Stations of the Cross Prayer Garden: Plants, Shrubs, Bushes and Flowers

Prayer, meditation and devotion are not just cerebral activities. True prayer involves the whole person. Catholics use body gestures to keep our hearts, souls and minds fixed on our Lord. We use the sign of the cross, we kneel, we bow, genuflect and sometimes prostrate ourselves to bring our whole self into oneness with our Lord. One of the best ways to engage spirit in worship is through the senses.

The Tantum Ergo or Pangua Lingua says "Praestet fides supplementum Sensuum defectui." (Basically, faith supplements when our senses fail.) Our senses, though limited, do guide us though. We smell the incense, we hear the chant, we act out the gestures, we taste the Lord's body and drink His blood. All very sensual experiences. One of the ways that I personally draw close to God is through nature. Being outdoors at a grotto or prayer garden completes my worship. To that end, here's a Stations of the Cross garden plan with suggested flowers to plant at each station. If you live in a cold climate, this garden could be created indoors. Lent and Easter Prayer Garden: Plants, Shrubs, Bushes and Flowers

Free Printable Halloween Pumpkin Carving Stencils with Christian Symbols

Carving the traditional Halloween pumpkins is a time-honored rite of trick-or-treat. If you are looking for some unique, creative pumpkin carving stencils for your jack-o-lantern, you've come to the right place. Scroll through the spooky free printable pumpkin patterns for stencils of Christian and Catholic symbols. Pumpkin Glow as an "un-Halloween" section with free printable pumpkin patterns of a cross, Jesus, Holy Spirit, fish, Bible stories, crucifix, angels, nativity (like the one to the left), saints and holy images. Print pumpkin patterns and use for other stencil crafts. To make them reusable, laminate and then cut out pattern. Read on Free Printable Christian Halloween Pumpkin Carving Stencils 

Relationship Reflections from 25 Years of Marriage

My husband and I are celebrating 25 years of (mostly) wedded bliss. On July 18, 1987, I was going on 24 and he was going on 25. We were ignorant, idealistic and ridiculously romantic. A quarter of a century, we still are and I think that might be what's kept us together.

We've each only been married once, to each other, which makes us (some have told me) a rare breed. (I might say "more like a piece of work). We've been asked (I blush every time) for the secret of our success. I always quip "we fight all the time!" That's only partly jest. With four kids, money struggles, crazy schedules, work-a-holic tendencies, job woes, health setbacks, two lost babies, a old crumbling house, old cars (which we share) and a DIY-of-necessity lifestyle, I guess it's to be expected. And relationships get gritty in and of themselves without any help from outside stresses. I'm not saying it's right to fight, but at least we don't bottle things up and let them toxify. For more information, read on  Relationship Reflections from 25 Years of (Pretty Much) Wedded Bliss