It's the first day of Advent! We are so excited to join you in prayer and reflection as we prepare for Christmas. Today we have a wallpaper from Katrina of Hatch Prints of the psalm, Psalm 25:1 To you O Lord, I lift up my soul. Isn't that what this Advent season is about? To lift up our souls? What a great reminder. You can download it for your technology devices below as well as head to our shop to purchase a downloadable 8x10 print to hang in your home. Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Last month I participated in a writing challenge for bloggers in which we posted 31 days in a row on one topic. I chose to write about Gratitude. It is something so simple and so needed, yet there are times when it is hard to be thankful, especially when you are stressed or carrying a heavy cross. But life without gratitude sets us down the path of bitterness and negativity. Nobody wants that! Here are some practical things I’ve been doing to cultivate gratitude in my life: Turn It Around – This is the simplest solution; yet, I struggle with it the most. When I am up to my neck in a messy house and the noise level in our home is about to make me explode, I have to force myself to turn it around. I have to see those dirty dishes and thank God that we have plenty of food to eat. I see mounds of dirty clothes and thank God we have clothes to wear. I look at that dirty toilet and thank God that we have running water. When the kids are driving me crazy, I recall the years I spent crying myself to sleep for want of a child of my own. Re-directing our thinking can sometimes feel weird in a Pollyanna sort of way, but eventually God’s grace helps you to find perspective as you practice the habit of gratitude. Think of Others – When we live in our own little bubble, it is easy to get caught up in our cares and forget the bigger picture. If recent news has taught us anything, it is that there are people who are suffering unimaginable pain. When we reach out to those who are hurting we are acknowledging that we are blessed and we want to share that blessings with others. Whether it is volunteering at a soup kitchen or collecting Christmas toys for a homeless shelter, giving money to a non-profit helping refugees or bringing a meal to sick friend, we are not focused on what we want but are thankful for what we have and desire to share it with others. This is gratitude in action. Let the Holy Spirit Do His Thing – Along the same line of “think of others,” helping out with time and money are not things we can do all the time but practicing gratitude can be turned to a missionary’s prayer. When I am scrubbing those dirty dishes and thanking God for the food on our table, I can also spiritually give of my blessings by offering my act as a prayer for someone. That way, not only are you turning your daily chores and little crosses into an opportunity to be grateful but you are super charging them by offering it to the Holy Spirit for the souls in your care. Like St. Therese, your acts of love and gratitude to God can change unseen lives. Get Outside – Sometimes when we are feeling overwhelmed and negative thoughts are taking over and we are having a hard time being grateful, we need to step away from our situation, even if it is only for a few moments. Nature has a way to turn our hearts back to God. The sun on our face, the sound of the wind through the leaves, the smell of morning air, or the glow of sunset can sooth your weary soul and give a needed boost to your spirits. Just as the sun will always rise and set, so God’s love will carry you through. Right there, something to be thankful for. Write It Down – At the end of the day I take a few moments to review the last 24 hours and ask God to forgive me for the ways in which I failed him. I also take a few moments to thank him for at least three things that happened that day. Sometimes it is big news that filled me with joy. Other times it is for something simple like the kisses of my babies. Some days I’m simply thankful for making it through the day alive. The mere act of taking a few moments to stop and think about what we’re thankful for and writing it down helps to continue building that habit of gratitude. God Can Take It – There will be times in life when we are carrying a cross so heavy that gratitude feels out of our reach. I experienced this when my husband, Brian, had cancer two years ago. There were days when the last thing I wanted to do was to be thankful. The love of my life was undergoing surgery and chemo and thoughts of his possible death wouldn’t leave the back of my mind. Besides worrying about him, I had the added stress of caring for the kids and the household by myself. There were moments when I just wanted to shake my fists at God and yell at Him for letting this happen. I remember my mom telling me to go ahead and have it out with God. She said to yell into my pillow and get it out of me. Afterwards, I was to pick myself up, take a deep breath and leave it at His feet because I had work to do and couldn’t let myself get sucked into a 24/7 pity party. I followed her advice. After I let it go and surrendered myself, God showed my heart all the moments that He was taking care of me. He showed me how family and friends pulled together to help us in countless ways. He showed me “coincidences” that made our cross a little easier to carry. Suddenly I was realizing that I had so much to be grateful for. He had not abandoned me, rather, he was giving me, Brian, and the kids all the things necessary to get through this crisis. (Thankfully, we got through the crisis and Brian is well now.) God Is the Source of Grace - Lastly, living a life of gratitude is not possible without the grace of God. Spend time each day in His word and speaking to God from the heart. Ask the Blessed Mother or your favorite saints to pray for you so you can see life through the eyes of grateful love. It is a love that will keep you going and touch the lives of those around you. God bless you! photo by Madi Myers-Cook Bobbi Rol is a wife, a mama of four and a blogger learning to love God in the midst of dishes, laundry and swinging light sabers. You can find out more about her here.

Today we remember that our loving Father is the Alpha and the Omega, He is the Almighty. He was, He is, and He is to come. He takes care of all things because He is all things. Let's remember this week, dear sisters, to call on Him - Christ the King! This design was made for today's second reading Revelation 1:8, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the One who is, and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. by Erica of Be A Heart. Grab it for your phone or desktop below!   Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

  Happy Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe!! It is the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the last. Next week begins the new liturgical year with Advent. But today we celebrate Christ the King. He, is the Alpha and the Omega. The one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty!! from today's second reading, Revelation 1:8. Today let's relish in the fact that our Father is the King of the Universe! You can download this design by Erica of Be A Heart for your phone and desktop below.   Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Today we are talking about UNCONDITIONAL. The love of a child is one of the best glimpses we have of God's unconditional love for each one us, of the love we are all called to. What makes this kind of love easy...and difficult...for you? You can find all the themes here. Welcome to the #BISsisterhood link-up. Every Thursday, we get together as one community to share our hearts. Here's how you can participate: Link-up a post that goes with the weekly theme. Share your thoughts of the theme on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook using #BISsisterhood so we can see each other's posts. Comment below with your thoughts on the prompt. Basically, let's talk to each other. Remember to use #BISsisterhood so we can all communicate well with each other out in the social media world. [bctt tweet="The #BISsisterhood link-up is where it's at. I just added my post here:"] Here is the button to our link-up that you are more than welcome to place on your blog, share on your social media, and/or save for a rainy day. An InLinkz Link-up

The first time I saw the Infant of Prague was a statue my aunt showed me--a family heirloom--and it struck me as strange, to say the least. A Christ child doll with fancy dresses? Huh? It was one of those experiences, though, that never really goes away . . . and He has popped up again, continually--in random churches that escaped renovation, on travels, through various friends, through St Therese of the Child Jesus, through a devotion that our pastor is promoting. As I lay awake one night with my baby girl, I thought about Him, about the Christ Child. About the love of a baby: that unconditional love. How a baby loves, and especially loves his or her mama, just because you are you. I cannot emphasize this enough. It's something I've always struggled with, and something that has often been attacked: my worth, just as me. Not because I did something great, or right, or because I was able to win a game, or because I excelled in sports or music or writing; or because I was "useful" and could clean the house or make dinner or watch the kids or get straight As or even be such a great friend . . . but just because I am me. Children love you for who you are. They want your presence, your words, your imagination, your voice telling stories, your arms around them. They don't care, especially as infants, if someone else's mom is prettier or dresses better or does better crafts or sews them clothes or buys them every toy. They just want you. They don't care if you're happy or sad or angry or tired. They love you and want you and need you just because you are you. Such a perfect and fitting image for the love of Christ! We live in this hyper-sexualized, anti-life, anti-child culture that has completely lost, as a whole, the sense of joy in a child's love, and it is one of the most precious gifts we human beings have been given. Jesus was a child, a real human child . . . and He loves me, loves you, with that pure, unquestioning, undemanding child's love. He loves you because you are you. The demand that a child makes on us is to come out of ourselves, to be bigger than the insatiable selfishness that the world preaches, and love someone else more. Put someone else first. Someone who needs your love, who depends on you. You. Christ has made Himself dependent on us. He depends on our hearts, hands, feet, voices, to be His presence in the world, to bring Him to others. He depends on us to grow closer--to make the choice to spend time with Him, to receive the Sacraments, to wait in the stillness of our hearts for Him. And He does ask us, in a straight-forward, utterly trusting way, to do what He asks: Whoever does it to the least of these, does it to Me. He asks with the love and knowledge born of being your Creator and Redeemer: to step out and trust Him with the faith of a child. Jaime Gorman is a mother to four small munchkins. She dabbles at homesteading, horses, homeschooling, and writing in her Virginia home.

                                      Made by Tara of Frameworthy Designs, this is a beautiful reminder that He will indeed show us the path of life - if we seek Him, if we listen, if we open our hearts and our ears. It comes from today's Psalm, "You will show me the path to life" Psalm 11:16 You can download it for your phone or desktop below and also purchase a downloadable 8x10 print in our shop! Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Today we are talking about REMEMBRANCE. "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you." Philippians 1:3 This week is one of remembrance -- those whom we love, those who have gone before us, those who hold a special place in our hearts for all time. You can find all the themes here. Welcome to the #BISsisterhood link-up. Every Thursday, we get together as one community to share our hearts. Here's how you can participate: Link-up a post that goes with the weekly theme. Share your thoughts of the theme on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook using #BISsisterhood so we can see each other's posts. Comment below with your thoughts on the prompt. Basically, let's talk to each other. Remember to use #BISsisterhood so we can all communicate well with each other out in the social media world. [bctt tweet="The #BISsisterhood link-up is where it's at. I just added my post here:"] photo by Sara Miller Here is the button to our link-up that you are more than welcome to place on your blog, share on your social media, and/or save for a rainy day. An InLinkz Link-up

I was made to be a mom. Every since I was little, I loved helping my mom separate the laundry into 8 little piles, one for each kid. I would fake sick just to be able to stay home with her and watch the Home & Garden channel. Every baby I saw I couldn't stop admiring, and you had to wrestle me to get the baby from my arms. I don't mind the cooking, the cleaning, the million diapers and twice a day baths. I enjoy it, and I crave it. So when Nate and I got married last August, it was no surprise to anyone that we wanted to have children right away. The first month passed and then the second and no little blue plus sign yet! Then finally, I felt it in my soul, I was a mother; I knew it in my heart and I rejoiced. But my little baby left me at 5 weeks and 6 days and the world came to a stop. No more dreaming, no more excitement. Can this be real? Sometimes I feel like I’m wearing a scarlet “M” for miscarriage. I feel as if each person I pass can see right through my skin into my heart and know what I had lost. But I’ve come to realize that that little “M” scarred on my heart isn’t for miscarriage – it's for mother. See I do have a baby, a boy, I think, and I love him greatly. How can I love what I have never known? Never seen? Well, I do know him. I know that his name is Hiro after Nate’s great great uncle Hironemous. I know that he grew and was a part of me for a few short weeks. I know that God placed a soul inside this tiny little seed that was to become a baby and I know that life isn’t always about believing in what is seen. I know that I him and am grateful for his life. I’ve realized that being a mother isn’t about being able to do all the laundry or rocking your kids to sleep or feeding them. It’s about becoming better each day – giving all of yourself. Always. It’s about becoming more like our Father in Heaven – loving and compassionate, patient and kind. So I wear this scar proudly. I have what I had hoped and prayed for all those years. God is faithful and good. He has made me a mom and I couldn’t ask for more. Kiera is a missionary, alongside her husband, with Life Teen Missions serving in St. Louis, MO. She is an aspiring writer with the hope to assist Catholic woman in believing in the freedom and victory that Christ has for them.

What a breathtaking original painting by Erin of Erin McKenna Nowak Illustration and Design for Blessed Is She. The verse comes from today's gospel, Mark 12:41-44. "...but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." How often is our poverty expressed in our lack of time or closed off hearts? Today we learn from this woman who gave all she had, she gave her livelihood. Let us pray to be like her this week and always. Download the free wallpaper for your phone and desktop below or head to our shop to purchase the 8x10 print version! Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Today we are talking about the CROWN OF CREATION. Saint John Paul the Great spoke of man as the "crown of creation" and, in a special way, woman as that crowning diadem. How do you identify with this special dignity? You can find all the themes here. Welcome to the #BISsisterhood link-up. Every Thursday, we get together as one community to share our hearts. Here's how you can participate: Link-up a post that goes with the weekly theme. Share your thoughts of the theme on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook using #BISsisterhood so we can see each other's posts. Comment below with your thoughts on the prompt. Basically, let's talk to each other. Remember to use #BISsisterhood so we can all communicate well with each other out in the social media world. [bctt tweet="The #BISsisterhood link-up is where it's at. I just added my post here:"] Here is the button to our link-up that you are more than welcome to place on your blog, share on your social media, and/or save for a rainy day. An InLinkz Link-up

I love capturing raw and beautiful moments through the lens. I love being able to capture a friend smiling or laughing as the beauty of her soul is unveiled in this glorious moment of pure joy! I can’t help but feel joyful myself. Whenever I’m with girlfriends and we bust a gut laughing, there is something so real and so beautiful in that split second of time (or maybe it’s five minutes of uncontrollable laughter). We are all connected and sharing in a moment of love together! How I wish women would share and partake in this opportunity of joy and love more often! Radiating authenticity through a smile or a laugh is so tangible, beautiful, and real. God didn’t create us to be stoic or to be by ourselves. He created us for relationship with Him and with others and He created us for love and to share love. What a beautiful and amazing gift we have been given! A friend of mine gave me a birthday card that had the following inscription: “You is kind, you is smart, you is important, you is the crown of creation.” I have that pinned at my wall at work, so whenever I feel frustrated or stressed by a project, I remember the greater purpose of my existence and the greater reality of my role: to share love, to be loved. To radiate joy. We are the crown of creation. Let’s just take a minute to think on that. This is incredible, beautiful news, lady friends! This ties in so beautifully with JPII’s Letter to Women and his desire for the feminine genius to be more present in our society, in our vocations, in our lives. And this is only one facet of the beauty of the feminine genius, in which we have the invitation to participate in! When we give out of love in our lives and openly choose to love others in our homes, in our relationships, at our jobs, on the streets, we are allowing Christ to shine forth. We can be an example of what it means to be the crown of creation and to love as Christ loves us. Don’t underestimate the power that love and joy can offer this world. Be a light amidst the darkness, stress, sadness, and heartbreak. Let your feminine genius shine forth in your daily life and offer your gifts authentically as Christ has made you. He loves you--share that love with those around you! “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” - Mother Teresa photo by Corynne Olivia Bridget Scott is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in Strategic Communication & Public Health. In her free time, you can find her enjoying weekends at the lake, capturing life through the lens, shopping for Grace Kelly-inspired wardrobe pieces, having coffee chats with friends about faith, and going on adventures with her handsome fiancé.

We have a special weekly wallpaper from Erica of Be a Heart in honor of All Saints Day. She took inspiration from all the amazing BISsisters who make the cute Saint Peg Dolls. Load the wallpaper on your phone and desktop for a reminder to pray and ask the intercession of all the Saints. They are such a powerful and beautiful tool and example in our walk with Christ. Saints depicted are: Saint Joseph Saint Jude Saint John Paul II Saint Teresa of Calcutta Saints Zelie and Louis Martin Saint Therese of Lisieux Saint Andrew Saint Francis of Assisi Saint Peter Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Saint John You can download it below and also purchase the 8x10 digital print in our shop! Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Today we are talking about COMMUNION OF SAINTS. As we approach the feasts of All Saints and All Souls this weekend, it is a good time to reflect on the communion of saints of which we are all a part. As members of the Church Militant on earth, we round out the trio of the Church Triumphant and the Church Suffering. How are you consciously living out your part in this great communion? We are pleased to announce the themes for December: December 3: HOPE December 10: PEACE December 17: JOY December 24: LOVE December 31: NEW You can find all the themes here. Welcome to the #BISsisterhood link-up. Every Thursday, we get together as one community to share our hearts. Here's how you can participate: Link-up a post that goes with the weekly theme. Share your thoughts of the theme on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook using #BISsisterhood so we can see each other's posts. Comment below with your thoughts on the prompt. Basically, let's talk to each other. Remember to use #BISsisterhood so we can all communicate well with each other out in the social media world. [bctt tweet="The #BISsisterhood link-up is where it's at. I just added my post here:"] Here is the button to our link-up that you are more than welcome to place on your blog, share on your social media, and/or save for a rainy day. An InLinkz Link-up

Can I let you in on a little secret? The only tears I cried during my trip to Lourdes were not good tears; they weren’t tears of gratefulness, of joy or of overwhelmed-with-love-ness. They were big, ugly, selfish tears. I arrived in Lourdes with a large group of pilgrims, on our way to Madrid for World Youth Day in 2011; I had just started working for our diocese’s office and had been offered (ahem, told) to step in as a last minute staff member for the trip. I had never been on a plane or out of the country and suddenly, it was all thrust upon me. I was jet-lagged, grumpy and experiencing more than a little culture shock. Before our arrival, I knew very little of Lourdes or the apparitions that had occurred there. I had no idea how many people would be milling around the city on any given day; to say the least, I was overwhelmed. I hadn’t even been there two full hours before I sat on my hotel bed and bawled my eyes out. The noise, the crowds and some of our rather … stubborn … pilgrims were getting the best of me. In my mind, this was the worst place on earth and I never wanted to leave the Midwest again; there were far too many days/hours/minutes separating me from all that I held dear. Classy, right? I can assure you that my grim attitude did not last. Lourdes in the sunshine the next morning seemed much more beautiful. Mass and confession helped soften my hard heart. I made some new friends and laughed. I ate some delicious food and admired the beauty of the river. I prayed at the Grotto and filled bottles with the precious water. I sang with countless pilgrims in the candlelight procession and followed Jesus in a Eucharistic procession. The time that I thought would never end ended all too soon. We took our leave of Lourdes and continued on our journey to Madrid. But Lourdes has never really left me. I know it was Our Lady working overtime to soften my heart of stone that first night in France – and on the rest of that trip, for that matter. I know she followed me home, quietly and patiently waiting, as she always does. And I know she heard my begging and pleading last summer as I went in for blood test after blood test to diagnosis my mysterious medical issues. She comforted me when I was scared and helped give me hope when I felt so lost. The beautiful woman who first appeared to Bernadette all those years ago has become a very dear friend of mine; a mother-figure who has gently made herself a part of my life. And I am so very glad that she is here. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us! photo by Sara Miller Emily is a wife and stay-at-home mom living the Midwestern dream with her little family. She is a lover of chocolate, coffee and comfy sweaters. You can find out more about her and read her ramblings over at Raising Barnes.

For the past two weeks I have had the opportunity to observe something so beautiful that I was moved to tears while sitting in the pew at Mass. Although I love our parish and the ways we celebrate the Liturgy, this observation had nothing to do with any formal Rite or ritual specific for this Sunday. And yet, the sacrament I observed has had a lasting impact and its memory has lingered into the weeks that have followed. Something about the way that it happened, I suppose. On retreat this past spring with the women from my small church community, I confided that (at my best) I have experienced this deep appreciation for my participation in the Communion of Saints—particularly as the gathered community approaches the Eucharist. That there is something so compelling and intimate in the way we physically sign onto this belief by way of approaching the Eucharistic table, all together. It is to say, “Yes!,” “Amen,” and getting onto my feet to walk with the aged, the young, those who seem to have it all together and those who wear their lives on their bodies and faces; all to approach the God that loves and created each of us. A priest friend of mine might remind me that I am appreciating the many ‘unique expressions of God’s creative love.’ The first experience I can recall of this deep love for Christ’s Body in-the-pews was at a Good Friday service in my home parish in high school. I remember staring as everyone in our gathered community, approached the altar and tenderly kissed the cross. Simultaneously, such an intimate and public expression of the love for the Savior and a glimpse into the relationship between humanity and God. Years later, in a small parish in the rural Midwest, I began assisting with the distribution of Holy Communion. This time it was the hands of Christ’s Body that moved me. As each member approached the Eucharist, hands extended, I gleaned a small bit of their story. From very practiced grade-schoolers, hands folded across their chests; men whose hands so clearly indicated the effects that toiling the land had had on them; young manicured hands; arthritic hands, soft and frail from a lifetime of nourishing and nurturing others. All of these stories offered up and reaching for the source of strength before heading back into daily life. And so it is with this vision that I hope to participate in the Mystical Body. Years of working with a boy with Cerebral Palsy and reading the insights of Jean Vanier have helped me to recognize the sacred vulnerability and realness in individuals with physical limitations whose journey necessitates a companion. This interdependence cuts to the core of who we are and who God calls us to be for others. So I know myself well enough to acknowledge my awareness of those in our parish with physical disabilities, especially as of late. There is one man in our parish who I have recently noticed. He appears to be my own father’s age. He sits in the back of church with his family in a reclining wheel chair, under a Broncos blanket. He is assisted by a young man—a senior in high school or college maybe. I suspect he may be this man’s son. It is the tenderness with which this young man accompanies his charge that, I have realized, elicits such an emotional response in me. As the man appears to be unable to receive the host, each week his companion lovingly and carefully becomes his Eucharistic minister—in a physical and spiritual sense—creatively and reverently assisting in his reception from the cup. I cannot but be reminded of the Transubstantiation—the act that took place minutes earlier when we believe that the bread and wine becomes Jesus. Take. Eat. And become what you have received. Companionship is unscripted work. It can be awkward, and it always means getting involved in the lived experience of another person. Each Gospel writer includes a description of the first Eucharist, though John’s description stands out as a bit more direct—and a perfect metaphor in this instance. Rather than any formal instruction on the meaning of bread and wine, John’s Jesus takes off his outer garments, kneels and takes the worn and dirty feet of the disciples into his hands and washes them—lovingly and creatively leading by example (John 13:4-15). To the young man who sits behind me at Mass—I want you to know that I see your lived participation in the Eucharist. You are a sacrament in my life. An outward sign of an inward grace. Your lived example inspires me and I am honored to approach our Lord at table with you in this Communion of Saints.

Today's weekly wallpaper with a verse from today's gospel reading was made by Katrina of Hatch Prints. It comes from Mark 10:49- Take Courage: Get up. Jesus is calling you. Let's answer the call. Hand in hand. You can get an 8x10 printable version in our shop! Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper