You have need of only one thing...St. Martha and Mother's Rule of Life Part II

It is the feast of St. Martha, the woman famous for having complained to Our Lord that her sister Mary was not helping with the serving. He tells her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. You have need of only one thing, and Mary has chosen the better part.' We all know the story about how Mary is sitting at the Lord's feet and listening, and therefore, she has chosen the better part, whereas Martha, running around the house, trying to get things done, is too preoccupied to pay much attention to Jesus.

This hearkens back to my recent post about the book 'The Mother's Rule of Life' and my implementation of its principles to my daily life. The key to the Scripture passage about Martha and Mary is not that we should always be in the chapel praying and reading Scripture, but that we should not get so overwhelmed by the housework we have to do that we forget about Jesus, Who is always with us.

One of the most inspiring things about the Mother's Rule of Life for me was that the author, Holly Pierlot, once she began living her Mother's Rule of Life, after awhile no longer had to think about the tasks she was doing because they became second nature. Instead, she was able to offer each task she did for the Lord and she was able to reach heights of contemplation as she did her tasks. She got everything done and had chosen the better part.

This is a great inspiration to me as a homemaker wanting to grow in holiness but still have a well-kept, beautiful home for all who enter, in particular my family. Making all meals and snacks from scratch and keeping on top of housework is time-consuming; a homemaker cannot obviously pray in the chapel all day, however we can be in union with Our Lord while we do these tasks. Though I'd read about saints who thought about God all day long as they did their tasks, I'd never been able to do it myself until I formed and implemented my Rule of Life. When one does not have to think about what to do next from the to-do list, it makes it so much easier to just follow the schedule already laid out and focus one's thoughts on other more important things, such the One Thing, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Art of Fermentation

Fermentation is something I knew nothing about until a little over a year ago. I finally read the introductory section of the 'Nourishing Traditions' cookbook, which I'd had for months but had not really opened much. I've just started experimenting with different recipes of late, and so far they have turned out pretty well!

Fermentation was the way the ancients preserved vegetables for longer periods before there were freezers or canning machines. The reason the vegetables stay preserved is due to Lactic acid, which is produced by the lactobacilli bacteria that are present when you let something lacto-ferment. The health advantage to eating lacto-fermented vegetables is that they are made easier to digest by the lactobacilli, they increase vitamin levels, they produce enzymes and antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic substances and most importantly, they promote the growth of healthy flora in the intestines. 

The ones I've made so far, pictured above, are Ginger Carrots, Kimchi (Korean Sauerkraut) and Ketchup. The main thing you need besides the veggies is homemade whey (made from milk/buttermilk/yogurt), a food processor to shred the veggies, and about 2-3 days. 

For the Ginger Carrots and the Kimchi, I used the Nourishing Traditions cookbook (see my sidebar widget for Real Food/Cookbooks to order on Amazon), and for the Ketchup, I used the recipe section from the book 'Beautiful Babies' by Kristen Michaelis (also on my Amazon widget). 

However, here are some other very similar recipes:

Ketchup:

http://nourishedkitchen.com/homemade-ketchup/

http://wellnessmama.com/4999/easy-homemade-ketchup/

To make whey and cream cheese: (you need whey for most ferments)

http://wellnessmama.com/2402/how-to-make-whey-and-cream-cheese-in-one-step/

Sauerkraut: 

http://wellnessmama.com/663/homemade-sauerkraut/

Book Review: A Mother's Rule of Life

I just finished reading this amazing book, 'A Mother's Rule of Life' by Holly Pierlot.

It has really inspired me regarding time management and work in the home, as well as the importance of routine for prayer, and all other things for that matter. For any woman going from having worked full-time to staying at home, this is a must! When I first stayed at home, while I was pregnant with my son, the days would fly by and I would notice that so much time had passed without my even acknowledging God or getting anything productive done. I would realize that I'd just spent half an hour or even an hour looking at facebook, blogs, or watching a show, and then I'd get distracted by something else and before I knew it, it was evening and I needed to start cooking dinner, which I would determine at the last minute.

When my son was born, of course I had plenty to do in order to care for him. Once I got the hang of that, there were times again where I would lose track of time (not nearly as much as before, but still I would take longer to do things such as get ready for the day because I was simultaneously checking email or some such thing.) 

After having been reminded several times of a book a friend had recommended years ago, I finally realized that maybe the Lord was calling me to read 'The Mother's Rule of Life'.  I read it excitedly and shared many passages with my sister-in-law, who is newly married and planning to stay at home. 

Some of my favorite things about this book is that it is very practical. The author goes into great detail regarding her Rule of Life, which helps me to insert my own details easily for my Rule of Life. She shares some stories from her life, making it interesting, as I love reading testimonies and personal sharing. 

Most of all, it has really inspired me to make the most of my day, keeping faithful to prayer times, as well as attending to duties in a timely manner, and keeping our Lord present by invoking Him in between each activity and offering the next one for love of Him. 

The author compares the married vocation to the religious and challenges us to strive for holiness as much as a religious would, as we are equally called to it. We may have many distractions in the world, such as babies crying and laundry to juggle, but if we order our lives so that things become so habitual that we don't need to think about them, we are able to contemplate God as we work. 

I've been very drawn to the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva and the message of Opus Dei lately and for good reason. It goes right along with the 'Mother's Rule of Life' because Opus Dei and St. Josemaria emphasize sanctity through our work. Today's Gospel reading at Mass was the one about Mary and Martha, and how Mary has chosen the better part, sitting at our Lord's feet, listening to Him. The reflection from 'In Conversation with God' for today refers to a 'unity of life' in which our work and prayer flow into each other and are not segregated into separate spheres.

 "For we must find God in our daily job, transforming our professional work into the hinge on which our calling to sanctity rests and turns...It is there in the midst of daily work and by means of it, not in spite of it, that God wants to call most Christians to lives of holiness. We are to sanctify the world and sanctify ourselves with a life of prayer that gives meaning to earthly tasks" (Francis Fernandez, 30.2, Volume Four). 

 "To maintain the presence of God while we work we need to resort to simple reminders, little things that will help us remember that our work is for God...All worldly occupations, when engaged in with the right intention, allow us the opportunity to put into practice charity, mortification, a spirit of service to others, joy and optimism, understanding and an apostolate of friendship and confidence.  We sanctify ourselves through our work. This is what really matters- to find Jesus in the midst of our daily concerns, not to forget about the Lord of all things" (Francis Fernandez, 30.3, Volume Four). 

Anyway, if you haven't already, read 'A Mother's Rule of Life', and check out your local Opus Dei Center for Evenings of Recollection and Retreats. If you wish to purchase 'A Mother's Rule of Life', use the widget here on my page to access my recommendations from the Amazon store. 

Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Even though I'm not technically 'grain-free', I've been making some items without grains just because it's easier than soaking/sprouting, etc., which I believe is necessary to properly digest grains. Some people, like the Wellness Mama, believe that grains cannot ever be properly digested, which I want to research some more, but for now I do eat some grains (mainly brown rice and sprouted grain English muffins). 

Anyway, I wanted to share this recipe with you because it's really good and for those who are trying to eat less grains or grain-free, it's a great option! I don't think those who've tried these cookies even knew that they were grain-free. They are also very soft and the chocolate chips are luscious!

Here's where I found the recipe: 

http://wellnessmama.com/5810/grain-free-chocolate-chip-cookies/

I did everything the same as the recipe except I used dehydrated coconut sugar instead of cane sugar.

And yes, Wellness Mama again! I love her site. Check it out and get your fill of nutrition, exercise, and general health information! Some of my favorite posts are :

Eat Your Sunscreen: http://wellnessmama.com/4621/eat-your-sunscreen

Eat more Coconut Oil: http://wellnessmama.com/8858/how-to-eat-more-coconut-oil/

10 minute a day workout plan: http://wellnessmama.com/5560/10-minute-a-day-workout-plan/

Barefoot Running: http://wellnessmama.com/4764/barefoot-running-101/