Welcome to our Blessed Chats series! Each month, we will dedicate an entire week of blog posts to a topic that affects many of us. These conversations often come up in our Facebook groups and in our real life friendships. We want to share a variety of perspectives on the topic at hand, so we've asked women to share their stories and how the teachings of the Church have guided and comforted them. In this series, we're talking about finances. We'd love for you to join the conversation! We were newlyweds, just recently married and on our grand adventure on life. Matt and I met in law school, fell in love, got married, and then moved to Denver, CO. We didn’t have a lot, but we had each other. It was just the two of us, and eventually, our dog Sully. We’d wake up on Saturday mornings, go for a walk downtown, stop at a local coffee shop, chat with those we sat next to and that was life for us. Carefree. Simple. Comfortable. Made for More One Saturday, as we took our usual morning stroll, I looked at Matt and said: “We’ve got it pretty dang good, wouldn’t you say? We’re so comfortable!” Matt agreed and we kept walking. I sat in those words and still do. I knew Jesus well enough, at that point, to know that there had to be more than this, for as lovely as this was for us. We were comfortable. We went where we wanted to, spent when we wanted to and for whatever we wanted to. Because we could! Sure, we gave to Church, but our hearts weren’t quite in the right place just yet. It wasn’t long after that that our little (surprise) gal pal, Callan, was born. Parenthood was the first time that Matt and I began to feel stretched. Between diapers and clothes and all of the other baby things you need, we also experienced two hospital stays in Cal’s first three months of life. Suddenly, we had less than we did to begin with and it felt, in a lot of ways, that there was a reason behind it all. And with God, there always is a reason, isn’t there? An Abundance of Perspective Aside from massive law school loans, we were now piled high with medical bills nearing the 50k mark. Stretched was an understatement. We honestly, at times, felt poor. And in our poverty, He came to us. It took having our world turned upside down for us to realize that we wanted to re-prioritize how and why and when we spent what we had. We truly began to internalize the Truth that what we had (and did not have, for that matter) was a true gift from the Lord. God shook us out of comfort and into a season of life in which we grew to cling to Him, and it’s been one of the greatest blessings in our marriage. [elementor-template id="415212"] Letting God Make Our Financial Goals Matt and I say that we want to get rich and die poor. It’s true, we do. But with that said, the heart behind it all is His. We recognize now that coffee dates come second behind giving. I truly believe that had we not experienced such financial struggle when we did, we would have continued down a road of comfort. And we know that we’re not created for comfort, but for greatness. And it is in the struggle that we become great. More holy. Refined and refocused. We learn that all is gift for He gives and takes away. Only to strengthen us and our bond with Him. We are still trudging through both our student loans and medical bills. And the trudging has brought us so near to one another and deeper into His Heart. It is in giving that we truly receive—and so it is with us. Though our coffee dates are now few and far between, we are comforted knowing that our priorities are what they should be. Our duty is to tithe first, and all else second. Tithing is a beautiful sacrifice, an offering from our hands to His. Emptying + Filling It’s interesting, how God works, isn’t it? How He constantly calls us to trust and follow. He empties us, only to fill us again so that we may overflow and be made new. God sure emptied us, and in a lot of ways, we are still empty. Yet from an eternal perspective, we are more wholehearted than ever before. How is the Lord calling you to surrender your finances to Him? How are you feeling stretched right now and how is He speaking into it all? Go to Him. Sit with Him. Empty what you so tightly cling to and let Him refill your life with His presence and lead! If you want more on the Church's rich teachings on these engaging topics, our best-selling study, "Blessed Conversations: Rooted," dives into the Catechism's teachings and now offers a video companion series along with it featuring Theological Editor Susanna Spencer and Managing Editor Nell O'Leary. Get it here.   [bctt tweet="Blessed Chats: Finances // Seasons of Tithing #BISblog #blessedchats //" username="blessedisshe__"]

Music. It’s an art form that never ceases to move me closer to the Heart of the Father. I’ve found that my faith life blossoms and grows with music. The instruments. The voice of the vocalist. The tone and pace of each musical beat. From the title of the song to the lyrics themselves. I am moved. I close my eyes and sit in the silence of the song and see His face. There we are, just Him and I. Together, dancing together. Music During Lent As we head into this season of Lent, I pray that the playlist below meets you exactly where you’re at in your prayer and faith life. I pray that you find the words you need in this little space to draw you into and nearer to Him. I pray that you take some time, whenever that may be, on this first day of Lent, to simply sit and be. That you, sweet sister, turn it up and lean into Him. That you recognize within these songs that you are not alone. His love for you bleeds into your day to day. Nothing in your life goes unseen or unnoticed by His gaze. You are not alone on this Lenten journey as you begin to walk towards the Cross itself while carrying your own crosses. You are not alone. We are not alone. A Lenten Playlist for You My prayer for each of us this Lenten season is that we truly dive into the journey He has for us in the next 40 days. That we truly dig deep into the hard things, the blessings, the easy things, and the joys of this life He’s given. Let's spend time reflecting on our own dying to self so that we may rise again with new life. Let's close our eyes, turn the music up, and simply be still with Him. For when we draw near to Him, He draws nearer to us. (James 4:8). [bctt tweet="A Reflective Lenten Playlist #BISblog //" username="herfitlife7"]

Little gal pal Callan Thérèse made her debut on December 7th, and life truly has not been the same since. New motherhood has been a season of learning, growing, and being stretched. I've grown used to asking myself a million times, "Am I doing this right?!" It's been a season of leaning into Him and His way. It's been a season of truly digging deep into the present and not worrying so much about the moment, but the one that's before me. As I sit and reflect on all that motherhood outside of the womb has been, I am in awe. I am joyful and tired. I am filled to the brim and simultaneously emptied. I am so in love with this new little life we have to take care of, and also so in shock that I'm old enough to do this thing called motherhood (I'm 29 for the record...). There have been joys and there have been struggles. And there has been a lot of grace. The Struggles of New Motherhood Let's be real. My schedule doesn't exist. I'm a planner and use my Blessed is She Liturgical Planner each and every day. Before Callan arrived, I'd have every hour of each day planned out. I knew what was happening and when. It was amazing. No More Schedule Yet now, my schedule is a bit more of a...free for all. Callan eats at odd hours, sleeps at odd hours, is awake at odd hours. Everything, so it seems, is at an hour which I haven't planned. The struggle is real for this planner. With the lack of schedule comes a lack of sleep. We wake every few hours at night to feed. Somedays I actually wonder if my eyes are open because of the night we've had. And yet, with the lack of schedule I am learning to simply be present. I am learning more about the gift it is to be still and I'm given numerous opportunities throughout each day to practice. The struggle is real, but so is the beauty of practicing intentional presence with our sweet girl. So Tired I'm tired, like I already mentioned. And so is my sweet husband, Matt. We have this routine at night where I'll feed Cal and then Matt will wake to change her diaper, swaddle her back up, and put her back in her bassinet. With our sleep deprivation and the fact that we both work long hours—me from home and Matt at his law firm—we aren't much fun at the moment. It's hard to invest in one another after a long day. But we're learning quickly that communication is everything. We're learning to call each other on in the midst of this grand transition. We're learning to band together more than ever before as a team, for our girl, and for our marriage. For the glory of His Kingdom and the family unit. We know that this season is one in which we don't have a lot of time for each other, but we're learning to steal hugs and kisses here and there. We're learning to over-communicate rather than under-communicate about where we're at and what we need. We're learning to sacrifice more for the sake of our little family. I know we're growing in holiness through this. The Joys of New Motherhood The joys of new motherhood far outweigh the struggles. I am in awe each day that I wake to find this little tiny human that's ours. I am in awe at the very thought of this: God chose this little gal pal for us, and us for her. He willed that we may lead one another to the gates of Heaven by loving each other well in this life. It's all so crazy to me when I really reflect and pray through it all. My heart swells each day for many reasons because I get to be this girlie's mama. Her little coos. Her smiles. The fact that she's staying awake longer now. Seeing Matt and Callan together on the couch after a long day, his strong hands holding her little self so gently and with such great love. The fact that my parents are grandparents for the first time and watching them interact with their grand baby. Adventuring out as a family of three instead of just two. Growing into parenthood with my very best friend. Learning to pray through literally everything and not questioning this path that the Lord has set before us. Quiet Faithfulness It's so easy to fall into comparison or doubt as a new mother. It's so easy to wonder if we're "doing things right." But silently, gently, and yet so profoundly, the Lord laid these words on my heart: "This season of new motherhood is a season of quiet faithfulness." Quiet faithfulness. It reminds me of our sweet Blessed Mother and the way she so deeply trusted her motherhood and the path set before her. My joys of new motherhood are ultimately rooted here, too. Quiet faithfulness. I don't know all there is to being a new mom and could probably use a bit of advice here and there. But I know that He leads this way. And I know that Callan is ours to lead to Him. And so I continue to go quietly in faith, trusting that He never calls and fails to equip. My joy comes from the Lord. Are you a new mom? Can you relate? What are your greatest joy and struggles right now? [bctt tweet="The Joys + Struggles of New Motherhood #BISblog //" username="herfitlife7"]

Thanksgiving seemingly always comes out of nowhere. Isn’t that the case every year? Suddenly it is that time of year in which we are running around, making plans, preparing good food, and gathering together with family and friends. Life happens quickly, there are lots of to-do’s and to-go’s and to-see’s. And with that said, it is also one of my favorite times of year, hustle and bustle included. What Thanksgiving is All About... Of course, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks. But there’s so much more to it all, isn’t there? It’s about taking a moment or two or a few more than that to realize how much goodness our lives truly hold–regardless of the hard things and the tough things and the not so easy things. There is so much goodness to find and seek and take delight in, always. Thanksgiving, and this time of the year, remind me of just that. As the year comes to a close, I am reminded to not only appreciate all that has occurred within the year, but also to delight in all that didn’t occur, all that didn’t go as planned, all that was surprise. And as I take a moment to reflect on this day of Thanksgiving, I am reminded–most of all–of His goodness and guidance throughout it all. Choosing Joy Gratitude and choosing joy aren’t always second nature in our lives. We experience suffering, hardship, challenge, confusion, and sometimes question why things happen as they do. Not to mention all of the hustle and bustle that our lives can sometimes be. Sometimes pausing to delight in the moment we are in is a task too tedious. Yet through it all and in it all, goodness remains. And so I choose to intentionally seek and find it. I choose to reflect and smile and delight in all that He’s laid out for me in this life, both behind me and in the time that lies ahead. I am grateful today. For the little things and the big things. The easy things and the hard things. The things that I expected and the things that were unexpected this year. I am grateful, because it is He who leads. Slow Down and Notice Amidst the hustle and bustle of what this day in particular holds, my prayer for us all is that we might simply slow down. That we might focus in on the little things of this day instead of all that goes on so quickly around us. That we might simply be present so that we may delight in each moment He’s so generously given. The sights, the smells, the sounds that will fill our homes and hearts today. The time spent traveling, eating, and being in the presence of those we know and love. In the conversations and in the silence that will occur today. He is with us. And for this Truth: I am grateful. Living in a Spirit of Gratitude As we venture into the day ahead, may we simply be still with hearts filled with gratitude. May we make the effort to intentionally choose joy today, whether it be easy or difficult. Whether we woke this morning with excited anticipation or are a bit apprehensive about seeing certain faces or being in certain places. He is with us today and always. And today I am reminded to be thankful. To choose joy. And to let this gratitude carry me forward into tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. What are you most grateful for today? Consider starting a gratitude journal. Take time each day to list all that you're grateful for. [bctt tweet="On Gratitude and Choosing Joy #BISblog //" username="herfitlife7"]