7 Quick Takes: Original Song!

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**1** I posted a new original song yesterday! This is nothing short of a miracle really, to have recorded a song in a quiet house (it was nap time). I am hoping I can do this on a very regular basis. In case you missed it, please take a minute to check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks!

**2** I actually wrote the song shortly before Dominic was born (or maybe after, I don't remember), but haven't got a chance to share it with people. I haven't "played out" in a concert setting for two years so this is kind of a big deal for me.


**3** Do you see the strategically placed daffodils behind me? Aren't they perty? There are SOO many outside in my flower beds that I am loving having fresh homegrown flowers inside. Even better, I've been putting them in my newly acquired blue glass Ball jars. I plan on doing this with the jars eventually.  They will go in my bathroom and hold toothbrushes, combs, etc. Thanks Pinterest!

**4** Tomorrow I am going to see Bring It On: The Musical in Chi-Town. Laugh if you want, but I am sure you are jealous deep down inside. Those movies, all 18 of them are so bad, they are hilarious. I don't have many guilty pleasures, but this is one of them. I love musicals so this is a perfect girls day out with my sister, mom, and two sils. Can't wait!


**5** I went to the Stand Up for Religious Freedom rally today in Rockford, IL. It was AWESOME! We had Mass with Bishop Doran, heard some great speakers, and protested the HHS mandate. There were over 500 people there. It was so beautiful. Mostly, it was just nice to feel rejuvenated in this fight. It was Dominic's first protest/rally and I can't think of a better cause.

My mom !

**6** I wrote a post the other day are Why I Veil. I've always been mostly a traditional chapel veil type of girl but then a friend pinned the below picture and I swooned over every single item Garlands of Grace sells.

It is so beautiful! I want to get one, maybe two (blue and pink) and I'd love to wear them as a more no fuss chapel veil. But really I think I might get into the habit of wearing them around the house on days when my hair doesn't have a prayer of being washed and I am spending the day cooking, cleaning, gardening, and mothering. I love the idea of it.


**7** I will leave you with my proud mama moment of the week. Dominic found a Batman video game, brought it up to me in the kitchen and said with big puppy dog eyes "mommy, play Batman game please?" He has never seen the game, and I've maybe once showed him a picture of Batman and told him who it was (we are HUGE Batman fans in this house). Needless to say, I was quite proud. It was hard to refuse, but since A. it is completely age inappropriate in every way and B. we have a no TV or Xbox during the day rule, I had to say no. 


Have a great weekend!

My Music: All Yours

Alright.

Here goes nothing.

This is All Yours by yours truly.

ALL YOURS ©

By Dacia Wells

I want to be all Yours and hold nothing back.

I know that I don’t have much to give, but I have Your love. Yeah.

How can I make a return to the God who gave me everything?

Power and riches will fade but Your love remains.

All that the world says I need I have no desire for.

Empty and worthless to me they are.

Consume my heart with Your Heavenly fire oh Lord I will dwell with You, forever.

I can feel Your presence stirring in my soul.

Nothing can ever compare to Heaven’s joy. Yeah.

This world try as it may to please me,

giving all that its got still falls so short.

For having tasted the love that awaits me,

Nothing yeah nothing can pull me away.

Consume my heart with Your Heavenly fire oh Lord I will dwell with You.

Consume my heart with Your Heavenly fire oh Lord I will dwell with You.

Consume my heart with Your Heavenly fire oh Lord I will dwell with You.

Forever.

A Return to Catholic Music

Music.

It is really why I started this blog.

Praying Twice.

It was supposed to be an outlet to share my own music

but got somewhat lost of mommyhood.

I'm not complaining, I love being a mom.

First, wife and mother is my vocation.



I do believe God gave me gifts and talents

and I don't wanna bury them in the ground.

Out of fear.

Out of laziness.

I've had some success with my music

but really abandoned it all.

I'm ready to get back to it,

if it be God's will.

Lets see where He takes me.

Maybe nowhere.

His will be done.

I will have some vids with new songs up soon.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

If you like what you hear,

spread the word.

Also I'm going to bring you some of my favorite Catholic music out there

in a series called

Some I've opened up for, and some, well I am just a huge fan.

I will share their music, why I love them, and even some interviews.

It is so important the we support current Catholic music

because it is awesome,

people using their talents for God's glory.

AND being totally Catholic!

Why I Veil

A scarf I sometimes use as a veil.

A few years ago, maybe 4, I felt a longing in my heart to veil during Mass.

I didn't know anything about the practice,

nor did I know anyone who veiled.

I didn't understand why I was feeling this at the time,

but I did know God was calling me to take up this practice.

It was the exact same way He called me to receive the Holy Eucharist on the tongue.

It was something I felt in my heart was the right thing to do,

even though (at the time) I didn't know the concrete reasons.

In both instances, I was afraid, a coward.

No one in my Parish veiled and I really didn't want to stand out or be thought of as a holy rolling weirdo (though I'm pretty sure I already was.)

Still, my pride held me back.

Year after year,

I felt the longing in my soul every time I was in a Sacred place to be veiled.

It just wouldn't quit.

When I worked at my local Catholic Store (before Dominic was born)

someone came in and asked if we carried chapel veils.

We didn't, but I knew we should.

First I decided to do some research on the practice and read stuff like this,

which spoke to my tradition loving self

but didn't really convince me that I "needed to" veil.

I looked online at some pretty veils to order for the store and decided,

why don't I ask my Grandma?

After work I went to her house and asked if she used to veil,

and is so, if she still had her veil.

I knew she would, us Meisinger women don't throw good things out.

She gave it to me let me borrow it to help pick veils for the store

and it did help.

I never gave it back.

Sorry Grandma!

Every Sunday before going to Mass, I would look at this beautiful vintage white lace Spanish veil and dream of taking it with me and wearing it.

My lame excuse was I just didn't want to be a distraction.

But God kept calling me. Asking me. Pleading with me.

I needed to veil.

Two years ago I took a job at a Parish a couple towns over as a Director of Youth Ministry.

At this beautiful Parish, which I know call home,

I attended my first Extraordinary Form of the Mass.

I wore my (Grandma's) veil for the first time.

There I didn't stand out as there were plenty of veiled women.

It felt right.

I felt, beautiful.

I felt like a woman.

A woman acknowledging God's creation.

When I next attended the Ordinary Form,
I knew it would be hypocritical not to veil,

so I did.

And have ever since.

I love it.

It does not make me more modest, or reverent than women who don't veil,

but it does make ME more modest and reverent than when I didn't.

At Mass, the Earthly veil is lifted and we are literally IN HEAVEN.

All the Saint and all the Angels are present,

and Jesus our Lord and Saviour is physically present.

Call me weak, but I need to veil myself to remember this.

I think some women look at veiling as demeaning.

I think nothing could be farther from the truth.
What is a veil if not something that honors the beauty underneath?

We veil what is Holy.

Traditionally the tabernacle is veiled because in it is the Holy of Holies.

Women, is holy because she carries life, 
a new soul, in her womb.
Which is why contraception is such a sin,

it is denying who God created us to be.

The Theology of the veil reveals much to us.

It reveals to me that

God made me.

He made me for Him.

He made me for my husband.

All of God's good creation echos and honors Him.

When I veil, it reminds me that my body is in fact,

a veil.

A veil honoring true beauty I am,

that of my soul.

Put Love There-In Action

So quite possibly the best thing I took home from the Behold Conference was this. I am so terrible at explaining things in detail, especially if I didn't take notes, but Sarah did it so perfectly. Put Love There. When Sister Elizabeth spoke of this, I felt the way I looked at my busy toddler change. I pray and try so hard to be gentle, loving, and kind to my little sweetie, but sometimes it is just so hard when I tell him not to do something for the 30th time in one day. While Sister was speaking, I wrote this:

Just be love. Instead of correcting and disciplining, just love and be gentle. Instead of seeing my child, look at Dominic as a beautiful soul, made by God who needs further nourishing; a beautiful flower which needs watering. Just love. Sweet, tender, love.

I've been really doing my best to put this into action these past couple days. I've always delighted in him, but now it is easier to delight in his whole self, not just the part that does what I want him to. It is more about changing MY behavior, than his. This post comes to mind. Dominic is only two, and is a wonderful, joyful little guy. A very wise mom and dear friend of mine always says, "sure I could get her to be quiet, sit still, and do everything I say, but it would be changing the very person she is."

Certainly there are some things that need to be reprimanded or require discipline, but when I truly think about it the list of such occurrences is much shorter than I think. So when I am frustrated, if he isn't in danger or isn't doing something sinful, perhaps it is best to take a step back and just delight in him and act out of love. Indeed, thank you Sister and Sarah.