I have a friend who inspires me to be holy through her actions. When I feel distraught or tempted to despair, her response is always prayer, service, and sacrifice.

Ringing in the new year rekindles our hopes and dreams. It’s time to celebrate a fresh start, turning the page to begin a new chapter. We look forward to new opportunities and adventures. The deep desires of our heart float up to the surface, and we can’t help but wonder: What if this is the year for ______________? What is right around the corner? What else is in store for me? The dawn of a new year can also leave us feeling hesitant to hope. We worry about being let down… again. Perhaps we made resolutions in years past that fizzled after a month or two, and the expectations of ourselves fell flat. And again, we wonder: Will this year be another disappointment? What if this new year is no better than the last? What if I fail again in making real change in my life? Approach the New Year With Prayer In order to sort through this array of emotions, we must approach the new year with prayer. Through prayer, we can bring our hopes, dreams, and fears about beginning anew to the Lord. And as we entrust it all to Him and listen to His response, we realize God’s plan of sheer goodness for us (see Catechism of the Catholic Church 1). Through prayerful dialog, His plan will unfold and our hearts will increasingly open to His holy will for us. What do you want to do in my life this year, Lord? What area of my life needs attention? Will You be my strength, Lord? Because I can’t begin anew without You. As we pray about the new year, let us consider six themes: Start right where you are Reflect on the past Trust in the Lord Look forward with hope Make resolutions Don’t give up Saint Quotes for the New Year Moreover, let us contemplate what the Saints say about starting over in the new year. After all, their desire is to help us not only reach our new year’s goals but our final reward: eternity with God in Heaven. On Beginning Anew The Saints have much to say about the simple idea of beginning anew. They know that January is not the only time to start over. Rather, God’s mercies are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22-23). So everyday of the year, we can begin again. “The saints did not all begin well, but they all ended well.” // Saint John Vianney “Begin now to be what you will be hereafter.” // Saint Jerome “Always we begin again.” // Saint Benedict “Everyday I say to myself, today I will begin.” // Saint Anthony of the Desert “It is right that you should begin again every day. There is no better way to complete the spiritual life than to be ever beginning it over again.” // Saint Francis de Sales “Begin now … Believe me, don’t wait until tomorrow to begin becoming a saint.” // Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Start Right Where You Are In order to begin anew, we need to embrace where we are in this very moment of the brand new year. This is exactly how God wants us to come to Him in prayer. “Trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.” // Saint Teresa of Avila “Go to our Lord just as you are. Be natural in your meditation. He wants the thought and prayer of that heart as the genuine expression of its love for Him.” // Saint Peter Julian Eymard “He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows.” // Saint Gregory of Nissa Reflect on the Past Once we accept where we are in this present moment, it is good to reflect on the past before we move forward: How did I get here? What went well this year? What was disappointing? "Do not let the past disturb you—just leave everything in the Sacred Heart, and begin again with joy.” // Saint Teresa of Calcutta “Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.” // Saint Augustine “It is only through shadows that one comes to know the light.” // Saint Catherine of Siena “Do not look back to the past, nor forward to the future. Claim only the present, for it holds God’s will.” // Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne Trust in the Lord With a clean slate from the past and acceptance of where we are in this present moment, we can entrust any anxiety we have about the new year to the Lord. “Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.” // Saint Thérèse of Lisieux “Learn to live in God’s hands.” // Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross “We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can, namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us.” // Saint Teresa of Avila “When you have nothing left but God, you have more than enough to start over again.” // Saint Teresa of Calcutta Look Forward With Hope And we also can fully embrace, with expectant hope, the surprises God has in store for us this coming year. “Let us begin, brothers, to serve the Lord God, for up until now we have done little or nothing. He did not consider that he had already attained his goal, but tireless in pursuit of holy newness, he constantly hoped to begin again.” // Saint Francis of Assisi “Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection.” // Saint Benedict of Nursia "Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly." //Saint Ignatius of Loyola “To have courage for whatever comes in life, everything lies in that.” // Saint Teresa of Avila Make Concrete Resolutions Coming up with new year’s resolutions is easy. Honing in on just one or two can be hard to discern. So, we invite God into our plans, asking Him where He desires us to improve. If we long for healing, growth, and flourishing, we can be certain He wants that for us even more. “You aspire to great things? Begin with little ones.” // Saint Augustine “Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” // Saint Francis of Assisi “When we once begin to form good resolutions, God gives us every opportunity of carrying them out.” // Saint John Chrysostom “Without love, deeds even the most brilliant, count as nothing.” // Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Don’t Give Up Will we execute our new year’s resolutions perfectly over the next 365 days? Absolutely not! But that does not mean we should give up. Rather, beginning anew is an ongoing process, one that allows us to start fresh again and again. “We stumble. We stutter. We rise. We are lifted.” // Saint Anthony of Padua “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them—every day begin the task anew.” // Saint Francis de Sales “Don’t despair over your shortcomings. Start over each day. You make spiritual progress by beginning again and again.” // Saint Francis de Sales “When tempted, invoke your Angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.” // Saint John Bosco “If you should fail, be humble, make a resolution to be submissive to God’s will and then get up, and carry on.” // Saint Pio of Pietrelcina “The work is never finished, we have continually to begin again …” // Saint Francis de Sales Ready to Begin Anew? Whether we are excited or anxious, we are not alone as we step over the threshold of the new year. The Lord hopes we will invite Him along. And His saintly friends promise to intercede for us, as they share their wisdom on beginning anew.   [bctt tweet="Beginning Again // Saint Quotes for a New Year #BISblog // " via="no"]

The evening of June 8, 1985 was a memorable one for Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. With her community of Carmelites, Saint Thérèse listened to the obituary of Sister Anne-Marie of Jesus, a fellow Carmelite Sister in a neighboring monastery.

Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. // Hebrews 10:23 Hope and trust. These two words roll off our tongues so easily. Yet it is difficult to plant these words deep within our hearts and it takes much more effort to live them out. Unwavering hope and trust is only possible through Someone Who is the source of hope and Who is completely trustworthy. We must fall in love with Christ, we must truly get to know Him, His Person. Only then can we see the fruits of His love for us, both the quiet and the radical ways He transforms our lives. We will come to learn that He is trustworthy, He is worthy of our trust. Our love stories about Christ will in turn give others that same hope we have found in Him. The more we spend time with Him, the more convicted we will become to hold on to the Good News that gives us hope, our confession of faith. We get to know Him through prayer, reading His Word, Daily Mass, Adoration, Confession, and by simply talking to Him. We get to know Him in the men, women, and children who surround us. What is His promise to us? His promise is eternal life. Our hope is found in the Resurrection! That is our hope! That is what we are called to share! That is our Good News. There is life and life in abundance through Him, with Him, and in Him! There is Eternal Life and we have a place in His Kingdom. Hope and trust in Him and in His promise. That is a sentence that doesn’t roll off the tongue so easily, but it is the sentence I want to embed deeply within my heart and, even more, live out. Hope and trust in Him and His promise, for He is trustworthy.   [bctt tweet="Unwavering hope and trust is only possible through Someone Who is the source of hope and Who is completely trustworthy. So we must fall in love with Christ, we must truly get to know Him. #prayerpledge //" username="findphilothea"]   Let Us Pray Lord God, help us to have hearts receptive to hope. Help us to know You and love You more, increasing our hope in Your promise through relationship with You. Reveal to us the ways that we do not trust You, those areas in which we do not believe You're faithful. Send Your Holy Spirit to shed the light of Truth upon those areas. We are Yours! Amen. For Discussion In what areas do you struggle to trust the Lord? Dig deep and spend time here... Why do you think that is? How would your life look different if you entrusted that area(s) specifically to Jesus? How would you feel, act, and decide?   [bctt tweet="They That Hope: The 2022 Prayer Pledge // Day 2 #BISblog #prayerpledge //" username="findphilothea"]

Happy new year, friend! As we still soak in the Christmas season while looking ahead to the dawn of a new year, we are thrilled to be stepping into 2022 with you, in prayer.

Living in the mountains, I see a lot of wind. I also feel it and hear it. Feeling a gust of wind on a cold day is one thing, but sitting and watching it from the comfort of your home, ideally with a warm beverage in hand, is another thing. I love watching the wind. Well, you can’t actually see wind, but I love watching the effects of wind. The dancing leaves, the swaying branches, all the buffeting and blowing... I love it. The strength and power of something completely invisible. Invisible and yet undeniably real. But my favorite thing to watch in the wind is the clouds. The Silent Movement of the Clouds I remember the first moment I realized noticed them and their reaction to the wind. Watching a large white heap glide seamlessly and gracefully in between the peaks of the mountains, changing shape every moment fluidly and gracefully. It never stayed the same. It was new every moment, rushing its way to who knows where, at the very whim of the wind that held sway over it. And the whole time it was silent. There are so many connections we can draw between the spiritual life and God’s creation, but for this moment, I’d like to focus on that silence. Surrender, Not Resistance The trees, the grasses, the leaves, and even the flags in our front yard all stand in stark contrast to the wind in this way: their reaction to the wind involves a lot of noise. They interact with the wind, but it’s an interaction of resistance. The stand against the wind, and jerk, rattle, bend and sometimes even break against it. Clouds, on the other hand, remain silent. Their attitude towards the wind is not one of resistance, but surrender. They know they are nothing against it’s moving power, and so they don’t fight it. They give in, and giving become a part of a beautiful dance of change, shift, and motion. They are silent. They are beautiful to watch. And they are peaceful. Do We Move? This is the question: How do we react to God’s grace and the impulses of the Holy Spirit in our lives? When we feel Him nudge, what in creation do we resemble? Do we stand firm, stubborn, and resistant to Him like the trees in the wind? Do we rattle and cause a huge fuss because we don’t want to follow Him? Do you feel a lot of noise and confusion in your life as a result? Maybe it’s time to become like the wind. Maybe it’s time to feel that nudge, and let go of what we want and desire. Maybe it’s time to give in to where He wants to lead us and guide us. Maybe it’s time to embrace surrender in exactly those moments when we want to resist. The choice is ours. But I believe that if we choose to become like the wind, the shift and flow of our lives will become a thing of beauty. It will become a thing of silence. It will become rest. Will we choose resistance or surrender?   [bctt tweet="Contentment in the Clouds #BISblog //" via="no"]   Gracie Tillman lives and works in Colorado as a missionary. She loves the outdoors, music, spending time with friends, and anything involving pasta. She strives to be a joyful follower of Jesus and live life to the full.

I was crushed. Angry. Defeated. I had done everything I was supposed to do. I had gotten the right internships, made the grades, put in blood, sweat, and tears. This shouldn't be happening to me. I did everything right. The year was 2020 and Zoom was no longer just the platform where I connected with friends, it was the app I hopped on one day to find out I had lost my dream job due to the financial strain of the pandemic. My world was instantly thrown off its axis. Glorifying the Grind We live in a culture that glorifies the grind. Look at everything from music to movies, podcasts to social media. As women we are constantly presented with this image of perfection that can be attained if we are only willing to hustle for it. We are told that there is nothing that can’t be ours if we have the right mix of determination and hard work with a dash of self-care thrown in. Because, as we all know, you can’t take on the world without treating yourself to an iced coffee and now and then. If you’re willing to work for it, the promised land of perfect job, handsome hubby, size 2 jeans and blossoming social life will open up before you. You can do it, you are in control, and you are a self-sufficient #girlboss. I’m ashamed now at how bought in I was to the whole idea. I took pride in my ability to do it all. Until life brought me to my knees. Rock Bottom Big events in our lives force us to stop and take a beat. Whether it’s job loss, illness, a death in the family, the end of a relationship we never saw coming, suddenly we remember we are not in control. Our illusions of self-sufficiency are shattered, often painfully so. Our hustle becomes worthless, the grind screeches to a halt, and we are left feeling lost. Two Choices When Things Grind to a Halt We can choose between two paths in this moment: one of anger that takes us further down the road of self-determination, or one that beckons us to a deep intimacy with the Lord. Choosing to let go of hustling, grinding, and self-sufficiency is a lifelong process. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a counter-cultural move, one that takes intentional work on our part. Self-sufficiency // Dependence When I lost my job, I lost a lot of my independence with it. I moved back in with my (sainted) parents and looked to them for guidance. They never shied away from my pain, my needs, or my big emotions. They were a soft place to land in a world of upheaval. And as much as I resisted depending on them again, I needed them. The answer to our desire for self-sufficiency comes in the form dependency. Dependency on another person can only come from a deep level of trust. I trust my parents implicitly because of my experience with them. I know them and I know they love me beyond a shadow of a doubt. I have years of knowledge and personal experience I can draw from that leads me to that undeniable conclusion. In turning away from self-sufficiency, we are invited to become dependent on God the Father. Our Father. But it is absolutely impossible to be dependent on someone we don’t know. So we have to get to know Him. Learn who He is, see what He’s done. Get to know who He wants to be to you. You’ll find all of that in the pages of your Bible. He longs to not only reveal Himself to you but to be everything for you, including your Provider. Take time in Scripture to let Him into your life and heart. Grinding // Wasting Time The antithesis of striving and grinding is wasting time. As women, we are maximizers, multitaskers, and borderline professional time managers. Give me half an hour of time to myself and I will have listened to a new podcast, folded my laundry, made happy hour plans, and snuck in a quick call to my grandma. In a world that constantly encourages us to rush, do more, consume, and achieve, wasting time can often feel physically uncomfortable. Be intentional with how you waste your time. Wasting time with the Lord is life giving, wasting time scrolling Instagram is life draining. Spend time in an Adoration chapel. Wake up and catch the sunrise with the Father. Dive into some spiritual reading. Have conversations with faithful friends. Take a conscious step to get off the hamster wheel and spend time with the Lord and people who point you towards Him, with no agenda other than just to be. Hustling // Abiding in Gratitude The very definition of hustle reads as follows: to obtain by forceful action or persuasion. If we accept this mantra as the way we receive things in life, it can lead to an incredibly warped view of both ourselves and the Lord. Either the blessings we have in life are the result of our forceful actions and successful attempts to persuade God, or the gifts of a doting Father who loves us and longs to give us every good thing. It can’t be both. Lucky for us, we don’t have to wonder which lens is correct: If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. // Matthew 7:11 When we shift from hustling to recognizing the Lord as the Giver of all good gifts, we develop a new sense of gratitude and understanding of His limitless generosity. Cultivate it by beginning prayer in thanksgiving, taking time to jot down moments you were grateful for, or just stopping to say thanks when something wonderful happens. This means giving thanks not just for the big stuff (health, family, etc.) but the small moments as well. Catching a cool breeze as summer slips away, the text of encouragement that came at just the right moment, hearing your favorite throwback on the radio. As we recognize and acknowledge the Lord, we move away from self-determination and towards the Lover of our souls. A Soft Place to Land Take a deep breath, relax and lean into Him today, sister. He is our soft place to land. You don’t have it all together and you can’t do all the things. But the great news is, you were never expected to.   [bctt tweet="Grinding... to a Halt #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.

As I approached the steps of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, I saw white and blue fabric billowing in the wind, fabric from the habits of the Sisters of Life. My family was there to witness the final vows of our good friend Sister Magnificat Rose. She was about to make her vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and a fourth vow particular to the order, “to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life.” What Does a Normal Day Look Like for a Sister of Life? The Sisters of Life were founded in New York in 1991 by Cardinal John O’Connor and their missions are dedicated to respecting and honoring life from conception to natural death. I interviewed my friend about the beautiful ways in which they live this out! Blessed is She // What does a typical morning look like for a Sister of Life? Have you always been a morning person, or have you learned to become one? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // I will start by saying I have never really been a morning person! But God gives you the grace for whatever He asks of you! Most days of the week we start our day at 5:00 a.m. with prayer and Mass in the chapel which really allows us to dedicate the very first part of our day to the Lord. We fast from the time we wake up until breakfast at 7:30 a.m. What is really beautiful about this time is that all of the sisters in our community are united together in prayer. All of our works for the day flow out of our prayer. What many people find to be interesting about our life is that we try to live our mornings in silence (as our apostolate allows). Doing our work quietly helps us to cultivate deeper prayer and to have a contemplative outlook (seeing God in everything) throughout the whole of the day. Blessed is She // What does your afternoon look like and what do you and the other sisters do in their personal time? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // In the afternoon we have midday prayer and lunch together. We share all of our meals together as sisters, which is a great blessing and really forms unity. After lunch we have a bit of personal recreation time. The purpose of this is really to be “re-created.” Some sisters will do spiritual reading during this time, go for a walk or exercise, spend time together, do water-coloring, play music, or even take care of our own personal things like laundry. After that the rest of the afternoon is devoted to our apostolic work. Depending on the ministry a sister serves in, she could be meeting with pregnant women in need, planning a retreat, cooking, etc. Some of our apostolic missions include: serving vulnerable pregnant women in need, hosting retreats, evangelizing on the dignity of the human person, serving women who have suffered after abortion, and outreach on college campuses. Whatever one’s apostolic mission, our unifying charism really forms and colors the meaning of even the littlest tasks. So even for our sisters who are at the retreat house who might be cleaning or in the kitchen and not directly serving pregnant women, all of our life is offered on behalf of life. Peeling carrots in the kitchen can even be offered for someone who’s really struggling with the meaning of their life. It doesn’t really matter so much what you’re doing, but rather finding meaning through our vows and our charism. Blessed is She // What are some of your favorite aspects of your apostolic work? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // I love celebrating people! Throwing birthday parties for the women we serve brings a lot of meaning to me because often they haven’t experienced people rejoicing in their life. They receive so deeply and it is really powerful. I also love entering into conversations with the women that we serve and getting to listen to their fears and their dreams. It is also a joy to meet with college students: listening to them, encouraging them, and giving them the space to more deeply discover who they are and what God is inviting them into. Blessed is She // What does a typical evening look like, and what kinds of recreation do you and your sisters enjoy? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // The prayer schedule might look a little different in each house, but typically we’ll have our Holy Hour, Rosary, and evening prayer followed by dinner. During dinner we will either listen to a talk or a sister will read from a book. This allows us to not only be nourished by our food, but also spiritually. After dishes we usually have community recreation. We really enjoy playing games together, playing music, creating art and crafting, going for walks, or just sitting together to share our joys and sorrows. Blessed is She // What is something surprising about your life that not many people are aware of? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // I think what surprises people is the aspect of silence we live out in the morning. It is just so counter-cultural. Yet it really helps us to recognize how the Lord is at work throughout our day. I also think people are surprised to learn that we delight in the normal human joys of having fun together whether this be playing a game or a sport together. Blessed is She // With Jesus as your Spouse, how do you experience Him continuing to pursue and allure you? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // I really cherish our time of Examen at the end of the day. It’s a time to look back over the day with the Lord. To ask Jesus, “What did You see today? How have You revealed yourself to me in my work?” It’s a time to see His light in different parts of the day and to see how He has personally loved me, even in the smallest moments through ways that only He would know how to love me. It could be a little flower showing up, or experiencing great joy during a conversation which I was originally intimidated by. I so often experience His faithfulness, constant patience, and mercy, and sometimes it’s just in the small, little whispers. Blessed is She // What is it like being part of a family with over one-hundred sisters? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // I didn’t grow up in a big family, but I would imagine people in a big family would be able to relate to it. It’s so, so awesome because with the Lord, there is always more. You have the sisters who you might be closer to because you have lived with them, and those particular friendships within the community are really beautiful. And then, when we come together as a whole community, the experience is even more rich! What we share is really bonding, and it gives you that confidence to know that even if you get missions in the future with sisters you don’t know as well, you’re not afraid of it. You may suffer the grief of leaving the sisters you know, but there is also a confidence in getting to know new sisters. Of course, life is real and there are difficulties and miscommunications—it takes work to learn and get to know another person, their personality, and work style—but no matter what culture or background a sister is coming from, there’s something deeper uniting us. Blessed is She // What is your advice for other women who are in discernment and questioning whether their call is to marriage or religious life? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // I would say to take courage and have peace. The Lord knows what He is about. He has a beautiful plan and His timing of unfolding that plan is perfect. Keep your eyes on Him and be real with Him about your desires, struggles, and questions. Also, be sure to open your heart to hearing whatever He wants to speak to you, because He is the one who knows your heart better than anybody else, and His plans are better than anything you could dream up! Blessed is She // Can you tell me about your name, Sister Magnificat Rose of the Joy of Jesus and the Little Way? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // The “Magnificat” part of my name came from praying with Mary’s prayer. I see it as an invitation to offer my life as a song back to God and to praise Him in all things, united with Our Lady. The “Rose” is in honor of my confirmation Saint Therese of Lisieux. It is also the flower that our Founder, Cardinal John O’ Connor, would wear on his jacket in honor of the unborn. The “Little Way” is from Saint Therese’s teaching on spiritual childhood and reminds me to depend on the Lord and to allow Him to carry me. The “Joy of Jesus” comes from the Last Supper Discourse where Jesus says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). I long to be united to Jesus’ joy in His Father and His joy in bringing souls to His Father. Blessed is She // Is there anything else you want to share? Sister Magnificat Rose, S.V. // I just want to remind readers that the Lord is for you and loves you! What other questions would you add for Sister?!   [bctt tweet="A Day in the Life of a Sister of Life #BISblog // " via="no"]

This time of year stirs our hearts to be generous in how we give and to whom we give, but there is another facet of this desire to be charitable that gently moves behind the scenes to do something for others ... and that is kindness. Kindness is what beckons each one of us to do something for someone else. Being kind doesn’t have to be seasonal just because modern culture presents it that way. There are ways to foster this into our lives until it becomes a daily habit. Kindness is the natural fruit of goodness of the heart. // Saint Katherine Drexel The Contagious Effect of Kindness Kindness has to be more than an occasional “pay-it-forward in the Starbucks drive-thru line” for it to take root and become a daily practice. There is nothing wrong with a little pay-it-forward action and I have been blessed to be the recipient of such kindness. It’s not about affording your beverage of choice; the gift is the unexpected kindness of a stranger. If we take this approach and apply it beyond the kindness of the drive-thru, we can spread these acts of kindness far beyond Advent and Christmas because our human capacity to love is far greater than what we allow it to be. Put Your Grocery Cart Back + Follow Him Okay, it may not have the same connotation as “take up your cross and follow me,” but the premise is similar (stay with me on this one). We all have a cross to bear but may be programmed to think it has to be under the guise of some type of suffering, burden, hardship, or illness. In our daily life, the tiny crosses we bear are part of our bigger crosses, too. It can be really inconvenient to put the grocery cart back in its corral. After walking the grocery store, checking out, loading up the car, and feeling the angst that comes when littles ones are completely over the shopping trip, putting the cart back is the last thing you may want to do. Even without little ones, the temptation to not put the cart back is very real. We may not be able to consider our choices at that moment, but the effects are lasting, regardless of which choice you make: The temporary fix // Don't put the cart back, get into the car sooner, and zoom out of the parking lot like a race-car driver. The long-term influence // Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do and, as a result, help to make someone else’s job easier. How Can A Grocery Cart Help Us Put Others First? So many companies are short-staffed this year. We have all felt the effects of living in a fast-paced world with services that are understaffed. Our mindset of immediacy may not match the reality of our external circumstances. The void of understaffed industries gives us an opportunity to be kinder, more patient, and more loving. This is the gift we can offer to one another. Let’s roll with this example of not putting the grocery cart away (pun intended!). What are the ramifications for someone else? Someone thinks there is a spot open to park their car but there is a grocery cart there. Yes, that is easily resolved by moving the cart out of the way in order to park, but wouldn’t it have been better if it wasn't there to begin with? We all play a role in doing someone else’s job whether that’s easy for us to accept or not. That grocery cart that wasn’t returned to its corral has now rolled off and has dented someone else’s car. Now there is a dented car and most likely someone who will be annoyed that it happened with no one to listen to their grievances. Everything has a chain reaction whether we give thought to it or not. Put the “pay it forward in the Starbucks drive-thru” kindness to the test. It may be easier to pay for someone else’s drink than to walk a couple of extra steps to put a grocery cart away. One costs us financially and the other encourages us to actually be courteous. The Chain Reaction of Kindness We can see the influence we have over one another when we become aware of the impact of something as simple as putting the grocery cart away. There is a great temptation to fall into the mindset that “it's not my job.” While it may not be our job to collect the grocery carts, we can practice putting our neighbor first by taking the time to put the grocery cart away. We can practice those random acts of kindness outside of the Starbucks drive-thru line and be the brother and sisters in Christ that God calls us to be. Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love // Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Serve When You Expect to be Served Our whole reason for going out to eat is to not have to cook and wash the dishes. It truly is a luxury and no easy feat with tiny tots when this outing occurs. Do we expect to be served even though we already are? Obviously it is not necessary to wipe down the town table and clean up completely, but is there a way to make someone else’s job a bit easier? We’ve all seen the server handle a large tray of plates while gathering the rest. At that moment, we can serve or expect to be served. Out of kindness, we can gather the utensils around us, stack up the plates, and hand them over because we have a Christ-centered heart. These seemingly insignificant acts of kindness help us cultivate a “put your neighbor first” mentality. Dying to self is not easy, but once we take one small step of thinking about the other person it becomes a habit and changes the hardness of heart that we experience in the world. Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. // Saint Teresa of Calcutta Bag It Up The other day I was at the grocery store and the line behind me was getting long without another cashier nearby. I hesitated about whether or not to help bag my items because the cashier might perceive me as being impatient. However, I just dug right in. Working together with the cashier turned out to be fun. It reminded me of when I was little and used to play at the grocery store check out stand at my local museum. Suddenly, I forgot about the long line and just became immersed with putting the cold foods with the cold foods and the cereal boxes with the other dry goods, etc. While bagging up my groceries isn’t my job, I found it to be spontaneous and joy-filled because it was outside of the norm of my typical shopping trip. I was able to do something tangible for someone else and at the same time share a laugh with a stranger, which I would have missed had I taken out my phone or ignored the tug to help. Paying it Forward All Year Long Sometimes we miss the opportunity to share joy and bring the love of Christ to others because we don't think it will make an impact. We are so busy, so hurried, that we don't recognize the opportunity to offer a kind gesture. Sometimes we don't act because we think "it's someone else's job." This isn’t just about putting grocery carts away or bagging up your own groceries (unless the opportunity presents itself) as much as it is an invitation to be open to practicing small acts of kindness that have an immeasurable impact. If you are a person who needs research to back up this idea of “doing good unto others as you would have them do unto you,” check out this quick read about the scientific benefits of kindness. This Advent, let's challenge ourselves to prepare our hearts to receive Jesus by practicing tiny acts of love towards our neighbor in order to be receptive to the Father’s love for each one of us.   [bctt tweet="Slow Down, Make the Connection #BISblog // " via="no"]

Warning: This post contains unseasonable encouragement to step back from purchasing during this highly-consuming month. Permission to Make a Switch Perhaps I have given myself particular permission to do less this year with the preparation for a December baby. Not that we need to have an expanding family for this invitation to apply to us, but the entire season of preparation has taken on a different spin as my family literally prepares for the arrival of a child—and everything else has taken a back seat. It has been heartening to realize that the arrival of this little one has taken precedence over the other excitement of the season, especially for our kids! Often we can find ourselves in the mindset that changing the norm or adjusting our expectations would just be too much for the kids/for mom and dad/for Aunt Myrtle, but when we actually ask, we might be surprised to find that isn’t the case at all. You know your family best, and for those who need some inspiration, the internet abounds with helpful brainstorming activities to move away from stuff and toward preparation and celebration. Mounting Pressure For years, like clockwork, the exchange of Christmas gifts inevitably brings me to tears. I have just come to expect it: one big, ugly cry. Not for any sentimental reason, but there has been and continues to be this sense of emptiness around gift exchanging for me when all is said and done. Not because I am not doing my best to offer thoughtful gifts to others, and certainly not because others are not generous and kind toward me. It is simply my least favorite part of the season, and when it is all over ... stick a fork in me, I am done. Given that the calendar currently reads December, it is likely that you are already in the gifting frame of mind. And this is not a bad thing! It is a valuable time of the year to ask ourselves, why? What is at the heart of our purchasing? Is it a long-awaited surprise or desperate shopping in order to have something to wrap? To keep things even? Particularly in a time when jobs and finances are anything but dependable, it’s worth consideration and conversation. I know that I am not alone in experiencing deeply the pressure to think of all of the things: to match the generosity, to remember the less fortunate, to decorate festively, to acknowledge all of the people, to write the cards, to take the photos, to shop local, to wait in joyful hope, to keep Christ in Christmas... Seasonal Heart-Check Certainly I can appreciate the connection to the Magi, offering the deeply symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ Child. And yet rarely can I equate my own gifting with this level of significance. This is probably why I have been captivated by the impulse to intentionally do less at this time and beyond. While also capitalizing on opportunities to give meaningfully when possible. Because of the particular difficulties in supply chain and gift ordering this year, trying out the idea of simplifying might not be something we opt into as much as it is an opportunity to necessarily try on. The challenge may be to see it for what it is: an opportunity to enter into the holiday season with a smaller emphasis on the physical things we add to it. Hopefully this seasonal experiment will prove fruitful in unexpected ways. The Real Freedom of Simplifying The true hope of simplifying is not keeping score of who does it best, but whether or not we are free with our time and our resources to make this season a celebratory one for ourselves and others. Do we have the headspace to quiet ourselves to prepare for the Lord’s coming? Do we have margin in our schedule or our budgets to go out of our way for those who weren’t penciled in? What if we focused our attention on those whose needs are unmet, instead of lavishing upon those who have everything they need? What if we let the gift of the season be Christ’s presence in our lives, and share that with others? What if our homes were places of hospitality and cookie baking gathering spaces for more than one month of the year? What if food banks and charities had what they needed in March, April, and August out of consistent commitment rather than a once a year gift? What if we committed to doing less so that all of those in our community could thrive as well? I can’t help but feel that doing less meaningless gifting would free us up to be on the watch for the modern-day Christ Child that is being born at this time as well: The incarnation began with Jesus and it has never stopped . . . God takes on flesh so that every home becomes a church, every child becomes the Christ-child, and all food and drink become a sacrament. God's many faces are now everywhere, in flesh, tempered and turned down, so that our human eyes can see him. // Ronald Rolheiser, OMI Owning Things, Rather than Being Owned by Them For all that minimalism is and is not, it comes down to a response to materialism: choosing to own (rather than be owned) by our things. Using what we have so that we might be available to respond to the promptings and invitations of our particular circumstances rather than the obligation to expend energy on maintaining, collecting, insuring, or curating the things we own. It is foolish to think that we will enter heaven without entering into ourselves. Thank God for the things that I do not own. // Saint Teresa of Avila Have you considered adopting a simpler lifestyle during the holiday or in everyday life? What appeal does it hold for you? Where have you found success living more simply?   [bctt tweet="Committing to Minimalism During A Consumer Month #BISblog //" via="no"]

This is the text that will appear when we add an excerpt

Last spring, I wasn't following my own advice... Between wrapping up our first year of homeschooling, coaching, trainings, baseball games and practices, and missing my mom, I needed some extra rest and I didn't take it. When I accepted this and reflected on letting myself get fried, I realized I hadn't written out my evening gratitude list for weeks. I love this as a nightly routine because it gets me off the screen, it's a gentle way to reflect on my day, and I always manage to find joy no matter what. The good news is that it was simple for me to begin again. I picked up my journal and made my list. I don't write a novel; it's usually bullet points. The next morning I came across the following quote in a devotional a good friend gave me: Men are generally the carpenters of their own crosses. // Saint Philip Neri What to Do When You're Burnt Out Getting burnt out is a choice. Okay, so it happened. Now what? Here are five things that help me rekindle my flame when I'm burnt out. 1. Surrender. Accept that doing all.the.things is not realistic nor healthy. It’s also okay to not be good at everything! If you are on social media on any given day then you are bombarded with what you should be doing and it’s easy to fall into the comparison game. Time to let Jesus take the wheel. Here’s a powerful prayer called the Surrender Novena. The novena describes universal worries and there is one answer. 2. Go take a nap. You cannot even think straight when you are tired, so stop pretending staying up a little longer to finish that one thing will make you a productive superstar. Not getting the right amount of sleep means you are elevating stress hormones, “foggy brain”, compromising your immune system, and messing with your mood. Hmm, sound about right? Now that I’m a mom, I understand why, when I went to look for my mom, I started in her bedroom. 3. Sit in the sun. Go outside! Get some fresh air. Your body needs sunshine to produce Vitamin D and to help you feel calm and focused. Our bodies are amazing! Celebrate this by stepping outside and appreciating the beauty around you as well as your own. 4. Make an appointment with yourself. I’m a big fan of scheduling self-care—actually writing it down in my planner. I am quick to brush off reading, a foot soak, or even scheduling a dentist appointment because there is always something more productive to do. So I block time on my calendar to take care of myself. How productive are you really if you’re giving the world what’s left of you? If you can brush yourself off so easily, think of how your family, friends, and co-workers feel when they can tell they’re getting what’s left of you. Make an appointment with yourself and keep it. Your mind, body, and soul are absolutely worth the investment. 5. Say “no.” You are in charge of your schedule, act like it. Give yourself permission to s l o w down. The next time your flame is a flicker, stop and ask yourself, “are my choices bringing me closer to or further from the life I want to build?” What works for you when you’re burnt out? Share it in the comments and help someone else!   [bctt tweet="Burnt Out? Here are 5 Ways to Reignite Your Flame #BISblog //" via="no"]   Liz Montigny coaches Catholic women to go from daily chaos to simplicity so they can love life. She is a wife, mom to three boys, and tea, big earrings, living a non toxic lifestyle, and creative evangelization are some of her other loves. Find out more about her here.

This time of year often stirs up a variety of feelings about family depending on your family situation. We live in a broken world and sometimes the most broken people are the ones closest to us. Even the most seemingly happy families may be dealing with difficulties. This season, whether you are feeling lonely, emotionally drained, or anxious about tense family dynamics, I hope that we can dig deeper and really begin to unpack where those wounds take root in the hopes that we can find forgiveness, healing, and peace. A Family Torn Apart I will never forget the night when my mom left our family. Unbeknownst to me, my parents’ marriage experienced problems from the very beginning. Up until this night, I was not aware that there had been any serious issues. My mother left a toxic and abusive marriage, but also left her children confused and devastated. I’ll never forget how my sister and I cried and begged her not to go. I’ll never forget how her perfume lingered in the air as she slammed the front door behind her. It was this night that began a whole breakdown of my sense of family, belonging, and safety. It became the source of a huge mother wound—feelings of abandonment and unworthiness—that still affect me to this day. This experience left me battling with some unhealthy habits. I thought that I needed to resort to extreme behavior to make a point, that I should leave and call it quits when things get hard, and that I needed to have total control to prevent heartbreak. Getting to Know Another Mother I remember when I said my very first prayer to Our Blessed Mother. Growing up, she was never an important part of my life or the faith I was raised in. In fact, I was taught that it was sinful to pray to her, so this first prayer during my conversion to Catholicism was very scary. I felt like I was doing something wrong. At this time, I was struggling so much with feeling disconnected from my mother and working through a lot of the wounds that affected my relationship with her. As I prayed to our Blessed Mother for the first time in my life, I felt immense peace, love, and comfort. I felt her saying to me, “I am your mother. I have always been your mother. And I’ve been praying for you and loving you before you even knew me.” I felt seen. I felt known and cared for. Starting my relationship with her began the work of finally forgiving my own mother. Saint Quotes On Family Ever since learning about the Saints, I’ve been so inspired by their incredible examples of holiness, but more so by the unique lives that led to their canonizations. Many of them came from beautiful families and many came from broken families. Regardless of their histories, they knew that they were so much more than their failures, their parents’ failures, or whatever hardships happened to them. They dedicated themselves to God, entrusting Him with their lives. We also have the Holy Family to whom we can look as an example of purity, sacrifice, and trust as the Lord carries us through difficult and challenging moments within our own families. We Belong Whatever your family situation may be, we should not forget that we all belong to a family. We have the love of the Father—the perfect Father. We have our beautiful Blessed Mother interceding for us with her maternal love. As Christians, we are adopted children of God. Let’s not forget that our sense of belonging can reach beyond our immediate family. Whether it’s a church community, close friendships, or a spiritual mother or father, let us remember that we belong to each other as brothers and sisters of Christ. “The family is the most ancient institution which God founded in Paradise, when He called the first pair of human begins into existence. The first blessing which God gave was for the wellbeing of the family.” // Saint John Vianney “God did not create a human family made up of segregated, dissociated, mutually independent members. No, He would have them all united by the bond of total love of Him and consequent self-dedication to assisting each other to maintain that bond intact.” // Venerable Pope Pius XII Marriage is to help married people sanctify themselves and others. For this reason they receive a special grace in the sacrament which Jesus Christ instituted. Those who are called to the married state will, with the grace of God, find within their state everything they need to be holy.” // Saint Jose Maria Escriva “Love and sacrifice are closely linked, like the sun and the light. We cannot love without suffering and we cannot suffer without love.” // Saint Gianna Beretta Molla “When husband and wife are united in marriage they no longer seem like something earthly, but rather like the image of God Himself.” // Saint John Chrysostom “Marriage is an act of will that signifies and involves a mutual gift, which unites the spouses and binds them to their eventual souls, with whom they make up a sole family—a domestic church.” // Saint John Paul II Be the Change Your Family Needs No family is perfect. In every family, happy or not, there are issues to be addressed, forgiveness to be granted, and the work of healing to be done. And that’s hard, isn’t it? It’s hard to look past the hurts and truly see our family members the way Jesus sees them. But if the way we treat our family members, good or bad, is a reflection of the way we treat Jesus, I know we can all do better. We can recognize the faults and failures of those closest to us but it is an act of true love that involves selflessness, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Instead of focusing on how our family members need to change, we must ask ourselves, “What can I do? How do I need to change? How can I show kindness and charity in order to bring peace and harmony into this family?” If you have plans coming up to visit with family and you’re kind of dreading it, I encourage you to pray. Truly surrender your pain, anxieties, and hurt to the Lord and let Him take it from you so you don’t have to deal with it alone anymore. Pray for your family members. Pray for peaceful family gatherings. I suggest you start a novena to Saint Joseph, the head of the Holy Family, and the patron Saint of families. If you want to take more practical steps, here are some wonderful suggestions that you can put into practice in the days leading up to seeing your family. “Whatever you do for your family, for your children, for your husband, for your wife, you do for God. All we do, our prayers, our work, our suffering, is for Jesus.” // Saint Teresa of Calcutta “See to it that you refrain from harsh words. But if you do speak them, do not be ashamed to apply the remedy from the same lips that inflicted the wounds.” // Saint Francis of Paola “No one heals himself by wounding another.” // Saint Ambrose “To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of others.” // Saint John Paul II “You will never be happy if your happiness depends on getting solely what you want. Change the focus, get a new center, will what God wills, and your joy no man shall take from you.” // Venerable Fulton Sheen Jesus Always Restores While I now understand my mother’s reasons for leaving our family, it left a huge scar on my heart. Over the years, and thanks be to God, I have been able to process a lot of what has happened and forgive my mother. Now we have a wonderful relationship. It’s not perfect, but it’s not meant to be. I was eventually able to reconstruct my idea of what family is. It’s not what I expected as a little girl. I thought that family was always happy and cheerful, that people didn’t hurt each other, that there would never be any arguments. I know now that family is quite the opposite. It’s about being in your lowest of lows, showing the worst sides of yourself, but working together through the issues and coming out on the other side of it loving each other and understanding each other more than before. The devil specifically attacks families. The beauty, the joy, and the grace that flows from holy families are things that the enemy despises and so he makes it his mission to tear families apart. But we won’t let him win. We won’t let him have the last say. Whatever has happened in your family, you have the power to change it. You have the power to forgive, to heal, and to repair—and it has to start in your own heart. It is through this special kind of sacrifice that you can change your family, and when the unity of family is restored, the whole world can be restored. Whether you plan to spend these holidays with family or not, I pray that your days will be filled with joy, peace, and gratitude. “I think peace will be a long time coming. But our faith teaches us that we must always keep on hoping, we shall enjoy it one day.” // Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati “He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross so often will I forgive with all my heart.” // Saint Faustina “The family is the basis in the Lord’s plan, and all the forces of evil aim to demolish it. Uphold your families and guard them against the grudges of the evil one by the presence of God.” // Saint Charbel “The final battle between the Lord and the reign of satan will be about marriage and the family. Don’t be afraid, because anyone who works for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be fought and opposed in every way, because this it the decisive issue. However, Our Lady has already crushed its head.” // Servant of God Lucia of Fatima “Let us love, since that is what our hearts were made for.” // Saint Therese of Lisieux “Now, we must help each other to get to Heaven.” // Blessed Charles of Austria (to his wife, Empress Zita, the day after their wedding) “If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family.” // Saint Teresa of Calcutta “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” // Saint John Paul II What are some ways you have felt hurt, abandoned, or unloved by your family? What kind of changes can you make within your own heart to love yourself and love your family? What are three things you are grateful for?   [bctt tweet="Saint Quotes for Broken Families #BISblog //" via="no"]

I peered across the playground, shielding my eyes from the blazing Arizona sun. Laughter emerged from a group of children as they ran playfully through the warm sand. Sweat trickled down my neck as I stood awkwardly and ran my hands through my wild dark-brown curls. I was in third grade. Tall for my age, with knobby knees, and gangly limbs. It was my first day of school. My first day in a town that was vastly different from the ones I had known before. I did not know a single person, other than the kind principal, who smiled at me behind her bright red reading glasses, and led me to the edge of the playground. Searching for Someone After she briskly walked away, her heels clicking melodiously on the cement, I remained frozen in place searching for something, anything, that seemed familiar. Searching for a face that would bring comfort. Searching for a friend. Desperately praying for someone to come and talk to me. Someone to take my hand and lead me into the joy I was witnessing all around me. Someone to point me in the right direction. Someone to teach me the ropes and introduce me to this new place. When I had nearly given up, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned to see a small girl with a wide smile holding a plastic pink jump-rope. She would come to be my dearest friend during a time when forming friendships would prove quite difficult. I am forever thankful that she sought me out. Forever thankful that the Lord placed it in her little heart to befriend the girl who looked lost and alone. Surprise Saintly Friends As I have grown older, I have been blessed to see how the Lord brings into our life exactly the friend we need. God does this in an especially beautiful way with the Saints. Our heavenly friends accompany us on this earthly journey, interceding for us and encouraging us through their stories. Helping us to see God’s glory in our own stories. Ordinary people who said yes to the extraordinary grace lavished upon them by Christ in His great unfathomable mercy. People who had faults, sufferings, and triumphs, and joys. People who were priests, religious, mothers, fathers, and children. People who were poor, rich, and everything in between. Saints, who when we search through their stories, we will find bits and pieces of our own. Places of grace where God has loved us and redeemed us. Sometimes they seek us, and other times we stumble upon them in unexpected ways. It was in one of those unforeseen moments that I came to know Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo. Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo She was born in Madagascar and was baptized a Catholic when she was fifteen, even though her family opposed it. Blessed Victoire encouraged and protected her fellow Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ during a time when the Church was being persecuted. Through her courageous gift of self, she kept schools and churches open and brought back missionaries who had been forced to leave. Amid tremendous suffering and uncertainty, Blessed Victoire remained faithful, spending hours in prayer each day and boldly proclaiming the Faith to those who needed to be inspired. Her heart was fixed on Christ. Through unimaginable pain and rejection, she remained rooted in prayer. The Best Prayer Partner I was in awe as I read her story. My heart was immediately moved by her dedication to prayer because I was in a place where I had no desire to pray. I was fatigued after a long year of suffering. Prayer felt forced and empty. I was becoming increasingly discouraged and burdened, as I searched desperately for something, anything that would bring me back to a place of peace. When I learned of her, she was like a new friend, lightly tapping me on the shoulder, and leading me back into joy. She was the friend I needed. I’ll admit, while fascinated with her life it took me a while to get to know her. I was much like the third-grade version of myself, standing awkwardly off to the side, just waiting. Captivated by her story, but unsure how I could relate to her. Unsure where the place of grace would be, until one day as I was having difficulty praying, I remembered how she spent hours in prayer and I asked for her intercession. Peace flooded my heart, and I felt inspired. The weariness that had settled into my heart began to lift. Phone a Friend Like You If you are struggling with prayer, I encourage you to become friends with Blessed Victoire. Ask for her intercession. Our heavenly friends desire to see us rejoicing with the Lord, desire to see us grow in holiness, desire to meet us and show us how to navigate this life. And I have found that they come to our aid in the most beautiful ways. Go to them. Allow them to be like a friend who gently takes your hand and leads you in the right direction, closer and closer to Jesus.   To learn more about Blessed Victoire and 11 other holy women from different continents and walks of life, check out Misericordia! [elementor-template id="546630"] [bctt tweet="Blessed Victoire + Surprise Saintly Friendships #BISblog //" via="no"]

"Hey Mom, can we watch a show?" I quickly scanned the house and zipped through my mental checklist. Schoolwork and chores were finished, they had played outside for several hours, and, frankly, I wanted to make dinner in blessed silence. "Sure!" I said, "Just no twaddle." My kids have heard me say this hundreds of times. When they sit down to enjoy a show, I do not want it to oppose what I spend my days trying to teach them. Which, as I'm sure you already know, leaves us with approximately 1.4 options. Until now, when Juice Box enters our black box. Engaging the Senses Makes Spiritual Sense Rob Kaczmark, the creator of Spirit Juice Studios, was inspired by his own children and role as a father to create something for kids that would teach them the Catholic Faith in an engaging and impactful way. The Catholic Church desperately needs higher quality children’s programming to help teach kids the basics of their faith in a compelling and age-appropriate way. With two young sons of my own, I now realize that this content would be invaluable to me and many other Catholic parents, and I realized that Spirit Juice can help create it. As a mom and trained catechist, I couldn't agree more. If you've heard your kids sing songs from Daniel Tiger for days on end or spout off animal facts from Wild Kratts, then you've witnessed the power of story and song when it comes to learning. When our senses are engaged with that which we are exploring, the knowledge sinks more deeply than if we passively receive the information. We learn in layers, and the creators of Juice Box understand this. Juice Box seeks not only to teach kids ages 2 to 6 about Catholicism, but to get them excited about what their Faith has to offer. Just as the liturgies and traditions of our Church engage our senses to deepen our prayer, Juice Box strives to make disciples through delight. Our kids won't merely learn facts about their Faith, they'll also be encouraged to live it. The Friends on Our Journey The jubilant hosts, Miss Mel and Steve, are two seasoned performers, which is evident in the first look video. They are also devout Catholics trained in ministry and faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church (as is Spirit Juice Studio as a whole), so we can rest assured that our children are receiving solid instruction in the Faith. In their premiere season, Juice Box is setting out to produce four episodes on the topics of: Prayer The Mass ABCs of Catholics Saints But as we need one another in the Communion of Saints, we need to put our efforts together to help this show take flight.   A Timely Task Juice Box has taken to Kickstarter to crowdfund its first season, and they've brought along some goodies for those willing to partner with them in this mission. Supporters of the Kickstarter campaign will receive a variety of rewards based on their giving level, including: digital downloads of the episodes supplemental teaching resources to accompany the episodes Juice Box-branded socks from Catholic company Sock Religious and more! The campaign has until the end of this month to reach its funding goal or else it will not become a reality. Moms, aunts, and any friends who love the kids in your life: we need this show! Pass the Juice Box, Please! I take seriously my role as primary educator of my children, and I could not be more grateful to now have Juice Box in my corner. I have already told many friends about this show, and we are all eager to have a worthy television option for our kids. No longer will my children need to beg me to watch a show; I'll be the one suggesting time spent with Juice Box. I'm ready to introduce them to a show that will engage their minds and transform their hearts. Here's to making more dinners in peace while our kids learn about Jesus! Have you backed Juice Box yet? Which episode of season one are you most excited to see?   [bctt tweet="Hey Kids, Go Watch Juice Box #BISblog //" via="no"]   This post is sponsored by Spirit Juice Studios. All opinions are my own! THE PERFECT BOOK FOR KIDS Rise Up will open up beautiful conversations with your children about the virtues. . This will bring beautiful fruit to your prayer life and to your children's prayer lives. GET RISE UP

As I scanned the first few lines of the email, I my heart felt as though it sank into my toes. “Thank you so much for your interest in…. At this time we are pursuing a different candidate whose experience better meets our needs… we wish you all the best in your search.” Another rejection email. Another few fruitless hours spent crafting the perfect cover letter and preparing for interviews. Another setback. Searching for a new job at any phase in life can be a draining experience. Whether you’ve lost your current position, are stuck in a toxic work environment, or just aching for a career change, the search for a new role can be an intimidating prospect and a beautiful invitation to step forward in faith. Job Searching with Jesus As you navigate your job search, here are four ways to invite God into the journey with you. 1. Find a verse. The Bible is full of incredible verses about the presence of God, His care, and His providence. I would encourage you to take time and really talk with God about what He wants to speak to you in this season of searching. Maybe He is inviting you to trust or place your hope in Him. Or maybe He’s simply asking you to remember your worth comes not from your work but from your identity as His daughter. Whatever He wants to communicate to you, He’ll find a way to put on your heart. And once He does, keep it physically close to you. Save it in the notes on your phone. Make it your computer lock screen. Write it on a sticky note and put it on your bathroom mirror. Highlight it in your Bible. Keep it close, accessible and at the forefront of your mind. There are many voices you can listen to while looking for a new position, make sure you are always able to hear the Lord’s loud and clear. 2. Phone a friend. The Saints are powerful friends and advocates for us in Heaven. When looking for a job, there are a few in particular I would recommend inviting to walk with you. First and foremost, your own patron or confirmation Saint, who is always in your corner. Other great additions to your support team include Saint Cajetan, the patron Saint of job seekers, Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, or if you’re really feeling discouraged, Saint Jude, the patron of hopeless causes. Whether it is through your daily prayer or through a structured novena, you can never go wrong asking for help from these incredible advocates. After all, who better to talk to about your desire for meaningful and fruitful work than the man who provided for Mary and Jesus? Rest assured that the Saints are there to intercede and help bring your hopes and needs before the Father. 3. Extend the invite. This practice may seem small or insignificant, but I can assure you, it is so fruitful. Invite the Lord into each moment of your job search by offering a small prayer each step of the way. Some of my favorites are: “Come, Holy Spirit” and “Jesus, I trust in You.” Keep it short and simple and say it audibly whenever you can. Before clicking submit on that application.... Jesus I trust in You. Before answering the call on that phone interview... Come Holy Spirit. Some days you’ll say it in full confidence, other days it might not come as easily. But just extending the invitation allows the Lord to walk alongside us in a real and tangible way. 4. Keep it honest. When you are going through a job search the rollercoaster of emotions be overwhelming and it is easy to feel like you are spiraling out of control. No matter what’s going on in your search process, remember: keep talking to the Lord about it. He wants you. Not you at your best. Not you after you’ve gotten your emotions in check. You. The you that is heartbroken after not getting the job. The you that is frustrated when the search drags on. The you that is worn out, cranky, or irritated. Bring it all to Him. He wants it all. And He wants all of you. Take everything to Him, without censoring yourself or holding back. He can take it, and what’s more: He wants to. You're Not Searching Alone No matter where you are in your job search process sister, I can promise you are never alone. Jesus wants to walk with you through every season, and He longs to be near you in a special way during this time of transition. Are you searching for a job right now? Drop a line in the comments below and we will pray for your search!   [bctt tweet="Job Searching with Jesus #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. HIS WORD CHANGES LIVES God is speaking to you through His Word. In this personal study, you will learn to hear God's voice by reading slowly and praying deeply. BEGIN THE JOURNEY

Is there anything I can say at this time of year that isn’t cliché when it comes to the passing of time or the general sense or urgency where we hope to find peace? As we head into the final weeks of ordinary time that propel us into the gentle and earth-shattering season of Advent, one thing is for sure: Rest is likely about to get put onto the back burner again (if it hasn’t been already). Particularly as we look forward to moving collectively back into a more traditional season of gathering, this time of giving gratitude may very well have the feel of an accelerator rather than the opportunity to catch our breath. However, there is good news, friends! We are not the first to feel this dissonance—and we do not have to stay in this mindset. Cadence of Rest Even if we have gotten out of the habit, we have been commanded to rest ... weekly! This is such glorious permission to step off the treadmill of productivity. Not just when we are overwhelmed or in a season of spiritual growth, but consistently, each week. Sundays were never intended for laundry and groceries, but for actual nourishment and revitalization. Perhaps this season, rest is the gift we are being offered; not because we have "earned it," or our lists have been checked off, but because it is a grace always available to us and offered to us in love by the One who knows us best. Gathering Wisdom from the Saints God gave us the commandment to rest because He knew how self-important we would find the uninterrupted work of our hands. Without the opportunity to step away from work, we might begin to believe that our worth (or the course of the earth) is dependent upon our productivity, rather than the One who created us to do said work and offers respite to our souls. We need frequent reminders that the fate of the universe is not dependent upon our efforts. God lovingly provides that for us if we are open to it. You Don’t Have to Take My Word for It Do you remember watching Reading Rainbow in grade school? In every episode, LeVar Burton would introduce and recommend a great new book to the audience, before panning to a gaggle of children ready to endorse the goodness or silliness of the book and he would say: "But you don’t have to take my word for it." In the same way, I take comfort in the fact that we are not the first to need encouragement to offer a commodity as precious as our time to the Lord. As I imagine the daily lives of the Saints, I have no doubt that they could have filled their every waking hour with the Corporal or Spiritual Works of Mercy. So involved were they in promoting the mission of the Gospels that they, more than most, might well have been consumed by the work of their hands. However, they offer wise insight into the heart of a servant who is willing to let the final outcome rest on the work of God’s hands, rather than their own. Saint Quotes When You Need Rest Should we need reminding (and I know I do!), here is some fantastic wisdom from a few spiritual giants, on whose shoulders we are privileged to stand. It is such a folly to pass one's time fretting, instead of resting quietly on the heart of Jesus. // Saint Therese of Lisieux God is there in these moments of rest and can give us in a single instant exactly what we need. // Edith Stein (Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross) We find rest in those we love, and provide resting place to those who love us. // Saint Bernard of Clairvox If there were no tribulation there would be no rest; if there were no winter there would be no summer. // Saint John Chyrsostom Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed. // Saint Francis de Sales Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you. // Saint Augustine My strength returns to me with a cup of coffee and the Psalms. // Servant of God, Dorothy Day An Invitation to Rest Maybe this year, rather than sacrificing ourselves in the name of scheduling and to-do lists, we consider offering our undone lists, our unstructured time for the Lord to use as He sees fit? What do we stand to lose? Better yet, what might we stand to gain?   [bctt tweet="Saint Quotes When You Need Rest #BISblog //" via="no"]