I'm addicted to Nativity Scenes

With Advent around the corner, we've started receiving our annual barrage of catalogs.  While flipping through the catalogs from Leaflet Missal and Christian Book Distributors last night, I found myself drawn to the items featuring the nativity and/or the Holy Family.  I reflected on our Christmas decor and realized that my snowman theme has melted away and has been replaced over the years with a Nativity theme.  Now, I know that we shouldn't collect too many treasures here on earth, but collecting Nativity scenes can't be a bad thing, right?  I mean, they always say to fill your home with holy images, right?  And we need to focus on the birth of Christ rather than commercialism, right? 

By loving images of the Holy Family, I have a reminder of how I hope that my family reflects the most perfect family.

Whatever happened to chastity and modesty?

A lot of my friends and co-workers are on Facebook and have been posting their Halloween photos.  It saddens me to see practicing Catholics dressed as devils and I pray to St. Michael to protect them from evil influences.  However, the photos that disturbed me the most were of a therapist colleague of mine who also works with young children.  Granted, her account has privacy settings so that her kiddos wouldn't be able to see her in her "sexy army chick" costume, but still.  If I knew that my child's therapist spent her evenings scantily clad and posing provocatively, I would consider switching therapists.  It doesn't matter if she is qualified to do her job -- if she spends at least an hour a week one-on-one with my child, who knows what kind of influence she'd have?  When therapists talk amongst themselves during and between treatment sessions, what sort of things are brought up in front of the children?  How does she dress at work?  (I have no comment about the particular aforementioned therapist because I already know the answer to that.)

My goodness, I feel like an old fuddy-duddy, but my job as a mother is to form and protect the virtues of my children.  I don't want to raise them in a vacuum, but with all the immorality in this society, it's hard not to.

Such a precious soul!

We were driving to Ascension Cemetery to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory today and I was telling my kids that I wanted them to be quiet and respectful while we pray.

A few minutes later, Damien said "Mommy, can I talk to God?"

"Sure.  What would you like to say to God?"

"Thank you for the rosary."