Coping with Change Article

http://verilymag.com/4-keys-to-coping-with-change/

“The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change..."

― Heraclitus

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

 Isaiah 40:31

Meaghan's List of Blessings

I soooo love  that you had time to write about the things you are thankful for. You've inspired me to want to do the same:) 

1. I am most thankful for all the wonderful family and friends in my life, who are such a support to me during challenging times.

2. How God continues to bless me in the little things when I don't feel like I deserve them.

3. For my $7.00 red Christmas heels I found at 2nd Avenue. 

I had to post a picture ! 

4. The $50 Visa card I won for having the worst bowling score at my friends charity fundraiser :) Ill tell you the story later! 

5.Being able to spend Christmas Eve with my bestfriend and her wonderful dream husband she asked Santa for ;) 

6. My sweet boyfriend who is always treating me like a princess ( a Christian princess ;)) 

7. My new roommate Jen, who leaves me scriptures and encourages me to be a woman of God.

8. My pay Increase that came early at work! ( I needed 30 credits of grad school not 33 to be able to get it :D )

9. The snow flurries my twin and I got to enjoy together before Church! 

10. Danny and I being able to spend New Years in Deep Creek with Colleen and Paul. 

I could keep going but you might fall asleep;) 

Merry Christmas to You and your Family! 

I Love you! 

I Am Thankful For...

1. God's faithfulness

2. God bringing Paul and me together

3. My sweet, loving, caring, selfless and strong twin!

4.Our beautiful friendship 

5. Being able to see family and friends this Christmas season

6. For my warm and cozy apartment in TN

7.The simple yet beautiful mass we just attended at The Friary in the Glass room.

7. Being able to see God's beauty in life.

8. The lessons God is teaching me

9. The simple and humble things in life

10. For the amazing dinner we are about to eat!

I am beyond blessed! Can't wait to see you:) Merry Christmas dear friends.

 

Christmas Eve Thanks

Ten things I am thankful for this past week…Christmas Eve Edition

1. Everybody in our family getting healthy again
2. God always provides… major financial gifts received, even one anonymous one, awesome!
3. Going to the grocery store solo, a rare treat!
4. Yummy white turkey chili!
5. This song: It’s Christmas! Makes me happy every time
6. This video I laughed and cried at the same time
7. Prayer support from so many people...
8. The man in front of us at the grocery store yesterday, buying the girls each a candy.
9. Having so any beautiful friends!
10. Peter starting his week off this afternoon!! Woohoo!

My Week in a Photo Collage

God's really been teaching me to live in the moment more. One way for me to do that is through photos. I like to take photos of little moments that I enjoy throughout the week. It helps me to really focus on the moment and to appreciate the little things in life.

This week I enjoyed  reading, knitting, packing, having prayer times at dusk and enjoying our gorgeous view. Paul was sick the past couple days. We had a ton of fun watching Christmas movies, eating soup and being weird.

 We made Roudolph noses out of wax from our candle lol.

Here is a great word from Henri Nouwen.

Truffles Gone Terribly Wrong

Here is what they look like up close. I know it was hard to see in the video.

Christmas Let Down (a reflection)

A little post intro: I realized last night that I am in a difficult season. I know and believe all the same truth I always have, but just have not been walking with the same faith and expectation that God is really there working in my life. I feel like there is a new season ahead of me, God is leading me into a new place, that will look different then what I know and wants me to follow him there... 

eating snow, but no yellow snow

sledding down our little hill :)

snowflake tasting (i look so intense, ha)

 Christmas Caroling in Academy Heights (accordion and all)

With that context here is a little Christmas reflection I wrote, after reading a leaflet Peter brought back from the Friary... thought I'd share...

Christmas time is supposed to be one of the most joyful times of they year... but so often it falls short of what we hope it would be. I can have such high expectations of myself and all that I will accomplish, make and prepare. Also, so often my expectations of Christmas itself can fail to be met, all the traditions, beauty, nostalgia, and celebration on the one hand, but at the end of the day I feel utter exhaustion and even relief, instead of full of the peace and joy I was hoping for.

But I must remember, the first Christmas preparations certainly were not perfect, as The Nativity Story portrays so well, Mary was thought to be an adulterer, and even after Joseph took her as his wife, the couple was shunned by their community. Then they were required to travel 80 miles at such a difficult and uncomfortable time in Mary’s pregnancy. Then, of course, Jesus’ birth was less then ideal: there was no room at the Inn, so Mary gave birth in a stable both dirty and smelly, they had rather disreputable guests (shepherds), and then unexpectedly had to flee to Egypt.

It’s pretty clear, Jesus was born into humility; he broke into the mess and even violence of life, but with a purpose. And if I looked to him as my model, maybe my expectations would change dramatically. Perhaps I would take the “perfect” out of Christmas, accept the mess, break traditions that don’t bear fruit, love first even when it’s hard, give presence over presents. Rather then be surprised and disappointed when things get challenging this Christmas, maybe I could find purpose in any difficulty. All I need to do is take a moment and look at the little child in the manger... and then recognize that I am LOVED THAT MUCH, that he would go to such length for me. And be certain that in this child lies my HOPE.     

Seeds-Thomas Merton

Scandinavian Wednesday

For some reason I've been missing snow. While it is rather cold here, there is no snow.  Then I found this sweater in my closet and it inspired me to be Scandinavian-ish today. I decided to make Swedish meatballs in my crock-pot with a side of mashed potatoes, loganberries and homemade rolls.Here are some great bands you should check out who are Scandinavian. You've probably already heard of them because you like unique music. I love them in the winter :)

First Aid Kit (Swedish)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMrqBldlqzA

Sigur Ros (Icelandic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LeQN249Jqw

Here is the link for the crock-pot Swedish Meatball recipe. They were awesome and super easy:

http://feedingmypickyeaters.blogspot.com/2010/11/ikea-meatballs.html?m=1

Inspiration Board

I decided to make an inspiration board. I've put scriptures, quotes, letters, old stamps and lots more on there. It's so much fun. It helps to inspire me on those blue winter days.

Here's what it looks like so far!

I'm giving my Jen King thumbs up for being productive and creative today;)

God's Will

This fell out of a book I was reading today and it was just what I needed to see.

Snow Days

I came across some old pics of Meag and me on a snow day. We always had so much fun. We often watched Anne of Green Gables and baked something sweet :)

  

Cozy Saturday

Pinky rings from Homegrown Silver, the same place I got everyone's necklace from for wedding. They have an etsy account! You should check them out. 

I forgot I had this old vintage map with highlighting from someone's previous roadtrip. Pail and I are thinking of taking the same one.

Found two bags of these at Second Ave. For .90.

Our Faser Fir tree from NC is all decorated for Christmas:) Wish you could see it in person! 

Advent Reflections & Rainy Day Gray

Advent hasn't been quite like I hoped. I imagined slowing down, snuggling, having more time to pray, time to do advent crafts and fun little activities, and fresh baked goodies and tea.

Well I feel more of a mess then ever... I don't know when I thought I'd have time to prep activities and all the various calendars. My Advent calendar, which has nice little activities for each day has been mostly just for show we have opened maybe 3 of the 7 so far, our Jesse Tree has 4 out of 7 ornaments, and I felt the opposite of slow. I have been dealing with a very difficult family situation which has been all consuming... losing sleep, hours of conversations, and half said rosaries interrupted by my own anxious thoughts. Then to distract myself... planning gifts for family, making all our shutterfly calendars/books before the sales run out, taking care of extra responsibilities while Peter spending hours and hours on his project, not praying, making tea but then forgetting about it while I clean up another mess. 

Even now, I just desperately wanted to take this short time to post, as outlet, to you girls... which is nice (letting the kids get in to whatever momentarily is kind of freeing, haha). 

But this morning I woke up 30 minutes before an of the kids. Peter was leaving to give his final presentation (woohoo... its over)! And I snuggled up with my favorite blanket and had a short prayer time. I thankfully stumbled on a mediation from this past Monday, the title "Love Makes Us Beggars" struck me, so I read it instead of the daily one. 

Here what that struck me:

"Sooner or later everyone confronts the limits of human power. The occasion could be natural disaster, illness or a loved one's decision with predictably tragic consequences. You love, you want to avert suffering, but who can control nature's forces, overcome disaster, or save another from poor judgement? Only God, only Jesus. A beautiful thing about love is its power to make us beggars. As soon as we really love someone and desire that person's fullness or happiness, it becomes clear that out love outpaces our power. At this point we become beggars, intercessors, turning to Jesus, for whom nothing is impossible... Advent is the time to confront the gap between our love and our impotence, and to hope against hope... When there is no human hope for healing our souls, humility prepares us for Jesus' coming."

Even in the midst of dealing with other people "tragic consequences", my own deep failures, brokenness in the world all around me, and never meeting expectations, and believing lie after lie... in that place, that humble place, I can only prepare fully for Christ's coming deeper into my heart. So here I am: come, Lord Jesus, come!

Would love to hear any advent reflections from you girls.

Sweater, Tunic: HMD, boots: thifted, leggings: kohls, necklace: ebay

Momma Donna's Advent Calendar & Leyna and Terese's Jesus gift boxes

My Advent Calender

Advent Wreath

Our Jesse Tree bulletin board

P.S. Col, Peter and I didn't do anything super special for advent our first year of marriage. Other then the advent wreath, which we still use. During our devotions, we read through the mass readings (doing devotions like his parents but after instead of before) and we mainly did just the first reading with all the promises leading up to Jesus, and talked about it. Now we use the kids bible :) And we also went on a 1/2 day advent retreat the first 3 years of marriage, which was really nice. Hope you can find some nice things that will make this time special.

Convo's with Terese & Christmas flavored Link Love

Here are some of the latest and greatest from Terese...

While getting a diaper change.
Peter: Whose your friend Resie?
Terese: (silence, just staring)
Peter: Is Emma your friend?
Terese: (pause) No, Emma my cousin, know dat?

Terese barges into the bathroom and sees that I successfully used the potty.
Terese: Great job, Mommy! You want candy corn?

After receiving dinosaur muffins for a birthday.
Me: What kind of dinosaur do you have, Terese?
Terese: A broccoli-surous.

Terese: "Anthony cryin', he need mulk from your belly!"

Terese: I a 'bushka!

Links I love lately:

Best Classic Christmas Song Covers

Loved this post with all the youtube videos included, so many favorite covers!!

Christmas Morning homemade cinnamon rolls

A tradition that I want to carry on, but the last few years I have just bought the pilsbury kind because we have done too much on Christmas Eve. But this year, I'm really hoping to make the homemade ones!

Even better than shopping...

I have been enjoying this minimalist blog, I loved this post that call us out. You spend so much time shopping, why not spend it with the people you love instead. Honestly, for me December is a time that I spend less time with the kids and in prayer and more time making, planning, buying online, so this was a humbling (even secular) reminder of what is important.  

Down-Home Style

Shirt: Thrifted, Skirt: HM, Bracelet: Forever21, Leggings: HM, Boots: Thrifted

Housewife

Scarf: Second Ave., Shirt: Forever21, Sweater: HMD

I figured if I am a housewife, I mine as well look the part;) 

Multi Purpose Thermos

Do you remember these kinds of thermoses? Well I found one in plaid and decided to use it for flowers:)

It's National Cookie Day and Taco Tuesday

Necklace: Sweet Elizabeth Jane's, Ellicott  City, Sweater: Stolen from Meag's closet.

The flowers were from Paul because I've been sick.

Happy Cookie Day! Kids should be off, don't ya think? Too bad I don't have any cookies. It's also Taco Tuesday for us. Jk about the Tuesday part.  I thought it was Tuesday until 2:00 today lol. We are having tacos for dinner tonight  to celebrate our two month anniversary. I decided to wear pink today which is weird because I never wear pink. I thought being a special occasion and being that I actually have a double pink eye infection lol, this would be the most appropriate color to wear;)