My son, Tucker, and the great people of St. Patrick’s Catholic School in Bryan, OH absolutely CRUSHED their Socktober collection goal! They collected 280 pairs of new socks against their goal of 100 pairs. The new socks will be donated to the Lewis Family McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Dinner in Lima, OH. At this event, nearly 3,000 guests will be served a hot, traditional Thanksgiving meal, and they will be given the opportunity to “shop” donated goods. Thank you to everyone who donated socks this October! I’m so excited about it, I’m starting to think maybe we should initiate “Glove- ember” this month. Who’s in?
A Prayer of Healing
Tonight, our Community will gather on behalf of Father Jim Halleron, Priest of St. Patricks Catholic Church in Bryan, OH and Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Montpelier, OH. Father Jim is currently undergoing three cycles of chemotherapy to treat Cancer which has returned to him a second time. Details surrounding tonight’s benefit can be found here. Father Jim is a compassionate, warm, and loving Priest. He is humble, kind, and fun-loving. Known for his big personality, high fives, and to the point homilies, Father Jim is an inspiration to live life to the fullest each and every day. I feel blessed to know Father Jim, and I pray that tonight’s benefit raises not only much-needed funds, but awareness to Father Jim regarding how many people love and care for him, and how many lives he’s touched. Below is a prayer that I received during a Mass presided over by Father Jim. …
Treat your Neighbor
This Halloween, if you’re like our Family, you have lots of candy leftover! While it’s tempting to squirrel it away to eat through the Winter, another idea may leave your waistline a little slimmer come Spring. I found this idea on Pinterest, and I think it’s a great one. Just print and adhere labels with bible verses to the leftover candy, and donate it to your Church’s youth group, or to any other group that regularly passes out candy. It’s a quick and easy way to spread God’s word, and to share these “treats” with others. Here are a few Bible Verses that fit the bill: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. -Psalm 34:8 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. -Proverbs 16:24 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away…
The Root Beer Barrel
Has God ever given you a sign? How about a soda-pop flavored candy one? Well, that’s just what he gave my Husband, Ryan and I. Here’s our sweet story… We were headed home from a weekend getaway to Indianapolis. After 2 days sans-children we were blissfully relaxed, and our conversation had shifted from the superficial, into deeper territory. I couldn’t tell you how we got to the topic, but suddenly, the most raw, and honest secret came bubbling out. “I’m afraid to die.” There it was. My big, strong, 6’1” husband admitted that he was afraid of dying. Not of the pain, or of leaving things undone, but fearful that there was no “eternity” waiting for him. I didn’t know what to say. This was not a fear I shared. For as long as I could remember, I’d looked forward to going to Heaven. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not…
Chalk it up to Experience
Try Creating a Menu Board! Weeknights used to be nutty in our house! After a full day of work (and ubering kids) I’d return home with a hangry (hungry +angry) crew asking, “What’s For Dinner?” Inevitably, no matter what the answer was, someone in the crowd would be disappointed. That was until, my lovely and smart sister-in-law, Abby gave me the brilliant idea to post a weekly Menu Board. The menu board allows me to plan our meals, and answer the “What’s for Dinner” question a full week ahead of time. The grumpy “I don’t like that” comments are used up on Sunday night, and the meal planning has helped me to reduce our weekly grocery spend, too. We also use our Menu Board to post a Bible verse for the week. The Bible verse sets a tone for the week, and it always opens up great dialog around the dinner table. Below…
Socktober!
Every night in the United States an estimated 600,000 people sleep on the streets. During the month of October, you can help warm the soles (and souls) of those in need by participating in Socktober, an easy and fun movement to collect new socks. Made famous by Kid President creator, Brad Montague, Socktober exists to prove that even the smallest acts of love, like donating a pair of socks can make a big difference in the loves of our neighbors who are homeless. If you’d like to run your own Sock Drive, you can find simple instructions here: http://soulpancake.com/socktober/ and you can find downloadable signs to promote your drivehere: https://www.happysocktober.com/ Happy Socktober everyone!
Come Holy Spirit
This prayer is very special to me. After my Grandma Norma passed away, our entire family gathered at her home. While we were there, my husband Ryan picked up a “Catholic” Bible off of one of Grandma’s shelves. Just inside the cover, was the prayer to the Holy Spirit. Ryan was so surprised at finding it there, and he shared with me that this prayer plays a special role in the Great Banquet, a spiritual retreat that at the time, he had attended, and up until that point, I had refused to go to. It was finding this prayer in Grandma Norma’s Bible that led me to attending my own Great Banquet, where I would accept Jesus into my heart in a way that I never had before. Come Holy Spirit Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love Send…