"Jesus" at the Post Office!

We are always in a rush, especially this time of year. Yet, I think TIME is such a valuable gift to give away at this busy time of year...

Here's a radio segment I did with Teresa Tomeo with a Christmas theme. It's about JESUS AT THE POST OFFICE. I hope you have a few minutes to listen.

Just click here to listen.

Enjoy!

God bless you and warm Advent hugs,

Donna-Marie

Huge sale for First Week of Advent!

I am having a HUGE sale! While I don't support the craziness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I decided to offer a 20% off sale of all of my current book titles for this first week of Advent. I think it's great to give a gift of inspiration at Christmas time. You can find the SALE Pay pal buttons on each of the SALE items on my website here: http://www.donnacooperoboyle.com/books/


Happy shopping! God bless!


Donna-Marie

Do you know where your Advent wreath is?

I was recently in a local shop to buy my daughter a birthday present and Jingle Bells was playing as well as other "holiday" songs! It was only November 10th! On that note, I am posting this fun yet poignant piece below which I received in an email. I hope you like it. :)

Twas the Month before Christmas

Twas the month before Christmas

When all through our land,

Not a Christian was praying

Nor taking a stand.

See the PC Police had taken away

The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a ' Holiday'.

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit

Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod

Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down

At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears

You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty

Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen

On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter

To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith

Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded

The reason for the season, stopped before it started.



So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'



Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS,

not Happy Holiday!

Please, all Christians join together and

wish everyone you meet

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christ is The Reason' for the Christ-mas Season!

If you agree please forward, if not, simply delete.



Get your wreath ready!

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT and even briefly let us know how you will be celebrating the Advent season in your domestic church as well as Christmas. What are some ways you will instill the real reason for the season into your family's hearts as well as to all you come in contact with. I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Jesus at the Post Office!

Here is a segment from a past Christmas radio segment in which I chat with Teresa Tomeo about meeting "Jesus" in the Post Office. Just click here to listen to it as well as some other Christmas reflections we talk about.

The recipe for the Overnight Christmas Bread coming up!

Have you seen this Digital Nativity?

Journeying through Advent

All my "ducklings in a row"
for a impromptu shot
on Thanksgiving Day

I've been so busy with writing deadlines, working on my new book, and family activities. No time lately for a blog post, sorry about that.

It's a special time of spiritual growth and reflection as we journey through Advent. I hope you're finding moments to pause and ponder and whisper prayers from your heart even as the advertising frenzy blasts all around you. There's so much we can thankful for, no matter the circumstance - God is near - always! He wants us to come closer to Him and trust our lives to Him. Then He can really work through us to touch other's hearts!

I will be back soon, God willing to bring you inspiration. In the meantime, what have you been up to? What kinds of Advent traditions are you practicing in your "domestic church"? What tradition can you start brand new this year? Leave a comment and let me know.

By the way, I am having a sale on my new book, A Catholic Woman's Book of Prayers. Go to my website and scroll down to the bottom left of the main page to find the discounted Pay Pal button. If you'd rather not use Pay Pal, email me at DMCOBoyle@aol.com and let me now what books you'd like and who to inscribe to. I'll email you back with the price and you can send me a check and I'll get your order right out to you. All books will be autographed and I send them out with a blessed medal.


God bless and a big hug!

Donna-Marie

An Advent reflection

If we didn’t have hope, what would we do? Without hope many would despair. We don’t have to look very far to realize that so many live without much hope. When I think of hope, I recall the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love which we ask for on our first three Hail Mary beads of our rosaries. Hope becomes ours for the asking. Amazing! We have to remember to ask.

St. Clement of Alexandria wrote, “If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.” Hope makes me also think about trust and surrender, which go hand and hand with our belief and love of God. When we have hope in our hearts we will be putting our trust in Our Lord and will be able to put one foot in front of the other each day, serving Our Lord in the people He surrounds us with. To do this, we surrender our lives to God through prayer so that we grow closer to Him and deeper in holiness.

As we light our first Advent candle very soon, a flickering flame will represent hope. Let us pray that we can focus on preparing our hearts to open wider for Our Lord this Advent season. Let’s hope that we can do our best to turn to prayer at every opportunity during a great season of hope and promise.

Perhaps the craziness of the advertising frenzy that flashes around us is too distracting, and we feel that we cannot find peace to pray during a season that is meant to be quiet so that we can prepare our hearts for the Christ Child. The Liturgy of Advent emphasizes quiet, penance, prayer, but also hope, light, joy, and surrender. Let’s strive to find those things. Let’s delve deeper than the surface and also realize that God is in control of everything. We can find quiet even amid the hustle and bustle, by lifting our hearts to God with a great hope and faith that He hears us – that He knows our hearts – that He loves us more than we can imagine!

An awful lot can be accomplished if we allow God to work through us to sanctify our actions and prayers when we offer it all to Him in full surrender. Our Lord calls us to surrender our lives to Him – everything! Surrendering can be as simple as accepting our circumstances, whether it be our living conditions, our state in life, both little and big annoyances, sickness and suffering, being misunderstood, being criticized and belittled for our Christianity. God’s hand is mystically in it all. He knows what‘s going on.

Will we surrender to Him and allow Him to work through us and around us? He wants us to surrender our wills to Him and respond in love to all who are in our midst. Yes, even to love the one who has just stolen “your” parking space or the one who is constantly criticizing you. It’s not always going to be easy. Jesus never said it would be. However, they all need our love; a healing love that will give others hope.

Mother Teresa had said that “Calcutta is all over the world for those who have eyes to see.” Let’s open our eyes so we can minister to the needs of the people that because of God’s divine providence are near us in some way – our family, co-workers, friends and parishioners. Is there someone who needs our love?

When we learn to surrender our lives over to Our Lord, we will have lasting and true peace, and joy of heart. This joy and peace will radiate as a healing balm to others around us; offering them hope for their journeys. Let’s be that ray of hope by giving our hearts to God and allowing Him to work through us during this upcoming wonderful hopeful season of Advent and beyond!

[this article previously appeared at Catholic Mom.Com]

"Mother Teresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship" for Advent

A review of my book Mother Teresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship (from Amazon.Com). This reviewer recommends this book as perfect for Lent. I'd like to suggest it as a book of reflection for Advent too.

Here's the review:

"This book was a fabulous read during this Lenten season. This book is an easy read, yet so deep. It is a personal, up-close relationship with a Saint, Blessed Mother Teresa. Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle has a gift from God that allowed her to share Christ by sharing Mother Teresa with us-the reader. I found the longing of my heart's search for Christ's passion for our souls in reading about Donna-Marie's relationship with Mother Teresa. Donna-Marie shares intimate moments of her life with us to show us how God works in all things. She shares intimate moments of her friendship with Mother Teresa so that we can be a part of this friendship by doing everything "with Jesus, for Jesus, and toward Jesus." It is not for the "holiest" of us, it is for all who thirst. Mother Teresa's view of serving Jesus in others one person at a time has helped me realize that I don't have to be called to a third world country to help the poorest of the poor. I need to start with the people in my own home, and go from there, loving one soul at a time. Pages 153-156 are some of my favorites.

I read this book while sitting in a whirlpool for my foot during physical therapy.

Agreeing with Donna-Marie, 'there is no such thing as a coincidence.' I shared this book with my physical therapist. It was beautiful! God is amazing!"

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You can see this review and others here.

The book and all of my others are available at my website: donna cooper oboyle.com

Thank you very much for your review. May God bless you in great abundance and may Mother Teresa guide you!