That Time We Had A Lazy Weekend...

Typically our family is go-go-go. We like to have fun and spend lots of family time at least every weekend. Whether it be a trip to the zoo, Disney, or something else, we like these crazy outings. However, this weekend we have just wanted time to ourselves, time to unwind, and time to RELAX. With my team's track season ending this seemed to be the weekend to do it and just lay around doing nothing just like the Bruno Mars song...Lazy Song

Now, we did not just do nothing all weekend and lay in our PJs. My family still went to church, still went to get groceries, and made a stop at the Catholic Store in Tampa. However, we didn't have some all day event and just chose to stay home for this one weekend. Sometimes, we all need these kinds of weekends. Sometimes, we just need to recharge our batteries and that is what my family has done this weekend. It is important to have these types of weekends from time to time especially with a lovely pregnant wife who can use the rest.

This weekend is also just another chance to reflect and realize how blessed we are. I am blessed. My family is blessed and you are blessed. We are blessed with life, with nature, with wonderful people. Sometimes it seems like some of us are more blessed than others. Circumstances dictate that we all have different challenges and obstacles, but it's how we embrace them that dictates how things will go. It is taking the time to recharge and reflect that we are able to really put things into perspective. These are the moments that allow us to be thankful. To appreciate the times and the people in our life that make them so great. I thank God for all the things that he has put in my life and embrace the challenges that the future brings. Judging by our past, the future for my family looks bright. Trusting in God and his plan will make it all the brighter.

In the future weekends, I will try my best to remember this reflection and try to embrace everything. It is important to stay on the positive train and look at opportunities for the potential happiness that they possess. One quote I remembered this weekend that I absolutely love is from the original first lady Martha Washington...

"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances." -Martha Washington

Of course sometimes its easy to keep a positive disposition especially with this little guy around....

Try to keep that positive disposition at all times. It is near impossible with the business of life, but just remember. There is someone somewhere that unconditionally loves you as well. Try to remember these people. If you cannot believe that, you can hopefully believe that Jesus is always there for you and will always love you no matter what. Happy Holy Week people!

-Noland

Life is so precious

so I don't know if it is public knowledge but every year around this time, thousands of people head to Washington DC to march for LIFE. 

no media covers it.

no one talks about it.

but it HAPPENS. never fail. EVERY YEAR.

Thousands of pro-life Americans head to Washington DC to march one day on or around the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade, which allowed abortion to become legal in the United States.

at least 250,000 people attend every year. It was estimated that 400,000 people would attend this year.

Before the March for Life, two Catholic masses are offered. One at the  Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and one at the Verizon Center. I've never been the the mass at the Shrine but several years, I have been in attendance at the Verizon Center. It is packed with over 20,000 people and many who try to attend can not  come in due to the fact that the center fills it's capacity to the maximum.

I'm feeling so sentimental lately. Today was the March for Life in Washington DC and this has been the third year I have been unable to attend. I believe that life is precious and we should do everything possible to promote life in all aspects of life. ...even to the point of taking the time to appreciate the many blessings in your own life.  
I am currently in grad school for social work and long to be an advocate like Mother Teresa for those who have no one to tell them that everything is going to be okay. Our God is a God of wonders and his plans are always the best for us. 

Blessed Mother Teresa. She was a sister and devoted her whole life to the Lord, which is so inspiring. The woman loved with not just her whole heart but with her whole body, her whole being...that is the way we are all called to love. To give of ourselves until it hurts.

Mother Teresa once said, "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, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That 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 the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion."

You may think that is hash and so sorry to get all preachy on you today but this is something I am very passionate about. I just love babies. Did you know that 1 in every 3 people is missing due to abortion? Imagine how many more friends you would have... The Lord has taken those aborted children with him to heaven and they are all watching over us.. but it is so sad that they never got the chance to try life out. Life is such a gift. Let's make sure to treat it as such. I just wanted to share with you today my prayer. My prayer for today: 

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, 
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. 
I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, 
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death 
by the Resurrection of Your Son. 
I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. 
Today I commit myself 
Never to be silent, 
Never to be passive, 
Never to be forgetful of the unborn. 
I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, 
And never to stop defending life 
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected, 
And our nation once again becomes 
A nation with liberty and justice 
Not just for some, but for all, 
Through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Here is from when I attended the March for Life in 2008 with the Florida State Catholic Student Union.

Where the March was covered in media:
Here is an article I was mentioned in back in 2008: Florida Catholic

Paris had it's own March for Life today... you can read about it here

John Boehner speaks at the March for life read about it here

If you are not pro-life, no worries. I don't judge. I am just passionately pro-life. Please don't be offended. I am by no means trying to push my views on anyone. I am just sharing what is on my heart today on my blog. And if you are upset/offended, you can feel free to email me here.
Praying for the Pro-life movement tonight.
Back to regular blogging on Wed,

xoxo Jen.