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Jan 2, 2016
Catholic Influencers· Faith· Life· The Little Things

When New Year’s Resolutions are Out of Your League . . .

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions?  What’s your take on “giving something up for Lent”?  Personally, I don’t even bother making New Year’s Resolutions.  As for Lent, I think I gave up Facebook a couple of times, but have been “lazy” with truly reflecting on and persevering with either.  I can honestly tell you that I have never, ever said,”I will eat less chocolate”.  This year will be no different when it comes to chocolate.january2016res1

However, I do want to improve my life, health, soul, marriage, skill as a mother, and so on and so forth.  In an attempt to do so, I’m going to make some January resolutions.  We’ll see if I make February ones . . . I will make no commitment on that now.  This perpetually disorganized girl is trying this as a baby step.  I need to make sure that this list is attainable, so I am only putting four “resolutions” on it.  They are:

  1. Go to adoration. I was about to type once a week, but again, baby steps.  Before we were a family of three, my husband and I (or at least one of us) went once a week.  When our son finally came home, we needed to adjust, so we gave that up.  I feel like I’m strongly being pulled back.  Not only for my spiritual well-being, but my mental health.  As a teacher of Psychology, I stressed how important meditation is for people.  I need to listen to my own advice.  Wish me luck!
  2. Make “Playtime with Xavier” the first thing on my to do list every day.  I ask my mom friends all the time “how do you do it?” Meaning, how is there household clean and organized and how do they balance all the chores with children.  Several have told me that they get all their chores done in the morning, then they have the rest of the day with their children/family.  I tried.  It doesn’t work.  I’m never done, ever.  I don’t why I even bother trying to clean anything, ever.  So, with that, I have decided that playing a board game or building with blocks, or whatever I find on Pinterest to do with my 3 year old, will come first.  Then I will do chores.  This is going to be a challenge for me, because everywhere I look I see things that need to get done, but, I know that Xavier needs that time, love and attention.  I also know these days will not last, and I always think of that country song, “You’re going to miss this”.  So here I come hide and seek, chutes and ladders, puzzles and paint!January2016snow
  3. Make healthier choices – See what I did there.  I always say I’m going to run more . . . and I usually wait until the warmer weather to say it.  So I’m making this broad in the hopes that I do SOMETHING healthier.  Like eat some fruit and vegetables every day.  Tonight I ate some cucumbers.  I think that’s a win.  Again, baby steps.
  4. Go on at least one date with my husband – Before I was married, I was all,”when I have a husband he’ll take me on at least one date a month”.  Make sure you read that really sassy and with my chin up in the air being quite a “know it all”.  Well, I’m married . . . *insert hysterical laughter here.  My husband is an amazing man and probably a saint for putting up with me.  But, he’s not a planner. After almost ten years I think I am just accepting it.  I’ll plan the date, and we’ll go on it, and we’ll both be very happy to do so!

And that’s it for January.  Of course I can think of a ton of other areas in my life that need improvement, but I don’t want to overwhelm myself. What do you think?  Do you make New Year’s Resolutions?  Monthly Resolutions?  None at all?  Do tell!

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Comments

  1. Paige Wolf says

    January 4, 2016 at 10:54 am

    Good idea to take it month by month! 🙂

    • Amy says

      January 4, 2016 at 12:24 pm

      Thanks! And blogging about it makes me more accountable! I’m struggling with the healthy choices – ugh!

  2. Tiffany @ The Crunchy Mom Next Door says

    January 4, 2016 at 3:36 pm

    I love this and your resolutions rock, too!

    • Amy says

      January 4, 2016 at 4:45 pm

      Thanks Tiffany!

  3. Trina O'Boyle says

    January 4, 2016 at 4:25 pm

    Great ideas! I love the calendar idea to keep things organized too. Date nights for us are a MUST!

    • Amy says

      January 4, 2016 at 4:46 pm

      Thanks so much Trina! I hope you have a fun date night planned for this weekend 🙂

  4. Carrie Higgins says

    January 4, 2016 at 9:57 pm

    Love this approach! Makes it easy to see how well you did each month and tweak as needed. 🙂

    • Amy says

      January 5, 2016 at 7:42 am

      Thanks Carrie! We’ll see how well it goes 🙂 Some of these are easier than others!

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Journal for tweens and teens

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New post up on the blog!!! A few weeks ago I had New post up on the blog!!!

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Often I need this reminder - God doesn't want us to feel stressed.
He wants us to rely on Him - trust Him.

He wants us to love.
Be patient and kind.

Many saints have discovered this and have advised us in their own words.

Saint Katharine Drexel said, "peacefully do at each moment what needs to be done."

Saint Teresa of Calcutta stated, "never worry about numbers, help one person at a time and start with the person nearest to you."

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Striving for Sainthood can be as simple as this… Striving for Sainthood can be as simple as this… 

This type of advice can be really helpful for all of us… especially for a young girl navigating middle school or her early teens.

This advice would have helped me.
Why?

Because it takes some pressure off the high expectations often felt by us as individuals.

It makes God’s will for us feel achievable and realistic.

It’s totally relevant to a student in junior high
(And a slightly stressed out adult)

This page in the Be Yourself embraces scrapbooking fun- just like the back cover. Only this page encourages photographs. Yes, actual printed ones 🎞️📸

Take a deep breath.
Love the next person that comes near you.
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A prayer and the story behind the picture… Oh S A prayer and the story behind the picture…

Oh St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, 

I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord; 

so that having engaged here below your heavenly power I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers. 

Oh St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss his fine head for me, and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. 

St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us.
Amen.

My children had off from school on Friday. I had committed to an hour of Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays from to 2 to 3 during Lent… so since they had off, they had to come with me.
It was stressful.
They CAN NOT sit still.
Once I got one to stop walking around or talking, another one started.
But in the middle of all this… I witnessed a sweet moment.
I hesitated to pull out my phone because I really try not to during Adoration.
But, the beauty of the moment struck me, and I had to capture it.
📸 
Motherhood is hard. Parenting is difficult.
But I’m often reminded it’s like farming… and I’m planting seeds.

I just hope and pray I’m planting more good seeds then bad ones.

Thank goodness we can pray and ask for prayers from others!

Saint Joseph, pray for us!
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Thank you!

If you have left a review on Amazon for either of the Be Yourself Journals… thank you from the bottom of my heart!

When you leave a review on Amazon it makes me SO HAPPY… plus it sends a signal to Amazon to show more people these books!
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I adore you Jesus, true God, and true man, pres I  adore you Jesus, 
true God, and true man, 
present in the Holy Eucharist, 
kneeling before you 
and united in spirit 
with all the faithful on earth 
and all the saints in heaven. 

In gratitude for so great a blessing, 
I love you with all my heart, 
for you are worthy of all praise 
and adoration. 

Lord Jesus Christ, may I never offend you with my lack of love. 

May your Eucharistic presence refresh me in body and soul. 

Mary, Mother of the Eucharistic Lord, pray for me 
and obtain for me a greater love for Jesus. Amen.

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Have you ever seen a statistic and thought… thes Have you ever seen a statistic and thought… these numbers are NOT in my favor?

Years ago, I was lonely, depressed and wondering if I would ever not be lonely and depressed.

I dreamed of falling in love and getting married.

But, I wanted to marry a faithful Catholic man… and I believe I saw that only 22% (?) of Americans were Catholic.

And then I thought…
Half of them aren’t men, a large percentage are not practicing and … also how many are BOOMERS?

Lucky for me, God math goes like this…
5 loaves 
2 fish
=
5,000 meals and leftovers 

This is my handsome husband and our awesome nephew with the Bishop that Confirmed him on Friday.
Matt was -and is- such a proud Sponsor and Uncle!
God bless Grayson Patrick FRANCIS!

Thank you God for all of your gifts!!!
“You pay God a compliment when you ask big things of Him.” ~ Saint Teresa of Avila

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Don’t you love when a plan comes together for a Don’t you love when a plan comes together for a retreat and you see joyful faces! 

Listen, this is the best retreat hack for Catholic girls!
****The Be Yourself Journal Scrapbooking activity.****

Give each girl a Be Yourself Journal.
Explain how, “We are all called to holiness but we take different paths.” ~ Saint Katharine Drexel.

Have each girl pick out a Holy card and two Catholic stickers.

Put scrapbooking paper and Catholic washi-tape (thank you @thestumpofjesse ) on the tables and get them started with decorating the back of their journals.

As they work add more stickers and quote cards to their table.

Point out that they were all given the same set of instructions… yet each cover design is unique.

The same is true for their calling!
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He calls us to follow the Commandments, embrace His Word and trust the teachings of the Church…
same set of basic instructions, different yet BEAUTIFUL results when followed!
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Huge thank you to the women who donated journals and holy cards!!!
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Not sure what to do with all those prayer cards? Not sure what to do with all those prayer cards? 

Holy cards can be a fantastic prayer journal prompt. 

Copy the prayer off the back and glue the card to the page ;next to, underneath or above where you wrote the prayer).

Follow me for more prayer journaling tips!
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Getting ready for a Confirmation Retreat this week Getting ready for a Confirmation Retreat this weekend!

So excited to help these young Catholics see that each is called to holiness… but each mission is unique and unrepeatable!

Huge thank you to the women who donated journals for the retreat (11 donated!!!) and the women from my Bible study group who donated Holy cards!

If you would like to donate a Journal for one of the girls attending the retreat this weekend… send me a private message and I’ll explain how!

Holy cards are GREAT prayer journal prompts!

Which Holy card would you put in your prayer journal?
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Keep at it!!! Don’t give up and Don’t give in! Keep at it!!! Don’t give up and Don’t give in!!! “The world offers you comfort… but you were not made for comfort, you were made for GREATNESS!”
Pope Benedict XVI
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