During this beautiful, blooming month of May, we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary in all of her motherly glory. I’m excited to draw closer to her this month especially as I approach the blessing of motherhood myself.
It’s blessed yellow days like these that always remind me of a favorite John Denver song and send me skipping throughout my day. There’s nothing quite like some open air and a little sunshine to brighten the mood.
Many people dream of vacations to white sandy beaches, being lulled into comfortable drowsiness by a symphony of seagulls and waves lapping on the shore. While these warm lazy afternoons certainly have their place, this is the lake that I long for. Growing up in the mountains, we didn’t have many sandy beaches but God blessed us with countless family adventures like this one.
As the Midwest drizzle persists I’m dreaming of twinkling sunny days like this one. In this place where people live like hobbits, passionate for food, ale and well tilled earth, God’s blessings shine from every flower bed.
Just as the first buds of spring peek into view and the cold weather daffodils pop out of the ground in festive, bright anticipation of warmer days, we Catholics also prepare to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. This will be the conclusion of the octave of Easter when we pray in thanksgiving for God’s infinite mercy in our lives. This is a day when Catholics are especially encouraged to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist as means of acquiring special graces associated with this last Sunday of the Easter octave. I pray everyone is able to receive the sacraments this weekend.
Though this Lenten season has been packed with additional prayer and activity, I never miss an opportunity to sit in silent adoration at one of our parish Lenten Vespers services. Christ truly present in the Eucharist is gloriously exposed in a gold monstrance on the altar, the massive sanctuary lit by dozens of flickering candles. It was during one of these services this year that I had a wonderful epiphany. I had arrived to Vespers a bit frazzled that evening, having practically run straight from work to the Lent soup dinner to serve fellow parishioners for a simple shared meal. However, sitting in that darkened church and beholding the blessed sacrament, I was overcome with intense joy and was incredibly humbled to participate in all these things. I was shocked at the charity of my fellow parishioners at the soup dinner and could think of no greater blessing than to be able to quietly witness Christ that evening on the altar.
Every hiker knows to keep an eye out for rock cairns along particularly rugged trails. The little mounds of stone serve as markers indicating the correct path to take when the trail is difficult to see. Growing up I always treated this as a most delightful scavenger hunt, trying to find all of them before we reached our destination. Life is very similar. If we allow ourselves to get stuck trudging along with our eyes to the ground for too long, we’ll often miss the signs God sends us along the way. If we look up every now and then we’ll find that He’s already sent us all the signs we need.
After a long, wet winter, I’m looking forward to sweet summer mornings like this one. God never ceases to amaze me, even in our own backyard.
As I was searching for today’s photos I scrolled past these and couldn’t resist posting a few more from our Colorado trip last year. God blesses us abundantly every time we step outside.
Although Valentine’s Day coincided with Ash Wednesday this year, the hubby still made sure to get in a little celebration. I came home from work on the 14th to this beautiful bouquet and on the 15th we enjoyed a delicious dinner at a local favorite downtown. Afterward, while tootling down the street in search of a little dessert we passed the ice rink where two pewee hockey games were underway and couldn’t resist stopping to watch the adorable chaos of kiddos on skates. We even bumped into one of the hubby’s coworkers who’s son was playing. Neither of us could resist wondering aloud if our own little one might one day take to the ice. I thank God everyday for this romantic man He sent to me.
Blessed in the Midwest 