Live well. Laugh often. Love much.

This past week was such a whirlwind of photography!! Aside from the overload of caffeine which kept me fueled in the uploading/editing process, it was amazzzzzinng!!! Sharing in the gift of photography, made for a very memorable and joy-filled week. What also put this week aside from others was the amount of girl time I got to spend. Coming from a house of four boys, such time is a jewel to be completely treasured!!! :) 

So to offer a little glimpse of my girly week I thought I’d put up a couple pictures of some of my favorite ladies. The first stack of photographs is of the wonderful Karla and Lisa. These beautiful ladies are two of the creative minds behind the CCC of America. They are truly some of the most incredible women that I know and I hope that the photos provide a view of their joyful, loving hearts. And the second group of photographs is from the most recent Birthday Blessing party. Talk about bliss!!! Hahaha, these girls know how to party!! Five days later and I am still finding glitter!! hahahaha. :) 

Well, I hope you enjoy the photos and have a beautiful day!! 

May peace always be with you, 

Teresa :) 

Live well, laugh often, love much. 

“Be imitations of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love.” 

[Ephesians 5:1-2]

In the Potter's Hands

  "Arise and go down to the potter’s house; there you will hear my word."

Jeremiah 18:1

I am currently enrolled in a ceramics class to meet a couple studio art requirements for my graduate program. After finally getting past the stage where everything looked like a blob, I think it’s safe to say that I have found my therapeutic art for life. Much to my surprise, it is easy to become captivated in playing with dirt. It isn’t until I get that sore shoulder, or lower back strain, that I realize that 5 hours have passed!! 

Originally, I would sit at the wheel with my favorite music playing and see it as a form of entertainment. But lately I’ve decided to attempt working with the clay in silence. In the moments of silence, I found it easier for the artistic process to become an expression of prayer. It was this unity with art that even moved me to tears the other day. In the simple action of carefully smoothing away an uneven spot in the clay, I felt a true understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Having the clay in my hands, I felt as though I was holding a mirror to myself-where all of my imperfections were exposed in order to allow for the sensitive process of refinement to begin. In this, I thought of the passage Jeremiah 18:1-4.

In the passage Christ says to Jeremiah, go down to the potters house to learn something there. When he went down he saw the potter working with clay for the purpose of making a ceramic vessel. As he described, the clay was marred in the potter’s hands. This made the potter look at the vessel with its defects and say, "Well, I am going to make this into another kind of a vessel.”

Then Christ said to Jeremiah “Now you, my people, are like the clay in my hands.” Looking at what was in front of me, I thought: why would Christ give this specific comparison? I think most of us avoid being likened to dirt- something so utterly helpless. But thinking about myself at the wheel I recognized the great unity between the clay and the potter. Rather than it being an attitude of the dominant potter and a lousy piece of clay (which so often it seems when we are that marred piece of clay!!), it becomes an image of a Father and the clay. In this image is the sense that the power that's molding us isn't chance or a string of circumstances, but a loving presence directing our formation. It is an image of someone who's wise, understanding, kind, loving, and extending a complete trust to us. It is an image of a potter, who takes into account the pliability of the clay (our choices) and will continue with complete dedication to give birth to the beauty of His work. 

Observing the skilled potters at work it is evident that, unlike us, they have the capability of detecting even the slightest unevenness. And the beauty of it is that when the master potter detects it, the potter continues faithfully the work until the clay is perfected. Extending trust and accepting the direction to work on what we may be completely blind about- we see that Christ’s words really reveal:  “You are to be like clay. For I am the Potter, and I am going to make something beautiful out of all that you are.”

I think this was what really moved me to tears the other day. It wasn’t that I saw my pathetic state as a lumpy piece of clay, but rather that I was able to recognize an unconditional readiness by the hands of the potter to begin forming me into something beautiful. It is something truly humbling to know that every day we have the opportunity to submit ourselves to the potter’s mercy and say the words: “Lord, l am just clay, but I am surrendering myself into Your hands.”

Living Water :)

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

This past weekend I celebrated the baptism of my newest godson Patricio!!! Some of you might remember a post from June which was put up in celebration of his birth. So to once again brag a little, show off a bit, and continue the celebration….this post goes out to you Patito!

My dearest Patricio!

To imagine that in a couple of months we have seen you grow, open your eyes, smile, and now be cleansed with the living waters of baptism!! What a blessing! Experiencing the fullness of this gift is something which brings a huge smile to my face and tears to my eyes!

One moment of the baptism which I will always remember was when shortly after the priest poured the water over your head and announced the proclamation of faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- you gave the biggest smile I had ever seen you make!! It was incredible!! Each one of us looked at each other with surprised and joy-filled expressions. It was as if you knew better than any of us what had just occurred. To each of us it was such a powerful reminder of the beauty and reality of baptism.  With this reminder, we each recognized that baptism allows us to receive a new life in God’s living water. What a great gift and responsibility to each of us who has been blessed with this intimate encounter! 

It’s funny how the minute a child is born we are already wishing that he or she receives happiness, a good future, a true life. It is as if we begin creating a checklist of what we think an authentic life should contain. In baptism however, the liturgy orients all of these wishes towards an even deeper hope of the child receiving eternal life- a richer fullness of any future that we could have ever envisioned in our checklist of life. Because this is beyond anything we ourselves could extend to you, we turn to the Lord who is the only one capable of obtaining this grace for you. In our love for you, we ourselves thus become oriented towards Truth and it is a moment of great humility and mercy. As someone who is promising to be there through all of your life, we proclaim our indebtedness and thanksgiving in God’s redeeming love which we know will become your greatest strength in life.

Patricio, you are already helping each of us grow closer to God. Playing with you, watching each of the kids give you their personal lovin’, having you fall asleep in our arms, celebrating life with you- is helping each of us become more fully alive and ready and capable of loving. You are a treasure which each one of us promises to hold in our hearts throughout our lives!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such a blessing in our lives!!!

All our love to you our dearest Patito!

After the baptism you smelled like roses and I asked your older sister Elisa why she that might be. With great confidence she said: “Well, of course it’s because Mama Virgén came down and hugged Patito!” So I thought it would be fitting to end this post with a little prayer to Our Lady. It is so perfectly designed for you as Elisa brilliantly pointed out! :) 

Mary, I beg you, by that grace through which the Lord is with you and you will to be with him, let your mercy be with me. Let love for you always be with me, and the care for me be always with you. Let the cry of my need, as long as it persists, be with you, and the care of your goodness, as long as I need it, be with me. Let joy in your blessedness be always with me, and compassion for my wretchedness, where I need it, be with you.

[St. Anselm]

"NaaaaAAAaaaAaants ingonyama....bagithi Baba...Sithi uhm ingonyama" 

hahaha, I think we all agreed that this was 

Patricio's little 'Lion King' moment in life :)  

 

My absolutely beautiful cousin Eileen!!! :) 

"The Godfather"