Recipe for A Happy Marraige

I found this in an old country cookbook, and I LOVE it, so I thought it worth sharing.....

Recipe For a Happy Marraige

1 cup Consideration
2 cups Flatter, carefully concealed
2 cups Milk of Human Kindness
1 Gallon Faith in God and eachother
2 cups Praise
1 small pinch In-Laws
1 reasonable Budget, mixed in with a generoud dash of cooperation
3 tsp Pure Extract of "I am Sorry."
1 cup Contentment
1 cup Confidence
1 cup Encouragement
2 Children, at least
1 Large or Two Small hobbies
1 heaping cup Blindness to Others' Faults

For extra flavor, add recreation and a dash of happy memories.  Stir well and remove any specks of jealousy, temper or criticism.  If you like a sweeter product, add a generous portion of LOVE.  Keep warm with a steady flame of devotion.  Never serve with a cold shoulder or a hot tongue.  Add to the recipe the presence and love of God and you will have quite a home.

Out of the Mouths of Babes....

So, Buddy has been asking - a lot lately - if I am pregnant yet.  I have to keep telling him "no, honey.  Mom and dad are waiting just a little bit so the babies can get a little older and mom can lose some weight to make sure she has a healthy pregnancy."   Of course, we always add the "but you never know what God has planned for us...."  Well, apparently that is not good enough for him...  Two nights ago, during family prayers, when it came to his turn, after saying what he was thankful for, he decided to ask God for another baby brother.... 
O boy!

Well, with no sustainable income for 12 months and me being seriously overweight, and having a 2 year old and an 11 month old....  I am certainly not going to say no to whatever God has planned for me BUT I really am hoping that He does not have another blessing of the baby type planned for any time withing the next 12-18 months....  I am so very thankful NFP is 99% effective - for postponing pregnancy as well as for couples trying to achieve pregnancy....

Saint Michael, your heart was filled with great charity for God and man.
Our Lord returned your love and allowed you to exchange mystically your heart with His.
Pray for all whose hearts are afflicted with illness, fear, or loneliness.
Teach us to be resigned to God's will in all the trials and sicknesses.
Help us to live as you lived - to do good now and for eternity.
Amen

It's been awhile...

OK, I know I have been slacking a bit here with my blog entries....  I have started a secondary blog - which seems to have become my primary blog.  I am - how do I say this? - overweight, fat, obese...  There are many words to choose from, but the bottom line is I need to reduce my bottom line.  As of a week and a half ago, I weighed over 300 pounds.  My other blog is chronicling my weight loss journey...  Really, it is more of a conversion to a healthier lifestyle.....

So why am I writing about that here?  It occurred to me that us moms are so busy caring for the other members of the family, we frequently forget (or just plain fail) to take care of ourselves....  When you take a flight anywhere and the flight attendants go through their little safety ditty, the one thing they say when talking about the air masks is to make sure your own mask is on and secure BEFORE you assist others in securing their mask.  That's because they have to remind us that if we're not conscious, we cannot take care of others....   I'll take that to a not-so-obvious level....  If we fail to take care of ourselves, how can we be in a condition to handle whatever life throws at us?
1 corinthians 6:19-20 tells us:
19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

While the verse is specifically referring to sexual immorality, that is not the only way to read it.  If our body belongs to God, and we are to honor Him with it, then ANYTHING that is harmful to our body should be avoided.  If our body is HIS, we MUST take care of it and treasure it as the wonderful sacred gift it is....  Overeating, or being overweight to an unhealthy extent is failing to to do just that...

No more excuses.  I am going to take care of me so that I can take care of my children, and hopefully have enough health and life to play with my grandchildren!

Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to you.

Allow Your healing Hand to heal me.
Touch my soul with Your compassion for others;
touch my heart with Your courage
and infinite Love for all;
touch my mind with Your Wisdom,
and may my mouth always proclaim Your praise.
Teach me to reach out to You in all my needs,
and help me to lead others to You by my example.

Most loving Heart of Jesus,
bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve You with all my strength.
Touch gently this life which you have created, now and forever.
Amen.