Just when there is a moment of spiritual struggle...

a sweet 10-year old brings a bouquet of flowers and says a sweet, early "happy birthday." Thank you, Jesus, for our Treasures.

A nature walk in the morning of school time om St. Francis' Memorial

...just to slow down and get some energy burned off before classes and quieter moments. Soaking up the surprises God's creatures created during the twilight hours as we slept a cozy sleep and enjoying the joy in each of our treasures as flowers were picked, airplane gliding was shown down the hill, and big siblings carried little siblings. All His for us to enjoy. Make me a channel of your peace. St Francis, pray for us that we too may be worthy of the promises of Christ....

St. Francis of Assisi: "a boy who conquered the hearts of beasts because his own heart had been conquered by Divine Love." -taken from Francis Woke Up Early

Our school moments, woven into God's timing and tapestry

Our Joy Journal, which we began here in Argentina, has the entry I recently wrote that speaks of the joy that I find in the way God weaves moments in our school day, weeks, months and years. In this life of transient moments, there has to be a spirit and a plan to be flexible and to weave in the moments when the planned and desired-to-be-executed that day, has to be woven at a different time. But, whether living a life of moves or living life in one place with many movements, there always has to be a plan to be flexible. God's will is bigger and much betetr (as He shows me every single time) than our own. I am forever grateful for and in constant awe of the way He perfectly times a lesson or a supplement to what we are learning. Whether it is in studying flowers in the days after our nature walk for Dad's birthday and pressing the flowers for a beautiful picture for Dad for his later gift, or going to the Buenos Aires Art Museum after our Term of study of the Impressionists and then getting to see Renoire's, Degas', and Monet's impressionist art work, or incorporating all of our fractions and life skills in cooking meals and making Dad's birthday treats, or the concert in Uruguay at a Catholic Church where Bach's and Vivaldi's music was being played as we have been learning about all of the classical composers.. the list goes on, because life continues and God always is there and weaving goodness and learning into real living and learning. Learning and living are not mutually exclusive but so joined, and that is the way life should be. Each of us is just one person with woven moments, one feeding off the other, growing and expanding . These days I'd would never trade, just make them last longer; they go too fast.

Jesus, we Trust in You

You never leave us. You know us better than we know ourselves. You bring us to places so that we can grow, and You embrace us when we bring ourselves to places that may not have been what You desired for us, but just like a strong Daddy and a gentle Mommy, you guide us to where we need to go and do not give up on us when we stray, again, and again, and again. Thank you. Thank you for being the balm for our tired souls, our lonely hearts, our sad moments that you weave into the tapestry of Divine Providence and tell yes, "I love you. When the world lurks in your presence and calls you names, they did that and much more to Me, and I told my Father, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'" You were, you are completely compassionate. We celebrate you. Daily, we must. You bless our lives. You clarify every moment for us, even if we do not see it now or never will be able to on this earth. You whisper in our ears words of faith and encouragement, and we step forward, with You. Only with You will we ever be able to go forward.

On Divine Mercy Sunday, we laid ourselves before You and our family enjoyed the fruits of Your Goodness as we enjoyed our apple tart, Arnaldo's ice cream, and Fr. Phillip Tells a Ghost Story, one of many of our favorite Precious Life Books by the amazing Andrews Sisters. 
The sweet part of the night was hearing each of our treasures singing a decade of the Divine Mercy. And today, Nellie, in her 2 1/2-year old voice was singing your Divine Mercy again.  

Praying for the Unborn and Remembering the case on January 22, 1973. We are filled with hope!

We are pro-choice, BECAUSE: every CHILD CHOOSES to Live.

It was with sad yet hopeful hearts that we wore our black ribbons, spotted with white ( symbol of hope) beneath our "little feet" pins (actual size feet of 10-wk. old unborn baby). God works in mysterious and beautiful ways as we wove history and government lessons into our school day and copy work from Isaiah and Pope St. John Paul II's words into our school lessons,

before heading to the city here in Buenos Aires, where we walked together as a family through the garden of roses (how appropriate as we were respecting and uplifting the lives forgotten who are always remembered by the rose for life.) We ate lunch there, crossed the bridge, and snapped some shots of our beautiful gifts of life, who are just that gifts, never to be set aside, complained about or demanded. A gift is given freely and randomly. A gift is something undeserved but freely and wholeheartedly given. Thank you, Lord, for our gifts, our 5 treasures.

(Saint Luke's Brush Figures for our sweet 5 treasures: Maddy (St. Mary Magdalen), Pita, (Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Caleb (OT holy spy), St. Penelope/Irene (Penelope), and Sta. Marta/Martha (Marta)-- all adorn our mantel as we lift our treasures in prayer that they too will be worthy of the promises of Christ, as these saints are enjoying in heaven.