Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
What is marriage???
A love story!
Today I would like to tell you a story.
Yes a story, a love story. In particular our love story!
So her goes~
Once upon a time there was a young girl who fell in love with her Prince Charming. Prince Charming was all she had wanted in her future husband and he adored everything about her and could not imagine life without her.
Together they decided that they belonged together and were married. After they were married they lived happily ever after.
THE END!
What? That's it? That is what you wanted to share? Well that is so uninspiring! And quite frankly not even believable. In fact rewind that and start again because that is not how real life is!
Well, that is how I see my life, all except the ending part yet.
In fact the happily ever after part is TRUE and it will continue to be true until the end of time because marriage is not just a wedding ceremony - it is a life-long journey that is filled with adventure all the way.
Oh our adventure has had many ups and downs and sometimes the downs seem to be all too frequent and drawn out. But when you commit to a lifetime of adventure together you truly have something and somebody to share that with.
I indeed have been blessed in this adventure as we have now been married for 25 years today.
Who could have guessed that when I was given a letter by the girl next door after school one day that I would marry the boy who sent that letter to me. I was only 12 years old at the time and I was being asked to attend youth group at our church on Friday by this young boy, because he liked me.
I did go on Friday night and for many Friday nights after. We developed a friendship which I know his friends teased him about ( he was three years older than me) that was probably a little too early for both of us, for some reason for a few years in my life we were no longer close friends.
Then as I neared my 15th year ( I can't remember when exactly ) my beloved became a very important part of my life again. I remember him especially as the most important part of my 16th birthday celebration as we went out to dinner with my family. He was the person I wanted to have as my most particular guest.
To try to keep the story reasonable short we were engaged after I turned 18 and had a two year engagement. Stephen was at University and I was at college we were over 600km (which is an 8 hour journey) away from each other for two years and married just before I turned 21, to live HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
How I think back to those days and see how much in love we were. Oh no, I am not saying that we are not in love now but I am reflecting on the ability of that love to last through the changes of these years together.
We now have 12 beautiful children and have had many challenges both person and financial during this time and what I know is this - that what is stable, what is true and unchanging is the fact that our marriage is FOREVER.
We know that even on the most difficult of days that we have each other to rely on, to support one another and even have disagreements with. For yes, even in the best of marriages I don't think you can agree 100% of the time. What is important and real is the ability to overcome these periods of disagreement and be united in the truth of the 'foreverness' of our love.
Our children will tell you that both of us are very strong willed, passionate people ( Autumn here: we kids say very stubborn.)who stand up for what we believe in. This unfortunately can lead to some less than pleasant 'discussion' and not always privately.
Do I regret this? Absolutely!
Can we learn from this? Absolutely!
Is it good for the children? Yes and no!
I do think that it is best if children do not see their parents have a little 'discussion' but I also think that it show them we are not perfect, that we are still sinners and we need to be humble and sorry for past mistakes and try to do better with each opportunity that comes our way. We have faults and troubles we need to deal with, BUT with all of this our love is strong and faithful.
We are faithful! We are faithful to the idea of love, marriage and happy ever afters. After all marriage is sacrament, and God is our binding link. We are three fold link that has God as our centre.
Marriage is not for only when it feels good. It is for the not so good times as well. It is for all the journey and how wonderful to be able to look back with the one you started the journey with and say " Remember when........."
Sadly today in society our children are not shown this 'forever' theme in those around them. Too many children have come from homes that 'once the fun has gone so are we' and this has to influence their own outlook on what marriage is.
For us as Christians we need to be an example of a 'good marriage' not necessarily a constantly 'happy marriage' because marriage is more than the feeling of love and happiness ........it is about forever- no matter what.
One thing that I know has changed in our marriage is me, in fact both of us. We are not the same two young people we were when we first were married, and this is a good thing.
We both have grown and matured. We have become concrete in our commitment to God, our Faith, each other and our children.
Who would have known that we would achieve so much with our lives, and hey it isn't even over yet?
Who would know? God DID!
Thank you to my Price Charming who loves me unconditionally, with all my faults and problems. You are my knight protector, my Romeo, the father of our precious children and not last by any means the man I want to spend all the rest of my days with.
Happy Anniversary my love ♥ ♥
I think this says it all.........
Blessings to you and your homes,
May - Month of The Blessed Virgin Mary
This month of May is dedicated to...... The Blessed Virgin Mary.
All but the last 4 days of the month fall within the liturgical season of Easter, which is represented by the liturgical color white — the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored). The last four days of the month (beginning the Monday after Pentecost) are in Ordinary Time which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection.
The world is resplendent with Spring's increased light and new growth (well in the northern hemisphere). It is Mary’s month in the Easter season and all of nature rejoices with the Queen of heaven at the Resurrection of the Son she was worthy to bear. During the remainder of Easter time, let us endeavor through the prayers of the Holy Liturgy and the Holy Rosary to deepen our gratitude for the mystery of our Baptismal rebirth in Christ.
"The month of May, with its profusion of blooms was adopted by the Church in the eighteenth century as a celebration of the flowering of Mary's maidenly spirituality…With its origins in Isaiah's prophecy of the Virgin birth of the Messiah under the figure of the Blossoming Rod or Root of Jesse, the flower symbolism of Mary was extended by the Church Fathers, and in the liturgy, by applying to her the flower figures of the Sapiential Books-Canticles, Wisdom, Proverbs and Sirach.
"In the medieval period, the rose was adopted as the flower symbol of the Virgin Birth, as expressed in Dante's phrase, 'The Rose wherein the Divine Word was made flesh,' and depicted in the central rose windows of the great gothic cathedrals-from which came the Christmas carol, 'Lo, How a Rose 'ere Blooming.' Also, in the medieval period, when monasteries were the centers of horticultural and agricultural knowledge, and with the spread of the Fransiscan love of nature, the actual flowers themselves, of the fields, waysides and gardens, came to be seen as symbols of Mary…" – John S. Stokes
This "month which the piety of the faithful has especially dedicated to Our Blessed Lady," and it is the occasion for a "moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world [pay] to the Queen of Heaven. During this month Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration. In this month, too, the benefits of God's mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance" (Paul VI: Encyclical on the Month of May, no. 1).
This Christian custom of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin arose at the end of the 13th century. In this way, the Church was able to Christianize the secular feasts which were wont to take place at that time. In the 16th century, books appeared and fostered this devotion.
The practice became especially popular among the members of the Jesuit Order — by 1700 it took hold among their students at the Roman College and a bit later it was publicly practiced in the Gesu Church in Rome. From there it spread to the whole Church.
In our observance of the Marian month we should take into account the season of the Liturgical Year which largely corresponds with the fifty days of Easter. Our pious exercises could emphasize Our Lady's participation in the Paschal mystery and in Pentecost with which the Church begins. The pious exercises connected with the month of May can easily highlight the earthly role played by the glorified Queen of Heaven, here and now, in the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.
The following practices which are recommended by the Magisterium are offered as suggestions for honoring Our Lady during Her month.
♥ The Regina Coeli
The ecclesial community addresses this antiphon to Mary for the Resurrection of her Son. It adverts to, and depends on, the invitation to joy addressed by Gabriel to the Lord's humble servant who was called to become the Mother of the saving Messiah.
♥ The Rosary
Also called the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Rosary is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God. Thus, "the Roman Pontiffs have repeatedly exhorted the faithful to the frequent recitation of this biblically inspired prayer which is centered on contemplation of the salvific events of Christ's life, and their close association with the Virgin Mother."
♥ Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary
These consist of a long series of invocations to Our Lady, which follow in a uniform rhythm, thereby creating a stream of prayer characterized by insistent praise and supplication.
♥ Consecration and Entrustment to Mary
The Roman Pontiffs have frequently expressed appreciation for the pious practice of "consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary" and the formulas publicly used by them are well known.
Louis Grignon de Montfort is one of the great masters of the spirituality underlying the act of "consecration to Mary". He "proposed to the faithful consecration to Jesus through Mary, as an effective way of living out their baptismal commitment."
♥ The Brown Scapular and other Scapulars
The scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel, and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection, who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer.
♥ Medals
These are witnesses of faith and a sign of veneration of the Holy Mother of God, as well as of trust in her maternal protection.
The Church blesses such objects of Marian devotion in the belief that "they help to remind the faithful of the love of God, and to increase trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary."
♥ The "Akathistos" Hymn
In the Byzantine tradition, one of the oldest and most revered expressions of Marian devotion is the hymn of the "Akathistos" — meaning the hymn sung while standing. It is a literary and theological masterpiece, encapsulating in the form of a prayer, the universally held Marian belief of the primitive Church.
Excepted from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy
Important Feast Days for us as a family are~
1st Joseph the Worker
13th Our Lady of Fatima
20th Ascension Day
22nd Rita of Cascia,
24th Our Lady Help of Christians- Patroness of Australia
27th Pentecost; Whitsunday, Sunday
31st Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Information from Catholic Culture
Blessings to you and your homes,
Wednesday Waffle
Here's another take on what I want my front entry/foyer to look like. As my home is running along the 40m frontage, it can really only be one room deep, if it's going to be flowing out onto lawn and the pool area.... so the stairs are going to have to start immediately you walk in the door. I still can't get my head around designing on a corner block... but I'll get there. No rush. Oh and I think I want a black front door? Opinions? Advice?
Speaking of the block, I received a phone call from the Real Estate Agent yesterday afternoon. "I have a house here that belongs to you, do you want the keys?". I forgot to pick them up! I went hell for leather in the shed all day and forgot.
I had a few customer pick ups and some deliveries to unpack and then I decided to drag everything out in search of something way at the back, then I put it all back... time consumingly neatly, then I had a chat to one of the flower delivery ladies about the hideous cost of living in this country, then I chatted to Garry (front desk man) about recycling, then I chatted to the Nestle rep about the luxury of receiving a weekly pay-cheque when you don't work for yourself, then a lovely lady who was putting all her belongings in storage chatted to me about my lights and real estate and house sitting (which is what she is doing), then Scotty turned up (interior designer, shed neighbour... he also has 'prime position' shed real estate like myself... one of the lucky ones... actually he has the 'corner block'!) so we excitedly caught up on each others lives for about an hour, then the shed manager James had a chat about his holiday in Thailand, then Scotty and I chatted some more about Paris and Fiji and New York, and then the day ended. Who said working alone is unsocial? I spent my day shifting boxes and chatting... and still don't have possession of this house.
So, this morning, I am picking up the keys, no ifs, no buts, no distractions. First thing. Boys to school, then the keys. I'm not going anywhere near that shed today. I need to arrange to get some tenants into this house.
I overdid it yesterday. I can't move my arms. I'm still doing a violin practice though, somehow. I am sitting next to someone in orchestra who used to be in the 'Basel Symphony Orchestra'. She's a machine. I can't compete. I think she feels sorry for me. I can only do my best. I was never 'Basel Symphony Orchestra' standard. I'm a bush-band violinist. My bush-band was called, 'The Bullocky's Bathtub Bushband'... I rest my case.
Happy Wednesday!
PS Thanks for your 'tooth' love yesterday. He's feeling better and in good spirits. He told all his teachers about it.....and 'they felt sorry for me Mum'.
PPS. Happy Birthday Marina, my cousin, in Melbourne. xx
PPPS. Hi Scotty! xx
COMPARISON OF DEPTHS
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