Maybe I'm *Not* Amazed

This is dedicated to my dear friends Betsy and Karla:

I was not amazed by A Joyful Noise.  My seriously low expectations were chewed up, spit out, stomped on, and left to rot next to their crappy screen play.  We predicted what was going to happen each step of the way, the dialogue was ridiculous, and worst of all, what was suppose to be a "Christian" movie portrayed all of the people as either manipulative, immoral, or hypocritical (or all three).  They only get points for some fairly high quality dubbing and lip syncing. 

I did, however, highly enjoy getting a good laugh out of it while sitting in between the Wilkinson sisters.  There were lots of tears and snorting.

(Please do not think that by posting this video that I am in any way encouraging you to see this movie in the movie theater, to rent it at your local video store, to netflix it, to get it from red box, or any other form of viewing.  If someday in the future, you stumble across it on the Gospel Music Channel at 3 a.m. and decide to give up two hours of your life to watch it, don't say I didn't tell you so.)

Stories & Scripture- The Giving Tree & The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son is my all time favorite parable.  I love the symbolism, the story, the parallel to every sinner's life.  In college, I remember hearing a priest say that he thought that the name of this parable was stupid.  I was appalled!  However, he then went on to explain that the title is misleading, because the story is not really about the son, it is all about the Father.  I see his point.

In another unrelated conversation, I had a friend tell me that her mom never really like the children's book The Giving Tree, because the little boy is so selfish.  I remember responding (in defense, because I liked this book growing up :) ) that the book isn't really about the boy, it is all about the Tree.


And for some reason, those two lines slammed together in my head...

Selfish boy...selfish son.
Generous Tree...generous Father.

So here is another Stories & Scripture sheet that can help kids see the connections between the Giving Tree and The Prodigal Son, a lesson on forgiveness and generosity.

Stories & Scripture:
Connecting beloved picture books with the faith:
The Kissing Hand & Doubting Thomas
The Giving Tree & The Prodigal Son
Curious George & Zacchaeus
Click, Clack,  Moo & Ask, Seek, Knock
Stone Soup & The Feeding of the 5000

Get ready for Lent

Can you believe that Lent is just around the corner?  Less than two weeks until we enter a season of renewed prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for the celebrate of Easter.  I know that is is early, but if you are looking for an activity to help explain the meaning of Lent to your kids (the ones you are raising or the ones in your classrooms), here's one you could try:

My take on Resurrection Eggs-  Complete with documents available for you to print (click on the documents below for a link) and easy-to-find items.  Start with an old egg carton and twelve plastic Easter eggs.  This might just be one of the cheapest crafts that actually can be used year after year.

 

 Each egg contains an object related to Holy Week and a slip of paper explaining the item with a corresponding Bible Verse.

 

 

The items included are:
1. Holy Water- for when Jesus washed the feet of the Disciples on Holy Thursday
2. Picture of hands breaking bread- for the institution of the Eucharist
3. A nickel- for the silver coins Judas got for betraying Jesus
4. A Lamb- (lamb picture with fuzzy cotton glued on) because Jesus was our sacrificial Lamb
5. Piece of leather string- for the leather whips used on Jesus at the scourging
6. Picture of crown of thorns- for the crown placed on Jesus, our King of kings
7. Small wooden cross- for the cross Jesus carried on Good Friday
8. Three Nails- for the nails that held Jesus to the cross
9. Picture of a soldier with a spear- for the lance that pierced Jesus' side after His death
10. Small piece of white cloth- for the linen that they wrapped Jesus' body in
11. Small rock- for the stone rolled in front of the tomb
12. Empty Egg- for the empty tomb on Easter morning- Alleluia!  He is risen!

I also created a letter to be sent home to the parents of the kids that do this activity.  The idea was that they would create it in class, listen to the story, and then after going home, be able to use the objects as memory devices to tell the story in their own words.

decoration for the top of the egg cartons

objects with Scripture verses

parent letter

 I have made this with lots of kids, ranging in age from preschool to ... high school actually. The last time that I made this I had several middle & high school helpers, and about half way through, they asked if they could all make one too!  I then heard stories from the parents of the older kids about how they went home and showed off their project and then put it in a safe place so their siblings couldn't hurt it.  Needless to say, I think that this activity appeals to a range of ages!  Enjoy!

Stories & Scripture- The Kissing Hand and Doubting Thomas

Last fall, I was asked to present at a workshop for CCD and Catholic School teachers.  The theme for the evening was "Making the Secular Holy."

I spent the summer thinking about ways that we can use the secular resources around us in our classrooms and our home to deliver a message of Truth to the kids that we love.  Now don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful books and movies out there that teach directly about Christ and His Church.  However, they might not be as readily available, might be more expensive, might not be as attractive, etc.  Let's be honest- most American homes have a copy of The Cat in the Hat, but few have The Weight of a Mass.

So let's teach our kids to find meaning in all things around them, that God can be found in the movies they watch and the books they read, even if they don't have an obvious tie.

This and following posts will have links to a one page sheet with questions, activities, and prayers that show the connection between a well loved secular children's book and a story from the Bible.
Included are questions to ask for each story, ways to bring them together, and connections to the Sacraments and Saints.

First up: The Kissing Hand & Doubting Thomas, a lesson in believing when you can't see.
Click on the document for a link to the real thing.

Happy reading!

Stories & Scripture:
Connecting beloved picture books with the faith:
The Kissing Hand & Doubting Thomas
The Giving Tree & The Prodigal Son
Curious George & Zacchaeus
Click, Clack,  Moo & Ask, Seek, Knock
Stone Soup & The Feeding of the 5000

Leadership

“Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.”~St. Ignatius of Loyola

Here's our Youth Group Lesson from last Sunday:  Click on the image below for a link to the document in Google Docs.

Topic: Leadership
Examples to Look To: St. Peter and Josiah

(Have you read about Josiah?  He is my second favorite Old Testament king.  As a young man, he refused to follow in the footsteps of his sinful father and grandfather, and instead changed an entire kingdom by encouraging orthodox devotion to the one and only God.  You can read about him in 2 Kings 22 & 23. A great example for everyone, but especially for teenagers who think that they are stuck repeating the cycles of hardship found in their families.)

T-R-U-S-T

Trust is not spelled M-Y---W-A-Y.

It is not spelled N-O-W.

Neither is it spelled P-L-A-N---E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

Upon embarking on a year without a "plan," many people have asked me how I was going to manage financially.  I told them that I had saved, that I am working, and that I will be trusting.  Now this was not a blind-leap-of-faith trusting, (which God asks of us sometimes) but a prudent, follow-God's-lead-and-be-a-good-steward kind of trust.

I crunched numbers and looked at possibilities and prayed and decided to go for it.

But as a worrier, I also played the worst case scenario game.

• What if expenses that I had planned on go up?
• What if adding independent insurance coverage will cost more than I think?
• What if something I "need," like my trusty laptop, dies?
• And heaven forbid, what if something catastrophic happens, like my car breaks down beyond repair? (please hear some sarcasm in this statement...)

Surely all of those things wouldn't happen, right?
But, my laptop breathed its last.
And then my landlords raised my rent.
Independent insurance sucks.
And last week, I blew the transmission in my car.

As I sat stranded at a busy intersection in a car that would do nothing but roll, I rested my head on my steering wheel and decided that I had a few options.
1. Cry. I decided against this in case the tow truck driver ended up being cute and single.
2. Get out of my car and kick the piece of junk really hard. I decided against this because I might break my toe or scuff my cowboy boots, both of which would cost me money.
3. Hang out my window and curse and scream at all of the too-fast-drivers who were honking at my precarious location on the side of the road.  I decided against this because it wouldn't be very lady-like.

So, I left my head on my steering wheel and prayed.  The expense of a new car was not in my plan, but doubting God's providence at this point was not going to do me any good.  So I prayed, and calmed down, and while I waited for the tow truck, I picked up the baby blanket that I am crocheting which was sitting in a bag in the passenger seat.  For me, crocheting is very relaxing, and a great chance to focus and pray, stitch by stitch.  Usually I pray for the recipient of the crocheted item, but this time that was mixed in with some pleas for trust and forgiveness for my anger and doubt. (BTW, I wish I had pictures of some of the looks that I got from passersby--- car, parked on side of road, busy intersection, flashers on, girl...crocheting.  I just wanted to yell after them- "Haven't you ever just needed a little craft break?" But I didn't)

So I am trusting.  Because if I know anything, I know that God is faithful, and He will provide.  (Can I hear that again?  God is faithful and He will provide!) I need to stop playing the what-if game, and really truly count and be thankful for my blessings.  I need to completely and utterly throw myself into trusting God and His merciful plan.


Trust is spelled L-I-S-T-E-N.

Trust is spelled H-I-S---T-I-M-E.

Trust is spelled T-H-Y---W-I-L-L.

Keeping the Sabbath #11

After passing through a challenging week, I am looking forward to a fresh start with today's dawn.  A new opportunity to trust.  A chance to catch up.  A time to breath, pray, & rest.  Keeping the Sabbath holy...means keeping all the days of my week holy. 

1. A Song

2. A Verse
Oh. My. Goodness.  I almost laughed out loud when I read today's first reading.  Because I am in a woe-is-me-drama-queen-mood, I can relate to Job.  I, however, need to stop having a pity party.  That is not the point of this reading.
"Job spoke, saying: Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again." ~Job 7:1-4, 6-7

3. A Quote

"Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself: 'Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?' And I felt a great desire to see Him, to know Him and to pay Him homage." ~St. Josephine Bakhita

(Did you know that it is her feast day this week?  I love her story, and very much enjoyed watching this movie- despite the fact that it is very long and subtitled. As a slave who fought to have her inherit worth recognized and for the right to practice her faith, I think that her story also has some very pertinent lessons today, based on most of America's view of the worth of a human life and protection of religious freedom. St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for America.)

4.  An Image

Government leaders.  Not much has changed in 2000 years.

5. A Blessing
Remember my challenge last week? It is going remarkably well.  Still tough, but blessed.  (Probably another reason why I identified so well with today's first reading... If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. Well said, Job.)

6. A Challenge
To stop worrying about money.  Ugh.  Actually to stop worrying all together. Doesn't that sound nice...

7. An Intention
I am praying for a united front among all people of faith who are willing to challenge the role that Mr. Obama thinks the government can take in the lives of American citizens.  We need to stand up and fight- and by fight, I mean fast and pray.  This battle can only be won at an Altar.  Have you read any of the 153 statements issued by Catholic Bishops from around the country?  They are "calling us to arms" for sure.