My love

28 days since I held you in my arms and told you help was on the way. 90 minutes you suffered pain I can't even imagine.

You are my heart. My soul. My strength. My everything.

As I type this, 28 days 10 minutes ago I ran outside, hoping I was wrong. That you were just at the gym. I saw the box at the mailbox and the car with the trailer in front of it - and I knew. I just knew.

Just two more seconds. That's all the difference it would have been.

I love you. I miss you so much. You ARE love. The truest love.


Funeral Homily: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV5ZPEsQej8
(this link will be updated in the near future)

Be encouraged homily: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDZgQsCuCsA
13:40 is the key section
Pronouns are not Fr. Meyer's strength. ;)

Jesse Tree ornaments by Joshua

My son, Joshua, helped design these ornaments. He hand-burned our first set. I have not been selling them the last few years, but recently pulled them out, touched them up and prepped a set for showcasing.

The day he left this earth, Joshua had pulled out our Christmas boxes to get out the green ornament hooks - and the day before he had pulled out our small tree on which to hang them.

I finally got them together and they are available for sale. They can be in your mailbox in 2-3 business days if it's the only thing you order. Or in your hands within 3 hours if you are local.

Our Christmas season, as well as Lent and Easter sets will be available soon. Then I will work on adding the variations.

Jesse Tree Ornaments at Garden of Francis

Legoboy - My Soul - My everything

Small group presentations

Reading through older posts on here, this paragraph stands out:

An interesting side benefit: experience proving that calling small groups is MUCH better than working with large groups - meet the children where they are at, worry less about grade level or age, focus on capability and NEED, and allow such children who are in different experiential places to be just where they need to be. We have mixed age classes to focus on the individuals after all!

It can be SO HARD for catechists to present to small groups. In formation courses, leaders are encouraged to present to small groups as well, but dynamics force the use of whole-group presentations. As a previous formation leader, I experimented with the small groups in a full atrium session setting, and it worked wonderfully!

Catechists are going to present to the children as they received in their formation courses. It's just how it is. Add in very large groups of children, limited time and limited number of sessions, along with local parish or diocesan requirements to "get it all in" and you have a recipe for weak presentations, shallow meditations and children who don't readily connect with the Holy Spirit through the materials and experiences in the atrium.

Let's get back to the small group presentations and allowing the Holy Spirit to be the the One True Teacher!

Holy Bible Assembly

Paint the side with no names written on
Apply binding (gold duct tape in this pic)
to opposite side from where the name is penciled in
Paint/write the names on appropriately
Paint the backside (where the name was penciled in)

Paint/write the names on appropriately
Paint the backside (where the name was penciled in)

Placement of the pieces for the box itself

How the lid fits onto the box

Lid on the box; decorate as you like

Notes in the History of Israel

Notes on the History of Israel:

Tracing frame:
The Land of Israel at the Time of Christ

The first People of God were Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their households.

Jacob’s name was changed to Israel – then all of his descendants are called Israelites. Hebrew is their language and they can be called Hebrews as well. This is applicable during their 400 years in Egypt and the Exodus.

The Israelites settled in Israel, divided into their 12 tribes, and time passed; the Kingdom is divided and conquered at various times.

Those who return to the southern Kingdom and spread from there are called Jews – after the main remaining region of the original country of Israel: Judah or Judea.

From the Jewish people, God raises up a Son: Jesus. From His time forward, we have two branches of the People of God: Jews and Christians.

400 years after the time of Christ’s life on earth, the Islamic faith is formed. We call these people Muslims. They claim right to the legacy of the One God through their descent from the illegitimate eldest son of Abraham: Ishmael. Thus bypassing all the covenants after Abraham.

Fabric Timelines

Taking orders now for *fabric* CGS timelines!

Movable pieces can be handmade or a printable is available as well!

These were designed by The Sheep Gate and sold through various venues.

CGS Atrium Fabric and Ribbon