Reconciliation

The night before my daughter has her First Reconciliation.  I am so proud of her for putting in the time to study the books and more importantly study herself.   It is so hard to look at our choices and be honest with our faults.  Whether you are 8 or a little older . . .

This is my second child to receive this sacrament and it takes on a deeper meaning each time.  I have noticed that with the baptisms as well.  I wonder if that is part of God's plan--the more kids you have the more opportunities you have to learn and relearn.  I know that for me the last time I went through the reconciliation classes with my first child I was in a very different place.   A few years ago I was not able to forgive myself and definitely not able to forgive others.  It is a process isn't it.  I wonder where I will be when the others receive this amazing sacrament. 

Thank you God for giving me a road map for my life and being patient as I try to take the shortcut.  Thank you Jesus for giving up your life for all of us.  I pray that I may use your examples of forgiveness with myself and others.

Homemade Apple Sauce



organic gala apples

One of my ideas for 1012 is to share one crock pot recipe a week.  I found a great deal on organic apples and thought that I would buy 15 pounds.  My first batch of applesauce is 5 lbs of apples cut into chunks with just enough water to cover the bottom of the crock pot.

All of those apples cooked down to this amount.  I added cinnamon once they were finished cooking.  During the cooking process I stirred the apples and they broke into chunky pieces and I sort of like that.  The kids love it.

I plan to freeze the rest of this recipe and the other 10 pounds of apples bound for sauce.

Thank you God for Aunt Clara Broda who made applesauce for me as a kid.  It amazes me how you intertwine people, ideas, and outcomes.

It is like looking in a mirror

I have a kid that is a mini me.  She drives me crazy.  In every way that I drive everyone crazy--she drives me crazy.  It is like looking in a mirror.

I pause.

I feel myself start to boil over with emotion--anger, frustration, laughter, so much empathy I hurt.

I hug her and love her, just the way she is. 

I've heard the words about seeing Jesus in everyone we meet--the problem is that what Jesus is to me now isn't what he was a year ago or even a week ago.  As I grow in my spiritual life I see more of Him and to honor him in those I meet can be overwhelming.  So I decided to start small.  I am concentrating on one little person right now.

I'm seeing Jesus in my mini me.  As I strive to really, really embrace this challenge I wondered why it was so hard.  How can it be so difficult to see Jesus in the innocence of this beautiful child?

Then I realized--before I start with the mini me--I need to take one big step back and start with Me.  I need to see Jesus in me and honor that before I can really apply it to others.  I am guessing that once I can be truly transparent to my God it will be much easier to love and be loved, to forgive and accept forgiveness, to find joy and give it away, to stop and just be in the moment. 

Thank you God for my children who teach me so much each day whether they know it or not.