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Jan 23, 2018
Faith· Resources

The Ultimate Lent Guide for Busy People

The Ultimate Lent Guide for Busy People

This article contains affiliate links.  Please see disclosure policy on About Me page for more details.

I have 9 month old twins, a five year old and for the past few days, my husband was sick.

I need a shower.  I need to clean my kitchen and the amount of laundry that needs to folded reminds me once again that we own way to many clothes.

I also am trying to work from home.

For me, prayer happens right in the midst of all the crazy.

Going to adoration regularly is on the list.

My list might be longer than Santa’s.  It’s intimidating and today it is not yet on paper – so it’s on my mind, and “write a list” is on the list.

Once Lent begins, my schedule will be a lot of the same.

Crazy, busy, chaotic.

In order to truly prepare for Easter, my soul needs to engage in more prayer and fasting.

In order to do that, I’m looking to others that have found the same challenges and have created

The Ultimate Lent Guide for Busy People!!

1. Pray while Parenting

Kirby Hoberg, who blogs at Under Thy Roof, suggests:

“Invest in some good children’s religious books”

I love this idea.  We read to our son daily.  Reading books that discuss the the teachings of Jesus, lives of the saints, and how to live a life of faith can fit into our schedule without a problem.
And honestly, can remind us of important lessons we often forget or simply don’t think about.
One book I suggest purchasing is:
If You Had Five Minutes…What Would You Do?
I would also suggest a Children’s Bible:
My Catholic Children’s Bible
And, of course, Be Yourself: A Journal for Catholic Girls

Jessica, from Sweet Little Ones, suggest:

“Start small and make it fun!”

By starting small, Jessica suggests starting with one decade of the Rosary and working your way up to a whole one.  Jessica also discusses how her children play with relevant toys (like a teething rosary  or a plastic statue of Mary).

2. Find time to Pray the Rosary

Busyness doesn’t just cramp my prayer life, it intrudes on healthy habits, like exercising too.

Allison, from Reconciled to You, suggests we:

” . . .head outside to walk and pray.

 

A Rosary typically takes about 17 minutes to recite, most people aim to move 20 to 30 minutes a day – this equals (roughly) a rosary and a few extra laps. “

Going for a walk is already good for our bodies and our minds – adding prayer to the walk is an added bonus, and a wonderful idea. Added bonus, you can do it alone or pushing a stroller!

Monica from Equipping Catholic families reminds us:

 

There are also plenty of Audio Rosaries to listen to …or Catholic apps to keep track of the prayers so that you can focus on the actual prayer and reflection and leave the accounting to someone else.

Monica gives an extensive list in her article, “Reluctant to Regular Rosary Prayer”.  She includes CDs, Apps and links to digital downloads.

Here is a newer digital download to check out: The Kitchen Rosary

and a CD for your commute to work and to listen to at home: The Catholic Rosary

3. Remember that not all prayers are lengthy and time consuming!

Check out this post from earlier and print out 11 short prayers!
11 Quick, but Powerful, Prayers (free printable)

The Bloggers at Hail Marry  creatively recommend to incorporate prayer in daily actions, such as:

Pray while washing your hands.  By the end of the day, the time spent praying adds up!

Becky Roach from Catholic Link states:

There are certain moments in life when a short prayer is what we need to restore our focus on God and bring forth a sense of calm.”

Check out 15 Powerful Prayers You Can Say in Just 15 Seconds! when you are in those certain moments!!!

4. Follow Faith Based Social Media Accounts  for Reminders to Pray

 

For an entire directory of Faith on Social Media, check out Catholics Online: A Directory of Catholic Social Media Influencers

Want a short cut? Follow on Twitter – Catholics Online, Prayer Wine Chocolate on Instagram and Catholics Online on Facebook

Leslie, from Life in Every Limb, reminds us to stop and pray for others while on our smart phones:

the thing about Facebook is that you see daily the friend or acquaintance for whom you have promised to pray . . . I see regular updates which remind me to keep that person’s intention in my prayers”

5. Prayer Journal

How does Prayer Journaling fit into a busy person’s schedule you ask?

One of the best answers comes from Dianna Kennedy over at The Kennedy Adventures

I spend a lot of time in that particular workspace and on my computer, so it sort of made sense back in August 2012 when I started incorporating Evernote into my daily prayer routine.

More ideas for prayer journaling on a busy schedule: WHEN DO REAL WOMEN FIND TIME TO PRAYER JOURNAL?

DaySpring has AWESOME PRAYER JOURNALING PRODUCTS!

Kids can prayer journal too!  Have you checked out my first book Be Yourself: A Journal for Catholic Girls?  It’s available on Amazon with Prime shipping as well as right here!

5. Sign up to be somewhere with others

Many, hopefully most, parishes provide opportunities to pray and reflect with the community during Lent.  Sign up for something, make the commitment and remember, people are expecting you there!  Runners do this for accountability, surely we can use this tactic to light a fire under our bottoms too 🙂

Last year a group of women in our parish met at a home, discussed a book and enjoyed some snacks (of course wine and chocolate, of course)!!!

This year, a group of us will hopefully do the same!

Find out what your parish is offering and vow to do one thing.  Perhaps, host a Scripture study, Rosary night or faith sharing group yourself!

Looking for more help this Lent?  Here ya go!!

39 Ways to Keep Lent Holy (Without Giving Up Sweets)

40 Prayer Journal Prompts for Lent (Part 1)

40 Prayer Journal Prompts for Lent (Part 2)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alicia says

    January 24, 2018 at 7:25 am

    Oh, don’t forget Molly McBride and the Purple Habit. It is a lovely book! All these ideas are wonderful for me as my youngest is expecting our first grand-baby and we are so excited! Enjoy every wonderful, busy, overwhelming moment because it does pass too fast. Blessings!

    • Amy says

      January 25, 2018 at 6:52 am

      Great reminder – those books are awesome!

  2. Fouad says

    January 25, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    This is encouraging. I go to mass every morning and pray every night before bed, but should adopt some practices to pray during the day.

  3. Sara @ To Jesus Sincerely says

    January 26, 2018 at 7:59 am

    So many great ideas! We’re going to try to pray the whole Rosary as a family for lent…. we’ll see how it goes!

  4. Tammi says

    February 2, 2018 at 11:00 pm

    These are such simple and effective ways to journey into Lent. Thanks for sharing.

    • Amy says

      February 12, 2018 at 5:37 pm

      Thank you Tammi!

  5. Jeanie Egolf says

    February 6, 2018 at 9:22 am

    Oh my goodness, Amy, I love reading your blog and am glad that you are on the mend. I’m praying for you! BTW what a nice surprise to come here to read today and see the above comment from a Molly McBride fan, lol!! I was going to comment “I especially agree about # 1!” and then I saw Alecia’s comment. LOL! Hi Alecia! I’m the creator of the Molly McBride series, and I’m glad you’re enjoying them. Blessings!

  6. Fouad says

    February 6, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    Very good tips!

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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!
#Catholic #Catholicmom #mustardseedfaith #catholicteacher #CatholicChristian #CatholicSaint #CatholicSaints #catholicparenting #liturgicalliving
THANK YOU! Thank you! Thank you! If you have left THANK YOU! Thank you!
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!
I’d love for more girls to get this book in their Easter Basket this year!

I’m so grateful this book is being used and appreciated!

God is good!

If you like this book and haven’t left a review, please write one! It’s okay if you didn’t buy it from there!

Tag someone with a 10 or 11 year old girl!

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I can’t believe in the past week I’ve posted 4 I can’t believe in the past week I’ve posted 4 videos on YouTube!

And last week’s interview with Dr. Matthew Breuninger (@askacatholictherapist ) still has me thinking about the “psychology of prayer journaling “!

The last 4 videos posted consist of two new interviews (Jessica Castillo from @athrivingcatholic and Dr. John Spitzer @johnspitzermd ); 

a box opening of @pinksaltriot ‘s latest JOY BOX and finally 

a “how to” video that demonstrates how girls can design the back cover of Be Yourself: a Journal for Catholic Girls!
Whew!

Dr. John Spitzer shared parenting advice for moms and dads of tweens;

Jessica Castillo shared how our physical and spiritual health are connected;

The Joy Box had some fun surprises… one will be going in my daughter’s Easter Basket;
And my friend’s daughter was the perfect co-host in the “how to design “ video!

Tell me which topic interests you the most… maybe I’ll dedicate an Instagram post highlighting that content!

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FLASH SALE ON BOY’S Journal ends tonight!!! Link FLASH SALE ON BOY’S Journal ends tonight!!!
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“I got this for my 10 yr old daughter’s Easter “I got this for my 10 yr old daughter’s Easter basket. She immediately was attracted to it. Later, she came to me and said that it was her favorite item in her basket. She loves it and really has spent time with it. It is motivational, inspirational, engaging and most importantly, designed to encourage a habit of prayer and meditation at a young age. All while focusing on God’s love for us and our uniqueness…”
Review left on Amazon about Be Yourself:a Journal for Catholic Girls
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FLASH SALE!!!! Boy’s journal sale ends MONDAY!!! FLASH SALE!!!!
Boy’s journal sale ends MONDAY!!!
Finish up Lent strong… and add this fun book to an Easter Basket!
Link in bio!
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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!
God has a unique mission for each individual.

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!
“Be who God meant you to be and you’ll set the world on fire!” ~Saint Catherine of Siena
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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New post up on the blog!! I found some awesome Hol New post up on the blog!!
I found some awesome Holy Spirit themed gift ideas!
Link in bio!
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Holy Spirit activate!!! New gift guide up!!! One m Holy Spirit activate!!!
New gift guide up!!!
One might say … these gifts are on FIRE!!!!
Check it out… link in bio!!!
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Need Lent? #Catholicreels #Catholics #CatholicChri Need Lent?
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I need your help! This week I'm putting my final I need your help!

This week I'm putting my final touches on two talks . . .

One is for the Catholic Writer's Conference this weekend (it's virtual) and the other is for a Confirmation Retreat (live and in-person)!

How can you help?
In two ways… but I’m just going to ask you for one favor today… and that is, please answer these questions in the comments!

Have you ever purchased a book that you saw on social media? 

If yes, please share what motivated you to buy that book?

Also, tell me - where did you see the book on social media?  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter?  Some where else?

Your comments will help Catholic authors!

#Catholic #Catholicwriters #Catholicbooks #Catholicjournals #Catholicprayers #Catholickids #domesticchurch #bissisterhood
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