Starry Sky Ranch

Joy Bearers

"God wants us to fill our homes with happiness. He made childhood joyous, full of life, bubbling over with laughter, playful, bright and sunny.  It is a crime to repress the mirth and the gladness and to try to make children grave and stately.  Life's burdens will come soon enough to lie upon their shoulders.  Life will soon enough bring care and anxiety and hardship and a weight of responsibility. We should let them be young and free from care just as long as possible.  

We should put into their childhood days just as much sunshine and gladness, just as much cheerful pleasure as possible. Besides the way also to make them strong and noble in character when they grow up to manhood and womanhood is to make their childhood and youth both bright and happy.  If you want to produce a vigorous, healthy plant, you will not bring it up in a dark room; you will give it all the sunshine it will take.  Human lives will never grow into their best in gloom.  

Pour the sunshine about them in youth

let them be happy

encourage all innocent joy

provide pleasant games for them

romp and play with them

be a child again among them

Then God's blessing will come upon your home, and your children will grow up sunny hearted, gentle, affectionate, joyous themselves and joy-bearers to the world."

Home-Making by JR Miller

 

Nothing brings me greater happiness that the little clips of video my children send me of their children everyday.  It is truly beautiful to see them them playing and laughing together, greatly enjoying one another.  To be sure there are many sleepless nights, a multitude of new chores, medical bills, and responsibilities.  But as my son said the other day, "You can't know what will happen to your heart when you have a child."  

He's right.  It expands in untold ways.  The smile of a child is contagious.  Encourage it.  Share it.  Throw the windows open to let all the light of childhood flood your home and your hearts.  It makes the yoke of those responsibilities lighter and easier to carry.  

It is a fine thing if your child becomes a doctor or a lawyer, but nothing compares to sending joy-bearers out into a weary world. 

to the best of your ability

“The duty of the moment is what you should be doing at any given time, in whatever place God has put you.

You may not have Christ in a homeless person at your door, but you may have a little child.

If you have a child, your duty of the moment may be to change a dirty diaper.

So you do it.

But you don't just change that diaper, you change it to the best of your ability, with great love for both God and that child....

There are all kinds of good Catholic things you can do, but whatever they are, you have to realize that there is always the duty of the moment to be done.

And it must be done, because the duty of the moment is the duty of God.”

― Catherine Doherty

 

We discussed in our theology class that doing a good deed of your choice is, of course, a good thing.  However, doing what you ought or what you must and doing that to the best of your ability is ever more meritorious because it has added to it the virtue of obedience.  We can make a dozen resolutions for the new year.  They can be very motivating and are certainly not bad things.  Still it cannot compare with doing what is placed before us with a gentle spirit, trusting that is what would please God the most.  It is not that complicated to figure out what our purpose is.  It lies right there in meeting the duty of the moment.  

 

So this is Christmas

Scenes from Christmas at home, with a portion of the children.  My best gift this year was not cooking.  I have been complaining - sometimes vigorously - that it is neither my joy nor my skill set.  Due to severe food intolerances I also do not eat the majority of what is made.  It had become high level drudgery for me. Fortunately it has become intriguing and relaxing to my husband who organized the troops and made all the food.  All the food.  ALL.  the.  food.  So this day I set the table.  I took pictures.  I scurried around doing up dishes in between their projects.  It was delightful.  We all learned a lot.  

We attended midnight mass for the first time in many years for me.  It was magical. I am deeply indebted to our little church for doing the heavy lifting during the liturgical year celebrations after so many years of our being overseas or in a mission church.  

We did not read a ton this advent.  The library is closed again. I did read the children The Gift of the Magi one day over lunch.  I read it first in grade school and I remember being so amazed and surprised at the end.  I wanted to share it especially this year as the tone "out there" tends more and more towards discontent, disagreement, and entitlement.  Most of us today do not have to take such drastic steps to have a gift to give our beloved.  This is the legacy of historical literature. Perspective.  A reality check. Appreciation hopefully. Following the last novel I read of the same era, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, it leaves so many thoughts of a way of life most can no longer imagine though it was a mere 100 years ago. I also watched an old Walton's movie set during the depression and am thinking its time to rewatch that whole series. 

Our oldest spent the weekend with us watching movies and playing board games. It's funny how the things we used to do for them when they were little are the things they offer to do with us today.  We read together, watch interesting films, listen to each other's music, assemble more complex puzzles, and play more challenging versions of board games.

 

"A very Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear."

Each brings a gift

There's a place for each Small One
God planned it that way
Time is passing, days are few
Give while you can to one smaller than you
All things living great and small
Each brings a gift that is needed by all
Small one, Small one, Don't look so blue
Somewhere a friend is waiting for you
Someone still needs you to brighten his day
There's a place for each Small One
God planned it that way

from The Small One by Don Bluth

If you haven't seen this short film treasure, treat yourself this week. 

Choose One

 

Many years ago - 14 looks like - I shared this article from Simply Charlotte Mason.  I had a new baby that winter.  We had some livestock. Most of our kids lived at home.  Those words affirmed my experience as a then new mother of nine.  Less is more, at least when it comes to traditions and activities.  A few well chosen standby's, repeated annually, get planted deeply in a child's memory bank. 

There are even more ideas available today than there were so many years ago.  If I was overflowing with options then I can only imagine it must be like drinking from a fire hose for young mothers today.  I stand by my 2006 assertion: 

"Read one Christmas chapter book as a family.   One, not twenty, unless you were so inclined. For us that is The 24 Days of Christmas by Madeleine L'Engle.  We will be reading it AFTER Christmas since it has taken me that long to remember the title and track it down but that's ok. It meant so much to me when I first read it that it is worth the wait.

Rest.  So as not to get that 'shade of anxiety' I am guessing. Plus passing out in the mashed potatoes is inappropriate. ; )

Watch over habits.  This has been on my heart as we have been relaxing school since Tess was born. It is easy to relax about a whole lot of things that need attention though. We will work on maintaining the routine  and the good habits even if we do break from academics. 

That's it!  No clever ideas for napkin folding or dessert. Just read and rest.  I am remembering why I love Charlotte Mason."

 

Busy moms, choose one of whatever it is.  Choose one delightful cookie recipe to make together.  Choose one wonderful Christmas album (thank you Spotify) and sing the songs together.  My grandmother had two as I recall, Bing Crosby and Perry Como, and we turned them on each December.  Choose one craft.  Ours this year are the paper lunch bag stars going around the internet. 

Choose one.  

And next year remind yourself to do the same.  

 

Rubber Chicken, a penny pincher

photo: foodnetwork.com

The food budget gets away from me if I am not vigilant about it.  I have making an effort to be more proactive once more.  Recipes abound in fall/winter for all the holiday meals that happen this time of year.  You know what else appears?  Cheap turkey.  You can often find it less than a dollar a pound. If you have the space, grab an extra or two.  If you have not read the Rubber Chicken story, hit that too.  

The idea of the rubber chicken is a multi day process that begins with a roast chicken dinner on day one.  The next day you clean the leftover chicken off the bone and add beans/rice/cheese or whatever else makes for a great burrito dinner.  Day three you put the carcass in the crockpot with veggies and a spoonful of vinegar to pull the minerals out of the bones.  You are rewarded with a collagen rich broth to freeze or you can add noodles and make a hearty soup.  For larger families, the Rubber Turkey works in the same way.  

For my next party trick I am considering investing in a pressure canner. (All American seems to be the front runner with friends.)  The freezer has a finite amount of space and is not terribly user friendly.  We will continue to make good use of it for sure but the idea of having prepared meat and beans is super appealing.  You can then take great advantage of these seasonal deals and stock your shelves for weeks or months to come.  2020 just reminded us why this is still a good idea in our modern age. 

 

We can be heroes

 

I meant to write about this last month and time got completely away from me.   During one of our theology classes Sister spoke about purgatory and mentioned The Heroic Act of Charity.  I learned about this many years ago though have not spoken much about it.  

Just as we pray for one another here and now, we offer for and enjoy the prayers of the faithful who have left this world but who still love us and pray for our salvation.  Surely such an act of generosity to them will never go unrewarded. May they Rest In Peace. 

 

THE HEROIC ACT IN FAVOR OF THE SOULS IN PURGATORY

O MY GOD! for Thy greater glory, and to imitate as closely as possible the generous Heart of Jesus, my Redeemer, and also to testify my devotion to the Blessed Virgin, my Mother, who is also the Mother of the Souls in Purgatory, I place in her hands all my satisfactory works, as well as the fruit of all those which may be offered for my intention after my death, that she may apply them to the Souls in Purgatory according to her wisdom and good pleasure. Amen.

"This Heroic Act of Charity is the completely unselfish offering to God of all the satisfactory value of one's prayers and good works --- plus the value of any that might be offered  for one after one's death --- for the benefit of the Souls in Purgatory, rather than for oneself. The "satisfactory value" of a good work is its value with regard to making up for our sins and reducing our stay in Purgatory. However, the "meritorious value" of our good works is inalienable, i.e., our merits, which give us a right to an increase of glory in Heaven, cannot be applied to anyone else. Moreover, a person who has made the Heroic Act may still pray for himself, friends and other intentions.

The Heroic Act is revocable at will and is not a vow. Its actual ratification depends on the will of God. By making this act with purity of intention, one is relying upon the mercy of God and the prayers of the Communion of Saints to assist his soul after death. The Heroic Act was approved and encouraged by Pope Benedict XIII [1724-1730]." - catholictradition.org

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