resentment or you will make them feel frustrated.

PSALM 25: 1-10

In you, LORD my God, I put my trust.
I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame,  

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame,  

but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.
Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.  

Guide me in your truth and teach me,  

for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.  

Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,  

for they are from of old.  

Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways;  

according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good.

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.  

He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.  

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful

toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

GOSPEL Mark 3: 31-35

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

REFLECTION John Paul II: Familiaris Consortio 17

The family finds in the plan of God the Creator and Redeemer not only its identity, what it is, but also its mission, what it can and should do. The role that God calls the family to perform in history derives from what the family is…Each family finds within itself a summons that cannot be ignored, and that specifies both its dignity and responsibility: family, become what you are.

Books we love:

Holy Bible
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Devotions to St Joseph by Brian Moore www.stpauls.com.au
Only Heroic Catholic Families will Survive by Fr Robert J. Fox www.fatimafamily.org
Character Building by David Isaacs www.bookdepository.co.uk
Catholic Education: Homeward Bound by Kimberley Hahn
Be A Man! by Fr Larry Richards
Happy are you poor: The simple life and spiritual freedom by Thomas Dubay, S.M

For more info: ozfamilyrobbo@gmail.com

The joy of learning!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Casanova) — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 01:33:00 +0000

Learning is fun! And if learning isn't fun for you or your children, then it should be! Think back to your school days (I know, it hurts!) Think of what you most enjoyed learning. Then think of what you least enjoyed learning. When I do this I come up with: favourite - Art. Least favourite- Mathematics.

When I think of Maths at school I think of monotone men in dorky shirts and ties. I think of a class I could easily sleep through if allowed. I think of how little attention I payed. It was mind numbingly boring and I understood very little of it.

Move over to Art. I think of a teacher who was a bit of an outsider and a little unstable. Who sometimes did "art theory" with us when the inspiration overtook or when he felt guilty - about once a year. And the rest of the time? He was, well, not there for most of the class. This was the great part! I could grab a camera and go take photos for 2 hours. Or I could spend that time in the dark room, which I frequently did. Sometime I stayed at the long table and worked on drawing murals with other students. Sometimes I painted.

Can you see the difference? One was formal instruction in a completely non passionate format. The other was free reign, and ultimately, bliss for a creative person.

So what is it I'm saying? Children, young adults, and adults alike need time to figure stuff out for themselves. They need time to follow passions and interests, even if they don't seem to lead anywhere. And if someone is not learning effectively, then the format may need to change.

Let me give an example. My 8 year old finds lessons from a writing or English textbook decidedly dull. But, left to her own devices, she is an avid story writer. One of her favourite past times currently is writing to pen friends. In essence, she can write for hours each day without opening a single textbook.

This is where the wonder of learning at home comes in. A child is not restricted by grades or timetables. If one of the children is immersed in an activity they love and they're learning from it, why on earth would I stop them right in the middle of it and tell them they need to do something more important, more academic.

It is so important to me to not fall into the trap of holding "school at home". Yes, I think it's important that the children learn certain things but in the quest for knowledge we must never crush the joy of learning.

Post written by Kelly, please visit her at her blog.

Easy coconut rice pudding in the slow cooker.

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Casanova) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 09:32:00 +0000

5 handfuls of arborio rice

1/3 cup sugar (optional for sweetness)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter

250ml cup coconut milk

700ml milk

Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Sultanas (optional)

Place all ingredients except sultanas in the slow cooker, stir and turn on low. Check every half hour or so and give it a stir. If it seems to have absorbed a lot of liquid, stir in a little more milk at a time. I didn't need to do this, but it's possible your slow cooker is different to mine. Leave it cook, testing the rice for doneness (I think mine took about 2 hours). When it seems nearly done, add the sultanas.

Serve warm to hot with ice-cream.

So easy!

Posted by Kelly of The Handmaden. Visit me for many more recipes, crafty tutorials, frugal Godly living and home education!

Catholic Homeschool Camp 2013 - Only Four Places Left

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:33:00 +0000

We warmly extend an invitation to all Australian Catholic Home Educating families to join us for our 13th annual Catholic homeschool camp!!.

When: 9-13th September
Where: The Lismore Diocese. Camp Drewe, Lennox Head, NSW
Two hours south of Brisbane, nine hours north of Sydney.

Only three more months until our annual Catholic homeschool camp!! Excitement is building and preparations are gaining monumentum. Our annual camp is an integral part of our family life and the lives of many of our participating families. A time to develop and renew friendships, to gain support and to participate in the wider Catholic homeschooling community.

At the core of our week is our shared Catholic Faith, our day begins with Mass (Extraordinary Rite), ends with the Rosary and Benediction and includes Spiritual Talks and the opportunity for Confession. This year Fr Terence Mary Naughtin is Camp Chaplain.

Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett of the Lismore diocese celebrates Mass(Novus Ordo Rite) on Tuesday offering the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion.

The camp is in walking distance to the beach and every day we enjoy swimming at one of the beautiful nearby North Coast's beaches. Activities often enjoyed include icebreaker games, impromptu games of soccer, dancing, a sports day, sand castle building contest, a concert, and on the final night a bonfire.

Each family is accommodated in their own dormitory and meals are fully catered.

Please consider joining us and contact me with any further questions or for a brochure with more details at
aussiethreads@gmail.com

We warmly invite you to join us:)

Get Moving!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:15:00 +0000

Do you have little ones and think you can't exercise. Read the following post and be inspired!

Written by Shannan

I don't wear bikinis. My dear husband thinks I'm beautiful. My cholesterol levels are normal as is my BMI. I am, by medical standards, a pretty healthy person. Running, as everyone knows, is the height of torture! The times in my life when one coach or another forced me to run I thought that I might suffer a stroke. So why in the world would I choose to start running at the age of 33?

My biggest motivations are my girls. Ronan is 20 months and Brighid is 6 years old and they keep me on my toes! I want to be around with them for a long time. I want to be able to keep up with them for a long time. I want for them to be able to say that their mom has been active for as long as they can remember. Should I be blessed with grandchildren someday, I'd like to be able to keep up with them too. I'd like to instill a love of activity in my girls so that being healthy is as natural as breathing!

My second biggest motivation to start running was cost, both of money and time. I could have started running the very moment that I decided to be a runner. I didn't, but the point is, I didn't need anything special. I don't need fancy gear. I could run in my pajamas if the mood struck me. I don't, but I could! Before children, I enjoyed taking fitness classes but they are not cheap and they are not flexible. I NEED flexibility as a mother. I need to work out on my time when it works for me. I can not commit to a regular breakfast let alone kickboxing 4 times a week on their schedule. I run at any given opportunity. I plug it in whenever I can because life happens and I don't know what my "everyday at 9:30" might look like... a teething toddler doesn't care how much you paid for that spin class or even if it is the instructor that plays the best songs.

I have been able to keep up with it because I found a way to make it fun! I know, I know... What could possibly be fun about torture? I started slow. I did not want to injure myself or set my sites too high at first. I ran for 2 minutes and then walked for 2 for a total of 16 minutes. Once I could do that comfortably I upped my run time to 5 minutes but kept my walking at 2 minutes. Then running for 15 minutes straight. I did not concern myself with distance at first and I knew I was slow, but I didn't care! I was out there! I made a point to smile the whole run.

I wave at every car that drives past. I wave or give high fives to all people out for a walk. I cheer for other runners that I run past. Most of the time I am pushing my girls in a stroller, I use my bike trailer with a stroller attachment, and I ask them to cheer for me. Now the mere sight of my running shoes gets my toddler hooting and hollering! I downloaded the Nike+ app for my phone which will alert you in your headphones at each mile or kilometre and I celebrate EVERY mile with obnoxious gusto! People stare, but they also smile. So my work out lifts more than my mood! It warms my heart to see how many people not only smile, but cheer me on when they see me enjoying my work out.

I never thought, not in a bazillion years, that I'd ever look forward to my next run. But I do! Now turn off this computer and go move your body!

Shannan is a guest writer from the USA. She's also a dear friend. Thank you, Shannan for contributing to our blog.

Image: Baby Jogger Summit XC

Big Hearted Excitement

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:40:00 +0000

Written by Sue Elvis

While my daughters and I were outside in the back garden the other morning, hanging clothes on the washing line in the bitterly cold wind, we were unaware that something exciting was happening at our front door. The mail man had arrived with a mysterious looking parcel. When we came back inside, rubbing our cold-numbed fingers together, there it was sitting on the kitchen bench.

We were all eager to find out what the parcel contained. Sophie was quick to point out the ‘open’ tag to one side of the address label. I grabbed the tag and pulled and the cardboard unwound revealing another layer of wrappings. I pulled again and the parcel rolled over and over, and more cardboard came away.

“It’s like pass the parcel,” said Gemma-Rose with delight. “Loads and loads of wrappings. Do you think it’s all cardboard and nothing else?”

But by this time, I had an idea of what we’d find inside: “I bet it’s books.”

And it was. Multiple copies of a book, with a red and white cover, were finally revealed:

Big Hearted: Inspiring Stories from Everyday Families by Patti Armstrong and Theresa Thomas.

About a year ago, I received an email from Patti:

Dear Sue,

My co-author, Theresa Thomas, and I are compiling a book titled Big Hearted Families, for Scepter Publishers. We are looking for contributions that will entertain and inspire readers to grow their family's heart and soul…

And so I wrote a story, and Patti and Theresa very kindly included it in their new book. That book arrived on my doorstep last week.

I have quickly flipped through the book and discovered there are 22 stories in this volume. My own chapter is there close to the end of the book. It’s called Moving in the Spirit. Did Patti have to do much editing of my story? Did it need many changes? Does it fit in with all the other contributions? So far I haven’t had the courage to reread it and find out.

It’s strange seeing one of my stories in someone else’s book. I never worry about my stories when I publish them on my blogs. But to see one in print in someone’s book… that’s totally different. I hope it's good enough.

Fortunately my story is only one of many. Here’s the Amazon description of this book:

Big Hearted gives you an inside look into the triumphs, struggles, joys and sorrows of ordinary families with generous hearts. It invites you to witness extraordinary love in ordinary moments like the simple cooking of a meal or the hug between a teenaged brother and his baby sister. Just like your family, these families experience pain, setbacks, and challenges. And just like your family, they also experience love and immeasurable blessing through their commitment and care for each other.

In this book, you will learn the story of:

• A father of seven healthy boys who struggled to love his Down syndrome baby girl

• A mother of twelve who learned an important lesson about Christmas from her children

• A special relationship between a teenaged brother and his infant sister

• Two grandparents in their final days who inspired their grandchildren in simple ways

• Two orphan children from Kenya who prayed for adoption by an American family and got what they asked for!

It has been said that God cannot be outdone in generosity. The stories in these pages will show you how big hearted families experience this truth in a myriad of ways, sometimes miraculously.

I can’t wait for a quiet moment to sit and enjoy the book. I am sure the other contributors have written some amazing and inspiring stories.

Thank you Patti Armstrong and Theresa Thomas for including my story in your new book, Big Hearted. I hope the book is a huge success.

I blog at Sue Elvis Writes and Stories of an Unschooling Family. Please feel welcome to visit!

The Cocktail Queen

noreply@blogger.com (Victor S E Moubarak) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:45:00 +0000

Father Ignatius was washing his car in the church’s car park one afternoon when he was approached by a young lady wearing a low-cut T-shirt, a short skirt, and knee-length boots.

“Are you the priest that works in this church?” she asked.

He was still wearing his white collar and replied, “I am the Parish priest. How may I help you?”

“Can we speak privately please?” she asked again.

Father Ignatius put down the bucket of water and invited her into the Parish house. He sat at his desk in his office and she made herself comfortable in the armchair by the window.

After a short silence she said, “This isn’t easy for me …”

“Take your time,” replied Father Ignatius gently.

“Don’t know where to start …”

“Start at the beginning … what can I do to help …”

“I serve drinks at the Bitten Apple Night Club … I’m a barmaid … they call me Cocktail Queen …” she interrupted.

The priest nodded and said nothing, encouraging her to go on.

“Have you been there? The Bitten Apple … just by the cinema?”

“No, I’ve never been there …” he answered calmly, and wondering where all this is leading to.

“If you ever want to go let me know … I can let you in without paying the entrance fee … get in at the back …”

“Well … that won’t be necessary …” hesitated Father Ignatius, still wondering what this young lady wanted.

“I’m not a bad person you know … people look at me and think I’m a bad person …”

“I’m not here to judge you,” he answered, still remaining calm to help her say what she had on her mind.

“This is very difficult, but I have to tell you because I believe in God and all that …” she stopped for a few seconds and sighed. He let her pause for a while until she continued, “I’m pregnant … there I said it!”

“That’s good news … isn’t it?” he said with a smile.

“A nuisance more like … it’ll interfere with my work … and my boy-friend is mad about it. It’ll be Christmas soon … and a right present he’s given me …”

“I see …”

“Well he said we should get rid of it … he is willing to pay and all … I was wondering whether God would forgive me if I got rid of it … because I can’t give up work you see …”

“You’re asking me to condone the killing of a living human being; because that’s what it is you intend to do,” said Father Ignatius sternly.

“I’m asking for forgiveness” she said, “I was brought up Catholic years ago as a child, although I don’t go to church now … I’m too busy you see … I was told if you confess your sins the priest has to forgive you …”

“It doesn’t work quite like that …” he said hiding his temporary loss of patience.

“You can’t ask for forgiveness for something you’re about to do. Something which you know is wrong; and yet you intend to do it all the same.”

“It's either that or I lose my job and lose my boy-friend. Then where will I be?”

“You do realize what abortion is Miss, do you not?” he asked gently trying to calm down the situation before it got out of hand. “It is the ending of a life. It is not a matter to be considered lightly and in a cavalier way as you and your boy friend seem to think. I do not believe that it is right, and I must advise you against it in the strongest way possible. I urge you to re-consider what you’re intending to do …”

She looked at her watch and interrupted him once again, “Do you think if I go to another church the vicar there would forgive me?”

It was obvious that she was not listening and that her mind was made up. All she needed was re-assurance from the church, or any representative of a Deity she happened to vaguely believe in, that what she was doing was right.

“I doubt that you will find any vicar or priest who would …”

“I’ll have to go now,” she said looking at her watch again, “I’m on at the Bitten Apple in half-an-hour …”

“Before you go, just wait a second … I’d like you to get in contact with these people if you can. They may be able to help you. They will talk to you about your pregnancy, but I must tell you, they will never agree to you having an abortion. On the contrary, they will help you see what a gift you have living within you right now …”

“Whatever … I’ll think about it … I don’t think they’ll help … I just have to get rid of it … I’m not into having babies and all that …” she said taking the card from his hand and making her way out.

As he saw her leave Father Ignatius prayed silently for that living human being threatened with death before breathing his first breath.

All that happened some months ago and the priest never met the young lady again … until yesterday.

He was at the supermarket and about to pay for his purchases when the cashier recognized him. She told him that the baby is six months old now, and that she gave up work at the night club and was now working at the supermarket and living with her boy-friend, the baby’s father.

As he drove away the priest praised God for saving the unborn-child and prayed that maybe … one day … this young family may get to know and love the Lord.

Baking for Sundays

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Casanova) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 09:01:00 +0000

Our family has developed the Lenten tradition of baking for Sundays. No baked treats are to be had during the week, so the excitement builds as the week progresses and ideas fly around for exactly what will be baked on Saturday to be consumed on Sunday.

This has to be my favourite chocolate cake recipe because it's simple enough, but a great deal tastier than your every day, run of the mill recipe. The recipe makes quite a large cake, so it would be suitable for dividing into round pans and sandwiching with cream or pour into a large square fruit cake tin.

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup plain yoghurt

3/4 cup cocoa

200g soft butter

1 & 1/2 tspn vanilla extract

1 tspn bicarb soda

1/4 tspn salt

3 cups SR flour

1 cup of hot, strong espresso OR 1 cup hot water with 3 heaped tspns instant coffee

Place all ingredients in this order in a food processor for 1 minute. Place in greased baking tin (2 loaf tins or 1 20cm tin)
Cook at 160 degrees (C) for about 1 hour, use a skewer in the middle to test for readiness.

This goes really well in the freezer.

Tastes great with or without icing.

Buttercream icing:

I usually beat a couple of tablespoons of butter until creamy, then gradually beat in icing sugar (and cocoa if you want chocolate icing- food colouring if you want it coloured) until it starts to get very thick. You can also add a small dash of milk to make it more creamy or to make a larger quantity so you can add more icing sugar without it being too dry.

Enjoy!

Kelly @ The Handmaden.

Learning about the Papal Election

noreply@blogger.com (Kari) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:31:00 +0000

When Pope John Paul II was elected, I was a toddler. When Pope Benedict XVI was elected, I had a 6 year old, who was in kindergarten, and a three year old, a two year old, and an eight week old at home with me. Though I clearly remember Pope JPII’s death and funeral, I remember very little of the papal election that followed.

I do remember hearing the names of possible new popes. And, I remember hoping and praying for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. I remember feeling happy and filled with peace that he was the new Pope, but I don’t remember watching for the white smoke, or hearing the announcement “Habemus Papam.”

This time, (though I am a little sad that Pope Benedict is retiring) I am very anxiously awaiting the exhilaration of hearing the announcement that, “We have a Pope!” I have spent the last few days learning all that I can about the process and preparing lessons to share it all with my children.

My children and I sat down this morning surrounded by things I had printed off from the computer and we talked about the conclave, the College of Cardinals, and the procedures for electing and installing a new pope. We looked at pictures of St. Peter’s square and I pointed out the Sistine Chapel where the conclave will take place and where our new Pope will be chosen. It is all very exciting and there is so much to learn!

Some of the resources we came across were so fabulous I just had to share…. So here is a list of the resources that my children and I found most helpful:

How a Pope is elected, an interactive slideshow:

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/come-si-elegge-il-papa/

A Papal Unit Study-- found on "Shower of Roses" blog

http://showerofroses.blogspot.com/2013/02/papal-unit-study.html

A diagram of Papal Vestements

http://www.infovisual.info/06/070_en.html

2 articles on Papal elections and history--
found on "In the Heart of my Home" blog

http://pflaum.com/jpii/elect.pdf

http://pflaum.com/jpii/didyou.pdf

Super cute crafts and activities for kids of all ages

http://www.catholicinspired.com/2013/02/learning-about-election-of-new-pope.html

Adopt a Cardinal to pray for

http://adoptacardinal.org/

Grief, Love and Hope: a Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:54:00 +0000

My dear friend Amy wrote the following review of my book Grief, Love and Hope for My Library Thing. She has given me permission to publish it here as well.

I knew Sue before I knew about her baby, Thomas. Then I found out about Thomas, and that Sue had written a book about him, and her experience of having a baby born who could not live once he was born. This book was born out of her need to write her thoughts down, her desire to remember every thing she possibly could of her child's brief life, and also, for her children to share their memories of their baby brother. "I wanted to make a permanent record of Thomas' short life and the effect it had on our own lives. I am so glad we had you. I wrote your story as a sign of our love."

For those who hope to comfort, it is an honest account. For those who have walked this path already - of having an infant child die, maybe within hours of birth - it will comfort, because of how honest it is: pain so painful is somehow more bearable when shared. While written with Catholic sensibilities, Grief, Love, and Hope transcends boundaries of religion, important though they are. Any parent who has had a child die, who loved and had hopes for their child, will have find much common ground with Sue Elvis. Published eight-and-a-half years after Thomas's birth and death, Sue writes, "Perhaps Grief, Love and Hope will help such parents feel less alone in their suffering and give them the hope that they too will survive."

Written mostly in diary form - literally using passages from her diary, Sue Elvis takes us through the overwhelming sadness that engulfed her, along with the glimmers of hope that came along occasionally, and eventually even, a return of joy. As she is an able writer, even at the worst of times, this effort, while hard to read from the emotional standpoint, is a joy because of how well she expresses herself. Poignant, yet with a light touch, she even has a short chapter, How Many Children Do You Have?, facing head on - but without useless advice - the unsolvable dilemma of how to answer that oft-asked question. In Sue's case, she had many early miscarriages, as well. Her children write their own short accounts; one, a poem.

From the Foreword, "It is a diary record plus later comment of extremely personal experiences yet without any cloying emotion or sentimentality. It proved deeply moving to this reader." ( )

Library Thing

Thank you so much, Amy!

Grief, Love and Hope is available from Cardinal Newman Faith Resources

A free PDF version is also available

Our Australian Catholic Families Facebook Community

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 07:42:00 +0000

Have you visited our Australian Catholic Families Facebook page? It was set up as a link to this blog. But the page doesn't just contain blog post notifications. We regularly post other information, photos and links that might interest families, such as...

Links to Catholic books and freebies
Links for craft, Advent and Christmas activities
Links for the Year of Faith
Information about events that are coming up
Beautiful and inspiring photos
Links to interesting articles on other blogs
Links for recipes

There is also an opportunity to comment and share your own information.

So please follow the link, have a look around, 'like' our page and get involved. Lots of people have been 'talking' and it would be lovely to see our online community grow even bigger.

Looking forward to seeing you on our page!

Speculatius for the Feast of St Nicholas

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 03:18:00 +0000

Written by Sue Elvis

It’s not too late to bake up a batch of Speculatius to celebrate the Feast Day of St Nicholas...

1 cup butter

1 cup lard

½ tsp nutmeg

4 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

2 cups brown sugar

4 ½ cups sifted flour

½ cup sour cream

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ cup chopped nuts

Cream the butter, lard and sugar together.
Add sour cream alternately with sifted dry ingredients
Stir in the nuts
Knead the dough into rolls
Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap, chill in fridge for a few hours or overnight
Roll the dough thinly and cut into shapes
Bake in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes
Serve with warm mulled wine or just a plain glass of red!

We've made a huge batch of Speculatius. We'll enjoy some tomorrow on the Feast of St Nicholas. We'll freeze the rest and eat them at Christmas.

These biscuits are guaranteed to be very delicious.

PS To be totally accurate, my daughters did the baking. I just wrote the post!

How the Grinch stole Christmas.

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Casanova) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 03:07:00 +0000

Image source

Most of us know the famous Dr Seuss story where the Grinch is able to infiltrate Whoville and steal "Christmas" from right under the little Who's noses.

If you are a Christian in these modern and secular times this may be an all too familiar feeling - that Christmas is being stolen from under us and transformed into something that could be called worship, but certainly not that of Christ Our Saviour!

It is the worship of gifts, money, decorations, food and festivities and all under the popular term of "happy holidays" - a very non Christ like term.

So what can we do? How can we keep Christ in Christ-mas?

Of course it starts with our spiritual lives and our personal worship of Jesus. He must be born in the stable of our heart. If we have this part right then we are on the right track as we will be a beacon for others as the light of Christ shines forth from us. But there are practical things we can do too.

Do not adopt any of the popular secular terms associated with Christmas. "Happy holidays" does not represent Christ in any way.

Do not buy anti-Christmas propaganda! This means only sending holy and appropriate Christmas cards, even to non believing friends (this has the added bonus of a holy image being displayed in a non- Christian home, even if it's only for a short time).

Ask your post office specifically for religious Christmas stamps. If we don't create the demand they will not supply them.

If you are celebrating Christmas with some non Christians do not adopt their accepted methods of celebrating. Keep your interior recollection and keep the day holy! Set a positive example.

Make Christ centered family traditions. Mass, advent wreaths, special prayers are just a few holy devotions. One of our traditions is to set an extra place at our Christmas dining table for The Unseen Guest.

It is an absurd thing to throw a great big party on someone's birthday, sate ourselves and make merry, all the while ignoring He whose birthday it is, especially when it is the birthday of the King of the universe!

Merry Christmas and abundant blessings to you all!

You can read more about me and my family here.
This post was co-authored by my husband Patrick.

Empty Shoes

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 02:13:00 +0000

Do your children put out their shoes on St Nicholas' Eve? Do they hope to wake up and find St Nicholas has visited in the night and left them a treat?

Written by Sue Elvis, on the Feast of St Nicholas, 2010

Last night, St Nicholas forgot to come. Sophie couldn’t believe it. Her face fell as she peered into her shoes…nothing. They were as empty as they’d been the previous evening. There was nothing in any of the shoes, from the giant black boots at the head of the line to the small buckle-ups at the end.

‘You’re up much too earlier,” I said hastily. “Back to bed. St Nicholas probably hasn’t got here yet.” The girls dived back under their blankets.

Rustle! Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!

Some time later: “Is it time to get up yet?...Wow! Look! Two sorts of chocolate coins!”

We never intended the children to believe that St Nicholas really fills children’s shoes with gold coins. It all started off as a bit of fun. I thought we were all aware that it was a pretence. But somewhere along the way, the younger girls grew up thinking the chocolate coins were actually delivered by the patron saint of children. I suspect their older brothers are to blame. They couldn’t resist bringing a bit of magic into their sisters’ lives.

We all want to create a bit of magic for others. When I was growing up, my mother provided many magical moments for me and my sisters. She was good at playing the Santa game. She could always come up with answers to such tricky questions as, “Why is Santa wearing glasses? He could see perfectly well when he was in that other shop.”

A few weeks before Christmas, my mother would take us to the department store in the city to visit Santa. We’d whiz up to the top floor in a special rocket elevator complete with flashing lights and buttons of all descriptions. “Next stop Santa’s grotto!” announced the pilot. The doors slid open and with eyes wide, we emerged into a wondrous, snowy land. Pixies and elves were waiting to greet us. Where was Santa? He couldn’t be seen. He was deep inside his fairy tale grotto. My sisters and I joined the queue of other excited children. Soon we on our way down a sparkling, twinkling, magical tunnel that led to Santa’s enormous chair. Finally it was our turn to climb up onto Santa’s huge lap. We told the very plump old man what we wanted for Christmas. He told us to make sure we were good girls before giving us each a little gift. Of course, we were all very determined to be as good as possible, at least until Christmas Day.

On Christmas Eve my mother would help us pour a glass of milk for Santa. We’d add a plate of biscuits in case he felt hungry. And a bunch of carrots for the reindeer. We put everything on a tray where Santa would be sure to see it. Then it was off to bed early because everyone knows Santa doesn’t come until all the children are asleep. How difficult it was to settle down! But finally our eyes would close and we’d be dreaming of pillow cases bulging with presents. One year I woke in the middle of the night and I was certain I saw Santa’s black boots disappearing through the doorway. At the end of my bed was a huge stack of gifts.

Yes, I have some very magical memories of Christmas because of the efforts of my mother and father.

When Andy and I had our own family we wanted to provide an exciting and magical Christmas for our children too. We started off trying to celebrate in the same way I’d known as a child. But, unlike my mother, I wasn’t very good at pretending games. I felt sure I’d forget something and then my children would be so disappointed. I didn’t want them to become disillusioned when they realised everything was not really true. I wondered if we could have an exciting and magical Christmas without keeping up the myth of Santa.

When our first children were very young, I became a Catholic. A whole new world opened up for me. I discovered something far better than the magic of Santa. It is the miracle of Jesus. The thought of God, the Creator of the World becoming a little baby and being born on Christmas Day is just beyond comprehension. The myth of Santa just pales into insignificance. We didn’t need to pretend to believe in a myth. We could believe in the Truth.

So we swapped all the Santa traditions for the traditions of Advent and I hope our children will treasure their Christmas memories just as much as I treasure mine.

I think that Santa can have a place in a Catholic celebration of Christmas. We all know the myth has its roots in a real saint. And there are so many aspects of a Santa Christmas that find an echo in the Catholic celebration: the anticipation, the waiting, the hope, the gifts, the love, the charity, the excitement, the work and sacrifice involved…If I’d had my mother’s skills at pretending…

But I can’t even remember to fill a few shoes with chocolate coins on St Nicholas’ Eve. What if I forget to do this task before I go to bed tonight? What will I say if, once again, my girls discover empty shoes on St Nicholas’ Day? Well, I could come clean and confess my forgetfulness and admit I don’t make a very good saint. How will my girls cope? Will they feel as empty as their shoes when they discover they believed in a myth? Of course not. They have something much better to believe in: the Truth. And that is all they need to have a truly magical Christmas.

In case you're wondering, Saint Nicholas did a fine job that year. Our children were delighted to see their shoes overflowing with chocolate. Well done, St Nicholas!

I blog at Sue Elvis Writes. Please feel welcome to visit and share more of my stories.

Cornflake slice and an introduction!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Casanova) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 01:42:00 +0000

Hi! My name is Kelly and I'm a new contributor to this blog. My husband and I have four children and we have been homeschooling for 7 years. I thank you all for having me here and hope I can make some positive contributions! If you would like to know more about me you will find my blog here.

Mother in Law's recipes are great - these ladies who cooked on wood stoves (and my MIL still does) and fed the hungry hoards (my MIL had 10 little ones to feed) really knew what they were doing. We "modern" homemakers can learn so much from their ways. This recipe is from my Mum in law :)

125g butter

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup cornflakes

1 cup desicated coconut

Melt butter and honey together, add to mixed dry ingredients. Place in a shallow slice tin, press. Cook in moderate oven until golden brown (about 15 minutes) and leave in tin to cool. Turn out and cut into squares.

Easy?

Beautiful art images for the daily rosary

noreply@blogger.com (Anne (aussieannie)) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:26:00 +0000

Photo: All Beautiful Catholic Beads

I shared this posting a couple of years ago but it has been a constant blessing to our lives using these images in the recitation of the family rosary, so I thought this would be great to share for the month of the Holy Rosary ~ October.

I had mentioned recently that we have been using beautiful images to use for reflection and meditation during our daily, family rosary. Images that I know will sink deeply into the hearts of my children for life, creating cherished, prayerful memories. I know this can happen as I remember as a child, being facinated with my mother's daily prayer book. She knelt by her bed every morning with this book. It was filled with holy cards with prayers on the back and using them, she would recite her prayers for the morning. Inside this book (which I think from memory, might have been a latin missal) there were the most beautiful images of the life of Our Lord and Our Lady, many were the were work of Danish artist, Carl Bloch and it explains why I love his work so much. With the use of so many of the world's greatest artists work, it's also an effective way to cultivate in children, the love and appreciation for the finest art in history.

I remember in Maria Von Trapp's autobiography Maria: My Own Story she shares a similar childhood memory:

"In these first years of my childhood, God entered my life for the first time in a very gentle and loving way. My foster mother was a deeply religious person, truly pious. Every morning she would go to church, many times taking me with her, and I remember how I often looked at her rather than at the altar. Her face radiated kindliness and the love of God.

At home she would sometimes take me on her lap in the evening and go through an illustrated Bible in large print. I am sure I would think the pictures atrocious now, but at that time they were a source of great happiness. I remember a child Jesus in a pink gown with yellow curls, His mother all dressed in blue. I couldn't get enough of it. And then at the gruesome pictures of our Lords' passion, my little heart welled up in pity and misery. Once my foster mother found me in a corner curled up over the Bible as I pierced the eyes of those bad men torturing our dear Lord - with a crochet hook."

We have been using these images on our TV screen, just below our altar, for a couple of months now and it has been a wonderful help to us all. I find if I am reciting the rosary out of the home, I now recall images I love in my head to assist in my meditation.

I am at the present moment, sitting the children down and stepping them through the images, folder by folder, encouraging them to look for the symbols and images in the paintings, explaining to them what they all mean (similar to what they do in one of the Seton homeschooling Art books). It has been a wonderful learning experience for us all.

I have purposely chosen images that visualize the invisible spiritual world around us. You could have a painting that has only Our Lord being baptized by St John the Baptist in the river Jordan, very simple and straightforward, but doesn't everyone want to see the heavens open up, the God the Father and the Holy Spirit surrounded by beautiful angels, the light pouring down upon baptism? Catholic paintings emphasize the reality of the spiritual in a wonderous way. Catholic symbolisim also speaks strongly to us, so it is great to see it in a painting.

So I have finally shared here at Starry Mantle my 20 images for each decade/mystery of the rosary (20 mysteries all up). You can click open each image and it will blow up to full size, which then can save. I have one master folder on the desktop called "Holy Rosary" when I click it open, there are four folders, "Rosary 1" "Rosary 2" etc. Each of these folders are structured the same, click one open and there are four more folders, "Joyful Mysteries 1" "Luminous Mysteries 1" etc. When I click open one of these folders, say the Joyful Mysteries 1 for example, you will find 5 folders, "Annunciation 1" "Visitation 1" etc.

When you click open one of these mysteries, there are the 5 images and the Irfanview slideshow for those 5 images. It is this Irfanview slideshow I click open to display on our large TV screen (which is attached to a computer) ~ the TV screen is directly under our large family altar. If your TV is not readily turned into a computer screen maybe you can think of a way of placing the images on a DVD disk as a slideshow? I'm sure there would be a way. For some people their computer is a laptop and could be placed near their altar for the recitation of the rosary, or plug a cord from their laptop into their main TV screen and use the screen as the computer.

So why so many images? We discovered years ago when we use to have images in folders for the children, it was good to rotate images in a way that they were seeing the same image once every 10 days or so. The other reason is.....do you realise just how many BEAUTIFUL Catholic old masters paintings there are?? It's a very hard job to short list with only 5 or 10 pictures.

The opening for the TV cabinet has wooden doors which we can close and lock at any time. So we open them up for the times we want to watch EWTN, say the rosary or watch a video.

For those who do not want to place the images on the computer during the recitation of the rosary, you can just print some of the images and place them in folders, one for each of the children in the family, this is what we have done in the past.

Below are all the postings for each mystery of the rosary. Each mystery contains the twenty images (in groups of five) of old master paintings we have chosen to use for our rosary.

(The links below will take you to my personal blog, Under Her Starry Mantle)

The Annunciation

~oOo~

The Visitation

~oOo~

The Nativity

~oOo~

The Presentation of the Child Jesus

~oOo~

The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

~oOo~

The Baptism of Our Lord

~oOo~

The Wedding Feast in Cana

~oOo~

The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

~oOo~

The Transfiguration

~oOo~

The Institution of the Eucharist

~oOo~

The Agony in the Garden

~oOo~

The Scourging at the Pillar

~oOo~

The Crowning with Thorns

~oOo~

The Carrying of the Cross

~oOo~

The Crucifixion

~oOo~

The Resurrection

~oOo~

The Ascension

~oOo~

The Descent of the Holy Spirit

~oOo~

The Assumption

~oOo~

The Coronation of Our Lady

~oOo~

Little Girl's Apron Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 02:15:00 +0000

Written by Kelly @ Embroidery and Design by Kelly Casanova

To fit approximately size 5, but is also multi fit.

Start with:

From main fabric -

11 x 7.5 " - Cut 2 (bodice)

45 x 13.5" - Cut 1 (skirt)

From contrasting fabric -

25.5 x 3" - Cut 1 (waist band)

45 x 2.5" - Cut 1 (bottom of skirt)

24 x 3" - Cut 2 (waist ties)

22 x 2.5" - Cut 2 (neck ties)

*Please note that I refer to serging as overlocking throughout the tute (cos I'm Aussie!)

Take all the ties and press them in half. Open out, then press each long edge in 1/4 inch. Press one end in 1/4 inch also. Fold over in half again.

Topstitch down the length of both sides of each tie (including across the short edge you folded in) Overlock the short raw edges that you didn't fold in on each tie.

Pin the neck ties 1/2" in from the sides of one of the bodice pieces. Place the other bodice piece on top with right sides facing. Pin, then stitch around 3 sides, leaving the bottom open.

Turn right sides out and press. Topstitch around the 3 sides.

Take the skirt piece and the bottom skirt piece. Sew them together, right sides facing. Overlock the raw seams, then press open. Overlock the sides and bottom of the skirt also.

Run 2 lines of gathering stitches along the top of the skirt. Gather up until it is the same length as the waistband. Pin the waistband to the top of the skirt, right sides together.

Now take the bodice. Measure and mark the centre of the skirt and place the bodice in the centre, on top of the waistband which will be wrong side up. The bodice will be right sides facing with the skirt. Pin on and remove pins from underneath where you pinned on the waistband so that you don't sew over them!

Sew along the waistband and over the bodice from one edge of the skirt to the other. Overlock the raw seams.

Press. Now topstitch the top of the waistband to the bodice, sewing along the line you made previously. No need to topstitch the full length of the waistband, just at the bodice to attach them together.

Take the waist ties and sew to the edge of the waistband on each side.

Your apron now looks like this. The last step is to fold in the overlocked edges on each side of the skirt and topstitch. When you fold in the edges the ties will face outward and will be caught in the stitching. Add an extra short line of stitching to the tie to secure it more to the waistband if you wish.

Now fold up the hem and stitch.

Lastly, give it to a little girl and make her smile!

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and make lots of pretty little aprons. I'd love to see what you make :)

You can use this tute for personal use and to make aprons to sell, provided you acknowledge me, Kelly Casanova as the original author.

I'd really appreciate you letting me know of any mistakes or improvements - I'm no expert at writing tutes!

Please visit Kelly's blog, Embroidery and Design by Kelly Casanova, to see more of her beautiful creations

How to Make a First Holy Communion Cake Big Enough for a Crowd

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:45:00 +0000

Written by Sue Elvis

Six year old Charlotte couldn't wait to receive her First Holy Communion. Everything had been arranged: she’d learnt her catechism, prepared for confession, tried on her white dress and veil. Only one more thing needed to be done: bake a celebratory cake.

Now there is nothing difficult about baking an ordinary sized cake, but what about baking a cake big enough to feed a crowd? Charlotte’s First Holy Communion took place at a homeschooling camp. There were thousands (really only a hundred or so!) children there. And all those children loved cake.

This is how we solved the huge cake problem:

I decided I would make a very simple cake using bought packet mixes.

I bought two large rectangular tins to bake the cakes in. (The kind used for roasting potatoes or chicken.)

I worked out how many packet mixes were needed for each large tin. To do this, I had to compare the capacity of one large tin to an ordinary sized cake tin, by filling the larger tin with water using the smaller tin as a measure.

I then decided how big a cake I wanted, using the large tin as my basic unit.

I can’t remember the exact measurements but let’s suppose…

One large tin equals 4 small cake tins…

And I wanted a cake 4 times the size of the large tin…

Then I had to buy 16 packet cake mixes.

Is this getting confusing? I feel like I'm doing a homeschoolers' maths problem…

I made up the cake mixes, poured them into the large tins and cooked them in the oven, two tins at a time.

I then wrapped each cooked-and-cooled cake in plastic wrap, and froze them until the day before the First Holy Communion.

Andy bought a large board from the hardware shop, and a packet of prepared white cake icing.

He designed some simple and appropriate decorations to go on top of the cake: a chalice, crosses, the Host… He drew them on baking paper and cut them out to make templates.

Andy then divided the icing into three pieces. One piece was coloured blue and one yellow, using food dyes. The third piece remained white. The icing was rolled out and the decorations were cut out using the paper templates. The decorations were then wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated.

On the morning of the First Holy Communion, we made up a large batch of simple butter icing: we creamed together softened butter and icing sugar to taste. (There are lots of recipes online.)

The thawed cakes were placed on the board. They were covered with the butter icing. The decorations were added to the top of the large cake. Voila! The cake was ready to be eaten after the First Holy Communion Mass.

Of course, if your cake doesn’t need to feed such a large number of people, and you want it to be very special, you could bake your cake from scratch. Here’s our favourite celebratory cake recipe.

You could also make a Confirmation cake the same way, using prepared icing Fruits-of-the-Holy-Spirit decorations. This is only a small cake but a larger rectangular cake could be made...

Or a baptism cake.

How about a simple wedding cake? This is the cake Imogen made for her big sister’s wedding. Each cupcake was decorated with silver balls and white icing flowers.

Charlotte’s First Holy Communion cake looked impressive. No one realised it was a packet mix cake. There was plenty for everyone. It was a great success.

One very simple but delicious cake. And one very happy First Holy Communicant.

I blog at Sue Elvis Writes. Please visit to share more of my posts!

The Life I Dreamed

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 04:35:00 +0000

Written enthusiastically by Sue Elvis

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from my blogging friend Kari with the title Sharing my Joy… I knew Kari’s novel, The Life I Dreamed, had been published!

Kari and I both took the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge last November. We had to write a novel of 50 000 words in 30 days. Even before the month was over, we’d both reached our goal and were proclaimed NaNoWriMo winners. Then Kari did something I didn’t. She went on to edit and fine-tune her novel while mine is still sitting in a file on my computer waiting for attention…

Kari told me a little about the theme of her book and I couldn’t wait to read it. So as soon as Kari’s email arrived, I headed off to the Kindle store and purchased a copy.

This is the Amazon book description of Kari Burke’s The Life I Dreamed:

Motherhood is a gift.

Children are a blessing.

Marriage is a sacrament.

Emmy O’Brien knows all that. There was even a time she fought to promote those very values and beliefs. After having four children in rapid succession though, the demands of home and family have blurred her strong convictions. Tired, overwhelmed, and dissatisfied much of the time, she struggles each day to meet the needs of those around her. When her husband receives a phone call from a 16 year old girl, unexpectedly pregnant and suddenly homeless, Emmy’s world is turned upside down and she must now decide, are her old-fashioned values and beliefs still worth fighting for?

Doesn’t that sound worth reading? I couldn’t wait to begin.

From page one I was engrossed in the story of Emmy O’Brien. I won’t tell you the plot. There is enough of a hint in the Amazon description. Any more would just spoil the story for you. I will say all the characters are thoroughly believable. They came alive for me. I cared about what happened to them and so I kept clicking pages, not wanting to put my ereader down. How was the book going to end? It didn’t take me long to find out. I can’t share the ending of course! All I can tell you is this: I was left with a warm satisfied feeling.

And now I am hoping Kari will write another novel!

Kari, November is not that far away. How about taking up another NaNoWriMo challenge?

I know I am useless at writing book reviews but I hope you sense my enthusiasm and excitement over Kari’s novel.

If you'd like to read an entertaining story with strong Catholic themes, please share Kari Burke’s novel ,The Life I Dreamed. It is available from Amazon as a paperback book or Kindle ebook.

And please visit Kari’s blog Overflow.

(I blog at Sue Elvis Writes)

Fulfilling a dream

noreply@blogger.com (Kari) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:16:00 +0000

   The "profile" on my blog starts out "Me? I am 'just' a mom." And, for almost 14 years that is exactly how I have seen myself. I am a mom. I love being a mom and I love being home with my children. I wouldn't change being "just a mom" for the world. Still, there is one other thing I have always wanted to do in my lifetime. I have always wanted to write a book.

           Last August, I stumbled upon a brief reference to novel writing and “NaNoWriMo” while reading a home school blog that I have never since visited and cannot even remember the name of. Nevertheless, that old desire to write a book came rushing back to me. I went straight to the website for NaNo and was intrigued by the idea of writing a novel in a month.

It was summertime though, months away from November, national novel writing month, (which, if you have not figured out is what NaNoWriMo refers to). I thought about it, and prayed about it and mulled the idea over in my mind. Could I write a novel? Could I do it in four short weeks? And more importantly could I write a novel in a month and still manage my home, care for my 5 children, home school them -- you know, maintain a relative amount of real life responsibility at the same time?

The whole idea sounded completely crazy! But, I decided, now that I knew about it, there was no way I could not at least try. And, I actually did have a story idea. An idea I felt God had sent me. I prayed and promised God this would be His project, not mine, and I let Him know He would have to guide it all.

So for months I thought about plot lines, character names, and how to fit in novel writing between cooking dinner and folding laundry. Over and over, I reminded God I would need His help if this was to be and asked again and again for His guidance and reassurance.

I did not write down one single word of my story before November lest I break a NaNo rule and render my novel illegitimate. But very early on the 1^st of November, I finally sat down to write, competing with my two oldest children for computer time because they, too, chose to participate in NaNoWriMo and had stories to compose as well.

Three weeks into the month, I reached the goal of 50,000 words. By month’s end, I finished the entire story- beginning, middle, and end.

Then, the real work began….editing, editing, editing. Rewriting, reworking, revising. But, God answered my prayers and so many things fell into place. Along the way, I have been blessed with the support and assistance of many wonderful professionals and friends. Through the grace of God (and the help of a friend), I was put in touch with a professional copy editor who agreed to edit my story. Later, a friend who is a brilliant graphic designer, agreed to design my cover. Perhaps the most valuable thing I received, though, was the support of my wonderful family who allowed me the time to work, believed in me even when I doubted myself, and enthusiastically cheered me on every step of the way.

And now, I can say

I am truly an author!

My novel, The Life I Dreamed, can be found here in paperback, and here in Kindle edition.

I do not want to give anything away, but I will say my book is a pro-life novel about a young Catholic family who is trying to do what is right and follow God's plan for their life.

North Coast Catholic Homeschool Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 22:51:00 +0000

For many Catholic Home Educating families in Australia homeschool camps are an integral part of our lives. Lifelong friendships are formed, isolation is eased, support is given. This year our family will be attending (and hosting) the North Coast Catholic Homeschool camp for our 12th year! Excitement is building in our home, our children are asking, "what activities are we doing this year, who is coming? Will my friends from last year be there, will we have new friends?"

We warmly invite you to consider joining us for our 12th year!:) we still have a few cabins available. Held on the 10-14th September we are located at Lennox Head (Lismore Diocese), near the Gold Coast. Two hours south of Brisbane, nine hours north of Sydney.
At the core of our week is our shared Catholic Faith, our day begins with Mass, ends with the Rosary and Benediction and is woven throughout with Spiritual Talks and the opportunity for Confession.
This year Fr John Rizzo (FSSP) will be our Camp Chaplain.

On the Tuesday Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett (Lismore diocese) celebrates Mass offering the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion.

It will be a wonderful week of making, renewing and building friendships. Impromptu games of soccer, dancing, fun and laughter into the night are our 'stock in trade.' Icebreaking games at the beginning and a time for parents to share ensures we all get to know one another.

Every day we enjoy swimming at one of the beautiful nearby beaches, we also enjoy a sand castle building contest,

each year we hold a sports day,

a concert and on the final night we have a grand finale with a bonfire.

If you are interested please don't hesitate to contact Erin with further questions or for a brochure with more details at
aussiethreads@gmail.com. We'd love to have you join us:)

The Extraordinary Ordinary Things of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 23:11:00 +0000

Written by Sue Elvis

I am at Thomas’ wake. I have his memory box on my knee and I take out a few photos and pass them to a friend.

“He was a chubby baby!” she exclaims.

I reply, “He wasn’t really. Those photos were taken at the funeral home. He looked different at the hospital.”

I think about this. I remember how much I longed to see Thomas once more at the funeral home before his burial. He was in his coffin at the far end of the room and I hurried towards him. And then suddenly I stopped. He didn’t look like my baby. In some way he’d changed since I’d left him at the hospital. He didn’t look as I remembered. Tears rolled down my face and I wondered, “Did they get the babies muddled up? Is this really Thomas?”

My friend’s voice interrupts my thoughts. She is asking me another question and I open my mouth to reply. My lips move but the words won’t form. I try again, and again I fail to say anything. I have lost control of my speech.

My friend notices my difficulties and hurriedly says, ‘You don’t have to say anything. It’s OK.”

But it’s not OK at all. I want to tell her about my son but I can’t. I don’t want her to move off and leave me alone. But she thinks she is upsetting me. She pats me on the shoulder and hurries away. And I am helpless.

Yes, I remember the day I lost control of my speech. But it wasn’t just the ability to form words that I’d lost. I’d lost control of my whole life.

Life can go on the same, day in and day out. It is known and comfortable and we feel secure. We think we are in control. Yes, we have problems to deal with but we cope. And then one day we wake up and life has changed forever and we know there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.

I am very aware of how life can change so quickly. I travel through my comfortable days where I am seemingly in control and I wonder how long it will last. What plans has God got for me? Will He allow my world to be turned upside down again? Will I once again sink into that pit of suffering?

I remember going to town a few days after Thomas died. As I walked through the shopping centre, I noticed two happy young women. As I passed them, I wondered how they could continue to laugh and chat together about nothing of real importance. Didn’t the air around them turn cold as I walked by? Couldn’t they see I was no ordinary woman but one gripped by the arms of grief? I wondered why their lives were so normal and happy. How could they enjoy the trivial things of life?

The trivial things of life? It is strange how unimportant some things seem when we are grieving. What if my world fell apart today? Would I continue my normal routine? Would I be interested in the little things of life? No, I don’t think I would.

I think of the possibility of more suffering and my heart skips a beat. A feeling of dread and fear overcomes me that threatens to spoil the present moment. And then I tell myself not to be silly. I say: Trust. Live life to the full and don’t look ahead. Be thankful for the joys of today. Don’t let thoughts of possible pain-to-come spoil the present. The future is God’s concern, not mine. My job is to concentrate on the little things of life.

So I get involved in the little things of life. I think about what I am going to wear for the day. I stand under the shower and enjoy the tingling of the hot water upon my skin. I spend time with God: I pray and read. I hang washing on the line and feel the warmth of the sun. Later I challenge my body to a long run. Afterwards I sit at the lunch table and devour my sandwich as I answer the girls’ eager question: “How far did you run today, Mum?” We work; we share books; we chat; we laugh; we write; we discuss what we shall cook for dinner. Then Andy arrives home. We hug. I pour a glass of wine and we exchange news. Eventually our ordinary day comes to an end.

My children arrive one by one to say goodnight. I think about how much I love my family. I love them so much it hurts and the present moment threatens to be spoilt by the question, “What if…?” But I don’t let it. I really have no cause to worry.

I think about Thomas’ death when I lost control over every aspect of my life, even my speech. I was sure my life was over. But here I am full of joy, surrounded by love and loving… I still have no control over my life. I don’t even want control any more. Yes, I am aware that God could allow any sort of sorrow and suffering to touch me. But I also know He will always be there to bring me through it. For hasn’t He already done that before?

So I live in the present moment and I enjoy the ordinary things of life which I suddenly realise aren’t so ordinary after all. Ordinary becomes powerfully extraordinary when combined with love.

So as each child comes to say goodnight, I enfold her within my arms and I hug… I hug tightly, my eyes closed, my heart overflowing with love. This is today. This is what is important. This is an extraordinary ordinary moment.

If you'd like to share more of my stories about faith, homeschooling, grief, family, blogging and writing... please visit my blog Sue Elvis Writes.

I also post homeschooling ideas, resources, links, books... on my blog The Elvis Homeschooling Journal

Curious about the world around us

noreply@blogger.com (Kari) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:39:00 +0000

written by Kari

I am not sure how it first came up but my children have been wondering for months what side of the road Australians drive on. They have asked me over and over to find out for them. Finally, I remembered at the right time and I asked Sue Elvis via her blog post on Neenish Tarts. I read the answer to my children this morning and now they are just bursting with more questions about life on the other side of the world.

I had not planned to learn about geography this summer but it seems a lesson on Australian culture is in order. And since my children are fascinated with their new-found knowledge and itchy for more, I thought I would go right to the source. Perhaps through the wonder of blogging, my children and I, and others as well, can learn more about the big, beautiful world God created....The internet allows us such a beautiful way to connect with others and to share our knowledge, our faith, and our lives.

So, here are a few of ~~our~~ my children’s questions—

Do your dogs chase kangaroos or do the kangaroos chase dogs?
Do you have kangaroos in your zoo? How about raccoons or squirrels?
Do you ever see koalas in your backyard?
Do you have double decker buses?
Does it snow in Australia?
Is it really winter down there right now?
What kind of trees do you have? (Palm trees? Evergreen trees? Apple trees? Grapefruit trees?)
What time is it right now? What date is it?
What kind of desserts do you like (besides the neenish tarts, that is)?
What games do you enjoy playing in Australia?
Do you call soccer, soccer or football?
Who is the patron saint of Australia?

I write about my children, their curiosity, and our busy life on my blog Overflow.

Sharing Adult Fiction: In This House of Brede

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Elvis) — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 02:31:00 +0000

Written by Sue Elvis

I'm always on the look out for good books to read. Maybe you like to hear other people's book recommendations too. I am hoping we can share a few of our favourite adult fiction novels here on this blog . To start us off, I'd like to tell you about one book I recently read and enjoyed: In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden

Firstly, I have to admit that sometimes I find it difficult to sit down and concentrate on a novel. I never used to be like this. Unless the story is gripping, my mind wanders away. But Rumer Godden's novel certainly held my attention.

I’d heard of the movie version, and even bought the DVD, but I didn’t want to watch it until I’d read the book. I always like to read books versions first. Does anyone else like to do this?

I discovered the book was available from The Book Depository so I ordered my copy and waited for its arrival with anticipation. Here’s the book description from The Book Depository website:

"A novel of sensitive dedication." --"The Atlantic Monthly""Rumer Godden deals precisely with the theme of the religious life . . . as representing 'the heart of holiness of the Church.' It is at once a life of great peace and often equally intense struggle." --"America" magazine This extraordinarily sensitive and insightful portrait of religious life centers on Philippa Talbot, a highly successful professional woman who leaves her life among the London elite to join a cloistered Benedictine community. In this gripping narrative of the crises surrounding the ancient Brede abbey, Rumer Godden penetrates to the mysterious, inner heart of a religious community--a place of complexity and conflict, as well as joy and love. It is a place where Philippa, to her own surprise and her friends' astonishment, finds her life by losing it.

I was especially interested in the setting of the book, the Benedictine Abbey, as our eldest daughter spent two years with the Benedictines, and I know a little about the life of these contemplative nuns. The book, however would appeal to everyone, not just readers interested in the religious life. It contains truths we all seek. I think we can all identify with its themes.

The characters are so very interesting. Although the main characters are nuns unlike most of us, they are dealing with the same issues as lay people: They have their virtues but also their faults; they strive for holiness, they sometimes fall, they pick themselves up, they have their moments of success and of joy; they experience sorrow and love; they have to live and work together which is not always easy...

I am not going to tell you anything about the actual plot. I'll let you discover that for yourself. I will just say it is an involving story.

I hope you’re thinking, “That sounds a wonderful read. I must find a copy!” Before ordering one though, check your local library. Ours has a number of Rumer Godden's books stored 'out the back' in the stacks.

Now that I've finished the book, I must get around to watching the DVD version. I just looked at the Amazon site and they are advertising the DVD for $59.99 which seems enormously expensive. If you're in Australia though, The Mustard Seed Bookshop has copies for only $9.95.

If you do read the book, let me know what you think. And please share your own favourite fiction books.

I know Erin at Seven Little Australians and Counting is a huge book lover. Maybe she would like to tell us about one of her favourites.

You can find more of my posts at my blogs Sue Elvis Writes and The Elvis Homeschool Journal. Please visit!