Faith Formation

Grace based Parenting

By Sian Owen / March 31, 2021
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Grace based parenting is simply treating your kids the way God treats you. God doesn’t nag us, guilt us, shame us, compare us, insult us, yell at us, marginalize us, trivialize us, control us, ignore us, or write us off. He doesn’t get exasperated with us regardless of how exasperating we are. He simply loves us in a way that we desperately need but don’t deserve. Never throwing out the rulebook, or the consequences for poor choices, He sees our greatest potential and nurtures us toward that. When we create an atmosphere of grace for our kids to grow up …
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Who Packed Your Parachute Today?

By Sian Owen / March 25, 2021
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Charles Plumb, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience. One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!” “How in the world …
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Practicing Discipleship

By Sian Owen / March 15, 2021
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  Lent is a season to retreat from what is normally the frantic pace of life to pause, take stock and restore or develop good habits.  There are many things that we as Catholics do during the season of Lent.  These practices are not about us and doing things (or not doing things) to check off a list.  We do them to open ourselves up to God and help us to be missionary disciples of Jesus. Practices are divided into three ‘types’. Fasting is one of the Lenten practices.  Catholics over the age of 7 and under 60 are required …
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For All Parents

By Sian Owen / March 10, 2021
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Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying. Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is. Just this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play. Just this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together. Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and …
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God Front and Centre.

By Sian Owen / March 2, 2021
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Hello to all of you parents out there at home with your treasures (children). Here is a way of bringing Jesus into our homes. Creating a Liturgy Focus: Make a focus with Purple being the Lenten colour. Children can find anything in their house that is purple and place on the kitchen table. Rock hunting and hiding: The rockin’ new hobby spreading kindness in New Zealand. This is a wonderful way to be creative with your children and to appreciate God’s creations. Read the gospel of the day; Take time to reflect and listen to the thoughts of your children. …
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Laughter the Best Medicine

By Sian Owen / February 24, 2021
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A trip to see friends at their farm. The children were bored at home so we thought it would be a good idea to visit friends in the country. We travelled out of town and arrived at our destination half an hour later. Living in the country, these friends had gates to protect their livestock, so as I was in the passenger seat it was logical that I would get out and open each gate and judiciously close each one behind the car as we progressed through to the house. Not a problem you would think until we reached the …
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Dad’s are Invincible to their Boys

By Sian Owen / February 11, 2021
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On his 6th birthday. My son received one of those razor scooters for his birthday. You know, those ones with the really small wheels. The next day he was riding down our relatively steep back yard and I thought, it’s only a matter of time before carnage occurs. Later that day I was outside while he was scooting and he said, “Dad have a go”. So up to the top of the drive I went and down I came – like a rocket. I was somewhat pleased with my speed when the front wheel went into a small hole in …
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Giving our Children a Voice

By Sian Owen / February 3, 2021
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Giving our children a voice Learning to talk is hard when you are starting out as a young child. We encourage our children to talk by repeating everything to them, until they learn the sound and the context. Then they master the use of words and we as parents wonder sometimes if they will ever be quiet again. So, how do we teach our children to have a voice that will help in life to solve social issues. Be fully present when our children are talking to us. Take time to look at them when they are talking to you. …
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