Spring Cleaning in January

Wow do we have a lot of stuff!  My family has a small 3 bedroom ranch with a partially-finished basement which I lovingly refer to as the boys' dormitory.  My daughter and I decided recently to swap her bedroom with the home office, which had been her bedroom a few years ago.  She mentioned that she wanted her room to be green (the color she had picked when her room was in the current office space) instead of light purple.  I said, "Maybe we can paint this summer--or maybe you can just have the green room back."  I thought moving furniture would be easier than painting, and we wouldn't need to wait for warm weather to open the windows.  She loved the idea and began "cleaning" to prepare for the move.

If you read my article "Bouquets of Love" you know a little bit about my daughter.  She saves lots of useful things and is very crafty and artistic.  My husband and I share the home office.  I have a desk that's rather tiny--my choice in the hopes of minimizing the likelihood that it will be covered in stuff.  I used to have a large L-shaped desk which mostly collected stuff and wasn't terribly useful.  The new desk has just one drawer and a narrow cabinet that holds binders and answer keys for our homeschool.  Even though it's tiny, it still holds plenty of useful things.  My husband has a large desk with a hutch that holds a shelf full of books and many useful things.  In the office, we also had a bookshelf and a closet with shelves full of many useful things.  You are no doubt recognizing the trend here. The stuff would need to be moved (or permanently re-moved). Needless to say, swapping the two rooms was probably just as time consuming as painting would have been.

Mike was heading to Florida for a conference, so Elizabeth and I decided to swap closets and bookshelves while he was gone.  I thought it would be a rather simple process--pull the books, move them to the other room.  Every stack I moved seemed to multiply.  Old magazines, homeschool textbooks, readers from the first composition class I taught in 1996, lots of holy cards and greeting cards from religious orders, knickknacks, tchotchkes, trinkets (yes, those last three are redundant--as was much of the clutter).  We filled trash bags and recycling bins and donation boxes.  After many hours, the closet and bookshelf transition was complete.

Initially, I thought that we would just move the big stuff when Mike got home...until the next morning.  Elizabeth's things were in the office.  My things were in her bedroom closet. Annoying? Yes. We decided the inconvenience was unnecessary and that we should move the furniture immediately.  Did you ever notice that on remodeling and home improvement shows, they are able to move everything in an hour?  We did not have the magic of television to assist us.  We also had no men.  I don't care what the ultra-feminists say.  I like having men in my life, and I like when they pick up heavy things that are simply too cumbersome for me to move on my own or with my petite 13-year-old daughter.  Anyway, I kept looking at my husband's big desk and tried to recall how he and his friend maneuvered it into the office two or three years ago.  Before the desk could be moved, it had to be cleared and emptied.  All of the useful things were moved to my bedroom.  If the job wasn't completed that day, I'd have to sleep on the couch.

My sewing machine cabinet and the office chairs were all moved into my bedroom and the area rug was moved into the mudroom.  Once the desk was clear, I measured it a few more times (I'd already measured it and the doorway five times, hoping the results would change.  Desk: Depth: 30.5, Height 28 (without the hutch), Length: 59.5.  Doorway: 29.5, if door is removed.  Hmmm.  I honestly didn't remember the guys removing the hutch, but I have no clue how else they could have made it through the doorway.  I imagined myself as a master Tetris-player, turning the L-shaped chunkiness in a skilled angle to slip gingerly through the door across the narrow hallway to the other room.  Hmmmm.  13-year-old daughter attempted to help me lift the desk to put it on its end.  Fail.  11-year-old son attempted to help me remove the hutch.  We started to get it, but I noticed lots of nails and thought "They didn't take all those nails out--there must be another way."  We stopped and I measured again.  Feeling somewhat defeated, I told Elizabeth we needed her older brother.  She looked at the clock and said, "What time does he come home?"  It would still be several hours.  We continued cleaning the floors and purging junk.  Unfortunately, that desk had to move before we could move any of the other furniture between the two rooms.

15-year-old strong boy finally came home from school and laughed at me.  Not mean-spiritedly.  He simply said "not happening," when I told him we should be able to somehow get the desk through the door.  I measured again said that the height of the desk would fit through the doorway.  He responded, "take off the top thing and we'll move it." That was my original plan, but it seemed too involved when we tried earlier. I checked the nails again and realized they popped out easily and a couple turns of locking screws released the hutch.  Man-child easily helped me lift the desk so we could turn it and slip it ever-so-carefully through the doorway. Initially, we attempted to turn the desk to go to the other doorway.  However, the skinny hallway would have none of that nonsense.Then, my Tetris skills came in handy. I paused and pondered, trapped at the end of the hallway with everyone else on the other side of the chunky desk. We did not need to turn the desk.  It was already facing the right direction to go through the other doorway.  Move the rectangle out, over, down, and into the open space.  Success!  

With the desk finally in place, the rest of the move only took 3 or 4 more hours, which included reassembling two computers and replacing all of the useful things on and in the desks.  I slept in my bed.

My first morning with the new space proved to be productive and peaceful.  Elizabeth seems to love her new space as well.  With clean, organized rooms, we were both better able to focus on our work.  Simply having a tidy space made me less distracted throughout the day.  And the biggest bonus--my desk is next to a window that overlooks the garden, so when I'm writing I can look out at nature.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for your bounteous gifts.  Help us to use those gifts for your greater glory.  Thank you for men and boys, for their strong arms and tender hearts.  Teach them to love as you love. Thank you for girls and women with creative minds and big ideas.  Help them to use their talents to honor you.

Amen.

Girls and ADHD or ADD

This article  on www.lifescript.com reiterates what I have read in other places about ADHD.  Girls are often not diagnosed with ADHD because their behaviors are different from boys with ADHD.

Last summer I wrote Maybe I Have A.D.D. and have gotten more hits on that post than any other on my blog.  I'm clearly not alone!  Parenting Advice for Girls with ADHD focuses on school children, but we can certainly apply these ideas in the grown-up world.  The point that spoke most directly to me was that girls with ADHD are often chatty rather than unruly and bouncing around.  Guilty!  All I wanted to do in school was talk to my friends.  My mind was like a ball in pinball machine, bouncing all over during class.  My thoughts jumped from bumper to bumper, then the ball would fall in a hole if the teacher called my name.

Somehow I was able to earn solid grades throughout my education in spite of not paying close attention during many lectures.  God had a plan for me--my maiden name began with "B" and I was younger and shorter than most of my peers.  In classes with assigned seating by name or height, I often sat close to the front of the room.  I vividly remember the classes where I sat in the back, not for their academic content but for the conversations with my peers.  In college, I instinctively recognized that I must sit in the front of the room, and my focus improved tremendously.

As I continue to homeschool my three youngest children, knowing that two of them will likely be heading to school next fall, I take from this article some excellent advice and suggestions to prepare them now for the educational challenges that will face them in a room full of new people and distractions in September.  Likewise, I recognize that mild cases of ADHD can be kept in check with environmental changes and awareness.

Good Monday Morning!

If you are sick this morning, drink fluids, rest, and feel better soon--and cover your coughs and sneezes! If you are tired this morning, do your best anyway, and remember that if you smile, someone else will, too. If you are frustrated this morning, take a moment to collect yourself and try to swallow any sarcasm you're tempted to spew. If you are happy this morning, spread that sunshine! If you're reading my blog, I just offered a prayer for you to have a good day and for God to bless all of your works this day. Love, Karen

Simple Prayer for the United States of America

Today the Church celebrates the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle.  May the scales fall from the eyes of government officials today.  May they see the thousands of pilgrims who have peacefully entered our Nation's Capitol to pray for a conversion of the United States of America from a Culture of Death to a Culture of Life. Through Christ Our Lord, AMEN.

Bouquets of Love

Bouquets of Love Funny how time doesn't change much!  I originally published this piece on CatholicExchange.com when Elizabeth was 7.  At 13, her creations are different, but she's still my Artist Girl!

Pure Joy!

Last week really flew by as I was preparing the final changes for my Spring Semester courses and making final arrangements for our parish movie screening of Restless Heart: The Confessions of St. Augustine.  I had a few sleepless nights and several crazy dreams about the event not going according to plan.  I started to feel rather anxious.  Friday morning, as we were preparing to go to Mass, I mentioned my nervous feelings to my daughter.  She said, "Mom, you shouldn't worry."  I looked at her, and  I believed her!  I replied, "You're right!  St. Padre Pio told people to 'Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry' and that's what I need to do."

When we got to church, I was able to pray without my mind wandering too much, which is rare for me.  I felt consolation during my prayers and as I received Holy Communion, the children's song, "I've Got that Joy, Joy Down in My Heart" played on the jukebox in my mind.  I've been praying the "Daily Pilgrimage to Purgatory" for the past week, and this devotion has strengthened my prayer and meditation time, making it more focused on others and ultimately more fruitful.

On Saturday afternoon we set 400 chairs in the school gym for the movie night.  We had sold at least 225 tickets, and I wanted to be prepared if we sold a lot of tickets at the door.  The turnout exceeded my expectations!  All but 5 rows were mostly full.  We didn't have an accurate headcount of attendees, but a glance at the crowd indicated at least 325-350 in attendance.  The movie was well-received and I believe many lives were touched by the story of St. Augustine's conversion.

Honestly, I was giddy when I saw so many people in the gym, and the excitement continued throughout the evening until the credits rolled and the crowd applauded the film.  I am grateful to our pastor for saying "Yes," when I approached him about bringing the Restless Heart: The Confessions of St. Augustine to the parish.  I'm grateful to everyone who helped make it a success.  Mostly, I'm grateful to the Holy Spirit for guiding and encouraging me to begin the earthly work that He clearly finished on Saturday.  One of the women from my parish was congratulating me after the film.  I told her I couldn't have done it without her--she sold at least 39 tickets on her own!  She replied, "When we do our best, God does the rest!"

Dear Lord, 

Thank you for your promptings in my life.  Thank you for the headache I suffered for five days last week--clearly it served some redemptive purpose.  Thank you for releasing souls from Purgatory when they have been purified and are ready to experience the full joy of Heaven.  Thank you for the little joys of each day here on earth that remind us of Your Goodness and Mercy!

Amen.

Struggling to Keep Your Resolutions?

Jennifer Gladen offers some great advice in New Year, New Resolutions.  Calendars are key!

Year of Faith Movie Event

Last year I read The Restless Flame: A Novel About St. Augustine, by Louis de Wohl.  I had read brief biographies about St. Augustine and St. Monica before, but this book gave me a deeper sense of the profound conversion Augustine experienced from his youth as a pagan who had little respect for “womanly” matters, like the Catholic faith of his mother.  He studied rhetoric in Carthage and was a skilled orator who argued against Catholicism.  St. Monica never stopped praying for her son, and St. Ambrose also had a strong influence on his powerful conversion.  Once Augustine met the Truth in the person of Jesus, he was baptized and later went on to become Bishop of Hippo and one of the first four saints to be declared Doctors of the Church.  

When Ignatius Press promoted its film Restless Heart: The Confessions of St. Augustine, I recognized a great opportunity for our parish and the San Damiano Youth Group to share a Year of Faith event with the Diocese of Springfield.  The film is currently only available in limited release through sponsored screenings.

In Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Letter introducing the Year of Faith, he calls the faithful to participate in the New Evangelization.  The letter specifically mentions that

Saint Augustine tells us, “[Believers] strengthen themselves by believing”. Pope Benedicts says, ‘The saintly Bishop of Hippo had good reason to express himself in this way. As we know, his life was a continual search for the beauty of the faith until such time as his heart would find rest in God. His extensive writings, in which he explains the importance of believing and the truth of the faith, continue even now to form a heritage of incomparable riches, and they still help many people in search of God to find the right path towards the “door of faith”.

After St. Paul, St. Augustine of Hippo is one of the most profound conversion stories in our Church history.  His timeless story, from the early 5th Century, speaks to those living in the 21st Century of the Truth, Jesus Christ.  One of my favorite scenes was a debate between the Catholics and the Donatists about which teachings were the true faith.  

Restless Heart: The Confessions of St. Augustine will be presented in the St. Stanislaus School Gym in Chicopee, Massachusetts, on Saturday, January 19 at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at both the St. Stanislaus School and at the Parish Office as well as at the door.  For more information about the film the website is www.restlessheartfilm.com. 

Salt and Light

In this New Year, I am making a "resolution" through God's grace to be a Christian in the fullest sense of the word.  Most of us have heard the question, "If Christianity were outlawed in our nation, and you were charged with the crime of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"  My resolution in the New Year is to be "guilty as charged!"

At our children's youth group Christmas party this past weekend, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, we shared in a Polish custom of giving a wish for the New Year while sharing pieces of Oplatek (Christmas wafer).  When I approached one of my friends and shared the Oplatekk, I prayed for her to continue being "salt and light" and told her that when I see her interacting with others, I see "Christ's light" here in the world.  The Holy Spirit clearly moved me to make this prayer for her. Our eyes filled with tears as we gave each other a big hug.

As I reflect on the Oplatek experience, which was very new for me, the words "salt and light" keep coming to mind.  In Matthew 5:13-15, just after our Lord proclaims the Beatitudes in His Sermon on the Mount, he continues:

"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (RSV)

Jesus does not say to boast and proclaim our holiness.  He instructs us to be light through our works to the glory of our Heavenly Father.  

In the movie Pay It Forward (2000) we see a glimpse of what a world could be like if every time someone did something good for us, we committed to do three kind acts for others--not to pay back the person, but to continue the good and spread it everywhere.  The movie, if you haven't seen it, has some hard scenes, including the death of a main character. Evil still exists. But in the tragedy, hope remains because of the movement to "Pay It Forward" that began as school project.

Thirteen years after the movie, and 2000+ years after the Birth of Christ, our world is still broken and evil still exists. The best way we can combat evil, which loves the darkness, is to be light.

How can we be light? Simple kindness and charity (true love) are the best place to begin.  Likewise, reflect Christ's light when others don't see it in themselves.  In our world of instant information, we risk losing the ability to look into another's eyes and recognize Christ in our brothers and sisters.  Make eye contact with those around you.  Listen to their voices.  Notice their pain, their joy, their needs.

In 2013, will you join me to be "Salt and Light," to pay forward the graces and gifts our Lord has granted us three-fold each day, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity?

New Year, Exciting Plans

I've said it before--I love projects and plans and lists.  I tend to treat every week like New Year's Day, so this week isn't much different for me.

Here are a few of the top items my agenda for the beginning of 2013:

1. Promote the Restless Heart Year of Faith Movie Event for The Basilica of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr Parish in Chicopee, MA, on January 19.  Check out our Facebook Page, Western Mass Faith-Based Films. If you are planning to see Restless Heart in Western Massachusetts, get your tickets soon!

2. Finalize my distance education courses to teach this Spring Semester.

3. Get back to school work with my three homeschoolers.

4. Start the 90-Day Bible Challenge using my new Ignatius Press Revised Standard Version that I received as a Christmas gift from my wonderful mother-in-law and father-in-law.  My daughter will be doing the study, too, so it will be a great opportunity for us to grow together in our faith.

5. Finish the laundry room project that I started last summer.

I wish you many blessings in the New Year!