My husband and I became first time homeowners last year, and since then, we have been finding more and more minor and major issues that need to be addressed. Now that I have the care of a sixty year old house, I realize more and more how everything physical returns to dust. A house requires constant maintenance, and if it is not taken care of, it slowly falls apart. The author of Ecclesiastes reminds us continually, “All is vanity," and he does not mean vanity in terms of one’s appearance or one’s possessions, but that everything will come to an end, that all things will return to dust, that it is all fleeting. In the reading for today we hear this, “Man goes to his eternal home, and mourners go about the streets... and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” (Eccl. 12:5,7) We are to remember that while all of our earthly possessions and our bodies will pass away, it is our eternal soul that we are called to maintain. We must make major and minor “repairs” to our souls. This is not a vanity. And while we toil under the sun, our taking joy in our toil and accepting our duties happily prepares us for Heaven. All we have now is a vanity, but what we do now prepares us for the everlasting. In a day with readings that remind us of Ash Wednesday, let us take time to remember that penance and the submission of our lives to God’s will is not just for Lent, but it is a year round and life-long process amidst the fleeting things of our lives. Let us offer our toils this day and all days as a prayer so that our actions can become redemptive for ourselves and others. Susanna Spencer once studied theology and philosophy, but now happily cares for her three adorable little girls and her dear husband. You can find out more about her here.

"He has put the timeless into their hearts..." It’s easy to feel small. I mean, we are small, comparatively. We live tiny existence's in the middle of tiny minutes and tiny hours, in the ocean of human history. But we know there is something in us that is more powerful than the parameters of time, aging and death, and that contradicts our smallness. He has put the Timeless in our hearts. He has given us the ability to know and embrace and love the Infinite. Do you still feel small? You shouldn’t. I read the following earlier this week, and I think it’s perfect for this (from an anonymous Christian writer), “Consider that man’s heart is no small thing, for it can embrace so much. Do not measure its greatness by its physical dimensions, but by the power of its thought, whereby it is able to attain the knowledge of so many truths. In the heart it is possible to prepare the way of the Lord, to lay out a straight path where the Word and the Wisdom of God may pass. With your honorable conduct and your irreproachable deeds, prepare the Lord’s way, smooth out his path so that the Word of God may act in you without hindrance and give you the knowledge of his mysteries and of his coming.” Isn’t that beautiful? Your heart is capable of so very much. When you feel small and silly, think back to this. He has put Timelessness into your heart. He has made us capable, like St Peter, of knowing who He is - the Christ of God. To the same heart that is weakened and aged by time, He has given the whole of Eternity. Blythe Fike is the wife of Kirby and mother of 5 smallish kids. She homeschools and loves the quiet life in small town SoCal. You can find out more about her here.

"Herod said...'but who is this about whom I hear such things?'" In today’s gospel, King Herod is the poster boy for letting a narrow perspective cloud important judgment. (Not that we can relate... right?). He is, in a word, perplexed. Gossip about the disciples has gone viral — their works and miracles and prophesies about this Jesus dude — and Herod is not impressed. Furthermore, he’s confused. The stories are all twisted, with accounts that the man behind the craziness [Jesus] is a prophet or even John the Baptist. Herod knows that certainly isn’t true; he personally just had John killed in a most appalling fashion. Herod needs to get to the bottom of this mayhem, which is why "he sought to see Him." But when it comes down to it, it's Herod's limited perspective that trips him up most. No matter how hard he searches, he's never really going to see Jesus. He's never going to figure out the truth of who Jesus is. Why? Because he can't bring himself to allow for such a truth. Especially with the claims of Jesus being some kind of king. Nowhere in Herod’s narrow perspective is there room for a king who doesn't live in a palace, eat from a silver platter, or gain power through military conquest. And because King Herod thinks the world revolves around himself, he believes this Jesus guy is an obvious threat to his job security. It doesn't even register that the words “my kingdom is not of this world” might mean exactly that: that Jesus’s power doesn't come from armies, his prestige doesn't come from gilded living quarters, and his reign is certainly not one to be gained by usurping any earthen ruler. But Herod's life reflects the vanity of vanities described in the first reading, where everything is ultimately empty and nothing is new under the sun. So it’s not even on his radar that Jesus might be something new; an exception to this earthly vanity. It’s a shame that Herod couldn't get past that to see the incredible richness of the big picture, isn't it? Not only would he have saved himself a lot of anxiety trying to “defend” his rule from Jesus, but he probably would've gained a lot of insight (and dare I say, a little faith?) by broadening his perspective and withholding initial judgment. He might have even learned that Jesus was actually here to save him instead of being "out to get him." Sometimes, like Herod, we’d rather accept gossip and a small world view over the pursuit of truth. We might keep our perspective narrow and our judgment firm when it comes to things (and people) we don’t like or understand. What if we withheld our snap judgments today? What if we opened our minds and our hearts to see how Jesus is reaching out to us through others? What 'unallowed' truths might we finally discover? Megan Hjelmstad is a wife, mom, writer and former soldier whose real passion is equal parts faith and chocolate. You can find out more about her here.

  In the first reading from Proverbs, the writer calls out and requests from God a mixed bag. He says “[p]ut falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty or riches; provide me only with the food I need.” He requests this so that he doesn’t deny God because he’s satiated, nor steal from need. The lying part? Sure. Who wants to be a liar? Unless, of course it’s convenient and we feel we need to for any variety of justifiable reasons. Why should we admit when we’ve done something wrong? When we’ve forgotten a friend’s party, a work assignment, a family obligation? Why can’t we embrace a little of that old falsehood? And falsehood stretches beyond verbal misrepresentations. We can be false in how we act, how we present ourselves to the world, or even to ourselves. Are we afraid to say what we feel? Act how we believe to be right? Do we stay silent when we could speak up for our beliefs? If the first request is palatable, well this second one is perplexing. Neither poverty nor riches? Poverty is a circumstance few willingly take on. Poverty of material possessions, that is. I confess I’m often impoverished spiritually when I don’t spend time in prayer or before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration regularly. My being feels empty and hungry in a way only God can fill. But material riches and an abundance of wealth? Why deny ourselves that? The writer is so wise: when we are satisfied and feel in control of our own needs, why do we need God? God’s a nice figure on the wall, a nice concept in the clouds. When we are full, when we are satiated, when we feel wanting nothing, it’s hard to remember we actually do need God. We barely remember to express gratitude and appreciation for those visibly present in our lives, much less our Creator God. So today let’s pray for not too much, not too little, for just what God knows is right for us. And try to focus on being sincere and avoiding those easy lies and feints that draw us further and further from Our Lord. Nell O'Leary is an attorney turned stay-at-home mom to three lovelies. She and her husband live in the great city of Saint Paul. You can find out more about her here.

  Jesus says “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” As we take His words and look then at The Word of God for today in the Old Testament,we see such clear commands about how we are to act in a practical daily life. Today’s Psalm gives us such a perfect prayer as we implore our Lord to bring our lives in line with those commands He gives, to allow God to direct our hearts like He directs the streams of this earth, and to judge our ways according to that which is right in God’s eyes rather than our own. We are called To do what is right and just, To be blameless to listen to the call of the poor to turn away from pride to be honest to desire good to learn from our mistakes. We make choices every minute of every day, and we need God’s guidance to make the right choices. Our actions are so important because it is through our acts that we declare ourselves as part of Christ’s intimate family. Upon waking, often do you declare your day for our Lord? Do you invite Him to guide your life? Before responding to the daily frustrations, do you pause first and ask for His guidance? Do you teach your children to count to ten or do you teach them to breathe in the Holy Spirit and ask for His guidance before they respond? MaryRuth Hackett is a full-time wife and mother doing her best to teach her four children to love God and country. You can find out more about her here.

Love thy neighbor as thyself. We hear these words over and over again in some form or another. As children, we are taught the golden rule. As adults, we are told to turn the other cheek. It has been engrained into our consciousness - or has it? Today’s readings show us that we are all in need of a reminder of the true meaning of justice. The sentiment of justice to our modern hearts echoes of revenge and retribution. When we are wronged, we seek punishment of those who wrong us - we seek justice. However, in today’s readings we are reminded of the true meaning and depth of justice. Justice is not just about reprisals. It is about giving what is due to our fellow man which is what is good. We are commanded to not deny the goods of which our neighbors have claim. The good of generosity, the good of forgiveness, and the good of light - all are our duties to one another. But is not this the center of our Lord’s promises? How truly awesome is it that His law is not to seek revenge but to seek good? The Lord blesses the house of the just. But remember, it is not just about the actions of our hands but of the voice in our hearts. The true attitude of our hearts cannot be hidden from the Lord. I know that it is easy to put on a cordial face, but all the while have malice in our hearts. The Gospel reminds us that nothing can be hidden from the Lord. Every secret of our hearts will come to light. So instead of hiding malevolence in our hearts - we must choose to live in the light. So today, how can we be just in an unjust world? Let go of the animosity in our hearts and our calls for revenge. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Jesus laid down his precious and perfect life for our sins. I know it is hard to live justly, but I call you to turn to someone who has wronged you, who you have sought revenge against in the past and forgive. Forgive them in the depths of your hearts and with your actions as well. Live in the light. When we choose to put down our swords, we shall live on His holy mountain. Samantha Aguinaldo-Wetterholm is a wife, mom, and soon-to-be-dentist currently living in San Francisco, California. You can find out more about her here.

"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near..." Isaiah 55:6 Are we truly seeking? Are we calling upon Christ while he is near? It struck me while reading and pondering today's readings, that there is no better time than now, and no better place than at Mass, to seek Christ and call upon him. We are so blessed to know Christ in the Eucharist, and to be able to be in America to participate in the Mass on a daily basis, without fear! These are the days we are given to grow in relationship with Christ. These are the days we are given to call upon him in praise, thanksgiving, petition. These are the days to open our hearts to his invitation, so that like the laborers in the vineyard, we can accept God's call whenever it comes. The laborers were hired in phases throughout the day, invited by the householder to go into the vineyard. I think we are like the laborers, invited by God at different times in our life to follow him. Aren't we also given more clarity about God's specific call to us throughout our lives? Once we profess our belief in Christ and commit our lives to him, we are still seeking. Maybe we don't know yet what exactly God wants for our lives, but are we seeking? Maybe we have already determined our vocation, but are still waiting for God to lead us to a deeper expression of His call? Maybe we are at a point in our lives that we merely need to return to God and let Him show us the way, again. If the laborers weren't near the householder's land, would they have heard the invitation to enter the vineyard and work? If we aren't coming near to Christ in prayer, reading the Scriptures, receiving the Sacraments, attending Mass, will we hear the invitation that is meant just for us? Seek the Lord. Draw near in prayer, by reading the Scriptures and especially in receiving the Eucharist at Mass. He is near. Now is the time. Gina Fensterer is a wife, daughter, mother, friend, homeschooling mama and Colorado native. You can find out more about her here.

My husband has an annoying relationship with instruction manuals: he does not need them. While I hold in awed esteem any set of directions that accompanies a new appliance or piece of furniture, he never notices their existence, preferring to jump right in and start building on his own. This is the engineer in him, of course, while the writer in me treats the printed word as sacred text. (Also, I am admittedly lousy at building anything.) “Don’t you need the instructions?” I ask, baffled, every time he starts to put together a new gadget or bookshelf or baby gear. “No,” he replies simply, with a smile, his hands already at work while the poor set of directions lies forgotten on the floor, still in its plastic bag. Maybe you’re like my husband, and you never need further instructions. But for many of us, these manuals make life much easier. Today’s readings speak directly to Christians who need truth explained to them clearly – over and over again. Paul is trying to help the Corinthians understand resurrection, as tricky a concept today as it was for the first followers of Christ. What happens to our bodies? What will it mean to be raised? Jesus is trying to help the crowd understand conversion, as challenging a prospect today as it was for the disciples. How do we let our hearts receive God’s Word? How will our lives be changed? Both Jesus and Paul resort to over-explanation in their efforts to teach the people. Paul sounds like an exasperated tutor (“You fool!”), while Jesus sounds more like a patient parent (“This is the meaning of the parable”). I, for one, am grateful for their explanation and exegesis. Today’s readings are not like those annoying IKEA instruction guides, assuming obvious and instant clarity. Paul and Jesus clearly think it is worth the time and trouble to explain and emphasize and elaborate the points they are trying to make. Because they are telling us about the heart of the matter, the kernel of truth at the center of their teachings. The Christian life of faith looks like this: transformation. Death, sacrifice, and suffering, but then life! reward! resurrection! We will be changed. Our lives and our bodies will be changed. The world around us will be changed. And in this transformation – from seed to shoot, from earth to heaven, from death to life – we will encounter the power of God who never ceases to change us. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to wrap their heads around this truth about the bodily resurrection. Jesus labored to make his disciples see the deeper meaning behind his parable of the sower and the seed. And in tying these two Scripture passages together today, the Church invites us to do the same. To appreciate the over-explanation. To meditate on the message. To let our minds and lives be transformed by this truth: if we believe, we will be changed. Laura Kelly Fanucci is a writer and mother to three little boys who never stop talking. She and her husband live in the suburban wilds of Minnesota. You can find out more about her here.

  “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:17 Our claim is not a small one. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. We proclaim it every week at Mass when we say the Creed. It is the basis of our faith as Christians… but does it really change how we live our lives? So much of my life is absorbed in ordinary routines…making coffee, checking Facebook, putting gas in the car, changing diapers. Sometimes, though, the outside world casts its shadow over me and I feel the tension between how I live every day and what is going on everywhere else. There is so much darkness in the world right now. Wars. Persecution. Famine. Loneliness. Desperation. Homelessness. When the darkness outside the bubble of my everyday seems too much to bear, I’m tempted to try to shut it out. The suffering makes me feel powerless - how can I do anything to help? At times like these, I need to remember the outrageous claim we all make every week when we say that Jesus rose from the dead. His resurrection wasn’t just a victory over death - it completely reoriented reality. Death and suffering no longer have the final word, because Christ is risen. Alleluia! This claim is more than just a belief or a tenet of our faith. By calling ourselves Christians, we accept the resurrection not just as truth but as our identity. Christ risen is not just what we believe - it is who we are. We proclaim it not just with our words, but with our whole lives. Resurrection defines us and claims us for the Light. With the light of the resurrection at our core, we can see suffering and death as temporary, because we know that Christ has claimed victory over them. What does this mean for us? It means we should carry the light inside us out into the world. It means we cannot afford to be overcome by evil. It means we must not sit down and let suffering have the last word. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, ESV). When we proclaim the risen Christ, we are charged with the vocation of hope. Let us find ways to remind ourselves and those around us that darkness doesn’t win. All it takes to keep the darkness from overtaking us is one, tiny light. Abbey Dupuy is a freelance writer and homeschooling mama to two-year-old twins, a first grader and a new baby. You can find out more about her here.

The way grace plays out in our lives in one of the most remarkable and mysterious things about a life of faith. For the most part, we don't see grace in the everyday minutiae of our lives. We often don't see grace in the larger events of life like loss and tragedy. This is why faith can be so difficult; to live and to preach to others. Because grace plays out on an almost invisible plane, not one that is quantifiable or observable. Living a life of faith means that we may not know God's path for us in its wholeness at any one time. We may know our vocation, but not understand the obstacles that are placed in our way. We may be given people to love who only hurt us in return. We may feel futile and useless as we try to minister to others around us. Or maybe we are unable to do anything other than keep our own souls afloat in the spiritual life. This happens at times to all of us who practice the faith, we all experience many times of unknowing and what feels like precious little grace. I think the easiest place for us to realize or see grace is in perspective. Just like St. Paul, we can look back over our lives and see the hidden hand of God's grace directing or prodding or maybe even denying. Slowly over months or years, we see what God was planning, devising, giving us. But how difficult was slogging through those tough, lean years of grace. How tight was our clutch on our slim piece of faith. I know I often fall into the idealistic trap of believing faith should be easy; grace should be easy. Faith may have come to St. Paul in the form of being knocked off a horse and given a vision of Christ, but he was blinded, he spent years in the wilderness cultivating his relationship with God, he was persecuted just as he had persecuted. It wasn't easy for St. Paul to preach the Gospel, but by God's grace he did. So too it was not easy for the woman to bring her tears and ointment to Christ's feet. Her faith was great, but it must have been humiliating to push her way through the Pharisees to Jesus, her sorrows and burdens must have been deep and heavy. Her act of faith was immense, her whole heart given to love of Jesus and so a wealth of grace was given to her, her sins washed away. Faith and grace go hand in hand. God recognizes our faith even when we feel we have very little. For our small acts of faith, Christ can change us immeasurably through his grace. St. Paul knew God's grace as he changed from a life a violence to a life of preaching. The woman with her alabaster jar brought her tears and sorrows to the feet of Jesus and walked away forgiven. God's grace will keep us going, it will not be insufficient even if our faith is, and it will make us who we are meant to be. Christy Isinger is the mom to five lovely, loud children living in the Canadian wilds. You can find out more about her here.

I've read this reading from I Corinthians a thousand times and heard it read at weddings and Masses...and I feel as if I know it like the back of my hand. And yet, today, I encourage you to slow down, and let the words sit on your heart and in your mind. Rest with them. Consider these words first, before you think about how much more love to add to your life, "But I shall show you a still more excellent way." -1 Cor. 12:31 St. Paul is encouraging us, and showing us a more excellent way to live and strive for spiritual gifts (which help us reach Heaven!). This more excellent way is through love. "Little things done out of love are those that charm the Heart of Christ… On the contrary, the most brilliant deeds, when done without love, are but nothingness." St. Therese “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Bl. Mother Theresa "Small things done with great love" is wisdom shared by these two holy women, whose lives were living examples of how to live with love. Though their actions may have been simple, small, and just what was needed from day to day, the amount of love with which each task was completed and offered back to Jesus made them great. It is so important to remember to add love to our actions! It is like the secret ingredient that makes some food just taste amazing. Love is the secret to giving our actions a boost, a gift of ourselves, and an extra amount of joy. Be encouraged, sisters. St. Paul is calling us to the more excellent way because he knows that in Jesus, we can strive for and attain the excellent way, through our loving actions. Spend some time in silence today, resting first in God's love, and then let Him show you where to act today, how you can begin to do small things with great love. Gina Fensterer is a wife, daughter, mother, friend, homeschooling mama and Colorado native. You can find out more about her here.

26When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. Five years ago, my husband and I prayed the Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows for the first time. We began on The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sept. 8th) and culminated on the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, which the Church celebrates today. In typical “us” fashion, we began the Novena a day late and scrambled to catch up. We agreed that it was a good thing God operates in kairos, and not chronos time. Anyway, this powerful series of prayers invited us to ponder the seven sorrows throughout Mary’s life as Theotokos - the God-bearerer. It was a truly beautiful experience to find a deeper kinship with she whom I had often thought almost too perfect to even approach. I mean, Mary was born without sin, after all, and I was (and am) a wretched sinner! I couldn't even make it out of the parish parking lot after Mass some Sundays without getting perturbed by some lousy driver a fellow parishioner! We - Mary and I - weren't exactly running in the same circles. Or were we? In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells John, his beloved disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And, further, John took Mary into his own home once Jesus died. I have heard this passage several times, yet while praying the Novena, I heard something else – something interesting. I was reminded that, like John, I am beloved of Christ. And, like John and St. Joseph before him, I shouldn’t be afraid to invite Mary into my home, and my prayer life, as my Mother. Nothing gives Mary greater joy than when we obey her Son! It was a most beautiful epiphany. I felt compelled to intentionally invite Mary to watch over me as a wife and mother, and to cover me and my family in her loving mantle of grace and peace. I was no longer afraid to call her, "Mama." Just like all of us, Mary experienced profoundly difficult challenges throughout her life. Consider what it must have been like for her to watch helplessly as Jesus suffered and died right before her eyes! God never told Mary her life would be easy, but He was with her in her sufferings, as He is with all of us when we struggle and stumble. I am so very grateful for A Heavenly Father thoughtful enough to send us a Mother to comfort and intercede for us in times of trial, because - as everybody knows - sometimes, you just need your Mama. Take some time today to consider your relationship with Our Blessed Mother. When was the last time you gave her a call? She would be so very glad to hear from you! Read the beautiful words of the Stabat Mater, today's optional sequence, and ponder its meaning in your heart. Heather Anderson Renshaw is currently not drinking enough [coffee] to keep up with her 5 young kiddos. You can find out more about her here.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son…” John 3:16, ESV Most of us have heard this gospel verse so many times that it’s easy to gloss over the magnitude of exactly what God gave us. So let's take a step back today and look at it a different way. We all like to get stuff. (AmIright?) Especially cool stuff. You know that old game show, The Price Is Right? Well, if a contestant did well enough guessing the worth of different products, they'd have a chance to win one of three grand prizes. Behind door number one, Bob Barker might announce a NEW CAR!!! Behind door number two? An all-expenses-paid vacation TO THE CARIBBEAN! But then came the zinger: that thing behind door number three? It’s a secret! A total gamble! It might be a complete letdown, like a new toaster, or it could be the most valuable thing in the world—way better than the other two combined! What’s a lucky contestant to do? Well, what if we were the contestant? What if we knew that it really was the most valuable thing in the world? What if we knew it was Jesus behind door number three? Would we run right past the shining car and beckoning beach banner without a second glance and leap into his arms? Would we feel like we’d struck the jackpot?! Or would we be torn... worrying what the audience would think, feeling a pang of guilt and glancing sideways at doors number one and two, still longing for those incredible luxuries that somehow seem more attractive than Jesus in the flesh? The truth is, we’re human, and we’ll always have a degree of longing for cool worldly things. I know that I, myself, would likely be in the camp feeling that guilty pang. But there's another truth. The best gift in the world is already ours. It's God’s only Son. A gift worth more than anything, ever. If we choose it, we get to live for eternity in His love -- we get goodness and happiness forever. And we don’t even have to wait until eternity to start appreciating it -- God lets us enjoy it here on earth. Every time we meet our Savior in adoration, every time we kneel before the Eucharist, the physical time spent with our Savior is worth more in the long run than any new car or perfect job or a million dollars, or even a luxury vacation making beautiful memories with wonderful people. All we have to do is choose him. Let’s make it a point to do so today. Let’s recognize that He's so much more than a million bucks. Let's give the Worthy Lamb the honor he’s due! How can we show love and gratitude today for the greatest gift we’ve ever received? How can we increase His worth in our lives? Megan Hjelmstad is a wife, mom, writer and former soldier whose real passion is equal parts faith and chocolate. You can find out more about her here.

“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” - 1 Corinthians 10:21 (ESV) Do you believe in the existence of demons? Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of Satan in the twentieth century is convincing much of humanity that he does not exist at all. If we no longer acknowledge that Satan is real, we stop guarding ourselves from his influence and allow him to enter into our midst. As C.S. Lewis wrote in the preface to The Screwtape Letters: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. Christians must believe not only in Christ, but also in the existence of Satan, demons, and evil. We must also realize that the forces of good and evil play an active role in our lives. In every thought and action of our day we must consciously choose Christ because when we don’t, we are often unconsciously choosing evil or that which is opposite of Christ. Today’s readings remind us that true Christianity requires choice. It is not enough to find comfort in the words of Christ. To be a Christian is not simply to like Christ, but to follow him. Christianity is not convenient. We cannot simply pull out our Bibles when we have a spare moment or give ourselves to God for one hour a week at Mass. If we do, we are giving 167 hours a week to something other than God. We must continuously strive to die a little more to self, to guard ourselves from the influences that would divert us from God, and to build up Christ within ourselves. “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” - Luke 6:45 (ESV) What small actions and sacrifices can you do today to build up “good treasure” in your heart so that the goodness of the Lord will flow from you? Consider also the ways Satan has infiltrated your life. In what ways can you protect yourself from the influences of evil? Mandi Richards is a wife, mother, and cheese lover who calls Raleigh, North Carolina home. You can find out more about her here.

"Grace and glory He bestows..." It’s easy to forget that there is a race to be won. We are each in the thick of it. Were we not, we wouldn't need these reminders. Reminders that we must labor, and toil, and strive towards the goal. We wouldn't need to be reminded of the importance of sincerity of heart, and humility, if the reality of our state was not what it is. But we do not naturally spring into action in the spiritual battle, we do not naturally remove our own planks before picking at each other's splinters - our husband's, our parent's, our children. When I honestly encounter myself in this way, seeing my defects clearly, my knee jerk reaction is to feel a deep shame and worthlessness even. Because I trip up and veer off course so very much. But, consider how tender this Love is, to remind us of our tendencies. What a tender Love to remind us that He sees us, and He knows us. And, nestled there in the middle of these (sometimes harrowing) reminders, is this beautiful Psalm that gently sings - Grace and Glory He bestows. I can just hear Him say it - 'Little one, I have all you need." And He will give it to us so that we can run, so that we can take up this charge, so that we can raise up these souls, so that pride can be conquered, so that we can pick up and start again. These reminders are not meant to crush us, they are meant to show us the Light again. Over and over again. St Paul doesn't dumb things down for us - because we have to know, we have to know that we must pick back up and fight. But this battle must be met with the clarity of His true love for us, His desire to give us what we need to carry on, and His promise to do it. Blythe Fike is the wife of Kirby and mother of 5 smallish kids. She homeschools and loves the quiet life in small town SoCal. You can find out more about her here.

"I hate my hair." "I hate my stomach." "I hate these wrinkles.... ... these pimples ... my job ... my house ... my clothes ... my weight." "I hate myself." How often are we our worst critic? How often do we make our own idols out of magazines and TV shows and what we know is happening to everyone else, and not us? How often are we are own worst enemies? Jesus tells us, in today's reading, that we are to love our enemies. We are to do good to those who mistreat us, bless those who curse us and pray for those who do us wrong. We remind others readily when they've been offended to pray for that rude co-worker, that person cutting us off in traffic or letting us down in any number of ways. But how often do we turn this inward? When was the last time you prayed for the body that has betrayed you or the plans that have let you down? When was the last time you lent, "expecting nothing back" from yourself? In today's Psalm we are reminded to give thanks for exactly how we are made. God knows us, intimately, from that first moment in our Mother's womb. We are a "wonderful" work of His design and when we judge ourselves, we judge His creation. Take today to stop judging yourself. Stop condemning your body, your work or your experiences. Remember that you are a wondrous creation of a loving God who has promised us that once we stop judging and learn to forgive everything that wrongs us, we will be given gifts overflowing with God's grace; the measure of that Grace will be given from the measure of your own forgiveness. Go out today and forgive graciously and generously. Remember that in the Lord's Prayer we are forgiven as we forgive others. Start by forgiving from the first moment you look in the mirror. Remember God's works are wonderful and you are wonderfully made. Molly Walter is a wife, mother and homemaker (with a pesky job outside the home). She writes at Molly Makes Do about making the life she wants with the life she's been given. You can find out more about her here.

  "Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear." Did you hear that? "See and bend your ear," He says. "You have a destiny," He tells me. "I have not forgotten you." It is so good to be reminded, because sometimes I feel lost in the fray. In the work, in the voices, in the dishes and duties and relationships and emotions. "It is HARD being a woman," I want to call out to my husband across the living room. This room, so full of barbies and homework and mismatched socks. Because sometimes the chaos of my home pales in comparison to the chaos of my heart. So, even though my raiment is NOT threaded with spun gold - but with Target cotton blend - in God's eyes, I am threaded with gold. My work is worthy and good. Even when I cannot see beyond the busyness of my life, He can. God sees my good deeds. He sees my late nights. He sees my early mornings. He hears my nervous prayers for my children, my whispers of love and protection over my husband. Even when no one here sees, even myself, He does. And he has a message for all of us today - "Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear." Blessed are you who are poor - struggling, working, pinching to make ends meet - the Kingdom of God is yours! Blessed are you who are now hungry - hungry for reassurance that you are doing what is best for those you love - for you will be satisfied! Blessed are you who are now weeping - weeping over mistakes, disappointments, broken relationships, the loss of a child or parent - for one day you will laugh! Blessed are you when you are hated, excluded, insulted - when you are treated unfairly or are simply lonely for a real friend - behold, your reward will be great in heaven! Oh, my sisters, how He loves us! He understands our hearts, our desires and struggles and passions. He knows the great love we have for those around us, despite the many times we trip and fall and make fools of ourselves. Let us never forget to see and listen - to tip our heads toward Him and hear how he loves us. Have you carved out time to pray today? If you haven't, take ten minutes (just ten, that's not much at all!), find a quiet place and spend some time in prayer. Offer God your struggles and take time to see and hear Him. And then relax in the knowledge that you are not alone, that you are one in the Body of Christ, and that God loves you beyond all understanding. I will pray for you, today. Lauren Donohue Gulde is a wife and mother of four, living and working in the heart of Texas. She's a speaker, a blogger and a designer. You can learn more about her here.