It's been a lonnnnnng time....

Wow!  It's been so long since I sat down to share my thoughts and ramblings.  My goal was to post something just once a month.  I figured I could manage that at this stage of our busy life, but alas, life did catch up to me....our family, unfortunately, has been through a trying time since the beginning of the year, and I had to be present to the situation.  On a better note, God has loved us through the trial and continues to provide grace upon grace in dealing with it, so I really have to see everything through the light of faith -- that all things really do work for the good of those who love God.  And the good He is normally reaping through any personal Calvary is the good of our sanctification.  So truly, we are being humbled and made to lean more upon Him through this experience.  But enough on that.

I am excited to share that our Catholic school is having its upcoming fundraising dinner.  Tomorrow evening The St. Austin School is hosting Imaculee Ilibagiza who wrote Left to Tell about her experience of God's healing power and forgiveness in the Rwandan genocide.  I haven't read her book yet, but I have heard from a couple of people that it is a "life changing" read.  I'm looking forward to it.

As far as our children's school, we are really proud of the work our priest, founders and teachers have done to make this school continue to thrive.  We are a small traditional Catholic school that espouses a classical educational model.  Take a gander at this video featuring our priest, Fr. Bede Price, OSB who shares the educational philosophy of The St. Austin School.

Don't you think Fr. Bede does a great job of outlining the Catholic Church's philosophy toward education and schools:  they are there to help us -- the parents.  They serve us in our vocation, not the other way around.  We are the primary educators and by virtue of our state in life we are given by God the grace to educate our children.  Catholic education is there to assist us in that process.  I love that philosophy of respect for the parents which, quite frankly, is being challenged a lot in the world today.

Now full disclosure time:  I am not just promoting our school in a shameless effort to get you to donate to our cause (although I confess that was part of my goal!  Tee! Hee!), but my two daughters are also in the video, so I wanted to archive it for myself and show them off a little!  :)  Look for the girls in Cardinals red with brown pigtails and blond pigtails (one on each side!), and you've seen our two lovelies!