Friday, December 20, 2013

The McHugh Christmas Card

Dear Friends and Family,

I wanted to be uber domestic and Pinterest-impressive this year and send out Christmas cards. Unfortunately, I waited until the very last minute and then we came down with one of the most horrible viruses we have had in a long time, so I am going to settle on a generic E-Card/Blog. Please keep our daughter in prayer as she has a perforated ear drum which won't be able to be examined for a couple weeks due to the fluid buildup. We are praying for a speedy recovery and for protection/restoration of her hearing!

Anyway, this past year has brought the most incredible challenges and blessings of our married life. We have been stretched to the max every which way... physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, mentally... any other "-ally's" you name it! While at times it hurt and we didn't think it would ever stop, we can look back and see how God has profoundly blessed us and provided for what we needed - not necessarily what we wanted - but what we needed. When we surrendered to that, we had peace. 

Without getting into lots of detail, we were somewhat unexpectedly forced to make a critical job search. It was a very difficult decision, with many tears and lots of pain, but we had the support of friends and family and tried to cling to the Lord with every last drop of strength. That led us to Dodge City, Kansas! I never, EVER, thought I would live in a place like Dodge City - with not a whole lot of trees, extreme weather, and no TARGET (Gasp!). I actually really like it here. I bawled the first uh... month... but that was probably also due, in part, to the fact that I am now mostly a stay-at-home mom and struggled with not having regular, daily adult interaction. Besides David, that is. Also it is pretty challenging to take two toddlers and an infant anywhere out of the house, solo. People are great here, though. The funny thing is... most of the people I have met are not from here either - in fact, many folks I have met are from... MICHIGAN!! It's crazy! This is beautiful though, because everyone is seeking friendship and community, so people are open, not really cliquey and there is a great spirit of welcoming which we have encountered from people at our Church to even our Mailman who stopped in to introduce himself the first week we moved in. The move has been really positive for us. It has also been great to reconnect with my friend Deanna and her new husband, Michael. We reconnected like no time had passed and they really feel like our family here. 

David loves his job. The staff and parishioners are fantastic and helpful. I don't know the right word to describe... hospitable or generous? There's a spirit here in general that is others-centered... I can't put my finger on it. We live next door to the principal of the Catholic school here in town, and he mowed our lawn because we had moved in and didn't have the chance to buy a lawnmower yet (we had to leave behind our old one). This week when we were driving around frantically, near tears, at 5pm looking for anyone we could find to see Lucia's ear, the principal's wife and a couple other friends called around until they were able to get some medical advice concerning Lucia's ear. We have been really touched by the kindness and compassion we have been shown. Not that we didn't experience those things in Michigan or other places we have lived, but being new to town, we have been grateful for the community that has made us feel home so soon and David is very happy that we're as happy as he is in his job!  The programs David is working on are growing and he's had a good success bringing this bilingual community together. Several parents have told me they are so impressed with him and that their kids love going to youth group now. That makes me so proud of him!!!

The kids are all great. They say the most hilarious things. We added a child this summer - Elias... He is just pure joy - our easiest, lowest maintenance kid yet (God knew we needed one of those!). Damien is still playing the drums, but we've moved from good rhythms and beats to mostly just LOUD (although no more until Lucia's ear heals). Lucia has got to be a blues singer... someone said they knew we were in church because they heard a "smoker baby". Very raspy voice. She has her daddy completely wrapped around her finger, but she's also my "princess" too. 

And Finally.. Our Ministry.. we had the wonderful blessing to be able to share in ministry at many, many events this past year. It was such an incredible experience for me to minister alongside people who have impacted my faith over the years. We miss our band family so much, but we will reconnect with them for some events in February in Michigan and again in March in Anaheim. We have been praying and praying, asking God what He wants of us in this ministry and we finally came to the conclusion, through prayer that we need to do another album but this time, we are doing it as an independent project with the band. In January we will be starting a fundraising campaign. I'm nervous as heck about getting it done, but it will be a shared project and we will be putting every spiritual and financial donor's name in the CD credits, so stay tuned for that! We feel so passionate about sharing the message of God's LOVE and MERCY, Pope Francis style! It was His love that transformed our lives...and we feel more than ever it is a message we must share to whomever we can. I also aspire to one day be able to share it in Spanish... so... pray for the gift of tongues. ;)

Other than that, we are all well. David's dad is doing well in his cancer recovery, but we hope to know more in several weeks when they check and see how effective the treatment has been in eradicating the cancer. 

Thank you for your love and know that we pray for all of our friends and family (the new and the old) all the time! We are humbled by the support and prayers you have given us this past year especially. You are in our lives for a very specific reason and we pray that we can be a support to you as well and always worthy of your friendship. 

God bless you and may you have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful, healthy, joy-filled (remember, joy is independent of circumstance!) peaceful New Year! 

Love, 

Noelle, David, Damien, Lucia, and Elias


Thursday, December 12, 2013

Post Baby Three Losing is GREAT! Week ELEVEN!

WEEK ELEVEN

STATS:
Starting weight: 180
Weight today: 168 (Monday) 
Difference: -at least 5. I know for sure that I gained 5 lbs at least over thanksgiving. I couldn't hardly even button my pants again! 
Total Weight Loss to date: 12lbs  
Size: squeezing into 12/13 - getting a little easier ! : ) 


CHALLENGES
Same ole - trying not to stress eat. Also, it has been really hard to squeeze in exercise with a teething baby who is super clingy! 


VICTORIES
Back to whole foods and managed a few dance parties with the kids. Short ones though - my baby didn't want to be put down much this week. That's exercise though, right? Holding the baby? 

STRATEGY
WHOLE FOODS ARE AMAZING. 100 Days of Real Food helped me lose my Thanksgiving Weight.  It doesn't even feel like I am dieting. We did get a burger one night but that was about it. I can count the processed foods I ate one one hand. Some of you have asked what a typical day of meals looks like for me. This is it:

Cereal with banana in the morning -- I need a bigger breakfast. I'm less hungry during the day if I get in a good breakfast.
Lunch is usually a turkey sandwich on fresh baked bread. I rarely buy organic meats and cheeses. Way too expensive for our budget.
Dinner is two vegetables with a protein. I have lots of organic produce that I got at a great rate from Azure Standard.org which has a drop here in Dodge City. One veggie might be a salad. We've been incorporating more sweet potatoes - those are amazingly healthy! I found that if I put salad on my plate first, I am more likely to eat it and fill up.

For snacks, I eat fruit or yogurt. Organic depends on if it was on sale. I just ordered a bunch of organic nuts which I am looking forward to adding in to my diet.

I haven't had diet coke in a few months now. It's been a good change for me. I've been drinking LOTS of tea.

Observations
I am not going to weigh in again until after the holidays. -- SO the first Monday in January. I imagine my weight loss will be minimal given the amount of baking I've been wanting to do, but who knows, maybe I'll surprise the both of us! I have a lot more energy even to deal with the kids who were sick and/or teething this week! 


GOALS THIS WEEK
Meal Plan. I waste too much time and money at the store if I forget to meal plan or stick to the one I was intending to use.

Back to whole foods (mostly) and Jillian Michaels! 


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Christmas Spirit

I recently watched a viral video (because usually videos have to go viral before I notice them...) on West Jet's recent "Christmas Miracle" Publicity Stunt. Here it is, if you haven't seen it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIEIvi2MuEk

I cried.

I showed it to my husband who said, "So what? It was a publicity stunt. Now you only want to fly West Jet?" I said, "No! You Big SCROOGE!" And stormed out of the room in a huff. It was an exchange like that mean kid who tells you Santa isn't real and you defend him because though you've had your suspicions... This kid is being mean and you don't want to lose the Christmas Spirit. :P

Yes, I know West Jet's video was all a big publicity stunt. But it was amazing. It was amazing to me, because the employees clearly had fun, the passengers' reactions were genuine, and it is something they will never forget - the Giving Spirit. West Jet could have done a million other things that get viral videos... have some employee streak across the tarmac with "West Jet" tattooed on their back. Set a couch on fire and throw it out of an airplane -- oh, wait, that was MSU fans..(:P) Hand out a couple free airline tickets...

There were lots of things they could have done, but they asked what folks wanted and did their best to supply it to surprise their very grateful and happy customers.

Aside from the enthusiastic giving and excited faces of the employees... there was the genuine gratefulness of the passengers! Even the guy who got socks and underwear was thrilled! I was just telling my husband we need to teach our kids gratefulness... being the lovingly spoiled grandchildren, they usually get whatever they ask for, but if we don't teach them gratefulness, we will have what so many parents our age find on their hands... spoiled brats who get and do not give, who want, but do not need. Sounds even like many adults...

At Christmas, we remember Baby Jesus as our Heavenly Christmas gift - the gift of God's own Son... but did you realize... He was laid in a manger -- a feeding trough? We were hungry! Not a physical hunger, but that hunger in our soul who yearns for God. The Christmas Spirit is so much more fulfilling and something miraculous when it goes beyond shopping, decorating, caroling... and moves to GIVING. Giving of oneself. Giving to meet another's need.

Those people on that plane... business people, family people... children who will one day grow up and will always remember this random, well executed "Christmas miracle" may find themselves in a position of giving someday. Maybe someone watching will be inspired as well.

I know I am!!!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

When Good Men Do Nothing...

David, the kids, and I were on our way home from an amazing time at NCYC, - the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis. It was such an unforgettable experience... we were part of the Friday Morning Warmup right before Popple and Bob Perron then I was so blessed to sing a theme song with a man whose ministry helped shape me as a young disciple- Jesse Manibusan. We did a couple of workshops on teen leadership, helping them to overcome insecurities, discern God's voice, understand servant leadership, and love those we serve. We met so many teens, adults, fellow music/speaking ministry friends, that it was impossible to spend enough time with everyone to catch up and get to know new friends! We sang and rehearsed with a remarkable cast in John Angotti's musical "JOB: The NOW Testament" which was very powerful... I was surprised it was powerful, because I expected more to be entertained than moved - definitely not the case. I was part of the music ministry for Mass with Michael Paul Leon and Matthew Leon, Danielle Rose, and the band --- a Mass which was presided over by at least ten Bishops, many of whom I knew personally from working in their Dioceses!

It was the most amazing witness of faith. It gave me so much hope for the youth that they voluntarily attended workshops on everything from discerning their vocations to Adoration, Evangelization to Chastity, and more. They loved one another, greeted one another, possessed unspeakable joy, and prayed like I wish we prayed in our Churches back home. It was beautiful. I will never forget my experience at NCYC this year.

What does this have to do with the title of my blog? I will tell you! 25,000 people attended NCYC. 25,000 people will go back to their homes and their schools and their jobs. I pray, I PRAY they keep the fire alive, because this world is so needy of the kind of joy and love that we all felt at NCYC. This world NEEDS this next generation to live their faith out loud.

Heading home from this awesome experience at NCYC.... My family and I stopped at a restaurant after a long leg of the drive to grab a bite to eat and do some diaper changes. We were so exhausted, but in pretty good spirits. David took Damien, our three year old, to the bathroom while I sat holding my five month old, Elias, and my two year old daughter Lucia walked around our table. After a few minutes of chatting and eating, Lucia noticed a little boy running around the restaurant, so she decided to go over to him and say hi.

Lucia said hi and smiled, then the boy, about four years old, pushed her in the face. Not too hard, but enough to make me say, "Hey! Don't do that!" Lucia looked shocked, but she wasn't crying, so I didn't immediately get up, as I was getting Elias' coat on. I looked again, and this time, the boy had Lucia's head between his hands with both his thumbs pushing into her eyes. Lucia was shaking and I yelled at the top of my lungs, to try to scare him as I jumped up and rushed over "HEY! STOP!" The boy's father was walking out the door, and I think the combination of me yelling and the boy seeing his father leave was enough to make him quit and run away. Lucia put her chin to her chest, trying not to cry, but then as soon as I touched her shoulder she burst into tears.

She had two little red marks under her eyes, but she seemed okay other than that and hurt feelings.

This is troubling and I would have let the parents know if they were still around, but honestly, while I was mad at the kid at first, I realized... he is only four. Lucia and I talked about how he was a "mean kid" and then I asked her if she could forgive him - she said, "Yeah, I forgive that mean kid." :) I forgave him too.

There were four people in this story, though, that I am still having a hard time forgiving. Those are the 20-something year old men (four of them) who sat literally inches away from Lucia and this boy, laughing and watching it happen.

And doing nothing.

Their reaction was "Oh Snap! Look at what that kid is doing to that little girl!" They watched it happen, nudging each other and laughing.

Even as I comforted Lucia while she cried, there was no sympathy. They were still laughing about it.

Immature? Yes.

Shocking, though, to me. I have never, ever witnessed an incident where NO ONE stood up for someone getting hurt. Always, someone has had the courage to step in. I have heard stories on the news about someone getting beat up or even raped and passersby do not intervene. I thought those passerby must be deranged or didn't really see what was happening or made some other excuse for them, not believing this truth of humanity.... that there are men. MEN, who didn't help a two year old little girl as they saw she was being hurt.

It was devastating to me in a way that I was surprised by.

There was no ounce of compassion, no act of concern. It was just pure entertainment and maybe even "not their business".

My husband thinks that if those guys were fathers, they would have reacted differently. Maybe they would have, but how about just being human?

I pray that we can raise up the next generation to show love and compassion to their fellow neighbor. I pray that we can raise up the next generation to have the courage to stand up for the weak.
I pray that we can raise up the next generation to be selfless and sacrificial.
I pray that we can raise up the next generation to respect women - even little girls.
I pray that we can raise up the next generation to be women worthy of that respect.
I pray that we can raise up the next generation to speak up for those who have no voice.
I pray that we can raise up the next generation to live for the Lord, not for the moment.

I pray that we can do these things, because all it takes for evil to prevail... to take a foothold...

is for good men to do nothing.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Post Baby Three Losing is Great WEEK TEN!

WEEK TEN

STATS:
Starting weight: 180
Weight today: ??
Difference: ??
Total Weight Loss to date: 12.4lbs + whatever I know I gained this week...
Size: squeezing into 12/13 - getting a little easier ! : ) 


CHALLENGES
I ate a lot and did not exercise.



VICTORIES
None to speak of.

STRATEGY
I just basically spent my vacation sitting around and eating. A lot. 

Observations
I decided not to weigh in this week. I ate a lot, a lot, a lot. I am surprised at how much I ate, but one thing I was not surprised about is how miserable I felt about it when I got home. I opted not to weigh in because... why confirm what I already know, that I must have gained about five pounds? I figured it would hurt my self-esteem more to step on the scale and realize that all the work I put in the past couple of months to lose weight was wrecked by a week of social eating. I will weigh in again next week and maybe hopefully won't be distraught at my hard work gone! gone, I tell you! 

I noticed that I am not all that aware of feeling or looking different when I am eating healthy, but I definitely notice when I gain weight and notice my energy was super sluggish. My arthritic knee (sounds so old) started flaring up again, and it hasn't hurt in a couple months, since I started to watch what I ate and exercise. It hasn't hurt at all... until this week, when the pain was almost unbearable at times. I didn't even realize that I had been without pain until now, when it hurts! I'm already feeling better though, with eating right again and exercise/stretching. 


Eating right affects so much of my life that I am only beginning to really notice because I am blogging about it! I am in a much more optimistic mood when I eat right and stay active.


When we got home, I went to the grocery store and stocked up on lots of fruits and veggies and chicken! I also was so happy to find my freezer full of Organic frozen veggies from Azure Standard which I got at amazing prices. 

GOALS THIS WEEK
I turn 30 in February. I want to be in great shape. I don't have to be skinny, but I want to be strong and healthy, and I definitely have a ways to go!

Back to whole foods (mostly) and Jillian Michaels! 



Until next week... :)


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Post Baby Three Losing is GREAT! Week EIGHT!

WEEK EIGHT

STATS:
Starting weight: 180
Weight today: 167.6
Difference: - .4
Total Weight Loss to date: 12.4lbs
Size: squeezing into 12/13 - getting a little easier ! : ) 


CHALLENGES
I must have lost a lot more weight and then gained it all (minus the .4lb) this past weekend. Which is a bummer. I totally stress ate again this past weekend. I went to the store and bought Doritos. I basically hate Doritos and I ate almost a whole bag. What. the. heck. I felt like a train hit me afterwards -- I totally crashed and burned. Didn't burn any fat though. 



VICTORIES
Still staying really active! 

I am also glad that I have realized I am a stress-eater. I never ever would have admitted to that fact - I was in denial that I ate out of any sort of emotion! Now that I know this about myself, I definitely need to come up with more productive ways of dealing with stress, or even just allow myself a small indulgence of stress-eat and then move on so it doesn't turn into an "all you can eat stress buffet". 

STRATEGY
Active, Active, Active. I was active all week. Park walks, parts of exercise videos, dance parties with the kids, putting away laundry in small piles so I have to run up and down the stairs many times! 

I am still Real Fooding it as much as possible, but I did give into cravings this week with Doritos, ice cream, and bagels. Oops, forgot about the last two. 

Then I ate it all away! 

Strategy for Thanksgiving: I'm going to enjoy it. I'm not going to calorie count at all. I'm just going to relax and enjoy myself and maybe go on a walk. 


Observations
I realized I'm a stress eater, and I also realized again -- second time in a row -- that I crave diet coke when I eat poorly. I would have given in, but my wonderful husband stopped me. :) 

GOALS THIS WEEK
1) Continue to exercise!

2) Work on finding stress relief in other ways! 




Until next week... :)

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Too Busy to Pray

I am too busy to pray.

I do pray, but rather than "heartily pray", it is more like "hardly pray", though not in the manner that you might think.

You may think I'm running around and forget to pray. You may think I just don't seem to have the time during the day to pray.

Neither is true.

I'm too busy -- telling the Lord what I want, what He needs to do, and checking off a mental laundry list of intentions -- to pray. I'm so busy doing those things, that in all the time I spend talking to the Lord, my prayer time is actually pretty slim. (Speaking of "slim", I totally stress ate this whole weekend so tomorrow's weight loss blog is going to be phat. -- Remember when people used that word?)

Prayer is a conversation with God. It is started in our hearts by the Holy Spirit - our Love who pursues us and relationship with us. Prayer is the way to God's heart. My one-sided "conversations" with God aren't much of a prayer at all. I tend to carry the chaos of life into my prayer. I leave prayer often just as hectic as when I entered, because, again... I'm too busy talking to listen and too busy listing to pray.

This realization occurred to me yesterday as I spent a few moments in Adoration before a talk I was going to give at a Confirmation retreat. I was struggling with the idea of giving a talk because it had been a crazy day and my mind was consumed by the stresses from the past week. As I sat in Adoration, my mind was racing... only a few minutes to say everything I need to say to the Lord before my talk... ready, set, go..!

And nothing came to mind except one thing:  STOP.

This took me aback and almost startled me.

Just STOP. Be quiet.

I know.

I know. He knows.  I don't have to tell Him every single thing racing through my mind, because He knows it already. What I need is to listen, to be refreshed, to let go, and to stop telling Him what I need Him to do. I need to stop coming to prayer with an agenda. I need to stop filling my prayer time with chaos. I need to stop.

Those few moments in His presence, not saying a word, brought so much refreshment to my soul that I felt like the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders.

This revelation about myself was also confirmed in Mass today. This line from the Gospel struck me -- and it was pretty much the only line I heard as I was trying to handle squirmy toddlers:

Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. 

This was my reminder to come to the Lord just open - not preparing "my defense" or prepare my plans for how I want my prayers to be answered or agonize how to follow Him or share His Gospel. This was my reminder to let Him speak through me and that no wisdom comes from me.. it comes from the Lord. 

Tonight, I prayed a Rosary. I spent time in prayer just being with Him and trying to visualize opening my heart. Sometimes my heart is this cluttered room that I don't want anyone to see until I get it all straightened up. I tried to meditate on opening that room and letting the Lord see, heal, fix, clean, love, forgive. I can't hide anything from Him, so I don't know why I feel like I have to tell Him EVERYTHING and waste time filling up the precious moments I have during the day alone with the Lord just listing off everything like He has no idea! (This is probably also evidence of my forever struggle to let go and trust.) For me, starting with that visualization helped me to get it out in just a couple moments everything that normally, I would have spent my entire prayer time talking about! I hope I can have the spiritual discipline to continue this practice, because I really, really desire my relationship with God to be stronger, and I definitely see how my prayer time has been incredibly fruitless, despite the fact that I felt I was "putting in the time." 


Praise God! I am really happy that the Lord meets us where we are and gets around the obstacles we put in His way. :) If you have other prayer tips, I would love to hear! I feel like every challenge and every stage of my life, I am a perpetual student in this spiritual journey! 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

One Thing After Another

"One Thing After Another"

This phrase NEVER gets used in a positive way! "First, my car repaired itself, then I got a promotion, and then I won the lottery! It was just one thing after another!" 

This summer, for me, has been "one thing after another." First David has to look for other employment, then we have a baby, then we move to Kansas, then David's dad is diagnosed with cancer, then I am surprised by our healthcare costs, and then and then..... this list could go on and on. One thing after another! It has all been so negative and so much more than I can take. 

As I write this, I'm fed up! 

St. Teresa once said, "Lord, if this is how You treat Your friends, it's no wonder You have so few!"

Maybe you are thinking that I am going to put a positive spin on this. 

Nope. 

I'm not going to because I just can't pretend that having faith is easy. Taking up my cross STINKS sometimes. It hurts and I'm not all too happy about it. Even St. Teresa and many of the saints had their spiritual deserts, got fed up with the suffering, and cried out to God for relief. 

I'm not mad at God, I'm just in a place where I want ask to Him, "Really, Lord?! Can't I get a break?!" I fully admit I am completely immersed in my self-pity party.  I realize I'm acting like a stubborn child who didn't get my way, who doesn't understand what is going on, asking "why me?", and I am half-heartedly trying not to throw a temper tantrum. (The Lord did say that we have to become like little children....!)

I'm not going to lose my faith over this. I know God meets me where I am (Hey, I have a song about that...) But I'm not going to hide anything from Him either. I pray that He will show me how this is going to bring me closer to Him ultimately. I pray that I can be better about carrying my cross and not so self-focused. 

When we were moving, I was so scared of this new change in my life, that I could only literally cling to the Lord. I prayed over and over for the Lord to just let me cling to Him. It's still a journey, but I can see the great work He is doing in my family life through this process and how we have grown closer to each other and to Him. Now, I feel He is asking me to surrender and trust. I'm just having a hard time with believing that He doesn't need my help or advice. :P  I know He understands I am trying to let go and I know He understands exactly how I feel as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Let this cup pass me by..." That brings me comfort. 

I feel sometimes that if I were good at suffering, I'd be holy. I realize, though, that my tolerance for pain is relatively low (epidural?)  I guess, though, if I loved suffering, then I wouldn't really be suffering, right? AH I JUST WANT TO BE HOLY!! (Sorry, my head exploded for a sec, there). 

In other news, I absolutely can't stand when people mock Christians and accuse us of using faith to feel good or as a crutch because having faith is the most difficult thing I have ever done!! It would be so easy to give up, and sometimes I am tempted. When challenges come my way, it is sometimes very difficult to keep saying "yes' to the Lord's call in my life. I have to pray to be open before I can even pray to be able to say yes! I have to beg for forgiveness for my hard heart before I can pray to be open! Ah! 

Well, tomorrow is a new day, and I will treat it as such. No use carrying burdens from one day into the next. Then that's twice as many burdens and ain't nobody got time for that. More prayer time is on the agenda for tomorrow, now that I've been able to loosen up the crossed arms of my heart and vent a little, I do feel slightly less anxious. God's got this, it's just that right now, I'm Fulton Sheen's mouse in the piano, focusing on the chaos instead of the Master Pianist. 

Eyes upward, not outward, Noelle. It's not like you're alone... :) 

Thanks for making it this far in my stream of consciousness. I hope you said a few prayers for me. :) 




Tuesday, November 12, 2013

The Body of Christ

My great friend, Deanna, who has a wonderful blog here had a question for her Facebook friends about whether or not handholding during the "Our Father" was appropriate or not at Mass.

Many people responded, but the most impassioned responses were from people longing for a sense of connectedness with their brothers and sisters at Mass. They longed for community and experienced this by holding hands in prayer.

I have always had mixed feelings on the subject, but tend to lean towards the fact that it can be very distracting, especially at the obligatory gentle squeeze at the end. AH! WHO STARTED THE GENTLE SQUEEZE?! Now, though, my kids see other people holding hands and they want to hold hands too! I'm not going to stress out about it, but to me, and as revealed in many of the responses to Deanna's question, it makes the Our Father all about, "me." My focus isn't heavenward - it is on the people around me. It is my sweaty palms. It is their limp hand or overly tight grip. It's not on... Our Father.

Two things from that discussion jumped out at me....

1) We as Catholics STINK in a general sense at welcoming others. We have *our* parish, *our* pew, *our* parking space, *our* prayers and ritual. We fail to teach the guest or help someone new understand what is going on at Mass. We fail even to invite. Is it because we are insecure in our faith or is it because we are too secure in our routine? Are we sitting in our lukewarm pews, criticizing everyone else around us for not extending a welcoming hand or smile? Can't we introduce ourselves? Sure, it might be awkward the first time, but that's ok, because the second time... I know you and you know me.

Deacon Ralph Poyo does Parish Missions and Evaluations around the country. One of the things that he does upon arrival is attend Mass just like any parishioner, to see if he is welcomed or greeted to the Church as a stranger/someone new. During the Mission, he shares how he was treated and more often than not... he was ignored. Everyone at the mission feels ashamed that Deacon Ralph wasn't welcomed in their parish. They feel not only ashamed, but RESPONSIBLE. My husband and I called Deacon Ralph the "Chef Ramsay" of Evangelization because he tells you the Truth in a way that can bring you to your knees in repentance! (That's a good thing!)

We are new to our parish here in Kansas, and many people, not always knowing who we were, came up to us and introduced themselves, complimenting us for bringing our kids to Mass, or telling us not to worry if our kids were a bit on the noisy side that morning because "children are a blessing." It has been a fantastic experience to be on the side of the "welcomed." Now it is our turn to do the welcoming.

2) It broke my heart that something so simple and essentially impersonal as holding hands during the Our Father is the only time many people felt a sense of belonging or community. We live in a culture of isolation. We hardly ever talk on the phone even- why take ten minutes on the phone when you can send a ten second text message? I am soooo guilty of this! In our culture of isolation though, people are literally STARVING for community and relationships. We need so much stronger and deeper connectedness!! In Mass, we get that connectedness through the Eucharist! This is where our Lord makes Himself fully present in the Eucharist and gives Himself ENTIRELY to us and to our brothers and sisters. This unites Catholics all over the world, even if we don't speak the same language. This gets misunderstood and seen not as powerful as a physical gesture such as holding hands, because we FAIL TO ACT on the Eucharist that we have received. We fail to act AS the Eucharist we have received. Our job then isn't to quietly acknowledge that we are one body in Christ, but to recognize Christ in each other, and long to be with Him through each other, and desire that others experience the same thereby actively leading people to Him! Our Lord reaches out - He reached out on the cross, He reaches out to give us His Body and His Blood, and He reaches out THROUGH us!

Liberals are accused of putting the Body of Christ in community over the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. Conservatives are accused to putting the Body of Christ in the Eucharist over the Body of Christ in community. They are sadly, horribly, both misled. Catholics (because we don't have to be defined by American political lingo when we follow Christ) know that the two go hand in hand. We receive the Eucharist and in a Sacramental, visible, tangible way can recognize Christ in one another, sharing this Divine Meal and unity of Christ's flesh with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We literally share the same flesh and blood of the people around us - Christ's!  It is more intimate than hand holding, but we don't recognize that because we pit the Body of Christ against Himself! We also don't recognize that because we don't recognize Christ in His Eucharistic Body (many Catholics don't believe in the Real Presence) or His Body in our fellow man/woman.

This brings me to the Philippines-- one of the most Catholic nations in the world, I have heard. We are brothers and sisters with these people who had babies ripped out of their arms and drowned. We are brothers and sisters with these people who are walking the streets like zombies with no idea where to go and who are in shock at the new world around them. We are brothers and sisters with those whose grief is so intense that they are searching for a reason to have hope. We MUST pray and fast and give. This is not an option. They are our family. Christ says that when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. Our suffering at their pain should be keen, and if it isn't, we need to pray to love more deeply.

I just found out that NCYC is teaming up with Catholic Relief Services to put together 100k meals for the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines. That's awesome and especially great because some of us don't have much to give.

We must be the Body of Christ just as we receive Him.

"Go in peace to love and serve the Lord." -- GO!

*** UPDATE: NCYC WILL be teaming up with CRS. Info is here: http://www.ncyc.info/park/service.htm

To Give to CRS for Philippines Relief Effort, click here: www.crs.org

Monday, November 11, 2013

Post Baby Three Losing is Great!! WEEK SEVEN

WEEK SEVEN!


STATS:
Starting weight: 180
Weight today: 168.0
Difference: 1.0
Total Weight Loss to date: 12lbs
Size: squeezing into 12/13 - getting a little easier ! : ) 


CHALLENGES
Chikfila. We drove to Wichita this past week and I had Chikfila for lunch and dinner. I love it. No regrets. 

Also had pizza on Friday. It was the kids' idea. I should at least have pizza early in the week so I can eat right in the couple of days before my weigh-in ;) 


VICTORIES
I have been really exercising a lot! I feel great! I am slowly starting to get stronger and I love that I'm not so out of breath all the time. 

This also makes me not so bummed about my weigh-in, because I can tell that I am building muscle! 

STRATEGY
I tracked calories even when I knew I went over and tried most days to compensate for an over usage by exercising. 

For exercise I used: Jillian Michael's Extreme Shed which I can't quite do gracefully all of the exercises yet. I pretty much feel like I'm dying through most it. 

I also pushed the kids in the stroller a few miles - this will get challenging or impossible as it gets colder and windier, so I will have to figure out some other exercise to do indoors unless I stick to workout videos. I thought about joining our local Y, but we aren't sure there will be room in our budget for that. Workout videos are fine, but I just want to get better at running/walking longer distances. 

Finally, if I didn't have time to do a workout video, I did the exercises I remembered from Extreme Shed throughout the day when I had a little down time from the kids. This was good to keep me energetic most of the day and also I actually got more done around the house when I made an effort to consciously be active. The kids are in on it too, but it is VERY hard to exercise much around them because they want to sit on me, climb on me, and throw stuff at me. 

I did try Shakeology and I hate to say it, but I just could not get in to the taste. I think it's a great way to get all our vitamins and nutrients but no matter how I mixed the drinks, I just didn't like the texture and taste. I should offer a disclaimer here that I am not really a smoothie/milkshake person anyway. I know so many who swear by it and who have lost lots of weight and it has jumpstarted their metabolism, given them tons of energy, but I just couldn't get past the taste. I wish I could. Maybe I can crumble it up in my peanut butter sandwich or find some other way to ingest all those amazing vitamins. If I figure something out, I'll let you know. I have one packet left. ;)



Observations
I am feeling less concerned about the number on the scale and more excited about how strong and healthy I feel (aside from the fast food...)! 

Also, this is my first week with NO diet coke cravings! 


GOALS THIS WEEK
1) Continue to exercise!

2) Plan meals ahead so I don't slack off and resort to a fast food option



Until next week... :)

Friday, November 8, 2013

I'm Not Socially Awkward

... Everyone who knows my husband and I knows that in our relationship, I am not the socially awkward one. ;)

And yet, I was the one who was homeschooled! How can this be?!

I have recently been spending a considerable amount of time reflecting on my own homeschooling experience as I discern with my husband whether or not we should homeschool our children. I was homeschooled from third grade through high school and attended a regular four year university - Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee where I graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2006, so academically, I felt my homeschool career prepared me (for the most part) for college. I hated math. Hated. Hate. Hated. Stupid Saxon. Every homeschooler knows what I mean.

We are still undecided about how to best educate our kids, but the argument that our kids will not be well-adjusted socially is one that is at the bottom rung of our priority list. This is not to say I had an easy social life. I definitely struggled with periods of social awkwardness. I remember owning a few stereotypical-homeschooler long jean skirts, and while there is nothing wrong with jean skirts, I was also super painfully shy and that was tied to a lot of self-esteem issues, not necessarily a homeschool -related issue.

Upon reflection, I was able to come up with five things that I learned in homeschooling that helped me to be a well-rounded, socially capable person:

1) Lots of time to spend in learning about my faith When I was younger, I had a lot of head knowledge of the facts about my faith - I learned how to defend my faith and what I believed. When that finally translated into heart knowledge after a powerful conversion I had at a retreat, I began to see where, in my life, I was judgmental. This was a very slow process. I think a lot of us homeschoolers (and others, but I'm speaking of homeschoolers in particular) can easily fall into the trap of a prideful judgmental-ism. I think this is partly because in homeschooling, we had the time to learn about subjects that interested us. There was no limit to what we could learn about a topic and we wanted to share that knowledge. Also, because of that, we learned to be very confident in our beliefs and "sharing our faith" could cross the line into "you're wrong, I'm right and here is why..." It could be very lacking in love. Once I was able to make the mature connection to loving myself and others, having the humility to love the Lord and His people, I found myself to be able to explain the truths I had studied with love! I had answers to questions people had about why I believe certain things and they felt comfortable approaching me and engaging in an honest discussion when I dropped the "I know the answers" prideful attitude. Through these honest debates and dialogue, I began to understand that faith is a journey and we are always learning and that there are things we can learn from people who don't believe the same things we do. In homeschool, as is also true in life, there was never an end to our semester of faith. I am still learning!

2) Lots of time to pursue talents Not having school all day and homework all night freed up my day to practice music, write songs, book events, start bands, etc. I loved that. I also had lots of time to meet and learn from people who were more skilled and gifted than I. In the bands I was in, I learned to work with others who had different ideas and attitudes and skill sets than I. We had people in our praise and worship bands who were homeschooled, public schooled, private schooled, more wealthy, less wealthy, more artistic, more athletic, from big families, from small families. All we asked was that whoever join the band be on board with prayer and worship and represent Christ in our events. It was amazing the fluidity and diversity of our group over the years. It was life-changing to be able to go out and use the universal language of music to share our faith with our fellow teens. I learned to be a leader, which brings me to my next point...

3) I learned to be a self-starter One of the aspects of homeschooling that I have a love/hate relationship with is that everything requires a certain amount of independence. You are in charge of getting your work done properly or you have to do it over. You may get grounded from friends. You may not get to leave the house until every assignment is done to A or B standard. No one is going to stand over your shoulder and watch you do it, you just have to get it done. You have to know how long something is going to take so that you can plan accordingly to get the rest of the work done. There are no deadlines, you just HAVE to do it. You have to finish every textbook cover to cover. There's no running out of time at the end of the semester on a subject. You didn't finish? You better. I had to be self-motivated. This has translated into my life as an adult in more ways than I can count - everything from booking my speaking and music ministry events, to following calls to prayer to move cross country and start life over, etc. Some people have this personality. I really didn't and sometimes I envy those who do because they thrive on the energy they get from being a self-starter. For me, it was an acquired skill.

4) I learned to interact with people of all ages Instead of only being around peers my age, I was in homeschooling groups later in my high school career with students of all ages. We took classes from other adults who also were able to have time to engage us in conversation and debate, challenging us to think critically. We learned to help the younger students and learn from the older ones. I took classes at a devout Baptist Church where we respectfully debated evolution and other areas of faith where our churches taught differently. I learned especially how to talk to and with adults which helped me to grow in maturity and broaden my worldview outside from the stereotypical "shelter" of homeschool.

5) I learned independence. This is closely tied to number three. With the ability to independently pursue my academic work and hobbies, I learned to, in a sense, take care of myself. I want my kids to learn the same, no matter where we send them to be educated. I learned how to do important domestic tasks so that I could run a household when I became an adult, a wife, a mom. Except cooking. I need to go back to school for that, I think, but it wasn't for lack of trying to teach me on my mom's part.


Please don't misunderstand me that these things can only be learned in homeschooling. Clearly, this is not exclusive to homeschool and clearly socially awkward former homeschooled people do exist. I'm just trying to reflect on the positives of my own education and why people are surprised that I was homeschooled. My homeschooled environment, particularly in my last two years of high school as homeschooling was paired with a lot of homeschooling and outside-the-home classes and activities, helped facilitate the above five qualities which have helped me grow into a responsible adult. There was a time where people would not have been surprised I was homeschooled (read: long denim skirt), but I think my education gave me a good balance of life skills that have helped form me into a socially capable person.

Everyone's experience of schooling is valid and different. I appreciate the education I had at home.

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Post Baby Three Losing is Great! WEEK SIX!


WEEK SIX!



ORANGE are NEW Photos at 169lbs
PURPLE are OLD Photos at 180lbs


STATS:
Starting weight: 180
Weight today: 169.0
Difference: 2.4
Total Weight Loss to date: 11lbs
Size: squeezing into 12/13 - getting a little easier ! : ) 


CHALLENGES
Halloween Week. Nailed it. I'll tell you how in strategy. 

I wasn't able to try shakeology this past week because I couldn't find all the pieces to my blender. I just bought a cheap new one (because I'm hoping for a really nice one for Christmas, hint hint David) so that will be on the agenda for this week. 

I also didn't like some of the meals in 100 Days of Real Food Week One and Two, so I've had to get a little more creative in looking for healthy, easy recipes. Most of the time, I take the ingredients that I would have used for 100 Days of Real Food and google a different recipe. For example, we don't like fish, so I'll find something with chicken. 

VICTORIES
Much more exercise!! Also, no diet coke, AND stayed on top of avoiding processed foods, BUT I did indulge once in awhile. 

These are the recipes I really like: 
Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas
Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potato
Vegetarian Fajitas
Chicken Jambalaya


STRATEGY
Last week, week five, I just wasn't sure what happened. Why did I stress eat so much? Well, I did figure out that if I am having a stressful week, I need to stay on top of calorie counting. Staying away from processed foods just isn't enough when you are over-eating. :P Because my first week of not eating processed foods went so well, and I was actually always below my calories every day, I didn't count them at all the next week. BIG MISTAKE!!!! If I had kept track of my calories, I would have seen the damage I was doing to my goals! 

This past week, I knew it was Halloween and I would be tempted by M&M's, specifically peanut, and that I had to make cupcakes for an event, and surely can't send cupcakes out of the house without tasting a couple, just to make sure they're good. I watch Cake Boss. This is important to do.

SO, I knew it was going to be very hard and decided to prep in advance. I planned my calories. What did I want to eat? A cupcake ? (or two?) Ok, write down those calories. Those calories are in first thing, in my food journal. Then I budgeted my meals around the rest. This worked well for me to plan my dessert first. :) 

I also knew I was setting unrealistic exercise goals. If I give up on exercise because I wasn't able to do it first thing in the morning or David and I were too tired in the evening for a 30-45 minute set, then I need to see what I CAN do. I can take TEN minutes to do some pushups, jumping jacks, plank exercises. I can take FIFTEEN minutes to walk a mile pushing a heavy stroller which won't cause me to drip in sweat and have to take a shower right after. I just don't have the time yet with clingy baby, potty-training toddlers, and all the rest to plan a 30 minute workout plus shower. I need to do manageable increments for now, until at least my baby can start entertaining himself. ;) 



Observations
I was very happy with this week. I am finally in the next decade! Weight loss and getting in shape is going slower than I would prefer, BUT, I am very happy with the (mostly) healthy eating habits we are developing as a family and the increase in energy that I have! I feel much more optimistic when I am taking care of myself. 


GOALS THIS WEEK
1) Continue to exercise small increments

2) Follow Week Four of Real Food Meals

3) Try out Shakeology. 


Until next week... :)

Friday, November 1, 2013

TEN REASONS to Work for the Church!

TEN REASONS TO WORK FOR THE CHURCH


10. You never have to worry about being poor. (You already are).

9. No nights or weekends. (off, that is).

8. Opportunities for Continuing Education (Example: Why can't I play "I Will Survive" as the processional hymn at my wedding?)

7. Great Health Benefits (Spiritual)

6. Ability to Travel (All expenses paid mission trips)

5.  Free Food (pizza, pop, donuts)

4. Ability to Work from Home ("Hi, can you come unlock the church?")

3. Opportunity to use All of Your Gifts (Literally All -  music, presenting, designing, cleaning, organizing, basket-weaving)

2. All Your Dreams will Come True (Can't beat leading people to Heaven)

1. Amazing Boss. (What a Mighty Boss We Serve)


:) I love the Church. While there is no "reasonable" financial or practical reason to work for the Church, it is truly humbling to take part in sharing the Gospel with people and I am blessed we can do this as our living. We surrender our finances and worries to the Lord, and He always, always provides. Please give a hug to those in ministry this weekend who are underpaid, under appreciated, and need lots of prayers. We will pray for you too!! God bless!! 

www.allinministry.com
www.wlpmusic.com 

Monday, October 28, 2013

Post Baby Three Losing is Great! WEEK FIVE!


WEEK FIVE!

STATS:
Starting weight: 180
Weight today: 171.4
Difference: 0
Total Weight Loss to date: 8.6lbs
Size: squeezing into 12/13 


CHALLENGES
Stress.

I totally stress ate this entire week. I am thankful not to have gained any weight but I am SO BUMMED after having such a great weight loss last week to have no change at all this week. 

#$(^#$*&^#%@*&@&^*&!!!!!!

I gave into stress. The kids were whiney, the house was a mess, my baby was up lots during the night and I ate out my stress. 

I should have exercised my stress, because though I was exhausted from being up with the baby, I did have a little more time this week and the weather was nice. Sometimes exercising or not exercising is tricky... I'm exhausted so I don't, but I'm exhausted because I don't. 

VICTORIES
I still tried to stick to whole foods, but I also did eat some junk food. One trip to Sonic, a few kids' french fries, and a Mocha Frappe made the list. Mmm. So good. 

Wait, this is my victory section... 

I stayed away from diet coke even though I craved it like crazy this week. Probably I craved it because of the stress and poor food choices. To satisfy this craving, I drank sparkling fruit-flavored water. The carbonation hit the spot and no calories so I figured it was a decent compromise. 

I also exercised more than I have to date, so maybe I'm also building muscle. 

I don't notice much change yet in the way my clothes fit, BUT, I do notice more definition in my face/collar bone/arms. It's not much, but it's something. :) I'll post pics when I hit the ten pound mark. Which I was hoping would be this week... Next week?! 


STRATEGY
I just received my Shakeology sampler packet which I will be trying this week. My friend, Joia Farmer who also has a blog, "Eat, Sweat, Pray, Repeat" sent it my way to try out. I have little to no money to put towards any sort of diet program, but I thought I would try this out given her recommendation and my newfound desire to eat healthy and get fit! (As slow-going as it may be) Joia makes taking care of our bodies part of her ministry, because we can't really take care of others if we aren't taking care of our own health! The whole can't give what we don't have deal. 

OBSERVATIONS
1)  Need better ways to deal with stress not involving homemade chocolate chip cookies.


GOALS THIS WEEK
1) Exercise

2) Follow Week two of Real Food MEALS

3) Try out Shakeology. 


Until next week... :)