Catholic Carnival for July 10, 2007

Welcome to the July 10, 2007 edition of Catholic carnival. Thank you to all of you who have contributed! This is my first time hosting and being new to this - I had planned on having a "Summer Mothering" theme but of course, I welcome all topics. :) I'm sharing a bit of my garden with all of you, too for your enjoyment. Summertime is a great time of year. Hopefully we are all finding some time, however small - to be with our families and loved ones to refresh, renew, and RELAX!

We begin with Suzanne Temple of Blessed Among Men who shares her "rule of six" or "Six Things to Include in My Children's Summer Days" which she says "includes meaningful or disciplined work, healthy and imaginative play, beauty (art and music and nature), good books, prayer, and discussion." Visit her "flowerful" summer post here.





Jaime Gregory at her blog Life Happens tells us about her Summer School plans gearing up for her homeschooling to officially begin in September for her two children. She shares, "Kids are learning every day; we are just helping them along!"






Barb at SFO Mom recounts a summer evening experience and calls it How To Make Your Mom Cry.






Karen Edmisten discusses how Mr. Potato Head went along with her family on their Camping trip! Be sure to read her post for a good chuckle!






Heidi H. Saxton at her blog Mommy Monsters Inc. said, "How did Moses cross the Red Sea? (march, march)
Did he swim? No, no. (swing arms like windmills)
Did he sail? No, no. (did they even have pontoons on the Red Sea? I don't know.)
Did he fly? No, no, no, no! (make like a bird)
Did he run? No, no. (Well, maybe a bit when Pharaoh was chasing him.)..." What in the world is she talking about? Vacation Bible school, that's what! Read her post The Art of "Momfullness."






Athanasius tells us at 50 Days After "St Paul wrote that men should love their wives as Jesus Christ loves the Church." He explains how he more fully understood these words after he got married. Read his post As Christ Loves the Church here.





"What did you do for your marriage today?" Jay of Living Catholicism asks us. He talks about the new campaign launched by the USCCB (Catholic Bishops) that he "can really get behind: What did you do for your marriage today?" Jay feels that it is a great campaign to help any man or woman to become a better spouse.






On a lighthearted note and focusing on the joys of summer, Sarah at Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering is taking a look at just how indoctrinated her daughter is becoming to life out in the boonies. She says, "So, just in case YOU were wondering how you could tell if your children have the same malady..." Take a look at her summertime list to help you "identify just when that fairy princess has turned farm girl on you!" Read Sarah's post You're Raising a Farm Girl When..." for a look at the lighter side of summer on a farm.







Cehwiedel from Kicking Over My Traces tells us in Shadow Christians in the Modern World that everyday Catholics need to reach out and share the Gospel.






Heart, Mind and Strength offers us a reflection on the Mass readings for Sunday 7/6 (including mention of the Church as “mother”) in Three Names for the Church






Catholic Matriarch in My Domestic Church offers us "In addition to prayer, here are a few suggestions to keep your teen
drivers safe," in
Driving Home a Few Points





Catholic Matriarch in My Domestic Church also tells us "Our Catholic view of marriage should be different than that of the
secular world. Refocusing on marriage as a vocation will sanctify our
marriages and our families." in Marriage is not the Purview of the HR Department.





Jen at Daughter of the King enthusiastically tells us that "She is Here! Who's here? Our Lady of Perpetual Help that's Who! Jen says, "Things change when a family, a community, or a person living alone, begin to live under the compassionate gaze of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. By accepting the icon of the Mother of God into our homes, we accept Her also into our hearts and so fulfill what is written concerning Saint John, the Beloved Disciple of the Lord: "And from that hour, the disciple took Her to his own (John 19:27)." Read her post here.





Seminarian Matthew at A Catholic Life offers a discussion of Communion in the Hand, extraordinary ministers, and altar servers at his post Mission: Restore Eucharistic Reverence.






Loni at Finding Joy in the Morning talks about her "Summer Mothering." She tells us, "We have been taking walks, having picnics, going to parks, visiting a petting zoo, and enjoying the outdoors..." Take a look at her beautiful photos and read more about their family's "goals of having fun, doing more family things. Laughing more..."






Minnesota Mom, Margaret in her post So Much Summer; So Little Time discusses "the ambitious, wistful longings we all have heading into this allegedly more relaxed season" (My sentiments precisely, Margaret! As a matter of fact, I'd love to be sitting on that bench right about now! We DO have to MAKE time to rest this summer).





LLM at
Catholic Mom's Journey talks about, "Swimming, ice cream, vacations. Images of summer time. It is a delightful time of the year and definitely different for our family than the rest of the year" in her post Summer Fun!





Lisa Hendey of Catholic Mom.Com is in love with summer! She says, "At my kids’ school, I’m notorious among the parents, the teachers and the students for one thing: I LOVE SUMMER!

I’m the mom who is grinning ear to ear on the last day of school. I’m also the mom with a tummy ache and tears in her eyes on the first morning back to school. The reality is, I love having my boys at home. I love seeing their sleepy heads rise at 9:27 (they’re growing teens – they sleep in!). I love watching them cook lunch at 11:30 and again at 2:46, and having them ask me at 4:49 what we’re having for dinner. I love the sound of their guitars, their games, and their laughter together. I love midnight dips in the pool and going out for ice cream after a late movie. I love camping with my family – sitting around a campfire telling stories or listening to them play their instruments. I love it all!...






Lisa continues, "Summer around our home is a way of life. We decided long ago to leave schedule camps and summer school to other families. We try to keep things as unscheduled as possible (in an effort to balance out the rest of our overly scheduled year!). We look for opportunities for family fun. This weekend, for example, we went to a free Shakespeare in the park performance Friday evening and a Celtic jam session on Sunday afternoon. My boys do school work over the summer (reading, math and writing) in an effort to keep minds and skills sharp. Their summer writing journals have become precious mementos – souvenirs of special times in special places.

With my boys turning sixteen and thirteen in September, I have a sense of the fleeting passage of time. This summer I find myself acutely aware that in a few short years my boys will have moved on to the next phase of life, and that I too will find my life changed. But for now, I do my best to savor each special moment as a summer mother!"






Barb SFO Mom shares a letter she wrote to her daughter on the feast of Maria Goretti. Read it here at her post.






Revolt in the Dessert offers a post in which we are told, "If we desire Peace, then we must somehow surpass the brokenness of the present..." Go take a look at Revolt in the Dessert.






Tom O'Toole presents Live Rich or Die: Al Gore and the God of Global Warming posted at Fighting Irish Thomas. Go take a look.





Jean Marie from Catholic Fire gives us an explanation of this feast day, the promises that accompany it, the benefits (via indulgences) entailed in wearing the Carmelite scapular, and the novena, which is already in progress.
Visit her post at Catholic Fire.





Ana of Ana Braga-Henebry's Journal offers us a very nice summer post. She talks about her family, her garden and her Stations of The Cross project. She says,"We pray as a family every night. When company is here, we invite them to participate in our prayer time with us. It is always a wonderful way to close the day, because much conversation ensues and often dots are connected."







Hope from Mothers of Many Saints lets us in on her secret about the "work before us that will bring us and our children to holiness and to heaven," in her post The Work of God.





Alice at Cottage Blessings offers us Patrick and the Homeless Woman: A Ride on a Cable Car a heartfelt story about "summer mothering" in a new city. Be sure to read it.






Watch this beautiful and peaceful You Tube, "Silence is Everything." by Sandy Carlson. Let's see if we can find a bit of silence here and there this summer in which to pause and hear our Lord whisper to our souls.






Thanks for visiting! I hope you had an enjoyable time! :) Remember to put some time aside with your family and friends in which to PAUSE so that you may ENJOY, RENEW and REFRESH!




I'm leaving you with one more piece of something TRULY beautiful to watch before you leave...a short and stunning video, "Beauty in it's Time" created by my very talented friend, Sandy Carlson of Writing in Faith. I know you will love it!


God bless your summer days!







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