Rejoice

We are in the third week of Advent. If you attended Mass this past Sunday, all the readings were about rejoicing. The second reading was from Philippians 4:4-7.

Guarding Your Heart and Mind

Guarding your heart and mind is difficult, especially at this time of year. We get caught up in the busyness of Christmas and attempt to do too much. This is exactly what happened to me last week. On Thursday Father Leonard, who was celebrating a wedding in Laguna Beach, was our guest. Mike made Father Leonard’s  favorite chili rellenos for dinner. It was such a quick visit that I did not have time to arrange for a Bible study and luncheon. The following morning he concelebrated Mass at our parish, plus it was Mike’s birthday.

Mike

We continued the tradition of celebrating Mike’s birthday at Ruth’s Chris. From the appetizers to the salad, it never disappoints. The best part was sharing it with family and our friends Larry and Helen. We missed Maddie, who was in the middle of finals.

I had no idea that Mike had saved a bottle of a 1990 Far Niente wine. This was a special day because my husband of almost 53 years was celebrating his 75th birthday. At first I was skeptical of how the wine held up for over 34 years but, much to my surprise,  it aged with grace and the oaky flavor was wonderful. The following night I had a dinner to attend at St. Norbert.

St. Norbert

Both my grandson Jacob and I attended the appreciation dinner for volunteers. At first Jacob was reluctant, “Am I going to be the only kid there?” I had no reply. Thankfully there were two other young boys there that Jacob could interact with. Jacob’s art skills came in handy because he won a gift card for his snowman.

The Surprise Party 

Our son Mikos had been planning a surprise party for his wife Jenny for several months. By the grace of God he pulled it off. He stored most of his supplies in our garage but by the time Saturday, the day of the event, arrived he was a wreck. His out-of-town guests arrived in time to save the day because not only did they set up the party, They helped  re-organize the furniture.

Jenny was truly surprised to see her mother, brother and sister-in-law, niece and grand-niece.  We ate, sang and danced the night away.  I did not get to bed until 1:30 a.m.  Mikos, Jenny and her family were all catching flights the following day. Mikos and Jenny were traveling to New York.  Our son asked if we could host a brunch for the Minnesotans.

The Brunch

Mike got up early and said he was going to cook some beans. “No! They won’t be ready on time! Besides we have plenty of food.” It’s a good thing that he didn’t listen to me, because the beans were a hit. We served fresh salsa, guacamole, eggs, chorizo and huevos rancheros. We had enough food left over to pack burritos for their trip. We love Jenny’s family, so it was a pleasure hosting a brunch for them.

Mass

Since we were hosting guests I could not attend our usual  Sunday Mass service. Because I was a walking zombie, I missed the 2:00 p.m., the last Mass at our parish. So Jacob and I attended a 4:30 p.m. Mass at his parish, La Purisima. This parish is much larger than ours, and I was overwhelmed by the sight of all the beautiful flowers for Our Lady of Guadalupe and all the lit Christmas trees. As tired as I was, the peace of God filled my heart with the message of rejoicing, and receiving communion filled me with great adoration. I was refueled to continue my day.

Overeating

This is the time of year that I pack on a few pounds because I do not make time for exercising, and I’m usually eating way too many desserts. Sugar does a number on me and makes me sluggish. My poor, foggy brain sends me messages to stop, but sometimes I’m too tired to receive any brain wave activity. Pray for me and for all of us suffering from brain fog.

Mario Update

Please continue to pray for Mario. He is doing great with the six college courses he is taking. Mario’s grades are five A’s and one B. Please pray that he gets into a program “Firefighters Workshop.” This program trains prisoners in firefighting skills, and it could be an open door for a career when he is released.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You for Jenny’s wonderful celebration and for my son, who lovingly put the party together. May You grant us all a wonderful Advent as we await the celebration of Your glorious birth. May we all rejoice with the choir of angels in welcoming You into our hearts and homes. Amen.