We're made in the image of God, our Creator.
I truly believe that means we're all given the gift of creativity in some way or another, that we're called to use to reflect God and get to know him better.
Maybe you're an artist, maybe you're not. I still believe you have the gift of creativity there within you.
Maybe you've found your expression for it, maybe you haven't. Keep looking, I know it's there.
Maybe you're an author and you can weave a picture with the power of words. Maybe you're a business person and you can think of the perfect and sometimes out of the box solutions for work problems. Maybe you're a teacher and you know just the right thing to say to make that concept stick for that struggling student.
Leaders practice creativity when they organize a group to successfully achieve a goal. Teams practice creativity when they find the perfect way to network and combine their individual gifts and talents. Parents practice creativity in responding to every crazy situation their kids throw at them.
I love my charcoals and my paints when I have time to use them. I love the way my blank canvas or sheet of paper fills up with my thoughts and emotions, and becomes something it wasn't before.
But even when I have my hands too full of babies to pick up my pencils and sketch, I can still reflect God's creativity in my life. Maybe I have to be more creative to find a new creative outlet.
Maybe today's creativity involves finding a way to keep the baby happy while prepping dinner and overseeing homeschool.
Maybe it involves carving out an hour for peace and quiet for myself. (And believe me, THAT takes some serious creativity!) Maybe it's just in renewing the way I see the world: as if for the first time, taking it in with wonder and awe.
I'm created to reflect my Creator's gift of creation. I just need to see it, recognize it, empower it, practice it.
How does God the Creator call *YOU* to reflect his gift of creation in you?
#IngeniousCreatorofBeauty
@pinksaltriot - check out Jill's new collection in the shop - inspired by JPII's "Letter to Artists" - affiliate link in bio
Today I'm an author and a teacher. A catechist. A party planner. A small business owner and a laundry folder. A mother and a wife.
These aren't all different hats that I wear. They're more like... leaves on the tree of who I am. Today I've given love and attention to each of these leaves. I've nourished them with my very life. I'm helping them grow and flourish.
Tomorrow I might focus my attention to different leaves while these stand by. Over the years, some of the leaves may be ignored. They may turn and wither. They may fall to the ground and be forgotten.
But they'll be replaced with different leaves. Different outlets of my energy. These leaves are a big part of my life, and some bigger than others. But at my core, they're not who I am.
At the center of me, is just me. Sara. A unique child of God, created in his image, loved for who I am as a reflection of him. I'm rooted in his love. I grow in the light of his truth.
He's given me my vocation as a wife and mom to help me draw nearer to him. But in time, even that will pass away. It will be just me and God, face to face.
It's good to nourish the different leaves God has given me. They are beautiful to him and they give him glory. But in the fall of my life they will all pass away. I must not neglect that which will remain.
I must dig my roots deeper and reach my branches higher. I must let my soul be filled with God's presence. I must turn my heart and mind to prayer and worship.
I will reflect on my identity as a child of God. I will not lose it to distraction. I will devote my attention to being who he made me to be: me. His beloved daughter.
My Monday morning consists of a cute baby, an upside down product (link in profile) and a message for moms.
Dear Moms, wake up whenever you want.
You don't have to be an early riser, but you can if you want to. Or you can sleep until the first kid rolls out of bed. Or you can tell that kid to go eat some cereal and squeeze pouches while you catch a few extra Zs.
Don't feel bad if you're the mom who sleeps late because you're so bone tired you need that rest to function. You don't have to be the mom who exercises and does all the chores at 5am.
Don't feel bad of you're the mom that gets up early because you absolutely need an hour of quiet time, alone, before the kids crash into your day.
Don't feel bad if you're the mom trying desperately fighting a battle to get out of bed each morning while your kids microwave leftover noodles and French fries because you're struggling with depression. Do seek help. But don't feel bad.
You're not a failure of a mom no matter what time you get out of bed. Whether you struggle with depression or exhaustion or overwhelm at all the noise, it's okay to struggle. That doesn't make you a bad mom.
Don't feel bad if you're one type of mom one day and another type the next day.
Don't compare yourself to all the other moms.
Do what you need to get some rest. To allow yourself to be the energized and present mom you want to be. To allow yourself to be you: the rocking mom God made you to be .
Go meet your needs.
Go get your rest in whatever way you want: sleep or quiet or running or writing or a Saturday morning coffee with your friend.
And don't feel bad about it.
#instamom #myCatholiclife #sleep #depression #momtalk
#MyMassTakeaway - This week, instead of a homily, priests throughout the archdiocese of NY were instructed to show their parishes a video from Cardinal Dolan.
In the video, Cardinal Dolan addressed the sex abuse scandal. He presented his plan to meet the needs he has been hearing from the people of the Church.
He's opening the records. He has invited a Federal judge to conduct an investigation. He has welcomed scrutiny to diocesan policies.
It's good to see that the news of the scandal is not just going to blow over. That the Church is going to continue working for safety of our children.
Though many may have wanted an immediate plan of action, I'm actually thankful for this response from our bishop that may seem slightly delayed. It seems to indicate a serious and long term commitment, and *that* we need.
I continue to pray for our Church, parishes, our priests, vocations to the priesthood, and safety in our own families and homes - our domestic church.
#Mysundaybest - I realized this shirt matches perfectly with this skirt and this teething necklace from @chewslifeshop ❤❤❤
"Hey dats a kew trick!" My grocery-store-discipline audience chuckled. One of my kiddos had been - idk what they were even doing, breakdancing? Kicking around on the floor, anyways. So I calmly scooped them up and in one swift motion locked them between my knees so I could get back to bagging (@aldiusa forever). "Boom! Jail!" my observer continued.
I had to chuckle. It WAS a good trick, if I do say so myself.
It's hard to go out in public with kids. We never know when they're going to have a meltdown, get overwhelmed, lose their impulse control. We have eyes on our discipline from all angles.
But this morning, as I navigated from one public tantrum to the next, I felt my peace. I prayed and breathed and kept moving forward with my day.
I reminded myself to stick to my current parenting philosophy: childhood is a time of learning, not a time of being perfect. I asked myself what lessons the kids needed to know, and picked a course of action that would help enforce that.
Throwing a tantrum is not a good way to get what you want. So we will not turn this car around and go home.
We need Jesus. So we will stay at Mass, even if we're standing outside the door.
God's mercy is infinite. So we stop to do a quick meditation* and reset our day.
Public floors are dirty. So you stand or I hold you up with my knees.
Sure, people are watching. And whether they see my hard work or a handful of bratty kids is none of my business.
But God's always watching, and it's his opinion I care about. I want him to see the love in my heart. So I will keep plugging on, even when I'm mortified, even when it's hard, even when I need up, even when I break down and cry myself.
And I'll turn to him to give me strength to pick back up and carry on. God's grace is a "pretty cool trick." He can turn this day around.
