Momma Mondays: God, You are penciled in.

God, You are penciled in. I am ashamed to write that, but it is the humbling truth. When I was single and then even at the point that I was married, but not a momma yet, I would make the time to actually leave the house and all I was doing to go to Church. I would attend Mass or pray in adoration in the quiet of the Chapel. Some days it was one or the other and some days it was even both. When the boys arrived I still did my best to get to Mass with them each day. It wasn't always daily, but it was the majority of the time. I made sure I kept it a priority, while still keeping motherhood a priority, being sure it didn't take away from either of my babies' needs… or the needs of the home. But now it is getting very hard to take two squirmy, talkative boys on my own. They seem to be at an age that they don't understand to be quiet and they don't want to stay still in their stroller for 40 minutes. I don't want to be lazy, but it is just too darn hard with only two hands. I still try a few times during the week though. Buuuutttttttttt, whether I go to Church during the week or not (Sundays are always a given, plus the Hubs is with me), I need to be sure to leave set time for prayer in my day and a lot of times it means actually writing in my daily planner, pray, rosary, spiritual reading, quiet prayer… whatever it may be. It is pathetic that I am not so connected to Him that it has become a given, but sometimes I allow the dailiness of life to get in the way instead of making Him a main natural part of that dailiness without writing it down. 

Do you have tips for keeping your little ones quiet in church? I am hoping to order this one of these days. My Dad sent me the link for it and I also happen to know this man's sweet daughter, so it should be good. How about a daily devotion or favorite prayers that you keep in your days? How do you make sure to fit Him in your day? 

Phil 4. 4-7 345.365

I must be honest. Sometimes the readings each day at Mass don't touch my heart the way I am sure they should. Though, there are always select ones that seem to come up out of nowhere when I need them most of all. And then there are days that there is no specific reason why, but you know that message penetrated your heart. That was today's Epistle for me. It's a simple but beautiful message that I love.

Brethren, rejoice in the Lord always: again, I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous; but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of Gos, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 -Bl. Paul the Apostle to the Philippeans 4. 4-7-

26. sweet conversations with friends after Sunday Mass

27. readings at Church that touch my heart

28. having Sunday as a day to rest

Rain Drops 247.365

After yesterday's crazy rain, this song came back to my mind.

I heard this while I was driving last month, and it just hit me. Have you ever kinda been caught off guard with what someone said, lyrics to a song, just something out of nowhere that meant something deep in your heart at that moment.

Here are the lyrics to Laura Story's song, Blessings.

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching(s) of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

A Humble and Honest Heart

For a while now I have been wanting to have a time set aside each morning to quietly read my Bible and maybe even take some notes.

It's not something I should be putting off, even for one day.

But I have put it off... for more than one day.

A few days back, I went to grab my Bible off the bookshelf and it was gone.

For the life of me, I cannot place where it could be.

I guess that is what happens when it is so long between uses.

I have a really nice small one, but it is not the one I like to use for daily reading.

It's leather, small and very tiny print.

I have still not located my paperback.

I looked with my parents Bibles, and it's not there either.

So I am on the hunt for a new one.

Another problem I have when I take my Bible out to read, is I don't always know what I am supposed to be getting out of certain passages. 

My little mind doesn't always wrap around Christ's Word as it should. 

So I was trying to find one that is still Catholic and traditional, yet I could work with it better. 

Mono's Mom suggested the Navarre Bibles. 

Unfortunately they come in many different volumes so I am starting with the one that I could grab off my Dad's shelf.

It's the Letters of Saint Paul. 

It's super thick, the size of my regular Bible... And this is just one piece.

But I am going to read my way through it, soak up every bit that I can, and then move on to another volume.

How does that sound? 

Do you take time each day to set aside time for Christ?

Do you have any good tips for making time in this busy and crazy world?

I set aside time to go to Mass daily (or as close to daily as possible), but I know that's not enough.

He gives me so much.

He loves me so much.

And I need to do more, be more and love more in return.

I'm hoping this is a good, fresh start.

Please keep this little blogger in your prayers so I can grow more in love with Him each day.

Being Worn Out Can Be A Good Thing 121.365

I have this prayer book that I love. I have tons of holy cards and notes to remember people's intentions in prayer all stuffed inside. The page edges are worn, the front cover is completely off as well as the back cover hanging by a thread. I really need to put some TLC into it so it doesn't fall apart more than it already has. It is an old book and it is hard to come by. I'd really like to find another one to have, maybe even two. I would like to save them for my daughters in the years to come. It is called the Catholic Girls Guide. I highly recommend it!! Do you have any books you use daily, or at least on a regular basis?