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Angels · Catholic Faith · Counting Blessings · Currently · Davis Family · Faith · Family · Italy · LadyEm

Harm vs. Inconvenience

LadyEm636 Comments
Unsure whose image this is.

Dear Ones,

As I was reading my Magnificat this morning, it occurred to me that there’s a difference between being protected from harm, and walking through inconveniences. So in my human mind I get the two mixed up. I say to myself, “why would God let this happen? Why would God allow me and the people I love to be harmed in this way?!”

Here are the first few passages I read… and literally stopped to post, after being thoroughly convicted

“Exodus 14:19 — The angel of God, who had been leading Israel’s camp, now moved and went around behind them.

God’s providence is powerful indeed. Christ, who has led the way through death to life, now shield us from all harm and feeds us with the Bread of life, Himself, as He continues to lead us in our own exodus from slavery to the promised land of eternal freedom.

Psalm 34:1-9  — 1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your[a] faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. 9 O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want.”

In the italicized portion above, you see that it says Christ shields us from harm. And as I was reading it I thought to myself, “duh, harm… Not inconveniences.” You may be asking yourself why this is a revelation to me. And if I’m being honest with you I don’t know why it’s still Is. I guess because I’ve been through so much in my life that the battle in my mind is sometimes so overwhelming that I need the constant reminder. And so when I feel strongly convicted I share… and I guess that’s what God wants me to do.

Lately I’ve been really battling depression over the fact that here in Italy were still locked down, my friends are leaving, and I can’t find a job. I think the real truth is that we all become cheerleaders for other people and we forget to tell ourselves the same thing. One would think if you could articulate to someone else that things are going to be OK he would buy it yourself but that is apparently not always the case. When things are terribly out of my control in life, because of some of the damage that was done In my childhood, it is, simply put, extremely difficult, to re-route my thought process away from the negative.

This mild depression is compounded by the fact that my husband wants to stay here for a few years, because he does have a very good job, and our youngest goes to college in the fall of 2022. To say that I dislike Italy and being this far from family is an understatement. There are some very good things here. Of course we always look for the good. But it’s lonely in a way that I can’t describe well without sounding crazy. We will be going to Texas for about six weeks this summer, spend some time with family, look at a few colleges, and visit with friends. It will be a battle for me to get back on the plane and come back over here.

I know that I have walked through worse… And that God has brought me to the other side. I just pray that by my example, on my good days, that I can make a difference in someone else’s life. I am a worrier. It’s one of my biggest sins. I know that things are gonna turn out OK because God has always provided for us… But I can’t seem to stop my mind from going to dark places on occasion.

I am stronger than I sound in this post, for sure. And I do praise God in good and bad times. Let me end this post with a positive… 10 days ago our washing machine broke down. The water is so hard here it had rusted the whole front of it in 2 1/2 years. Luckily the Navy exchange had two washing machines one being a Toploader. This is important because the rust on the front loader was caused by taking the clothes out of the washer and the hard, unfiltered water. Long story short I didn’t have a washing machine for a few days and I did lament spending the money on a new one. But the good news is folks we had the money to buy a new one and it is a superior washing machine. It is a 220 V machine for Europe, However the instructions are written in English. Her 2 1/2 years I’ve use the machine or the instructions are written in Italian and I kid you not I guessed which Load I should use. Haha

Check out the pictures of the old one.

It may sound like a lame example… But truly I believe God helped us choose a better washer for our family. It’s been a dream actually.

So you see you sometimes inconveniences turn out for the best. And even walking through harm, on occasion can mold you into a person that fits more with what God wants you to be. We cannot drink the water in our homes, but we can afford bottled water. I cannot physically reach my friends and family in the states but I can speak to them and see them over the Internet. There are so many things that can feel harmful. But there are are truly many more blessings in life. It’s about getting your mind straight… Let’s help each other do that!

Being far away is inconvenient. Many things about life are inconvenient. But we are not in harm’s way! Praise God!

Pray for me! I’m praying for y’all too!

Hugs and Blessings,
LadyEm

Catholic Faith · Holy Spirit · LadyEm · Me · Pro-Life · Purgatory · Spirituality

Let’s Talk About Abortion – Shall we?

LadyEm6314 Comments

Do not read this if you are not Pro-Life or Conservative, it will just irritate you and baffle you. I’m sorry to say that but it’s true.

You can call yourself whatever you like. But there are two things that you need to know if you are Catholic and want to remain IN GOOD STANDING:

Number One – You can not be an abortion proponent.
Number Two – You can not be pro-choice. It’s a copout, not a stance.

Eight years ago, I had the fantastic Privilege of signing up to speak on behalf of unborn babies at the State Capital of Texas. I have switched blogs since I wrote the below post. I have changed it slightly to update year count and things. However, in light of one of the most important reasons to vote for President Trump, and against Mr. Biden – who has recently said he would “make Roe V. Wade the law of the land”, I am resurrecting past abortion posts.

******************************************************************************

Written in 2013 – WHY WENDY DAVIS IS NOT MY HERO – TELLING THE TRUTH!

Here is an article today about Wendy Davis. Apparently she is a hero to some. I feel that I can not let that stand. I feel like I have to speak out for myself and others like me who do not think she is a hero… and here is why:

Let’s be honest folks…

1) If Ms. Davis was really concerned with what the women of Texas wants, she would have allowed the vote to take place. She knew the bill would go through and filibustering was the ONLY way she’d keep it from happening.

2) If Ms. Davis cared about her constituents then she would not have allowed her team to delete all the Pro-Life comments from her FaceBook page. All the women who asked her to sit down. All of her constituents who did not want her to do this… completely ignored. She turned her backs on us. She silenced us. Well – she tried to. But I can tell you – she will NOT silence me. And she will NOT silence thousands of women like me.

Oh no, she is NOT my hero. She is not a friend of women and she should not be your hero either.  Like many other politicians, I believe Ms. Davis did what she did yesterday because she has higher aspirations and wanted to draw attention to herself. Time will tell if I am right.

The Facts:

Do you ever wonder why 40 years after Roe Vs. Wade, many states are restricting abortions? Yes, it is true. In 2012, 19 states enacted 43 provisions…. mandatory waiting periods, parental notification, and banning of 20+ weeks abortions.

Read this article HERE.

Did you know that people who have abortion have major issues with depression, suicide, etc.? This doesn’t even include the infections people get.  Google infection after abortion… you will be grossed out and dismayed if you read the articles you find.

  • Read this Post Abortion Page HERE.
  • Read this article HERE.

I had mine 38 years ago on November 10th, 1982. I ended up in the hospital weeks later with such a bad infection I had to stay there for over a week. I had to be carried into the hospital by a friend. I was 19. I was alone.  My dad out of the country, my mother long since out of my life (it was an off and on thing).  I had PID. I had scars the rest of my life. I had several miscarriages because my uterus never worked right again. I ruined my chance of having children. What pro-abortion women don’t admit or don’t understand is how much damage they do to themselves. And as their families find out as their friends find out – how much damage it does to relationships and to the psychology of who you are.

People – Tell the truth. Life after abortion is hard. It’s belittling. It’s judging. It’s beating yourself up. It’s crying in the hospital after a miscarriage at four and a half months because you know you caused this. It’s a hole in your heart that God fills, but the devil never lets you forget. It is grappling with forgiving yourself. It is many conversations with a Priest who finally tells you that God forgave you long before you will forgive yourself. THANK YOU FATHER HENRY, Melbourne, FL – 1984.

If you have had an abortion and you say that don’t remember every moment of the day, every second of that moment, and if you say you haven’t mourned that child thousands of times since then – then you are lying. I know the pain because I LIVE IT!  Tell the truth.

I don’t know how I finally got lucky enough after many miscarriages and so much struggle to have my child. I wanted 6+, I have one… .and he is a gift from GOD! A true gift.  God knew how sorry I was and how much I wanted a child. He blessed me… not because I deserved it, but because I am forgiven.

There are monetary effects on our economy – as in we taxpayers are funding a lot of abortions. There are mental and physical effects/affects on the women who have them for decades to come. I am not judging anyone who has abortions. Clearly I am in no position to do that. What I am doing is trying to make you think about the long-term affects of abortion.

If you have had an abortion, you need to know this:

  • God will forgive you.
  • You are not a hypocrite if you stand with Pro-Lifers later.
  • All of your Catholic and Christian friends do not hate you. We love you. We are not judging you. They did not judge me – even though I really thought they would. I kept my secret for decades, never thinking I was good enough or that my friends would still love me. They do… and so will yours.  The ones that don’t – and there will always be some, they will answer to God. Believe me… in the same way we all answer for our sins.
  • You are lessening your chances to have children and could cause many physical and mental issues for yourself.  Research it.
  • Please, please get all the facts before you do this. I’ll be praying for you and if I can help you, if you need to talk to me – contact me via your comment.
  • Oh and Ms. Davis – you may want to check into this: The Texas Senate Bill you tried to stop was voted on and passed – Thank you GOD! 

God is powerful and HIS WILL BE DONE!

I leave you with a link to and a quote from Our Blessed Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s 1994 Speech to the audience at the National Prayer Breakfast. Saint Teresa’s Speech

But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts.

By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.

Many people are very, very concerned with the children of India, with the children of Africa where quite a few die of hunger, and so on. Many people are also concerned about all the violence in this great country of the United States. These concerns are very good. But often these same people are not concerned with the millions who are being killed by the deliberate decision of their own mothers. And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today — abortion which brings people to such blindness.

I am not afraid of retribution. I am not brave for telling my story. I am an instrument of God. And He lights my way…

Hugs, Love & Blessings ALL,
LadyEm

Catholic Faith · Davis Family · Emily (Me) · God's Plan · Italy · Uncategorized

The Tale of A Knee Scooter …………………and Proof of God’s Providence

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Dear Ones,
It’s cold here in Italy where there is no such thing as central heat in these cement buildings. I’m not complaining, mind you, just letting you know. Funny enough, when I dropped my son off at the bus stop (because God forbid he wear a coat on a 37 degree day – I mean it might clash with his outfit or something…), I forgot to pull off my fuzzy socks and crocs. I have on a slightly more orange than mustard yellow pants, navy tee, button-down shirt (same color as pants) with an ivory stripe in it, and a fuzzy sweater that is mustard colored. And then there is this:

Tie dye Crocs, purple fuzzy socks with white stars. Does it get any more stylish? I think not. HA

Before I tell you my scooter story, let me also mention the Pantry Challenge… I blogged about it yesterday. I have these really good soup starter mixes I want to use up (I have one left, and it’s broccoli/cheese). What you are supposed to do is boil water, add the soup mix and serve it up. What I did was, took my potato cutter (pic below) and cut up zucchini, potatoes, and added chopped onion and garlic. I sautéed the mix in a little olive oil, added basil, garlic powder, and though it called for eight cups of water, I used chicken broth for half of that. After I sautéed the veggies, I added the water/broth… and then the mix… simmered for 20-25 minutes, and served it up. My guys crumpled bacon and cheese in it. It was so good.

Potato Cutter and Veggies..

I am loving the Pantry Challenge – I mean it’s the fourth day.. but we are doing well. LOL

Now on to my story… before we moved to Italy, our son was the 3rd member of our family to have have left ankle surgery by Dr. Cerniglia in Fort Worth – Best Group EVER! Christopher’s was the most extensive… and, because we were PCS-ing, and he was going to be off his foot/ankle for some time, we ordered a scooter and had it meet us in Italy. After a few months, he was done with it, and the hospital wasn’t allowed to take it or let folks know they could borrow it. Soooo, God started putting people in our path.

Mid Spring, I got a call from my son, saying “Can you bring the scooter to school, a kid needs to borrow it?! I didn’t know who it was going to, but I was happy it was going to be used. Later that night, I got a message from a lady I really didn’t know well. She told me she wanted to give me a big squeeze hug as her son was the person borrowing the Scooter. We had a conversation, and talked about it taking a village.. and one day, we got the scooter back. Her son was so appreciative.

Then, this past Fall, I was volunteering at the High School’s Christmas bazaar, and there was a little girl on crutches who looked miserable (as we all do when on those devil sticks), and I overheard her mom say they were traveling a few days later for Thanksgiving Holiday. So I said, “m’am I don’t know you, but we have this scooter, and we’d love for you to use it. It’s a bright green scooter, and this little red-head was thrilled. They came by the next day and got it. And I understand it made vacation so much easier for the child.

Funny enough, I got a message on FaceBook from a lady I didn’t know, that went something like this… My name is ____ and ____ is in my daughter’s class. My daughter just fractured her ankle and we were wondering if we can borrow the scooter when ___ is done with it. I said, of course…

And lastly, yesterday, there was a lady in the hospital “Ms. A”, that I remembered from several months ago. She was in a boot then. And she was still in a boot, using crutches, and her son is say – 15 months old. Sigh. At one point, she was in an appt. and her hubs took the child on a stroller ride around the floor, and she walked out with no crutches, so I offered to find him and bring them to her. And just like that…. I was telling her about the scooter and asking if she’d be interested in borrowing it, if the folks were done with it. She was astounded and happy to accept it if it was free. I called the the 3rd borrower’s mom and they had literally just gotten the cast off. We are currently making arrangements for the new person to borrow it. I have to say, I wish I’d gotten pics of all of them on it. ❤ I wonder…

If you’re thinking, “that’s a really great story lady, but what about Proof of God’s Providence?” Let me first share with you the definition of providence:

One of the last things Ms. A said to me was “God is good that’s for sure. He always makes things work just in the timing they need to!” I had been thinking it, but the clear theme of this scooter has been “helping God’s people who need it!” God has his hand in everything. He puts us in situations we don’t expect, and allows us – if we listen (tune in) to Him – to show his love and providence to others.

I am not a great person without God. I have too many flaws. I really can’t take credit for it. God is leading me. The scooter is really just a symbol of one of the ways God is helping me. come out of the fog of not trusting him because of everything that happened from Fall of 2016 – Summer of 2019 – when I started trusting God to get ME back on track.

I am happy to be the person God is using to spread love and joy. This year, as introverted as I have become, and as un-peoply as I tend to be – I am keeping my Volunteer Commitments, and trying harder to be the good person I innately am, through God…

  • even if people aren’t thankful.
  • even if something I lend gets broken or goes unreturned.
  • even to people who don’t like me or have proven themselves unworthy in human terms.
  • even when I am tired or weary.
  • even if I don’t understand why God wants ME to do it.

I leave you with a reading from Today’s Magnificat.

God’s providential love is powerful.
I pray this post has blessed you.

Love, Hugs & Blessings,
LadyEm

Uncategorized

Catholicmom.com – Gospel Reflection, by Me (YAY).

LadyEm631 Comment

Happy 2nd Friday in Advent ALL!

Please know that even though I don’t blog much, I am always thinking of you and praying for you.
I pray things change in 2018 and that I can turn some things around. Keep me in your prayers…

And now, I wanted to tell you I am on the team, of hundreds, at Catholicmom.com who write Gospel Reflections, and today, one of mine is published. It’s a bummer that I forgot to have them change my blog address, but hopefully people will figure it out.

It’s funny as I re-read my reflection this morning, I realized how much I needed to see it and start living it better… for myself and for my child/husband. Sigh. Much work to be done in the Davis household.

Here is the link to the post: Gospel Reflection Matthew 11:16-19

And here is the text copied from the Catholicmom.com site.

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19

Have you ever been yelled at for doing exactly what the person asked you to do? If you are a mom, the answer is yes, you have – especially if you’ve had a toddler or two. But seriously – have you ever dealt with someone you just could NEVER please?
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus’ frustration with how people behave towards one another and how they perceive and speak about both Himself and John the Baptist. More than that, we learn that if we do not raise our children in Faith, they will be a generation of people who don’t follow Christ.
The people of that age are erratic and indecisive – they say because John the Baptist is too quiet, doesn’t drink and eats minimally, he must have mental issues. Enter Jesus, our Lord, Who eats, drinks and bonds with many types of people, so they call Him a glutton and other names. Essentially, after they get what they want, they change their minds and want something else. They ignore The Truth even when He is standing before them. 
Jesus tells us a story about children who do not cooperate with one another and are never pleased with anything or anyone. They complain all the time. The people of the time, the generation He is comparing, is raising their children to be just like them – fickle, indecisive, and enemies of the Gospel. 
I am not a theologian, but I believe Jesus is asking us to look within ourselves, our families, and our parishes, and put ourselves in this story. The last line of this passage is, “Yet Wisdom is justified by her deeds.” He is talking about teaching our children the truth of our Faith so that they can be wise, follow Jesus, and do justice to our faith. Let’s be wise, in Him.
Let’s teach our children the truth of our Faith so that they can be wise. By @Mrs_EDavis

Ponder:

We must read God’s word, go to confession and Mass, and discern His plans for our lives. We cannot continue to miss everything He is telling us and complain because He isn’t guiding us. We have to listen and learn. We will not be wise enough to follow Him if we don’t.

Pray:

Teach me to hear You, O Lord. Teach me to hear and listen and follow Your direction, always. 
Copyright 2017 Emily Davis
Emily Davis is a Catholic convert. Homeschool mom. Grandmother. Religious Ed Teacher. Paper Crafter. She Lives in Fort Worth with her family. She writes about faith, life, finances, homeschooling and crafting on her blog at http://ourhomemarysmantle.blogspot.com (I changed it here).

Love, Hugs & Blessings!
Em

Uncategorized

Marian Virtues – Closing Thoughts & Wrap Up…

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This post is a part of a Marian Virtue Series, that will conclude on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. If you are just joining the series now and want to learn more you can start here: Introduction to Marian Virtue Series.


     Previous Blog Article: Increasing Marian Devotion by The Lion of Design

     Next Blog Article: Gratitude for The Ten Virtues of Mary by Strengthen My Heart 
I am excited to tell you that this post features a giveaway from Sweet Little Ones Shop. Please keep reading to find out more!

Hi All & Happy Friday!

I am so excited to be a part of the Marian Virtue Series started by Bethany Swanson over at Strengthen My Heart. When she asked for bloggers who wanted to write about the ten Marian Virtues, so many people immediately volunteered, and this sweet lady gave me the beautiful opportunity to give my thoughts on each post and lead into her post tomorrow, which will be the Grand Giveaway and Closing Thoughts post.

By my Blog’s name, you can see that I am a Marian Devotee. My family is Under Mary’s Mantle and we intend to stay there. When I changed blog platforms, due to my lack of technical prowess I lost so much content… but I’m excited for the opportunity to present myself in a better and more spirit-filled, virtuous way.  Here’s a little bit about why I love Mary so…

I grew up without a mom. The woman who gave birth to me was mentally ill, and an abusive alcoholic. I’ll spare you the details of all that. But suffice to say, I always longed for a Mother. As a convert to Catholicism, I was influenced by women who wear the Veil. And in my walk to conversion and the fullness of our Faith, Mary really reached out to me and showed herself to me. She guides me and She became my Mother. 

This past year has been the darkest in my adult life. The loss of my father and three surgeries. I started to pull away, feeling let down and scared/lonely… but like any mother would, she gave me a moment to wallow in my humanity, and then she said, “come dear one, Mama is here!” She wants us all to be that close to her. Me, as imperfect as I am… she wants us all to walk our path, not in the shadows of her example, but emanating her example. We do this to the best of our abilities. And she guides us, knowing we are trying, loving us through our failures and triumphs. She is the ultimate Mother and we are so blessed.

This blog series on Marian Virtue is beautiful. These talented Catholic bloggers who are all or some of these things: Moms, Sisters, Aunts, Co-workers, Homeschool Teachers, Religious Ed teachers, Friends, Volunteers… and more– these ladies bring the Marian Virtues to life with real life tips to follow that will help us walk in Marian Virtue towards Christ. Amen!

In the first post, Bethany explains that we need to emulate Mary’s Virtues. She tells us what the virtues are and then introduces the bloggers. Her post is here: Introduction to the Marian Virtue Series.

  • Profound Humility – Chloe at The Old Fashioned Girl talks to us about Profound Humility. Our Blessed Mother Mary said loved God and all of His creations from the beginning to the end of her life, she was perfectly humble. I love this post because it’s so identifiable. And she is right. People confuse thinking of ourselves less with thinking less of ourselves. You can be a confident person and still live the virtue of profound humility. Mary loved God and was devoted to her son, and then to all of us. Sigh – the ultimate Mother. In fact, I would submit thinking of others more than and putting others before yourself is a much happier way to live life. 
  • LivelyFaith – Ginny at Not So Formulaic told a story about her earthly father and how he came to know Lively Faith as a virtue. We know that Mary said Yes to God from her conception until her Assumption. She said, “Yes, I will bear Your Son and save Your people.” She gave ALL! My favorite passage from this post is, “Mary nursed Jesus and rocked Him. She changed His diapers and wiped His nose. She defused tantrums, soothed skinned knees, and directed daily chore time. Mary raised, loved, and adored a fully human child, never wavering in the knowledge He was divine:” She said YES and how beautiful it was.
  • Blind Obedience – Kathleen at the Klassic Kitchen gives us really great advice about learning to be like Mary and obey God in all things. Blind Obedience is hard for me, but I enjoyed her post… and will be re-reading few times, I suspect. Here is one of her passages, “A continual conversation with God allows you to more easily hear what he’s saying. Making time each day for a few moments of quiet prayer, going to adoration, frequenting mass, confession, and spiritual direction are all huge helps in discerning not only what God is asking of you, but will also strengthen you with the grace to say yes.”
  • Surpassing Purity – Alexandra at The Lemke Lodge describes what true Purity is, especially how it relates to Mary. Sigh – to be filled to the brim with grace and pure… We know we won’t ever be the latter as Mary was; however we can strive to be as pure in thought and deed and as grace-filled as we can muster – with God’s help and Mary’s help. Alexandra skillfully uses “certain Mysteries of the Rosary as reference points”, to help us understand that Purity is Grace.
  • Constant Mental Prayer – In this fantastic post, Desiree at Green Catholic Burrow helps us see that the foundational concept for Constant Mental Prayer is to be in the presence of God and in constant fellowship with Him. It’s not so much thinking of God all the time, but purposing to live with God in your heart and emanating from your heart. She gives practical advise about where to start, and suggests starting each day with the Morning Offering, which I need to get back to. Great post.
  • Universal Mortification – What I loved from the beginning of her post was the honesty Sterling at Sterling Jaquith stated how she chose the Marian Virtue she wanted to write about. She chose the one that made her most uncomfortable. She goes on to give an incredibly relatable account of how Mary was willing, every moment, to lay down her life and will – in order to please God. 
  • Ardent Charity – Anni, at A Beautiful Camouflaged Mess of a Life, taught me something. You see, as a convert, I never knew that we said the three Hail Mary’s at the beginning of the Rosary for an increase of Faith, Hope & Charity. I love learning new things about our Faith. In this post, Anni helps us see how we are all called to increase in Charity towards God and our neighbor. Y’all it’s hard in a world as chaotic and gossip and judgmental as ours. We live in fear, yet we must rise up and live our lives according to God’s plan. Great post Anni.
  • Angelic Sweetness – Allison at Reconciled to You explained to us the important things to know about Angels, and helped us understand Mary’s angelic qualities. “The Marian Virtue of Angelic Sweetnes has been described as “radiating joy and peace to everyone she encountered.” Mary by her very nature can not help but impart peace, comfort and joy. ” Allison goes on to give great examples of emulating Mary in this virtue. I am not good at everything, but I was blessed with an abundance of compassion. May I be more like Mary. Let us all be more like Mary in this.
  • Heroic Patience – Sarah at All Things New tackled the virtue of Heroic Patience. If you ask me, Mary’s life was an exercise in Heroic Patience. I read that a lot time ago. But I love how Sarah brings the virtue of Heroic Patience to a level we can all understand as wives and mothers. Think of all the waiting she did, for things that she knew would break her heart. But she endured patiently and lovingly. We shall never face what she did, but we can relate, as mothers. 
  • Divine Wisdom – In her post on Divine Wisdom, Sarah at Sew Many Wild Things, shared this Bible verse: James 3:17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” I don’t know about y’all, but I struggle with trust, yes even with God (forgive me) because I am human. But I do pray for the some day that I can be more submissive to His will and be set free from my mind.
  • Increasing Marian Devotion – Kimberly at The Lion of Design gives us practical advice about increasing our Marian Devotion. She points out we first have to have desire. I do, but mine is imperfect. Still, I know she guides me. There are so many books we can read about Mary. We can pray for her intercession and guidance. 

The Marian Virtue Series will end tomorrow, October 7th, with a Grand Giveaway on the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary (formerly Our Lady of Victory). This will be on Strengthen My Heart. Don’t forget to check out her post in the morning. And please click on the caption of the picture below to find out more about Our Lady of the Rosary.

History of Our Lady of the Rosary
If I am being honest, my faith has been tested this past year. I’m kind of embarrassed to say that so much. But I feel like people need to know they aren’t alone.  That said, this beautifully written series has caused me to get out books I read long ago on Mary and I plan to re-read them and glean a better faith and more virtuous walk. Blessed Mother – Pray for us!

One lucky reader will win a beautiful, black and white, professionally printed 8×10 inch print featuring the Holy Family: +JMJ+ which stands for Jesus, Mary, Joseph. 




RaffleCopter Link 
Please accept my apologies in asking you to click on this link, but Rafflecopter was giving me a hard time. Please click on this link to have a chance to win – JMJ Print from Sweet Little Ones Shop . 


About the Shop Owner: Jessica is wife to Jim, mom to 3 sweet little ones through the blessing of adoption, and the artisan behind Sweet Little Ones Shop. God’s truth is seen in beauty – and I love to share this through creating beautiful and meaningful printable art. As a wife, mother, and business owner, I can easily get wrapped up in the business of life – I often need to be reminded to pause, pray, and listen to God’s call for me in the big and the little moments. So the printables I design serve as beautiful visual reminders to inspire all of us as Catholic women to nurture and deepen our faith in our (sometimes very hectic!) everyday lives.

Please support this amazing Catholic shop and join us tomorrow for the final post in the Marian Virtue Series. 


I pray that these posts have given you insight to Mary you did not have before, and that you are walking a path that brings you closer to our Blessed Mother.

God bless you all,


Emily 

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