1. From Our Lord in Scripture

2. From Our Lord in His revelations to Saint Faustina

Let us all remember that Jesus desires our trust in Him, in the New Year and all the days of our life!

Jesus, I trust in You!

3. From Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, reminding us that Jesus gave us His Mother to be Our Mother too.

4.  From a quote attributed to Saint Catherine of Siena:

This has been a personal prayer of mine – and I truly feel like it has been answered many times!!

Lord, help me to be who You want me to be . . . and set the world on fire!

5. From a hymn written by John Becker:

Wishing you many abundant blessings in 2017!  May your faith grow, your hearts be happy and may laughter fill your homes every day!!!  God Bless You!!

Love and prayers,

Amy

The post Five Perfect Prayers for the New Year appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

As a child, I loved playing sports.  I started playing tennis in the summer when I was seven, and when I was nine my parents signed me up for soccer.

I loved them both.  However, I was not so great in either.

I kept at it though.  I truly enjoyed playing.  I also liked that there were other girls my age playing that shared my interest.  I had hoped to become a part of their crowd.

That didn’t really happen.  I wasn’t cool.  I was awkward, shy, and so skinny I was often made fun of; in fact a boy in my class decided to honor me with the nickname “toothpick”.

I was not seen as athletic, although I saw myself as an athlete.

The fact that others did not see me as I saw myself was made crystal clear when a teacher put me on a tug of war team in 8th grade and literally every classmate vocally objected to the idea. In response to their protests, I approached the teacher in private and asked to be taken off the team.

Not being good at what I loved made me sad.  Not having a bond with my teammates made me even sadder.

But, I did not give up.

Towards the end of my eighth grade school year, a friend of mine said she was signing up for track.  I decided to sign up too.

I was put in the 400 Meter race (one lap around the track) and I won.

I thought, well that’s weird.  That probably won’t happen again.

But it did.  I was apparently good at something – running.

It felt good to actually be good at something.  It also felt foreign!

So I kept running.  I went from not knowing what cross country was to being one of the top girls on my high school team as a freshman.  I had for the longest time dreamed of being in high school and starring in the drama productions that drew in crowds; but I ended up choosing running over acting in the play.  That was not an easy choice for me, but it was the right choice.

The team was small, but the girls were very nice.  They became such good friends of mine. I ran almost every season in high school; and when I was a senior the athletic director gave a speech at our sports banquet saying, “every time this young woman puts sneakers on, she wins All-Catholic”.  Then he awarded me the Athlete of the Year award.  Ironically, many of the girls I had played soccer and tennis with were there , hoping to win that award.

I was happy and grateful.  But I didn’t understand why God gave me this talent.  I didn’t think it helped anyone.  I did not get a college scholarship for cross country or track.  I was recruited by a few Division II and III coaches though, and was given a lot of financial aid based on need.  I remember my dad being very disappointed that I didn’t get a scholarship. Personally, I was relieved.  I was not a straight A student.  I struggled in school.  I wanted to go to college and do well – and I had a feeling I may have to quit running at some point in order to better my grades.  I didn’t want to be obligated to run.

I started college as a Nursing Major.  I knew I wanted to help people . . . but that’s all I really “knew”.  I ran for my college Cross Country team and started taking training more seriously than I had in high school.  It was so tough.  I can still remember workouts that required running up steep hills and me asking God,”why?  why this?  This is not helping anyone!”. I recall thinking, “this is a STUPID talent!”

Only runners understand the complexity of our sport.  I would go into the ladies room before a meet or race and everyone in there is saying, “Ugh, I don’t want to run!”  Racing is nerve wracking and it hurts.  I didn’t love running like I loved soccer and tennis.  I did it because I liked the feeling of being good at something.  There is a great satisfaction when you run a 5K faster than you ran the last one.  Running allows a person to measure progress.  

But even throughout college, I kept wondering why God gave me this talent.  I wanted to help people.  How was spending hours a day training and hours of my weekend at meets helping anyone?

I changed my major from Nursing to undecided, simply because I didn’t feel passionate about nursing.  Eventually I became a Psychology major and worked toward a teaching certification.  I thought I would eventually help students in a role as a guidance counselor.

And I kept running.  I won two conference championships in college.  It felt really good to win.

I graduated college and started teaching.  I coached a few high school teams and tried to keep running on a regular basis, but that was really difficult.  I hope I helped some students I coached.

At age 30, I finally got married.  I had been wanting that for a long time.  I asked my brother to speak at my wedding.  My brother Brian and I are close – and my brother is hilarious! I knew he’d give a great speech and have the guests laughing.

And he did.  He gave an awesome speech.  He not only had everybody laughing, he also interwove sentiment within it.  And to my surprise, he shared how he became motivated to run and eventually coach.

He said it was because he watched me do it, and thought:

“if Amy can do it, maybe I can too.”

Brian then shared how much he loves coaching and how he attributes my example as one of the reasons he made the choices he made in his own life.

My brother won a “Lifetime Coaching Award” at age 30.  He is an excellent coach.  Not only does he help students become incredible athletes, but he teaches them good character.

I had no idea the impact I had.  All that time I was telling God, “I’m not helping anybody.”

God knew I was.

As I reflect on “why did God give me the talent to run well”, I not only think of my brother. Don’t get me wrong, that really touched my heart!  But I don’t think I was the only reason he chose the path he did.  I also look back and see that when I chose to run in high school, I made a few friends that eventually were going to daily Mass, and inviting me along.  I can also look back and see that being at practice and pushing myself there made sure I was not somewhere else doing who knows what.

Running allowed me an environment that nurtured my faith . . . what a great blessing.

Linking up with Reconciled to You for a #worthrevisit Wednesday!

The post My Stupid Talent Was a Great Blessing appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

A commercial for UNICEF USA has a celebrity ask the viewers, “What would you do if there was child right in front of you . . . and all you had to do was give .50 cents a day to save that child’s life?”

And, rightfully so, viewers are moved to give.

I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you.

I am asking you to think of an unborn child that may or may not be “right in front of you” and believe all you have to do is give 20 seconds a day to save that baby’s life.

Not 20 cents . . . but 20 seconds.

I was wondering if you would Spiritually Adopt an unborn baby.

For those of you that “know” me . . . you probably know I long to have more children.  You also probably know that last year my husband, son and I Spiritually Adopted a baby . . . and in October we were stunned when we witnessed a miracle.  Then, four months later, that miracle was reaffirmed and made clear to me that God longs for and loves our prayers.  If you don’t know me or what I am speaking about, please read this amazing story: God Hears Us: A Spiritual Adoption Miracle {Free Printable}.

What I am asking of you is:

1.  Print out this amazing prayer: 

Meg Florkowski designed and donated this FREE PRINTABLE click here to print:  SpiritualAdoptionPrayer8.5×11

2. Fill in the blanks 

*choose a name

*write the date and then write the date that is nine months from today

3. Hang the prayer up on your refrigerator.  Pray it when you see it or after Grace Before Meals . . . or whenever is most convenient to you!

For nine months, take 20 seconds of your day to stop and pray this prayer

I know asking someone for time is A LOT to ask.  In many cases, people would rather give money than time.  But good news – this prayer is short, but powerful!

I am not kidding when I say it is brief.  I just prayed it in less than 20 seconds.

20 Seconds a day could mean a lifetime to another person!

If you would like more resources or information – or would like to consider getting others to Spiritually Adopt – check out: The Archdiocese of Baltimore: Spiritual Adoption Resources.  On this page I found another miracle story related to this prayer!

Read the brief testimony about how another family witnessed the power of Spiritual Adoption!

 An Answered Prayer

Why am I asking this of you?

*I think God allowed me to witness a miracle of prayer so that I would encourage you to “keep the faith” and continue talking to Him.  Miracle stories told by others have always given me hope.  Maybe our story will inspire you to pray and reassure you that prayers are heard.

* It will give my husband and I hope.  We have been home-study ready to adopt a baby for almost two years.  It can be emotionally exhausting and although we stay positive, some days we could really use a boost.  Knowing you are out there praying for a baby whose mother does not feel ready to parent, gives us the hope that maybe we will be needed.

* It will save a baby’s life and the heart of a woman who truly wants to protect her child.

So . . . will you adopt a boy or a girl?

What name will you choose for your baby?

Please comment your baby’s name below!

The post 20 Seconds A Day. . . appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

This article contains affiliate links.  Thank you for making it possible for me to continue to write!

Inspiration and Hope

Heaven is For Real – I started reading this book before bed one night, and by the next day, I was done.  I could not put it down.  Normally it takes me at least a week to finish a book, but this was extremely easy to read.  It was also fascinating and comforting. From the assurance that all miscarried children are in heaven – to the details about Jesus, Mary (check out the added information in the back – I was only reassured of Mary’s role from this non-Catholic child’s experience) and the Holy Spirit, this book brought me peace and hope.  As always – the book is better than the movie!

Humor, Laughter and Dreams Coming True

Instant Mom – I started reading this to hear more about Nia Vardalos’ road to becoming a mother, but soon found an inspiring, funny story about how dreams come true.  Nia not only describes her road to motherhood (which is incredibly inspiring) but also her road to Hollywood.  She is hilarious and down to earth.  Her testimony about her journey to both Tinseltown and Motherhood is enjoyable from start to finish.  I recommend this book to anyone and everyone – from those going through infertility, for those hoping and praying for success in their career and for anyone who loves a good laugh!

Hope, Courage, Mercy and Inspiration

Led By Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide CD set

I read this book, but the link above is for the audio CD set – incase you’re busy and want something to listen to in the car. This is actually Immaculee’s second work – the first recounts her experience during the genocide – and how praying the Rosary helped her survive and overcome such an unimaginable tragedy.  Led by Faith has a chapter dedicated to summarizing that experience – so you don’t need to read her first book to understand and appreciate Led by Faith.  Immaculee, through her Faith in God, forgives the unforgivable.  Her account of the Rwandan genocide and her own personal journey to America is more than inspiring.  I highly recommend any of her books.  I also recommend listening to her talk in person if the opportunity ever presents itself.

Short Stories of Inspiration, Faith and Modern Miracles

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Catholic Faith Stories

There are nights when I just want to read a short story.  I love reading true stories from people who experienced something extraordinary and heart-lifting.  When I longed to become a mother, miracle stories kept my hopes up and assured me  that prayers do get answered and miracles do still happen.  I love that I could read as little or as much as I wanted before closing the book and getting some shut eye.  It really helped me end my day on the right note

Powerful, Thought Provoking Fiction

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult had me glued to each page.  I could not put it down.  I never saw the movie. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a good work of fiction.  This is actually the only nonfiction book I have on this list.

Have you read any of these books?  Which would you recommend?

Sharing this on a link-up at Theology is a verb and Reconciled to you

The post Recommended Reading appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

“For me I have longed believed that our responsibility as Christ followers is to live out the fruits of the Holy Spirit: to be peacemakers . . . to demonstrate kindness . . . to offer grace where it’s not deserved; to love others  . . .” Steve Mayer

Steve Mayer was the Superintendent of  Robbinsville School District in New Jersey. Steve was killed last week after being struck by a car while jogging.

But Steve was not just a Superintendent.  Steve was a husband, a father, a caring friend and a faithful Christian. He was a close friend and mentor of my brother.  He was a father-figure and extremely close friend to my sister-in-law. He was loved so much.  He was one of those men that when you met him, you could feel his connection to the Lord.  His smile was so genuine, his demeanor so sincere, his way was so Christlike that it gave you a glimpse of how the Lord looks at all of us.

Steve Mayer lived a life that shows how much prayer can bring true joy and happiness. When he was alive, he prayed constantly – alone and with others.  Now that he is gone, we pray for him. We pray for his soul.  We pray for his family and friends.  We also pray for the driver that struck him and for her family.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”  Matthew 24:36

In today’s world we hear so much about “self-care”.  We are bombarded with ads, articles and commercials about what we should eat and how we should care for our physical health.

We are inundated with advice on how to deal with stress and other mental health issues.

When I think of what we hear about our spiritual health and the care of one’s soul . . . I hear crickets chirping.

Whether you are agnostic, atheist, “spiritual”, a Catholic Christian, a non-Denominational Christian, a Christian of any denomination, a Muslim, a Jew, a Buddhist or a Sikh – you have a soul and it needs to be nourished!

No one argues the existence of Jesus.  He died on the cross.  He did this because He loved the world.

He died on the cross because He loved you.  He still loves you.

When someone loves you, you talk to him or her.

Talk to Jesus.  Tell Him you are angry.  Tell Him you are confused.  Tell Him you are so happy and grateful.  Whatever it is – tell Him!  Believe He is listening!

Watch your heart change.  Watch your perception of the world change.  Embrace that change and find peace in it.

I hate writing like I know something.  Because if you know me personally – I’m not the brightest crayon in the box.  I’m okay with that.  But I want you to feel the love of Christ. It’s an incredibly happy feeling.  I want you to be happy.  How amazing would this world be if we encountered more happy people?

Pray for the living and the dead is the last “Work of Mercy” I have left to write about.

Pray for the people in your life.  Pray for those you like and don’t like.  Pray for your enemies. Pray for your family.

Pray for those you are worried about.  What do you have to lose by doing this?

If you miss someone who has passed away, pray for his or her soul.  Here is a great prayer for those who are deceased.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.

Amen.

As Catholics, we believe that Our Lord told Saint Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners as well.

“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”

I love these two prayers because, honestly, they are short.  Many of us lead very busy lives. Prayer doesn’t have to interrupt your life.  Prayer is meant to make life more meaningful.

In the words of Padre Pio:

“Pray, hope, and don’t worry”

What an amazing mantra.

Let’s live it!

If you enjoyed reading about the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, here is an awesome resource (this is an affiliate link):

The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy: Pastoral Resources for Living the Jubilee (Jubilee Year of Mercy)

More about prayer:

When There is No Time for Prayer

God Hears Us: A Spiritual Adoption Miracle {Free Printable}

More about the Works of Mercy:

Mocha, Mercy and Mondays

Mocha, Mercy, and Mondays – Clothe the Naked

Mocha and Mercy : Visit the Imprisoned

The post Mocha, Mercy and Mondays: Pray for the Living and the Dead appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

My nerves were on edge as I pulled into the parking lot near the Planned Parenthood clinic. As I got myself and my three-year-old son out of the car, I made sure to grab some rosaries. I had been told to have them in my hand so the PP escort wouldn’t think I was there for an appointment . . . which would have been slightly awkward, to say the least.

I felt like I was walking onto a spiritual battlefield.

God loves us talking to Him. Prayers Matter and they do make a difference.

Let me start from the beginning.  This is a true story about answered prayer.  And when I talk about prayer, I mean both the formal kind and the informal kind.  Both kinds were answered for me this year in such an incredible way!  I feel the need to tell the whole world (or anyone who will listen)!

Last year I started saying some prayers for women considering abortion.  As I laid down to to sleep at night, I asked God to give these women hope and a support network.  I asked God to help them not be afraid and to desire life for their unborn children.

Then one day I was walking up stairs with a load of laundry and a thought occurred to me.  “I know I don’t love these women as much as God loves them . . . how can my prayers help them?”

A short time later I found the Spiritual Adoption Prayer.  I printed it out.  My husband and I agreed to adopt a baby girl, and give her the name we have longed to give a daughter for years now.  It’s not a popular name, and we hesitated to share it.  This blog post will be the first time we allow our favorite name for a baby girl to go public.

We named her Jaina Therese.

The first day we prayed for Jaina was May 7, 2015.

In the meantime we are announcing to the world that we have an approved home study and we are hoping to adopt a newborn.  We don’t have the money this time around to adopt through an agency, but if someone knows someone and we get connected with a young woman who would like to make an adoption plan we could do a private adoption.  We have an excellent adoption attorney.  We tell everyone we know and ask them to tell everyone they know.

But, no luck.

We aren’t making any connections.  My mind and heart go back to the women who find themselves pregnant and decide to terminate their pregnancies.  I start wondering if I stood in front of an abortion clinic with a sign that says, Unplanned Pregnancy? We want to adopt if it would inspire a woman to consider adoption and choose life.

Up until this point in my life, I had never stood outside an abortion clinic or Planned Parenthood to pray or protest.  I had always been pro-life in my heart, but I had never even seen an abortion clinic.

I start doing some research.  I wanted to see if any Pro-Life groups stood in front of the Planned Parenthood that is a ten minute drive from my home.  I certainly wasn’t going to go alone.  I discovered there was a small group that prayed on Fridays.  I went to the store and bought a poster board.  I took a marker and in my handwriting I wrote Unplanned Pregnancy? We want to adopt.

It looked bad.

But I still planned on going.  And one August morning, I decided this was the day.  My son slept in (which never happened).  I packed up some cereal and dressed him.  Out the door we went.  I wanted to make sure that I didn’t miss the people who prayed the Rosary.  My fear was once they were done, they would leave and I wouldn’t get a chance to stand there with my sign.

My hope was more to save a life than to find our baby that day.  My gut and my heart tell me that women who go to abortion appointments really do not want to be there.

I made sure I brought Rosaries, because I was told that an escort might think I am there for an appointment and start walking me into the building.  That would be awkward!

I was so nervous when I got there.  I grabbed my Rosaries, took my son out of his car seat and my sign out of the trunk.  I felt like I was walking onto a spiritual battlefield.

A Bullhorn and a Lollipop

Not long after I arrived, a woman started talking through a bullhorn.  She was saying, “we have someone here who will adopt your child” . .. she said other things too, but I was grabbing my son’s hand and briskly walking away.  I felt so uncomfortable and thought, “A bullhorn?  Really?  Who is going to respond to a bullhorn?  There must be a better way.”

Mary was the woman with the bullhorn.  Once she was done pleading with the young girl to not go into the clinic, I returned to speak with her.  I questioned the bullhorn tactic. Another woman who had been standing quietly the entire time with a pair of Rosaries chimed in . .

“Sometimes these girls are praying for a sign on the way here.  We might be the sign they prayed for.”

As we talked, the unexpected happened.

The young woman whom Mary was pleading with through the bullhorn walked out of the clinic with her mother. They walked towards us.  They kept walking towards us.  Then four of us were hugging (Mary ,”Anne”, her mother and me).  We all started to cry.  It was an incredible moment.

After that initial hug, “Anne’s” mom said, “she needs a place to stay.”  Mary immediately picked up her cell phone and started making phone calls.  I introduced myself.  I asked “Anne” where she was from.  She told me and I responded, “That’s really far away, why did you come here?”

Anne responded, “The clinic near me will only do them (abortions) up until 13 weeks, 6 days.  I’m 13 weeks, 8 days” – or something like that.  I know she said 13 weeks and then the days were more than 7 – so I remember figuring out in my head that she was in her 14th week of pregnancy.

I continued talking to “Anne” and the entire time my son was saying “Mom, Mom, Mom.” At one point I picked him up and continued talking to Anne and her mother.  My son, still saying Mom over and over again, moved my face with his hands so that I would look at him.  He said, “I want to go to A Baby’s Breath“.  I responded, “Why do you want to go to A Baby’s Breath – because they

have lollipops?”.  He said, “YES!!!”.

I then look at “Anne”.  Anne opens her pocketbook, takes out two lollipops.  One for my son, and one for her.  It was an awesome moment, and I was smiling ear to ear and thanking her.

Two days later I am in my kitchen sweeping.  I think, “Anne” was about 14 weeks pregnant, I wonder how many weeks ago we started praying the Spiritual Adoption Prayer.  I then counted.

Exactly 14 weeks and one day before I met “Anne” was May 7th – the day we began to pray the Spiritual Adoption Prayer.  My jaw dropped, I got the chills and I probably said wow more than once.

Could this be the baby we spiritually adopted?  Was “Anne” pregnant with a baby girl? Would she name her Jaina?

My husband, son and I continued to pray the Spiritual Adoption prayer every night after Grace before meals.

Fast forward Five Months

At the end of January I started to wonder how “Anne” was doing and if Mary was still in touch with her.  I called Mary and asked.  Mary said “Anne” is doing great.  She also told me “It’s a girl, did you know it’s a girl?”

Huh.  How about that.  We had been praying for a girl – but it’s either a girl or a boy, so that could be a coincidence, right?

I reminded Mary about the Spiritual Adoption Prayer and how we were praying for a girl and that we named her.

That night at dinner I told Matt that I talked to Mary. She said “Anne” is doing well and she is pregnant with a girl.  I then said to Matt “I wonder if she will name her Jaina .”

The text that made Mary do a double-take

About a week later, Mary checked in with Anne through a text message.  After a few days
“Anne” responded.  In the text, “Anne” thanked Mary for being at the right place at the right time.

She also said she “can’t wait for my daughter J-A-N-A to be born.”

Mary checked the text again. Who was it from?  Does it really say that name???

She called me to tell me.

I can’t explain how I felt.  I thought, “well yeah, that’s her name” and “WOW. WOW. WOW.” simultaneously.

Jana was born healthy on February 15, 2016.  Mary and I are hoping we can meet her, hold her and tell “Anne” this story.

I am so grateful and humbled that the Lord allowed me to have this experience.  I am sure He gave me this experience knowing that I would tell anyone who will listen, and I will advocate and plea with you to spiritually adopt an unborn baby.  This prayer works.  This prayer saves lives.  This prayer gives a mother hope.

Will you join me and pray for an unborn baby?  The incredibly talented Meg Florkowski created this printable. I encourage you to print it out, name the baby and hang it up on the fridge.  I would love if you commented below – did you choose to adopt a boy or a girl?  What name did you choose?

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