Friday, June 7, 2013

Six Months

Though we haven't by any means been married 50 years, I wanted to write a little something about being married 6 months!

Being married to my husband is never boring, and I thank him for that! There is usually one... or five... projects in the process of being completed, and always more ambition for new ones to be started. I am thankful to be blessed with a hard working husband, who also still enjoys smelling the roses once in a while! 

While God sends good things as blessings, I also recognize that the difficulties are blessings as well. These are actually the greater blessings, though we tend to want to run away from difficulty. These 6 months have had their share of difficulties, and it has given me a greater understanding of marriage. Among all the virtues (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control) I have been learning anew, or a new, definition of patience and humility. It is learning about another's needs and recognizing the opportunity to practice putting their needs above your own. Truly, it is such a challenge to put yourself last!

Today's feast day is the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is a blessing to reflect today on the Heart of Mary. This morning we went to mass at the little Carmelite Monestary in town. It is a peaceful, simple monestary upon a hill that overlooks Seremban. Father spoke a bit about the significance of the Immaculate Heart of Mary following the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. How the Immaculate Heart comes from the Sacred Heart. The gospel today is about Jesus getting 'lost' in Jerusalem. When his parents find him in the temple, Jesus responds something like "Do you not know, I must be busy with my Father's affairs." And though his parents had been worried and did not understand fully, Mary pondered this in her heart, as she did with all things throughout Jesus' life. 

And so it must be with our lives. I would say most of the time, my initial reaction to unexpected difficulties or joys, is, either way, rather dramatic. Though Mary had various feelings or emotions, she stored up in her heart all that Jesus was teaching her, whether or not she understood fully. If we truly let the Lord lead in our lives, then this means that we accept His method of teaching us. Among the fun and joyful times, this involves discipline, suffering, and opportunities to humble ourselves and do better the next time. This is how we are stretched, how we grow in holiness, and how He works through us as weak human beings.

While feeling blessed, there are days when it is indeed very difficult to be far away from family and friends. Many new things I have learned from this experience! As God asks us to have strength and courage, He also asks us to trust. And today, Mary helps me see that the things you don't understand, you hold in your heart. Hold the experiences, the joyful times, the hard times all together. How is the Lord forming you through this? We can hope that in years to come, we will recognize a transformation the Lord has worked in our lives. 

Thank you to my husband- always by my side for support and to challenge me! May we all receive the grace to open our hearts to the Lord's prompting and love in our lives- in whatever way He may speak to us!

Here are some new photos, but I have not been much of a photographer so far this month! Since Meera is the baby right now, there are more of her!


Meer gets very hot during the day, and she has found that the drain is a very cool place to hang out. 

Admiring Meera for being so smart, laying in the drain!


She is cute in there...



The little crocodile...


Edwin's adventure in fixing a broken pipe! I was trying to help...

And this is what happened! Ed got a little wet :)



Meera was helping too of course, rooting in the dirt!