Why I love Gerard #1

Welcome to the first "Why I love Gerard" post, where I tell stories about my lovable yet troublesome 3 year-old little brother!

This post is called:

A Time-Out in the Middle of Mass 
My 11 year-old brother Joseph had an out-of-town hockey tournament.  My Dad (who takes hockey very seriously) offered to take him, and he decided to take Gerard with him to give Mom a break for the weekend.  Gerard had a blast.   He swam in the pool at the hotel, ate pizza with the team, and won over all the moms in the stands with his considerable charms.  He even took a nap on the lap of one of the moms during a game.  When we go to Joseph's local games now, everyone stops to talk with Gerard.  He's like the mayor.

Anyhow, back to the out-of-town tournament story.  After the Sunday morning game, they jumped in the truck and headed over to the local Catholic Church, where Mass was just underway.  They sat in the very last pew because they were late.  The gifts of wine and bread were on a table right behind the last pew, waiting for the time where they would be brought to the altar.  While Dad and Joesph were listening to the homily, Gerard leaned over the back of the pew and picked up the big host - the one that the priest usually breaks during the Eucharistic Prayers.  Gerard beat him to it.

He wasn't trying to be bad.  He was just trying to be a priest.  He wanted to know what it felt like to snap the host in two, and I think he was quite satisfied with the whole experience right up until the point where the sound of the 'snap' made Joseph turn his head.  Joseph looked at Gerard, looked at the host, and then tugged on Dad's sleeve.  "Dad," he whispered "I think we have a problem." 

And that's how Gerard ended up in a time-out in the middle of Mass.

In case you were wondering, when they did bring the gifts up to the altar, the priest just used one of the smaller hosts to say the Eucharistic Prayers.  He didn't miss a beat.  Maybe Gerard wasn't the first kid in the last row to end up in a time-out in the middle of Mass.

 I love Gerard!

If you have something to say about this post or have any ideas of what I can blog about next please tell me! God Bless,

              Angele

Me and my little bother of a brother

 
I'm working on getting along with my little brother.
We used to get along so well when we were little. We played together every day and had so much fun!
But now we're almost always fighting.
My little brother Joseph is about 11 and loves to get under my skin.  And I let him.
Here's how that happens:

First he'll disobey me or do something that upsets me - just to upset me, I swear. Sometimes it's me just being in a bad mood. Or something is bothering me and I'm grumpy because of it.  
But whatever starts it, when I get mad he acts like I'm the grumpy witch and laughs at me.
So then I try to ignore him, hoping he will just go away.  He never does.
Instead, we have this discussion:
Little Brother: “Oh, she's mad now!"
Big Sister: "Just leave me alone!"
Little Brother :"Oh she's mad! She’s such a grumpy old witch!"
Big Sister: "MOM, Joseph's bothering me"
Little Brother: "Oh yah, now it's my fault"
Big Sister: "Don't lie!  You know you were trying to upset me!"
Mom: “Joseph be nice to your sister.  Angele don't get upset so easily." 

Then I'll think:
"He started it!" "It's his fault!" " I wasn't mad until he made me mad!"
Then I feel sad.  And mad.

Why does Joseph like bothering me so much?  Where's the love?
I think it's a puberty thing.  Him, not me. (I can tell Joseph is going through puberty because he's growing alot, he's getting a mustache, and he has a lot of extra energy). Bothering me must be his way of using his extra energy.
Or maybe he bothers me for entertainment, because I get so upset;

"I don't know about girls.
But for boys, they find some pleasure in upsetting their siblings"  - Fr. Dave.

Still, my mom's right too. I get upset really easily. (In my defense: I don't get upset when it's anybody else, only Joseph.)
Anyway, I shouldn't let him bother me. I can't control what he does, but I can control my reaction.  So, no matter how much he acts like a little brat with a moustache and tries to get me upset, I will remain calm and poised.  Calm.  And poised.  At least most of the time.

I love my little brother and I don't like being mad at him. Me and him have been buddies since we were little.  Sometimes he is a great guy.  I want to like having him around and I want him to like having me around.   Heaven help us, I'll try.                        

If you have something to say about this post or have any ideas of what I can blog about next, please tell me!
God Bless,
             Angele

Homeschooling vs Public Schooling

This is comment from my grandmother on what to blog about:
 -You could talk about homeschooling versus public school. It may help a lot of mothers with this decision to homeschool or not. Love- A.Winifred, New England.

Thank you grandmother <3

So here it is....

Homeshooling vs public schooling 

 I think homeschooling is a beautiful way to learn and I'm glad I am being homeschooled. Some people would argue with me. Here are their common arguments and my answers to those arguments:

Argument:
Students should be taught by a certified teacher.

Me:

As a homeschooler, I can say that I feel just as educated as most girls my age, if not more so.  My curriculum, like in a public school, is written by specialists and experts.  For the most part, I read the books and teach myself.  If I have any trouble with the instructions from the books, my mother will go over it with me.  We also discuss what I am learning about as we go about our day, and my mom gives me writing assignments that we go over (and over, and over) until she is happy with it.  I take my Science course online with a certified teacher, which is also fun.  We do have a representative from the School Board come and check on us twice a year, and she is great for giving us suggestions on learning more effectively and letting us know about all the resources that are available to us.  I believe that I learn my lessons just as well as most public students, if not better.

Argument:

 A homeschooler can't make friends when they're always at home.

                                                  

                                                        Me: I may not make tons of friends, but I don't need tons of friends. I only need friends who are worth being friends with, and I think that I have made those kind of friends.  And just to top it off, I'm not always home.  I go figure skating.  I play on a soccer team.  My family is very social with other (homeschooling and non-homeschooling) families. I go to places where I can make valuable friends like Catholic camps and retreats.  I volunteer in my community.  I'm out of the house as much as I want to be. 

Argument:

 Homeschoolers are too sheltered and will have a hard time going out into the "real world" from lack of "life experience".

Me:
Because I am responsible for my own schedule, I have developed alot of self-discipline, which is a good experience.  I also spend my time with people of all ages, not just all my age, which I think is more like the "real world".  I have run into some bullies and peer pressure in my sports and activities, but I find it not that hard to deal with because I can choose to walk away, which I think is also more like the "real world".  I have had the time and room to grow strong in who I am.


Argument:
Homeschoolers wouldn't be able to get into a good university  because they don't have the proper papers.

Me:
Homeschoolers have been accepted into all of the best schools, because they tend to be hard workers who have a lot to offer.


IN CONCLUSION:

Homeschooling isn't for everyone, nor is it the only way, but if it's for you that's great!
Homeschooling is a valid way to school your children.

Here's a video that'll make you smile, because it's good to laugh at ourselves sometimes:
                   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM6uqj0_jQc

If you have something to say about this post or have any ideas of what I can blog about next please tell me!
God Bless,
                Angele

Five things

Today is Thanksgiving.
Because Thanksgiving is about being thankful, I've been thinking of all the things I'm thankful for.  Doing that made me realize I love my life.
God has given me so much, but sometimes I can be negative and get down on life.
I will think to myself:
This is all wrong!
or
Life's not fair!
or
Why me?
When I calm down and get over feeling like that, I ask myself: How could you ever think like that?
I say to myself: This is how you  should think:

God's will be done.

 Life's not always fair, but it could be worse.

I'm God's servant;  I'll deal with anything he wants me to.

In short what I'm saying to myself is: Angele be grateful already! Start looking at the good, not the bad. Godlly women are grateful.  You have lots and lots of things to be grateful for.  You, Angele, need to be enlightened .
I hate it when I give myself a guilt trip, but it's true.  I can look at the bad before the good and that's just selfish and not what a godly woman would do.

Here's how I'll be enlightened:
There is a monastery in the East that requires the monks to begin each day by thinking of five things they are grateful for. It's a good way to keep perspective.  "Gratitude will not allow itself to share a space with any other negative feeling." (Fr.Meletios)
I'm going to do like the monks:
Every day I'll say five things about what I'm thankful for (trying to think of new things each time).

Here is my list for today:

• That my big brother came back home for Thanksgiving.
• That I have a blog.
• That my mom's a good cook.
• That God will always forgive me for being selfish.
• That I have a warm home on a cold day like today.

Here's a quote my mom tought me:

Before enlightenment:
Oh, the sorrow... chop wood, carry water.
After enlightenment:
Oh, the joy... chop wood, carry water.


I like that quote because it's a nice reminder to stay joyful, embrace life and have an attitude of gratitude for all that God has given me.



Hope you liked this post!
If you have somthing to say about this post or have any ideas of what I can blog about next please tell me!
God bless,
             Angele

"In the world" yet "not of the world"

I've been reading about St. Kathine Drexel as some of my school work.  I wrote a small report from a question I was asked after reading about St. Katherine's life.  The question was: How did the Drexal famliy stay "in the world" yet remain "not of the world"?  Here's my answer:

There are many evils, like greed, anger, selfishness, laziness, jealousy and more that can overwhelm the good in a person, if that person allows.  St. Katherine Drexel and her family didn’t let the good in them be destroyed. By staying focused on God with lots of prayer and charity, the Drexel’s were “in the world” yet remained “not of the world”.

Francis Drexel  (the father of St. Katherine Drexel and the rest of the Drexel family) gave a strong example of prayer and its importance and his wife Emma Drexel (the mother) gave a strong example of charity and how to put it into action. With these lessons, St. Katharine Drexel went on to build schools and funded them for Native Americans and people of color.

Francis Drexel took prayer very seriously and kept his family focused in prayer.  He made sure that every evening was set aside for prayer, no matter how busy they were.  After work, Francis Drexel would go into solitude to pray for an hour each day.  His family knew not to bother him.

Francis Drexel’s wife Emma Drexel was just as determined to keep the family “in the world” yet remaining “not of the world”.  Emma Drexel believed in putting her faith into action. She also believed that the wealthy should help the poor, and the Drexel family was very wealthy. She ran an agency of her own three days a week; she found jobs for people, befriended the sick and supported the destitute.

With all this, it’s no surprise that Katherine Drexel became St. Katharine Drexel.  St. Katherine Drexel learned from the main virtues of her parents: prayer and charity.  With charity they conquered greed, selfishness and even laziness, and there is no evil that prayer cannot conquer. Emma Drexel died in Febuary of 1883.  Shortly after, Francis Drexel also died, in the year 1885. Although the Drexel parents died early and left their children early, their lessons and example did not.  Because of this, all of the Drexel children remaind “in the world’ yet “not of the world” until the end of their days.

And as for me, I've decided to try this myself.

 I already say my prayers, but I would like to begin praying more often for specific intentions.  I believe that I can really help by praying for:

• 
  
  my famliy.
• 
  
  my friends.
• 
  
  the end of abortion, that it comes SOON.
• 
  
  fallen-away Catholics, that they come back to the Church.
• 
  
  those who have no one to pray for them.
• 
  
  My "Mr. Right" (whoever he may be).

That's prayer, and as for charity, I'm also working on finding places to volunteer.  (I think the nursing home in our neighbourhood needs help getting the residents to Mass.)  I'll let you know.

Hope you liked this post!

If you have anything to say or know something else I can blog about or maybe have ideas for my "things to pray for" list or what I should volunteer for, tell me!  Address it to: Angele.

God Bless,

               Angele

 PS: If you wont to learn more about St. Kathine Drexel, here's a link : http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20001001_katharine-drexel_en.html.

                         

Shouting

There are some herbs and salts that help with aches and pains
-but not all aches and pains.
For example:
People do things that drive you crazy just to drive you crazy;
                                   or
Something happens that "ruins" one of your plans;
                                   or
You have to repeat yourself over and over again to get someone to listen.

Those are real aches and pains!
And herbs and salts can't help you with them.

Say you don't get a lot of sleep one night. You're already short on patience and something happens that irritates you.  Next thing you know you're shouting.
By the time you go to bed, you've calmed down.
If you're anything like me, you'll feel awful.  You'll wish you hadn't started shouting.  You'll feel sorry that you hurt someone with your shouting. You'll start thinking how awful you must have looked when you were shouting.  Thinking of that will make you feel sick.  Feeling like that stinks.

Shouting is really hard not to do.  When I get mad or upset I want to yell and shout.
But when you think of how awful shouting at someone looks, and how awful you are making that person feel, it really gets to you.
So that's why today I'm writing about shouting.

Today I was going to wear this pink sweater I love.  But when I was about to put it on, I saw a green stain on it.  I looked a bit more and I saw more green!  The green was on the sleeves and on the back; it looked awful!  Something had gone wrong in the wash.  It was beyond saving, so into the trash it went!
I really like that sweater and I was really mad! A few moments later, I was shouting at my brother.  When I calmed down, I had to apologize.  All for a sweater.
When is it worth it to shout?

Is it ever okay to shout?
I thought a bit about those questions.  Here's what I got:
It's never really a good idea to shout; shouting doesn't help! And really it makes things worse.
Sometimes people will understand why you're shouting and won't blame you, but still shouting doesn't help. 

So instead of shouting, when I feel upset, overwhelmed, disappointed or just in a bad mood, I'm going to make the sign of the cross.  It reminds me that God has my back and everything's going to be fine.
Plus I've tested it and it works!
Hope you liked this post!
If you have any ideas of what I can blog about or have something to say about what I just blogged about, please tell me!
God Bless,
               Angele

Work

When you're told to work, right when you were going to go do something else that you love, does it make you feel:
1. mad
2. happy
3. tired

If you picked 1 then you're a lot like me.
If you said 2 then YOU ROCK and I wish I was more like you!.
If you said 3 then I can so understand!.
If you said 1 and 3 then when it comes to unwanted work, you're just like me.

When I want to go blog, play, read or just sit down and then I'm told to go do some chore I can get pretty upset.
If you read my profile, you'll know that's the last thing I want.  So I've decided that this is something I really need to work on.
It's something that's in my way to becoming a godly women.

So more about work: in my house, each of the children have their own chores but my big brother is gone away to school and that means he can't do his chores.  So we had to split up all the work, which means I just got a lot more work.
 Now just thinking of what this school year will look like all I think is oh goodbye sweet Summer days when i had time to enjoy myself  because between school and work I'm going to have little time to myself.
But thinking "oh goodbye sweet Summer days etc." is not what a godly women would do, so I have to stop.

So here's how I'm going to do just that!,
When you do some kind of work out of your own-free-will to please someone, it makes you feel really good right? Well it's the same with me!.
So instead of letting mom remind me what to do or tell me what to do, I'm going to do it without being told. That way, I get 3 benefits:
1. Work will get in my way a lot less
2. I'll feel really good inside
3. I'll earn more in heaven
and that's a lot better than getting all upset!

And I also asked a priest about it he said,
 "you can always tell your mom how you feel, but keep in mind that Jesus gave everything for us so we should try to give it all to others".


Hope you liked this post!
If you have any ideas of what I can blog about or have something to say about what I just blogged about, please tell me!

God Bless,
               Angele