We know you have a lot on your plate this Thanksgiving week (literally and figuratively) and we wanted to make your Christmas shopping easier. After all, don't you want to complete most of your list before Advent begins so you can enter more fully into the season? Perhaps this year more than ever, we have a unique opportunity to support small businesses. And we wanted to make it easy for you to shop, purchase, and buy from Catholic women-owned businesses. So we put together this Catholic holiday gift guide highlighting Catholic women-owned businesses (including several Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday coupon codes just for Blessed is She readers!) to help you with your intentional and meaningful shopping. You can feel great about supporting these women as they use their God-given gifts and fostered skills to create true, good, and beautiful products. ART + PRINTS  Studio Senn Studio Senn has two new Catholic children's books this Christmas season! A book of faithful photo riddles titled Seek and You Will Find: Treasures of Our Faith is a Catholic take on a childhood classic. Immerse your children in sacramentals, symbols and mementos of our Faith as they dive into the whimsical photos. And a new board book, Call Me Mama, teaches your littles that even though Mary has appeared many ways in her visits she is always Our Blessed Mother. Plus much more including prints, cards, accessories and home décor available for your gifting needs. 15% site wide through December 31st, no code needed PLUS an additional 15% with code GIFTGUIDE23 at studiosenn.com Garden of Her Womb Place yourself in the security, warmth, love, and tenderness of the womb of your mother in Heaven. Garden of Her Womb is a collection of artworks inspired by Our Lady in the glory of her motherhood. “Receive Him This Christmas” offers a full gift wrapping collection which includes personally designed Christmas cards, wrapping paper, washi tapes, gift tags, and exclusive prints, hand drawn by Vivienne Boddy. Limited stock available, order now! Enjoy 20% off everything from Black Friday to Cyber Monday with code: ATLAST20 Novena Cards Have you ever told a loved one you would pray for them, and then wanted a meaningful way to send them the encouragement of your prayers?⁣ Novena Cards was founded to help you do this! They have greeting cards to send loved ones after you pray a Novena, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet for them, or pray for them at Mass or during Eucharistic Adoration. They also have Prayer Cards, Prayer Planning Kits, and Art Prints.  Check out their Catholic Monthly Devotions Prayer Card Bundle which includes 12 prayer cards - one for every month of the year. This is a great gift for someone who loves the Catholic faith!   Use code BIS2023 for 15% off your order NOW through Cyber Monday. Just Love Prints Shop small, Catholic, and USA-made with Just Love Prints this season! From home decor, temporary tattoos, and over 100 Catholic (dishwasher safe!) sticker designs, you're sure to find something for everyone on your list! Home of the St. Benedict Medal sticker sheets.  Nov. 23 - Nov. 28: 20% off everything. Discount automatically taken at checkout. Anytime: Use code BIS15 for 15% off your order. This code does not expire. Abundance of Grace Abundance of Grace was created to provide you with access to the beauty of the Catholic Faith through Scripture, tradition, and the Saints. Their main passions are to help others find God’s grace in their everyday lives, rather it be through a prayer or encouraging verse/quote on an affirmation card, and to help other families build up their domestic church. Be sure to check out their Liturgical Living collection designed for families and our new homemaking collection with recipe cards, affirmation cards, and notepads to bring order to your days.   Use code BIS23 for 10% off the entire shop now through December 15th.  Faith + Family Collective This mother + daughter team believes in the power of a family! Their mission at Faith + Family Collective is to create practical, beautiful, and innovative tools that help families share faith in their homes in simple and meaningful ways. Check out their Advent Family Activity Kits, the perfect way to walk through Advent as a family. Use code BIS15 for 15% off the entire shop now through December 31st, 2023! Gratia Design Co Gratia Design Co is a creative studio that seeks to celebrate the beauty of God’s grace and inspire joy through art and design. Bringing you quality made cards, mugs, stickers, notepads, and gifts, we offer something for everyone on your list! Be sure to check out our assortment of Christmas Greeting Cards, including our new Christmas Spiritual Bouquet Cards! Receive 15% off your entire order now through December 15th, use code BIS2023 Olive & Fire Designs Olive & Fire Designs features the work of Ugandan artist Olivia Owino. Olivia launched Olive & Fire in October 2023 to support her family and share her passion with the world. Inspired by her Catholic faith, Olivia strives to capture the dignity and beauty of daily life through her art. Her ready-made art is available for purchase in a variety of formats through the Olive & Fire Society 6 storefront, while she accepts orders for custom, digital download portraits through the Olive & Fire Instagram account. Every purchase goes a long way toward helping this Catholic mama achieve her dreams! Discount for BIS readers November 20-December 20: 20% off custom portraits (high quality digital downloads, download and print as many times as you want!). That’s just $12 per portrait! DM @olive.fire.designs on Instagram to place your order and claim your discount with code BISSIS. JEWELRY The Little Catholic Home of the Holy Family Hearts. Ethically Handmade Catholic Jewelry, Catholic Home Decor, Accessories, Catholic Wedding Rings, & Gifts For Men Made in America. Give a Gift that gives back, Shop with intention this year.    Use code BIS15 for 15% off the entire site! Telos Art Shop This year, share the beauty of our faith with Catholic jewelry! Telos Art offers unique Catholic jewelry subscription boxes and one-of-a-kind vintage religious jewelry for your best friend, spouse, or godparent. Our popular quarterly subscription boxes are sent once per quarter, so it is the gift that keeps on giving all year long. Use code for an exclusive Blessed is She discount and bonus gift.    Blessed is She Reader, you will receive 10% off your first order this holiday season with the code “BIS23” through December 31st, 2023. Orders over $100 will automatically receive a velvet gift bag, while supplies last.  Stella & Tide Stella & Tide offers dainty Catholic necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings in gold, silver, and rose gold. From affordable to heirloom-quality, their Catholic jewelry is perfect for every occasion and stage of life. Since 2018, they've handmade and shipped over 25,000 beautiful Catholic pieces worldwide. With 2,500+ 5-star reviews, free U.S. shipping, and a generous warranty policy, they guarantee you’ll love your experience with their shop. We're excited to again offer your readers an exclusive discount for 10% off their first order from stellatide.com this holiday season! Here's the discount code: BIS10. The code will remain active until December 31, 2023. BEBEATI It is in stillness and prayerful contemplation that ideas to hand make timeless, original, and versatile Catholic jewelry pieces develop here at BEBEATI. It has been said that jewelry is the perfect gift. In light of this, BEBEATI endeavors to seize this opportunity to evangelize by producing each piece of jewelry with faith and a feminine modest aesthetic in mind. Their motto is, “It’s not fashion, it’s devotion.” May this work BEBEATI [be blessed] for His Glory and our salvation.  Some new releases are; Sacred Heart Jesus, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. Benedict Medals, Scapular and more.  GRATIAMBIS23 to receive 10% off “available” ready-to-ship pieces (Offer exp. Nov 30.)  Tune in to their IG stories for flash sales. House of Joppa If you are looking for beautiful Catholic home décor, jewelry, art, Rosaries, or other Catholic gifts, look no further than House of Joppa. Each product is curated from artisans throughout the world and is designed to uplift your spirit and share the beauty of our Catholic Faith. Gifts By Beth Gifts by Beth seeks to enrich your prayer life by bringing you a selection of handcrafted rosaries so you can connect with our Lord through the beautiful and powerful prayer of the Rosary. Whatever the occasion, Gifts by Beth isn't just a gift you give to others - it's also a gift from me to you, infused with prayer. New this season are beaded religious necklaces.   Blessed is She readers can use code BLESSED for 10% off their orders through December 15. For VIP discounts, sign up for the Gifts by Beth newsletter at https://bit.ly/GiftsByBeth CLOTHING + TEXTILES Little Way Design Co. Little Way Design Co. is a small design studio outside of Pittsburgh owned by Katerina Deem and dedicated to supporting the new evangelization efforts of the Church. We focus on creating designs that lift our hearts to the divine and remind us whose we are and that Heaven as our ultimate goal. Inspired by The Little Way of Saint Thérèse, we focus on providing unique Catholic gifts for all occasions and ages like blankets, Christmas ornaments, stickers, greeting cards, wall decor, and Catholic apparel that support Catholics in their faith journey. The entire shop will be up to 40% off Black Friday through Cyber Monday (11/24-11/27). Get 15% off your order any time until December 10th when you use code: BIS2023. Totally Catholic Tees Totally Catholic Tees has been in the t-shirt business for 30 years (founded in 1993). They are family-owned and operated and are committed to providing quality Catholic apparel for everyone to wear and share in The New Evangelization. Our annual Advent Sale is from November 24th to November 27th. It is 30% off regular priced tees and hoodies. Code is "ADVENT2023" Then, we have our last chance Christmas Sale from December 1st - December 15th which is 15% off storewide. Code is "CHRISTMAS2023"   Annunciation Designs Annunciation Designs offers practical products to help your family call to mind the sacred in the midst of the ordinary.  With hand-lettered designs on ethically produced goods, you’ll find something for each person on your list. For your youngest loved ones, be sure to check out their Future Saint Dry Erase Activity Cards and Water Reveal Books, as well as our monthly snail-mail letter, The Wanderlust Catholic! Huge sale 11/20-25 includes discounts, free gifts, and more!  See website banner for code and details. For a free surprise sticker, use code BIS any time! The Anastasia Co The Anastasia Co is an apparel and stationery brand based in Omaha, Nebraska. Our mission is to create thoughtful gifts + goods. We strive to share encouragement and plant seeds of truth through intentional apparel, journals, cards, prints, and other lifestyle goods. Code BIS20 = 20% off entire purchase + free shipping $50+  (Code good through December 31, 2023) DEVOTIONAL ITEMS Meyer Market Designs Meyer Market Designs is your go-to shop for Catholic Gifts and meaningful home decor. Whether you’re looking for a children’s gift, paper goods, Catholic themed pillows and art, we’ve got what you’re looking for! Bernadette’s work is Saint-inspired and seeks to provide something beautiful to gift or fill your home with! Use coupon code BIS15OFF for 15% off of your purchase! Little Rose Designs Raquel started this shop after becoming a single mom and having a major reconversion to the faith. She wanted to take ownership of her faith and pass it on to her daughter in a very authentic and tangible way. The mission of the shop became: "bringing faith into everyday life".  Whether it’s wrapping your baby in a Swaddle, enjoying a cup of coffee in a Prayer Mug while watching the kids have tea parties with their Collectible Saint Dolls, or wrangling the kids at mass hoping they'll stay somewhat quiet with a "Where is Jesus?" or Mass Quiet Book… Raquel wants faith to be a part of the simple everyday things—because that’s where she encounters God the most. Use BIS10 for 10% off anytime! Della Madonna Rosaries Della Madonna designs Rosaries and jewelry that bring joy to your prayer life.  They are made with quality gemstones, cast bronze medals and lots of love! A perfect gift of faith for the special people in your life.   Coupon code for Blessed is She is BIS15 for 15% off (evergreen code). We will also have a sale Black Friday through Giving Tuesday with discounts ranging up to 20%. West Coast Catholic West Coast Catholic is a lifestyle brand with a mission to help you experience a foretaste of Heaven through modern, intentionally designed, lifestyle products and prayer tools. They’re rapid growth and popularity is attributed to their signature gemstone Rosaries, but have expanded their collection to so much more. By infusing the faith into everyday items like jewelry, home goods, apparel, and more, we are reminded of the love of God and the beauty of our faith daily. What makes this brand unique is that WCC products help fill your life with the beauty of the Church without compromising your personal aesthetic, it's just perfect for your modern Catholic woman! Friday (November 24)  - Tuesday (November 28) the entire site will be up to 50% off. This is the biggest black friday sale we've ever had! (no code needed) Every day there will be an additional sale or promotion stacked on top for extra savings! Sign up for our emails and text club here to be in the know about those extra sales. HOME GOODS + DECOR Kerygma Candle & Co Kerygma Candle & Co aims to be a one-stop-shop for all of your Catholic gift giving needs this season! From cozy sweatshirts, their best-selling Candles, Bath & body, Home decor and more - they've got you covered. Kerygma was started by a single mama who had recently escaped an abusive relationship, in the middle of a pandemic. The goal was to share the light of Christ and her rediscovered faith through beautiful handcrafted goods. Since then they have expanded not just as a family business, but also into categories like home altar goods, and apparel. Everything they create is prayerfully handcrafted and designed in house by a small Catholic family in Orlando FL using the highest quality ingredients available. At Kerygma Candle & Co, there's something beautiful and intentional for everyone. Black Friday Weekend BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR 25% off the ENTIRE shop! BIS10 for 10% off your entire order! Lata's Catholic Home Lata’s Catholic Home offers originally designed and crafted mini shrines, rosary pouches, stickers, jewelry boxes, Catholic decor and so much more!…All tailored for the modern traditionalist! Each piece is lovingly made with dedication to re-evangelizing the world through beauty and truth. Beautiful and affordable gifts for everyone on your list! Enjoy 15% off your entire purchase AND FREE US Shipping with code: BIS15 The Little Rose Shop Raquel started this shop after becoming a single mom and having a major reconversion to the faith. She wanted to take ownership of her faith and pass it on to her daughter in a very authentic and tangible way. The mission of the shop became: "bringing faith into everyday life". Now, 9 years later, she has 6 more babes (3 Heaven side, 3 earth side) and they give her a wealth of inspiration. Whether it’s wrapping your baby in a Mary's Mantle Swaddle, enjoying a cup of coffee in a Prayer Mug while watching the kids have tea parties with their Saint Dolls, or wrangling the kids at mass hoping they'll stay somewhat quiet with a Mass Quiet Book… Raquel wants faith to be a part of the simple everyday things—because that’s where she encounters God the most.  Use code BIS10 for 10% off to the BIS community anytime! Corda Candles Create a place of peace and prayer in your home with CORDA - these are Catholic candles like you’ve never seen or smelled before! The candles are made with clean coconut wax and custom fragrances directly inspired by saints and the faith, and are handcrafted by a husband-and-wife team. Each candle comes beautifully packaged and ready for gifting, with the story behind the scent inspiration on the box. And the simple design of the candle leads with beauty, helping you share the faith in a lovely and meaningful way.  Explore CORDA’s beautiful Catholic candles and, through December 31, 2023, save 10% with code CHRISTMAS at cordacandles.com Faith + Family Collective This mother + daughter team believes in the power of a family! Their mission at Faith + Family Collective is to create practical, beautiful, and innovative tools that help families share faith in their homes in simple and meaningful ways. Check out their Advent Family Activity Kits, the perfect way to walk through Advent as a family. Use code BIS15 for 15% off the entire shop through December 31st, 2023! Gloria & Praise From the BRAND NEW St. Peter Catholic Sensory Box to the ever-popular Catholic Christmas Crackers, Gloria & Praise creates products for a mission: to bring families together through faith and fun!  Run by a family of fun, Italian-American, Church-loving Catholics who also love babydoll sheep, old houses, family, friends, and coffee, you can gift with confidence that you are giving a high-quality item made with love.      Shop during Thanksgiving weekend for 25% off and free gifts OR use code BIS-10 for 10% off through December 31! Fawnly Fawnly is a home goods brand with heartfelt and encouraging original designs. With high quality bamboo cotton muslin blankets, swaddles, fine art prints, and other goods our goal is to bring hope, healing, and encouragement into your home. One of our best selling products is our Mini Muslin Blanket. It is 8-layers of buttery soft bamboo cotton in the perfect size for the car seat, the stroller, or used as a lovey. Everything is 25% off from November 22-November 27, no code necessary.  Catholic All Year  Catholic All Year is your one-stop shop for liturgical living products and ideas that fit into your real life! This mom-run business was founded by Kendra Tierney almost 20 years ago as she learned to use food, prayer, and conversations based around the liturgical calendar to convey the truths and traditions of the faith to her own family. Catholic All Year is here to help you discover easy and creative ways for your own family to experience the Catholic faith in a deep and life-changing way. From our memberships, to our stand-alone products, to our digital library, we'll show you how simple it can be to make your Catholic faith a memorable and meaningful part of your busy family life! Code: BLESSED10 (one-time 10% off entire order) Little Meadows Little Meadows is the family business of Ginny Sheller, Catholic mom to 9, maker of chrism salve, goat milk soap, naturally dyed organic textiles and other handmade goods. Take 10% off chrism salve through November 30th with code BLESSED10.  Nazareth Pottery We are a faith based shop that specializes in functional, Catholic pottery. Everything in our shop is handmade with love and prayer. We hope to be able to supply every household with faith based pottery by offering high quality stoneware products that will stand the test of time and kids!   Evergreen BIS reader code: BIS10. Black Friday Code: EARLYBIRD10. Christmas Shopping Code: HOLIDAY10 BOOKS + RESOURCES Every Sacred Sunday Hi BIS sisters! We're Every Sacred Sunday, creators of the ESS Mass journal—welcome! We are two Catholic friends from Houston with a love for beautiful books and the Mass. In 2017, the Holy Spirit led us to create the first ESS Mass journal which was funded through Kickstarter, and we are honored to create the 7th edition this year! Each Mass journal contains the full Mass readings, key responses, space for notes, liturgical artwork, and seasonal reflections. Thank you for checking out our full shop and joining us in saying "yes!" to God, one Sunday at a time! Enjoy 10% off any purchase using code BIS10 until December 31, 2023 (does not apply to past orders). Emily Wilson Ministries Emily Wilson Hussem a speaker, YouTuber, award-winning author, wife and mom who shares her faith online and travels the world sharing her witness of faith at conferences and events across the globe. Emily’s social channels (@emwilss) have a combined follower count of over 250,000. Her YouTube channel alone has over 130,000 subscribers and tens of millions of views. She writes, speaks, and creates videos on femininity, faith, dating, motherhood, and relationships - and her books, videos, social media content, courses, and talks continue to inspire and encourage women of all ages. Use code BISHOLIDAY for 15% off through December 9th! Catholic Family Crate Catholic Family Crate, a brand that creates Catholic gifts, educational materials, spiritual tools, and beautiful art to help children fall in love with their Catholic faith. Our products make wonderful gifts to children, families, and teachers for birthdays, sacraments, appreciation and so much more! Our Bestsellers are Pray by Sticker, Parts of the Mass Ring, Alleluia Card Games, Mass Kit, My Catholic Prayer Ring and so much more. Discount Code: BLESSEDISSHE2023 20% off for all CFC items including subscriptions Valid for 1x used per customer, discount code is valid until December 31,2023 Lazy Liturgical by Call Her Happy Lazy Liturgical activity sheets are for the families who wish to celebrate the liturgical year, but have a hard time remembering to plan something meaningful. Instead, purchase the Growing Bundle of activity sheets, and you will have access to hundreds of crafts and coloring pages that require no prep at all. Build your domestic church the easy way! Use code BISSISTER for 10% always on everything.   Thy Olive Tree Thy Olive Tree sells beautiful, Catholic books by independent authors. Shop for baby memory books, Rosary books, planners, journals, children's books and more! Find unique and meaningful gifts for all ages! Interested in self-publishing? Join the Fiat Self-Publishing Academy (https://academy.thyolivetree.com) to learn how to self-publish your own good, true, and beautiful book!   Into The Deep Into the Deep creates faith formation resources that help Catholic parents build a legacy of faith in their homes. These resources are easy to use, made to be used with the whole family, and teach the Catholicism through beauty. Our resources aim to make disciples who know about Jesus, and also know Him. We long to raise up a generation who loves and deeply understands their Catholic Faith! From November 19-27, get 15% off everything in the shop, no code necessary!  TOYS Saintly Heart Saintly Heart is a woman owned and family run Catholic Educational Resource Company creating faith based educational toys. Our goal is to provide high quality toys that will enrich peoples lives through faith, education and play. Use code BIS15 at checkout for 15% off your entire order. Shining Light Dolls At Shining Light Dolls we are passionate about helping families incorporate the wonder of our Catholic faith in every-day life, through proven play-based learning. Since our beginnings 11 years ago, we have been dedicated to providing the community of Catholic families with beautiful, affordable, faith-filled toys and are grateful to God to be able to continue our mission.  Through the entire month of November, we are offering a very special free gift with each purchase (no minimum!). We are also running a Black Friday - Cyber Monday sale with big discounts.

 “rest” This word reverberated in my stomach and tied it in knots. I had come to the end of another week, exhausted, once again. Ministry work, household chores and school schedules toppled over juggling health challenges. Somewhere along the way, lines between ministry and family time were constantly crossed. Trying to be “sold out for Jesus” I had become “worn out for Jesus.” My strength had failed and my spiritual maturity had plateaued.  Unsurprisingly, in that season, I encountered many Church leaders wondering the same thing. Too many of us had fallen for the Teach. Serve. Work. Reward. Repeat cycle.  The outcome? I found myself constantly equating work with my worth, measuring my family life by how many dinners we went to and my spiritual life by how many mission trips I animated.  The only time I felt I had done enough was when I was running on empty.    During those mind-numbing months, I was confronted with the mess of my own devising. Clearly, I had made an idol of exhaustion. Clearly, it was time to reclaim Sabbath rest. The Rhythm of (Sabbath) Rest “Let there be light”, God spoke to the void in the beginning. And, God created rhythms (Genesis 1:12)  When Adam entered Eden, he stepped into the rhythm of day and night, seasons, and tides.  Between those rhythms, God added one more - a seventh day of the week (Genesis 2:1–3), a pattern reflecting His own character, a rhythm Adam was called to imitate, take pleasure in and find fulfillment with.  It is alarming how our lives have become increasingly rhythm-less. In a culture that sees stillness as laziness and rest as sloth, our evenings and mornings have lost their meaning and our refusal to rest is leading to breakdowns in mental health, broken relationships, broken families, and substance abuse.  Is it any wonder why God gave us the Sabbath?  In ancient Israel, Sabbath began from sundown on Friday evening until sundown on Saturday evening. Unlike most of us, where day begins with our alarm clocks ripping the predawn darkness, for the Hebrews, day began in the night…. with God.  In this night, since the beginning, God spoke, worked, created, and renewed, while man slept. When man awoke, he participated in God’s creative work. He woke up in a world he did not make. He was given a salvation he did not earn.  Man does not rest from labor. Man, labors from rest. In other words, Sabbath emerges from the very life and being of God. It is a testament of God’s covenant love. It is a reminder that we belong because we are already accepted. It is freedom from the incessant demands of technology and productivity. And, it is an invitation to expand our hearts for God’s inexhaustive presence so His Divine life can flood our souls, invigorate our spirits and empower us to witness to Eden’s lost world.  {formbuilder:OTk3ODc=} Let My People Go  I had toiled more than 80 hours a week in that season. No boundaries. No rhythms. No rest. In my role as ministry leader, I felt compelled to be available to everyone. Every crisis was my crisis. Every complaint, my problem. What more, I was bombarded with the ever-surging, ever-present self-care trend, offering me a myriad of solutions ranging from therapeutic ads to lattes, teas, and oils.  But, outside God’s presence, my feeble attempts at ‘rest’ — whether that implied sleep-ins, days off or entertainment, felt like seeds planted in granite. I sowed, dug, and watered but the soil of my soul couldn’t hold the seeds.  I was looking for rest but reaping restlessness instead. When the Hebrews were commanded to "observe" the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:12), they knew what that meant. Being slaves for 400 years, they did not know what it was to rest. Hence, the command to take a day each week was a clarion call to live free, live higher, and to leave behind lesser loves.  Mark Buchanan, in his book The Rest of God writes, “In some ways, the whole point of the Exodus was Sabbath. Let my people go, became God’s rallying cry, that they might worship me. At the heart of liberty—of being let go—is worship. But at the heart of worship is rest.” Only a worshiper can turn the work of his hands into an offering.  After regular meetings with my spiritual director, frequenting the confessional and returning to the heart of worship, I was able to take a step back and breathe a sigh of relief. By cutting back on ministry tasks, cultivating worship and introducing silence I was able to experience God’s invigorating rest. Rest Has A Name At the end of last year, I reflected on Matthew 11:28, ‘Come to me all who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest.’ The word ‘rest’ was revelatory. I clung to it as my word for 2023. I understood that in order to enter this rest, I must leave behind pride and self-reliance - this fierce tendency to control my burdens and meet everyone’s needs. I must acknowledge that I don’t need the tag of ‘good mom, wife, leader’ to earn God’s favor. My restlessness cannot be solved by a spa day or a sweet latte or an array of spiritual activities. It begins at soul-deep level, where my deepest ache and weariness abides…. this place where Jesus most desires to enter.   True rest flows not from a weekly pause, but from a Person – Jesus, who is our Rest. He is our living, saving, Seventh Day. The refreshment He provides isn’t dependent on our circumstances or our schedule but simply on our obedience to “come” to Him.  Sister, are you tired? Worn out?  “Come”, Jesus says. No one is excluded. He promises not to lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you; simply an opportunity to be refreshed and be tethered to him.  Rest Fosters Fruitful Relationships So often, we subconsciously believe that serving others at the cost of our wellbeing is saintly.  But that is not the Gospel. Jesus Himself went into the mountains and prayed alone.  He never acted out of rhythm, was never controlled by busy schedules nor lived to serve people’s expectations.  How can I love others without recognizing God’s love for me? How can I see the needs of my community without admitting my own needs?  Before we can contribute to revival, we must first be refreshed. Our busy schedules create satellite relationships. But when we truly rest, we intentionally make room for others. In keeping the Sabbath, we see ourselves for who we are, and we see ourselves as integrated parts of a community. In our rest, we allow others to rest. In our rest, we foster fruitful relationships. In our rest, we allow marriages to flourish. In our rest, we teach our children that grace is real. In our rest, we remember that we do not cause the grain to grow, and that our greatest fulfillment does not come through the acquisition of material things, but only through abiding in Christ.  In all these years of ministry, I am yet to encounter a spiritually thriving person who accidentally keeps a Sabbath. Sabbath is intentional. It is commitment. It is a rhythm of Grace. Sister, I need a story that plays out differently than work, reward, repeat. I need a story that speaks - Blessed. Fruitfulness. Rest. What about you? As we begin Lent tomorrow, my prayer for you is that Sabbath-rest becomes an undeniable reality this year, a refreshing gift waiting to be unwrapped, a confirmation that you are never alone and a testament of God’s abiding rest, especially during seasons of weariness.

If you are anything like me, then you love love. You love any way you can express your feelings for the ones dearest to you. Your heart soars when you see couples kiss and public proposals. You love to love and want everyone to love just as much as you do. One of my favorite books that dives into the importance of love and what it means to love well is the well-renowned The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Chapman explains in his work the five ways people show their love for one another—physical touch, quality time, acts of service, words of affirmation, and gift giving—and how crucial these languages are for couples seeking to strengthen their relationships. As a single Catholic woman who wears her heart on her sleeve and is a hopeless romantic, however, I don’t get to use my wealth of love languages as often as I would like. I want to share all the love bottled up inside me, but I struggle with a lack of a significant other to spend quality time with or perform acts of service for, no one romancing me with gifts or sweet nothings. Luckily for us, faithful women of Christ, we have a Lord who wants to be the Love of our lives, all of us. Chapman urges anyone reading his book that “for love, we will climb mountains, cross seas, traverse desert sands, and endure untold hardships. Without love, mountains become unclimbable, seas uncrossable, deserts unbearable, and hardships our lot in life”—and if that doesn’t sound like our relationship with Jesus Christ, then I don’t know what does (p. 19). Sending Jesus a Love Letter Back Our Lord Jesus loves us more than any significant other ever will, but it’s easy to forget this. He is the King of Kings, the Savior of all, the Prince of Peace - but He is also our true and loyal Lover every day of our lives. We don’t need to wait to be in a relationship to love and to love well, especially when Jesus wants to be our Lover no matter our vocation. “I found him whom my soul loves” (Song of Songs 3:4). Jesus Christ writes each of us—daughter or mother, consecrated or married life, single or taken—a love letter every day, romancing us in our passions, joys, lessons learned, tears fallen, and especially in the Bible. Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge delves into how the Lord romances us to Himself: “The Great Love Story the Scriptures are telling us about also reveals a Lover who longs for you. The story of your life is also the story of the long and passionate pursuit of your heart by the One who knows you best and loves you most” (p. 117). If He spends his time doing this, pursuing us, how can we love Him well back? I eventually learned that we can use the five love languages to do so, just like any other relationship. How Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Love Languages “Arise, my friend, my beautiful one, and come!” (Song of Songs 2: 10) Physical Touch The first love language is physical touch. The Lord shares with us a unique way to become one with Him, to be physically close to Him, and that is through the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the Lord’s most beloved gift to us, and receiving Him on Sunday, and if possible, at daily Mass, is our humble present back to Him. In our proclamation of “Amen” and upon consuming the Eucharist, we are telling our Lover that we believe in Him and want to be with Him, to carry Him with us wherever we go. Try to attend daily mass once a month or even once a week as a physical commitment to Christ and to loving Him back. Another powerful way to show our love for Him is by praying the Stations of the Cross regularly. I have found that going from station to station at my parish, physically walking to Calvary with Jesus, has helped me not only remember the sacrifices He made for us but also spiritually be there with Him at a time many were not to show my love and dedication to Christ. “I held him and would not let him go” (Song of Songs 3:4). Quality Time Prayer is the simplest way we can share quality time with the Lord, but there are some specific forms of prayer that allow that time to be sanctified in love. One is reading His words and practicing lectio divina, a contemplative way to read and pray over Scripture. Another is by visiting the church either after Mass or throughout your week and sitting in His abiding peace and quiet. Sometimes we get so excited to talk to the Lord and tell Him everything that we forget one of the main components of conversation: listening. When reading the Bible and/or praying in silence, we can hear Him better and love Him best by sharing, listening, and then responding. Mother Teresa once said, “I see Jesus in every human being . . . I serve because I love Jesus.” Being there for those people who need to see the face of Jesus is a great way to love Christ while also meeting Him in those people as well. We can share quality time with Him in every person we meet, for He Himself taught us that “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25: 40). Spend time with your grandmother, reach out to your estranged friend, sit with the homeless and the poor in your community – they are Christ waiting to be loved back by you. “Draw me after you! Let us run!” (Song of Songs 1:4). Acts of Service My best friend gave up her entire life to serve Jesus as a Servant of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará. While sometimes I wish I could love and serve Him as beautifully as she does, you and I are all called to different acts of service as Christian people. For me, I have always enjoyed taking part in the various ministries at my parish, both at home and at college. Whether it is teaching a class at Vacation Bible School, helping coordinate Community Coffee Sundays, or lectoring at mass, there are so many ministries at any church that could use your time, talents, and treasures to love and serve the Lord and His people. Similar to quality time, volunteering with those faces of Jesus in your community is another loving way to offer yourself and your service to whomever needs it most, and therefore to Christ as well. “His left hand is under my head and his right arm embraces me” (Song of Songs 2:6). Words of Affirmation Words have meaning. A very wise role model of mine shared this expression with me, and her words ring even more true when it comes to love. Words of affirmation are the backbone of praising and worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ. We use words of kindness and humility to tell Him how much we love Him, to honor Him and His glory, to speak of His goodness over all the earth. In addition to praise, we also find ourselves in prayer sharing our gratitude for all He has given us. Remember this week to stop for a moment and to thank Him for your day and the blessings at hand. Using words of affirmation with the Lord, however, can be difficult. Finding the right words in prayer does not come easily all the time, and maybe you struggle to vocalize this. If this sounds like you, I encourage you to try singing to Him or listening to praise and worship music. No matter how you say it, think it, listen to it, or sing it, Jesus will hear and cherish every word. “You are beautiful in every way, my friend, there is no flaw in you!” (Song of Songs 4:7). Gift Giving When Jesus is the truest and best gift we could have ever received, what do we give Him back? The first thing you can do is follow Jesus’ lead and offer up the gift of yourself. Make a commitment to Him, a weekly promise, that you are His and He is yours, that you will use the upcoming week to love and serve Him well and to be His disciple. Another way to do this is by giving up something for a day or so, offering up your favorite cheesecake or that hour you normally spend on TikTok for prayer instead. Nothing says “I love you” more than sacrificing for Him who once sacrificed everything for us. Lastly, consider donating to your parish or favorite charity. The Lord loves when we share our treasures and show that our relationship with Him is more important than any dollar sign or bank account. “We will make pendants of gold for you, and ornaments of silver” (Song of Songs 1:11). You Were Made for This Kind of Love The love languages do not have barriers. Love does not have any barriers. Loving Him can look like leading a weekly Bible study or praying a Rosary walk with your family. Be creative, ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and love Christ the way you love best; your relationship with Jesus is meant to be as unique and special as you. However you decide to love Christ back, do it with your whole heart. The Lord knows when acts of love are performed with kindness and joy for Him, and He relishes them. Strengthen your relationship with Him who wants you for Himself, to love and to hold, in sickness and in health, never parted but reunited by death. Jesus of my heart’s center, Be the love of my life, my Savior, now, and forever, and ever. Amen.   [bctt tweet="Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Love Languages #BISblog // " via="no"]   Liz Homick is a second-year graduate student pursuing her M.S. in Library and Information Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. When she isn’t writing or studying to be a professional guardian of books, her friends and family can usually find her making puns, reading thirty books at once, or watching Disney movies on repeat. Liz swears by the Oxford comma, Times New Roman font, Old Bay seasoning, and unconditional kindness.

In a culture of selfies and social media posts, others-centeredness takes great intention and practice. When our children were younger, we had a more consistent family prayer routine. During this time, we intended to pray for others, but we often spent our entire bedtime routine praying only for ourselves. To remedy this, we solicited input from our kids about their friends’ needs, which met with mixed results. But then, when I witnessed a friend’s way of addressing her family’s amnesia of others, a lightbulb blinked on. Using her model, we began writing names on a dry erase board, and prayed for everyone on the board and their intentions. Problem solved. Writing names in black and white not only served as a reminder of others, it also showed us how many more needed our prayers than those that first came to mind. Then, another problem arose. We ran out of space on the whiteboard. So we got a larger surface—a bulletin board—and used Post-it notes to attach names of friends, family, church members, and their intentions. “Higher priority” intentions rose to the top of the board while ‘lower priority’ intentions moved down. Our children, in charge of arranging and rearranging names and prayers, took great interest and ownership of “their” list. We lovingly named our bulletin board the Prayer Wall. When Grandmom saw our bulletin board, she “oohed” and “ahhhed,” then made her own version in her house. Instead of a board, she commandeered an entire wall with a chalk-able surface. She added her own touches with pictures and notes to go with prayers. While our Prayer Wall came down during a teen redecorating project, Grandmom’s wall is still up and active. When we visit her, we admire its grand scale while she reminds us that its inspiration came from humbler beginnings. It reinforces our small and ongoing efforts against amnesia of others and the power of sharing our prayer routine with visitors. What creative prayer routines have influenced your time with God?   [bctt tweet="How to Make a Prayer Wall #BISblog //" via="no"]   FB Smit is the author of two bi-lingual picture books, a blog writer, and a teacher. With Mary, Joseph, and the company of the saints, she pursues His designs with the sleuth of Nancy Drew. Read more thoughts on faith and connect with her here.

What if we could live the Mass as our highest prayer no matter the circumstance? The stress from work, the drama with friends, the exams nearing at school, the list of errands and chores that don’t end would all take a backseat if we could enter the Mass and live it as if it were our last. A Simple Prayer Maybe that is exactly where we should start. I once heard a story told at our parish of an older man who assisted Mass every morning. He always sat in the first pew, covered in a holy web of scapulars with devotional books in hand. One day, the man went up to receive Holy Communion and when he got back to his seat to pray, died peacefully. We so often partake in the Mass with lukewarm devotion because we assume that we will be at Mass again next Sunday to do the same routine all over again. We may even fool ourselves into thinking that it is no big deal if we miss a Sunday here or there. What if we could change our attitude towards the Mass by beginning to pray a simple prayer? One that has greatly helped me is the following prayer: “Lord, help me to live this Mass as if it were my first Mass and also my last one on this earth.” You can formulate it anyway you like. The point is that we must learn to ask for the grace to live the Mass better. We must desire to live it as our highest form of prayer since it is our “source and summit” as Catholic Christians (see CCC 1324). Remembrance By taking a moment before the start of Mass to say a short prayer such as this one, you give the Lord permission to take you deeper into the sacred mysteries and to experience the Mass as a lived prayer, not just empty recitations. This starting point flows into the second which is to take even just one minute–in between the chaos of arriving at Mass on time or barely making it through the door before the Gospel–to quiet yourself down. Remind yourself in Whose Presence you are in and that you stand before the Holy of Holies with the veil torn open (see Hebrews 6:19-20). Do not try to tune out the noise around you but precisely there, in the midst of it all, for one moment, allow your heart to remember. The Mass itself is about remembering, a memory that is not dead or out of fashion but one that is living and ever-new. The Mass is where the Church as Bride remembers her Bridegroom, His sacrifice to the Father, and His command to “do this in memory” of Him (see Luke 22:19). That is, to make present once more the mystery of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection through the consecration of the bread and wine by the priest who stands in His stead. The bread and wine become what He Himself promised in the beautiful dialogue of John 6: “I am the Bread of Life…this bread is My body…” (verses 48, 51). “Offer It Up” As Catholics, we may be very familiar with this term “offer it up.” It may be easy for us to think about offering up to the Lord our moments of pain or humiliation. We may even be good about offering up our joys to the Lord. Yet, sometimes we forget to offer up the one thing that is the most valuable gift we have: Christ Himself in the Eucharist! When we slip into Mass, do we realize that this is the greatest prayer we can offer to the Father since it is Christ Himself–altar, victim, and priest–that becomes present? The very words of the Mass communicate this essence. Although the four Eucharistic prayers express this differently, the intention is the same: we offer to the Father, “[...] this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life, and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.” Each time we go to Mass, we should be offering up this perfect sacrifice for something or someone. It is as if we have been given a precious jewel and wish to keep it safely in our hands, instead of extending our hands out to others so that they too may benefit from the beauty of the gem. We should not hold on to the graces of the Holy Mass for ourselves, but instead offer up this highest prayer for the countless intentions bogging us down: for the needy, the stranger, the orphan, the friend in depression, the priest on the verge of despair or mortal sin, and so on. This treasure house is ours for the offering. Becoming What We Offer In the third Eucharistic prayer, after the acclamation of faith, the priest prays a similar prayer of offering as the one mentioned above. It contains this beautiful line, speaking of Christ the Victim: “May He make of us an eternal offering to You…” What we will discover is that the more we offer up the Mass as our highest prayer on behalf of others, the more we ourselves will be transformed into an offering. Instead of only offering Christ to the Father, we will wish to offer our very selves together with Him on that altar. The Mass–if we truly allow these words to be more than just words but efficacious prayers–becomes the place where we ourselves become what we offer. We become Who we offer: victims with the Victim. We can pray with greater boldness, then, to the Father since we no longer rely on ourselves and our merits but on Christ. How to Live the Mass More Fully, Practically So if you would like to live the Mass more attentively, aware that it is your own place of offering to the Father, I invite you to join me in these practical steps in addition to what I have mentioned above: Take some time to pray with your favorite part of the Mass or the most striking line in a prayer. Perhaps journal down your thoughts or simply meditate on the words of the prayer that move your heart until they become your own. Study the parts of the Mass and take time to read about the meaning of the gestures and prayers. Here is a great book! Commit a prayer to memory that can help you meditate on the reality of Christ’s Eucharistic Presence within you after Holy Communion. This may be an age-old prayer like the Anima Christi prayer, a short prayer as the one the Angel taught the three children of Fatima, or one of your own. Make time before Mass to look over the readings. You can even make it a habit of doing lectio divina, as a group or on your own. It will make your heart and mind that much more attentive when the words are read out loud in the congregation. What else would you add to the list? Let’s pray together: Lord Jesus, help us to live each Mass as our first and our last as we remember You. Father, allow Your Spirit to make of us an eternal offering to You in union with Christ. Amen.   [bctt tweet="How to Live the Mass More Fully #BISblog //" via="no"]

Let me paint the scene: It was a girl’s day out, everyone was grabbing some lunch, and I was stuck in the ordering line having an existential crisis about whether or not to buy a three dollar bagel. To fully understand the scene, let's add some paint to the background. At the time of the scene, I was working as a missionary. This fact and the bakery line crisis were inseparably linked by one reality: money. Working as missionaries, my husband and I were paid, but not very much. We did our absolute best to stay on top of our expenses and budget out our money. We were big Dave Ramsey fans. Missionary Tithing In fact, one of our first big decisions as a married couple had been regarding how we were going to handle our money. This included tithing. Prior to our missionary life, I had not been ignorant of tithing, but had never really practiced it. I had somehow always, falsely, viewed it as something you did once you were “well-established” in a career, whatever that means. Needless to say, when my husband first brought it up in our budget discussions, I was pleased but surprised. Our conversation went something like this: “First, we need to factor in a tithe to our budget.” My pause was long. “That’s a good idea, but, we are missionaries. We are the kind of people that other people tithe to. I didn’t think that really applied to us…” “Gracie, we are tithing.” And the matter was settled. My heart, on the other hand, was the slightest bit unsettled as we graphed out the chart and I watched that 10 percent be subtracted; 10 percent that we absolutely could have used for gas or groceries at the time. But we figured it out and decided to give it a go. A Greater Reliance And slowly we noticed the strangest things start to happen: insanely good deals and discounts would just pop up under our fingers, people started just giving us the exact things that we would be hunting for, waiters and waitresses even started taking care of part or all of our check. I’m not making this up. We were still living simply, but we were simultaneously living very well and found ourselves never stretched or stressed in the financial department. Everywhere we turned, the providence of God was making itself known. Seek First the Kingdom I had never before witnessed some of the words of the Bible as being so true. Thanks to my husband’s leadership, we were seeking first the Kingdom of God, and everything else that we could have been concerned about was being taken care of. Life was still expensive, especially when a baby came along, but with good friends, communication, prayer, thinking ahead, and maintaining that monthly tithe, it was never as tight as we expected. Back to the bakery line. I reluctantly ordered the bagel, knowing that I was hungry and it was a good opportunity to bond with my friends. But I felt a little guilty. After all, we were missionaries. I got my bagel and went to our table. Five minutes later, the last of our friend group walked up, holding two bags. “One for me, and one for you, Gracie,” she says handing me the bag. I look down at my plate. “But, I already got my food.” “It has your name on it, and your exact order, and has been sitting up there for five minutes and no one grabbed it. Two for the price of one, I guess it’s your lucky day!” It was such a small thing, but I knew it had nothing to do with luck. Store Up Treasure in Heaven Let God be the center of your finances, and He will provide for you in the big and small ways. If you don’t already, I encourage you to incorporate a monthly tithe in to your budget. God will bless it abundantly. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. // Matthew 6:19-21   [bctt tweet="Bagels and the Providence of God #BISblog // " via="no"]   Mary Grace “Gracie” Muraski lives and works in the mountains of Colorado with her husband. She is passionate about the outdoors, intentional conversation, and anything involving pasta.

Their voices enter my room and I become a part of their conversation. My bedroom wall separates us, but I can hear each voice clearly and in turn. First, Mariusz poses a question: "Mass on Sunday… Christ the King or Assumption?” Michael is quick to respond, “Christ the King!” Ann May doesn’t wait long, “Christ the King!” Exasperated and out of turn, Mariusz interjects, “Christ the King?! Same thing over and over and over again!” Larry, being the sensitive man that he is, offers a courtesy, “Um, Assumption?” I chuckled and my attention returned to the space that I was in. The Joy (and Challenge) of Predictability Days later, I continue to let this scene play behind my eyes. I grin as I see it taking place. It is ordinary, but from within it our friends teach. At L’Arche, we have a general routine for each day and a rhythm to each season. Daily, we can all count on eating, cleaning, and praying together. Throughout the year we have an array of shared holidays and our own traditions unique to L’Arche that we anticipate. While traditions are lovely, they can also be exhausting. And while routines create stability, they can also be a bore. So, as I hear the conversation again, and listen to Sunflower House discuss where to go to Mass on Sunday, I can identify with Mariusz. As an assistant, I too crave change; however, some of our core members are more robust. God's Pattern of Routine In G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy he illustrates several scenarios involving routine and invites the reader to question whether our routines are boring or if we who experience them are lacking. In this, I see Mike, Ann, and Larry’s decision to go to the same church every week, at the same time, and to sit in the same pew week after week after week. Again, this silly church debate scene repeats in my mind and while it plays I hear Chesterton’s voice explaining something about routine to me. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to bless monotony. God says every morning, "Do it again," to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may be that God makes every daisy separately, but never got tired of making them. It may be that He has an eternal appetite for infancy. Learning to Lean into Routine I realize that my whole life is made up of routines. My waking hours are scheduled around my sleeping hours. My chores are scheduled around my activities and everything is scheduled around when I eat! I can take a vacation from my daily routines, but they’re always around when I return and they make up the meat of my life. My friends at L’Arche are always teaching me and as I continue to share life with them perhaps I might learn how to relish in routine. Do you balk at routine or do you see the value in it?   [bctt tweet="To Relish in Routine #BISblog // " via="no"]   Taylor Fuller is a newlywed who spent her honeymoon galavanting around Ireland, scoping out Marian Apparition sites, and chasing hairy coo in Scotland. Stateside, she shares life at L’Arche Jacksonville in Florida with her friends with and without disabilities who live together in community.

It can be an elusive chase. We shift schedules, we say "no," we set boundaries, we buy the next product that makes promises. We all long for peace, and we are willing to work hard to obtain it. And those efforts are worthwhile and can bring a steadiness to our days. But true peace cannot be grasped; it is a gift we must receive. The Prince of Peace This title of the Lord from the prophet Isaiah is one of the most beloved for Christ. Not only does it provide a lovely alliteration, but it speaks deeply to the role of peace in the economy of salvation. We want peace; peace is a Person. And that Person is both Peace itself and the One Who holds authority—prince-ship—over it. So if we want lasting, sink-down-into-our-souls peace, we must come to Him daily, allowing Him to give us peace and be our peace. Peace Paupers We understand this well enough, and we believe it. But in trying to live it, we encounter various obstacles. It seems that, at every turn, something threatens to "steal" our peace. We are beggars on this journey, and we often accept any counterfeit "peace" in order to feel a moment of satisfaction or manufactured rest. None of us are exempt from this temptation, which speaks to how incredibly transformational peace is in the spiritual life. The enemy offers us poor exchanges for Peace, and every time we can turn from that to the One Who holds us steady is a victory. An Inventory of Peace So where do we stand in regards to peace, then? Have we taken time to evaluate where we stand in light of the Prince of Peace? The upcoming Advent season is an ideal time to reflect upon how much of our lives we have (or have not yet) handed over to the newborn Prince of Peace. We invite you to pray through the first section of questions before or at the beginning of Advent. Keep a "score sheet" of some sort in a journal or in your Notes app to help you remember. Then, walk with us through Peace Has a Name as we examine all the various aspects of this true Peace into which we are invited. To Reflect on Before Advent On a scale of 1-5, 1 being absolutely no peace and 5 being perfect peace, rank the various areas of your life. Feel free to jot down responses to the questions are you pray through them, too. Relationship with God // Am I at rest in my relationship with God? Am I content in my prayer life and growing closer to Him, or are there areas of distraction and woundedness keeping me from Him? Relationship with others // What is the status of the current relationships in my life? Do I have a thriving community, or am I desperate for just one friend? Do I have friendships that dive below the surface and call me to a higher way of life with Christ? Is there unresolved anger or conflict in my relationships that steals my peace? How do I need to forgive and be forgiven? Relationship with self // How do I view myself? Am I at war with myself over my personality, life choices, confessed sin, shame, feelings of abandonment or self-reliance, or a desire to control? Have I brought my wounds to the foot of the Cross? Am I taking care of my most basic needs so I can operate out of a place of human peace so that divine peace may work through me? Body image // How do I view my body? Am I disturbed in my soul every time I look in the mirror? How do I speak to and about myself? Do I lack gratitude for what my body does for me? Vocation // Am I at peace in my vocation? Why or why not? If I am waiting for my vocation, am I at peace? Why or why not? Regardless of vocation, how am I trying to control that which is out of my control? Am I resentful? Am I ungrateful? Am I unwilling to change for the better? Do I withhold love or forgiveness? In what ways do I feel unrest in this area? Work // To what work has the Lord called me? How do I accept this invitation? Do I labor diligently for His sake, even when I am overlooked or under-appreciated? Am I resisting a prompting from the Holy Spirit to move into a new season of my mission? Leisure + hobbies // Do I rest? Do I make time to enjoy what I enjoy simply for the sake of enjoying it? Am I filling my schedule and my brain with distractions so that I miss opportunities to partake in true leisure? How does this influence my mental space and approach to duty when I don't make time for delight? Once Christmas arrives, revisit this post and pray through the set of questions again. How have your answers changed? Have you experienced more peace in one or more areas of your life? How has the Lord moved in and purified your heart during the Advent season? How can you maintain a proper perspective on peace as you go throughout the coming new year? [elementor-template id="761780"] To Reflect on After Advent On a scale of 1-5, 1 being absolutely no peace and 5 being perfect peace, rank the various areas of your life. Feel free to jot down responses to the questions are you pray through them, too. Relationship with God // Am I at rest in my relationship with God? Am I content in my prayer life and growing closer to Him, or are there areas of distraction and woundedness keeping me from Him? Relationship with others // What is the status of the current relationships in my life? Do I have a thriving community, or am I desperate for just one friend? Do I have friendships that dive below the surface and call me to a higher way of life with Christ? Is there unresolved anger or conflict in my relationships that steals my peace? How do I need to forgive and be forgiven? Relationship with self // How do I view myself? Am I at war with myself over my personality, life choices, confessed sin, shame, feelings of abandonment or self-reliance, or a desire to control? Have I brought my wounds to the foot of the Cross? Am I taking care of my most basic needs so I can operate out of a place of human peace so that divine peace may work through me? Body image // How do I view my body? Am I disturbed in my soul every time I look in the mirror? How do I speak to and about myself? Do I lack gratitude for what my body does for me? Vocation // Am I at peace in my vocation? Why or why not? If I am waiting for my vocation, am I at peace? Why or why not? Regardless of vocation, how am I trying to control that which is out of my control? Am I resentful? Am I ungrateful? Am I unwilling to change for the better? Do I withhold love or forgiveness? In what ways do I feel unrest in this area? Work // To what work has the Lord called me? How do I accept this invitation? Do I labor diligently for His sake, even when I am overlooked or under-appreciated? Am I resisting a prompting from the Holy Spirit to move into a new season of my mission? Leisure + hobbies // Do I rest? Do I make time to enjoy what I enjoy simply for the sake of enjoying it? Am I filling my schedule and my brain with distractions so that I miss opportunities to partake in true leisure? How does this influence my mental space and approach to duty when I don't make time for delight? The Purpose of Peace Hopefully, as you have journeyed through the four weeks of Advent and have come back to reflect on these questions again, you have seen how the Holy Spirit has shaped you again and again into a new creation in Him. Hopefully, you have understood even more deeply that Jesus alone is the Prince of Peace, the One Who can gift us that for which we ultimately long. The primary purpose of peace is to keep us anchored in the truth that we are never alone or abandoned by God. He never once turns His gaze from us. He never once ceases to be concerned with all that concerns us. This is where we find our rest: in the Sacred Heart which endlessly burns with love. We are forever loved, forever desired, and forever cared for. It is in this that our peace is offered and where we can accept to live in it. Are you satisfied with the amount of peace you have in your life or do you long for more? How is Jesus inviting you to accept the kind of peace He offers, the peace which the world cannot give?   [bctt tweet="Am I at Rest? // An Inventory of Peace #BISblog //" via="no"]

Recently I spoke with a young woman leaving for her freshman year of college. The subject of dating came up. I asked her what she was looking for in a man. Her words—“as long as he’s Catholic”—stirred up mixed feelings in my heart. I was grateful that her Faith was important to her; but on the other hand, I knew she deserved more than that. It has been 11 years since I’ve been on the dating scene and I thought it was hard a decade ago. I can’t imagine what dating has become like now, especially with the “hook-up culture” that seems to be so rampant on dating apps and college campuses. Keeping Standards High While Dating My hope for all single women is to not only embrace singleness and find joy and peace in it, but to wisely navigate dating and courtship in this seemingly-crazy modern culture. Envision the Life You Want in the Future Close your eyes and imagine your life in 10 years. What do you see? Are you in a loving, committed marriage? What kind of man is standing next to you? Does he have a prayer life? Is he supportive of your goals and dreams? Is he involved and attentive to your children? Does he work hard to provide for you and your family? Does he serve in ministry or do you travel the world together on missions? Does he make you laugh? Think about the couples in your life whose marriages inspire you. Marriage might not be on your radar right at this moment, but deciding what kind of marriage you want in the future can help determine what you value and what qualities you’re looking for in a man. You’ll be less likely to settle for a man who isn’t right for you. Find the Right Man in the Right Place Imagine that your future boyfriend is “going out with the boys” for the night. Where do you hope he’s going? How would you prefer that he spend his time with his friends? Hopefully not getting wasted at a random bar and passing out on a couch at 2 a.m. The way he chooses to spend his time is a great indicator of the kind of man he is and can possibly clue you into the kind of setting you can potentially meet him. Get involved with the young adult ministry in your local diocese. Join a club or take a class and learn a new skill. Serve your community by joining a service group. Meet other great ladies in a women’s group who might eventually be able to set you up with a great guy! You can’t always choose where you’ll meet your future spouse (I never thought I’d meet mine at a wedding) but you can definitely avoid the clubs and drunk parties where you likely won’t meet your dream man. Set Boundaries and Expectations Ever been halfway through a date and realize that the guy is subtly hinting at going back to his apartment to “hang out?” How romantic. Just because he buys you dinner doesn’t mean you owe him anything, especially not a quick and meaningless interaction. No matter how charming or attractive he is or how many butterflies are in your stomach, never forget that you are worth more than just a physical connection. You deserve a man who wants to protect your body, your mind, your soul, and your heart. Frankly, the man you date deserves the same from you. You should absolutely expect a man to take you out on a proper date and treat you like the daughter of God you are. You don’t have to treat every date like a marriage proposal, but you should make your intentions clear. If you are searching for a serious, intentional dating relationship with the hopes of a happy and healthy marriage, that should be made clear to him. Any man who is worthy of your time will respect this. Setting boundaries might take a little more forethought. I suggest discussing it with someone you trust before going on the date. Having those boundaries determined and placed in mind will make it easier to stick to them. Consider details like: Will you be picked up or meet at a public location? What time do you expect to be home? How many drinks (if any) will you have? What topics do you feel comfortable talking about? What are you uncomfortable with? Are you okay with holding hands? What other physical parameters should you consider? You Can’t Change Him, Only God Can Many of us can fall into the trap of dating someone who doesn’t agree with our values and hoping that he’ll change for us. How many times have we wished to be that girl on the TV show who captures the heart of the “bad boy” and he suddenly changes his ways for the better? It’s a great plot line; unfortunately, it’s not the story many of us experience. Most of the time, it leads to frustration and heartache. You may even find that a man labels himself as “Catholic” or “Christian” but later realize that means something entirely different to him. You are worthy of a good and godly man! And you have the impact and feminine genius to influence a man to strive for holiness and to improve himself in every aspect of his life. But you cannot change a man’s heart. Only God can. Surround Yourself With Good Friends Get the opinions of trusted friends, family, or even a mentor. Find people who share similar values and ideals, lift you up and encourage you, and speak truth into your life. These people should know and understand you well. They should validate you and help raise your confidence but also inspire you to improve and be your best self. Dating is fun and exciting, but putting the same amount of time and effort in cultivating deep and fruitful community is essential in feeling connected and having healthy relationships. They should also have the ability to communicate their concerns honestly. If your closest circle won’t point out the red flags they see, then who will? If a close friend or family member expresses concern about the man you’re dating, I would strongly suggest that you consider what they’re saying with a spirit of humility. When your heart and hopes are tangled up in a relationship, it might be hard not to jump to defensiveness. In the end, it’s up to you to decide, but it is helpful to hear from outside perspectives. Keep An Open Mind Do you have a friend who rejects every man she meets because she somehow finds something wrong with him? Maybe someone who self-sabotages every potential relationship because he doesn’t meet her impossible standards? When we expect perfection out of a man, we may begin to overlook the wonderful, amazing men who are already in our lives. Perhaps you have a male friend who you never gave a chance before. Maybe you didn't go on a second date with a guy because you weren’t immediately swept off your feet. Let’s consider how we, as women, can be open and receptive to being approached and pursued by men. We have to stay in that tension of holding ourselves up to the high standards that we deserve, without expecting a man to check off every single box on our “perfect man list.” Stay Rooted in Prayer If you want to find a godly man, you have to stay close to God. Immerse yourself into a healthy spiritual and prayer life so that He can reveal to you the kind of love you are worthy of. Seek healing if needed. So much of our past wounds and childhood experiences can shape the way we think we deserve to be loved. Ask God to remind you of your worth and dignity. Pray for your future spouse. He needs the prayers in his singleness just as much as you do! This special time of searching for one another is one that can be filled with incredible blessings. You can intentionally seek to become a better woman, daughter, friend, future wife and mother while he intentionally seeks to become a better man, son, friend, future husband and father. Then, when you two meet, you will be much more ready to join together and strive for holiness and Heaven together. What kind of marriage do you think God is preparing you for? What has your dating life been like and what would you like to change? If you are not single, is there a single girlfriend you can send this article to?   [bctt tweet="Single Ladies, Put Your Hands Up // Keeping Standards High While Dating #BISblog // " via="no"]

A few summers ago I was in my poetry residency for the week. The instructor gave our class a writing assignment: produce a poem about food. That night, I sat for a while looking at a blank page, wondering what to write. For context, I began baking more that summer. I became focused on making the perfect pound cake and sharing it with others. Baking was not a loved hobby but I found a recipe that inspired me. The longer I reflected, the more I felt led to process something vulnerable and write it. I was surprised with what followed, but it was well received by my classmates, which gave me courage and affirmation. Pound Cake // Something was missed mashing together all I wanted. I’m the best darn mother there is, if only I had the kids to prove it: Birthday cakes I never got to make. Brownies I never sent to school in a lunch box. But this cake’s not as dramatic as the frosted layer, not as simple as a cupcake. Centuries old, a no fail 1 pound of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. Half and half, vanilla extract, dash of salt, mixed smooth and creamy - bowl to lick! Predictability, control by shaping matter. Pound cake for the dinner party. Pound cake for the new neighbor. Pound cake and coffee. Lemon, chocolate, vanilla pound cake. Serve on paper plate or heirloom china. Dense, sweet, bread like yum. Baked in a bundt, captured on a cooling rack, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Fecundity taken in another direction. Not giving birth to the world, just feeding it. Motherhood in Another Direction Can you hear the longing, the desire, the question, and finally the attempt to soothe this thing that was and has always been within me? I was asking a question, “What does motherhood have for me, a childless woman? Is there more to this desire than simply teaching and nurturing kids in a classroom? Have I missed my moment?” What’s more, I know I am not the only woman who lives out these questions. Childlessness can feel like its own kind of infertility—a sense of loss at never having had the chance. There are many stories, and many of my sisters who carry their own experience of motherhood, with all its deepest joys and sometimes sorrow. But He is the Restorer and when this is handed back to God, He can make it beautiful. In my case, it is taking steps toward foster parent training with an open heart for adoption—and having peace in the process. It is not only waiting for the right time, but then trusting and moving forward in faith. Allowing God to be the builder. Knowing He put the desire for motherhood within me and He will see it fulfilled. How is God speaking to you about motherhood? Where is He asking you to build mother culture? He can be trusted. Our dreams and sorrows find a home in His heart. This is a call for all women, even those who have never felt the desire to have children. The feminine gifts brought to bear in our communities make us all better. Rightly-ordered femininity does not have to compete with or for men, it does not have to demand a place at the table. If anyone changed the view of women in culture, it was Jesus Himself. He was a radical inviter of those typically uninvited. Know you are being invited by Him where you find yourself right now.   [bctt tweet="Childlessness, Pound Cake, + Mother Culture #BISblog //" via="no"]   Jenny Richeson is a Catholic writer who is a lover of language and its mysteries. By day she provides speech pathology and cognitive intervention services to kids. Her main goal in life is to be a speaking stargazer caught up in wonder whenever possible. She makes her home in Kentucky with her husband, Matt. Together they find God in gardening and all manner of outdoor activities whenever they can. Stargazing is a favorite pastime too. You can find out more about her here.

“Think nothing else but that God ordains all, and where there is no love, put love, and you will draw out love.” This quote from Saint John of the Cross articulates my journey as a foster parent in a much more profound way than I could ever muster up. Loving these children has revealed to me a depth of the Father’s love I had not previously known. Growing up, I had foster siblings in and out of our home. My parents adopted five of my siblings through foster care. They have been such a blessing to us in ways they will never know. I began my own personal foster care journey several years ago and it has been a hold-your-breath, learn-to-juggle, experience tears-and-laughter journey up to this point. My Foster Care Journey There are much more experienced foster parents out there, which makes me perhaps under-qualified to share. But here are 6 (of the many) lessons I have learned from this beautiful journey. The Lord’s timing is providential and even miraculous. After being licensed as a foster parent, I thought I would have a child placed with me that day. I waited in joyful anticipation for a year and a half for my first placement (albeit not very patiently at times during that painful waiting period). I said “yes” to over fifty children I received calls for. Each time I said yes, I would start preparing my home and heart only to be let down when I didn’t receive a call back. Ironically, when my first sweet kiddo came home with me, it was at the start of one of the hardest seasons of my life. My foster son’s presence during that time was astonishingly providential in ways I could have never imagined. As the psalmist says in Psalm 91:1: he that dwells in the secret place of the most high God shall abide in the presence of the almighty. Some of the most beautiful work done in your life will be in a waiting season at the foot of the Cross. Jesus used this waiting period to reveal to me that His timing is inscrutable and His ways are unfathomable. You will get “too attached." I often hear people say they would like to do foster care but “can’t” because they will get too attached. Simply put, I have learned that yes, yes you will get too attached. That is the exact point of all of it: to love someone like they are your own child. Despite a child’s length of stay, attachment is just the beautiful by-product of loving someone unconditionally and without barriers. Every story is unique. Foster care is not a “one size fits all” journey. Some children will reunify with biological parents and some will be adopted; some are sexually abused and some are addicted to narcotics; some will want to call you "mama" and some will hate you; some will come with twenty broken bones and some will come home with you from the hospital at birth; some will need therapy and some won’t; some will come with a pillow case of belongings and some will come with nothing. This is a glimpse into the exponential uniqueness of each child you may encounter. The Lord has been so sweet to help me understand that everyone’s journey as a foster parent will be unique because every child is unique. I was reminded that each child is not defined by any label describing their past or current situation, namely, “a foster child.” They are fearfully and wonderfully made children of God who need to be loved just as Christ loves us. There is someone who loves these children even more than I do. There are times throughout foster care that I have felt like my heart is shattering for these kids. At moments, I have felt like I am in a white, padded, sound-proof room screaming for my child’s voice to be heard, but to no avail. It is in these moments that I drop to my knees and surrender them to a Father who loves them even more than I do. He has not forgotten them and it is here that the only thing I can do is obediently say “thy will.” Loving through foster care is a glimpse of biblical love exemplified by Jesus’ foster father, Joseph. After a court hearing, it dawned on me that, in the eyes of the “system,” my role is inconsequential. The magistrate took a roll-call of everyone in the room. There were probably twenty named adults who were in charge of making decisions for this child. However, when referencing me to the court recorder, I was a “caretaker” present. I was in disbelief. There was not a single other person in the room who knew how many times a night my child woke, what soothed him when he was inconsolable, or where to find the banana teether he loved. II believe it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that some may not have known his full name. I was an unnamed adult with opinions that would never be taken into consideration. I was a walking zombie trying to juggle single motherhood, military life, and all of the demands of foster care. My pride wanted someone to congratulate me for everything I was pouring into this child. When no one cared who I was, I was dumbfounded... and then convicted. It was at this moment the Holy Spirit challenged me to ponder the life of Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. Joseph was never "the hero." In fact, there is very little found in Scripture about Joseph. We know he was obedient, a man of pure character, and a carpenter. Apart from this, there is very little revealed about someone who raised the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I began to imagine Joseph gently reminding Jesus to slow down as a rambunctious toddler running through the streets of Nazareth or teaching Him how to tie His sandals or imparting carpentry wisdom with this gentle spirit. This man was the definition of humility, pouring into raising a Child without the demand for recognition. Jesus stopped me in my prideful tracks to show me foster care had nothing to do with me. It had everything to do with Him and His love for these little ones. The system needs us. There are nearly half a million kids in foster care in the United States alone on any given day. Sadly, the system will fail many of these children due to a lack of resources and being overburdened and underpaid. These children need people to step up and fight for them as foster parents, case workers, guardian ad litems, court-appointed special advocates, volunteers, donators, and prayer warriors. We live in a time where it is hard to hear past the din of society advocating for everything but a wholly-supported right to life. I want to gently encourage everyone to contemplate in holy discernment how the Holy Spirit is convicting us to open our homes, our wallets, and our hearts to help foster children during a time that is in desperate need of the Church to rise up and say, “Here I am Lord, send me.” Any other foster parents out there? What have you learned throughout your journey?   [bctt tweet="My Foster Care Journey #BISblog //" via="no"]   Written by Sarah Falvey.

I couldn't believe it. Looking down at my shaking (and now sparkling!) left hand, then up at the face of my smiling best friend, I realized it really happened: I was engaged. Engagement is a beautiful season in the lives of many women. And, as with every season, we are called to walk through it with God. Praying through Engagement Whether your engagement is a few short months or over a year, this time affords you a unique opportunity to grow with the Lord as you prepare for your vocation. Here are some tips for praying through this exciting time! Praying for Your Fiancé Each morning when I wake up, I put on my engagement ring. One of the easiest ways I remember to pray is to associate it with a habit or something I do naturally, so I've also tried to attach a prayer to this small gesture. When I pick up my ring off my bedside table, I say a quick prayer for my fiancé. It's very short and sweet. I briefly thank God for him and ask the Lord to bless him that day and guide our relationship towards Him. It only takes 30 seconds, but it is a powerful reminder that keeps me focused on the Lord as we journey towards the Sacrament of Marriage. Consider finding a way that works for you to keep your fiancé in your prayers daily. Praying Together The time of engagement can be both a sweet and sometimes stressful season! As you begin participating in marriage prep at your parish, creating guest lists, and planning for your future, a lot is put on your plate. Remember to take time together to pray. One of my favorite things to do is go to Adoration with my fiancé. It's a quiet time out from all the busyness and noise that often fills our lives. Whether it's Adoration, a daily Rosary, or just praying together at the end of the day, try to find time and explore new ways to experience prayer together. Planning with the Lord Tell the Lord everything. From your feelings to your wedding plans. It can feel silly. But the God Who created the universe is intimately interested in every aspect of your life, including your marriage and wedding. As Jesus revealed to Saint Faustina, "I am concerned with every beat of your heart." And He's concerned with every beat of your heart as well. Nothing is ever too big or too small for His attention. A lot is going on in your heart during this time of transition as you are grown, stretched, and refined in many ways. Make sure He has access to all of it. Talk to Him about your hopes, fears, insecurities, and dreams. Tell Him about the caterer you're excited about, your honeymoon plans, and your budget stresses. He wants it all. Give Him the joy of walking through this journey with you. Remain with Him Before you were ever a fiancé, you were a daughter. His daughter. And even now, as you're preparing to journey from fiancé to wife, you still are His daughter! Continue to build your relationship with the Lord by remaining committed to your prayer routine. Spend time with Him in whatever way you enjoy best and allow Him to continue to fill you up and love you in the ways that only He can. Spend time with Him in the Gospels or the chapel (or better yet, try to visit Him more frequently in daily Mass!). You won't regret spending that extra time with Him as you get ready to fully enter into your vocation. No matter what your engagement looks like, the Lord has a personal invitation to intimacy for you. I pray you can take full advantage of this unique and special time to draw closer to Him than ever before. Any other engaged ladies out there? How do you pray with and for your future husband?   [bctt tweet="Praying through Your Engagement #BISblog // " via="no"] Shelby Hennen is a young professional who hails from the Midwestern metropolis of Kansas City MO. She loves a good book, a good chat with a friend and a good taco joint.

Confused about the current "Synod on Synodality" you have seen in your parish bulletin and maybe heard about in passing? Synodality is what God expects of the Church in the 21st century. // Pope Francis The meaning of the ten-dollar word “synodality” is "mutual collaborative listening, guided by the Holy Spirit, in which all of the faithful have something to learn from each other, in order to know what God is saying to the Church." This Synod// A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity Traditionally, synods have referred to an assembly of bishops who gather to discuss matters pertaining to the Church and the faithful. The gathering of the Second Vatican council broke new ground in seeking to include the input of theologians, scholars, vowed religious, laity, and ecumenical representatives in a new way. In the case of the current synod, the bishops will consult uniquely with lay Catholics worldwide to get a sense of their lived experience as well as their needs (where the Church is meeting the needs of the people, and what growing edges exist to meet Catholics living lives of faith in this contemporary). "Both before and after Vatican II, a theology of the laity was developed. It “emphasized that ‘the Church’ is not identical with her pastors; that the whole Church, by the action of the Holy Spirit, is the subject or ‘organ’ of Tradition; and that lay people have an active role in the transmission of the apostolic faith” (Sensus Fidei 41). The synod of bishops provides an important channel for the voice of the faithful to contribute to the lived experience of a Church still in search of a response from her Risen Lord on those difficult matters that present themselves from time to time" (source). Under Francis’ papacy, several synods have been called: Syond on the Family (2014), on youth (2018), and the Church in the Pan-Amazon region (2019). “Consultation of the faithful must be followed by discernment on the part of the Bishops chosen for the task, united in the search for a consensus that springs not from worldly logic, but from common obedience to the Spirit of Christ. Attentive to the sensus fidei of the People of God—‘which they need to distinguish carefully from the changing currents of public opinion’—the members of the Assembly offer their opinion to the Roman Pontiff so that it can help him in his ministry as universal Pastor of the Church…. When it is therefore a question involving the faith itself, the consensus ecclesiae … is the outcome of the working of the Spirit, the soul of the one Church of Christ’ ” (Apostolic Constitution Episcopalis communio 7). The "Synod of Synodality" is a two-year process that began in October of 2021 and will last through mid-October 2023. During this time, Pope Francis has opened a process for both listening and dialogue amongst the hierarchy and the laity of the Catholic Church. Bishops around the world are invited to lend an ear to the experience of Catholics everywhere. As our pastor says, to be invited to participate in the work of a Synod is a once in a lifetime opportunity. An Epic Compilation All Catholic parishes have been invited and encouraged to host gatherings of prayer and reflection for parishioners to share their input on questions pertaining to the life of the parish community. In most cases, gatherings have been scheduled and delegates from each parish are assigned the task of compiling and condensing input for submission to the Archdiocese. The Archdioceses, in turn, have been tasked with reading through the specific parish feedback and creating a document that reflects the themes and input from the archdiocese as a whole. When these documents have been compiled, they will be submitted to the Vatican to help illustrate the strengths and needs of the Church by world-region. As we might imagine, liturgies and worship have a particular flavor in urban cites that differs significantly from rural parishes. Parishes with schools and lots of young people have different needs than those with an aging population. Catholics in Europe where the church is waning experience community in a much different way than the burgeoning global south. Church communities in areas of poverty have a different lived experience than those with tremendous affluence. Parishes who lean more heavily on the Corporal Works of Mercy have something to share with parishes who lean heavily on Spiritual Works of Mercy, and vice versa. We Have the Same Goal As the largest church in the world, it is good and necessary to have the opportunity to gather and communicate about the wants/needs/hopes/stirrings of the Church that serves and guides us. In her wisdom, the Church provides that to us, and we are all better for it. Synods, though not new, afford us a fantastic way to work collaboratively as a body of believers who are diverse and plentiful. Have you participated in your parishes synod discussion groups? Whether or not you were able to participate in the conversation, be on the watch for the Archdiocesan document that is compiled for your specific area. Or find the document from an area different than yours and see how they compare.   [bctt tweet="The Synod on Synodality (+ Ways to Pray) #BISblog //" via="no"]

My mind has a tendency to wander. I float between writing notes on my phone, post-it notes, my Blessed is She planner, and the notepad on the kitchen counter. I end up being all over the place in hopes of staying organized, jotting down ideas for something I want to write about, and then attempting to piece it all together later. When I don’t reign in the mental scroll of what’s next on my personally-inflicted corporate task list, I lose track of my intentions. I begin the day with intention and then focus begins to taper off. By mid-afternoon, I’m a crabby, grumpy, and tired mama (especially before dinner time). Combatting Excuses I’m not a busy person as much as I like to occupy myself. It probably stems from some misguided need to be productive. The problem with my busy-bee approach is that it offers little time to quiet myself and be still. It keeps me from getting to the bottom of the roots of old habits mixed in with poor habits which continues the cycle and has led me straight to burnout. Excuses become acceptable and, before I know it, I am giving into a bad habit and lack the discipline to reign it in. Taking Time Over the summer, Jesus spoke to me through a wise and holy priest who said, “Take your time.” I can’t tell you how much I needed those words. They are such simple words, and yet they completely calmed my inner restlessness. It's almost like I was a candle, flickering continuously underneath a draft until I was repositioned and the wick became calm and still. As I have slowly unpacked what it means for me to take my time, it has opened my eyes to the self-inflicted expectations and demands I place on myself. It has been so liberating for me to come back to these words throughout the day. When the toddler explodes into a complete and utter melt down... Take your time. When my kids begin to argue over who can play air guitar (because one of them has had guitar lessons and the other hasn’t )... Take your time. When I send an e-mail with directions and other pertinent information and someone responds asking for the directions... Take your time. This concept isn’t exclusive to what I am actually doing as much as it is the practice of taking my time to respond to these daily occurrences. My response to all of these situations is typically met with feelings of agitating, aggravation, annoyance, and frustration. When I take my time to process my response to a situation, I can’t blame anyone for frustrating me, annoying me, or agitating me because no one has the power to do that. It's like when I remind my son that his sister (who doesn’t want to hear the intricate details about LEGO descriptions) doesn’t have the power to make him angry because he is choosing to respond in that manner. The battle to remain in peace is at every moment of the day. Blaming someone or something else is normally seeped in excuses. Taking Deep Breaths I take a deep breath and take my time in doing so. I feel better when I say those words in my mind. I feel at ease. Suddenly, the hesitation to take my time because of this-or-that excuse envelops me with peace. I give myself permission to take my time and suddenly I’m not as tense, stressed, hurried, or feeling the need to apologize for being human. Why do I fall into quicksand for the sake of speed and efficiency when it ends up costing me more in the long run? What’s the rush to not take my time? What do I think I will really gain by living encumbered to do things a certain way? Undoing the Worldliness I haven’t had a “real job” in years, yet my urgency to get things done and respond as if the earnings of stockholders depend on me is something I am learning to undo. I can’t force the confessional line to go any faster, I can’t will traffic to ease up, I can’t make my children eat faster when we have somewhere to be, and I can’t make myself work as if there are four other versions of me. The reality is that my life with Christ is always going to be counter-cultural. I am constantly going to be battling against the noise, distraction, worldly temptations, vanity, and materialism that the world proposes will fulfill me. The truth is that only Peace Himself can allow me to experience happiness. The Prince of Peace I am tired of allowing excuses to consume me and get in the way of interior freedom. Jesus came into this world with nothing and yet He is everything. This babe of Bethlehem stripped of any and all worldly attachments gave us the greatest gift of Himself. Jesus came and countered everything the world says we need. This Godman entered into this world fallen to sin, and the gift He offers us as a feeble and vulnerable newborn is His lasting peace. It doesn’t make sense, but His love has no bounds. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. // John 14:27 Peace. It is peace we are impoverished from. It is peace we seek as we walk in this valley of tears disillusioned and weary. [elementor-template id="761780"] Practical Ways to Enter into Peace This Advent Season The Church in her wisdom invites us into these moments of time and space with Christ. These liturgical seasons can change our prayer lives if we allow them. Shedding layers of what we have consumed from the world and trading it in return for peace Himself. The calm we yearn for can only come from Him. Non-Negotiable Prayer Time Prayer in the morning is non-negotiable for me as praying in the morning lifts my heart and praise to the Lord. Whatever transpires during the day leads me back to the Scripture verse I prayed with or a particularly Saint whose words I am meditating on for the week. Worship Music While I love a good Christmas jingle, I love worship music that grounds me and invites me into the quiet anticipation of Jesus’ birth. It draws me away from consumerism and sugar cookies and fuels my need for God’s peace. Prayer Environment This Advent season I am going to allow my prayer space to reflect the peace I am longing for. A Blessed is She candle, a statue of the Holy Family, a journal, and this Advent devotional will adorn my little corner of the house. This will be my sanctuary from the pressure of making our house into a winter wonderland. I am going to welcome the bare spaces in our home that aren’t decorated and allow Jesus to fill them. Sacraments Confession is mandatory for me during Advent. I go to Confession regularly, but there is something special about cleaning your heart to welcome the Baby Jesus. Eucharistic Adoration and increasing my daily Mass attendance will be part of my Advent practices as well. I can easily get lost looking for the perfect holiday cookies to bake, Christmas wrapping paper, and thoughtful gifts for family and friends. I can fall prey in making Christmas less about Jesus and more about worldly delight. Peace is here to stay. Peace is a Person and not a thing. Peace has a Name. His name is Jesus. Sister, what takes your peace away (whether it’s a holiday season or not)? Can we hold onto prayer like we do our shopping bags? Can we take the time to give Jesus our time like we do when we spend hours on Amazon? LITURGICAL PLANNERS Our Liturgical Planners are based on the Litany of Humility. Enter into prayer every day alongside this beautiful Litany. Order your days in His peace. GET YOUR PLANNER

Not so long ago, I received an out-of-the-blue text from an old college friend asking if I was available for a phone call. Our lives had overlapped heavily during our post-secondary years, sharing classes, social circles, and living spaces. However, in the ten years since, our relationship existed primarily on social media. Still, she is the kind of person I am always happy to hear from. Excited to connect, I shared my availability and inquired, “What’s the topic of discussion?” “Down syndrome,” she responded. Hastily, I typed back, “Ooo, I’m excited!” What It's Like to Have a Sibling with Down Syndrome As it turns out, a new family member with Down syndrome had just been born into my friend’s extended family. As is normal with the unexpected and unfamiliar, the diagnosis brought with it a full range of emotions and concerns. This gal pal reached out to me because of my own personal experience. My youngest brother has Down syndrome, and she knows from all the time we spent together that Max is one of my favorite people in the world. First Came Fear When we were able to connect on the phone later that day, my friend confided, “The fact that you were able to say you were excited in response to the subject of Down syndrome brought me so much comfort.” I was happy to hear that and completely sincere in my excitement. However, the truth is that the news of my brother having Down syndrome was not something I was initially enthusiastic about. In fact, it was quite the opposite when he was born. I was nine years old at the time, which was old enough to understand what “Down syndrome” meant, at least on a basic level. I knew his capabilities would be different from mine and my siblings, and I felt all the negative emotions when my dad shared the diagnosis with us. Fear. Confusion. Anger. Bitterness. Resentment. Fury. I remember vehemently asking God how He could let something like this happen to my family. I feared what it meant for the rest of my life, both personally and for the whole family unit. I was worried that Max was going to somehow hold us back and suck fun and flexibility out of our lives. For the first time in my life, I was experiencing what it was like to be truly angry with God. A Different Kind of Fear But then, a different fear struck. Like many babies with Down syndrome, Max was born premature with a myriad of health issues and spent a substantial amount of time in the NICU. The children’s hospital was about two hours from my hometown and my parents spent a good amount of time there with Max and away from us. One night, my dad called. I do not remember the specifics of the conversation, but I remember the news was bad—so bad we were afraid Max might not make it through the night. At that point, weeks after his birth and diagnosis, my siblings and I had not even met Max yet. The gravity of reality flipped a switch inside me. My fear of living with Max turned into a fear of living without him. I turned to God in prayer and begged him, “Please don’t let Max die.” Then Came Growth Max made it through that night, and the twenty-three years since. And all the things I was worried about as a nine-year-old ended up not being much of an issue. Things were certainly different, but that’s true regarding any new sibling that comes into the world. Max has not held any of us back at all. In reality, his life has been transformative and life-giving for the family. That’s not to say every year and season has gone unchallenged. Hardship is always present in everyone’s life. However, in the midst of every challenge we face with Max, there is also this magnetic joy that draws one into the present moment and detaches you from everything else. Truth be told, I have no negative memories of growing up with a brother with Down syndrome (except for the one in which I watched his middle school classmate ignore him at the mall). Max brought so much joy into the lives of my siblings and myself that he was often the topic of conversation brought up among our peers, and he almost always accompanied us on our social outings. We simply loved being around him– and our friends did, too. Underlying Happiness What I fear I am failing to express in this post is the immense level of happiness that Max brought into my life, and this happiness would not be present if he did not have this extra chromosome. I cannot pinpoint what exactly it is about Down syndrome that makes it so; however, thorough studies conducted by Harvard support this claim. According to their research, 88% of siblings surveyed believe they are better off because of their sibling with Down syndrome, and 94% experience feelings of pride. Similar findings occur for parents, other family members, and the individuals themselves. Check out: Having a brother or sister with Down syndrome: perspectives from siblings Having a son or daughter with Down syndrome: perspectives from mothers and fathers Family perspectives about Down syndrome Self-perceptions from people with Down syndrome What to Be Aware Of Having lived within a community with many individuals with Down syndrome for over twenty years now, I have heard many stories and seen many comments and assertions online. Far too often, Down syndrome is presented as something to be feared, something that causes suffering, and something that lowers a family’s quality of life. I can say, with confidence, experience, and research to back it up, that this is not the case. Certainly, change is a part of the experience. Often there are some health issues at the start, as well as life-long learning hurdles. However, all of these can be overcome, and more importantly, there are far more important things of which a person should be aware when it comes to welcoming a family member with Down syndrome. Ultimately: life is about to get better than you ever could have imagined. My experience with Max as a brother transformed me in such a way that if I was ever to be told that I was expecting a child with Down syndrome, my initial reaction would be pure delight. It would then be followed with some human anxieties about the child’s health, medical bills, and the initial emotional welfare of my other children (because I’m not that holy yet). However, this time my prayer would not be, “God, how could you let this happen?” Instead, it would simply be a heartfelt surge of trust and gratitude as the joy I feel even in this imaginary scenario leaves me speechless. That’s just one of the countless ways having a brother with Down syndrome has changed my life.   [bctt tweet="What It’s Like Having a Sibling with Down Syndrome #BISblog //" via="no"]

We know you're just starting to pour your PSLs and grab your flannel from the storage boxes, but can we direct your attention to the end of the year for just a small moment? Because, ready or not, the beginning of Advent is just under 8 weeks away, and we would love to help make your preparation for the Christmas season simple and profoundly fruitful. Peace Has a Name // The 2022 Catholic Advent Devotional for Women In the midst of the changing seasons—both literally and metaphorically—the idea of peace can seem like an unattainable ideal. Everything is always changing, so where do we rest? We know that our true peace comes from the Prince of Peace, but we can struggle to live out that reality in our daily lives when so much clamors for our attention and anxiety. And yet it is only when we are at peace with Our Lord that we are able to be free, to fully live our lives in relationship with Him and to fulfill His mission for us. In this pursuit of the freedom found in peace, we at Blessed is She hope to offer you space this Advent to reflect upon the theme and Source of peace in our 2022 Catholic Advent devotional for women: Peace Has a Name. What to Expect in the Advent Devotional We invite you to bring your heart before the Prince of Peace all throughout the Advent season. Each chapter of this devotional walks through a different element of peace and the would-be thieves of our peace culminating in meditation on why God is Peace and that He alone can give it to us. We have a chance to hear and learn from the stories written by Kendra Tierney, Karen Schultz, Leana Bowler, and Sr. Maria Kim Bui. The Weekly Themes // What we think peace is Where we seek out peace Who or what steals our peace Why God alone brings peace How the Weeks are Structured // Sundays // Ponder Father Jacques Philipe’s five tenets of peace. Mondays // Read an excerpt from Saint Paul’s letters, practicing lectio divina and responding to a question. Tuesdays // Hear a story about a time in which the author for the week's peace was challenged. Wednesdays // Read an excerpt from a Gospel account, practicing lectio divina and responding to a question. Thursdays // Hear a story assuaging our storyteller’s peace. Fridays // Draft your peace petitions for the Prince of Peace and pray with the Canticle of Zechariah Saturdays // Practice visio divina and sit with sacreed art in prayer and ponderance. [elementor-template id="761780"] Advent Bundles for the Whole Crew As usual, along with our Catholic Advent devotional for women, we are offering a variety of bundles for you and the little ones in your life! In the Advent bundle, you will receive a devotional, an ornament, and a Rosary made just for us. In the Advent + kids bundle, you can get the devotional for women and our exclusive devotional for kids at a discounted price. In the Advent + Emmanuel bundle, you will receive the Advent devotional along with our evergreen Christmas coffee table table to help you prayerfully celebrate the Christmas season. [elementor-template id="761792"] Peace Has a Name, Peace is a Person Now that you've secured your Advent devotional and checked that off your mental list, we return you to your fall preparations and traditions. We will be waiting for you at the start of Advent, ready to encounter Peace Himself by your side. Have you snagged your Advent devotional yet? Advent will be here before we know it—don't wait too long!   [bctt tweet="The 2022 Catholic Advent Devotional for Women #BISblog //" via="no"]

Early in my teaching career, I learned that to have credibility with my students, I had to “say what I mean and mean what I say.” Young people have the ability to spot inauthenticity miles away and have no problem calling out promises that are not kept. If I threatened to keep them in during recess, I had to do it. If I promised a reward, I had to follow through. If I promised an activity would be fun and they didn’t see it, they had no qualms questioning my definition of "fun." In time, it built a community of honesty and mutual trust. My students knew I would follow through, and I knew I was seeing them as they really were. Trust is a Gift Trust is a fragile, precious gift. It doesn’t just happen. It is given and accepted slowly, over time. To trust means to be vulnerable and to risk being hurt when that vulnerability is not received. To trust someone means you also know them intimately and personally. It means you know they will come through for you and they will fight for you. When you trust someone, you know they are about your good and for your good. We grow in trust in the Lord in the same way we grow in trust of others. Trust in God grows slowly over time. We encounter Him in the Word and Sacraments. We learn through experience that God receives our weaknesses and loves us through them. We learn that God "says what He means and means what He says.” We learn that He keeps His promises. The fragile, precious gift of our trust finds a home in His Heart. Scripture Verses about Trust Where best do we learn this but through Scripture? When my trust in the Lord is shaken (or at least needs reminding and strengthening), I root myself in the promises of God. Sometimes I will pray with one verse a day, just letting the Word permeate my being. Other times I pray the Scriptures like a litany, allowing myself to be overwhelmed by the promises of God. Here is my current litany: I, the Lord do not change. // Malachi 3:6 I love you, says the Lord. // Malachi 1:2 I will give you peace. // Haggai 2:9 God is faithful. // 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Lord is near. // Philippians 4:5 He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. // Proverbs 30:5 My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with the glorious riches in Christ Jesus. // Philippians 4:19 The Lord listened attentively. // Malachi 3:16 I am a Father. // Jeremiah 31:9 I am the Resurrection and the Life. // John 11:25 I am the one who searches mind and heart. // Revelation 2:23 I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people. // Leviticus 26:12 I am the Lord, the God of all the living. Is anything too difficult for me? // Jeremiah 32:27 The Lord is a warrior. // Exodus 15:3 God’s way is unerring. // 2 Samuel 22:31 No single thing escapes Him. // Sirach 42:20 I am always with you. // Psalm 73:23 Scripture Verses about Trusting Our Call from Him Trusting in Who the Lord says He is helps me also trust who He says I am. When I am tempted to believe what the world says, I conquer it with what God says. When I am tempted to believe what my broken heart says, I choose to repeat what the Lord says instead. I have chosen you. // Haggai 2:23 All who are called by my name I created for my glory. // Isaiah 43:7 You have the Lord for your refuge. // Psalms 91:9 You were called for freedom. // Galatians 5:13 I love you, says the Lord. // Malachi 1:1 The Father Himself loves you. // John 16:27 The one who calls you is faithful, and He will also accomplish it. // Thessalonians 5:24 Lord, you know me, you see me, you have found that my heart is with you. // Jeremiah 12:3 Truly the Lord is waiting to be gracious to you, truly He shall rise to show you mercy. // Isaiah 30:18 What Trust Demands Trusting in the Lord also makes His commands understandable and embraceable. If the Lord is Who He says He is, and I am Who He says I am, then He won’t ask anything more (or less) than what I am capable. We trust not only the Ten Commandments and the teachings of the Church, but also what He commands of us in Scripture: Give me your heart. // Proverbs 23:26 Come now, let us set things right. // Isaiah 1:18 Do not worry about your life. // Matthew 6:25 Do not fear, I am with you. // Isaiah 41:10 For freedom Christ set us free, so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. // Galatians 5:1 Offer praise as your sacrifice to God. // Psalm 50:14 Take refuge in God all you people, trust Him at all times, pour out your hearts before Him. // Psalm 62:8 What Scripture verses speak to your heart and help you grow in trust?   [bctt tweet="Scripture Verses about Trust #BISblog //" via="no"]