Coffee Moments with Sam

“Families are not a problem, they are first and foremost an opportunity. An opportunity which we have to care for, protect and support. That is a way of saying that they are a blessing.” - Pope Francis I   (from: 30 Beautiful Pope Francis Quotes From His Cuba / US Trip via Life Teen) photo from: www.familysecuritymatters.org

I have always shared a strong, intimate relationship with my parents growing up.  But when I started to pursue a career, got married, and had my own family, it became quite a challenge for me to spend quality time with them. That is why when I finally became a mom, I found the perfect reason in my child to renew that bond and keep in touch with them.   It felt great to see them transform from simply being my parents to loving grandparents to my child.  More importantly, I find joy in knowing that the people who matter most in my life are also the same persons who would be there for my children.  Most of us believe that grandparents are really good at spoiling their “ apos ” as I have witnessed.  But beyond that they are an important part of our children’s life.    Dr. Lillian Carson , D.S.W., L.C.S.W. Author of the Parents' Choice Award Winner THE ESSENTIAL GRANDPARENT: A Guide to Making A Difference , stated that effective grandparents ...

I love watching my son play with his Lego toys.  His simple yet vast world of imagination can create different scenes, each with unique stories and situations.   One time, however, he came up to me feeling frustrated and disappointed.  "Mommy, look at the car I built yesterday...it's broken!" he said, showing me one of his Lego creations, "I don't know how to fix it again."    "Of course, you can", I said encouragingly.  "Just try your best to build it again". "But I don't remember anymore..." he said giving up.   "Okay, if you can't build the exact, same thing, why don't you just build a new one."  I said.   He then went back to his play area and started to build a new car.  After a while, he came back to me and showed me his latest masterpiece.   "Mommy, look!"  proudly holding up his new Lego car, "I built a new one and I like this better than the one I built ...

Pope John Paul II defines freedom as: “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.When freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not wish to know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society.” Freedom is not always an issue of liberty or independence to choose and do whatever pleases us, but freedom is about “being in a state of peace, happiness, satisfaction, as a result of our choosing what is right”. It is a guilt-free, fearless, shameless, stress-free kind of life. So how exactly can we live free? wallpapers.com Read full article:  What it Means to Live Free - Live Free Column - Tapat Catholic News

Whenever I think of my own married life, I think of it as a journey towards becoming the person I am meant to be. I’m not perfect, sinless, spared from trials and temptation. My life is not always happy, nor problem-free. Life with my spouse can be challenging, but that’s what makes the journey worthwhile. The reality is marriage will always be a work in progress. A person cannot do this on his own; it takes two to make it work and three to make it last. Yes, there is always a third party to any marriage and that is God. Read full article:  On Marriage and Fidelity

Sometimes the best way to succeed is to be yourself.