Take up My Cross (and Camera)

So, it's been awhile since I've posted.  Sorry about that.  I've discovered that when long periods of time go by without posting anything, it usually means I haven't been taking many pictures, which usually means I've been a bit depressed, a bit too focused on the negative.  Of course, part of my lag-time between posts is because life is just plain busy with 5 boys to take care of, but I learning that even if my life is busy I need to take the time to take pictures and blog because it brings me joy, it pulls me out of my cloudy thoughts and sheds light on all the gifts to be grateful for.

This reminds me of a story I heard awhile back about a professor who gave his students a pop quiz one day in class.  There was a sheet of paper lying on each of their desks with one small black dot in the middle of the page.  He told the students that their quiz was to describe with as much detail as possible what they observed on that piece of paper.  So the students diligently began to write about this black dot--it's size, it's color, it's distance from each side of the page, hypotheses of how it got there, and so on.  After handing in their quiz, the professor read each paper and said they all had failed.  They failed because no one in the class had mentioned what else was on the paper besides the black dot.  99.9% of the paper was a brilliant white, and the class chose to only focus on the .1% of darkness.  This story is an analogy of how many of us (myself especially) tend to focus on the one negative thing going on in our life, diligently obsessing over it to the point where we completely lose sight of the thousands of blessings in our life that would far out-way the one challenge that consumes our vision and steals our joy.  Does this sound familiar to anyone else?  For me, I've learned that one way to force myself to look beyond that one black dot is to pull out my camera.   So, here are some of the things that currently make up the 99.9% of my life's "page" that remind me that I am loved, I am blessed, and that the tiny black dot cannot steal the joy that God desires for me unless I allow it to.  Just as Scripture tells us to "Take up our cross and follow Christ," I'm learning I sometimes need to force myself to "take up my camera" which helps me to follow Christ and choose joy.  May these pictures bring you some joy too!  :)

Dominic having fun in the snow!

I love those two front teeth...I'm sure the orthodontist will like them too :)

Isaiah happy to be outside with his big brothers.

Dominic being tackled by his little--but tough--baby brother!

Natey waiting for a ride!

Joseph showing off his new skis.

His old ones broke when he crashed on a ski jump this winter...

We found out a few weeks later that he also broke some bones in his back!  OUCH!

But did that stop him from building a ski jump across our driveway?

NOPE.

At least his dad was there to supervise though...

BOYS!

Michael also bought himself a new pair of skis once they went on sale.

After all, he couldn't be out-classed or out-skied by his older brother.

Our fireplace and new sitting room arrangement just make me happy.

This is probably my favorite place in the house.

It's where Paul and I pray together in the morning and lounge together in the evening.

We replaced our old pseudo-leather couches (which were flaking all over the place)

with these classy ones in our living room.

Michael (front row 3rd from the left) was installed as a "Senior Server" last weekend.

Such holy and handsome servers who are trained so well to have reverence for the Eucharist and the holy altar of the Lord!

Michael (3rd from the left) had been waiting and waiting to be asked to become a Senior Server, so he was SO happy it finally happened!

This was the 1st year Joseph's school did a boy's basketball team.

I was so proud of him for joining and doing his best, even though he'd never really played basketball before!  He's already looking forward to next year's basketball season.

I love that these boys now have land to go explore and play in all year round!

Michael loves to give crazy sled rides to his brothers.

His brothers love it too until they crash and get hurt :}

Nathanael happy to get a ride!

What a blessing to have a sledding hill right out our front door!!!

And what a blessing to have all sorts of wildlife out our front door too!!!

We got to watch these bucks spar for probably an hour or more right out our back door!

I'm not sure if they were really sparing or just having fun together

See what I mean?  I don't think they're really fighting.

I think they're buddies :)

There I go, personifying animals again.

A Red Crossbill.

These beauties with their crazy beaks seemed to stick around all winter--so fun to watch!

This adorable bunny was fun to watch all winter long.  He lives right out our back door by the pond, and almost every morning he would come out to sun himself in this spot.

The boys got this for Christmas, and we have been having a blast watching an episode each night.

It's the complete set (seasons 1-7), so it should keep us entertained for awhile!

I remember watching these with my brother Jon growing up, 

so it's special to me that my kids are liking them just like my brother and I did.

Every time the theme song comes on, it just makes me smile :)

Paul and I have been hosting a high school study called 

"YOU: Life love and the Theology of the Body".

It is an AWESOME study that helps teens and their parents navigate some of the tough issues of our times (like chastity, pornography, contraception, homosexuality) from a solid Catholic perspective.

We feel so blessed to be part of this group and we sure hope it will help these teens share Christ's light and truth in this seemingly darkened world!

Lastly, I came across a great quote that I am trying to embrace this week to help me find peace and to take my eyes off the "black dots" on my page.  Perhaps it will inspire you too and help you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the Prince of Peace:

"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset."  

St. Francis de Sales

Special Feast Days Call For Special Recipes

This weekend is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes, our heavenly mother who is the patron saint of all those suffering from illness of any kind.  I believe that through her powerful intercession, we can confidently place into her hands all of our intentions and all of our illnesses of body, mind, or soul, trusting that she will bring them to her Son, the Divine Physician, for miraculous healing.  The love that radiated from Our Lady’s face when she appeared to St. Bernadette caused the French maiden to cry tears of joy. May Our Lady wrap all of us in that same radiant love, so that we, too, may experience tears of joy and be open to all of the healing graces God wants to pour into our hearts today—and every day.

Awhile back, I was asked to write an article about the story of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette.  So, on this special feast day, I will share the story with you, for I believe it can still can speak to our hearts in the 21st century if we take time to ponder its message.

Bernadette Soubirous was a 14-year-old girl of poor health, poor status, and poor education when her ordinary life was touched by the extraordinary.  Bernadette lived in Lourdes, France and had a difficult childhood.  Her family was so poor that they were forced to live in the town's damp and abandoned prison, which the townsfolk fittingly nicknamed "The Dungeon."  Her father, Francois, lost his job as the town miller and spent most of his life doing odd jobs that did not pay well.  This meant that Louise, Bernadette's mother, had to work extra hard to support her 4 children, and Bernadette, as the oldest child, did much of the work raising her younger siblings while her parents tried to make ends meet.  During these difficult times, it is said that Bernadette served joyfully and obediently, rather than focusing on her own woes.  

On February 11, 1858, while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend, "the beautiful lady," as Bernadette called Our Lady for many months, first appeared to her in the rocky grotto called Massabielle.  She was dressed in a shining white gown with a blue sash around her waist and two yellow roses resting upon her bare feet.  It is interesting to note that this grotto was once a pagan worship site, and later, it was the town’s landfill!   Why would God choose such a spot for His heavenly mother to appear? Perhaps the appearance of the sinless Blessed Virgin at that spot would remind people that “God can make all things new,” that His merciful love, and that of His mother's, can remove the idols in our life and transform the garbage in our souls into something beautiful and holy.

Surprisingly, it was not until the 16^th apparition that “the beautiful lady” finally told Bernadette who she was, saying: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”  Bernadette was not well educated, nor well catechized; she had never heard the phrase before and knew not what it meant, which helped convince the local priest that she was telling the truth.  In fact, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception had only been declared 4 years prior, and it was not a title known by most Catholics at the time, but it certainly became well-known after these heavenly visitations in Lourdes.

On the 9th apparition, Our Lady requested that Bernadette eat some of the grass growing in the grotto and to wash in the spring.  Bernadette obeyed without question.  However, there was no spring nearby, so she began to dig where the Blessed Mother indicated the spring should be.  A puddle of muddy water appeared, and Bernadette rubbed the mud all over her face, causing the hundreds of spectators to laugh and conclude that she was crazy.  Their opinion quickly changed, however, when the muddy puddle turned into a flowing spring, which continues to flow today and has caused many miraculous cures.

After Bernadette's 18^th—and final—apparition, Bernadette chose the hidden life of the convent.  During one apparition Our Lady had told Bernadette:  “I do not promise to make you happy in this world, but in the next.”  These words came true for Bernadette.  Her young life, both before and after the apparitions, was filled with hardship.  Many of the nuns in her convent treated her harshly for a variety of reasons:  some did not believe that Bernadette saw the Blessed Virgin, some were simply jealous of her for receiving such a special grace, and some felt they needed to protect her from vainglory.  Bernadette carried the heavy cross of their cruelty with sublime patience and humility.  She was also given the cross of a cancerous tumor on her knee.  She suffered so serenely that her fellow nuns did not think she was very ill.  One day, a nun who came to visit her asked her unkindly, "What are you doing in bed, you lazy little thing?” Bernadette's reply was, "I am doing my job.  I must be a victim."  She accepted suffering as God’s will for her—her “job”—and she trusted that He would use it for the good of her soul or the souls of others.  As she lay dying in her bed, Bernadette pressed a crucifix to her chest and cried, "All this is good for Heaven!"   Love is what gave her the strength to do her “job” so joyfully, as she beautifully explained:  “I will spend every moment loving.  For one who loves does not notice her trials, or perhaps more accurately, she learns to love them.”  Bernadette’s last words were, "Blessed Mary, Mother of God, pray for me, a poor sinner, a poor sinner!"  How happy she must have been to see “the beautiful lady" again, this time welcoming her to heaven, fulfilling the promise that she would finally find true happiness.  She died at age 35, and when her body was exhumed many years later, it was found to be perfectly incorrupt.

St. Bernadette’s story still has so much to teach us Catholic women today.  Even though she had the honor of Our Lady appearing to her, her “job” was to suffer for the salvation of souls.  Her story reminds us to ask ourselves, what is our “job,” what is God calling us to do for His Kingdom?  Perhaps your “job” is to offer up the mundane duty of changing dirty diapers…  Perhaps it is to serenely suffer a physical illness to save souls like St. Bernadette…  Perhaps it is to show forgiveness and unconditional love to your spouse to show the world what true Christ-like love looks like.  Perhaps it is to plant seeds of God’s love at your workplace and get ridiculed for it.  Yes, perhaps the “jobs” that God gives us might cause us some suffering, but by uniting our pain with Jesus’ Passion, we will grow closer to Him and perhaps save a soul or two like our little saint from Lourdes.  So, whatever your “job” is, ask St. Bernadette to intercede for you to help you live it out with courage and love like she did, all for the greater glory of God!  

Here is a fun recipe to make for the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes to remind you of the beautiful roses that rested upon Our Lady's feet when she appeared to St. Bernadette.  I try to make these on most of the Marian Feast days, as well as on St. Elizabeth's Feast Day and St. Therese.  Our family loves them, and I hope yours does too!

Sweet Roll Dough

1 pkg. dry yeast
½ c. warm water
1/2 c. lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
1/3 c. butter, margarine or shortening
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3 ½ to 4 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in milk sugar, butter, salt, egg, and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 1 ½ hours.

Cinnamon Filling
2 T. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. cinnamon 

Mix until all sugar and cinnamon is moistened. 

Make 4 small balls (golf ball size) of dough and roll them out into 3 1/2 inch diameter circles. Overlap dough circles as shown. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture across middle, leaving curved edges clear. 

Roll circles up into rolls as shown. You should end up with rolled dough with both ends fluted. Cut roll in half. 

Place dough in greased muffin tins. Cut/flat end should be down and the pretty, fluted/curved end up. 

Let rise until double (30-40 minutes). Bake in 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes. 

I found this recipe at the Catholic Cuisine website:  http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/2015/07/st-elizabeth-rose-bread.html

Saints and Resolutions for 2017

Our family is continuing the tradition of choosing a patron saint to be our special intercessor for the new year.   A friend of mine who has a special devotion to St. Faustina first told me about this beautiful tradition a few years ago when she shared the following excerpt from Faustina's diary:

"Jesus likes to intervene in the smallest details of our life, and He often fulfills secret wishes of mine that I sometimes hide from Him, although I know that from Him nothing can be hidden.  There is a custom among [the sisters in our convent] of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, for special patrons for ourselves for the whole year.  In the morning during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special patron for this year also, as in the past.  But hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that.  When the sisters gathered for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons.  When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes.  Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul:  I am your patron.  Read.  I looked at once at the inscription and read, "Patron for the Year 1935--the most Blessed Eucharist."  My heart lept with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament, where I poured out my heart.  (entry 360)


So, here are the saints God chose for us this year:

Paul:  St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Maria:  St. Elizabeth of Portugal
Joseph:  St. Bernadino Realino
Michael:  St. Barbara
Dominic:  St. Charles Lwagna
Nathanael:  St. Anthony
Isaiah:  St. Juan Diego

All you holy saints...pray for us!  Pray that our family grows closer to Jesus this year and helps others to do so too!

I have also continued the tradition that I learned from Ann Voskamp to pray for a "word" to be my New Year's resolution---a word that the Lord wants me to adopt as my motto for the year to help draw me closer to His heart.  So on New Year's Day we went to Mass and I asked the Lord what word He was placing on my heart, and the word that popped into my head was "Peace."  But I wasn't totally sure (because I'm scrupulous and second-guess everything), so I kept searching for another sign for confirmation.  As I listened to the Mass readings, I head the familiar words that my parents used to pray over me as they tucked me in bed at night,  "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord let His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord look upon you with kindness and give you PEACE."  There it was again!  The Lord wants to give me the peace this year that I so desperately desire.  Peace like a child being tucked in by her loving parents, secure in being loved and taken care of.  Peace that I have somehow lost as I have let the world's worries distract my childlike trust that I once had.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will help me find that peace again this year and help me to focus on what is true:   that I can be at peace in ALL circumstances because I am still very much loved and being taken care of by a trustworthy God.

Let me know if you want me and my kids to draw a saint name for you!  :)  Just reply to this post or send me an email (pmhurlbert@gmail.com).

Medjugorje Christmas Messages from Our Lady

The Christmas season is over, but I thought these latest messages from Our Lady of Medjugorje during this resent Christmas season were worth sharing.  The visionaries say that when she appears to them on Christmas Day, she is always carrying the infant Jesus in her arms and is filled with joy.  I love picturing that.  May these messages from heaven fill you with joy and hope this New Year!



December 25, 2016 Message to Marija

"Dear children! With great joy, today I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to give you His peace. Open your hearts, little children, and be joyful that you can receive it. Heaven is with you and is fighting for peace in your hearts, in the families and in the world; and you, little children, help with your prayers for it to be so. I bless you with my Son Jesus and call you not to lose hope; and for your gaze and heart to always be directed towards Heaven and eternity. In this way, you will be open to God and to His plans. Thank you for having responded to my call."



January 2, 2017 Message to Mirjana

"Dear children, My Son was the source of love and light when he spoke on earth to the people of all peoples. My apostles, follow His light. This is not easy. You must be little. You must make yourselves smaller than others; with the help of faith to be filled with His love. Not a single person on earth can experience a miraculous experience without faith. I am with you. I am making myself known to you by these comings, by these words; I desire to witness to you my love and motherly care. My children, do not waste time posing questions to which you never receive an answer. At the end of your journey on earth, the Heavenly Father will give them to you. Always know that God knows everything; God sees, God loves. My most beloved Son illuminates lives, dispels darkness; and my motherly love which carries me to you is inexpressible, mysterious but real. I am expressing my feelings to you: love, understanding and motherly benevolence. Of you, my apostles, I am asking for your roses of prayer which need to be acts of love. To my motherly heart these are the dearest prayers. I offer these to my Son who was born for your sake. He looks at you and hears you. We are always close to you. This is the love which calls, unites, converts, encourages and fulfills. Therefore, my apostles, always love one another and above all, love my Son. This is the only way to salvation, to eternal life. This is my dearest prayer which fills my heart with the most beautiful scent of roses. Pray, always pray for your shepherds that they may have the strength to be the light of my Son. Thank you."

This Odd Couple...

...wishes you a very Happy and Holy Christmas!

The Christmas story and the picture above just makes me smile and marvel at what God can do...  

If God can come down to earth as a fragile baby to save mankind from sin, and if God can bring two polar-opposite people like Paul and I together (and keep us together!), then He must really be a God of miracles and mystery and unsurpassing Love.  

That He is.  

And so much more.  

Christmas is that season where we get a glimpse, a taste, an inexplainable conviction of that miracle, that mystery, that Love which is God.  

And we long to know more.  

I hope and pray for myself, my family, and my friends that we all keep that longing in our hearts long past the Christmas season and get to know our marvelous God more and more...and more still.

Although the Christmas season is still being celebrated (I love that it lasts 12 days!!!), here is a summary of our celebration thus far:

It began with a special helicopter drop-off from Santa.  Grandma Jean (Paul's Mom) landed on Christmas Eve and spent a week spoiling our family with lots of hugs, love, presents, and amazing cuisine!

Even our tall teenager got one of Grandma's great big bear hugs!

When we got home from the airport, we had a nice meal followed by letting the kids open one present each (which is our Christmas Eve tradition).

After Isaiah unwrapped his present, 

it wrapped him up! :)

Nathanael's rhinoceros viper can't wait to snuggle with Grandma Theresa next time she comes! :)

Dominic got a unique albino crocodile with a great smile.

Unique with a great smile, just like Dom!

Michael could not wait to start using these high-quality binos!

Joseph was in shock and awe and bliss when he opened his new iPod

that I told him he would never get in a million years--

proving that Christmas miracles still happen :)

Grandma Jean was given some great Catholic books and a new sweater,

but I think her true gift was just being with her grandkids for a week.

She especially loved listening to Natey read 

and helping him with the words that stumped him 

(which are getting fewer and farther between)

Grandma also had fun making gingerbread houses with the boys...

but the boys had the most fun watching her do the work while they snacked on the candy :)

Natey loved placing baby Jesus in the manger, all soft with hay--

a symbol of all the boys' good deeds done over the Advent season

Even as an adult I think that presents under a glowing tree are gorgeous!

The boys finding the small treasures in their stockings on Christmas morning!

This was the majestic view from our car as we drove into town for Christmas Mass.

Perhaps Santa uses elk instead of reindeer when he comes to Montana? :)

Our handsome boys at the gorgeous Cathedral

Our family after Christmas morning Mass---the Mass was the highlight of Christmas for me!

Grandma Jean surrounded by her grandsons!

She is accustomed to being surrounded by boys for she raised 4 sons and 2 foster sons too!

The Cathedral felt so sacred and full of love on Christmas morning!

I love being Catholic and knowing that every time I walk into church Jesus is truly present in the tabernacle.  How blessed we are to receive Him---not just on Christmas---but every time we receive the Eucharist at Mass!

The best Christmas present of all is Jesus' gift of Himself--the gift that keeps on giving.

He came as a simple baby, 

He comes as simple bread, 

and He will come again in glory someday...

simply amazing!!!

When we returned home from Christmas Mass, we were greeted by a deer who seemed to be waiting for a Christmas present too.  So Grandma Jean got give her a little Christmas treat--

which made them both merry, very! :)

Then we came indoors to let the kids open all their presents.

The wait was finally over and it was so fun to watch them help one another 

and see the joy on their faces.

Nathanael liked his new game, some books, and some LEGO sets.

Dominic liked his new LEGO book, a Snap-circuit electricity set, and some Nexo Knight LEGO sets.

Michael was happy with his new basketball and a new full-size outdoor hoop!

All of us got wonderful gifts, but hopefully we would have been just as joyful to receive nothing but the gift of spending time together and the miraculous, indescribable gift of Emmanuel--God with us!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15