Still A Work In Progress

"I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous."

The above quote struck me when I first ran across it the other day while I was actually trying to find a different quote. I think it holds pretty true, for the most part... Only instead of the most significant relationship being with yourself, it should be your relationship with God. That's where we should be placing our best effort and the most attention too. Of course our relationship with others is important, but those relationships would not happen if it weren't for God placing them in our lives. Sometimes I have periods of time in my life where I have forgotten that and placed other relationships in front of Him and put more time into them than into mine with God. It is a human thing to do, but it is not something that should keep happening. Once I really have realized I've done that I really try to refocus my attention on the relationship that is the most important... My relationship with Him. Everything in my life seems so confusing when I forget to keep him in the middle. It's only when He is kept my focus than I become centered again and everything comes back together and I can make sense of it all... I thank God for the blessing of my family and friends that He gave me for my journey and am excited to meet those he has yet bring my way.

"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #14

during nap time one of my kids decided he would try to pull the books off the book shelf, so I went over to sit by him. I looked over at another one of my kids and noticed he kicked off his blanket....

Me: Hey, do you want me to put the blanket back on you, Josh?

Josh N (in a very dramatic way while his chin is propped up on his hands): No... I... Just... want you to...love me, Miss Teresa.

(And then my heart melted....)

Me: But I DO love you, Josh!!!!!

Josh N.: Well then maybe you can rub my back????

(And that was where the Josh I know came out...hahaha!)

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While Shane was concentrating really hard on his art project...he was silent for the longest time and then he burst out

Shane: HOLY MACARONI!!!!!!! This picture is going to be SO big!!!!!!!!!!

And then he was silent again till he was done with his picture.

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After my break I went back into the classroom where I noticed some of the kids were beginning to wake-up....

Me: Hey, Shane, do you need to go potty?

Shane:No.... Hey, Miss Amanda! You're supposed to tell me when to go potty!

Amanda: You already told me you had to go potty, Shane.

Shane: But, it's YOUR responsibility to make sure I go potty!

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I pulled out some random fun books to read to the kids. I pulled out the Noah's Ark book without thinking much of it when I heard Shane...

Shane: Miss Teresa, God does not like wicked people very much does he?

Me (a little confused where that question came from then I realized he was watching me as I pulled out Noah's Ark): You are right. God does not like wicked people.

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we were playing good old Disney music and dancing to it when The Beauty And The Beast came on. Shane asked me to dance with him. I obviously could not turn him down so we danced. I started to spin him around when he looked at me and said:

Shane: That's what men do for girls!

Me: What do men do for girls?

Shane: (while attempting to twirl me around) This is what men do for girls!

Favorite Nicholas Sparks Quotes Part II

I am a quote collector. I collect quotes from famous people, from television shows, movies, books, etc.. One of my all time favorite people to collect quotes from is Nicholas Sparks. The romantic in me loves the cheesy factor of the quotes, but at the same time there is a very great message that comes from them as well. I know I have made a post before about some of my favorite quotes of his, but recently I have stumbled upon a few more that should be added to that list... :)

"Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more.
~The Last Song~

"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Remember that."
~Message In A Bottle~

"I have faith that God will show you the answer, but you have to understand that sometimes it takes awhile to be able to recognize what God wants you to do. That's how it often is. God's voice is usually nothing more than a whisper, and you have to listen very carefully to hear it. But other times, in those rarest of moments, the answer is obvious and rings as loud as a church bell."
~The Last Song~

"Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there's nothing to make it last."
~Dear John~

"The emotion that can break the heart is sometimes the very one that can heal it."
~At First Sight~

"Love wasn't possible in just a couple of days. Love could be set in motion quickly, but true love needed time to grow into something strong and enduring. Love was, above all, about commitment and dedication and a belief that spending years with a certain person would create something greater than the sum of what the two can accomplish separately."
~True Believer~

"He finally understood that God's presence was everywhere, at all times, and was experienced by everyone at one time or another."
~The Last Song~

"Never forget that God is your friend. And like all friends, He longs to hear what's been happening in your life. Good or bad, whether it's been full of sorrow or anger, or even when you are questioning why terrible things have to happen."
~The Last Song~

"But I'm different now than I was then. Just like I was different at the end of the trip than I'd been at the beginning. And I'll be different tomorrow than I am today. And what that means is that I can never replicate that trip. Even if I went to the same places and met the same people, it wouldn't be the same. To me that's what traveling should be about. Meeting people, learning to not only appreciate a different culture, but really enjoying it like a local, following whatever impulse strikes you. So how could I recommend a trip to someone else, if I don't even know what to expect? My advice would be to make a list of places on some index cards, shuffle them, and pick any five at random. Then just go and see what happens. If you have the right mind-set, it doesn't matter where you end up or how much money you brought. It'll be something you'll remember forever."
~The Guardian~

"I don't think we're meant to understand it all the time. I think that sometimes we just have to have faith."
~A Walk To Remember~

Hey There Stranger...

I have been a complete failure in the blogosphere. I really just haven't had much of an urge to write lately. That is what usually drives me to sit down and blog, the urge for me to sit down and free my mind of whatever thoughts are stuck there. I warn you before you read this post that I have no clue where it will go as my mind likes to go on it's own after I have not written in awhile.

Life for me these days is going pretty good. No classes, work is great, and aside from the usual drama of the McConnell family not much to complain about in that part of my life either. My town is kinda quiet as the majority of college students are all gone for the Summer which includes a large portion of my own friends and so my social life has quieted down compared to what it was before the spring semester ended.

Hustle and bustle can be a good thing sometimes, but I prefer the easy pace of the Summer. Everyone seems less grumpier during the Summer when there is less traffic and it is easier to get from one place to another. I feel like it is just easier to breath and relax.

Breath and relax. The best place to breath and relax for me is easily during Eucharistic Adoration. There are times when I forget how amazing sitting with Jesus really is. I sometimes forget how much I have needed that time with Jesus until I am sitting there with Him in the silence of the church. I feel like that is the only place I can really put my life in the right focus, and that is really how it should be, keeping Jesus at the center of my life. It's not that I don't try, but I am human, and life happens and before I know it I am lost and am very lucky to have my faith life to help me become centered again. I lay it all out there and leave it with Him while Adoring Him in the Blessed Sacrament and I feel so much lighter after because I know that He has it all covered. He knows what is best for me and I will be ok.

"How sweet, the presence of Jesus to the longing harassed soul! It is instant peace, and balm to every wound." ~St. Elizabeth Seton~

"Advice From Somewhere"

Advice from Somewhere

ONE.

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO.

Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE.

Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR.

When you say, "I love you," mean it.

FIVE.

When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

SIX.

Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN.

Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT.

Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE.

Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN.

In disagreements, fight fairly. Please No name calling.

ELEVEN.

Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE.

Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN.

When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN.

Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN.

Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN.

Remember the three R's:
Respect for self;
Respect for others;
Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY.

Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE.

Spend some time alone.

"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #13

Andras: (upset about not getting his way) Ellie! I am going to eat you! My mommy said I am going to eat you!
Ellie: (Trying not to laugh) Well do you want me to get you some ketchup or mayo or lettuce and tomatoes to eat with me?
Andras: That is not funny, Ellie! Not funny!
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This past Summer we finally were given something we have needed for quite a while now. New wood chips for our playground... With all the rain we have had it has washed a good 2/3's of them away and what we have been left with is a whole lot of dirt... Anyway while we were out on the playground a truck came to dump the last of the wood chips off and the kids were very excited about it....

Josh L. (Yelling at the top of his lungs to the truck driver): Thank-you SO much for the new wood chips you brought for my playground! (After the truck driver drives off Josh comes running up to me) That man is SUCH a nice guy for bringing us new wood chips, Miss Teresa.
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Me: Gracie, I need a hug good-bye, Missy! I have not gotten it yet, and I won't see you all week-end! Where is my hug!
Gracie (While hugging me): It's in my heart, Miss Teresa.

How cute is that?!?!
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I was sitting by Jacob's cot during naptime as he was not wanting to sleep. He was talking nonstop pretty quietly, but I was not really exactly paying much attention to him because it was "quiet" time... that is until he said...

Jacob: I want you to come to my party

Me: Your party? What kind of party?

Jacob: My wedding...

Me (in a joking kind of way): Awww Jacob. Are you wanting me to marry you?

Jacob: YES!

Me: Well... Where will you take me for our honeymoon?

Jacob: To a party

Me: Where will the party be?

Jacob: In my bedroom

MY FAVORITE QUOTE OF THE DAY!!!!

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Josh L. was painting and decided to pick up the yellow paint bottle and sniff it...

Josh L: Wow. This smells like.... like women.

HA HA HA!!! I didn't know us women smelled like the color yellow.

"You Were On The Cross"

"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
~St. John of the Cross~

This is such a masterpiece of lyrics and music. Take a moment today to reflect on it.....

You Were On The Cross
Written by Matt Maher/Kenny Butler/Audrey Assad; Performed by Matt Maher

Lost, everything is lost
And everything I've loved before is gone
Alone like the coming of the frost
And a cold winter's chill in my stony heart

And where were You when all that I've hoped for?
Where were You when all that I've dreamed
Came crashing down in shambles around me?
You were on the cross

Pain, could you take away the pain?
If I find someone to blame, would it make my life seem easier?
Alone, all my friends are asleep
And I can't find anyone to stay awake with me

Where were You when sin stole my innocence?
Where were You when I was ashamed?
Hiding in a life, I wish, I never made

You were on the cross, my God, my God, alone, alone
You were on the cross, You died for us, alone, alone
You were on the cross, victorious, alone, alone

You were there in all of my suffering
And You were there in doubt and in fear
I'm waiting on the dawn to reappear

Roles of Men And Women In The Catholic Church

There has been somewhat of an on-going discussion between my groups of friends over feminism in the Catholic Church. In one group we have been discussing the roles men and women should play in the Church. Basically why women should not be priests and why we should only have girl "altar boys" only when desperate. In the other group we talked about how there is the wrong kind of feminism and the right kind. Just because women are capable to do the things men can does not mean we need to prove it to everyone. We may be capable, but that is not what we are called to do.

My favorite Bible quote to reference when I speak about this topic is; Ephesians 5:22-33.

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

It is quite obvious here that men and women are called to do different things. Men to take the lead and be strong to help protect and defend the Church. Women are called to follow the men's lead. Even though Men are called to be in leadership roles, women still have a lot of power in their parishes. Women are made to be caregivers and teachers. We as women are the ones put in charge to form the minds of the future of the Church. That is a huge deal to be entrusted with. We are also called to be Sacristans and make sure the sanctuary stays clean and beautiful because a building housing the tabernacle should be kept in the best shape. Women have equal rights to be sponsors at Baptism and Confirmation.They can be readers at Mass, extraordinary ministers (laypersons who assist the priest at Mass to give out Holy Communion, sometimes call Eucharistic ministers) if needed, and they can work in the parish office.

There is a downside for those who try to push the interchangeability between the roles of the sexes. It often results in society encouraging men not to be strong leaders and not to take roles of leadership in their families, in their parish, and in society. We don't want to give an excuse for men to become wimpy. We want all of our Catholic men to be strong and ready to take action when called to do so.

I know I am probably going to be considered a little old fashioned to some who may read this, but it is how I feel.

"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #12

Mrs. Morgan: So how was Henry's day today?
Me: He had a really good day. There was a fire drill this morning, we watched an Easter movie,
Mrs. Morgan (kinda cutting me off in mid-sentence): What kind of Easter movie? The Easter bunny kind or the Jesus kind?
Me: The Jesus kind.
Mrs. Morgan: Oh cool!
Henry: Mommy, Jesus is my favorite!
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Miss Becky: Sidda do you have an extra pair of shoes in your cubby?
Sidda (in an assuming "duh" kind of way) Yeah, my high heels.

Getting in some good practice for when she will really need to wear those high heels. lol
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Me: I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.
James: what side did you wake up on?
Me: Well normally I like to wake up on my right side, but today I am pretty sure I woke up on my left side...
Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, James?
James: Yeah, I did.
Me: What side is the wrong one for you?
James: When I wake up on my back.
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This comes from my ten year old nephew, Isaiah.

Isaiah: Chad (his mom's fiancee), are you Catholic?
Chad: No.
Isaiah: Are you Christian?
Chad (While shrugging his shoulders): Yeah. Yes.
Isaiah: (In a really loud accusing voice) Oh! That means you don't believe, (and then more quietly and slowly) something...
Maria (Isaiah's mom): And what does he not believe?
Isaiah: (Bangs hand on the table) I know! It means he doesn't believe the body and blood... I mean the bread and wine is not the body and blood!

It was SO SO SO cute!
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Today during nap time I am pretty sure Savannah was dreaming when she woke up...

Savannah: (Sits up in a dreamlike state and looks straight at me) I have to....... I think I have to....... I have..... I have to do something. (and then immediately falls back on her cot and goes right back to sleep.)

"I Love People Who Make Me Laugh..."

I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person.
~Audrey Hepburn~

This past week-end was a really busy, crazy, entertaining, and fun one for me. I went down to St. Meinrad with a group of friends to visit one of my very best friends who is a seminarian there. There were seven of us all-together who made the drive down. We chose to separate into girls/guys cars and each took a different route down to figure out which one is shorter. My car won, but only by about five minutes (granted the boys car left earlier than ours did and we had to make a stop back at my house because my sister had left her cell phone, and I accidentally took a wrong turn which we figured out pretty quickly, so really taken all that into account we would have made it even longer before the boys did...). It was a fun time driving down there while singing Ke$ha songs at the top of our lungs. It was definitely a girl kind of road trip for sure.

Once we all arrived we headed over to start our visit off with Mass and then ate lunch at Meinrad. We then decided to drive over the the Monastery in Ferdinand, In. where we stayed for a tour. It is sad to see the sisters that live there no longer wear their habits. As the sister who was giving the tour talked about the reasoning behind that choice she used the saying, "It's not about what you wear, but what you do." It was very hard for my friends and I to keep a straight face after she finished that saying because my group of friends happen to believe that the habit is a very important part of being a sister. I have to say that for the most part us younger Catholics prefer seeing nuns and sisters in their habits. I have more respect for the sisters that do because it shows that they really are proud of their vocation and are not afraid to show it. After the tour was over and we were all outside some of my friends joked around about how I should that tour might have fostered some vocations. I laughed and said it most likely caused the exact opposite...

After the tour we headed back to "the hill" wear my friend was the cantor for evening prayer. That was an event for a few of us. We were each handed a breviary to use, only for most of us it was the first time we ever had to use it alone without someone kind of showing us how to use it. That was a learning experience for me and my friend who I was sharing the book with. We got lost a few times, but in the end it worked.

We then had dinner in Tell City at a restaurant which had really great food and then drove over to Bird's Eye where a few of us chose to have ice cream. We then ended the night back at the Unstable on the hill where we had a few drinks, some of someone's birthday cake, played some pool, and shared a pizza. My car left for the drive home a little after midnight. I did not actually get into bed until about 2:30 a.m.. It was a very long but incredibly fun day.

Be Your Own Individual

"Read, everyday, something no one else is reading. Think, everyday, something no one else is thinking. Do, everyday, something no one else would be crazy enough to do. It is bad for the mind to always be part of unanimity."

"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #11

I was getting a glass of water in the kitchen when my cell phone rang. The ring tone happened to be the song "Chicken Fried." For those of you who are not familiar with this song, the chorus goes like this, "Oh, you know I like my chicken fried. Cold beer on a Friday night. A pair of jeans that fit just right, and the radio up. Well I've seen the sunrise. See the love in my woman's eyes. Feel the touch of a precious child, and know a mother's love..." So my ring tone played when I hear this voice come from behind me....

Jonathan (with a HUGE smile on his face): Hey!!! My dad like to drink cold beer on a Friday night too!!!!

It was SO funny, especially because I had no idea he came up behind me at all.
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Apparently at lunch time one of the kids spilled their cup of milk all over the floor....

Jonathan: Hey, game fowl!!!!!!!
Miss Becky: Jonathan! Where did you learn that from?
Jonathan: My grandpa.

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As I am changing Josh Neary's diaper... Just another part of my job.

Me: Josh it looks as though either the last person who changed your diaper didn't wipe you enough or you are just starting to poop...
Josh Neary: I am not pooping. Uh-huh.
Me; Well, since I was the one that changed you last I am pretty sure you were trying to, bud.
Josh: No, I'm not starting. I started to on Saturday.

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While we were outside on the playground....

Miss Ingrid: Hey Josh, come over here! I need to tie your shoe.
Josh Neary: Nuh uh!
Me: You know Josh, when you trip and fall because you don't want to have your shoe tied I won't feel so bad for you... just saying.
Josh Neary (yelling as he is running around): That's not gonna happen!!!!

Two minutes later... Josh tripped on his shoe lace and fell......
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Today during circle time we were singing "I'm bringing home a baby bumble-bee." I was trying to see who remembered the song by stopping between each stanza and asking what happens next... there is one line in this song that goes "I'm puking up my baby bumble bee." Don't ask. I didn't write the song. I just sing it... anyway.

Me: What happens to us next?
Josh Lindauer: Puking up the bee.... but we don't actually really puke it, just fake puke it, right?

It made me laugh.

What I Want To Do Before I Die

Facebook Photo Challenge: Day 15 - What I Want To Do Before I Die.

I am a pretty simple girl in so many ways and with that comes some pretty simple thing I want to have accomplished before I day. This quote pretty much sums up everything I hope to have done in my life. I use it as a reminder to myself of what I need to do to keep focused on that goal.

I Am One Lucky Girl. :)

Dear Friends,

Try each day to follow Christ's word. Listen to Him as a true friend with whom you can share your path in life. With Him at your side, you will find courage and hope to face difficulties and problems, and even to overcome disappointments and set-backs.
You are constantly being offered easier choices, but you yourselves know that these are ultimately deceptive and cannot bring you serenity and joy.
Only the Word of God can show us the authentic way, and only the faith we have received is the light which shines on our path.
Gratefully accept this spiritual gift which you have received from your families; strive to respond responsibly to God's call and to grow in your faith. Do not believe those who tell you that you don't need others to build up your life! Find support in the faith of those who are dear to you, in the faith of the Church, and thank the Lord that you have received it and have made it your own!

Pope Benedict XVI

Tonight I was given this quote from a dear friend in a little note. He was telling me thank-you for being one of those who help builds up his life. It was a sweet little thing that touched me dearly. I try to let those I love and care about how much I love and care about them and how much they mean to me. I thank God everyday for the AMAZING people he has placed in my life. I really don't know where I would be without these great family members and friends to lean on for support. They are truly the best gifts He has given me.

The Best Verse In The Bible....

Psalm 46:10
'Be Still and Know that I AM GOD'

Sometimes this can be easier said then done.....

1 Corinthians 13:4 Prayer

Lord,
Because love is patient…Help me to be slow to judge, but quick to listen. Hesitant to criticize, but eager to encourage,remembering your endless patience with me.

Because love is kind… Help my words to be gentle and my actions to be thoughtful. Remind me to smile and to say “Please” and “Thank You” because those little things still mean so much.

Because love does not envy or boast, and it is not proud… Help me have a heart that is humble and sees the good in others. May I celebrate and appreciate all that I have and all that I am, as well as doing the same for those around me.

Because love is not rude or self-seeking… Help me to speak words that are easy on the ear and on the heart. When I’m tempted to get wrapped up in my own little world, remind me there’s a great big world out there full of needs and hurts.

Because love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs… Help me to forgive others as you have forgiven me. When I want to hold onto a grudge, gently help me release it so I can reach out with a hand of love instead.

Because love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth…Help me stand up for what is right and good. May I defend the defenseless, and help the helpless. Show me how I can make a difference.

Because love always protects and always trusts… Help me to be a refuge for those around me. When the world outside is harsh and cold, may my heart be a place of acceptance and warmth.

Finally, because love always perseveres… Help my heart continually beat with love for You and others. Thank you for showing us what the word love really means. Amen.

By Holley Gerth

"To Err Is Human, Forgive Is Divine"

Last night at holy hour I was asked to be the speaker. The topic was all about forgiveness. I was very excited for this talk and all was going well with it until I woke-up yesterday morning. I woke-up sicker than I have all week. I did not have a fever so I managed to make myself still go into work. As the day progressed, however, I began to feel worse and worse and eventually ended up with a 100.5 degree fever. I took advil and was very tempted to skip holy hour. It would not have even been a mental debate had I not promised to speak. I decided to take advil in hopes that the fever would go down and I could give the talk. Luckily, it did go down, and I did still give my talk. I had planned it for about ten to fifteen minutes. but fighting a really bad cough I shortened it quite a bit, but still managed to keep the important parts in my very short talk. I will share my outline with you all here....

I. Introduce myself and my talk.

"To err is human, to forgive is divine"

-Alexander Pope-

II. How we are all called to forgiveness

A. God does not call us to do anything He would not do Himself

1. confession

2. how some of Jesus' last few words before His death were "Forgive them Father, they

know not what they do."

II. Some common misconceptions about forgiveness

A. How some people believe that when we forgive someone we are condoning the action that

they did

1. We can only forgive what we believe is wrong

2. We are not condoning what happened. We are only choosing to move on from it.

B. Some people believe that we have to be asked for forgiveness in order to forgive

1. Again not true because, sadly, not everyone will be looking for forgiveness

2. Forgiveness is internal

3. We do not even have to tell the person we are forgiving that we forgive them.

III. Why forgive?

A. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves

B. Forgiveness challenges us to believe that the final outcome of a situation does not have to

be our hurt.

C. Every meaningful relationship must have forgiveness involved

D. When we forgive we tend to gain more confidence and are happier when living in the

present moment.

E. Physically people who are better with working on forgiveness tend to have lower blood

pressure and lower stress-levels.

F. When we forgive we tend be less likely to have problems with substance abuse and

depression.

IV. What happens when we do not choose to forgive?

A. We allow to continue being prisoners of the situation.

B. We are not really in control of the situation, the situation ends up controlling us.

C. We bring our anxieties and bitterness into our future relationships

D. We can not fully enjoy the present when we are holding a grudge about something that

happened to us in our past.

E. People fall into depression more easily

F. Most importantly we put up a barrier between our relationship with God.

V. Forgiveness is a journey...

A. It is not always an easy process. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years

depending on the degree of hurt that a situation has caused us.

B. To help us through this journey we must rely on God and our faith. We cannot do it alone.

VI. We all make mistakes

A. We are all human and no one is perfect

B. Compassion is a key ingredient to forgiveness. We must show compassion to one another.

C. Forgiveness is supposed to be a humbling experience. We are not supposed to believe we

are better than the other people involved because we are forgiving them. It is not

supposed to be like that at all.

VII. Share the story of St. Maria Goretti

VIII. Conclusion

End with

"We do not really know how to forgive until we know what it is to be forgiven.
Therefore we should be glad that we can be forgiven by others. It is our
forgiveness of one another that makes the love of Jesus manifest in our lives,
for in forgiving one another we act towards one another as He has acted towards us."

-Thomas Merton-

"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #10

I know I haven't done one of these in a long while... but here we go.

My eight year old nephew came to visit me at the daycare. He was having a lot of trouble trying to climb the rope...

Me: Hey, Isaiah, do you want one of my little kids to show you how it's done?
Isaiah: If I can't do it then they can't. They're littler then me.
Me: Hey, Sofie. Come over here. Do you want to show my nephew how to climb the rope?
Sofia: Yes.
Sofia climbs the rope in about thirty seconds.
Isaiah: Well, can she climb back down?
Sofie climbs down the rope with out a problem.
Isaiah: She needs to be my teacher!
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Marva: Hey Sofie, what's on your shirt.
Sofia: A ghost.
Marva: What else is on your shirt?
Sofia: polka ducks.... there are also polka ducks on my pants too.

What she meant was polka dots..... lol
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Camille thought she saw Jacob put some chalk in his mouth....

Camille: Hey Jacob, what is that in your mouth???
Jacob (with a face that looked at her like she was crazy): I have teeth in my mouth!

It was too funny!
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Kaytlin: Marva, what color are your hands?
Marva: Brown
Kaytlin: What color is your face?
Marva: Brown
Kaytlin: What color is your body?
Marva: Brown. Kaytlin, what color are your hands?
Kaytlin (studying her hands with a serious look on her face): Uh, uh, uh, I think yellowish?
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During circle time we were practicing a song for a thanksgiving day feast had had for all the families to come and attend. It is an Native American song and one of the lines is "This is the way we wash our clothes wash our clothes wash our clothes. This is the way we was our clothes. We are the wampanoag." there are other lines like "this is the way we plant our corn..." etc. After the washing the clothes verse one of the kids says this:

Dash: I just take my clothes out of the dryer at home and they're clean.

After he said that we got into a discussion about how different the lifestyles of the people were at the time of the first Thanksgiving. How they had to hunt their food and make their own clothes and how they washed their clothes... how they did not have a supermarket like we do today, so forth and so on. FInally one of the girls cuts in...

Savannah (with a very serious face): Uh uh... That's, that's a joke!

It was too cute.

I Am A "Lyric" Person

"You know I've got this theory, there are two kinds of people in the world. There are lyric people and music people. You know, the lyric people tend to be analytical. You know, all about the meaning of the song. They're the ones you see with the CD insert out like 5 minutes after buying it, pouring over the lyrics, interpreting the hell out of everything. Um, then there’s the music people, like Brooke. Who could care less for the lyrics as long as its just got like a good beat and you could dance to it. I don’t know, sometimes it might be easier to be a music girl and not a lyric girl. But since I’m not, let me just say this. Sometimes things find you when you need them to find you, I believe that. And for me its usually song lyrics."

-One Tree Hill (Peyton Sawyer's character)-

I read this quote for the first time today, and I can totally 100% understand where this quote is coming from. If you are new to this blog and have not yet seen a post where I talk about the lyrics of a song, then just wait it out a little bit and sure enough I will post one. Better yet, you can read them by clicking the music link on my side-bar. I am obsessed with songs which have emotional and memorable lyrics. Lyrics are poetry and if they touch me without hearing the song then I know the song has got to be a piece of art. There are definitely certain song lyrics that have truly changed my life. That usually happens when it is spot on to what I need to hear or what emotion I am feeling. Lyrics can be beautiful... they can also be harmful depending on what the writer is trying to convey. Just another thing I am careful about.

Being Short Is Better

If I could change one thing about myself (not that I think about this all the time or anything) I would add a few inches to me height. Being 5'21/2" in. is not that small, but it is enough to be somewhat frustrating. I am not going to lie, I did not complain about my lack of height while standing around my tall friends when we were waiting for the March to start last week... That came in very handy for me as they all blocked the wind from my sister and I, so we were pretty warm. There are times that being short is not fun. Trying to see something when in a large crowd of people, or when at a movie theater a tall person almost always sits in front of me and blocks my view of the screen so I have to move in an uncomfortable position to see the movie. Those are just a few examples, and I could write more, but I do not really want to.


The reason why I am even talking about height is the other night I opened up a Mother Teresa book and this is what it said:

"In the Gospels, Zaccaeus was a little man who wanted to see Jesus. He tried in many ways, but he could not see Him until he accepted that he was small. That acceptance let him to the next step, the acceptance of the humiliation that he had to climb a tree so that he could see Jesus, an so let everyone know that he was very small. We need the same kind of humility for us."
-Mother Teresa-

After reading that I guess I do not mind being short....