See You in 2015!

I've decided it's time to say "yes" by saying "no."  I'm getting off Facebook for the rest of December, and I'm taking a hiatus from blogging, too.  

It's time to be still.  

It's time to prepare my heart, our family, and our home to welcome the Christ Child.  

I want this Advent to be a holy one.  So, this month, instead of coming up with new blog posts or wasting time on Facebook, I'll be *trying* to imitate John the Baptist.

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  (John 3:30)  

To that end, I have a few goals:

• Finalize my 2015 Board of Spiritual Directors.  (Thanks for the inspiration, Lisa!)
• Continue to start the day before the children wake up in quiet prayer.  It's a game changer!
• Since Advent is the start of a new liturgical year, it feels like the perfect time to create new resolutions.  During the rest of Advent, I'll be re-reading A Mother's Rule of Life and revisiting/revising the 5 P's I came up with last Lent.  Our home, our family, and our hearts have changed since then.  It's time to make some updates!  In case you don't remember, the 5 P's are:
  1. Prayer
  2. Person
  3. Partner
  4. Parent
  5. Provider

I will be making baby steps to start implementing my new resolutions, and I'll share 'em with you once I'm back in 2015.  Until then, I pray that you and your family have a blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas!  Please continue to send your prayer intentions while I am away!

Put It To Work 8

Happy Monday!  It’s time for Put It To Work, our weekly opportunity to swap prayer intentions.  The goal of Put It To Work is to actively unite our intentions to the cross for one another, putting the prayer intentions “to work”–especially in times of suffering (no matter how small).    

Please put these intentions to work this week:

• For my friend, Geoff, as he mourns the death of his father who passed away suddenly over the Thanksgiving weekend
• For a prayerful, peaceful, and holy Advent season for our family
• For forgiveness and healing within families--especially as Christmas approaches
• For the repose of the soul of my uncle.  We are approaching the 6-year anniversary of the day he took his life, and he has been on my mind a lot lately
• For my patience on the home front 
• That Philip and I will continue to work everyday to further strengthen our marriage

What about you?  What prayer intentions can I start “putting to work” for you this week?  I’ll add them to my prayer journal and bring them with me to my prayer time throughout the week.

 Thank you for praying for us!  You’re in my prayers this week, too!