Family Time

OMG! For once I wasn't at home over the weekend. =O
Friday night my parents, brother and I drove to my Grandpa's (my mom's dad) house to stay the night. Saturday afternoon (before we left to see my dad's side of the family) Penny, my mom's cousin, came over for a little visit (it was nice seeing her).
Saturday evening Grandma, Grandpa, and Jeff met us at the hotel for a drink and snack before going to grandpa's birthday dinner.
This morning the four of us went to Mass and then went to brunch. Amber, Chris, the girls (Marisa and Julia), Aunt Carol, Uncle Steve, and Grandma and Grandpa met us there. Jeff was going to come but he wasn't feeling so good. It was a fun weekend but I'm glad to be back!

Here are the pictures:

Grandpa (my mom's dad), Me, and Luke


Me, Luke, Mom, Dad, Jeff, Grandma, and Grandpa


Luke and Dad


Me, Dad, and Luke


Aunt Carol


Luke, Uncle Steve, and Grandpa


Grandma and Dad


Aunt Carol and Marisa (1)


Aunt Carol and Marisa (2)


Daddy and his girls (Marisa, Chris - Amber's husband, and Julia)


Amber and Me


Uncle Steve, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa

Dinner Party at Theresa's

Last night Theresa had a dinner get together at her place. She invited Steve, Kate, Jessica, Maureen, Katie, Michael and me to come at 6ish for hors d'oeuvres and dinner at 7ish. Katie and I did the dishes for Theresa since she cooked that wonderful, delicious meal!
After dinner we played Apples to Apples (which was tons of fun).

Jessica, Maureen, Michael, and Katie


Steve, Kate, and Me


Thanks again Theresa for having us over!

What You Need

Party Weekend

My weekend was pretty fun - I had two parties to go to (one on Friday and one on Saturday). Friday didn't start out so great at first but it ended on a good note! This was the evening of the Jubilee Society party at Carol's house. It started at 6 and Ruth hadn't called to meet up because she couldn't get out of the meeting for work. I sat in my car in the church parking lot debating whether or not I was going to go and then by that time it was already almost 7. Both Carol and Esther called during that hour to see where I was...l.ong story short = Esther came to pick me up and bring me to Carol's house. I'm glad she did that and that I went because it was so much fun in the end!
Saturday evening was the choir Christmas party at Mike's house. That was pretty fun... I swear being at Queen of Peace and the people I know there - I feel like I'm with family! Ruth and I stayed until about 10:30ish.
Sunday of course we sang at the 9:30 Mass and then during the 11:45 Mass I talked with Patti a bit about a conversation I had with Fr. Dan (which will remain a mystery for you others).
At 1:30 Ruth and I went to the convent for the SFO meeting and then came back for Vespers (which is always nice). After Vespers Ruth and I went to AppleBees with Patti and Sean - awesome company to be with! :)

Diving Board

So I went to the SFO meeting with Ruth this afternoon and while we were there I really felt that God was speaking to me through someone else.
This guy there had mentioned that he often gets an image of himself on a diving board and when he looks down he is so afraid and can't let go of the diving board. This symbolizes all the fear in his life and how he has to hold on to the diving board and can't let go.
I told God I'll let go of the diving board and am now in the pool...Then I told God I'm hanging onto the wall for now and eventually will swim with a kickboard...then after that step I'll swim in the water without holding on (which will mean I'm surrendering fully to God's will and letting him control my life without any fear).

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Mary’s divine motherhood broadens the Christmas spotlight. Mary has an important role to play in the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. She consents to God’s invitation conveyed by the angel (Luke 1:26-38). Elizabeth proclaims: “Most blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42-43, emphasis added). Mary’s role as mother of God places her in a unique position in God’s redemptive plan.
Without naming Mary, Paul asserts that “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). Paul’s further statement that “God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out ‘Abba, Father!’“ helps us realize that Mary is mother to all the brothers and sisters of Jesus.
Some theologians also insist that Mary’s motherhood of Jesus is an important element in God’s creative plan. God’s “first” thought in creating was Jesus. Jesus, the incarnate Word, is the one who could give God perfect love and worship on behalf of all creation. As Jesus was “first” in God’s mind, Mary was “second” insofar as she was chosen from all eternity to be his mother.
The precise title “Mother of God” goes back at least to the third or fourth century. In the Greek form Theotokos (God-bearer), it became the touchstone of the Church’s teaching about the Incarnation. The Council of Ephesus in 431 insisted that the holy Fathers were right in calling the holy virgin Theotokos. At the end of this particular session, crowds of people marched through the street shouting: “Praised be the Theotokos!” The tradition reaches to our own day. In its chapter on Mary’s role in the Church, Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church calls Mary “Mother of God” 12 times.