Holy Week Reflection (by Diane Gallagher)

Guest Blogger Wednesday :)  

 Though fearful of seeming over dramatic, I must admit that my initial thoughts as I prayed about Holy Week were that, as a mother of seven children, I could relate to the suffering, abandonment and humility that Jesus underwent in the passion.  I almost feel blasphemous even putting those words on paper, as I do not mean to say my pain equals Christ's; however, as I am lying here in my bed, my husband having been out of town these past four days, a fly on the wall could certainly have heard me muttering such words as "slave", "beaten," "shame," and "abandoned" at various moments throughout my day. While I may have good reason to feel this way, if I allow myself to stay focused on these negative and ultimately depressing thoughts, my daily existence will become stuck in the passion. 

The challenge is to not just imitate Christ by accepting my crosses, but moving forward with them so I can reach the Resurrection. Yes, heaven is where we will experience our final resurrection, but there are many resurrection moments here on earth IF we allow ourselves to see them.

 A friend of mine once shared how he was walking across campus on a  frigid winter morn, and he began to feel as though icicles were forming on his fingertips. Instead of dwelling on this developing case of frostbite, he started thanking God for giving him a nose, fingers, and toes.  That's turning a crucifixion moment into a resurrection one.  This is not one of my strengths.  I have a much easier time being annoyed and angry than finding joy in the little things.  But I refuse to be content with my vices.  The next time my 10 yr. old son shoots his 9 yr old brother in the face with his Nerf gun because "we made a bet and I won", I need to thank the Lord that I have boys who love to play with each other and have lots of energy.  I need to remind myself over and over that all these little daily crosses will lead me closer to Jesus.... if I allow them to do so.

A couple Gallagher family traditions from Holy Week:

We love watching the end of "Jesus of Nazareth" (actually, the whole movie is fantastic.. brings the story of Jesus to life in a very real and effective way) on Good Friday.  It's not as violent as "The Passion" so it is appropriate to watch with the family, but it is still powerful.

 My husband takes the older kids to Church on Holy Saturday morning to help decorate and have some food blessed (love that polish sausage). They prepare the candles, etc. for the Easter Vigil which allows them to take some ownership for the special liturgy.  After the Vigil on Saturday night, we come home and enjoy a sundae bar... a tasty way to celebrate the Resurrection.

And one of our cheesier traditions:  on Easter morning before we look for baskets and eggs, we listen to Keith Green's "The Easter Song"... an uplifting, albeit dated, start to a joyful day:)

Tell us about your favorite Holy Week and Easter traditions!

Meatloaf Massacre (by Diane Gallagher)

It's Wednesday ... guest bolgger day. :) Diane Gallagher ... take it away ... 

"Meatloaf Massacre" ... that is what my husband called it (only after I gave him "permission" by saying that I did not  like this latest recipe myself).  It was Rachael Ray's concoction, and I love her style and cuisine so how could I go wrong?  My 12 year old son asked if I could try a different meatloaf recipe, and this one was jazzed up with some barbecue sauce and was scooped into muffin tins instead of formed into a traditional loaf.  It was supposed to be tangier and quicker to bake, but it was mushy and sort of gross looking.  Not one of my shining moments as a chef.  The downside:  a disappointing meal.  The upside:  a greater appreciation for the tried and true recipe my mother has made since I was  a tot. 

It is easy in these moments to focus on the negatives --- being discouraged that I made the effort to try something new while not bearing much fruit.  I realized, though, that life is a balance of sometimes doing what you know is going to work and other times being willing to expand your horizons and try something new.  I will stick with my Mom's meatloaf recipe in the future, but I have also discovered some new family favorites by testing some recipes:  a spicy cheeseburger soup; a melt-in-your-mouth barbecue rib sauce; rich, scrumptious brownies; and an apple pie my Grandma would be proud of.  To be perfectly honest though, I tend to stick with the familiar.  I like the comfort of knowing that what I am doing or making is going to be a success.  I do not like to fail.  But I have come to learn that it is only through having a willingness to fail that I can grow and live life to the fullest. 

Writing this blog is a good example for me.  I was so excited when Susan first asked me to be a guest blogger until the reality of writing a weekly post sank in.  Then, silly as this may sound, some panic set in:  What was I going to write about?  Who would read it?  Who was I to be sharing my ideas and thoughts when I still have so much to learn?  It was so tempting to call Susan and decline, yet I believed that this was something I truly  wanted to do and God was blessing it.  Yes, it's calling me out of my comfort zone and does create a little pressure for me each week as the deadline approaches.  Would it have been easier for me to say no?  Absolutely.  There are times we need to say "no", but there are also times we need to say "yes" and go into uncharted territory with God in the driver's seat.  So we pray, we talk with our spouses, and we hope we can be in touch with God's will as we make our daily choices.  Then we act, hoping for success but prepared for failure too.  After all, the only way we can create the most mouth watering ribs this side of the Mississippi (a little exaggeration for dramatic effect) is if we are willing to "live through" the meatloaf massacres.

  

Living It:  "What uncharted territory might God be calling you into that you've been afraid to go?"

- Feel free to post your comments to open up a discussion or share your own "Meatloaf Massacre" story. :)

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Rib Sauce Recipe ( for 4 lbs spareribs)

1/2 cup cider vinigar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire

2 tbsp chopped onion

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 minced garlic clove

dash cayenne pepper

* I double or triple the recipe because my husband likes to lather it on!  
Bon Appetit!

Drum roll please...

 I am SOOO excited to introduce you to the wisdom, humor, and authentic goodness of a very dear friend of mine (and soon to be yours), Diane Gallagher.  She, too, is a mother of seven ... hey, didn't you know we travel in packs? 

“Diane, may I introduce you to the internet’s most savvy and brilliant blog followers?” 
(Pleasantries exchanged) 

“And now, dear Harborlily Creative Readers, hold onto your hats...or at least take cover as you gain an insider’s view into a lively household of seven, mostly redheaded, cute as they come, Irish/Polish kiddos.”

Diane will be joining us here every Wednesday come heck or high water … or kids with fevers over 104 degrees. She’s a woman who'd like to share her insights as she strives to live a life committed to God's Will for her marriage and family. Join us as Diane shares her joys, hopes, and her secret on how to make the perfect peanut butter with honey sandwich in our new blogger series. 

After reading Diane’s post, please be so kind as to COMMENT with topics you'd like discussed. Subjects as vague as "How to pray with kids," or as specific as, "I need help removing a stain on my child's altar serving garment that was soiled when the smell of incense caused my offspring to grow woozy and vomit before hitting his head whilst he collapsed from heat exhaustion on the altar."  In which case, it may be time for us to start a Prayer Intercessory column. ;)

Without further rambling ... I present to you our very first guest writer MRS. DIANE GALLAGHER! 

~ ~ ~ ~

It's been said that raising children is like building a cathedral: it takes years of hard work, but you may never see the results. "Cathedrals," you say?  I'm building cathedrals? That is both a relief and a little scary. My name is Diane Gallagher, and I am extremely busy these days building seven cathedrals. No wonder I am so exhausted!  Before I got into "construction", let me tell you a little bit more about me.

 I was a high school teacher, youth minister, retreat leader and chastity program
coordinator. I met my husband while serving on NET ministries, an evangelization program that sends teams across the United States to put on retreats for high school teens. I have to believe that through the past 13 years of construction, God has taught us some valuable lessons both through our failures and our successes about guilt-free parenting, marriage, sacrifice, peace and much, much more.  We are learning more every day (whether we want to or not. :)

I am excited to be writing a guest blog on Harborlily Creative. Since High school, I have enjoyed writing, journaling and creating ideas, but have not had much opportunity to tap into this lately.  Thanks to the gentle nudging of my dear friend, Susan Yurkewicz, I am finally exercising these muscles again and will be posting a weekly reflection. My goal is to offer encouragement and support by sharing my own experiences as a Catholic wife and mother in a sincere and honest manner.  I want to relate the Gospel message to our own daily walks as parents. If one thing I share can validate, reassure, or relieve a fellow parent, then my mission here is complete.

In the next month I am hoping to write about "celebrating" Holy Week with your family, spring cleaning (your house and your soul), and applying Christ's passion to our role as parents.  As Susan mentioned in her kind introduction, I welcome suggestions for future posts.  I do hope you will return!