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Fast
What is standing between you and greater holiness today? Rip it out. Throw it away.
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Pray
Kiss your crosses. Find something small that annoys you. Embrace it; give it to God.
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Give
Make your husband's favorite dinner tonight. Serve it with candles and a tablecloth.
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Fast
Be little. "For it is part of a truly great man not merely to be equal to great things, but also to make little things great by his power" (St. Basil).
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Pray
Pray an Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
Give
What household job have you been avoiding? No more excuses. Tackle it today.
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Fast
After you complete any essential morning tasks at the computer for the first time today, turn it off. Do not return to the computer today unless/until it is essential for the running of your household or care of your children.
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Pray
"The silence is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear. The tongues moves in prayer, but does not speak." (Blessed Teresa of Calcutta)
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Give
"It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving" (Blessed Teresa of Calcutta). With every "gift" of service that you give today, give a smile, too.
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He called around dinnertime, as the noise around me was reaching a hungry crescendo. We talked about his flight, his plans for a dinner meeting, his jampacked schedule the following day. And then he said what he always says, every time he closes a phone call, tinkering only with location, "I'm loving you in Miami."
"I love you, too."
We speak the words. Again and again, throughout a lifetime. Loving. What does it mean?
Please join me at Momheart today to talk about love and loving.
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Fast
Call someone you've been avoiding. Offer her encouragement.
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Pray
Pray in silence. "When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than the proceedings of the mouth" (St. Bonaventure)
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Give
Make toast with tea this afternoon. Invite your kids to sit at the table with you.
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Fast
After a hot breakfast, take a walk. Leave the dishes, the routine, the things on your to-do list. Take everyone with you, but tell them it's a silent walk. See how long you can all just listen to the outdoors.
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Pray
Set a timer to go off every hour today. Every time it rings, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of your husband.
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Give
Do one of "his" chores today. Don't tell him you did it.
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Fast
Give it all up for God.
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Pray
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
(Lk 1:46-55)
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Give
Say "Yes!" today, as often and as enthusiastically as you can. Work hard to get to "yes."
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Fast
You are the world to your family. Be your best world for them and only them today.
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Pray
Be still and know that God is with you. Right here, right now, in the mess and under the noise.
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Give
When you face a motherly crisis, remember that, way back on your wedding day, God gave you all the graces you need to handle it. Claim them.
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First, it's not too late:-)!
I put up a quick picture of the girls' dresses on Thursday afternoon because I was so darn excited that I could hardly contain myself. I LOVE these dresses and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute with these patterns. Several people asked for specifics. It's definitely not too late to do this. I ordered patterns from Oliver + S on Sunday evening and got a box of them on Thursday. The patterns are also available on Amazon. I'll link to both for you. There are still two weeks left until Easter. Go for it.
I let the girls choose their own fabric and I'm tickled at how each dress really does reflect the personality of its own little girl. Of course, this charm may be a bit less lustrous when we hand down, but I won't think about that until next year.
I can't say enough wonderful things about the Oliver + S pattern. Liesl Gibson, designer, is a master teacher. The directions and drawings were flawless. Putting these dresses together was pure joy. I made three dresses in four days without pulling a cranky, irritable sewing marathon. (And this is the first time I've ever sewn dresses for my girls...) It's all about the pattern, girls. I'm telling you--a great pattern is everything.
Katie's Dress
Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress
(available at Oliver + S and at Amazon)
Size 12
Heather Bailey Freshcut Cotton in Watermelon Jelly Bean
Heather Bailey Pop Garden Rose Bouquet in Peach This one was in my stash--and I have a lot left, which might be good because Kristin was eyeing Katie's dress and thinking it just might fit her.
Karoline's Dress
Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress
(available at Oliver + S and at Amazon)
Size 5
Bonnie and Camille Ruby Cotton Sherbet Jitterbug
Bonnie and Camille Ruby Cotton Swoon
Pockets are Delighted
Sarah's Dress
Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress
(available at Oliver + S and at Amazon)
Size 3T
Twirl Spinning Pink Twirling Flowers Cotton
Twirl Spinning Pink Mini Twirls Cotton
Twirl Spinning Pink Twirly Dots Cotton
Please, please: if you make Easter dresses (or any dresses; or anything else at all) come back and let me know. I'm so loving talking sewing and my family would be really grateful for someone else to listen to me.
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Fast
Refrain from self promotion. "The only way to make rapid progress along the path of divine love is to remain very little and to put all our trust in Almighty God. That is what I have done" (St. Therese of Lisieux).
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Pray
Is there someone who inspires feeling of inferiority in you? Offer a Memorare for that person's intentions.
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Give
Page through your wedding album with your children today. Remember how loved ou felt that day. Love your family well.
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Fast
Let go of despair and know that God gives you sufficient grace. "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible" (St. Francis of Assisi)
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Pray
Pray to know how God wants ou to spend your time today.
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Give
Make sure everyone in your family gets at least one of your hugs today.
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who planted seeds of inspiration for handmade Easter dresses nineteen years ago.
I'm a late bloomer;-)
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Once upon a time, I was a young mother. I had four children under ten and a fifth on his way. We'd just moved to a new house in a new town and my husband was working 15 hour days and 7 day weeks. My best friend had moved to England--and this was well before Skype or easy intercontinental calling, before most of us had email.
I was in need of a mentor, an older mother who understood the challenges of the lifestyle to which I'd been called and could help me see the joy in the midst of it all. By the grace of God, I found Sally Clarkson. I read every thing she'd ever written. I bought every. single. audiotape I could find. I let her sweet voice pour over my soul and I could almost feel her the warmth of her hug. I am very certain that I could quote some of those talks to you verbatim, even now.
I don't know how we connected. I think I sent Sally some articles I'd written and offered to represent her ministry, Whole Heart, at a Catholic homeschooling conference. What I do remember, with startling clarity, is that just as we were walking through the door, bringing home that fifth baby, the phone rang. It was Sally. She had no idea of her timing, but it struck me hard and has never left me. Just as I was wondering where to turn for the warmth and wisdom of a mature woman of faith, there was Sally Clarkson on the phone. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Sally made me a better mother to that growing family. And I'm grateful beyond words for her voice, now, as I grow weary and the hill seems much steeper than I thought it would be. She tells me that I can do this, that together with my husband we can continue to grow in faith and holiness and raise Godly children, despite the tendency we all have towards sin.
These days, it's much easier to sit at Sally's feet. The internet is a grand and glorious thing isn't it? And so, it is with unbounded joy that I share with you a new ministry for moms. Here is a treasure trove of wisdom as we persevere. Here is a lovely group of women to encourage you and warm you and keep you going as you endeavor to raise Godly families. We all need someone beside us to help us, someone to keep us moving forward, to carry the crosses with us--it's a long, long road. This new collective is intended to be just that. I'm honored and humbled and ridiculously excited to be a part of it. Take a moment or two to hear Sally's heart in the vision for this endeavor.
Leave me a comment and let me know what kinds of things you like to read at MomHeart. Add MomHeart to your regular blog reading. You can connect via Facebook or Twitter.
Sally is offering a free copy of one her books to an In the Heart of my Home reader and I'm offering a free copy of her book as well. Your choice of book! Two chances to win:-)Grab a button and come back and hang out with us often.
And finally, please pray for this new ministry.
Have a very blessed and happy Thursday, my friends!
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Fast
Let go of self-recrimination. "There is still time for endurance, time for aptience, time for healing, time for change. Have you slipped? Rise up. Have you sinned? Cease. Do not stand among sinners, but leap aside" (St. Basil the Great).
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Pray
For a few minutes tonight, after your children are sleeping, kneel beside their beds. Let your breath rise and fall with theirs. Enturst them to the Father and thank Him for lending them to you.
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Give
Do not say, "In a minute" or "When I finish this" at all today. Instead, put aside your agenda ad meet their needs (and even some wants) immediately and cheerfully.
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Perhaps you’ve seen the ad? A couple is readying for their wedding day. Independently, each of them is warned ominously that the end is near; they will lose everything. They begin to feel a little creepy, but move ahead toward the altar. Just before the ceremony begins, someone bursts into the church to let them know that all their computer files are about to be wiped clean. The “everything” they will lose is the everything in their computer. The point is that rarely we are warned before a computer crash, and we should invest in a backup system.
I’ll admit it. The ad got me thinking. My computer had been maddeningly slow for days. Every time I tried to click anywhere, that colored wheel just spun and spun. So, I bought an external hard drive and copied everything onto it. Please read the rest here.
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Fast
Give up an extra creature comfort this week: a Threebucks and change cup of coffee (or two or three), a pre- sandal season pedicure, a carryout dinner on a hectic baseball night. Note the money saved.
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Pray
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1: 27
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Give
Meet Albina. She's four and a half and lives in an institution in Eastern Europe. She is the orphan about whom our Lord speaks. She's never known the love of a mommy or a daddy. She's never had someone to read her bedtime stories, tuck her in at night, tell her she's beautiful, tell her she matters, tell her she's loved. There is a remarkable family waiting--wanting-- to take her home. Albina needs you. She needs you to remember it's Lent and we are called to give. She needs the spare change you saved above. She needs your prayers. Won't you take a moment to get to know Albina? There's a pretty amazing giveaway at the end of the post I just linked. Even more amazing, there is a little girl, God's own precious child, who is our chance to give To God today.
(Psst: Patti tells me that whenever I link to one of the Reece's Rainbows fundraising efforts, my readers amaze her with their generosity. You've got a reputation for being very kind, indeed. Go you! And thanks so much:-)
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Fast
"Don't get upset with your imperfections...It leads nowhere--to get angry because you are angry, upset at being upset, depressed at being depressed, disappointed because you are disappointed...Simply surrender to the power of God's love, which is always greater than our weakness" (St. Francis de Sales).
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Pray
Before you do anything else today, pray this prayer: "Lord help me to imitate Mary's deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom. Amen" (St. Louis de Montfort).
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Give
As you do laundry today, bless the person for whom you are folding. With every crease, offer a prayer.
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It's the Solemnity of St. Joseph!
Sing and pray with the Church (Click on Morning Prayer):
The Lord is the giver of holiness. Let us turn to him and pray:
– Holy God, raise us up to new life in holiness.
Lord our God, you called our fathers in faith to walk before you in holiness of heart,
may we follow in their footsteps, and obey your command to be perfect.
– Holy God, raise us up to new life in holiness.
You chose Joseph the righteous to care for your Son in childhood and youth,
teach us to care for Christ’s body by caring for our brothers and sisters.
– Holy God, raise us up to new life in holiness.
You entrusted the earth to mankind, to people it and make it prosper,
inspire us to work wholeheartedly in this world, seeking always to give you glory.
– Holy God, raise us up to new life in holiness.
Father of all mankind, do not forget what your hands have made,
grant that all who work may have secure employment and a fitting standard of living.
– Holy God, raise us up to new life in holiness.
There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfill the task at hand... (to read the rest, click on "Office of Readings")
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