7 Click, click, Click Its

Linking with Jen at Conversion Diaries for some happy clicking!
1. If you haven't noticed, which I am most certain that you haven't, I am a bloggin' away over here. Three posts in 2 days, you would think I sit around eating bonbons all day! But I just couldn't let you miss out on some of my recent favorite blog posts. 

2. Before I get to some Click Its I wanted to share a super duper big ol' hurdle that we have crossed in the area of Gracie girls hair. So, for awhile now I have been complaining on good ol' instagram (love me some Instagram, slightly addicted) how Grace does not let me do her hair let alone brush it without a huge cry fest. Well, the other night I had an idea. I braided my hair in two pigtails and asked Grace if she would let me do her hair just like me. She was thrilled and totally went with it! Now for the last 4 days in a row she has let me braid her hair each and every morning. All I can say my friends is that miracles do indeed happen!

3. Okay, now for some clicking... One of my bestest friends, who I mentioned here, is now a guest blogger at this super cool blog called Tales of a Mountain Momma. I mean it when I say that you don't want to miss Ann's post! Ann is so the real deal as a Mom. She has 3 beautiful kiddos ages three and under and always keeps them busy and active. Her ideas in this post are simple, fun, and guaranteed to get your kids outside. Go forth and read and rest assure that I will be updating you whenever she posts.   4. Okay, so you have heard me talk about her before, but I just can't help myself. Grace at Camp Patton has the cutest announcement in the form of a video. If you want to smile big and I mean real big watch it!
5. Okay, so if you follow da blog world at all you are probably super familiar with the blog In Honor of Design. But for those that have never visited her site, it is an AB-solute MUST. I have to warn you though that at first you might be super jealous (or at least I was), because she is like way beautiful, has amazing fashion style and each picture on her blog is better than the next. But the more you read, the more you get to know how authentic and real Anna is. Her posts never disappoint and always uplift, go visit. 
6. This week I loved this post from String of Pearls. For all of us moms with young kids, it is a good reminder to really remember that truly "these are the days".
7. One of the first blogs that I ever started to read is call Bean In Love. Sheena is the best DIY blogger. I mean if I ever did anything crafty, I would want to do everything that she does. Her posts are always interesting. I mean take a look at this one and how she dressed her twin girls for Halloween. Since I barely ever (and I should probably say never) do any DIY projects when I read her blog it kinda gives me the feeling that I have, weird, but true. 
Happy Clicking!

Consider the Lilies...

A few days ago I was tagged in a photo on Facebook by a friend from 16 years ago (say what?!! how in da world can I be so old?). Her "tagging" brought me down the road to memory lane... And you are more than welcome to come with me if you please :).

When I was a bright eyed, barely 19 year old who was blazing with fire for the Lord I flew across the country to join a ministry called REACH Youth Ministry in Yakima, WA. You can read all about REACH and its current happenings here, but in a nutshell we were a bunch of 18-26 year olds who traveled the West Coast and Canada, prayed, lived in community with one another, and put on really cool retreats for youth of all ages.   

The picture above is a news letter that REACH sent out WAY back when. It's a little hard to read (you know a picture of a picture), but I start out by saying: "Sunflowers and rainbows make me smile and Jesus fills me with overflowing joy!" See what I mean by being totally "on fire" for the Lord :). Also, the two on either side of me were on my team 2 years in a row. Later we all attend the same University together AND they got married, which I was SO honored to stand up in their wedding, and now they have 4 beautiful children. A-maz-ing.


So...
For 2 years of my life it was my team (made up of 5 gals and 5 guys), our 15 passenger van, the open road, and a whole lot of God. 
*sigh*
I loved my years of serving in retreat ministry and having that be my full time job, my everything. I loved the people on my teams and since we have parted ways (16 anos ago!) I have missed them dearly. There was nothing better than going to bed at the end of a long day completely exhausted after working tirelessly for Jesus. 
You see, from the time I was little playing sports had always been a huge part of my life. It seemed that the majority of my days would end in being completely spent from sports practice or games. So when I was deciding what I wanted to do right after High School, the thought of putting that same effort and energy into working for God was the only thing that made sense to me!  (Many were worried that I would never go to College if I didn't go right away, but I always knew it would not even be a question of if I would go to school after doing mission work, just where. :) After discovering REACH Youth Ministries, I knew that that was exactly what I wanted to do and more importantly what God wanted me to do. Prayer, Mass, ministry, and the people on my team were the focus of my everyday. Hard to believe that my day consisted of at least 3 hours of prayer when CURRENTLY I can barely make it through my 10 minute morning prayer regime without 55 interruptions from my 4 littles. 

My first REACH team.  And yes, I thought that jacket from the old man's section at Goodwill was the coolest. I told you my taste can be, well um, unique. No fashion blogging in my near future!

My second year team! I miss them all!

Now back to being tagged in a photo by my friend and REACH teammate on Facebook.

Da photo.

Whenever I would share my testimony on a retreat I would always talk about the Consider the Lilies, as I like to call it,  Scripture from Matthew 6: 25-28. Slightly paraphrased by moi it reads like this:  

"Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life. What you will eat or what you will wear... Consider the lilies of the field. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of them. So, if I take care of the lilies, how much more will I take care of you?? Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own!" 

God has always ALWAYS spoke to me so loudly, yet so tenderly through this scripture passage. I can remember being an insecure worry-wart of a High School gal and my mom, knowing this, wrote this Scripture out on the back of my student planner. Whenever I would become anxious or worry I would read it and immediately experience peace.  When I got the FB tag it got me thinking that even now as a mom and wife the Lord is speaking to me in the beauty of these words. Why do I worry about my kids, my husband, getting a bigger house, etc, etc, etc when I know that HE -the creator of the universe- will take care of me. I mean heck, if he takes care of the lilies of the field, He is going to take care of me, his child. Right??

*sigh*
deep breathe...

I really do love it that Jesus doesn't want me to worry. That He will take care of all my needs and desires.  
So Jen, thank you. Thank you for reminding me of this again today. Though miles and years separate me from you and all of my dear REACH friends, through Jesus we are just a prayer away.  Ps. (Now thinking about the importance of this Scripture and the cornerstone it has been for me in life, I feel that I should have named my blogo Consider the Lilies!! I guess you live and learn and at the time the oh-so-original Team Boda was all I could come up with :).

Cheers!

It's always amazing to me how 2 hours completely by myself can bring perspective right back into my life. It's the slower breathing. It's the silence consisting of no whining, no crying, no saying my name over and over again. It's the just sitting still and being, whether that is the 20 minutes of solitude driving to Cosco, spending a half an hour in front of Jesus, sitting with a cup of steaming java in hand, or walking aimlessly through Marshalls. 
To all my soul sisters who get what I am talking about here,  I am cheersing to you as I drink my coffee at my table for one. 

I probably should have tried for another pic without the scary eyes, but it is just so awkward snapping my camera phone at myself while others are around!

Sanctifying Sunday- Zany Zacchaeus

Has another week really come and gone again?  How can it be that the weekend is really over and I am back to making school lunches for the next five days in a row? Yes, I am in a little bit of denial about the end of the weekend and start of another week, but hey so is life and I lead a darn good one, so no complaining here  (except about how making school lunches has gotten really REALLY old over the last 2 months and I have like 18 years left of that to go!!) but like I said no complaining here (ha!). 
Anywho, we had a great feat happen last Sunday. Grace for the first time in 2 years actually wore a dress that I picked out for her at Mass. This might not seem like much, but believe me when I say that it is quite the accomplishment for our little independent, stubborn gal. Now if only I can get her to let me do her hair. 

This next pic is with my Uncle Dave and cousin Josh who came to visit last weekend. We had such a great time with them that I just had to post a picture. Ps. I just love how Matt is holding my purse/diaper bag like it is no big deal. What a man. Really I tell ya, he has this whole husband and dad thing down. 

Alrighty then enough of my procrastination, Matt has a great reflection for us all. I hope you enjoy like I did...

Do you want to see Jesus?  
Today from the Gospel of Luke we have a man who really wanted to see him.  So much so that he climbed a tree. The story may be well known to some and others not so much.  Either way, I'll recap it so that we have a context in which to see God's wonderful mercy through Jesus, the Icon of God.
Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector wanted to see Jesus badly.  He was short in stature so all of the surrounding crowd was literally crowding him out from seeing Jesus.  So, Zacchaeus get's industrious and climbs a sycamore tree.  Low and behold, Jesus spots him way up there.  I imagine that it wouldn't have been hard to miss, a grown man high in a tree looking on into the crowd.  Curiously, this catches Jesus' attention and it is said that Jesus: "Looked up and said, 'come down quickly for today I must stay at your house.'"
Marvelous. What a graphic scene.   Something of the utmost importance needs to be said further beyond Zacchaeus' short stature and his desire to see Jesus, which leads him to climb a tree!  Zacchaeus is the worst of all sinners.  He is a chief tax collector.  In short (no pun intended), he's a traitor to the Jewish people, collaborating with the Roman's, exhorting his own people and he's the chief, the head honcho, doing the worst of all exhortions.  The Gospel wants us to know that he is a BAD guy. Strikingly, Jesus wants to stay at his house, this really bad short guy's house!  
Here's the point.  From a human perspective he's despised and likewise Jesus is despised for wanting to stay at his house.  The "on-lookers" begin to grumble and say: "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But, from a heavenly perspective from God's terms, he's loved and cherished.  He was made in love, kept in existence through love, and pursued in love.  This is not to dismiss his sins.  But, it does emphasize that God loves sinners and wants to stay at their house.  So much so that Jesus commands Zacchaeus to come down not slowly or non-chalantly, but exhorts him to come down QUICKLY! You see, people judge differently than the way God judges.  The crowds were quick to dismiss Jesus and Zacchaeus for he was a GREAT sinner.  But Jesus from his heavenly perspective calls out to him and asks to stay at his house.
What a wonderful metaphor and meditation.  The little big sinner is sought out by Jesus.  And in this seeking out of Jesus, Zacchaeus is able to immediately embrace Jesus' pursuit.  Zacchaeus was pursuing Jesus, but it was really Jesus who was pursuing him.    
Here's a great conversion story.  Zacchaeus publicly announces that he will change.  He will pay back those he's stolen from- four fold to be exact and he will give half his possessions to the poor.    Fascinating that Zacchaeus knew there was more to Jesus, more than what the crowd would give to him by grumbling and condemning him.  In his Zaniness, Zacchaeus climbs a tree just to see Jesus.   In my opinion, we make things too difficult for ourselves and others.  If we were to embrace this Gospel and climb a tree just to see Jesus, metaphorically of course, we would be confronted with the same invitation that Zacchaeus did: "Come down QUICKLY, for today I must stay at your house."   
Maybe some Zacchaeus Zaniness is in order for us all today.   
Peace, Matt

"Say cheese!"

A Round of 5 Favorites

Linking up with Moxie Wife for some 5 Favorites!
1. Have I mentioned that my brother Michael is engaged to like the most amazing gal? Well, he is and Emily is nothing short of Awe-Some! Matt and I (mostly Matt, who titles himself as the Love Doctor) set Michael and Emily up and within 3 dates the rest is history. Emily has the cutest blog and is doing a 30 day in a row blogging stint. You should definitely take a read and I guarantee you will just fall in love with her and her hippie ways. 

2. I have never been a huge fan of Halloween and the dressing up part. Call me boring, because that is exactly what I am. I just find no pleasure in annoying costumes and even less enjoyment with the pains of painting one's face. But, here on the island it is a huge HUGE deal. Everyone decorates with creepy graveyards and witches (which I am sorry if you do that too and I promise I will try my hardest not to judge you if I see this on your front law), but I will never understand how that is considered festive, it's just creepy-creep and morbid to me. Anyways, enough of my rant... my kids SO SO SO love for our house and yard to be as festive as possible for all of the holidays. Soooo... my not very creative thumb and anti-halloween antics have succumb to my littles request. I found this $7 scarecrow from Walmart and couldn't resist the sunflowers in her hair. This weekend we are heading to the pumpkin patch for some more decor, so buckle up for some more cute pics to come.  

3. Now moving on from engagements to decorations to makeup, because I am one of the most random humans on the planet, so why not? If I had to pick my most favorite eye enhancing item, it would be Clinique's quickliner. Why? Because it is exactly what it says- quick at lining the eye. You won't be disappointed in this product says this girl who knows nothing about makeup, so take this rec as you will. 

4. Keeping with the coloring of the eyes, another favorite of mine is this Almay shadow. Why do I like it? Again, because it is easy and purrdy. 

5. Because I am running out of steam, dis here Essie midnight cami nail color is my color of choice for the month. Going dark makes me feel somewhat with the fashion times of 2013. Although, my mom did ask me the other day: "Why do you wear such dark nail polish?" This did kinda make me question my color choice.  But, like all things fashionable and stylish I have gotten use to the simple fact that I am always so last year or the year before.  

Now for some way better 5 favorites join Hallie over at Moxie Wife and the gals!

public letter to my husband

Dear Matthew, 
Close your eyes and imagine the biggest thank you that you have ever seen....Mine comin' at you is even bigger.  
You giving me yesterday and today "off" to come and go/come and nurse Hope as I please, has been amazing for my spirit and refreshed my love for my vocation. You always seem to know just the right way to take care of me in the midst of our crazy life with 4 small children.
Although there is nothing else I would rather be doing than being your wife and mother to our children, having this time to pray, to think, and go to the bathroom alone and in peace has been a little slice of Heaven. 
God surpassed my expectations when he gave me you as my husband. Seriously, you are a zillion times better than what I ever imagined in my head or for that matter any romantic, love story movie that I have seen. YOU swept me off my feet 8 years ago and the sweeping just keeps on coming. 
Laughter and tears fill the air in our home, making life never ever boring. And having you, my bff, to crawl up the mountains of life, soak in the the sun from our view, and sometimes even wade through swampy mess of things makes everything better. 
Thank you for being the best man that I know. I agape you. 
Ps. Do you see why it is so hard for me to get anything done during the day? Just humor me and say yes :). 

*sigh* My view for the morning hours, thank you. 

Sanctifying Sunday: Thankfulness-the 10%

Another Sanctifying Sunday with Matt... Enjoy!

Ten percent isn't bad, at least in regards to investments.  Many people would be happy to have that ROI (return on investment) these days.  Winning the lottery has the chances of one in 175 million, which makes ten percent look pretty good.  In today's Gospel only one out of the ten lepers returns to Jesus to say thanks. 

So, Jesus' stats are better than the market and playing the lottery, but somehow seem to fall way short of what is supposed to happen when you're healed of leprosy.  

Among all of the stories in the Gospel, today's has always been one of my favorites. Ten lepers come to him for healing and when they leave all ten are healed.  However, only one returns to thank him. 

I think of the other 9 who were healed. I heard a priest once say that maybe the other 9 didn't realize they were healed. I've never had leprosy, but I can imagine that if you did you would for sure know if it's gone.  For heaven's sake, leprosy still today sequesters people to the fringes of society, it's a terrible disease that eats away at your body.  Webster defines it as a contagious disease that affects the skin, mucous membranes, and nerves, causing discoloration and lumps on the skin and in sever cases disfigurement and deformities....

I like this Gospel story because it hits so close to home. Countless times I've prayed for myself or others for a physical, spiritual, and emotional healing. And through the power of God these healings DO take place!

Sometimes, I find myself like the 9 who don't even return to say thanks.

Other times, I'm like the one who returns to say thanks but doesn't fall down in adoration.

The best times, are when I return to say thanks and fall down before God in an action of complete thanksgiving.

This Gospel story is a reflection of God's infinite and unending mercy to save sinners.  There are no more racial or socioeconomic boundaries.  It is the foreigner among the 10 that returns to say thanks.  The other nine are of Jesus' blood- Isrealites.  This guy's a Samaritan and he's the thankful foreigner.  God's mercy knows no bounds.  

An attitude of gratitude goes a long, long way in our lives and the implications that follow from being thankful are far reaching.  If you're having a hard time with life, a specific situation, relationship, whatever it may be-- try focusing on the good things that God has already done for you.  Put on an "attitude of gratitude" and I guarantee things will begin to change for the better.  

Having a complete heart full of gratitude that impels one to return in thanksgiving will have profound consequences.  

I'm thankful for these 4 healthy kids. 

Don't be caught in up in the 90%, which chose to be thankless.  It's a bad place to be. It's way better to be returning in complete thanksgiving.         

Peace, 

Matt Loboda