Some thoughts on choosing a confirmation name

I'll admit it -- I love checking out my Google Analytics account. One of my favorite features is seeing what search words/phrases have brought people to my blog. Some make me laugh, some make me concerned for the searcher (such as those that invariably find me because of my scare with an underarm lump or when our then five year old took a medication that made him hallucinate), and still others make me wonder how in the world they found my blog with their search.

One common reason people find my blog (particularly with the Easter season coming) is a bevy of various ways of asking about deciding on a confirmation name. For those not familiar with the Catholic tradition, prior to your confirmation, you choose the name of a saint to take as your confirmation name. This name is added to your name (though not legally, as some people were concerned about in my RCIA group) after your first and middle name, but before your last name.

A few thoughts from me on this...

*I first looked up a search of saints that were separated by their patronage. I thought about what I was looking for, and knowing that my vocations are being a wife and mother, I looked for saints who were patrons of wives and mothers. So, thus my first tip is to pray and think about what is important to you. How do you identify yourself? What special interests do you have? (At that point, I had a list of about five to seven saint names.)

*Read books that have stories of the saints. Look for ones that inspire you or show you qualities in a saint that you wish to emulate yourself. Reading about the saints helped me narrow my choices. It's not like there were saints on my list that I didn't like based on the stories, but just ones that I found spoke to me more once I read more about them.

*Don't be swayed by what others may suggest to you. This is where my biggest problem came in. I had pretty well decided on a name, but then when someone I thought of highly made a suggest (as an example to show others how someone might choose a name), then I added that to my list of choices, and I really struggled with that then. Also, I had a relative that made a comment that made me feel bad to not pick another name on my list. So, really -- try to make it a name YOU want, not one that others want for you. (I will admit to being guilty of swaying Eric's decision though, when he was going between two names, and I tearfully told him one night that I thought he should choose Joseph because, as I told him, "You are our Joseph." He, however, claims that he was going to pick Joseph anyway.)

*Listen for the Holy Spirit to lead you. Be prepared for this, and pray for it. I know that I was lead many times, but then listened to others as they questioned, "Why Martha? Why not a prettier name, like Elizabeth or Ann?" Finally, thanks to not only the Holy Spirit, but to my blog readers, I finally realized that I was meant to pick Martha. Even Eric finally commented, "Martha's your girl. If you don't choose Martha, you'll regret it later."

*After I had chosen my name, but before turning in my form, I read more about my chosen saint. I prayed some more, especially to ask St. Martha to pray for me as I got ready for confirmation.

I really think this is not a choice to take lightly, and as I said, definitely not one to let someone else make for you. Pray, read, pray some more, and listen for the Holy Spirit to lead you.

If any one else has suggestions to add, please leave a comment! Or...even if you don't have a suggestion but you have a confirmation name, go ahead and leave it in the comments! I'd love to read what others have chosen (especially if you post your reason for picking it).

Menu Plan Monday: February 4th Edition

This week's menu looks suspiciously like last week's menu, just in a different order. Last week was crazy with the two migraines, and then we also ate food from out two more times than we had intended to and had dinner at my parents' house one night. So...we pretty much are carrying everything over. But, here it is anyway...

Monday: Salads with Grilled Chicken, Hard Boiled Eggs, Bacon broken up, etc.

Tuesday: Teriyaki Sesame Meatballs in a crockpot -- we'll serve it over Jasmine Rice and have steamed broccoli as well (I'm trying to see if I can come close to the Dream Dinners recipes for it, without remembering at all what I used to make that)

Wednesday: Homemade cheese pizza

Thursday: Baked Chicken

Friday: Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs (we would usually have bacon as well, but will be leaving that off, of course)

Saturday: lunch ---> Beans & Cornbread; dinner ---> From out

Sunday: lunch ---> Eggs, Toast, Bacon; dinner ---> Pesto Ravioli with Chicken and Walnuts (I assembled this at Dream Dinners)

For more menu ideas, you can click on my "menu planning link" under the topics drop down menu, or you can visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for menus from all over the blogosphere.

Blowing Kisses at Jesus

Our family really loves our parish. Not only do we love the people, the programs offered, and the priests. We love the actual physical church.

I am a very visual person, and so I must admit that the minute I walked into the church (when we were deciding on which parish to start attending before starting RCIA), I was pretty taken with it. I loved the stained glass windows...the statues...just everything.

Molly also loves the visuals of our parish. She names various saints and members of the Holy Family as she checks out the statues, even if she would seem to suggest that I can't tell the difference between St. Lawrence and Mary.

One of the things she seems to love best are the depictions of an infant or child Jesus. Even when she is being a total pill during Mass, it's hard to get irritated when she then turns to look at a stained glass window to coo over the sweet baby Jesus.

"Look Mom! It's baby Jesus! He was so sweet, Mom!"

And, harder still to get mad when, during Christmas, she insisted to be able to stand on the pew so that she could see over everyone's heads to see the Nativity scene. Not only did she then have to sigh and coo over the baby Jesus, but then she also started moving her arms around and getting a bit out of hand. I quickly tried to settle her, and she then sternly turned to me to announce that she, apparently, had important business.

With scrunched up brow, she declared, "But Mom -- I'm blowing kisses to Jesus!!!"

I said to her, "I think He is blowing kisses to you too."

"He is!" she exclaimed, with great certainty. "He is SO sweet!"

Yes, yes He is. I pray she will always find time to blow Him kisses, because I know He is already blowing them back at her.

Enter the House of Discontent (aka Seriously -- just give me your waffle order)

The weather report over the last several days has predicted that today, we would be looking at anywhere from 3 - 14 inches of snow by this afternoon. Of course, they didn't say that range all at once, but that's basically the range of the predictions they have made as the date got closer and the snow shifted one way or another.

My boys' school closed before it had really even snowed an inch. They were thrilled to be home, but some of the contentment ended there.

One of our more interesting conversations this morning thus far:

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Me (to Jack): Would you like some waffles? (with the sweet motherly love in my voice)

Jack: no reponse

Me: Jack -- do you want some waffles???

Jack: no response

Me: JACK LOGAN -- DO YOU WANT SOME WAFFLES?!?

Jack: Yeah, okay.

I put some waffles in the toaster, because, well...that's how it is at our house.

Jack: So...we can't have any waffles?

Me: What? I just put in some waffles for you.

Jack: The waffles are all gone? But, I thought I could have some waffles.

Me: What are you talking about, Jack? I just told you -- I put some waffles in the toaster for you.

Jack: There aren't any waffles left?

Me: JACK -- DO YOU HEAR ME? I JUST PUT WAFFLES IN THE TOASTER FOR YOU!

Jack: Oh -- thanks, Mom!

Me: Molly, did you want some waffles too?

Molly (who happened by at this time, in all her three year old importance): But Moooooommmmmmm....I wanted a Barbie with WINGS.

Me: No, Molly -- I'm asking about waffles. Do you want waffles for breakfast like the boys?

Molly: But I thought I got a Barbie with Wings! Let's go look in the garage.

Me: There is no Barbie in the garage. But, do you want waffles for breakfast.

Molly: No. Can I have a snack?

Me: No snack. Do you want waffles?

Molly: No thanks.

Me: Okay. (Go to grab the waffles out of the toaster and get them ready for Jack)

Molly: But where are my waffles, Mom????

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Seriously -- I love my children. But, every so often, I wonder if we're speaking the same language.