Did I scare you off?

or are you still laughing after my LAST post?

Seriously, it is not always like that but it happens much more than I wish for. 

This Advent God is really trying to reach me by helping me to realize how important patience is.

• Patient in waiting for Christmas day.
• Patient in not hurrying my children out the door.
• Patient in teaching my children to read.
• Patient in letting my children 'clean' up their messes.
• Patient in trying to laugh more and cry less.
• Patient in listening to my children and all their questions that take a long time to get out.
• Patient in letting my children destroy...uh, I mean mess up (ha ha) our house with all their many hideouts and tents b/c what else is there to do when it is so cold outside that they only last a mere 10-15 mins?
• Patient in packing my husbands' lunch to take for work.
• Patient in not blurting out all the things I really really want to say at that moment.
• Patient in going to my baby's whims in the middle of the night...when not so long ago she was actually sleeping through the night!!! (argh!)
• Patient in guiding my children in what they want to say and how they need to explain more to get their point across. (No, I do not read minds! ha haaa)
• Patient in teaching my children for the 100th time that food is not allowed downstairs and then spend the following hour cleaning and vacuuming.
• Patient in walking a certain 3 yr old back to his room as a punishment (more times than I want!!! argh)
• Patient in listening to God speaking to me, even amongst the noise level.

Patient in knowing and wanting to believe in even a deeper level than it is more important to give than to receive.  To give to my family unconditionally.  To give and knowing that there is a great gift waiting for me in Eternal Life. To give until it hurts, as Mother Teresa says.  To give  and to get get totally depleted b/c I know where to get filled back up again~Jesus~prayers, adoration, Mass, Confession.  To give and knowing that my wonderful husband has my back.  To give b/c there is nothing else more important than to give of myself to others, and who more important than my family?  To give and let Jesus give back to me.  To give and allow Jesus to love me.  To give and depend on Jesus.  Give and be patient.

God bless,
Mary