A Little Mid-Advent Inspiration

So far, Advent hasn't been too great for me.

I have been very lukewarm about preparing for Christ's arrival.

I'm still not feeling quite at home in our new city, and we have been dealing with illness after illness, teething, and night wakings.  It's been exhausting.  I would say that although I have been complaining an awful lot to God, I have been neglecting my relationship with Him.

Thankfully, He is so generous and merciful--always ready for us to begin again.  He is always there, waiting for us to "put down our nets" and follow Him.  Now, finally, mid-way through Advent, I am ready.

Something that helped bring me here was a Lighthouse Catholic Media talk entitled "Love Hurts:  The Truth Behind Redemptive Suffering."  I listened to it once before, but yesterday, while ironing and folding laundry, I listened more carefully.

It was exactly what I needed to hear and ponder upon...

~~~

All of us suffer.
But our suffering doesn't have to bring misery.  In fact, as Christians, it should bring us joy.

I needed to be reminded of this.
I needed to be reminded that since we're going to suffer anyway, we might as well do something efficacious with it.
I also needed to be reminded of the reasons we do voluntary penance.

Advent is a time to detach ourselves from the fleeting aspects of this world and seek the eternal.
It is a time to go deeper.

In order to draw closer to God, I pray He will help me with the following:

Slow down my prayers and mean the words I am saying.
Go to Adoration and be with Jesus, even if it's just for five minutes.
Go to confession.
Be more generous in the love I give to others.
Remember why I'm alive.

~~~

I hope your Advent is going well, but if it isn't, there is still time for you to start again, too. God's blessings be upon you. May you truly experience the beauty and love of this season.

Simplify - Cut the Clutter

Have you heard about the Catholic podcast called This Inspired Life?  I just listened to Kristen's most recent interview with the woman who is said to have started the Capsule Wardrobe: Courtney Carver.  They discussed Courtney's journey in simplifying her life, starting with her diet and then her wardrobe.  I recently began following un-fancy, which is a blog by a woman named Caroline who writes about and posts photos of her own capsule wardrobe, so I was intrigued to learn a little more about the concept.

This really speaks to me, because I do feel weighed down by the things I own.  I want to get rid of stuff, but I feel paralyzed.  I am the type of person who really struggles with keeping my possessions and information organized.

It all reminds me of The FLY Lady, who I began following after my younger son was born.  I was so overwhelmed by keeping my life organized with a newborn who needed to be held/worn most of the day.  I learned that I needed to use small steps, such as focusing on cleaning one section of the house...or whatever I could get finished in 15 minutes (set a timer).  I have tried using the 15-minute method when tackling a "hot spot" in the house (i.e., the clutter on my sewing table/desk), and it is great for helping very overwhelming jobs appear more manageable.

So anyway, I am looking forward to checking out Courtney's website Be More with Less and learning her ideas for simplifying life.

As I was listening to the podcast, I already started rearranging my closet and pulling some items out that I really don't like.  Since I recently decided I wanted to be more careful about the clothes I buy and try to stick with items that are more ethically made (i.e., fair trade), I haven't bought many new clothes, so I have room to focus on what I really need.  This also reminds me about something else I heard about a few years ago regarding purging your belongings.  I think it's meant to be used during Lent, but since Advent is a season of repentance and detachment, I may attempt to get rid of some of my other possessions, too.  The FLY lady says that if you have less stuff, you have more time to love others.  I think she is so wise, and I can totally see where that makes sense.  If I need to spend less time shuffling our household belongings around...maintaining our belongings and such, then there is more time to focus on relationships and helping others.

I am excited about this!

Not My Home

It has been about three weeks since we have heard news of a possible move. We just moved into this house less than a year ago. We just returned to this country a year ago...after only living in that country for nine months. All of this moving around is exhausting. It's not just the physical move. It's also getting to know new people and getting settled into a new routine. It's tiring to just get everything figured out, only to find out that you might have to figure it out all over again. We recently found a preschool for our son, and now we might have to complete the scouting process all over again--if we even find any openings for next year. Yes, it's a little premature to be stressing about these things, as we don't even know if we will be moving yet. But, it's hard not to think about these possibilities.

This is a little bit of suffering in my life, so I'm trying to offer my discomfort of the unknown up to God. I can try to imagine my pain being united to the cross with Jesus. We are called to share in his suffering--this is what brings meaning to our lives.

This chapter of my life is yet another lesson in control and detachment. It's a tough lesson to truly learn, but I simply can't control everything that happens in my life. Also, this situation is a good reminder that this planet is a great gift from God, but it is not our final destination. This is not my home. Heaven is. In many ways, moving around is a good reminder that I should not get too comfortable here.