New Little Flowers Embroidered Hoodie!

For a limited time only, beautiful, snugly, embroidered Little Flowers Hoodies are available for only $22/each! Hurry, supplies are limited! Order for your daughter or your whole club today!

http://www.littleflowersgirlsclub.com/

Dressing Up Your Marriage!

In this little newsletter you have come to expect a bit of insight into how to run your club, ideas on games and suggestions for activities. We hope you will be pleased to know that this newsletter is focusing on you! Well, YOU, by way of your marriage.

We want to encourage you to make sure in juggling schooling, carpooling, and activities you don’t let the ball that is your marriage get dropped or neglected. Your marriage is the foundation of your family and therefore vital to the formation and raising of your children. While we would say our clubs (all of them) are great (and they are), we would be remiss if we didn’t remind you and encourage you to make sure you are taking time to keep your sacrament of marriage as healthy as possible.

It is an interesting phenomenon within Catholic families that they will make sure to get to the Sacrament of the Mass every Sunday (and usually more often with many families) and the Sacrament of Confession monthly but parents balk when it comes to getting out on a date!

Consider the preparations you went through the last time one of your children first received a sacrament. You ensured they attended every meeting necessary, you went over their books and materials and, for sure, they had something wonderful to wear. This same dedication however falters a bit, for all of us, as receiving Communion or Confession becomes a more common event.

We can all become so familiar with receiving the sacraments that we don’t pay as much attention. Some Catholics even fulfill the old adage of “familiarity breeds contempt”. For these families they can barely seem to get out of bed before heading to Mass, much wear clothes fit for a King. I know I have fallen into judgment when I see people in communion line who seem to have forgotten they are at Mass! “Don’t they know they are receiving a sacrament!," I can wonder.

However, while we could not imagine ourselves ever taking those sacraments for granted, are we as dedicated to keeping the sacrament of our marriage as alive, vital and important to our lives? Have we become so familiar with our marriage sacrament that we are attending to it as if we were attending Mass in pajamas?

Our bishops have recognized this reality and have dedicated this year of catechesis to “Matrimony: Sacrament of Enduring Love”. They are also encouraging us to give time to our marriages through World Marriage Day and National Week of Marriage, USA. You can get more information on these efforts at http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2011/11-012.shtml


We gain grace every time we take part in the sacraments of our Church and our marriage is no different. From our catechism (#1641) we can know: "By reason of their state in life and of their order, [Christian spouses] have their own special gifts in the People of God." This grace proper to the sacrament of Matrimony is intended to perfect the couple's love and to strengthen their indissoluble unity. By this grace they "help one another to attain holiness in their married life and in welcoming and educating their children."

When your children’s enthusiasm for the Eucharist and Confession wanes we all strive to remind them of the graces they gain. We tell them - repeatedly if necessary - these sacraments are both necessary for their salvation and key to achieving it. Not only that, we will tell them, receipt of both of those sacraments makes life on earth easier as well. The same is true for our marriage.

Our marriages not only help us attain holiness but also make life here on earth both easier and, hopefully, a whole lot more fun! This year we want to encourage you to make time for you and your marriage. Make date night a priority - even if it takes place in your own home due to lack of a babysitter or money. Look into good books on marriage (I might suggest my friends and radio hosts - Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak as a good first stop - www.exceptionalmarriages.com).


Other couples give high marks to Marriage Encounter or their diocese marriage retreats as a yearly necessity. See what is available in your area to help you have a better marriage than you do, and be ready to admit that everyone can have a better marriage! Commit to reading a well-recommended book or just making time to talk about something other than the kids and the bills!

Consider these efforts for your marriage a vital part of your children’s formation. Remember they will base their ideas of a spouse and marriage on what they see at home - help them to see only good things. With excitement over the upcoming “Princesses You Can Believe In” series, we might say working on your marriage is like teaching your kids “Happily Ever After” is not just in fairy tales!

By focusing on the importance of marriage it is not our intention to make anyone who is a single parent to feel like a second-class citizen and not vital to your child's formation. Having single parents in my family (Rachel's), I've seen first-hand both the struggles and successes in families led by a mother (my sister) or father (my brother) alone.





Insuring you have time to restore yourself is perhaps even more vital when you are working alone. Our encouragement to families to build up their marriages should never be interrepted as a criticism for those who aren't married. Parents are key to a child'd formation regardless as you will remain a reflection of God's love. Strive to make time regularly to both form yourself and restore yourself so you are better prepared to face the battles and struggles of life.

Example of a wonderful local Little Flowers group!

Here's a great example of the possibilities of what you can do with your local Little Flowers group. This group, located in Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Sterling Heights, MI, pushes the program to its full potential by including an online calender, registration, FAQ, and list of materials needed to participate. Perhaps the best bit of initiative they take, though, is the way they break the program down into different age groups that are each named after a flower. All-in-all, this is a great model for how a group can get the most out of the Little Flowers program! Check it out, and maybe glean some good ideas from it for your own group.

Interested in sharing with others how your group is run? Do you have a unique and/or creative twist that you have added to the LFGC program? Send your links, photos, and/or descriptions to us, or post them in the comment section of this blog and we will share them here, on our Facebook page, and wherever else other Little Flower groups can see them!

Little Flowers: Starting Early or Waiting?

In some recent emails from the Little Flower’s Leaders Loop (not a member yet? here’s how - ), there was some inquiry into the advantages, if any, of starting LF early. I wanted to take a quick moment to address that via the newsletter so that everyone, regardless of program, might know our view and reasoning.

Teaching our children about the faith is an obligation we have as parents. Our catechism begins to teach us about this as it discusses the Ten Commandments and “Honor Your Parents” (#2197 and following). The Church has spoken about this reality in numerous documents including Quadragesimo Anno, (1931, Pope Pius XI) and Rappresentatni in Terra by Pope Pius XI and Gravissimum Educationis, of Pope Paul VI and more recently the words of John Paul ll. The Church is clear - we are the parents and the responsibility relies on us. And those of us here have proven we take this responsibility very seriously.

However, the manner with which we pass along the faith need not always be so serious. I, myself, have strived to provide a proper balance between the real jubilation and fun our faith provides with the appropriate seriousness of the content. Piety and reverence are virtues we learn but everyone also knows of my love for eutrapelia and joy.

With all of that in mind, it is easy to jump right into teaching the faith as soon as possible. Teaching our children the faith can really be a good deal of fun for both us and ourselves. It is great being a Catholic so why hold back?

I am humbled and pleased families are eager to get started with any of the programs we have. I take it as an unexpected compliment some families with three and four year olds want to get started. They have a “Right Now!”, “I’m not waiting”, “Let’s jump right in!” mentality that is contagious BUT....

Of course, there is a ‘but’. Our Church wisely teaches about the ‘age of reason’ and this might need to be applied here. Our children are our greatest treasure and every treasure requires a level of protection. While there is nothing harmful within any of the programs; there does exist a real risk that too soon might really be ‘too soon’ and therefore not be beneficial.

Teaching the faith to your children is necessary but how you do it and with what programs, books and materials is vital. Not every program is well suited for a three year old or, on the other hand, with a fourteen year old. The progression of both intelligence and ability must be honored in our children. A fourteen year old will not learn much from a program designed for pre-schoolers and neither does a three year old learn from a program designed and written for a five year old (and older) child.

As I wrote in the Leader’s Loop:

“I will voice my concerns about starting LF too early. While introducing saint's lives, virtues and more is very important for all ages, we need to realize there are many concepts that are more challenging for younger children to handle and comprehend. Now, granted, there are children who are reading and writing at young ages but the spiritual aspects remaining challenging - even for us as adults! There is a cognitive and intellectual development of our children we need to respect and accept. Too much, too soon can result in frustration for both the child and the mom.

The other reality - faced by other groups - is the fact that by starting younger, some get tired of doing it (bored or a 'been there, done that attitude) by the time they can really begin to both understand it and appreciate it.

I am humbled by Moms such as yourself so eager to get their children started on the path of holiness but I feel that is best to take a small wait in introducing LF to such a young girl - this coming from a mom of 7 girls! Starting off on introducing your daughter to saint's stories and working on practicing the virtues appropriate for a 3 year old is a great foundation and LF will be a wonderful addition once she is older and better able to understand the concepts. Once she is older she is more fully able to really participate by both being able to read the materials on her own as well as do the activities more independently.

Each family will make their own decision but using other materials, developed with a preschooler in mind, would be my recommendation and waiting for LF until they are older.”

I hope this clarifies our position on this. I honor every parents right and obligation to teach the faith to their children and welcome each and every opportunity to have our programs be a part of this formation.

Finally, in the midst of this season of Thanksgiving I want to take a moment to say “Thank You” to all of you. Thank you for letting us into your homes, schools and home school groups. Thank you for letting us help you raise the next generation of saints, the next leaders who will both bring Christ’s Kingdom here on earth but celebrate it for all eternity in heaven.

This year has been a challenge for all us for many reasons even without the added challenge of the economy. The perseverance and dedication of many of the families of Behold the Child, Ecce Homo Press, Little Flowers, Blue Knights, the Hospitality families, Honor Guard and more is encouraging. When I remember all of you in my prayers the words that most often come to my heart as “well done, good and faithful servants!” Thank you!

Two recommended preschool materials might include:

The Catholic Children’s Treasure Box series published by the Maryknoll Sisters in the 1950’s now reprinted and available from many sources.

Rosemarie Gortler has written a lovely series of small books for preschoolers including “Little Acts of Grace”. These are perfect preschooler books and also available from many sources.

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Catholic Kids Christmas Dream Shop!

Catholic Kids Christmas Dream Shop! via #constantcontact

The Little Flowers characters in Virtue Stories, Wreath I come alive on Christmas morning for your Little Flower! Read about how sisters Mary Rose (brunette), Maggie (blonde) and Theresa (auburn), put into practice in everyday life what they learn as a Little Flower. Go to www.littleflowersgirlsclub.com for special bundle prices that include books and dolls as well as a Christmas book bundle for boys!

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The Soul's Toolbox

Why we teach virtue in the first place OR rather, “What’s in it for me?”
There can be times in our lives when we scratch our heads and wonder aloud - Why are we even doing this?? The ‘this’ of the moment might be anything from doing laundry for the umpteenth time to homeschooling to even going to Sunday Mass.
Honestly, much of what we do is out of necessity. The laundry, housekeeping and cooking we do is necessary for our existence. We need good food, a clean house and clean clothes to be healthy. Happily, we have a good deal of latitude in how we do these tasks. For some families a good meal is around a table with fine china, cloth napkins and the finest of French cuisine. For other families it is with paper plates and napkins and the only French item on their table is the French dressing for the iceberg salad and French fries. But both meals begin with prayer, both meals include the parents listening, laughing and sharing in the stories and the family. Both are therefore healthy - if not from a dietary standpoint then surely from a spiritual and psychological one.
For other things we may have less latitude. While we may wonder why we go to Church or strive to be both holy ourselves and raise holy children, we know we do so to honor the God who made us. It is for Him alone we do all we do. We are responding to the call He has made since the beginning of time. We are restless until we rest in Him as St. Ignatius reminds us.
Virtue education is one aspect of loving God. In in our attempt to be holy as He is holy we can take His holiness apart as it were, piece by piece, and strive to be holy one piece, one virtue at a time. We learn about faith in order to be more faithful. We strive for obedience as we know being fully obedient is what Christ himself did - even unto death.
But there are times in our regular life of dinner and dishes, clothes and commutes we may wonder how virtues serve us. Why are we doing this in the first place? Sure, it makes us more polite and nicer to be around, but it is really necessary? And, if you are familiar with the movie, “Field of Dreams”, we can wonder as did the main character, Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner), “What’s in it for me?”
In replacing his corn field with a baseball field, Ray witnesses ‘everyone else’ benefiting from his hard work but he is left feeling unappreciated and forgotten. He has put his family on the line, worked endlessly for a ‘crazy dream’ (according to mocking neighbors and family members) and he is thinking it was all for nothing. Or at least all for everyone else but him. “What’s in it for me”, he wonders out loud.
We can feel that way as parents and teachers of the faith. Why are we working so hard to teach our children; model holiness and live a virtuous life? What’s in it for me? Why am I working so hard with no obvious benefit for myself. This past summer into the fall, that often rhetorical question was answered, very literally, for me.
Over the past few months, we have had a few brushes with scary health issues. As a result, we endured the spiritual challenges that always accompany health problems. In addition, we had a frightening accident involving our youngest child. However, throughout all of them, though I felt tested and strained to my limit, I did not fall. Of course, I wondered about God’s plan and wisdom. I spent more than a few nights even arguing with Him and complaining about how strong He thought I was. But, I did not leave His side. I remained. Why? Honestly, it was because of the foundation of virtues I had within me.
I found myself - almost literally - pulling fortitude and perseverance from my soul’s toolbox. During the struggles of the summer, I relied on the faith and hope I knew so well to get me through the dark of night. I had learned the words of these virtues. However, over the past few months I have found myself, very literally, being forced to live what I learned.
I knew courage and now I was living it. What joy that brought to my life. What peace I had knowing friendships I had fostered were there to support me. A foundation in virtue gave me what I needed most to get through some really rough months.
This is why we do what we do. What is in it for us? In teaching our children the virtues, we are not only teaching them - piece by piece, bit by bit - how to be more like Christ we are giving them tools they will rely on their entire life. We are helping them not only face life’s challenges but come out the other side stronger. Virtue education now is, of course, helpful as our children do become more charitable, better friends and siblings. But, these virtues may come to best serve them when they have left your home and are living in their own.
In teaching them, we are also teaching ourselves. This hard work helps us as we find ourselves using what we have shared to be better friends and parents ourselves. And, more likely than not, life provides ample opportunities to put what we teach into practice.
In the fictional story and film, Ray built his field to see ballplayers ‘return’ to play, eventually his own estranged father. At the end of the movie, he sees ‘what’s in it for him’. In our real lives, we build a life of virtue for our children and ourselves awaiting Christ’s return. And in the process, I guarantee, you will find what you get is what you, yourself, need to make it until He does. Virtues are not just for our children but also (sometimes more so) for us.
So, you can stop wondering if teaching virtues matters. It does and you’ll either see it in your kids or rely on it yourself every day - I know from real life experiences. Now, if someone would like to convince me about a few household tasks I’ve been told are necessary (such as ironing sheets!), I’m waiting!
God Bless,
Rachel Watkins