Friday, December 28, 2018

Baby's Baby Jesus

This year I found a felt Nativity Set at Hobby Lobby that was the perfect thing for my one year old granddaughter to play with. She couldn't hurt anything with it and I loved all the characters from Mary and Joseph, Baby Jesus, the Angel and the Three Kings!  Right now all she loves is picking one up and tossing them to the floor, but she has begun picking them off the floor and setting them back again; a HUGE accomplishment!!
But here is a really cute idea from Equipping Catholic Families (equippingcatholicfamilies.com) if you have kids who want to 'take Baby Jesus out for a ride, or spend time in their room cuddling."  It is sooooo simple to make and have, you can make one for each child!  
Keep Christmas going, it doesn't end on December 25th!  You have to wait for the 3 Kings to reach Bethlehem you know!


http://catholicmom.com/2018/12/26/kidnappable-baby-jesus/

Thursday, December 13, 2018

The Drive


I drive to work every day, the same exact streets, the same turns, joining in the traffic of the morning almost rush hour.  I marvel how despite the fact we are in the middle of town, people must feel they are on the in town interstate at the speeds being driven.  I marvel too, that usually I feel the urge to push the pedal to the medal too, but something stops me from driving too fast.  People. 

People walking along the side of the road, kids waiting for school buses, shoppers who have no other mode of transport and must carry their bags back and forth from home to the shops.

Where are they going?  I see the small kids gathered in a bunch on the corner waiting for the bus, swinging backpacks back and forth. I see the dad who walks with his son’s hand in his waiting for the traffic to pass so they can cross the street safely.  I see the younger man walking ahead of his mother on their way to the grocery. I know that is where they are headed because I’ve seen them at the store.  

I see the mothers pushing strollers along the weed filled sidewalks towards a small convenience store in all kinds of weather.   People are alive in this town, the people that live along this busy road, who walk along the concrete curbs headed toward shops, bus stops, restaurants. 
 
When we slow down and pay attention we see them.  If we don’t, we don’t know they exist. But what are we if we don’t see people?  See them as individuals?  As belonging to our town?  They are still people; but then…are we?

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

I Am TRYING to Keep Giving Thanks...

   My goodness this year has been trying my attitude of gratitude. Just when you think you are heading down the stretch of the end of year, Christmas fun, blah blah blah...something out of left field hits you square in the nose. 
  That hit came last week when we were given a letter from the new property manager of our martial arts business who is making changes in all the rental properties they own and are doubling our rent beginning in January.   Talk about making your stomach hurt.  We have two more weeks to figure out how we are going to 1. come up with double the rent when our profits don't come close to that amount  2. look for a different lower rent place to move to...during the Christmas week  3. ask our present clients if they can fork over more moola beginning in January.
  It's enough to make you feel like Bob Crachitt. 
  But my family is trying hard to work the problem and not let it get us down. The kids are making phone calls and touring properties as are the hubs and me.  Trying to make a game plan for something we hadn't planned on having to do this year is making a dent in my Christmas idea crafting.  But davoo dorris, welcome Christmas come this way... as the Whos in Whoville say.   I'm not going to let a little rent increase ruin my  Christmas!! Or at least gonna try to not let it.  Big sigh...and try to remember what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown!

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Still Giving Thanks?

  I keep having to answer that question this week as I leave the holiday of Thanksgiving which had all my family home to celebrate.  Yesterday, the daughter who lives farthest away had to head back and my heart was incredibly sad again.  I was so grateful she and her husband were able to come home for Thanksgiving and join the rest of my family all together in what seemed like a very quick time together. But it was time together and that's the part I NEED to remember to be grateful for!
  My other daughter has a one year old who has a schedule to follow and early bedtime which makes it hard sometimes to get together also. Yet when we were together as a family to celebrate her First Birthday on Thanksgiving night and it was fantastic!  
  I give in too much to self pity at times like this; when I should be thanking God that we got some time together and stop complaining to Him that it wasn't enough time.  The time we all had to together was fun, non stop laughing and loving togetherness.  What was the old adage, "It's not quantity but quality?"  That is what it was and it was a beautiful thing.
  We know we cannot get together at Christmas this year and that sent my heart plunging into depression again when suddenly the Holy Spirit sent me an idea.  Since we cannot all get together at Christmas, why not do a virtual Christmas?  People do this all the time with family in the military or living far away?  We can do that too?  So we are all going to decorate our homes for Christmas then take pictures and we'll have a virtual Christmas tour of each other's homes and decorations!  That is a wonderful reason to get into the season!
  So, really all I had to do was stop and remember.  And each time I begin to pity party, remember to be grateful...it really isn't that hard to remember.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Gratitude Attitude



I’ve done it a million times.  Got zipping along in my life and something goes wrong and I get mad. I mean like, ‘it’s not fair’ type mad where everyone in my way gets blasted with either my bad attitude or me grumping about something.

Fr. Victor had a very wonderful homily this morning when he pointed out that the ten lepers who were cured by Jesus must have had an attitude not of gratitude.  It was kind of like they just expected Jesus to cure them and that was why they didn’t go back and thank you except for the one.

When we have an attitude of expectation of something, feeling like we are owed things in life whether it’s easy living, favors or good health, we miss out on seeing the wonders that God has done for us. We have missed that ‘wonder and awe’ moment we are given.

We don’t always do it out of selfishness.  Most of the time we are just cruising through our life, expecting to breath, expecting clean water to come out of the faucet. But it’s like when the electricity goes out in our house and we enter a room, knowing the electricity has gone out and we still switch the light switch on.  Nothing happens…and we suddenly remember, oh right the electricity has gone out.

I’m not saying that having an attitude of gratitude means every time you turn on a light and it works you have to be grateful, but what about thanking God first thing in the morning and last thing at night for the fact that you woke up and were alive all day.  Having an attitude of gratitude means thanking God frequently for what we have and to not expect everything in life to work perfect all the time.

I am the world’s worse at doing this last one.  I get spoiled very easily by cars running, having my health, my family being happy and when one of those things don’t work, I get off track quickly.

Unlike the one leper who realized he was cured, and was grateful for it, I tend to stomp and fuss and remind God of all the things I do right in my life; why doesn’t that count when I want him to help in something that hasn’t gone right?  How every spoiled I have become by my loving God!  He does spoil me and sometimes I don’t deserve it!

I wish I could remember the one leper who quickly turned around and ran back to Jesus thanking him profusely for the gift of clear skin.  I just take for granted that I can breath today, get up and take a shower with clean water, having a wonderful loving kind husband and children who love me.  But to be painfully honest, most days I don’t remember to say thank you for those gifts he has given me and spoiled me with. 

I am scared to think of the time I have wasted complaining to our Lord about my many ‘troubles’ and never once said thank you for all the gifts I have taken for granted. 

So here and now, I say thank you Lord. Thank you for everything in my life.  All the beautiful, loving things you give me and for all the things I see as trials too because I know you are trying to teach me to be grateful like that one lone leper.  I want so badly to be that one lone leper who turns and says thank you, who realizes he was so very blessed!

Monday, October 29, 2018

That Lady From Church

  For several years now I've been dabbling in a podcast I call "That Lady From Church."  TLFC was born when I fell in love with podcasts and wondered about doing one of my own about Catholic parenting.  I wanted it to be lighthearted and short, just something simple to listen to, some advice, some humor and fun and always include an 'encouraging word.'  I didn't want to sound overly preachy, so I picked a moniker some of the grade school kids labeled me with a few years ago when I was walking across the church parking lot during recess time.  I used to teach several of the grades choir and have also done Communion Services in  church with them so they would kind of recognize me but not necessarily know my name. So what I heard that day as I waved to them was, "Hey! It's that lady from church!"
  A title for my podcast was born!
  So, if you would like to listen to a little bit of humor, a little something to learn, and to just remember that God always loves you, go visit my podcast on itunes or podbean.  
  They are short and sweet and hopefully something that helps brighten your day with encouragement. Because we all need encouragement these days; not anger, not screaming at each other and taking sides.  We need to meet in the middle and make the devil our enemy; not each other.
  This is Lisa Simmons, That Lady From Church, wishing you blessings!


Tuesday, October 2, 2018

When Praises Go Up, Blessings Come Down

  We all have those dark days, days when we are down, feeling negative and maybe even like God doesn't hear us or answer our prayers, pleas and calls for help.  It's easy to just stop asking Him for help, to think we're all alone in the world.  But I just read a story about a young woman's faith in the middle of her despair.  She wrote a note to God asking for help with going to college and sent it up with three balloons.
  Her prayer was answered when another person found the balloons and helped her out.  He said when praises go up, blessings come down. And it is an important thing to remember that even when we don't get answers right away to our prayers, that we hang in there. 
  Today's reading was about Job. Poor old Job...mylanta that man had a right to complain. And he did complain, but he didn't give up believing in God.  And eventually things in his life improved.
  So when you feel like complaining it's okay to do go ahead and complain, ask for help. Just remember never give up. Don't give up on yourself, or on God or other people.  We have heaven on our side...it will be waiting for us when the time is right. 

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Fall Fave List

  Oh my gosh I think...possibly...fall has arrived?   Last Saturday it was cool and rainy, then it got hot again. Today it rained this morning and a cool front came in and it is now gorgeous outside!! What am I doing inside?!!!
  So in a great fall mood I am listing Fun Fall Things on my Fall Fave List!

Halloween candy - those fun sizes of almost any candy bar every made including but not only:
Kit Kat bars, Paydays, Hersheys, Milky Ways, Twizzlers, Mounds...

Kicking wet leaves as you walk the fitness trail and smell the wet leaves just off the trees.

Windows down in my car.

The convertible top off my car which is only half of the car because it's an old Kia Sportage but I love it anyway!!!

Intense blue skies and wind in the trees.

Garfield Halloween!!!!

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!!

curling up with not one, two or three but four yarn projects including but not only:
socks, dishcloths, bears, blankets, car seat blanket, hats...

grilling pizza calzones outside

drinking wine outside

grilling ANYTHING outside

wearing my denim jacket

wearing my new rain jacket with a hood in the rain

getting the Swiss Colony catalog in the mail!

getting Christmas catalogs in the mail

getting yarn catalogs in the mail

watching old black and white movies on Friday and Saturday nights

making chili

making homemade dumplins to go with chicken and dumplins

making gingersnap cookies

opening the windows in my house

lighting the apple spice and fall leaves Bath and Body Works candles all day on Saturdays!

buying pumpkins and yellow mums for my front porch

working on the annual Christmas calendar for my kids Christmas present

planning anniversary dinner with my husband!

making our version of Chinese feast

helping my baker husband make bread....ummmmmmmmm...the smell of bread baking, candles burning and the windows open is JUST TOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!

I LOVE FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Thursday, September 6, 2018

So You Want to be a Hermit?


   Have you ever decided to be a hermit?  Over the span of my life there were several times I just wanted to walk off, find a cabin in the woods and live there away from people, the world, the problems and pressure.


   The news of late has caused those feelings to rise up again.  Why not just be a hermit? I wouldn’t have to work with evil in the world that causes humans to act inhumane.   I just want to quit being part of human kind.


   Yet, I cannot quit being human.  I may not like the things some humans do. After all they commit murders, atrocities so bad how could they even BE human? Yet I must remember there are many more good humans than bad. 


   What I am getting at is this:  we are human, we cannot quit being human. We have to change how humans behave when they are bad, inappropriate or murderous. I raised my children to be good caring humans.  I teach martial arts as self defense to help people know how to stay safe from bad humans.   We all have a job in helping other humans be good humans.  We defend, we provide food, we create laws, we enforce laws, we teach, we cure, we dream and plan.  We try lift up human beings to greater levels because we are human and that’s what we do.


   I am an American.  Despite all the turmoil and strife existing in our political system, despite bad Americans making us look like selfish horrible country, I still believe in being American. I teach about being American, I defend my American country, I raised my children to be Americans and to love what being American means. I love what being American means and I want to lift up every American to living the ideal of what being an American is supposed to be, trustworthy, compassionate, caring and giving.  I will not move to another country because my leaders fight, murder, lie and cheat.  Our country is better than those people and deserves people standing up for her and I will continue to try to encourage other Americans to do that too.


   I am Catholic. I cannot change being Catholic. Oh of course I could become some other religion, but deep down in my heart of hearts and soul, I totally believe in the presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist so that makes me Catholic.  But there are a lot of really bad Catholics in the world too. Do I quit because of them?  No, I must stay Catholic so I can change those behaviors and declare that being Catholic means not doing those things.  I teach what being Catholic is, I raised my children to be Catholic, to love their faith and believe in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  I share faith with my family, my friends, I write and encourage other Catholics to be good Catholics.  We have Catholics who lead, who teach, who protect and lift up Catholics to greater levels because we need to be Catholic, that’s what we do.  I will continue to encourage other Catholics in all levels of the faith to be good, moral, caring, compassionate Catholics.


   So, during the many times I’ve thought about becoming a hermit, living alone with none of the news of the world swirling around me,  I realize I would not be doing what God has called me to do. Live in this world, live in my country, live in my faith and be the Catholic, American, human that He has called me to be.  Despite all the sin in the world, we must live in the world and keep waving the flag of truth and love.  Anything else is running away to be a hermit and God didn't call me to be one.  He called me to stand up for the Truth that is Him, everywhere in every circumstance.  

   Joan of Arc, my patron saint, was  called by God to defend France and her faith.  She called out politicians, she called out church leaders, she was called to lead an army, not something many 13 year girls think about doing.   But she did it and so I cannot think about giving up.  

   I must call out those who insult my humanness, my country and my faith when they live as bad examples.  I may not lead an army like Joan, but it sure does feel like I'm fighting a war.