Path to Heaven

Two years ago on Good Friday, the kids and I planned to pray at 3 p.m. in honor of the moment Jesus gave in to his suffering and died on the cross.  However, at 2:58 I found myself driving home from our Zoo trip with exhausted kids in the backseat.  After making the decision to pray silently to myself, my then 7-year-old son piped up from the back, “Mom, pull over, it’s almost 3!!!”  Surprised he remembered, I pulled over on the side of the road where we prayed together for several minutes.

Last year we planned again to pray together at 3 p.m. on Good Friday. That morning the kids and I watched a few Bible stories about Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.  In the early afternoon, friends started arriving for a swim date in our yard.  As the day neared 3 p.m., I wondered again if I should just take a moment to myself for prayer or interrupt the kids so we could pray together. It also crossed my mind that some of these kids might think our family a bit unusual.

In that moment of indecisiveness, I realized that my responsibility as a mom is to live my faith out loud for my children.  At 2:59 p.m. I instructed all the kids to get out of the pool for a moment of prayer.  There were looks of surprise and confusion, but no one argued. After reminding them of the reason for “Good Friday,” we had a moment of silent prayer.  Suddenly, my son volunteered to lead everyone in spontaneous prayer out loud. Tears welled up in my eyes in amazement at his sincerity and confidence in his faith in front of his peers.  While I can’t recall his exact words, it was a very powerful moment and I remember thinking, “Wow, my son really gets it!”

Later I asked him what he thought of interrupting the play date to pray together. He said, “Mom, that was cool.”   Even our children recognize the need for something truly powerful in their lives.

My job as a parent is to lead my children on a path to heaven.  Days like Good Friday make me wonder, who is really leading whom on this path?  Through their small acts of pure faith, my children teach me how to live the Good News out loud.

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.  Luke 18:1

Copyright 2013 Lisa Jones

The Bible

By now you’ve heard the buzz around the new television mini-series, The Bible, on The History Channel.  The Bible is the big budget project of husband-wife team, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, which condenses the Bible into 10 hours of television.  Cardinal Wuerl, of the Archdiocese of Washington, who acted as a consultant on the project, captured the essence of The Bible miniseries in his words:

“The Bible, the made-for-TV video, seeks to introduce a new generation to the Bible, the great book of the works of God. It does so with great passion, exquisite skill and cinemagraphic triumph. My hope is that this video presentation, The Bible, may bring alive its many stories in people’s minds and hearts so that they may be drawn to rediscover the Bible and rejoice in its saving message.”

While three two-hour episodes have aired on the History channel, my family has only viewed the first two episodes.  Our nine-year-old son was the one in the family determined to watch The Bible miniseries after seeing the commercials.  First off, I will say this miniseries might not be for all families and children.  This is the Bible, which is filled with violent stories, especially in the Old Testament.  There were moments just in episode one that were intense for my six and nine year olds. Moments that gave me pause on whether or not they should watch it. The children were most bothered by God smiting the city of Sodom and the binding of Jacob.

But their horror at watching a man willing to sacrifice his son at God’s Will reflects exactly why The Bible miniseries is powerful.  My children know the story of Jacob’s binding, they’ve read it in their children’s bibles and story books; however, seeing the visual portrayal of the story made a deep emotional impact. It caused them to really think about what they were seeing and what it meant.  We ended up pausing the miniseries to discuss Trusting in God, Sacrifice and God’s love for His own Son, Jesus.  How many other television shows give families an entry into discussions of scripture and Faith?

Not only did it lead us into great family discussion, but also The Bible miniseries is well produced and easy to watch.  This is not your cheesy religious television show. It is a “Hollywood” production with all the bells and whistles we’re used to seeing in our secular media.

My only nitpick so far is that since they cover the entire Bible in “only” 10 hours, they skip over and/or lightly cover some bible stories.  When the time would jump forward, the kids, my husband and I would pause the show and discuss what we missed.  It was so very cute when our six year old jumped up to get her Children’s Bible to help out. She then sat with it in her lap turning the pages as the story of Moses developed.  Covering the entire Bible in a television miniseries is an insurmountable task, overlook stories left out because I recognize they had to condense it for television and the Bible stories they do cover, they sparked discussion and we enjoyed.

If you missed the first few episodes of The Bible miniseries, they are airing previous episodes on The History Channel and the miniseries is available for purchase on April 2^nd.  If you are watching The Bible miniseries, what did you think of the first three episodes?  And, are you watching it with your children?

Photo Credit

Copyright 2013 Lisa Jones

Be Still

There are various scriptures that have applied to my life at different times in my life, but I have a specific verse that keeps popping up like a recurring theme. “Be Still and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:11 (NAB) or Psalm 46:10 (RSV)

If you browse through the last four years of my blog posts at Of Sound Mind and Spirit, you will see many calls to “Be still.” And in truth, being still and quiet is not really what I do. It is something I know I should do, but I don’t. Doing and being busy is a large part of who I am. But, sometimes I find I am so busy doing that I can’t see what God is trying to show me, and at times, I miss God speaking to me because I don’t make the opportunity to “Be still.”

While at my parish MOMs group three years ago, the leader shared a song with us one day. “Slow Me Down” by Emmy Rossum. Shannon told us how she was pulled in many different directions as a wife and mom and this song connected with something inside her, calling to her. This is the refrain:

Somebody take my hand and lead me
Slow me down
Don’t let love pass me by
Just show me how
Cause I’m ready to fall

Slow me down
Don’t let me live a lie
Before my life flies by
I need you to slow me down

At the time, I couldn’t sit still long enough to just listen to the lyrics. I kept thinking, “Sure, it’s pretty, but why is she playing this for us?” My mind was racing with all the things I felt we should be doing during our limited time together rather than listening to this song. I couldn’t “Be still” and just hear it.

Fast-forward to this year when my daughter played this same song for me again. While in the car together, she listened to it over and over and over. Finally, it clicked and I “heard” it. These lyrics jumped out and grabbed me instantly bringing Psalm 46:11 to mind. “Be Still and Know that I am God. He is here, attempting to lead me, but I need to slow down and “Be still.”

Shannon had attempted to share this message with me years ago, but I wasn’t ready to hear it yet. Now, I am ready. I am finally ready to “Be still.”

“Slow Me Down” by Emmy Rossum

Rushing and racing and running in circles
Moving so fast I’m forgetting my purpose
Blur of the traffic is sending me spinning
Getting nowhere

My head and my heart are colliding chaotic
Pace of the world I just wish I could stop it
Try to appear like I’ve got it together
I’m falling apart

Save me
Somebody take my hand and lead me
Slow me down
Don’t let love pass me by
Just show me how
Cause I’m ready to fall

Slow me down
Don’t let me live a lie
Before my life flies by
I need you to slow me down

Sometimes I fear that I might disappear
In the blur of fast forward I falter again
Forgetting to breathe
I need to sleep
I’m getting nowhere

All that I’ve missed I see in the reflection
Pass me while I wasn’t paying attention
Tired of rushing, racing and running
I’m falling apart

The noise of the world is getting me caught up
Chasing the clock and I wish I could stop it
Just need to breathe
Somebody please
Slow me down

Photo Credit

Copyright 2013 Lisa Jones

God’s Gift to Our Family

Five years ago, my father had a major heart attack while at our ranch in rural central Texas. Thankfully, our uncle was with him and managed to get him to the county hospital on those dirt roads faster than anyone has dared driving on them before. Miraculously, when he arrived the local doctors immediately implemented a brand-new, grant funded, emergency Life Flight specifically created to transfer rural heart attack patients directly to a cardiac surgeon in downtown Austin. Before the rest of our family even left the Houston area, Dad was in the air. We later learned that Dad nearly didn’t survive the journey. Without that program in place, we very well might have lost him.

It was a Sunday. Brian and I were at the house preparing lunch for the kids when Mom called. It was one of those phone calls where you immediately know something is wrong. I remember just sitting on the couch afterwards, not knowing what to do and feeling completely lost. Shelly and her family had taken a day-trip to Louisiana and were returning as quickly as possible. We decided that Mom and our brother would drive to Austin while I would wait for Shelly to return so she and I could drive together.

I sat and waited, cried and prayed. My husband held my hand and sat with me. I prayed the rosary using the Rosary Army podcast on my iPod for the first time.

Because everything happened so fast, including the rural Life Flight, Dad arrived in Austin ahead of Mom. Upon arriving in Austin, the EMTs were surprised to be greeted coming out of the helicopter bay by so many people – Dad’s sisters, their husbands, nieces, nephews and friends. We were so very thankful they were there when we couldn’t be. Ironically, before Shelly and I even got on the road, Dad went into and came out of surgery and we learned he was expected to survive.

For the first time in many years my parents and their three grown children were together without any in laws or grandchildren. For two days it was just us in a little hospital room for many hours. There were lots of tears, but also many laughs and jokes, the kind of crazy things that remind you of hanging out with your family as a teenager on a Sunday afternoon. Dad kept insisting that he needed regular clothes for the moment (in a few days) when he would be released. Everything he’d packed for the weekend waited 2 hours away at the ranch, so Shelly and I hit the stores for new clothes. Trying to follow his specific instructions for pants, shoes, even undershirts, proved to be quite a bonding experience. We laughed really hard at the store.

The entire experience, though scary and horrifying, when we considered that Dad almost lost his life, turned out to be quite positive for our family.

In the past five years we’ve changed as a family in ways we would not have imagined. Even though we’ve always been a close-knit family, something has changed. We recognize the inevitableness of losing one of our parents. We see the fragility of life and how quickly the unexpected happens.

Dad has changed since the heart attack. Though he still has immense responsibilities at the company, he cut back his hours, taking the time to train others to handle key directions. He consciously makes more time to be with the grandchildren and to exercise daily. For two years at Spring Break he has taken the whole family on a road trip – 9 days, 15 people, 3 minivans and 2,000 miles driving to West Texas and back and another big driving trip to Colorado in the Summer of 2011. We had a marvelous time.

As siblings, we’ve grown closer, strengthening our relationship, talking about how we’ll continue as one family – not three separate ones – when we do lose our parents.

My father has always been the rock of our family, the captain of our ship. The thought of losing him isn’t any less frightening now than it was five years ago, but we recognize that these past five years have been a true gift from God. When I look back on that day and consider how many things were in just the right place at just the right moment… I know it cannot be mere coincidence. We thank God for giving us this time as a family, to continue to grow closer, to know each other, to reconnect, and to be prepare ourselves for the future.

Copyright 2013 Lisa Jones

Notice in the above sentence I said “planning” and “attempting.”  That’s as close as I’ve ever gotten to a perfect holiday season. This year, I’m challenging myself to something different.  I’m throwing out the amazingly high expectations I set for myself and letting myself just experience the holidays with my family.  After all, my fondest memories of holidays growing up are about family, togetherness, and laughter.

Quick – close your eyes and conjure up your best Thanksgiving and Christmas memories.   Are they about how nice the decoration were, receiving the gift you’d always wanted or eating food fit for a five star restaurant?

Not once can I remember how a table was set at the holidays, or how stylish the house was decorated or really if the food was even good.  There are a few great gifts that make me smile but then I remember the fun we had opening them on Christmas morning.  Waiting for Dad to get his cameras set up, sitting on that bright blue carpet with Shelly and our brother in the glow of the colored twinkle lights, and mom smiling through it all.  It really wasn’t so much about the gift.

Even into our teen and young adult years it was about hanging out together.  We recently watched a video of Christmas from my college years. Wow, was it funny and I don’t just mean the 90’s styles.  All of us, Shelly, our brother, our parents and I were just having a good time laughing and messing with each other. The best part about watching was realizing we haven’t really changed all that much.  Obviously some of us have aged a bit in 20 years and the hairstyles are thankfully different, but it was just so us, us together as a family.  And now we are all married with kids but still get together in a loud and crazy, chaotic way that makes me smile.

These consistent memories are what I want to capture for my family this holiday season.

How do you make the Perfect Pinterest Holiday Season?  In my book, it’s about creating simple, warm memories that stick with you to make you smile 20, 30 or 40 years later.

The Perfect Pinterest Holiday Season pin should be a picture of a family together smiling.   Much like the one of ours hanging out in a tree 15 years ago. It’s our 1997 Christmas Card.  Tell me that picture doesn’t make you smile!

The Pinterest Perfect Holiday Picture

Shake off that Pinterest Perfect!  Will you join me in giving yourself a break this holiday season?  Simplify the holidays and focus on creating important memories for your family.  This year, make the holiday season simply perfect with laughter and family togetherness.

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

Let me start off by saying that I strongly believe it is possible to disagree with my friends on politics, religion, and values yet still be friends.  True friends are people you can have a civil discussion with and agree to disagree without damaging your friendship.  But not everyone is a true friend and not everyone can agree to disagree on things we are passionate about.

It is my belief that we can and should talk about politics on Facebook, Twitter, in person or anywhere else we might discuss things important to us.  Many of us profess and discuss our faith on Facebook, so why not politics?  The important thing to remember is to treat others with respect when discussing anything sensitive or with passion.  I have some friends on Facebook with whom I couldn’t disagree more on religion or politics, but I sincerely appreciate seeing and reading their point of view.

However, when you see a political rant with name-calling or an ugly tone from a “friend” that is directed at someone who thinks like you, it can really sting.  The worst exchanges devolve into something hateful and personal from someone you really like.  The question becomes, do you let their comments on Facebook affect how you think or interact with them?  Do you defriend them online?  And sometimes, do you go so far as to defriend them in person?

For me, seeing some of that true ugliness directed towards me or to people who think like me does color my perspective of the person. Seeing someone post nasty stereotypes and attacking comments does make me think differently of my friend.  And when it is grossly inflammatory and repetitive, I will defriend them.

Sifting through your news feed now on Facebook, do you find yourself thinking differently about a person whose political rant attacked or assaulted you in some way?  Did the political season cause you to defriend someone on Facebook or in real life?

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

New Year as a Catechist

My stomach filled with butterflies as I walked back into the parish classroom to begin another year as a 3^rd grade catechist. When I worked over the summer preparing my lesson plans, I was full of enthusiasm and excitement about teaching the faith once again; however, facing a new class of 23 students found me extremely nervous.

My mind focused on the difficulty I had last year getting my footing as a new teacher.  I experienced a roller coaster of emotions from week to week while dealing with the struggles of discipline, learning how to present the material, and finding myself inspired by the students’ demonstrations of faith.

Perhaps I stress a little too much over teaching one hour each week, but I feel the weight and responsibility of teaching and representing the faith.

As I set up for my first class of the new year I took a few minutes to quiet myself and pray, asking God for strength, courage, guidance and blessings to fulfill His will in the classroom. Then I called upon the Holy Spirit to work through me to bring the children closer to God.

By remembering to put God first, I felt calmed.  The children and I had fun in our lesson, learned about God and each other, and the hour flew by. Late in the week, two mothers with children in my class mentioned how much their sons enjoyed the class, which helped me feel reassured and renewed.

Parents have the primary responsibility and vocation for teaching and living the faith by example, yet it is an important responsibility to work as a catechist. Teaching children brings a profound impact on our own lives and personal relationships with God.  Through instructing and witnessing the faith to them, we are reminded of God’s awesome love and the power of faith.  Witnessing God through the eyes of children sharpens the focus on my own faith journey.  We must learn to love and trust Him simply, as a child.  God’s loving embrace reaches us all on our own path towards the cross.

Story of a Soul

Listening to many friends talk of their devotion to The Little Flower and their love of her “little ways” over the years led me to pick up a copy of the writings and biography of St. Therese of Lisieux to discover the beauty for myself. Upon reading “The Story of a Soul,” I was unprepared for the depth of faith and devotion shared by The Little Flower.  Written in a loving, personal tone, her writings begin by explaining her complete devotion to Jesus and Our Lady from a very young age and reflect her experiences, thoughts and feelings throughout her life and years of illness until her death at age 24.

Not knowing what to expect picking up the book, I was immediately struck by the humbleness of her writing; that someone of such great faith would be so humble.  Her personal thoughts reveal a real, flawed woman who worked diligently through her little ways to bring herself closer to God.  St. Therese longed to sacrifice all she could for God, offering up her physical and emotional suffering to Jesus throughout her short life, praying that it would bring her closer to heaven.

I am stunned by the simpleness of her faith. And it was simple, as she even states, and beautiful.  “…I just act like a child who can’t read; I tell God quite simply all that I want to say and He always understands.”  Reading her words, you do not wonder how someone who died so young became a Doctor of the Church.  God graced her with the amazing gift of pure faith.

“Prayer, for me, is simply a raising of the heart, a simple glance toward Heaven, an expression of love and gratitude in the midst of trial, as well as in times of joy; in a word, it is something noble and supernatural expanding my soul and uniting it to God.

If she lived today, I can only imagine what the media or popular culture would say about a young girl wanting so desperately to dedicate her life to God.  With such determination to join a cloister at age 15, that she personally petitioned the Pope during a visitation in Rome. I don’t imagine they would be very kind to her or understand her devotion, much as many around her failed to truly comprehend her at the time.

This book inspires me and spoke to my soul like none other.  No wonder so many have a devotion to The Little Flower.  She speaks with such clarity on very serious matters of faith.  Her little way of turning small things into an opportunity to worship and sacrifice, will bring you closer to God on a path you didn’t expect. St. Therese gives us exactly what she wanted to find for herself. “I will find a little way to Heaven, very short and direct, an entirely new way.”

“The Story of a Soul” changed a part of how I view my love for God. This book, for me, is a perfect example of why we read and study the Saints.  Her amazing example of devotion, sacrifice and her “little way to Heaven” brought me a step closer to Jesus, deepening my own faith.  I predict this book will be one I read again and again throughout my life as I attempt to emulate her simple faith and devotion to an ever-present, loving God.

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

God Sends Angels as Priests

When God spoke to people in the Old Testament, they often heard a clear voice instructing them.  In the New Testament God used Angels to appear and speak on His behalf.  Today, in our modern world, we don’t tend to notice a booming voice or heralding angels, but He is still speaking to us and sending his angels.

There are many ways to hear God, even when we’re not purposefully listening for Him.  Just recently at Mass, in the first reading from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, 18:21-28, we heard that God’s way is not always our way and may be difficult to comprehend. “You say, ‘The Lord’s way is not fair!” Ezekiel 18:25

And in a moment, it was as if God spoke to me directly thru our Priest. Fr. John told us that even though we may attempt to lead a virtuous life that does not prevent struggles from occurring in our lives.  We will continue to have struggles in our lives and within ourselves.  The struggle is inevitable.  However, by allowing God to show us that He is God, by Giving God room to show us who God is, by allowing Him to be in control – that is what we must do to Accept God.

Loving God and Accepting God will not keep our lives free from strife and difficulty, but surrendering to God will affect our struggles. God is for us and God is with us.  God is God and we must meet on His terms, not ours.  We must accept Him and give Him room for God to show us who God is.  This is the living proof of how much God loves us.

That morning, when I walked in to daily Mass, I was struggling deeply with a specific health crisis afflicting one of my children.  I couldn’t understand why this was happening to my daughter – to our family.  We felt like we were doing everything “right” as parents, but our daughter was not getting better.  Hearing God say those words to me through Father John struck deep in my heart.  It was as if Fr. John was merely a vessel that morning that God used to speak straight into my heart.  After Mass, with tears still in my eyes, I said thank you to Father for allowing God to use him to send me that message.  He surprised me by giving me a huge hug and telling me he also needed that same message on that morning.

God still sends us angels, even though we may not recognize them. They appear in the form of people we see regularly, such as Father John, who delivered the message God intended me to hear. Our angels today may be subtler than the Angels of the Bible, but their intercession is the same if we recognize them.

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

It’s not uncommon that many women, particularly mothers, look to Mary as their role model for motherhood. While I love and honor Mary, there are times I have trouble relating to her. After all, in addition to raising God’s own son, Jesus, Mary herself was without sin. When I’m in the midst of household chaos and discipline problems, I have difficulty picturing Mary in the trenches alongside me.

Lately, my go to Saint for Motherhood is St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, a Bishop and early Dr. of the Church. Raised a devout, pious Catholic woman in Africa during the 3rd century, Monica married a pagan, struggled in her marriage, and raised a son who embraced an immoral, hedonistic lifestyle before dedicating his life to God. I myself married a non-Catholic and am raising strong willed, spirited children with an undetermined future. Through these similarities, I can vividly picture Monica deep in the trenches of everyday life.

St. Monica did not raise the perfect family. Faced with a life full of turmoil and difficulty, she didn’t flee, despair or give up. She persisted in prayer for the conversion of her son, husband, and family. Struggling to do what was best for those around her, Monica modeled the Catholic faith for them by sincerely living it. Through trusting in the will of God she persevered and succeeded as her husband and children each found their path to know and love God during their lives. Her most challenging son, Augustine, eventually repented from his immoral life, received baptism, and dedicated his life to God in such a way that we now know him as St. Augustine.

As modern mothers, we can read about Monica’s frequent prayerful weeping over her son and recognize the emotion. We understand the temptations and distractions offered by society – first to Augustine and now to our own children. How many times do we weep through our prayers for our children and husband? Attempting to do what is right or best for those in our care can weigh heavily, so we cry out to the Lord for help with our faith and family as St. Monica did for hers.

“Monica is a shining example for families today, bringing them courage and hope by guaranteeing that with the grace of God, good will, and perseverance, any difficulty can be overcome in building a true Christian family founding upon the values of the Gospel.” From St. Monica: The Power of a Mother’s Love by Giovanni Falbo

In motherhood St. Monica dedicated herself to constant prayer and devotion for her husband and children to grow closer to God. All mothers share this desire for their children to know and love God. Most of us, like Monica, do not have a smooth path leading to heaven, but one filled with temptation and distraction that threatens our goal of eternal life for our loved ones. St. Monica shows us that through incessant prayer for our families and trust in the Lord, we may through the grace of God achieve success.

These days, when I struggle as a wife and mother, I turn to Jesus through the intercession of St. Monica and pray for the same patience, persistence and dedication to motherhood, marriage, and family that she modeled for us.

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

My turning point began while helping my daughter in her own preparation to receive the Sacrament for the first time. We read John 20:19-23 together, where Jesus bestowed the gift to forgive sins on the disciples. We discussed how our sins are forgiven, and we “experience healing and wholeness and the tenderness of God’s divine mercy in the Sacrament.” In Reconciliation, we humble ourselves before God, as he asks us to do. The Sacrament imparts divine grace through the real presence of our Lord.

Watching my daughter walk out of the confessional, I could see her radiate God’s love and embrace a pure faith in Jesus. Fr. John had given her a coin with a prayer inscription to always remember God’s mercy, “Jesus, I Trust in You.” I found myself wanting that radiance and mercy for myself, but my pride and fear stood in the way.

For the next year, everywhere I turned I heard about the healing power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Fr. Roderick from SQPN, Greg and Jennifer of The Catholics Next Door, author Patrick Madrid, author and speaker Sister Briege McKenna, and most profoundly, from my own parish priest Fr. John at Mass. Fr. John consistently spoke on the importance and healing offered to us by Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We were reminded that confessing our sins was only part of it; what we truly needed was the forgiveness, healing and reconciliation Christ offers to us. I knew he and the others were right.

The idea of walking into the confessional and saying, “Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been 21 years since my first and only confession” filled me with trepidation. I was ashamed it had been so long. How can I aspire to be a good Catholic and refuse a Sacrament?

Finally, one day during Lent that year I made up my mind that I was going. I grabbed several books on the Sacrament I had been reading, including A Pocket Guide to Confession, before I left the house and ran my errands. I did not speak about it all day for fear I would once again rationalize myself out of going. With my kids in tow, we arrived at the parish to a line outside the confessional. After settling my kids in the foyer with lots of library books, I waited and silently prayed for guidance.

Simply put, my fear, trepidation and shame were unwarranted. After hearing the words of absolution and performing my penance, I felt a huge emotional release. I had let myself get in the way of my relationship with God. Finally, I was able to hear Him more clearly without the encumbrance of sin. Over the following days and weeks a new spiritual calmness washed over me as I was cleansed and healed by the Sacrament.

Sharing my 21-year absence in receiving God’s healing grace is difficult for me, but I know I am not alone in my avoidance of this Sacrament. If you are like me and have been away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation, please know that your desire to seek the way back to the healing power offered to us by Jesus is in my prayers.

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

I initially chose this book because of the title and description in the Loyola Press catalog, which states in part, “A Well-Built faith … makes it easy for Catholics to know what they believe and to feel confident in sharing those beliefs.”  No matter how much I know about my faith, there is always a hunger to learn more.  This book presents the faith of our Church in a practical, easy to follow style with nice everyday language.  The chapters are cleverly organized around a construction theme that adds nice structure to the book.

Though much of the information presented in this book is not new to me, it is presented in a new way that made it interesting to re-learn and absorb.  The author addresses our faith in four sections: Creed, Sacraments, Moral Life, and Prayer.  The last section on Prayer: Praying Faith really spoke to me.   Mr. Paprocki defines prayer as “…our awareness of the divine presence in our lives.  Prayer is our response to God’s undying efforts to reach our hearts.”  A simple statement; so beautiful to mediate on.   This section does a great job identifying the different types of prayers used by Catholics and offers practical examples to help you recognize all the various ways we answer St. Paul’s call to pray without ceasing.

In my opinion, this book would be a wonderful gift for anyone interested in the Catholic faith or entering RCIA.  It is also a great tool and resource for all of us cradle Catholics who want to brush up on the “why” of our faith or learn things we’ve missed along the way.  A Well Built Faith gives you the knowledge and confidence to be able to share your faith with your friends, family and children.

This book will remain on my nightstand for a long time as a valuable resource as questions of faith arise or when a refresher is needed.

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

My list of Fasting items revolve around time-consuming habits, causing me to question the true purpose of each fast. How are the things I want to give up for 40 days going to help me develop a closer relationship with God? Will my fast encourage me to avoid the near occasion of sin? Will abstaining from these activities lead me to become a more faith-filled person? Facing these difficult questions and answers leads me to pray further about my choices.

When our class discussed Almsgiving, the kids immediately thought of giving money to charity. While acknowledging that fiscal donations are a great service to others, we also discussed more direct ways to help our fellow man. The aim through almsgiving is to love others as Jesus loved us; to live our profession of faith not just through our words, but also through our actions.

Almsgiving is a time to heed a call for change in our lives. Even simple ideas, can lead to profound impact; such as, stop complaining, volunteer for an organization, visit or contact my elderly relatives more often, take a meal to a sick neighbor, or focus on loving others rather than criticizing them.

The pillar I most overlooked in my youthful observance of Lent was Prayer. As an adult, it is the aspect I now spotlight the most, though I admit it is the part of Lent I am least successful at observing. It is been my tendency to go overboard and commit to too many things; however, this year, I am pairing down and focusing on a few big devotions.

Since I did not focus on prayer during Lent as a child, it is my favorite part to share with my children now. There are so many wonderful ways to encourage my children towards prayer during Lent it can be overwhelming. This year we are choosing a couple that the children seem interested in, such as learning to pray the rosary together, and posting new prayers on their bathroom mirror.

We are not called to do only one, but all three pillars to prepare our hearts for Christ on Easter. Lent has grown to become one of my favorite times on the liturgical calendar as I am reminded of humility and sin. This is a special time to reflect on God’s grace and change ourselves to become as God calls us.  Only through God’s grace and mercy will we make it to our ultimate goal of heaven.

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

Recently we learned that in 41% of pregnancies in New York City end in abortion; with higher statistics for minorities:  50% of Hispanic pregnancies and a whopping 60% for African-Americans.  87,000 babies killed in one year in one city.

When counseling pregnant abortion minded women, I heard them say, “I have no choice.”  They would agree with the majority of Americans that abortion is wrong, even telling me they thought it was wrong, and then they’d utter those heart wrenching words, “I have no choice.”  It’s ironic that the pro-abortion movement calls themselves pro-choice, when the women I counseled repeatedly told me they needed an abortion because they had no choice.

Even though I could provide them with information, pamphlets and contacts within organizations to help them with their financial, practical, or health care needs, these women could not imagine facing the difficult or unexpected road.  “I just need this to go away.”  They felt hopeless and lost.  Without a choice.   They could not see beyond what was promised to them as a simple solution, something that could be taken care of quickly, and then promised their life will go back to normal.

Some circles in our society suggest we can make decisions without suffering any consequences.  We have the right to be in control, of our body and our lives.  However, in truth, it is only an illusion of control.  There is hopelessness and a feeling of being lost when we are not trusting God.  With faith, we surrender our life and control to God.  We trust in His will.  There is no such thing as hopelessness and lost when you believe.

And the truth is, there are no easy fixes.  We can’t make something unplanned “just go away.”  Every choice has serious consequences.  We all have choices, including the choice to trust our Lord with our lives.  To blindly trust in Him to walk us through the difficult and unexpected times.

During the 39^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade this weekend, join us in prayer for all the mothers who feel hopeless and lost.  Pray for the women who don’t feel they have the choice to love their babies and give them life.

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

I know many people do not understand why my Christmas tree still stands in the family room.  After all, society begins to celebrate Christmas the day after Thanksgiving and stops on December 26^th.  Once New Year’s Day occurs, all remnants of Christmas is supposed to disappear as we begin to clean, purge, and organize our belongings in preparation for Spring cleaning.

A few years ago, we made the decision to fully embrace the season of Advent, which is preparing for the arrival of the Christ child, and then joyfully celebrate Christmas throughout the full Christmas season, which ends with the Epiphany.

There are many benefits to placing the emphasis of Christmas on the days after the holiday.  Small things, such as not sending out Christmas cards until after Christmas Day, greatly reduces holiday stress for us. We also tend to be less busy in the last days of each year which allows us to fully appreciate and enjoy God’s choice to become flesh and be born among us.

It sometimes is difficult to remain in the Christmas spirit when the rest of the country has moved on after New Years.  While everyone else rings in the new, we are also celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God and waiting for the Magi.

This year, I was really tempted to start taking down our Christmas decorations this weekend, but my 8 year old reminded me that our Little People Wise Men haven’t quite made it to the manger yet to see Jesus.  So there they remain, the Holy Family under the tree and our little plastic Magi making their way slowly across the tile to honor Christ the King.

With this small tradition, my husband and I are attempting to remind our children of the true meaning of Christmas and teach them that it doesn’t end when Santa visits our house and Jesus is born.  It is only the beginning of this joyful season.

Merry Christmas to Your Family from Ours!

Copyright 2012 Lisa Jones

I need to be silent. To be still.  To spend time listening to God.

Sitting in carpool one day, Matthew Kelly’s words in A Call to Joy reminded me of this necessary silence I often neglect.

“Silence is the best way to remember the presence of God.  When we live in the presence of God, we dance for joy.”

Amazingly, when I do take the time to focus on what is truly important, God, my life feels manageable and calm even in the middle of all the madness.  Being silent and still allows me to place God at the center and surround myself with His presence.  Sitting silent, allows me to reflect on all that is good and blessed in my life this Advent.

As you make your own holidays “to-do” list, be sure to add “Be Still and Live in the Presence of God” to the top of yours.  Grant yourself five minutes or more to become centered and witness the calm blessings for yourself.

Copyright 2011 Lisa Jones

The 28-minute show hosted by Fr. Robert Reed is broken into short segments with teams of different contestants. Perfect for limited attention spans, Father Reed engages the kids with energy, enthusiasm and just enough humor to make it fun. In between the questions and answers, Fr. Reed takes a brief moment to tell you something about the most recent question or answer while keeping the action moving right along.

Each show has a topic with questions flowing in a natural order. We started watching with the show on “Christmas” and moved to “Growing Up Catholic.” Their posted schedule also includes shows about Easter, Sacramentals, The Holy Rosary, The Blessed Mother, The People of God and more.

CatholicTV has taken all the elements that make a game show entertaining and mixed it with interactive stuff kids like to create a fun program the whole family will enjoy. When a contestant gets a question right, the underage audience says “WOW!” While I found it a bit cheesy, my kids loved it and were soon saying “WOW” right along with the show. My three, ages 9, 7 and 4 were amazed at how quickly the children hit their buzzers and answered the questions correctly. They found it fun to watch other kids compete on a reality show and now mine desperately want to be on it.

CatholicTV is a nationally broadcast television network streaming a live feed 24 hours a day at www.CatholicTV.com. If you do not receive CatholicTV from your local cable provider, visit CatholicTV Everywhere to help them grow, and then watch their programming directly online at CatholicTV.

WOW is lots of fun! And it’s an entertaining show for our kids about our Catholic faith! What a great combination.

Cardinal Wuerl and Mike Aquilina in this new book magnificently illustrate the innate beauty behind the Mass by breaking it down into various pieces to explain each section in glorious detail.

“When the Church celebrates the Mass, she commemorates Christ’s Passover and it is made present: the sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present.  The Church calls us not jut to a commemoration of long-ago events, as great as that might be, but also to enter the mystery itself- today. We are not bystanders, but participants.”

The first part of the book connects the actions, prayers and liturgies in our modern mass to the mass as celebrated almost 2,000 years ago by the first Christians.  We are reminded in a very direct way that Christ instructed at the Last Supper to “do this in remembrance of me,” and so we continue to “do this” as faithful Catholics in a modern age.

The authors continue throughout the first section of the book to walk the reader through the mechanics of the mass; how we prepare ourselves, the parts of the mass, the roles of participants, the sacramentals used in the mass and even the distinct areas and furnishings of the physical church.  This section of the book explained and defined many attributes of the mass or the church that I routinely see, but never fully understood its function or even its name.

The second section of the book explores details and explanations of the mass that even many Catholics might not know.  Through our personal experience, events and actions within the mass seem familiar or common. The authors describe how each action, each prayer and even the very words we use are designed to draw us into real communion with Christ, so that our participation takes on a new importance in our experience.

If you think attending Mass has become too routine, pick up this excellent, informative book to provide a fresh look at the most familiar type of Catholic worship from both a priest and layperson perspective.  By providing a deeper understanding of the parts and whole of the mass, you will be inspired to view the Mass in a more reverent and passionate way, leading it to become a more necessary desire in your Catholic life.

Copyright 2011 Lisa Jones

I asked for volunteers to share a picture they drew of themselves helping God’s Gift and listing ways to care for His Creation.  After a few minutes I realized that the children missed a major objective of the lesson, as each of them focused on one small part.  Every child save one, 18 in all, showed some way to recycle, plant a tree, a garden or preserve the oceans as their answer.  Only one boy drew a picture of himself helping other people for the exercise.

Is this a reflection of society’s values our children are learning?  That plants, trees, animals and the earth are more important than humans? Every day, their heads are filled with “Save the Planet” and “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” on the television, at school and on t-shirts.  Why are we not flooding our children with the more important message?

God created humans in His image.   We are God’s Creation.

God created us in His image and He calls us to show respect for all people, treating them with dignity.  As Christians, we believe that we are the most precious of all God’s creations.  We cannot care for nature at the expense of the human being.

This year during Respect Life month, we need to shift our focus from “Saving the Planet” to “Caring for all of God’s Creation.”

Copyright 2011 Lisa Jones

Stay Home, Stay Happy; 10 Secrets to Loving At-Home Motherhood

Even after eight years as a stay at home mom, a book with the title, Stay Home, Stay Happy; 10 Secrets to Loving At-Home Motherhood sparks my interest.  Who doesn’t want to know all the secrets that will help us be happy, thankful, and appreciate the best job in the world even when the going seems tough?

Rachel Campos-Duffy writes with a friendly conversational style that invites the reader in to discuss motherhood, as you would with a friend over coffee.  You smile, you laugh, and nod your head at times in a knowing way.  She becomes a girl friend who is sharing her story, her difficulty, and advice as you reflect upon your own.

The section dedicated to centering your life as a mother through the importance of prayer resonated with me.  With many little kids and a busy life, she is practical in her approach of how to achieve a prayer life in the midst of a full family life.

“Prayer will give you and your family strength”

Rachel manages to weave her Catholic Christian faith throughout the book in an unassuming and pleasant way, revealing the importance faith plays in her role as a mother and in their family life.

The idea that we should have friends who are experienced moms to turn to for wisdom and perspective is an important yet oftentimes overlooked relationship. The section on how to choose a mommy mentor made me examine my close mom friendships to discover if anyone is fulfilling that role for me.  And then consider how I provide that role to another friend.

Sprinkled throughout the book are helpful fun quizzes that reinforce the message of each section.  Taking the quiz, “Are You Making the Most of Family Time? What’s Your Home’s Personality?” opened my eyes to how I, as the mother, set the tone for our entire house.  My goal is to have a warm and inviting environment for building strong family bonds, but am I succeeding in doing it for our family?

Parenting books, especially books on motherhood, are as different as each person is unique.  Rachel Campos-Duffy managed to speak to me through her book in a friendly, warm way and gave me comfort that I am part of a group of mom friends who laugh, cry and love while seeking the secret to at-home motherhood.

Copyright 2011 Lisa Jones