Tweaking the Plans

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I've been asking these questions since early December.  And I seem to be getting a lot of letters like these lately:

I am sure you get hundreds of emails, so I hate to add another to the bunch, but I just had a couple of questions...My question to you is this:  You have a large family with many young ones...how do you do it???  OK.. That is vague.  Basically, I wonder how you get through a day and cover what you want to cover with all of the different age groups, without having to make it boring workbook stuff. 

The writer goes on to tell me that she is a regular reader of this blog and has read my book twice. Clearly, something more is needed to convey the daily "how do."  I'm honestly not certain I can DO it and WRITE about it at the same time, but I'll give it a go!  Check in daily to see how I try to be Faithful Over Little Things.

Achieving Peace of Education

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Helen sent me a little red book in early December that has captivated me.  It's called  Achieving Peace of Heart by Narciso Irala, S.J. The book is a compelling guide to mental and emotional health and happiness. I hope to write about it later with regard to the sage spiritual advice found there.  In the first few chapters, however, what struck me is how much Fr. Irala sounded like Charlotte Mason. His antidote to the exhaustion and confusion of our fast-paced world is to slow down and concentrate fully on one thing at a time. He wants us to cultivate what Miss Mason calls the "habit of attention."

I've been thinking hard for over a month now about this call to simplicity and concentration.  And I can see how the last year has really been an advent of sorts.  It's been a preparation for a serious commitment to simplicity and attention in all aspects of life--from the spiritual to the academic.

While I will certainly share more about peace of heart, right now, my thoughts have been most definitely on peace of education.  The process--during advent,no less--of reflecting upon Michael's education and preparing college portfolios has given me ample opportunity to assess what works for our family.

Charlotte Mason education works.  It's academically sound and produces a well-educated child. It is a peaceful, integrated education.

The Domestic Church works.  A fully-integrated life of prayer at home with our spouse and our children, celebrating the liturgical year and the life of the church gives children spiritual peace of heart.

That's it.  Living books, narration, nature study, Latin (yes, I said Latin--stop laughing, MacBeth). And God, real and present and tangible.

Sounds like a plan.

I'm not really blogging...

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I'm still cleaning.  But while I clean--because I am apparently addicted to you all--I have talked to at least four of you on the phone in the last two days.  And I find that very comical in light of Danielle Bean's latest question:-) So, go tell Danielle if you think online communities are real.  'Cause everyone knows that we're all about "real" here!

Devotions Meme

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I got this one from Mike Aquilina.

1. Favorite devotion or prayer to Jesus?
The Infant of Prague Novena.

2. Favorite Marian devotion or prayer?

The Rosary.  I shoot for twenty decades a day and I still can't adequately articulate its effect on my soul.

3. Do you wear a scapular or medal?
I wear the scapular medal (purchased in Chicago at the Shrine of St. Therese) because I am truly allergic to wool and an Our Lady of La Leche Medal sent to me by my friend Mary.

4. Do you have holy water in your home?
Yes. I like to collect Holy Water fonts.  I also have Lourdes water in my medicine chest.

5. Do you offer up your sufferings?
Yes, though I still don't truly, truly understand it.

6. Do you observe First Fridays and First Saturdays?
No. But First Friday is a goal this year.

7. Do you go to Eucharistic Adoration? How frequently?
Not nearly as often as I would like.  One of my latest lamentations is how long it takes to get to church.  When we first moved here, it took eleven minutes.  Now, with traffic, it can take as many as 45 minutes.  Problem is, you can never know exactly how long it will be because the traffic is unpredictable. I'm trying to figure out how to schedule to get there more often.

8. Are you a Saturday evening Mass person or Sunday morning Mass person?
I prefer Sunday morning.

9. Do you say prayers at mealtime?
Yes.

10. Favorite Saint(s)?
The Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, St. Therese,St. Josemaria, and (sneaking this one in) John Paul the Great.  Oh and I've been told that St. Anthony must reside in an apartment in my house--somewhere...

11. Can you recite the Apostles Creed by heart?
Yes.

12. Do you usually say short prayers (aspirations) during the course of the day?
Absolutely, all day long.  Lately, my days are heavily sprinkled with prayers of thanskgiving.

13.  Where is your favorite place to pray?

At the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

14. Bonus Question: When you pass by a automobile accident or other serious mishap, do you say a quick prayer for the folks involved?
Always.

Tag: Kim, Katherine and Helen.