Ways to Keep God First

It is all very good and well to say that God is your top priority, but is He truly? Sometimes we have to take some time to do an examination of conscience, and take an honest look deep within ourselves. Some time in a quiet place to look at our weaknesses and strengths, which virtues do we need to work on, which sins have a hold of us, where and how we spend this precious time that God has given us, and what goals are we striving towards. It may take more than an afternoon. I have often times spent weeks and up to a month working on this on occasion. It is good to do this at least once a year, or those times in your life when you feel nothing you do is right, may be a sign that you are the problem, not others. I am going to call these "tips" because they do not have to be done in any certain order, you can start all today, or do one at a time; and there is no time frame for "completing" them. They are tips for things that should be integrated into your daily life, and become a part of you, not something checked off a to do list, and then move on with your life.

As Catholics we have a perfect way to help keep us centered on this examination and keeping God first; the sacrament of Reconciliation, confession. The more often that you go, and the more honest that you are in confession, the closer you come to Jesus. Remember that it is Jesus speaking to you in the confessional, He is just using a priest to speak through. It is good to look for a spiritual director, if you are lucky enough to have more than once priest at your Parish, go to all, and see which one fits with you, and who understands you, who you can have open discussions with. Though it doesn't have to be a Priest at all; it can be anyone who you trust to be honest with you, and who holds your eternal salvation as a high priority, who wants to see you achieve Sainthood! It can be your spouse, parent, sibling, friend. Pray for a spiritual director, and Jesus will point one out to you. He did for me, and for many Saints that I have read about who searched for a spiritual director as well. St. Faustina Kowalska was granted a vision of the priest who was to be her spiritual director so clearly that when she met him at a retreat, she recognized him from afar, and thanked Jesus. Receiving reconciliation and speaking with a director will help you keep your weaknesses, strengths, virtues, and temperaments pointed toward eternity with God. If you do not have a spiritual director start praying and your search today. Eternal salvation is more important than today's game!

The second item that will help keep God the top priority is prayer. Go so far as to make a list of the prayers that you would ideally want to pray on a daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal basis. Then start putting them into your schedule. It is okay to add one at a time. You don't want to burn out, you want to grow into this life. The more you say prayers, the more you will know God, therefore the more you will talk to God, and the more He will become the most important person in your world. God wants us to pray to Him constantly. He wants our whole lives to be a prayer. Most of us have daily planners or at least a to do list. Add your prayers to this list. Trust me, it is okay! It will help you keep focused on them while they are becoming habits. We all have habits, good ones and bad ones. It is easier for the bad ones to sneak in before you realize what is happening. We have to work on the good habits! My daily prayers are Morning offering, grace before each meal, a rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and bedtime prayers. I also love to pray openly, having simple conversations with Jesus while I am washing the dishes, or scrubbing the bathroom, or driving down the road. If you miss a scheduled prayer, stop and do it as soon as you realize it, but before you start, apologize to God, this will help keep you accountable as to what is your top priority, and with God as number one priority in our lives, most of our day should be in prayer. Other prayers that can be special non-daily ones are prayers to Saints on their feasts, and when you need their help. I like to say the Litany of Humility, and the Divine Mercy Novena, and my husband or I attend Holy Hour for Life once a month. Search for prayers, and devotions that pertain to your journey, and start to implement those into your life. Another way to pray is to offer things to God. Offer your pain both physically and mentally to Jesus in reparation for past sins, for the sins of others, or for intentions such as an end to abortion, or to help someone who is in purgatory. You can also offer a chore you do not want to perform, or a conversation with someone that is difficult. This is a way to make your life a prayer.

Another way to keep God as number one is to attend mass at least once a week; daily if possible. Mass is offered daily at every Catholic church, surly there is a time that you can make. Though I like to watch daily mass on EWTN because it is hard to keep my toddlers still in the pew. Though it may not be commonly talked about, but missing mass on Sunday is a sin, unless you are ill, attending to someone who is ill, or if there is no mass in your area.You must confess missing mass in confession. Attend all Holy days of obligations, and feasts that are important to you and your family. We love all the masses of Holy Week.

Another tip is to read spiritual books. Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, read about the Saints, read the Saints writings, read the Encyclicals of the Pope, and past Popes. I like to spend spend 15-30 minutes in the morning before the kids get up reading, or on a rainy day when the kids are watching a movie, sit and read something. Also, read the Bible daily. Even if it is just the four daily mass readings, or one chapter, or even a couple of verses of a chapter. Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of God. This doesn't mean that you have to memorize it, though there will be lines that you will memorize just because you love them and they mean something to you! They also make all these onto cd's that you can listen to in your car. My husband likes to do this since his job is driving, and he has a 80 mile commute back and forth every day.

Another tip is to keep pictures and statues and crucifix's around our homes. When you look up from the TV or computer, and see Jesus or Mary or a Saint staring at you, you will think of God; you may even turn off what you are doing! My husband and I have almost achieved putting a crucifix in every room of our home. This was my husbands idea, and truly the kids love it as well. One of my sons always likes to know where Jesus is!

Another tip is to work on improving your virtues. Know what the deadly sins are, and what the different virtues are. Then know yourself and which ones you need to work on. Jesus will help you, and He will bless your efforts. Apologize when you fail, and just try harder next time. Remember not all Saints were born saints. Most of them had to work hard to achieve sainthood, as most of us souls will have to do. For encouragement I recommend Confessions by St. Augustine, and read about St. Francis of Assisi. Benjamin Franklin was known to carry a small pad of paper where he would keep a tally of his failures in virtues and sins; so that he could better know himself.

Another tip is to learn the Church's position on social and political issues, so that you are not lead blindly into mortal sin. The truth is the truth, and a lie is a lie, no matter how many people believe a truth is a lie and a lie is a truth. Earth is a spiritual battleground between God and Satan; this is a truth, don't let anyone tell you any different. And if you are not fighting WITH God, you are against Him. Find a cause that means something to you, or one that God is pointing to you, and then help spread the truth, and work towards it's distruction.

Through these, you will grow closer to Jesus, and you will succeed at keeping God truly as your top priority. You will be able to hear Jesus voice clearer and be able to discern what is right and wrong, and what He is calling you to do with this life He has given you, and you will clearly see the path that He has laid before you on your journey to Heaven. And you will be equipped to help your spouse, and your children along their path as well.

Your Marriage & Your Community

As followers of Christ we are called to proclaim and teach the world about Christ and the amazing miracles of who He is, and what He has done for us. We are baptised sons and daughters of God; we are confirmed soldiers of God in the spirtual battle of good and evil; and we recieve the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation for our strength. My personal view is to leave the Bible thumping to the Protestants, and for us Catholics to lead by example. Just like the children's song "They will know we are Christians by our..", they will know we are Catholics by our lives.

But how does this apply to your marriage? In this destructive age that we are living in, a society that is trying to murder God's children, and marriage itself, it is even more important than ever that TRUE marriage is displayed as an awe inspiring goal for the rest of society. Your true Catholic marriage is a light shinning in these dark times. To participate in the community as a family, you are showing the people on the streets how important marriage and family is, and what a marriage can accomplish. What a real marriage, between one man and one woman, was meant to be by God. You may not be shouting it from the rooftops, but the average person or child passing by, or being helped by you, will see your example, and will not forget it. By sticking together through the hard times, and the good; by our morals and ethics shown through our actions, priorities, and children's behavior; by our inner joy and peace that will shine through us while we are living our lives according to the Catholic doctrine, and trusting in Jesus;  being available to help and serve God through our participation with our neighbors and communities.

Choose activities that you can do together as a unit. Participate in community events and games, join and/or volunteer at local organizations such as your local Pro-Life group, Ministry Center, school Parent-Teacher organizations, Boy and Girl Scout troops, Habitat for Humanity, Relay For Life, etc. The key is to learn what your talents are individually and together and then search for groups and activites that suite your God given talents and gifts; and then get the whole family involved.

We are also called to love our neighbors, and we can show this love by volunteering in our communities with our time and money. Be the neighbor that your community can count on. I must also warn here, not to take on too much. Pray before you start anything, and ask whether this is something that Jesus wants you to spend your time on. We are all given different gifts, and so not everything is suited for everyone. Also, remember your list of priorities, and if your community participation starts to take priority over your top 4, then you need to step back and take a good look at what you are doing, and if you need to cut back, or delegate more out. One or two Parish committees, and one or two community organizations are plenty. More or less, depending on what position you take within these groups, and your family size and age, and your job demands.

On Having Babies

The objectives of the marriage vocation are 1. To help lead your spouse to sanctity. 2. To cooperate with God in the procreation of new life (to have kids!) 3. To raise up new souls for Heaven. A call to the marriage vocation, is a call to be parents. As a Catholic you are to be open to getting pregnant at all times, unless serious reasons not to exsist. The serious reason is that a pregancy holds a high risk factor for the mother's death, while there are still young children at home to care for. The size of your house, the model and year of your car, your education level and financial status's are NOT reasons to prevent or postpone pregnancy.

Therefore, we must spend time talking about having babies. When you get married, and say your vows, one of them is that you will be open to new life, and are willing to raise children. The Catholic Church's position on contraception is that it is evil. It removes God from the center of your marriage, where He should be. Using contraception in my view is like spitting in Jesus' face! When you take that pill or shot, or whatever you use, you are saying to God "I want what I want, when I want, and I don't trust you or care about you; only me at this moment in time!" This is what contraception says in the spiritual realm. Tubal ligations and vasectomies are worse. They are mortal sins due to the fact they are self-mutalation.

Health wise, all forms of contraception are very harmful to women, and to men. Let's visit a few of the main ones used today, and the common side effects, short and long term. There are literally hundreds of books and resources that have published all of this material. I will take excerts and statistics from the 4th Edition of the Art of Natural Family Planning, because that is what I happen to have on hand this morning to refer to easily. The number one form of birth control used in the USA today is abortion. In 2003 26.4% of abortions where committed by married women. Besides the FACT and TRUTH that abortion at ANY day of a pregnancy is murder, they also cause unmeasreable amount of grief, remorse and depression in both the woman and man involved in the killing. Abortion is also linked to breast cancer. If you have even 1 abortion your chances of getting breast cancer doubles! It is also makes it harder to get pregnant when you want to, the misscarriage rate increases. Also, side effects and birth defects in future children have been reported. There is also a high risk of dying yourself, from the killing of your child. If you have had an abortion, please take the opportunity for Mercy and forgiveness given to you by Jesus, and go to confession. He WILL have mercy on you, and He WILL forgive you. Then, I would like to direct you towards Rachel's Vinyard.org.

The pill. All forms of the pill, as well as the Depo shot, and Norplant implants are in their roots, chemical abortifacients. These chemicals cause suppression of ovulation, thicken the cervical mucus (making it hard for sperm to get through) and makes it harder for the baby to attach to the endometrium. The pill's also affect the Fallopian tubes and Corpus luteum. In 2003 research estimated that 25% of ovulations that women had while on the pill resulted in pregnancy and subsequent early abortion. Of all the women on the pill, that estimates to 1,945,800 babies every YEAR aborted by the pill. That is higher than the surgical abortion rate. The pills are also linked to breast caner, cervical cancer, liver tunors, heart attacks, brain hemorrhage, strokes, and blood clotting defects. Also, it is linked to having trouble concieving when you are ready, depending on how long you used it, it may take years for your body to heal itself.

 But, how does this effect men, and the rest of the world whether or not you choose to take the pill. We share the same water supply. Just like taking all medications, the chemicals (such as the abortifacants and estrogen hormones) are excreeded when you use the restroom. They then travel to the water supply. Most water treatment plants do not have the capabilities to clean these chemicals from the water, therefore they travel back to homes in tap water. And are consumed by women, men, and children. These chemicals and hormones are starting to show their effects on the rest of society. Young girls are starting their peiods at earlier and earlier ages. Boys and men are showing higher estrogen levels in their systems leading to lower testosterone levels and sperm counts. These conditions, especially in males can lead to self confusion, and depression. I don't think that I am stretching it here, to say that this is linked to the high rates of infertility and homosexuality, and suicide in the United States. I would also like to add a sentence about these products being pushed on women in third world countries, and the lack of doctors and hospitals in their areas capable of handling all the side effects.

Barrier methods include condoms, caps, diaphragms, foams, jellies, sponge, spermicides. Though these items have less serious health risks to the man and woman using them, they are also very ineffective, I believe at last count 95%; and have serious side effects for the baby and future babies. They double your risk of miscarriages in the first three months then other women. They have (especially while used in conjuntion with spermicide) also been linked to birth defects, and preeclampsia. There is also a high risk of having an allergic reaction or developing toxic shock syndrome. Withdrawl is extremely ineffective, and just flat out not worth it to the man, and the woman involved.

Tubal Ligations and Vasectomies: Though not highly publicized, Post-Tubal Ligation or Post-Sterilization Syndrome is very common. Some symptoms are unterine bleeding, more painful periods, pain during intercourse, and pelvic pain. Many of these symptoms lead to having to have a hysterectomy. You may also have an ecoptic pregnancy. Both tubals and vasectomuies are not 100% effective! Ecoptic pregnancies end in the death of the baby, and maybe the mother if not treated soon enough. There are high surgical risks, especially when done within 14 days of giving birth. Women have died from cardiac failure, wounds of the bowels, bladder, and large blood vessals. These are cause by inflating the abdomen with nitrous oxide to perform the surgery, intra-abdominal explosions have occured. So why not let you husband just have a vasectomy? Because it CAUSES prostate cancer.

So what can Catholic's do when there is a grave reason not to get pregnant. I am just now starting to learn this. At the birth of my third child in 2005, I was told my uterious was thin. At the birth of my fourth child in 2008, my doctor told me that my uterious was paper thin, and that if I was to get pregnant again, I have a high chance of miscarriage or hemorrage which may lead to my death if not treated quickly. For us, for the first time in our marriage, we are having to deal with prevention. There are three approved methods of pregnacy prevention and delaying in the Catholic church. The first is abstinence, the second in Natural Family Planning (NFP), and the third is breastfeeding. All of these methods are natural, they work with the bodies normal functioning. Abstinence is the only form of birth control that is 100% effective. There has only been one case in all of human history when a woman practicing abstinence got pregnant. Mary is a glorious exception, and you are not her! Breastfeeding, besides being the best food for your baby, and the best way for your body to heal after childbirth, will naturally space children about 2 years apart. I breatfeed all 4 of my kids for their first year, and I did not ovulate until they were weaning; though there are some women who do. There is also prayer. Since I learned the news of my uterus, I have been praying for God to heal me. He wants to know your concerns and thoughts on all matters of your life, including your motherhood and fatherhood. Talk to Him, and he will listen, but in the end, you must TRUST in Jesus, that he knows what is best for us. Remember He can see past and future, He knows more than we do.

NFP is a method of charting not only your daily waking temperatures, but it is also observing external and internal signs that you are ovulating. This method asks that you abstain during the 7-14 days of the month that pregancy is likely to result. You learn these from your charts. NFP is also the best method for people who are struggling with infertitly to achieve pregnancy, by not abstaining these 7-14 days. There are textbooks, classes, and groups to help you learn. NFP is a lifestyle, not a medicine! Some resources for you are available at ccli.org.

The Partnership of Marriage

In every partnership there is a leader, and there are sub-committee leaders, and there are the helpers. In the marriage God is the leader, President, and CEO; the husband is the head sub-committee leader, the Vice President, the supervisor of the committees; the wife is also a sub-committee leader, and a supervisor. It is good to sit down together and actually plan out who is going to lead which areas of the life before getting married. If you didn't, that's okay, now is as good a time as any!

Order of business number one is to both agree that you will refer all decisions to God. Sometimes this means praying together, sometimes seperately and reporting back. What we must remember, especially when trying to make a large decision such as moving to another state, or whether or not to homeschool your kids, is that both you and your spouse are trying to decern what is best for your family. There should be love, respect, and open ears. It IS okay not to make a large decision in one talking session!

Husbands have the directive from Paul  in Ephesians 5:21-33 "to love your wives as Christ has loved you." This should be your thought as you make the final decision in any matter, big or small. Out of love springs respect and compassion. Remember a leaders foremost concern is the well-being and personal growth of those he is in charge of. A great leader listens well to those around him and seeks guidence from above. A great leader also knows his own strengths and weaknesses, and also of the other is his group so he can best determine who is sub-committee leaders in the different areas. Some big committee's in a marriage include prayers and prayer times, purchases, bill payment, meals, home maintenence, and the daily care and education of the children. These may be govern by you, or deligated to your wife depending on her strengths and weaknesses and yours. Some you may wish to work together on. My husband and I work together on prayer times, and purchases. We both determined which prayers are important to us on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis; and have implemented them. We say grace before every meal, and bedtime prayers as a family. We each try to say a rosary a day. I also say morning prayers with the children, and the Divine Mercy chaplet in the afternoon. My husband also leads different prayers through the months and seasons in our home; including one in the car before we take a trip together. The children especially like these. We also work together on home maintenance. I do the daily cleaning and organizing, and he does lawn care and repairs. He has also deligated a few items to me; such as bill payment, meals and daily care of the children. Some of these items will naturally flow to committees on their own without much thought and discussion, however, if you do not discuss with your wife that you expect her to keep the house clean, she may become resentful that it always falls on her shoulders. If she knows that this is a job you would like for her to do for the betterment of the marriage she will more gladly take the roll. Husband: pray for your wives daily that they may grow in love for God, and have the strength and knowledge to deal with the dealings of the day.

Wives; know that Jesus put men in charge of the marriage to reflect the order of Heaven on earth. Jesus is the bridegroom in the marriage of Christ and the Church, and the Church is his spouse as you are your husbands. Love your husband, treat him with dignity and respect as a loving leader of his family, and as provider for you and your children. Do this, and he will love you, and treat you lovingly and with respect. Care for his home and children as you would for Jesus himself. It is the little things that we women are so great at seeing, and it is the little things that husband's miss seeing, but sense; and when we care for these it gives them peace. One of the best pieces of advice that my mother gave me was to clear a path through the living room, and wash the kids' hands and faces before your husband gets home from work. Also, teach your children to stop what they are doing for a minute and greet their dad when he comes in the door. This will create a haven that he will want to flock too after a long day of dealing with the world. Another important thing to know is what bugs your husband the most. On days when you or the kids are sick, or there just happens to be 5 events in one day, know what one or two things that your husband puts as most important to be done when he gets home. For my husband, it is to have the bed made. Wives: Pray for your husbands daily, that they may grow in love of God, and have the strength and knowledge to deal with the dealings of the day.

Each sub committee in the marriage can also include the children as they reach different ages. They are perfect opportunities to teach them discipline, character, and value as they help with younger siblings, doing household chores, and even balancing a checkbook and shopping prudently. Give them the advice you have from your experiences and your situation, and they will remember when they are husbands and wives.

Rosary for the Unborn Prayer Event Info

The ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event is scheduled to happen on Friday (May 7th), Saturday (May 8th), and Sunday (May 9th), 2010. The Rosary will be prayed for the following intention: For an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn human persons. A person may register to be a participant by going to the website http://www.saintmichaelthearchangelorganization.org/
and registering; or, a person may let his/her intention be known in writing and send it to: Saint Michael the Archangel Organization; P. O. Box 41257; Memphis, Tennessee 38174; U.S.A. A count of the number of Rosaries that have been registered is on the following website: www.SaintMichaelTheArchangelOrganization.org

It was a long day today. Had to run errands to get ready for my son's second birthday tomorrow, and get some bills paid, stopped at a couple garage sales, and even hung around outside playing with the kids. Spring is finally here in the upper midwest and I am itching for some fresh air. The trees are showing some buds. It always amazes me how the world is ordered to toward God. The world reflects Him everywhere we look. That is, if we take the time to look and see. My schedule is about to get hectic with all the end of the school year events and all the birthday's, celebrations, and plans being made. Today I sat back and reflected on the why's in my to-do list; though not all of my list was accomplished. it is good to know the why of what you are doing. What goal are you reaching for; what are you making your priority, what are you reflecting to others as your values, what are you teaching your children by your actions. It is either in Deuteronomy or Leviticus, it escapes me right now; but there is a line that says "Talk with your children in the morning, in the noon, and in the evening, about the way they should go, and when they are old they will follow." I get from this that it is quantity, not quality time that people and children need to truly know and understand the lessons that you are teaching them. Through quantity, you get quality; especially at the swingsets..

The Priorities of Marriage

Today I shall list the priorities of someone who is married. They are in order of importance. Without your priorities in the right order of importance, how can you work TOWARD anything. You just wander aimously through life, never growing any deeper in any area of your life that you hold in any value.

A Husband's Priorities:
1. God
2. Wife
3. Children
4. Job
5. Community


A Wife's Priorities:
1. God
2. Husband
3. Children
4. Home
5. Community

Notice that there are two seperate and different lists. Though they are very similar, they are also very different. Men and women, husbands and wives have different priorities because they are different, and they hold different roles in the relationship. They are equal in value and importance; but they are, and must remain different to be a partnership. If husbands and wives try to hold the same roles then it becomes a competition with no one ever having a chance of winning. But, if they both have a set of priorities that work together to make a bigger whole, then it is a complimintary partnership. Just like God is a trinity, our families are trinities. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; we have Husbands, Wives, Children. Each partner in the Trinity are the same entity, yet play different roles in the creation and salvation of creatures; each person in the marriage and family are the same entity, yet play different roles in the building and salvation of souls.

Husbands and Wives should both put God first in their lives. Prayer, worship, and growing towards a closer union with God should be everyone's number one priority in their day. Without this, you are not in the right place to share anything with anyone, complete anything to the best of your ability, or help anyone else. The goal of life is to be granted a place in eternity WITH God. You may only earn this through God's Mercy, and God's Mercy is granted to those who ask for it. The closer relationship you have with God, the better the chances you have of asking Jesus for that Mercy. Husbands and wives are also accountable to God for each other's souls. Not only should you be building your own relationship with God, but you must be helping and encouraging your spouse to do the same. It is the top priority of your marriage vocation. This leads to priority number two.

Your spouse. Marriage is a vocation for life. Children grow up and leave home; family members move away, jobs come and go, houses come and go. Marriage is what we want standing in the end. Our marriage is our life. Just as the religious men and women in the monestaries and convents let their religious vocations guide where they live, the people they live with, and the jobs they do; we should allow our marriages to lead us the same.

Children: Having children is the fruit of marriage. God brings them forth from your love of one another. According to the Catholic church married couples must be open to new life unless there is grave reasons not to. A grave reason is the mother's health when there are still young children at home who need her. Your annual income, and the number of bedrooms in your home are NOT grave reasons to not have children. Note also, that your children are not the number one priority in your life. They may take up the majority of hours in your day, but their every need, want, desire, and ideal schedule is not the number one priority. God is. And teaching them to love, honor and obey God is priority over sports games and dare I even say, Girl Scouts! And that is the goal of Parenting. To raise children who love, honor, and obey God; to produce souls for God in Heaven. Just like us, their ulimate goal should be a place in eternity.

Your job is next. A husband's job is to work and make money to provide a roof for his wife and children, and food for their tummies. A wife's job is to maintain that house and food to make best use of it for her husband and children. You read that right. I believe women should stay home, and men should work. This is the heart of their partnership. A major part of the building of trust, respect and love in the marriage. The wife must trust that her husband will be able to provide for their needs, and the husband must trust that his wife will not squander their money and resources. Here also, is where a lot of marriages break down. They put job and priority number one, and from there all crumbles. There are exceptions to this. When my husband's business failed I had to help him provide food and clothing for our at the time three very small children. I used the resources available. I sold items we no longer needed, and others we could easily do without. I re-evaluated the way in which, and where we spent our money to more economical ways. I also took a small job as the manager for the income based housing in our town. This was a small job that gave us monthly grocery money, and that I was able to do from our computer at home.

Your community. Loving and serving your neighbors is commandment number 2 according to Jesus.

Matthew 22: 37-39   He said to them, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

We can not sit by or close in on ourselves that we do not see or serve those around us. It is the duty and privilage of all Christians, not only to resepect and care for our immediate neighbors to the left and right of our own homes. It is also to help and serve those in our circle of relationships, parishes, businesses, schools, towns, state and county, and the world. God gave all of us special talents and abilities and we are to use these to better the world and spread his message. For a start, and so as not to hinder your time and ability to keep the other four priorities above this one; choose one committe from your parish, and one committe from your job, your kids' school, or town to join. Pray before you act, asking God to guide you to the right committee and the right place in that committee.

I plan to expand on all these a little further, but looking back over it, I believe it to be a good introduction to these areas of focus. Somebody with a strong background in the Catechesis may have some suggestions, comments, please feel free to comment these, they will all be read with a loving eye!

God Instituted Marriage

Genesis 2:20-24

"The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up it's place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken." That is why man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them shall become one body."

Men and women were created to be partners. Partners not only in cooperating with God to create new life, but to be partners on their journey through life. Husbands and wives are responsible for helping each other to determine the truth, follow the commandments, determine the right path in the situations, for growing closer to God, and ultimately for the sanctification of each other's souls. This is a tall order that should not be entered into lightly, hence the creation of the marriage vocation. It is a lifetime commitment, for richer or poorer, sickeness and health.

God knew it was not good for man to be alone. That we need each other, and especially a partner who we can trust not only to keep us company, or to serve us, but above all to help us achieve. He knew this so well that he even provided it for His own Son. God did not need Joseph to bring Jesus to the world. But He knew that Mary, great that she was, would need Joseph to help her to raise Jesus, and to grow to become the woman who was able to watch her son be beaten and crucified, and to become Queen of Heaven. Mary and Joseph both filled different, but equally important roles in their union. It was a hard time when Joseph obeyed the Angel and took Mary into his home as his wife, even in her condition. It was a decision of love, to love.

This requires a high degree of love. Love is what will bind you together in the hard times as well as the good times. Without love the good times are bad, and the bad times are hell. We must remember that love is not only a feeling, but it is a choice. We can choose to love our spouse, just as we choose to love God and follow Jesus. Jesus gave us the commandment to love, saying it is the greatest commandment. We are to love one another as Jesus loves his bride, the Church, and Jesus loves the Church more than we can fathom; and He has loved her through good times and bad throughout history.

Throughout the Old Testmant God had a high regard for the marriage covenant. And in almost all stories it is through or in marriage that God fulfilled his promises, and guided people down the right path. God promised Abraham decendents as numerous as the stars in the Heaven. Abraham knew his wife was barren. Did he abandon her saying, God has promised me children, therefore has verified my right to break our marriage covenent? No. He stuck with his partner through the hard times, and then was rewarded with Issac.

The book of Tobit (a personal favorite!) is not only a guide on how to choose a good spouse, but is a beautiful outline of what marriage means and takes. Take the time to re-read this short book.

Getting Started

I have been feeling the call for several years that Jesus is asking me to write a book. Though I have always liked to write, and have dreamed of writing the next great novel since I was a kid; I am nervous that I wont live up to what Jesus is asking of me. I do trust that what He wills, He will make perfect! The Holy Spirit has been yelling at me since Christmas to get started. I have read tons of books on motherhood, housekeeping and marriage, but I am not an expert. I don't have the idealized perfect marriage (though I do feel I have a great marriage), and we are not perfect parents, but we communicate and try hard. I think that is what God asks of us, not perfection.

In this blog I will post my thoughts and ideas as often as I am able, hopefully once a day, and through this, hopefully start piecing together some chapters. I will try to limit my rants, but as anyone who knows me, knows I am good at those! I will say, it feels and looks awesome to finally see the title in print! Some chapters will be

• Marriage according to the Church
• The Marriage Vocation
• A Husbands Priorities
• A Wife's Priorities
• Children
• Your Marriage & Your Community

I know there is more, but this is what I have so far. I have debated hard on the title, whether or not to include the word Catholic. But since it is such a part of who I am, and so much of my little ways. I don't want to exclude Protestants, cause I do believe they will get much out of this as well, but without being in full union with the Church, much will be over their heads, or dismissed as unimportant. As someone who grew up a believer in the Methodist, Presbyterian churches, I know first hand that I didn't TRULY know God till I became a Catholic.

How wonderful the feeling in your heart when you finally start trusting God in a large matter, and take that first leap while holding tightly to His hand!