Lent Resources for Catholic (and Christian) Women and Moms

By bobbi
February 4, 2016
2 Comments

Can you believe that Lent starts in less than a week?? There have been far too many Lents when I didn’t really get my act together until a couple weeks past Ash Wednesday. This year, I’d like to put in the extra effort to prepare before Ash Wednesday so I can make the most of these weeks of prayer and spiritual renewal.

Would you lie to do the same? If so, here are four resources for Catholic (or Christian) women and/or moms. I have benefited from each of these ministries in previous years so I can wholeheartedly recommend these women to help you on your Lenten journey.

Blessed Is She

Photo credit – Blessed Is She.net

Some may call me biased since I am one of the contributes at Blessed Is She but let me tel you, I receive far more out of BIS than I give. The daily devotionals and the community of Catholic sisterhood has been an enormous blessing in my life. They have awakened a desire to read God’s word more and to apply it to my every day and sometimes messy life.

Photo credit – Blessed Is She.net

There is a beautiful Lenten journal that contains the following:

Goal setting every single week of Lent
Reflections to help you pray through the week
Journeying with and learning about Saints
Gospel readings every day of Lent
Journal space for prayer and tracking your personal Lenten sacrifices and goals

The hard copy of the journal is sold out but the digital download is available. You can print out your own copy and stick it in a binder or take it to your local office supply store and have them print and bind it into a hard copy.

For more information and to order your digital copy, visit here.

Cost $15.

Waiting in the Word: A Mother’s Lenten Journey

During Advent I participated in Waiting on the Word: A Mother’s Advent Journey and I have to admit I was a little intimidated at first. The study was based on lection divina and although I had heard of that from my prayer-loving husband, it definitely was not something I had ever tried. However, I just loved the women who wrote the study – Nell from Whole Parenting Family.com, Laura from Mothering Spirit.com and Nancy from Do Small Things with Love.com – so I decided to give it a try.

I am so glad I did! They explained the process so clearly and beautifully that I was soon meditating on Scripture in a deeper more meaningful way. Plus, the fact that the reflections were written towards moms with young kids only made the points all the more relevant to my life.

Photo credit: Whole Parenting Family.com

I am pleased to see that the lovely ladies have written a new study for Lent!

They describe it this way:

Join us this Lent as we dive into scripture and deal with some of the struggles we all share as mothers: selfishness, frustrations, judgment, envy, failure and anxiety. This study is based on lectio divina, an ancient practice of slowly and deliberately reading scripture, a practice that can be so fruitful! Together let’s work to leave these sins behind and instead embrace sacrifice, forgiveness, love, gratitude, humility and surrender.

The Mother’s bundle includes:

A 55 page study that will guide you through lectio divina as well as offer you reflections from mothers who are right there in the trenches with you.
Journal pages.
Bookmarker

This is a digital product. You can print out your own copy and stick it in a binder or take it to your local office supply store and have them print and bind it into a hard copy.

For more information and to order your digital copy, visit here.

Cost $11.

Restore

Photo credit: Elizabeth Floss

The Restore Workshop is a seven and a half week online course geared towards adult women who have struggled or are struggling with or want to avoid burnout. It is for any woman who wants to nurture joy within her life and the lives of those around her.

When Elizabeth Foss first created her Restore Workshop it was a couple of years ago and I desperately needed it. I was burnt out with the stress of Brian’s cancer and the toll it had on our lives. Restore renewed my spirit and strengthened me to keep fighting without losing my sanity.

This year Brian is still cancer free and although there is the normal every day stress, I am not experiencing burn out. However, I am going to register for the workshop because the content is so rich and edifying and I want to make sure I am doing everything I can to not only avoid future burn out but to unite my heart more fully to God and his will this Lent.

This is what you will receive with the Restore Workshop:

Exclusive online access to the author and the Restore community for support and encouragement.
All the content in Talking Together About Restoration.
All the content of Quiet Time for Lent.
11 heart-to heart craft tutorials.
Printables with quotes and organizing templates for your home and your life and lock screen reminders.
7 Downloadable podcasts with transcripts.
Community after the workshop ends.

I’ve got to say I am especially looking forward to the podcasts! And the transcripts make taking notes so much easier. 🙂

For detailed information about the Restore workshop and to sign up, visit here.

Cost (reduced from last year’s $65) now $49.

Think, Pray and Act for Lent 2016

Okay, so maybe the thought of workshops and blank journal pages to be filled is making you break into a cold sweat. Maybe you are in a phase of life when you literally only have 5 or 10 minute snippets of time to yourself but you still want to make an effort during Lent.

For you, I recommend Danielle Bean’s Daily Emails with short 5 minute reflections. If you are familiar with her book Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray, and Act then you already know her Think, Pray, Act format. I subscribed to her 40 Days of Lenten emails because they are perfect for those super busy days when I only have 5 minutes to pray before I have to head out the door.

For more information and to order, visit here.

Cost $7.

What Lenten resources will you be using this Lent?

(Note: For ideas of things to do as a family or with your kids, refer to last year’s Lenten Post.)

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope or Katch (past Periscopes), GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, 😉

PPS – Disclaimer: “Revolution of Love.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.”

In other words, if you click on my affiliated links and make a purchase, I get a small compensation that goes towards keeping the blog online. Big hugs to those who click and help support the blog! xoxo 🙂

Word of 2016: Balanced (Motivated by Compassion)

By bobbi
January 8, 2016
4 Comments

For the last couple of years I have been choosing one word or phrase that would be my theme of the new year. In 2013 it was “love God in little things”. In 2014 it was ora et labora (work and pray.) In 2015 it was Be Still.

So what is the word for 2016?? Balanced.

The definition of the word is “keeping or showing a balance; arranged in good proportions.” It reminds me of something someone once told me. They explained that your life is like a table with four legs. Each leg represents the four main aspects of your life – physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. When all four areas are balanced, then your table is strong and steady. But when one area is lacking, like a table with a short leg, your life is wobbly and unbalanced.

I need more balance in my life right now, especially after the holidays. I feel like I’ve overindulged in more areas than one. I want to get things back in order but in a realistic and do-able manner. I don’t want my goals to be too far fetched. Instead of saying, “I will lose 50 pounds immediately!” I’ll instead say, “I will return to my daily walking goals and put down the leftover Christmas cookies.” Rather than, “I will dump out all the items in that junk closet and reorganize it before the kids come home from school,” I’ll say, “I’ll spend 15 minutes a day tackling a small organizing project so I am not overwhelmed. Things like that – Balanced.

For my motivation to keep up this balanced way of thinking, I will use the second word that was heavy on my heart – Compassion. It is one thing for me to make a resolution. But it is an entirely other thing for me to actually keep it. I know myself. I get all gung-ho about something and then the novelty wears off and I’m all, “Meh.” However, when there is a strong motivation, it helps me to stay the course. For me, compassion and love are what wins me over. I am a sucker for helping another person out and wanting to do something kind for them. So when I am looking at my budget and am tempted to buy that “must have” item at Target that we really can’t afford, I will think of Brian working hard for our family to provide for us. My compassion for him as a husband and father will be my motivation to step away from the shiny object and move on.

Likewise, when I am at home and complaining about all the stinkin laundry or dirty dishes or the kids that keep interrupting when I am trying to get something done, I will remember that I am their mom. I show my love for my family by keeping a semi-tidy home and I share my love for God by stopping to help my kiddps when they need me. My compassion for them helps me to keep a balanced home life – not always goofing off and not doing my daily duties but also not always so busy that I can’t stop and spend time with my kiddos.

So that’s my word for the year – Balanced, motivated by compassion.

How about you? Did you pick a word for the year? What is it?

Tomorrow I’ll share my goals for January and February. 🙂

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Periscope/Katch, GoodReads Letterboxd, Spotify or Instagram. 😉

Join the Project Blessed Prayer Pledge

By bobbi
January 2, 2016
2 Comments

PROJECT BLESSED PRAYER PLEDGE

Happy New Year!! I was hoping to make a post yesterday but the day was devoted to family time but I hope you had a wonderful day.

I just wanted to pop in to make sure you know about the Blessed Is She Project Blessed Prayer Pledge. We want to start off the year right and what better way than to be united as a sisterhood praying for the next 31 days to our heavenly Father. There is no set prayer style so you can do whatever works best for you. There is no set age group or marital status – so whether you are single, a mom of young ones, a mom of teens or a grandma, we want you to join us!

The main thing is to pledge to set a side a little time each day to recollect and turn your heart to God and to pray for the other women signed up. Thar’s it.

Don’t worry if you’re late joining. I literally just signed the pledge now because I forgot to do it earlier. (See what happens when my planner also takes a holiday! It’s time to get back to business.) 😉

To sign up, make a pledge to join us here.

To jump right into today’s prayer prompt, click here.

I look forward to spending this time of prayer with you. xoxo

Merry Christmas 2015!

By bobbi
December 25, 2015
2 Comments

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope your day is filled with love, joy and peace. Thank you for your friendship and this little online community that means so much to me. You are in my prayers and I thank you for all the times you have prayed for me and my family. 🙂Below is this year’s Christmas letter. I was going to do the normal highlights of the year letter but I just wasn’t feeling it. This is what came out instead.

Dear Family and Friends,

I have tried to write our yearly letter a number of times but I keep deleting it because it all sounds so boring. There were no great business adventures or prestigious school awards or social accolades to speak of. There were no exotic vacations, unless you count the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. There was nothing extraordinary. It was a year of ordinary moments – both good and not so great.

There were definitely highlights of the year – Brian being cancer free every three months when he had his routine testing. Or when we traveled to So Cal for my brother’s wedding. All eight of my siblings attended with their families. Or when I made my first trip alone to attend a Catholic Women’s Blogging Conference. It was a time of growth, discovery and closeness to God. But those were out of the ordinary moments. It was not the normal daily experience. The day to day looked more like this…

~~ There were countless dishes in the sink and laundry that multiplied when I was not looking. However, it meant that we had food to eat and warm clothes on our back.

~~ There were the usual toys, markers and Legos on the floor that required Jedi like reflexes not to damage your feet when walking barefoot. However, there were also proud moments when a child showed me what he built or the picture she drew and their creativity gave me a glimpse at their burgeoning talents.

~~There were incredibly loud noise levels reached when all three boys (and their father) had light saber battles or played football in the hallway. However, the sound of their giggles and contagious laughter couldn’t help but make me smile.

~~ There was the driving – so much driving – to and from school, picking up kids on three different school schedules and the countless after school appointments and activities. However, there were those moments when a child saw me after school and his face lit up as he ran to me with open arms yelling, “Mommy!” It melted my heart every time.

~~ There were meals to cook, toilets to scrub, work to be done, family to visit and deadlines to meet. However, I was paid above and beyond when a daughter placed her arms around me and rested her head on my shoulder, when a father-in-law kissed my cheek and thanked me for visiting him, when a reader sent a note of thanks or when my husband told me he loved me (even when I knew I drove him crazy at times.) Those are the moments that make life seem not mundane but blessed. Those are the rewards that make my heart light and give me strength when I am tired. Those are the times when I ask God to forgive my selfishness and for taking things for granted. That’s when I ask for the grace of gratitude.

So I pray this Christmas that God lightens the load you are carrying. I pray that your struggles are softened by love and kisses and moments of peace. I pray that all your “mundane” moments be transformed into little blessings that sparkle as brightly as the lights twinkling on a Christmas tree. I pray that the presents you are given are not under your tree but the people surrounding you. May you share joy, peace and the grace of God’s mercy this Christmas.

“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do.” – Bl. Mother Teresa

xoxo,

When All You See Is Your Advent Fail

By bobbi
December 23, 2015
No Comments

This is it, guys, the final stretch! I haven’t had much time to be online lately but I did notice on Instagram and Facebook a number of times that people mentioned their “advent fail.” I was feeling the same way last week. It was a crazy week. Many of us at home were sick. My cold turned into a bronchial infection. Brian had been getting really bad pains in his head (unlike a headache) and because of his cancer history, the docs wanted to do an MRI to make sure nothing serious was going on. (Thankfully, he was okay!) There were family issues, illness, school events, Christmas pageants, doctor appointments and the usual family life stress. I was grasping for peace but it was hard to find in all the chaos.

Then one morning as I was taking a quick shower, I starred thinking about that first Christmas. Mary and Joseph were certainly not a in a situation conducive to calmness and peace. It had to be hectic! There was Mary nine months pregnant taking a long journey on a donkey. They finally arrived at their destination but it was loud and noisy with all the other travelers. They didn’t have a place to stay and they couldn’t get anyone to give them a room even though Mary must have looked like she was about to pop any minute. Finally they found a place that was normally fit for animals. I’m sure the smell alone was less than ideal.

What struck me was that God didn’t wait for the ideal circumstances before Our Savior was born. Instead, He worked with the present situation and transformed it into something miraculous.

I realized I had to stop wishing for things to be more ideal before I could really get into Advent. I had to learn to embrace all the inevitable bumps in the road and roll with the punches. I think God is less concerned about whether we lit the Advent candle each night and more concerned about whether or not we sought his help when things got rough. He knows that while there are some things you can do to lessen the stress of the holidays, there will always be circumstances that are less than ideal.

So let us take these last two days not to cry over our Advent fails but to thank God for the opportunity to once again turn our hearts to Him. He is the font of mercy and it is never too late to run back into his arms! Let Him hold you and kiss the top of your head as He whispers, “I understand, my child. Go, be at peace.”

Like Mary and Joseph, may we not see all the obstacles in our way. Instead, may we see how God can work in any circumstance to bring about the miracle of salvation, mercy and grace.

Have a blessed last two days of Advent!

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

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