It’s the most wonderful time of the liturgical year. Great Lent is upon us. The Church gives us this period to “put aside all earthly cares” so we can focus on Christ. This time of year always feels so busy to me, with an increase in services, prayers, readings, and fasting. While it’s exciting, it can be overwhelming without a plan. If you feel unprepared don’t worry. You can get ready for Lent in 5 easy steps. 1. Prepare Your Heart Our Lenten journey involves going inward to seek Christ. If you’re wondering how to do that, start with your heart. If your faith is in your heart, it will be on ..read more

What does it mean to be a healing presence for others? In Becoming a Healing Presence, Dr. Albert Rossi answers this question in three points: We are a healing presence to others when we give them strength and hope. (pg. 15) We are all called to be a healing presence to others, always. (pg. 16) Christ is the healing presence in us who moves through us to heal others. (pg. 16) He shares many practical ways we can fulfill this calling in his book. While I can’t cover all his wisdom (we’d be here all day!) I’ve summarized his key takeaways. If you want to deeply love Christ and use that love to ..read more

Last year Mike and I embarked on a date night challenge. The idea was simple – let’s surprise each other with a date every month. We figured it would be a great way to keep us focused on each other. I can’t say we were in a date night rut but I thought doing monthly surprise date nights would enrich our marriage. Every month we rotated whose turn it was to plan or get surprised. We had a few rules: Pick a day during your scheduled month Keep the date details a surprise (but you can reveal the day it’s on) It can be free (but doesn’t have to be) I’m proud to say that we stuck to this plan the ..read more

What are your goals for the new year? How do you plan on achieving them? It’s easy to daydream about our goals without taking any steps to get there. Drew Houston once said:  “If you have a dream, you can spend a lifetime studying, planning, and getting ready for it. What you should be doing is getting started.” If you want to achieve your goals this year, here are 5 helpful steps to take. 1. Dream Big “The greatest danger for most of us isn’t that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” – Michelangelo Are you reaching goals lower than what you’re capable ..read more

How have you involved your family in the Nativity fast this year? Maybe you’re doing an Advent countdown or singing Christmas hymns after your prayer time. Whether you’ve done many things or just a few, I have one more (super easy) activity for you to do with your family this year. It’s all about the joy of Christmas! I’m currently going through Becoming a Healing Presence by Dr. Albert Rossi. In his book, he shares how when Christians spread the joy they’ve received from Christ they give strength and hope to others. (pg. 76) At Christmas, we receive this joy in the birth of our Savior. Let’s ..read more

Do you want to give back this holiday season but don’t know where to start? I know that feeling. Deciding how you want to help those in need takes thoughtful planning. You may ask yourself: Who needs my help? What needs to be done? Where can I volunteer or donate? When can I fit it into my schedule? Giving back involves effort, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Examine the “3 T”s to decide how you want to give back. They are: Time – Lend your time to help those in need. Talent – Use your spiritual gifts to bless others. (Matthew 25:14-30) Treasures – Give your physical gifts to help t ..read more

Beep. Beep. Beep. Your hand slaps your alarm off. It’s time to begin your day. Are you excited, indifferent, or filled with dread? If you are anxious about the day to come, you may be on your way to burnout. Let’s face it, some seasons of life are busier than others. Depending on our kids, work, and home life, we’re bound to get stressed from time to time. While occasional stress is normal, burnout is not. Burnout is the result of prolonged, unmanaged stress. Symptoms include: Excessive stress Chronic exhaustion Feelings of hopelessness and despair A negative and cynical attitude Being emotio ..read more

What is your typical response to change? Do you try to ignore it, hoping that it will go away? Or do you get stressed? You think the change is too difficult for you to handle, so you turn into a ball of stress. I’ll be the first to admit that both of those scenarios are familiar to me. Maybe it’s because I’m an ISFJ (Myer’s-Brigg’s) personality type, or maybe it’s just me – but going through change is difficult. Are you (or a family member) going through any of these changes right now?* Moving houses or apartments Having people move in with you (or vice versa) Marriage Divorce Disputes among ..read more

Do you make most of the purchases in your household? A 2011 consumer report found that 75% of women identify themselves as the primary shopper in their household. If you’re like most women, you are responsible for buying everything from food to clothing to gifts to home décor. It’s a huge undertaking, to say the least. Making purchasing decisions for your family is manageable when you have a budget. Creating a budget allows you to take control of your finances so you can reach your goals. With a budget in place, you can shop confidently, knowing your choices support your family’s goals. If yo ..read more

Did you have a vision for your family prayer life before you got married? I can’t say I knew what our prayer life would look like in marriage, but I knew that consistently praying together was a priority. When Mike and I were going through our pre-marital counseling book, Mastering the Art of Marriage, we wrote a goal for our prayer life. Our goal was to “test out ways to pray together”. What did we mean by that? We knew early on that our prayer life was going to change over time. By trial and error, we would find the prayer routine that was best for us. Our prayer life has evolved throughout ..read more