1. DID YOU KNOW?
Hugging your spouse or holding hands for at least 20 seconds - regulates your heart and body tempurates to the same rythm? It is a process called "Pair Bonding", a method of a selfless touch, that producesses oxytocin.
"It is this process of building our "bonding contacts" that we create the resilience to overcome the stresses in life" - Curt Thompson, MD
This is 1 of 6 ways to produce Oxytocin and to gain better relationship with your spouse. It's one of the points based on the NFP presentation given by Doctors Todd Bowman and David Bell. I'll be blogging more about the presentation later....lots of good notes.
2. Have You Met Helen Alvare yet?
-255x255.jpg "George Mason University")
She is labeled as Birth Control's worst enemy and she's a bulldog in the fight for women's dignity and fighting Congress against contraception.
She couldn't stand the HHS mandates the forcing of religious institutions to cover contraception any longer so back in February, she and her close friend, Kim Daniels, drafted an open letter to the President and administration that now has close to 34,000 signatures and has two primary points: “First, women value religious freedom. Second, we are not stupid enough to believe the claim that ‘free contraception’ is the sum and substance of women’s freedom and equality.”
AMEN!! I signed the minute I read that. Takes 2 minutes max.
SIGN THE open letter here.
Her book, Breaking Through, Catholic Women Speak for Themselves, released yesterday.
The NCRegester recently published on article all about her...some background....
"Currently a professor at George Mason Law School, Alvaré has dedicated her life’s work to the defense of the unborn and making a public case for traditional marriage. Her involvement in pro-life and pro-family causes has been a tour de force — beginning with work at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, then eventually in academia and, now, as a leading voice challenging the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate requiring Catholic institutions to provide insurance for contraception and abortifacients."
Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/helen-alvare-birth-controls-worst-enemy-is-feminine-genius-champion/#ixzz272N3clJ3
3. WOMEN SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES:
When I watch video's like this, I can relate to men who want to sign up for the army...so motivating...
4. My New Sunglasses: Seeing the Naked, the Hungry, and the Sick
I'm reading this little book lately called, The Family Rule. Sometimes little Catholic booklets are mundane but this one has really helped changed my mentality and a very specific passage offered a new way of seeing things lately.
So, for the price of that cheap pair of shoes at Target or three trips to Dairy Queen for blizzards (and now you know my weaknesses) you can get this little book that will help you and all your little ducklings get to Heaven. Now who wouldn't want that? ;)
Here's a peak at the particular exerpt:
"As a wife and mother, I have often felt very alone and undervalued in the eyes of society. Rarely is there anyone around to take not of the good I try to do or the sacrifices I make for my family and this is as it should be. For in choosing married and family life, I chose the cloister of the home. When at night the baby is awake and I am hte only one around to tend to his needs, I have a choice to act out of love or with a spiteful and unwilling spirit. When I am folding mountains of laundry, I can choose to sing a song or grumble in my heart about the ridiculous nature of so many clothes to fold. The examples are endless of how I am called to be virtuous for the sake of virtue, not for eh sake of praise. However, this is not always an easy sentiment to remember and act upon. In these moments, one reoccurring thought has lasted over the years and inspires me still:
Jesus has called me live out the Gospel in my home, by serving Him in my spouse and children.
~ "I was hungry and you gave me food" = preparing each meal and little snack with love is a chance to serve the Lord.
~ "I was thirsty and you gave me drink" = peacefully making time to hold and breastfeed my baby or getting up on the night to fetch a glass of water for a child or my spouse with a spirit of patience is living out the Gospel.
~ "I was a stranger and you welcomed me"=trying to witness to my children the virtue of hospitality, even when I find it personally inconvenient, is yet another way in which I can draw near to Our Lord.
~ "I was naked and you clothed me" =every dirty diaper, every piece of folded laundry, every effort to organize clothes, changing them out of the season and putting them in bins, is an opportunity for grace.
~ "I was sick and you visited me" = opportunities to tend to the sick are endless with children regularly getting sick. Can I care for my family with compassion and love?
~ "I was in prison and you came to me" =even when my children are in time out or grounded for misconduct I have the opportunity to show them mercy, which requires humility on my part, letting go of my frustration and helping lift them out of darkness into light. How beautiful that I can even visit the prisoners within my own home.
I do not have need of far off mission sand poor starving orphans in order to fulfill the Gospel call. If I do as I am asked, I can unite my suffering with the cross for those in places of great suffering, but in the end, I am simply called to be faithful in the hidden moments of my vocation. As Blessed Mother Teresa reminds us, "In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love."
- Taken from The Family Rule by Chantal R. Howard
I just loved this. Often times, I will see images of Mother Teresa's nuns feeding a bottle to a little orphan baby or washing a half naked man on the street and I think how awesome it would be to go over there and do missions in India for two weeks. I think I would be moved to tears just being able to serve them, and yet...here I am with three little people and one big (good looking;) man right in front of me. How often I complain to myself or exsaperate to get someone a drink of water for the upteenth time when putting them to bed or bitter about eating a cold dinner. I would never dream about doing that if I was with Mother Teresa's nuns serving the poor there. Just really good food for thought for me in serving with more intention and more love.
No, but really, if you are serious about really trying to form your family, this 35 page booklet is the real deal. It's tough, but it's practical and essential to family life.
You can buy the book here.
5. Kourney Kardashion Does't Believe in the Pill Anymore....Say Wha?
Apparently this is very old news. I know, I couldn't help it. It made me extremely curious, you can see the blurb and This article in USA today. I don't follow reality tv stars stars or Hollywood or People magazine...mostly because I feel like I just gorged on junk food and because I feel blah afterward...plus it makes my brain cloudy when trying to pray. But ANYWAYS...I did come across this and it's all over nfp blogs that have had at it...like this one and this one and this one.
Interesting. Can't say I'm not skeptical, I mean, I really really hope, by the grace of God she maintains her beliefs where her conscience has led her to the truth...first things first, marrying your boyfriend might be a good start ;)
6. A REAL good pitch about NFP
So if you are inclinded to a more Catholic take on NFP, Jennifer Fulwiler gives her post in the National Catholic Register about "The Hardest Part About Pitching NFP" ? It's a quick 5 minute read and very insightful. Love her.
7. VIVIAN GOD IS HERE
In a world where people are constantly griping about children and not wanting many, where life is so callously thrown away and aborted, there are some women who so beautifully appreciate life and suffer greatly for their children.
Please keep my sister's friend Maria and her little 2 month old newborn, Vivian, in your prayers. This precious little soul has coughed up lots of blood and the doctors have said there is nothing else they can do. I'm in awe at thier faith and tremble at their suffering, I hope I can learn much from their example.
Read about her journey here at: http://viviangodishere.blogspot.com/ and please pray.
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