In August we celebrated the Assumption of Mary—her entrance into heaven. That occurance is so monumental that it’s a holy day of obligation. Entering eternal life is certainly a bigger deal than being born on this earth; yet tomorrow, the Church celebrates Mary’s earthly birthday. In light of all Our Lady's great feasts, it begs the question, why do we celebrate this “lesser” feast? Why Do We Celebrate the Birth of Mary? According to St. Augustine, human nature is restored to its intended form (free from sin) in the conception and birth of Our Lady. It’s not anything she did herself to accomplish this, it’s all what God has done through her. It’s not even something He did to specifically benefit her; it was something He did to benefit all of humanity. Because Mary’s pure human nature is then what is handed down to her Son—and it is through His Passion and the Sacraments that the nature of all mankind is redeemed—Mary’s birthday really is a very big deal. It is the dawning of God’s new creation: our redemption. Ways to Celebrate Our Lady's Birthday What better way to show your gratitude for this great gift than to celebrate Mary’s birthday within your own day? Here are ten ways to start the party in your home or “on-the-go.” 1. Incorporate Family Traditions Growing up, my family had a special “celebration” plate which was only used on special occasions. For our birthdays, it could always be found set at our place at the family table. For Christmas, we would use the plate to set an extra place at the table for Baby Jesus. This tradition could easily be carried over to Mary’s birthday as well. Now, within my “adult” home, we have a handmade fabric “Happy Birthday” banner which adorns our walls for any family birthdays. Tomorrow, it will hang in honor of our Heavenly Mother. 2. Dress in Blue During my undergraduate career, I was required to read a book about the philosophy of beauty. In one of the passages, I read about the color blue and how the only resources artists within a particular region had to create paint in this specific color was to crush precious gems. Thus, blue pant was expensive and scarce. It was only used in the most important of circumstances. Use of the color was a tactic used by the artist to draw specific attention to that item or person. As a Catholic, I couldn’t help but think of Our Lady and how she is often depicted wearing blue within sacred art. Did this practice start within this said particular region? Were these artists responsible for Mary’s traditional depiction in a blue mantel? Probably not. However, this piece of history definitely helps me meditate on the importance of the the Blessed Virgin, and thus I enjoy wearing something blue on all of her feast days. 3. Bake a Cake You don’t have to be super creative to celebrate Our Lady's birthday. Be traditional! Bake a cake and eat it with family and friends in her honor. Make it as simple or complicated as you’d like! 4. Make a Donation Find a trusted Marian organization (ie: Mary’s Meals, a Carmelite order, etc.) and make a monetary donation in her honor as a birthday gift. 5. Go to Mass Mary says very little within the Gospels. Everything she does say directs all the glory and attention to her Son. She wants us to know and love Him. Thus, what better birthday gift to give to Our Lady than to go to Mass and receive her Son in the Eucharist? 6. Pray a Flying Novena Typically a novena is said over the course of nine days. In the case of a flying novena, the Memorare is said nine times in a row calling on the intercession of Our Lady. Since Mary asks us often to pray for the conversion of sinners, pray a flying novena with this as your intention as a gift for her on her birthday. She would surely be grateful for this act of service. 7. Consecrate Yourself to Mary If you haven’t done so already, consider consecrating yourself to the Blessed Virgin. There are numerous resources to help you explore your options and decide whether you’d like to be her devoted servant. The Saints all declare there is no surer way to holiness. 8. Wear a Marian Medal Being a cradle Catholic, I own a plethora of religious medals, as they are often given to me as gifts. If I was to wear every single medal I own daily, I might develop neck problems from the extreme weight of the chain around my neck. Thus, I keep the majority of my medals in my jewelry box and switch them out from time to time. Something that I wasn’t expecting when I began this practice was how aware I would become of my own spiritual needs as well as the liturgical calendar. Some days I make my choice based on which Saint I feel as though I need to intercede for me. Other days I base my choice solely on the feast day. Tomorrow, I’ll don one of my Marian medals. 9. Make a Pilgrimage Most churches have a grotto on their grounds dedicated to Our Lady. Take time during your day to stop and visit her there (remembering that a pilgrimage is never convenient and often comes with obstacles). If there is no grotto, there is sure to be a Marian statue within the church itself. Spend some quality time in prayer with your mother. Pray a rosary or write her a letter in your prayer journal as a type of birthday card. 10. Buy Some Roses In almost every Marian apparition, Our Lady appears with roses. She’s also revealed within numerous private revelations that her Heavenly crown is made of roses. In fact that’s where the “Rosary” got its name. Buy a dozen roses in her honor and gift them to someone who could use a reminder of Heaven’s love. Or take them with you on your “pilgrimage” and leave them at her feet. We shouldn’t feel silly for celebrating Mary’s birthday—she’s our Momma! Take some time tomorrow to show Our Lady some love. How do you celebrate Our Lady's Birthday? Share your ideas below! [bctt tweet="Ways to Celebrate Our Lady's Birthday #BISblog //" via="no"] MARY SHOWS US THE WAY Just as a mother might pass on a beloved family tradition to her daughters, Mary shares the recipe for growing in virtue with us. This study on Mary's Virtues will breathe new life into your everyday, beginning right in Mary's home. GET HOME STUDY

Many moons ago, when I was in college, I loved getting my new planner along with my books every fall. The blank pages were so inviting, so intriguing. I relished recording my schedule of classes, contact information, random pictures, and doodles. Then, I’d look ahead in wonder at what the year might hold. I got that same feeling last month when it was time to open my brand new Blessed is She Liturgical Planner for the academic year. Now that I’m a mom of four big, busy kiddos and working part-time myself, I looked at those gorgeous blank pages and knew that they would be so full by the time the year ended! They would end up telling the story of my family, recording a “year-in-the-life” of our own special brand of crazy. And I couldn’t wait to dive in. This planner is my meal planner, day runner, to-do list, prayer journal, and so much more! Read along while I show you my favorite parts and how I use them, will you? Of course, one of the beautiful things about this planner is that it is so easily adaptable to every woman’s needs. How you use it could very well be different than how I do, and that’s fantastic! Blessed is She Planner Monthly Layout Now, most people probably use this page for future planning of events, trips, and so on. For me, it’s a tool for working on a monthly meal plan! Here’s how I do it. As one month comes to an end, I flip to the next month and write important memos in the “Don’t Forget” section. In the day boxes, I’ll add in notes about what is going on in the evenings and mark any Holy Days of Obligation or feast/fasting days. Then comes my family’s favorite part. I ask everyone to give me 2-3 requests for dinner that month. Once I have all requests, I try to match them up with appropriate days on the calendar. I make sure to include a night for leftovers and a night of FFY (Fend For Yourself) in each week as well. The rest of the nights are for me to fill in as I see fit with new recipes, favorites of my own, or pantry meals. It’s really cool because the kids get to take some ownership of our dinner times! They know when it is “their” night because the meal is circled in their own special color (more on that in a minute) and they are given the honor of leading the mealtime prayer. Weekly Overview Sisters, I just love this section! There is so much good stuff here! Weekly Bible Verse Confession time. I am terrible about memorizing Bible verses. So it's wonderful to have 52 verses beautifully printed at the top of a page I look at on a daily basis! It’s just one of the special touches that makes having a Catholic planner so lovely. Groceries There have been a couple changes to this section from last year’s planner. First, in last year’s edition, the grocery list area was too short for my hungry family. This year, it’s nice and long. Last year, it was buried in the middle of the page, so you had to take your whole big planner to the store with you to make use of it. Now, it’s conveniently located on the side of the page, so you can simply cut it off one little strip of paper and take that! Genius! Meal Planning Broken down by day, this let’s you have a space to plan for the week ahead (or simply copy over from your monthly view!). To-Do Raise your hand if your to-do list seems to grow by the minute? Mine too. Thankfully, this planner gives us 21 lines on which to write all of the stuff that keeps us hopping. Goals It’s good to have goals, right? And I’d wager that you come a lot closer to accomplishing them when you actually write them down! Intentions If you’re like me, you have lots of people and things to pray for. But sometimes we forget or it slips our mind. How many other planners have a built-in reminder to pray for others? Notes Last but not least is the area for notes. Fill this up or leave it blank. This area is for you to use however you see fit. Here are some ideas for using this section. Daily Breakdown No, this is not a commentary on my day-to-day mental state. (Well, maybe sometimes…) This is my very favorite part of the Blessed is She planner! Each day of the week is broken down into hour or half-hour segments so that you can literally plan your day to the minute! In planning for my family, each of the six of us is assigned our own unique color that I use to fill out who is where and when (it’s also used for meal planning, remember?). Using my handy-dandy colored pens lets us all know at a glance if it’s going to be a busy day or not and who has commitments that day. It works like a charm for our busy family! Each day also includes a Today I Will section for those to-do items. There’s also a self-care reminder section to see how you have loved your body, mind, and soul for the day. And each day ends with a mini gratitude journal. I love that saints’ feast days are written at the top, right under the date and that each Sunday is labeled by its place in the liturgical year. Honestly, it makes attempting to live liturgically seem a little more in reach for those of us to whom that practice doesn’t come easily. Other Highlights of the Blessed is She Planner First, the practical. The durable pockets inside both the front and back covers are so useful. I hid my Christmas receipts in those last year. I've used the entire section of Notes in the back for everything from lists of what meat we currently have in our freezer to reminders of gift ideas for my husband and kids. Now, the spiritual. Honestly, I never thought a planner, of all things, would enhance my spiritual life. But this planner certainly does! There’s a beautiful gathering of favorite prayers contributed by Blessed is She writers, a complete listing of feast days, novena start days, Holy Days, and a list of the Mysteries of the Rosary. Not to mention all of the beautifully hand-lettered Bible verses on each month’s cover page! And that’s it, folks! A virtual walk-through of both the Blessed is She planner and how I use it! I hope it provides you with some inspiration to keep your own days a little more organized, a little more spiritually focused. Happy planning, friends! P.S. If you’re looking into making your planner a little craftier than mine or if you’d like to see the mini version, devotional writer Bobbi at Revolution of Love had some great ideas! Have you ordered your calendar year Blessed is She planner yet? Let me know how you use your monthly layout section in the comments below! 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   For Your Prayer Life Deepen your daily prayer life with a planner built around the Liturgical Year. Shop the Catholic Liturgical Planner →

Has a saint ever chased after you? Everywhere you turn, there there are, seemingly waiting for you. It’s like they’re trying to tell you something that you don’t want to hear, so you keep trying to avoid them. But you can’t. That was me and Mama T, or St. Teresa of Calcutta. Memorable Missions In the summer of 2014 my brother announced that he had been selected to go on a mission trip to Calcutta. Our whole family was so excited for him. What a blessing. What an opportunity. Cut to me. Drowning in babies. I had two boys, ages one and two, and a baby girl due in December. I was elated for my brother. And also a little “Catholic jealous” (oh, come on now, we know that’s a thing). I knew in my mind that my work as a mother was holy and important. However, the yearning in my heart to drop everything and serve the Lord in some far away country was present. There was no denying it. My brother returned from Calcutta with amazing stories of mercy and miracles (and also some heat sickness on his part). While baby girl did track starts off my bladder and two little boys begged for snacks, my brother recounted his journey. I was so proud of him in that moment. And at the same time, I had to distance myself from what he was saying. It almost hurt too much to hear him talk about touching the tomb of Mother Teresa and his newfound love for this Saint. A Study on the Works of Mercy Misericordia Walk with the saints, including Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and discover practical ways to live the Works of Mercy. Explore Misericordia → Memorable Motherhood? Two years later, my sister went on the same mission trip to Calcutta. Things played out in a similar matter. I listened to her stories and I looked at the pictures. But I felt disconnected from her experience. We now had four kids, and my prayer life consisted of simply saying/crying, “Help me, Lord!” throughout the day. It was at this time, though, that I began to feel St. Teresa of Calcutta tugging at my heart. I quickly ignored that prompting. How could I, who can't even make it to my local soup kitchen, possibly connect with this Saint who served the poor without any reservation? How could I connect with a Saint who trusted the Lord to provide, while I literally have three to-do lists going at all times? No, it simply wasn’t possible. Finally Found By St. Teresa of Calcutta Around that same time, my brother gave me a book called Mother Teresa of Calcutta, A Personal Portrait by Fr. Leo Maasburg. I thanked him and put the book on the shelf. I promised to give it a read once all the kids were in college and I actually had time again. Mama T was not buying that. Somehow, this book was always the one the kids pulled off the shelf. It was always showing up on the kitchen counter. No matter how often I’d put it away, it would simply just be out. We even moved! I packed it. Unpacked it. Only to have the whole process start again. Finally, in the summer of 2017 (after another move), I picked it up and opened it. While most books took me a year to read in their entirety, I finished this one in four days. St. Teresa of Calcutta finally found me, and she wasn’t going to let go. Mother Teresa Knew What It Was to Be a Mother Fr. Leo’s portrait of Mother Teresa showed me why she had been waiting for me. It showed me why I needed her so much. I saw that, right here in my life, I could live out what she was revealing to me. Though I wouldn’t be in the streets of Calcutta, I could show love and compassion to those around me and in my community. There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation than for bread. She showed me that working hard and writing to-do lists is great. But at the end of the day, everything belongs to the Lord. Doesn’t our life belong entirely to God? ... We just have to let Him work. The only thing that we have to do is pray that we don’t spoil His work! It’s His work. Mother Teresa showed me that my prayer life need not be complicated but simply heart to heart with God. God speaks in the silence of our heart, and we listen. Then out of the fullness of our heart we speak and He listens. And this is prayer. Mama T whispered a reminder into my heart that my dreams and desires for my life are good. But it’s not worldly success that I must seek. It's a sweet and fruitful faithfulness. God didn’t call me to be successful. God called me to be faithful. Small Things, Great Love My devotion to Mother Teresa is still growing. She comes to me in the littlest moments of my day, when I am feeling small and defeated. I feel her pick me up and dust me off. She tells me to keep going. To keep running the race. To keep doing small things with great love. St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us! Do you have a devotion to St. Teresa of Calcutta? How has she influenced your life? Let's celebrate her feast day and swap stories in the comments below! [bctt tweet="Finding Calcutta #BISblog //" via="no"] Susana Starbuck is wife of a youth minister and mother to four littles five and under. She lives in Phoenix, AZ and enjoys reading a good book, posting her highlight reel on Instagram, and drinking wine. You can connect with her here. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking through one of these links, Blessed is She will receive a small percentage of your purchase at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting this ministry by using our affiliate links!

I have to admit, I am new to the Jennifer Fulwiler fan club. I recently discovered Mrs. Fulwiler through the Fountains of Carrots podcast. I was immediately sold on her proposition that motherhood (or anyone’s vocation) does not require us to give up our passions or deny our talents while answering God’s call. In her new memoir, One Beautiful Dream, Mrs. Fulwiler shares the personal account of writing her first book while raising six children. Throughout the book, her writing dreams and plans are paused by positive pregnancy tests, poo-pocalypse, ringing doorbells, and the Resistance. Despite my own pauses, I devoured One Beautiful Dream in less than 24 hours (including the five-and-a-half hours of sleep allowed by my teething first-born). Jennifer uses evocative anecdotes that illustrate the frustration and pain she feels as she begins her journey of self-discovery. Beginning with the Green Bean Lady, I was engaged and ready to cheer her the finish line readers knew she would cross. After all, this book is her second! Regardless of your own vocation, Fulwiler’s exploration of faith, vocation, and a communal dream rather than a personal one is poignant and much-needed in our self-serving culture. Is the Way We Do Motherhood Normal? Like many, Fulwiler begins parenthood with visions of beautifully-kept homes, clean, well-mannered children, and a firmly-held belief that she and her husband could do it all on their own. If there is any number one message from Fulwiler’s journey that should be shouted from the rooftops, it is her husband’s revelation in chapter 22: Never in human history have parents raised kids in isolation. Never. People always had their clans or villages or tribes or whatever to help them. Fulwiler’s own revelation occurs later when she is finally able to present her beloved grandfather, Papaw, with her first book. Fulwiler uses her grandfather’s deep love and pride in his granddaughter to illustrate that when we allow others into our lives to help us pursue our passions, they are given the opportunity to be a part of a big, beautiful dream as well. God has not called us to live and struggle in isolation. God does not demand that we do it alone. Letting People Help Fulwiler illustrates her own family’s growth as they welcome grandparents, friends, babysitters, and strangers into their fold. They accept their generous offers of help, support, food, and even monetary donations. Fulwiler pushes through her own pride to realize that rejecting another’s offer or refusing to ask for help effectively shuts down that person’s own opportunities to pursue what they love to do. In our own lives, we are called to be both Fulwiler and the greater community. Whatever the season of our life, we have a role to play in the clan or village or tribe that we are part of to help a new generation of young Catholics. The Importance of Friendship Fulwiler shows this through her friendships with a variety of wonderful, hardworking women. She has friends with similar passions as her own. Women who love their children deeply but also feel fulfilled by working on creative projects that take them away from their families for periods of time to write, think, or whatever else they need. But she also shows us the women who aren’t sacrificing when they bake with their children. They feel the most alive and delighted by the handmade ornaments they made with their little ones. And all of these women have something to offer that could help change the world, little by little. They only need to overcome the Resistance that interferes with the pursuit of their beautiful dream. Resistance I was struck by how well she identified her past mistakes and struggles throughout the memoir. She clearly marks the places where the Resistance rose up and tried to prevent her from writing. Fulwiler identifies the Resistance as the evil we all know is present. It interferes with our own abilities to do what we have been called to do. She explains that the Resistance is the envy we feel as scroll through social media feeds. It is the small voice the grows louder as we listen to our insecurities. It is our pride that makes us feel like we need to do it all on our own rather than seek help from those around us. What is Your Blue Flame? Just like Fulwiler, we each have our own blue flame that God has given us. We don’t have to dim that flame or put it out when we enter a season of life that does not seem ideal for what we love. She points out that St. Teresa of Calcutta’s organization could have arguably helped more people if they had not taken time for themselves each day. But there is a deep truth in taking time for yourself so that you can serve others. How can you give another person water if your own bucket is dry? How can we serve others if we have nothing left to give? A Must-Read Within a few hundred pages, readers grow to know this tall, fighter of a woman who refused to believe that her vocation required her to be miserable in order to be a good mother. Her life lessons, from how to turn preteens pranksters into free babysitters and always grabbing the most important items first in the grocery store to how NFP is a lifestyle, not a contraception, are engaging and valuable. Whatever your blue flame, Jennifer Fulwiler is here to reassure you that with God’s grace and an inclusive and open heart, your dream can be much bigger and more beautiful than you ever imagined. Have you read One Beautiful Dream? What did you think of it? [bctt tweet="BIS Reads: One Beautiful Dream #BISblog //" via="no"] LeAnn Wood is a former summer camp director turned middle school teacher. She is a regular consumer of YA literature and coffee. When she isn't busy with her own little family, she enjoys writing about intentional praying and living on her blog. You can find out more about her here.

Every perfect gift is from above. // James 1:17 This week's phone and desktop wallpaper is SO good, from Joe of PAL Campaign. Check out PAL Campaign's amazing shop and their inspiring Instagram. I am telling you, you won't be disappointed. Huge thank you to Joe for creating these wallpapers for us to stay inspired. Remember to grab this awesome 8x10 print over in our shop (and Members, you get it free!!). Click here to purchase or get access and then download, print, and frame! Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen. -The Memorare | St. Teresa of Calcutta is known to have prayed the Memorare nine times as an “Express Novena” for urgent special intentions. This is a beautiful devotion and powerful prayer to have in your collection. Reflect I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus—one to one—you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel—but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus—not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you? Ask for the grace, He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying “I thirst” in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person—not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say “I love you”—impossible. St. Teresa of Calcutta [bctt tweet="Do you really know the living Jesus—not from books but from being with Him in your heart? -St. Teresa of Calcutta #BISblog // " via="no"] Listen For musical inspiration for your restful Sunday, listen to our BIS Rests playlist. [bctt tweet="BIS Rests: Remember + Realize #BISblog #BISrests //"] Curated by Elise Howe. You can find out more about her here.

Our two-and-a-half-year-old son Oscar can’t walk. He can’t talk. He has intractable epilepsy, a slippery demon that rears its head again and again. Often just when we think we finally have it subdued and let ourselves take a deep breath of relief. Oscar also has days when he is truly inconsolable. When something is bothering him so deeply that nothing in this world can comfort him. He screams with an agony hidden somewhere in his body, one he cannot tell us about or point to. This is not uncommon in kids with severe neurological issues. It simply is. The Inevitability of Failure It’s hard to be his mother on these days, though. I have always considered myself a capable and effective person. Good grades, competitive schools, graduate fellowships, all of which I deliberately walked away from when I chose to commit to the call of full-time motherhood. I expected to succeed at that, too, just by working hard enough. What Oscar has been teaching me is that sometimes hard work is not enough. Some things actually cannot be fixed. There are days when the medication fails to control his seizures. There are days when my words and songs and soothing embraces fail to keep him from thrashing and screaming for hours. Facing the Unfixable One day, a friend dropped by our house to lend us a precious gift, a pilgrim shrine of the Mother Thrice Admirable, Our Lady of Schoenstatt. She brought along the Rosary that had been wrapped around the cross atop the frame. “When I opened the box with my knife, I accidentally cut the Rosary into pieces. I cut straight through the cord, so that the beads of the opening prayers near the crucifix fell off. There’s not enough string to reattach them,” she explained ruefully. “I was so disappointed that I had been so careless,” she went on, as she fingered the beads with a wistful gaze. She returned the shrine to its carrying bag. "But the other day, I thought of you when I was looking at it. Some things can’t be fixed. You know what I mean.” There are days when it seems I have failed before I’ve even begun. Not just days with Oscar, and not just days when something has been irreparably broken by my careless hands...or my careless words. Into every life must fall some situations that are truly unfixable. But they must still be faced with courage and steadfastness. The Faithful Effort Today, during the longest doctor’s appointment in the history of the world, I held Oscar while he screamed. I knew that all the holding would be for naught. But I did it anyway, because it needed to be done. This was the task that God had set before me in that moment. It was an impossible, undoable task. A task at which I knew in advance I would fail. But it was a task that required faithful effort nonetheless. Here’s the truth of the matter: the faithful effort is the task. I also know in advance that I will fail at perfecting my soul while I breathe on this earth. I know in advance that I will fail to protect all my children from every danger in their lives. I know in advance that I will fail to love my husband with the unconditional love he so richly deserves. The faithful effort is in not quitting, even when it feels like you’re spinning your wheels. It is in not berating yourself for getting it wrong, even for getting it wrong over and over again. A Steadfast Spirit A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. -Psalm 51:12 Faithful effort requires a steadfast spirit. The willingness to get up and try again, knowing in advance that the effort will be in vain—that we will fail—requires a particular and very deep kind of trust. God’s grace is the only source of that trust, both the soil from which it springs and its very roots, knotted tight to that firm ground. This is a different kind of task from the more common ideal of detaching ourselves from the outcome of our efforts. This is not working hard when you don’t know what the outcome will be. Working hard when you do know what the outcome will be—when your work will be futile but you are asked to do it anyway—is stepping out in a different kind of trust and faith. Imagine the Blessed Mother as she watched her Son walk the way of the Cross in front of her, knowing the outcome could not be fixed or stopped or averted. She walked with Him anyway. She did not look away. She did not step aside. Failing and Our Father Sometimes I think God gives a few of us particularly stubborn, effective, and prideful souls these Sisyphean, unfinishable tasks, because He knows there is no other way that we will finally stop and take notice that there are things we cannot do alone. That we need Him to complete even the smallest details of our lives. That He loves us even when we fail. I call this kind of guaranteed failure failing with grace. Failing while you float serenely in the knowledge that God’s grace surrounds and carries you down, down, down, until you have reached the very bottom of your strength and the utter end of your will... and the beginning of His. Are you in a season where you feel like you're failing over and over again? How is God showing you that there is grace in the effort? [bctt tweet="Failing with Grace, Over and Over #BISblog //" via="no"] Christy Wilkens is a full-time mother, part-time armchair philosopher who lives in Austin, TX but wishes she lived in Lourdes. She is a wife and mom to six kids, all of whom are special (but some are specialer than others). She writes about special needs, faith, doubt, suffering, and good reads. You can find out more about her here.

A big theme in my life this year has been dancing upon disappointment. I want to be a woman who doesn’t live confined by the boundaries set by disappointment and heartbreak. I want to step on top of it, for everything to be a means to step into greater intimacy with the Father. However, suppression sometimes steps in the way of the dance. We’re chained up by hurt that we won’t let ourselves feel because it’s too heavy or we’re too busy or we claim that it’s really not hurt. Or because that woman’s husband left her, or that girl has cancer, and that’s real hurt. But regardless of if we want to acknowledge it or not, the pain is there. This year has contained some of the biggest heartbreak I have ever experienced. The lose-your-breath, punched-in-the-stomach, can’t-sleep, don’t-want-to-get-out-of-bed kind of disappointment. And even as I type that, I want to backspace. Because someone experienced something worse. But it's the reality. Something happened in my life that ripped my heart wide open. Enough of "I'm Fine" One night over a month ago, worn out by this situation wrought with miscommunication, misunderstanding, and so much fear, I wandered over to the chapel. I told Jesus that He’s good. That I’m fine. That I trust Him. I waited for some kind of consolation, but nothing came. “I’m sick of this, Jesus,” I whispered. With that, the something inside of me broke. Four pages of journaling later, I told Him how out of control I felt, how alone, how absolutely crushed, how inadequate, how hopeless, how hurt, how disappointed, how mislead, how unsatisfied, and a thousand other things. When I finished, I looked up at the Monstrance, exhausted. I was ready to start apologizing. Isn’t that what we’re used to doing? We suppress and contain the mess and keep our chins up. For some reason, we think that’s what faith, trust, and hope look like. But when did Jesus ever ask us to keep it together? Just as shame was starting to creep in, I heard Him say, “Finally.” Finally. He wasn’t interested in “fine, just fine” pretense. Because this was real surrender. This was real trust. Feeling it all, knowing it all, and giving it all to Him in spite of the pain. Stepping on top of the heartbreak and using it to draw closer to Him.He didn’t respond with a formula to fix it all. He told me that He was in control, and that I could rest because He refused to sleep. Dancing While We Cry Jesus Christ took on flesh and blood and dignified emotion. He came to the grave of Lazarus, not to fix everything, but to first enter into the suffering of Martha and Mary. He came to the grave and dignified emotion by taking it on, by shedding tears, by weeping. It was after the tears that He rose the dead to life. It takes courage to acknowledge pain, because then you can’t write off the situation as “no big deal.” You have to look at it squarely and come to terms with the reality that you’re hurting. And you can’t run. In order to dance on disappointment, we have to get on top of the disappointment. And to do that, we have to know that it’s there. As Steffany Gretzinger says, “It’s not that we don’t mourn. It’s that we dance while we cry.” We look at the heartbreak for what it is, in all of its pain and messiness, and we refuse to give in to hopelessness. We refuse to stop worshipping, we refuse to shut our hearts down from feeling. Choosing bravery, we allow our hearts to hurt. We choose to let go of control, of an obsession with sense and understanding, of trying to fix and figure it out. We shift our focus from the problem to the reality of the faithfulness of the Father. God was moving even on Holy Saturday, when we couldn’t see beyond the horror of the bloodstained Cross and the stillness of the stone rolled in front of the tomb. Lean Into Disappointment, Lean Into Him Let’s give ourselves permission to acknowledge our own hearts. Let’s give ourselves permission to feel on our own terms, without asking what actually qualifies as pain. We can experience the disappointment that is present in our hearts and use it as a means to worship the Father. Let’s worship this God who doesn’t let go, who has the final word. He’s writing a beautiful story with our lives and our story is not over. He still parts seas and multiplies fish and bread and raises the dead to life. He’s the God of abundance. He sees disappointment, He sees desire, and He doesn’t withhold. So, we can feel. We can breathe. We can dance in the face of anything. Let’s dance. [bctt tweet="Dancing on Disappointment #BISblog //" via="no"] Anne Marie Schlueter is currently studying Communications at Ave Maria University and is a flower crown and bare feet enthusiast. She's passionate about the power of worship and the reality that nothing is beyond restoration. You can find out more about her here.

When I was in high school, I loved the idea of going back to visit once I graduated. It was a dream, really. I would be able to see all my old teachers again and have this “cool college student” persona about me. Even as I came to love the Catholic Student Center and its campus ministry program at my school, I spent a good amount of that time daydreaming about what it would be like to come back and visit. As I continued to think about it, I started to realize that it would be the most effective within the first few years of leaving said place. Eventually, all those people you made memories within that place will graduate themselves. New groups of people will come in with no clue of who you are and what you did for that place. They'll be busy making memories of their own. Leaving a Legacy Our culture teaches us that it’s good to leave a legacy so that you will be remembered for years to come. That’s why I found myself wanting to be the next Taylor Swift when I was younger. It's also why it seems so appealing to come back to places where you hope you will be recognized among the many people. In my experience, when this happens, God likes to gently (sometimes forcefully) remind me of the importance of humility. He shows me that there is a real beauty in being a little person in God’s kingdom. It can be cause for frustration. But ultimately, it is the purification I need. The Little Flower St. Therese is a perfect example of this. Through her writings, we have been able to learn that, even in her life as a Carmelite nun in France, she loved even when it was difficult. One of my favorite examples is the way she dealt with the Sisters in the convent who she found it hardest to get along with. Yet, she always responded in the most loving way possible. She is a great example of having a spirituality of being little as do a lot of other saints. Being Little in a Think-Bigger World Recently, I realized that God is calling me to be little in this current season of life. Maybe He is trying to do that for you, too. No matter where you are or what life is bringing you, this is a really important lesson in the spiritual life. It’s so easy to want to do big things for the Kingdom of God. We often desire to start a ministry, lead a retreat, or do other "big things" for the Lord because it's a good thing and gives God glory. But the little things are just are important, and those might be what you are called to at this time. Since this place of littleness is where the Lord has called me recently, I wanted to share some things about what it means to be little in a world that wants you to think bigger. 1. It is a ‘we’ before ‘me’ attitude. The world wants us to put ourselves first. But when we are called to be little, we actually have to put others first. It could be doing something out of the way for your roommates, giving a compliment to someone at work, or showing extra kindness to the cashier at the grocery store. We have to start by asking one question: What is something I can do today that isn’t about me? 2. It is a way to prepare your heart for the bigger things. I think we sometimes get this notion that just because we are doing the little things, it means that we won’t get to ever do the big things. The Lord will call us to those big things that our hearts desire if it is in His will. But we can also start by preparing our hearts to be ready for those things. For example, as a single college student who feels called to the Sacrament of Marriage, I clearly cannot jump into married life tomorrow. But instead, I can work on my heart to be ready for that time to come. In this littleness it is about lessening ourselves so that when the time comes we can have more. No matter what the state it is, we will have opportunities to face this. Working on the little things now will give us the grounds to move forward when the big things come. 3. Being little is not bad. There’s a distinction that needs to be made when we talk about being little. You don’t want to mistake being little for complacency. Because whatever it is that God is calling you to right now, it needs to be done with excellence. When you do that well, it brings a lot of joy even when it is a task as simple as sending a card to someone who recently lost a loved one. Even though you may not find yourself in the spotlight in front of hundreds of people, in that moment you are in the spotlight of just that one person. And God finds so much delight in that similar to the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7). 4. Prayer, prayer, prayer. Whether or not you want to be in this season of littleness, prayer will always help you through it. It helps move your heart, as discussed above. But it also reminds you that you are not alone. Pray to St. Therese to help you with this. Ask for prayers from those around you to help lift you up. The important thing is that you are not alone. Due to our humanness, we have a tendency to be bigger than we are. But it is through prayer that our hearts will be able to see the beauty behind being little. Littleness in Every Stage In all actuality, this littleness is going to look different depending on your stage of life. If you are at home for the weekend or for the summer from college, find a way to help out around the house. Do something special for your spouse, your children, or even a neighbor. It is whatever will work for you. It may even go unnoticed by those around you. But the impact it will have in Heaven will be so rewarding. Do you feel like you're being asked to be little right now? [bctt tweet="Being Little in a World that Wants You to Think Bigger #BISblog //" via="no"] Becca Fattes is a Chicago suburbanite turned Iowa child. She's an engineering student who recently found her gift of writing. When she isn't freaking out about her college classes, you will probably find her talking about something Disney related, singing Hamilton lyrics, or hoping for a Cubs win. You can find out more about her here.

When my daughter, Holly, was about two years old, we were sitting on the carpet drawing with crayons on a jumbo drawing pad. She was an avid Frozen fan, so I drew a picture of one of the main characters, Anna. This drawing was one of the first I had made for fun in a long time, and I was proud of how it turned out. As I admired my work, my daughter scribbled over my drawing. I broke down crying. “This is my life now,” I thought to myself. The action of her scribbling over my artwork and the silly crayon drawing I had been proud of moments earlier felt like some sort of metaphor for my life. I was the hardworking art student turned teacher turned stay-at-home mom who was trying to figure out “what to do with my life” during, what I was calling, my quarter-life crisis. Is It One or the Other? My daughter’s non-malicious act of scribbling over my drawing felt like I was being told, “You don’t deserve to have dreams or happiness.” As pathetic as it was to be crying over a crayon drawing of a cartoon character, I was frustrated and trying to find a balance between being a mom and an artist. I felt like I had to put my dreams and passions on hold. I would be able to pick up art again when my children had grown and I somehow magically had more free time… like when I was retired. Anything for 15 Minutes Sometime after the crayon art incident, I read the quote, “You can do anything for 15 minutes,” on a cleaning website. The idea was to not let perfectionism intimidate you from starting a task around the house. The author encouraged people to set a timer and see how much housework they could accomplish in 15 minutes. When I did this in my own home, I was surprised how much I could clean or declutter in a short amount of time. I thought to myself, “If I can do this around the house, then I can definitely set aside 15 minutes a day to do something I love, like drawing or painting.” Matthew Kelly’s idea of keeping a Mass journal to help parishioners listen to the ways God speaks to us at Mass was the inspiration behind my first attempts to get back into art. I would bring little pieces of drawing paper to mass and try to listen to the ways I felt God was trying to speak to me through the readings, homilies, or music. During Mass, I would write down a sentence or two as a personal Mass reflection. After my daughter went to bed, I would illustrate on the opposite side of my Mass reflection paper. I would set a timer for 15 minutes and draw my thoughts. The purpose wasn’t to make a perfect drawing, but to start the habit of doing something I loved and felt called to do in a prayerful way. Resistance Pursuing my passion in the beginning felt kind of like going to the gym: a part of me didn’t want to go and I felt awkward. But I was always glad that I did the work. I had to establish the habit and start slow. Every night when the girls would go to bed, I would go to my art desk, set a timer for 15 minutes, and work until the alarm sounded. It felt like I had to re-train my drawing and creative muscles. But the more time that passed, the easier it became. I built up an endurance. Some nights I would paint for up to two hours at a time. During this time of growth, there was a Teachable Tuesday talk with Beth Davis that especially made a connection with me and my journey. Beth talked about how fear tells us to “scale back, keep it small, to keep it comfortable…” When she quoted 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love,” I felt more convicted to not let fear, doubt, or my twisted ideas of perfectionism and achievement prevent me from using my time and God-given talents to create. No more waiting for the so-called “perfect moment” (or until retirement) to pursue my passions! Cultivating Our Passions Glorifies God When I take time to practice art daily, I’m a better person. I’m using my time to reflect on and glorify God. This makes sense to me, knowing that my charism is Craftsmanship. In Sherry Waddell’s book The Quick and Catholic Charism Handbook, she says: The charism of Craftsmanship empowers a Christian to be an effective channel of God’s goodness to others through artistic or creative work that beautifies and/or orders the physical world. Since putting aside a minimum of 15 minutes a day to work creatively, my abilities as an artist have improved. My relationship with God has developed. It feels good for my soul because it’s the most natural way to express my faith. Sometimes when I do my 15 minutes, it can feel like I’m chipping away at an iceberg. Certain projects can take longer to complete. When I feel this way, I’m reminded of a quote by the famous Italian painter and sculptor Michelangelo: “I saw an angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” God, the master Craftsman, always sees the big picture and helps guide us to the end result. Discovering Your Passion What passions has God given you? What might He be asking you to devote time to? It can be a challenge to find the perfect time for those 15 minutes a day. Take a look at your current daily habits. Really scrutinize how you spend your day. Do you waste time on Netflix or social media? You probably have more pockets of time than you think! If you’re most productive in the morning, schedule your 15 minutes before you begin to get ready for work. Part of a lunch break can be utilized for pleasure reading or taking a walk. If you want to work on a bigger passion project, think about how you can tackle it in smaller pieces. What is the easiest first step that you can take? For example, 15 minutes of prepping ingredients for baking the day before can make the task more enjoyable the following day. If an activity like knitting or journaling is what brings you joy, you can make up a “go-bag” with the supplies you need so they’re all in one place and ready-to-go. A go-bag activity can easily be tackled in between classes on campus, while you’re waiting in the pick-up line at your child’s school, or when you have a scheduled break at work. Ask God If you’ve figured out where to schedule your time but you’re not sure of where to start, you should start by asking God about it in prayer. Invite the Holy Spirit in and ask, “God, what do you love about me?” Try to listen to how He’s inviting you to make changes to your life. Writing a stream-of-consciousness list of things you’re passionate about (coffee, singing, bicycle rides, etc.) or your hopes and dreams (even if they seem silly or unattainable) can be helpful in giving you an idea of common themes or activities to try. Over time, I like to revisit my lists to see how God has worked in my life. If you’re still stuck trying to figure out what your talents or passions are, you can ask a friend or family member, “What are my strengths? What’s something that comes naturally to me that may be harder for someone else?” Asking someone for their opinion on your gifts shouldn’t be seen as an ego boost! We’re often our harshest critics. Asking a loved one can help give us a different (and more honest) perspective. Are you currently pursuing your passions, or have they fallen to the side? What are your thoughts on devoting 15 minutes a day to what makes you come alive? [bctt tweet="15 Minutes a Day: Cultivating Our Passions #BISblog //" via="no"] Amy Heyse is an artist and mother who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her graphic designer husband. You can often find her trying to squeeze in time for personal art-making between motherhood and working as an art instructor at a local paint and sip studio. You can find out more about her here.

I was feeling a little under the weather. Have you ever wondered about the origin of the idiom “under the weather”? The consensus on a brief and unvetted internet search is that it has nautical origins. No surprise, it means to feel sick. But what was new to me is that in past seafaring days, it meant to be negatively impacted by bad weather on the sea. Seasickness was usually the adverse effect. Physically, I was fine. Spiritually and emotionally, however, I was queasy and uncomfortable. Some things were not going as I had expected and hoped. I replayed the reels of the circumstances surrounding me for the millionth time, hoping that in this replay I would find the peace and joy I sought. As bad weather on the ocean makes one queasy, circumstances were shaking my faith. But, I knew better than to blame them. I knew the world could not give me true peace even when I perceived everything to be perfect. I recalled Jesus’ words, “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). Sin Damages the Soul My negative thoughts about my circumstances and well, my sin, were separating me from God, the source of true peace and joy. My chronic weaknesses of pride, desire for control, and ingratitude had gone viral in my heart. I was fearful, discouraged and doubtful. I had strayed from the way I knew I needed to go, the way for which I was made. My sin was serving only me, the world and Satan. I felt a wave of nausea. But Jesus was there, speaking to me just as He spoke to the Pharisees when they complained about Him spending time with sinners: Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners. -Luke 5:31 I had strayed far enough. It was time to see the Divine Physician. I wanted a “scrip”; not a prescription for physical healing, but Scripture for spiritual healing. I rejoiced in the knowledge that the Divine Physician is always “in” and there would be no waiting, insurance paperwork, or medical history to complete. He already knows everything about me. Seeing the Divine Physician When my son recently fractured his arm, he received a cast and a scrip for RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. While challenging for my son to endure, that blessed RICE acronym provides me simple parameters for the prescription I desperately wanted. They were instructions on how to return to my Lord and His will for which I was made. RICE: Like Physical Therapy on the Soul Level Repeat multiple times daily in any order. You need it even when you think you don’t. Start with small doses if overwhelmed. But you cannot overdose. Warning: side effects will be unnatural, countercultural, and, in the best cases, visible to others. Rest Be still and know that I am God! -Psalm 46:11 Spend time with the Lord; invest in your relationship; be still; pray; listen; respond; rest in Him; abide in Him; stop rushing around; be present; learn to find solitude amidst the noise of the world; encounter Christ where you are; seek refuge in the Lord; hang out with no agenda; examine the disposition of your heart; reflect on your day; ask questions of God; seek the Holy Spirit’s counsel; share your worries; appreciate your joys; enjoy the Lord in nature; open your schedule; be available to God; open your Bible; be attentive to Christ; open your heart; be loving to others; open your mind; be moldable by the Holy Spirit; be still; pray; listen; respond; exude peace; and rest in the Lord, allowing these things that form a prayer life to produce a life of prayer. Ice He must increase; I must decrease. -John 3:30 Die to self and its demands; ice the swelling heat of sin; own mistakes; confess sins; be truthful; cry; embrace the freedom of forgiveness; accept God’s grace and mercy; offer weaknesses; be filled with the Lord’s strength; endure pruning; welcome growth; expose the brokenness; light up the darkness; be courageous; accept hardships as a way to peace; desire self-control; surrender everything; and accept humility, recognizing a beautifully right relationship with God. Compress For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. -2 Peter 1:5-7 Lean into Scripture; grow in knowledge of the Lord; trust God’s Word; embrace community; celebrate the Eucharist; be inspired by others’ goodness; work to improve; train ears to hear; open eyes to see; wear the armor of God; desire wisdom; invest time in relationships; find prudent advisors who point to the Lord; discern with the Spirit’s guidance; leave your comfort zone; remove the log in your eye; leave judgment with the Lord; see Christ in others; be intentional in everything; want the best for others; go beyond yourself; be generous without counting the cost; labor without need for reward; bear fruit where you are; serve others in small ways that may go unnoticed; forgive the inexcusable; be gentle; love the unlikeable; share the good news; practice patience; choose love; and become a life lived for others. Elevate … as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. -2 Corinthians 4:18 Fix your eyes on the Lord; radiate joy; laugh; detach from earthly treasures; expect great things from God; choose kindness; find self-worth in the Lord’s love; visit problems; reside with the Lord; celebrate God’s victory; give thanks to the Lord; live in the power of Jesus’ Resurrection; give praise to God; transcend the need to understand his mysteries; be animated by the Holy Spirit; rise above circumstances, good and bad; believe in Divine Providence; be in awe of the Lord; be grateful; give adoration to God; respect and celebrate creation; love all life; rise above the noise; get back up; persevere; be lifted up; and know that, made in God’s image, you are a beloved soul whose great worth exists in God’s boundless and eternal love. Does your soul need some "physical therapy"? Will you begin today? [bctt tweet="RICE: Like Physical Therapy, But for Your Soul #BISblog //" via="no"] Nikki Frerker is a wife and mother of four who lives in Leawood, Kansas. She spends a portion of her time practicing estate planning law and enjoys serving as a catechist for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at her parish. You may find her running before the sun rises, driving her children around at all hours, or singing praise music just loud enough to embarrass anyone willing to listen. You can find out more about her here.

Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.69We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” // John 6:68-69 Download this week's wallpaper for your phone and wallpaper, designed and lettered by Katrina of Rose Harrington. Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

I woke up in a sweat. Once again I was dreaming about a particular situation that was causing grief and turmoil in my life and for others around me. As I lay there I wondered, why did I care so much? The people I was dreaming about were grown adults. They could make decisions for themselves. I could not change their actions or thoughts. I could not control them. Yet my heart ached for just that. I wanted to take hold of them and "knock some sense into them." Let them know how much I cared. How much I was willing to work to make their path clearer and smoother for them. But I was not them. Handing Over My Desire to Control Once again, I needed to remind myself that I could not control them, their choices, or their situation. So I prayed. "Please Lord, help them. Help me to speak up if needed and give me the right words. Otherwise, help me to just love them and be there for them. Give me peace and them as well." It always takes me a while to get back to sleep after an abrupt waking. But it helps to pray. If, after a short prayer, I am still restless, I usually start praying the Rosary. Something about the monotonous way of saying the Hail Marys helps my heart become peace-filled. St. Monica Put God in Control When I think about the many things in my life that I can worry about, I am brought back to St. Monica. I think of her diligent act of praying for her husband, mother-in-law, and son. What a woman of faith! She was faced with many hardships. Yet she never lost faith that the Lord would take care of her and the ones she loved. I think about how she must have felt disheartened seeing the people she loved disregard God's laws. How she must have worried, as any person who cares does. Yet she took those worries and brought them to the only One who could sustain her and give her peace... God Almighty. Believing that we have the Saints in Heaven praying for us, I ask for St. Monica's intercession often. Along with other Saints, I ask her to pray for me and the different situations I encounter. Especially the ones that involve caring for people so much that it hurts. The situations that make my mind spin with stress. When I unconsciously dream about these situations and can't stop thinking about them, that is when I need to turn to the Lord in prayer. From past experiences, if I don't do this I become obsessed and this is unhealthy. Turning to our Lord is one way to help ease this worry. Seeking Safe Listening Ears Another way I have found peace is by talking with other trustworthy people who will not judge me or the other people in the situation. These people have included my parents, family members, my spouse, friends, and spiritual directors. They listen and give wise advice if I ask. These people allow me to be myself. To openly and honestly discuss what is happening. It helps to have people like this in my life. Ones who can help me work through my thought process and guide my heart. I know the Lord has placed these people in my life for a reason. They are the ones who make sense of a situation for me when I cannot make sense of it for myself. They help me sort through my thoughts and support me. I have found this extremely helpful because there are times when I have become too emotionally attached to a particular situation and need an outside perspective. We Pray. Let Christ Act. It is hard for me to not worry. I'm prone to this since I do want the best for people and care for them wholeheartedly. I have always been a person to wear my heart on my sleeve and know that this causes more trouble for me at times. Yet I would not have it any other way. Giving my whole-self to others is who I am. When I get into worrying too much, the Lord seems to gently remind me that He will take care of me and all of His children. It may not look how I want it to look, but He never leaves those that I care about. He puts people in their lives to help them, and I'm in their life for a reason too. Even if all I'm supposed to do is pray for them or be an example of Christ's love to them. All I can do is be open to the Holy Spirit and if I'm prompted to take action, then that is what I need to do. Otherwise, I need to pray. Pray for them, pray for our world. Everyone of us needs help. Remember St. Monica Will there be more brain-spins in the middle of the night or days filled with my thoughts being consumed about a particular situation? Yes. Yes there will. I'm human and the Lord has given me a heart to care for others. He has given us all the capacity to love freely and care deeply. What matters is what we do with this powerful gift of caring so much. May we all work through times of worry and fall back into the open arms of our Lord. St. Monica, pray for us. Are you someone who worries about others to an extreme? How do you turn it over to Christ? [bctt tweet="When Caring Turns Into Worrying #BISblog //" via="no"] Ann Marshal is a licensed elementary teacher who is currently a stay-at-home mom. She teaches the Billings Ovulation Method (NFP) her free time. Being with her husband, four boys, and Jesus is her favorite pastime. You can find out more about her here.

I am the Angel with the Broken Wing, The one large statue in this quiet room. The staff finds me too fierce, and so they shut Faith’s ardor in this air-conditioned tomb. The docents praise my elegant design Above the chatter of the gallery. Perhaps I am a masterpiece of sorts— The perfect emblem of futility. Mendoza carved me for a country church. (His name’s forgotten now except by me.) I stood beside a gilded altar where The hopeless offered God their misery. I heard their women whispering at my feet— Prayers for the lost, the dying, and the dead. Their candles stretched my shadow up the wall, And I became the hunger that they fed. I broke my left wing in the Revolution (Even a saint can savor irony) When troops were sent to vandalize the chapel. They hit me once—almost apologetically. For even the godless feel something in a church, A twinge of hope, fear? Who knows what it is? A trembling unaccounted by their laws, An ancient memory they can’t dismiss. There are so many things I must tell God! The howling of the dammed can’t reach so high. But I stand like a dead thing nailed to a perch, A crippled saint against a painted sky. -"Angel with the Broken Wing" by Dana Gioia Reflect But the fact remains that God has chosen us for the tremendous destiny of love, and if the wonder and the joy of it is ours, so too is the responsibility of it. That responsibility is to prove to those who are still unaware of it that Christ has risen from the dead and that he is in the world now. We have to prove Christ to the world, and have to prove him to the world by our own lives. We cannot do this without a very close imitation of Christ's way with other people, and without surrendering our lives so wholly to him that he may act through us and gradually obliterate our own selfishness and stupidity by his love and understanding. Caryll Houselander, The Risen Christ [bctt tweet="We have to prove Christ to the world, and have to prove him to the world by our own lives. #BISblog #BISrests //" via="no"] Listen For musical inspiration for your restful Sunday, listen to our BIS Rests playlist. [bctt tweet="BIS Rests: Messengers + Witnesses #BISblog #BISrests //"] Curated by Christy Isinger. You can find out more about her here.

Hi ladies! I'm so thrilled to share we are starting a new feature in our Facebook groups called SOULSISTERS! Okay, that's just me shouting because I'm so excited about it. Soul Sisters is the real name and I'm here today to tell you what it's all about. Soul Sisters will be a weekly Facebook live with one of you. Yes, you. Yes, the sisters in our community. I'll tell you how to get on live with me so we can chat for up to ten minutes about how you're finding and building up sisterhood where you are in life. We'll walk through a few questions that I'll send over but really it's a conversation of the hearts. I want to talk with the college student, the new wife, the career woman, the mother at home, the empty-nester, the prayer warriors, the wanderers, the dreamers, the doers. So, all of you. We have so much to learn from each other. I'll be rotating through the regional Facebook groups once a week (join yours!). So keep an eye out for my post announcing what time we'll be live in your region. And keep an eye on your message inbox as I may be reaching out to you. We'll kick off with the Midwest group because I'm here in Saint Paul. And yes, we have a special guest the first week: Laura Kelly Fanucci, a Blessed is She writer, and MC of the Minnesota Wild Retreat! And one of my absolute favorite people on the planet. See you Midwesterners live on Monday morning around 9:30 am. To building sisterhood and learning from each other! Nell, your managing editor

I have always been a notorious planner, or as I prefer to put it, I’m goal-oriented. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been one to anticipate my next step, planning what I need to do to get to that next level both personally and professionally. When I entered college, I already knew what I wanted to major in (Communications), what field I wanted to work in (PR), and what city I wanted to live in (New York or London). I was going to get married, have two kids and become a Vice President at my organization by the time I was 30. I was always one to envision where I saw myself in the next five years or next ten years. And I would furiously map out how I was going to make that all happen. Make God Laugh There is a saying that goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” Fast forward to 2011. I’m 26 years old, newly married, and moving to my husband’s new duty station with the Air Force. In Oklahoma. Definitely not what I was expecting. I had never lived outside of my hometown of Los Angeles, and the military life was completely foreign to me. I left my family (all of whom lived in California), my tight-knit group of girlfriends, and my thriving career to set out for the Midwest. Life was filled with a series of question marks. I found myself, for once, unable to really plan what came next. Trusting God in Seasons of Change We all undergo periods of transition at some point. Perhaps after getting married, a big move, graduating, a career change, or any other number of circumstances. It’s these seasons of change that enable God to mold us into becoming the best version of ourselves...as long as we allow Him. Surrendering Control It was in that space of uncertainty back in 2011 that I felt God pushing me to finally let go of the pen and let Him write out my next chapter. As I grew deeper in my prayer life in those early years as a newlywed, my communication with the Lord became stronger. I found myself thriving in ways that I never could have planned on my own. When we give our own personal fiat, the Holy Spirit brings us into deeper communion with the Lord. Through consistent prayer and seeking the intercession of the Saints, we can slowly start to let go and put on a more patient spirit. Casting Aside Worry While it may not always be smooth sailing, God invites us to trust in His guidance each step of the way. In my own experience, despite my initial anxiety about moving, I ended up loving Oklahoma City. I made life-long friendships with people I may never have met otherwise. People from different walks of life which helped open up my perspective about the world. My husband and I became regular volunteers at our local parish and developed a solid relationship with our priest, who we went to for frequent spiritual direction and Confession. Knowing what I know now, I would have looked at my 26-year-old self and said, “Stop worrying.” When we relinquish control over our lives and this need to know every single detail, God is finally able to do His work in us. There is no need to try to micromanage Him. Ready to Receive A spiritual director of mine used to say, “Live life with open palms instead of clenched fists.” Sisters, learn to let go of being in control and allow God to place His blessings in your hands at His own divine and appointed time. He knows when you are ready to receive whatever comes next. Let Him do His work in you, recognizing that His plans for you far surpass anything you could dream up on your own. A poem from Rainer Maria Rilke sums it up beautifully: Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves…do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer. At Peace with the Present Sisters, whatever changes you may be going through right now, pray for the grace to be at peace with the present. Be grateful for the bountiful blessings that surround you today instead of being constantly preoccupied with what’s around the corner. Surrender the rest to Him with a patient and trusting spirit. He’s got you. Are you currently going through a transition in your life? How can you surrender control and allow God to work in you? April Deocariza is a Southern California native now living the expat life in Germany. When not working full-time as a mommy to her one-year-old son, she loves trekking around Europe and enjoying delicious food. Relaxing with a coffee, warm cookie, and a napping child is her happy place. Find out more about her here. 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

So you're all moved in to your Blessed is She planner. You've recorded birthdays, anniversaries, upcoming trips, and work conferences. You've determined your goals for the year and have found the rhythm of your weekly meal plan, prayer intentions, and feast day celebrations. But what do you do with the blank section in each weekly planning page? What do you do with the last section of your planner? These are your two Notes sections, and I'd love to show you how I use mine. But first... There's No Wrong Way to Use a Notes Section Many people (including myself) get a little angsty when first moving into a planner. It's so pretty, and we don't want to mess it up, right? We fear the same when it comes to the Notes sections. What if we use it for something one week but end up not liking it? Are we married to that approach? What if we don't love our hand writing? Is that a reason to skip this section every week? Of course, the answer is no. We can't mess up our planners, friends. The only way to mess it up is to buy one and not use it because we're afraid of messing it up. So let's try hard to get over ourselves and start using this tool to steward the life we've been given by our Creator. So What are the Notes Sections? The Blessed is She liturgical planner comes in two sizes: mini and regular. The mini planner has one Notes section in the back of the planner, indicated by a labeled tab. The regular planner has two Notes sections I'll show you today: The same large Notes section in the back of the planner, just like the mini; and A half-page Notes section present in each weekly planning spread. Personally, I use the regular planner, so I'll be referencing both types of Notes Sections How to Use the Notes Sections of Your Blessed is She Planner The most important thing to remember when considering ways to use your Notes sections is that these are flexible spaces. What works for me may not work for you. What works for you in one season may not work for you in another. That's the point: we get flexibility here, because life is fluid and ever-changing. My best advice? Use the Notes sections however they will best serve you and your life. The Weekly Spread Notes Section First up is the Notes section that’s include in your planning pages in every single weekly spread. Now in the newest planner, it doesn’t say “Notes” at the top (like you see in the photos and video in this post), which I think allows for even more freedom and flexibility for us to use this section however we wish. Here are some ideas for using this section: Actual notes // Jot down anything you want to remember for the week, use it as a place to take notes from meetings, podcasts, or phone calls, or simply use it as a place to record important things that happened/are happening that week. Overflow to-do list // I often use this section in this way. I like to keep track of my personal to-dos in the designated To-Do section of the weekly spread, and I keep my work to-dos in the Notes section. It helps me to keep them separate in my brain and on paper, especially during busy weeks. Budgeting // You can track your spending throughout the week to help you manage your finances. Wellness Tracker // Have something you need to track? Food sensitives, anxiety, exercise? Divide this Notes section by days and record any relevant information. For example, if you suspect a food sensitivity, write down everything you eat in a day and note how you feel afterward. Journal // Use this section to journal your thoughts, dreams, and prayers to the Lord. The Back-of-the-Planner Notes Section The second Notes section is the one located in the very back of your Blessed is She planner. It's separated by a tab, and you have several note pages to use. You can be even more creative here. Ready for some ideas? Actual notes // Again, record notes or lists from classes, meetings, conferences, spiritual direction meetings, and so on. School schedules // Many people like to use this section to record their or their children's school schedule. You can write down teacher names and contact information, along with important times throughout the school day like lunch and recess. Gifts // A personal favorite, I use this Notes section to record gift ideas for family and friends. I divide a page into sections and assign a section to my husband and children, our parents, extended family, and close friends. Throughout the year, I try to pay attention to any hints they drop about something they'd like to have. I write it down on this page. Then, when birthdays or Christmas roll around, I'm not stressed trying to figure out what to get them. Cleaning routine // I like to use a Notes page to record irregular but predictable cleaning chores. I divide the page into quadrants and note which household chores need to be done weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually. I reference this page when planning my weeks and incorporate necessary cleaning tasks into the week. There's more detail on this in the video below! Projects // Brainstorm house, work, and volunteer projects. Set deadlines or budgets for them. Check them off when you've done it! Book lists // Use a Notes page to keep track of your TBR list. Or, use it to record the books you've read this year. I like to record the book title, author, number of pages, date finished, and even a star review to help me remember how well I liked a book. Bucket list // What are some fun things you want to do this year? Keep a running list of adventures and goals in this section! Ok, I'm dying to hear from you. How do you use the Notes sections of your planner? Give me some more ideas! 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