Emphasis

Hello loved ones, far and near, here I am again! As I mentioned last post, our blog is "under construction" please don't mind the dust and disorder, I sense that construction may take a while. However, I decided I'd just keep writing, life is too short to wait for perfection!!!!

Yes, I changed the name of our blog...I hope you like it! It's just a little more succinct, but it still gets to the heart of our story. JOY. Joy that is a gift, joy that can't be found in things, joy that is very different from the mere feeling of being happy (not that feeling happy is bad, but we certainly can't feel happy all the time!) The kind of joy that was being spoken of in this sentence, " I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete." (John 15:11)

What am I talking about? I am talking about the deep and abiding happiness that comes from believing you are called to something and answering that call with authenticity, despite the fact that it is not always easy, and does not always feel good.

This helps me to seek and find joy, even in the mundane, the difficult, the sufferings...even in the realities of my life that are not easy, glamorous, or ideal.

This means that I can always write about joy, even in Joe's unemployment, even though we live with my parents while waiting for his immigration, even though our little one has been teething or coldy for the last few months and I can't remember ever feeling this tired. This means, that I can say with true joy "I LOVE YOU," even when Lyla is driving me crazy and the only other alternative is to scream! This means that I can experience joy over dirty laundry or poopy diapers, because I am living my call to love this man and this child with selflessness and sincerity.

Seeking true joy enables me to understand that life isn't meant to be easy, it isn't meant to always feel good! I can be full of peace and deep satisfaction even when I am brought to tears by frustration over life's difficulties, when being a wife or a mama seems like some sort of bad joke...I mean, no one told me that it would be this hard but gosh no one ever told me it would be this great either!

Understanding that joy is different from feeling happy helps Joe and I to see the deep blessings in the life we are leading even though there are moments where one or both of us feels cranky or burdened.  We are learning to be a team, we are best friends, we are spoiled by our love story, we have a sweet baby who has changed our lives for the better, we see miracles every day, our hearts are growing and being purified in hope. It helps us to be generous and tender with each other even when our differences make us frustrated with each other. It helps us understand that love is sometimes about will power and sacrifice, and other times it is also about romance and heart palpitations, but it is always beautiful and meaningful.

This is why I write about JOY. It is pervasive in our lives. From the first moment we met it has been a theme. This is why Liliana's middle name is Joy...because her life is a gift and the happiness it brings is something we are ever more cognisant of. We are also aware that if we don't actively seek it, as we live our lives, we focus too much on those things we could be negative about. Simply put, if I don't seek JOY I spend way too much time wallowing in self pity. Life is just too short to allow that to happen.

SO, now you know. Yes, we have difficulties, but I won't spend so much time writing about those.

Here are a few joyful tidbits before I sign off :)



Real men wear their babies :) How happy do these two look? And how alike? I LOVE THEM!!!

We took this video about 1.5 weeks ago...sorry about the shaky camera-woman :) Little Lyla is on the move!!!

Nothing says "joy" like a naked chubby baby! Such a happy girl!!

Ok dearest ones, that is all for now. Thank you for loving us and praying for us! We pray for you all and miss those of you who are far away!!

xoxo

Under Construction

Hello our dearest ones! We miss you and love you so much :)

As you can see, our blog is "under construction," but full time mommy-hood and wifely duties make it so that I don't have much time to devote to constructing! Thus, little changes at a time.

I will write a nice update soon, but in the meantime I just wanted you to know that we pray for you every day.

Love from all three of us here in the Packard household!

xoxo

Mt.Tabor and Mt. Calvary

"We need to desire Mt Calvary as much as Mt Tabor. Only then will this hardest of all lessons - that earth isn't heaven and never will be, that the path to abundant meaning and happiness passes through a daily cross, that unless we are willing to sacrifice our personal preferences and worldly desires we will never reach the goal for which we were created - only then will this lesson be able to seep down into our hearts and spread into every corner of our minds." - The Better Part # 181

Dearest Ones, here I am on this lovely Thursday! Our sweet little one is playing on the floor beside me while Joe gets ready to head off for a business call. I'm so lucky!

(OK, I'm posting this 6 days later...'sigh'!)

We are doing very well here in the Packard household, the most interesting development lately being a clear emergence of strong willfulness on the part of our growing bambino. Manifestation? A piercing shriek whenever mama or daddy try to take away anything the miniature person has gotten her hands on. Oh yes, a shriek and a serious wrestling match. I smile and shake my head. I knew it was coming.

Our sweet little person and her mardi gras feather hat...Shrove Tuesday!

Anyhow, why the above quote? Well, because it is the much anticipated season of Lent for us Catholics. Ahhh Lent :) Boy do I need it this year!

I have been excited about Lent for a long time, have you?

I'm amazed (although I shouldn't be), at the omniscience of our great God. He is the ultimate psychologist. He knows that we want to achieve the beauty of heaven on Mt Tabor yet would like to take the fast track and skip the suffering of Mt Calvary. Sad things is, it takes harder work than we like to think to be ready for our heavenly home. This is because life is beautiful and it is so easy to forget that earth is not heaven and we were only made to pass through! Or, on the flip side we are so mired in suffering that we lose our ability to hope for something better or find meaning in our toils. So, here is Lent, and we have the opportunity to remember our Lord's sacrifice on calvary while working to shed those attachments that make us not quite ready to experience the beatific vision.

Anyhow, I struggle in both regards...so captivated by the beauty of our new life that I can't fathom ever leaving this world and its mystery behind, but so mired in the day to day struggles that I forget to seek out meaning and hope. Thus, here I am, at the beginning of these 40 days, with my arms outstretched and a hopeful heart...praying that I can reorient my life to it's Rock and Foundation, and maybe curb the sugar addiction while I'm at it :)

And in these moments where I have a sugar withdrawal headache or it seems too hard to "fit in" mass and frequent prayer time, I just need to remember that our Lord knows what it is to suffer. He showed us the way, he imbued meaning into the mundane through becoming Man.

Love and prayers for you all, near or far away. We will write again soon, we pray for you every day!

XOXO