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by Catherine | Nov 25, 2014 | Faith
Happy Monday! It’s time for Put It To Work, our weekly opportunity to swap prayer intentions. The goal of Put It To Work is to actively unite our intentions to the cross for one another, putting the prayer intentions “to work”–especially in times of suffering (no matter how small).
Thank you for your prayers last week. Hosting my side for an early Thanksgiving on Saturday went great! Philip and I didn’t have a single fight in preparation for the festivities! The inevitable snafus arose, but we were able to take them in stride. I’ll post about Thanksgiving later.
Please put these intentions to work this week:
- That our family works to find new, concrete ways to live out Sunday’s Gospel this year (serving the least of our brothers)
- For Grandma Josephine. May she adjust well to her new home, receive loving care, and find peace as her Alzheimer’s advances.
- For the people of Ferguson, Missouri as they live through whatever verdict may come. For their safety and healing.
- For my patience as I learn how to coach Jane and Walt through the preschool years
- That Philip and I will continue to work everyday to further strengthen our marriage
What about you? What prayer intentions can I start “putting to work” for you this week? I’ll add them to my prayer journal and bring them with me to my prayer time throughout the week.
Thank you for praying for us! You’re in my prayers this week, too!
by Catherine | Nov 20, 2014 | Faith, Family
I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but I’m a planner, and I’m writing this column for myself. I’m going to print it off, stick it to my refrigerator, and remind myself of these words when Advent is upon us. As our family grows, the Advent and Christmas seasons get a little more chaotic with each year. I thought I’d come up with some survival tips for those trying to keep the time holy…
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by Catherine | Nov 17, 2014 | Faith
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| Put It To Work |
Happy Monday morning! It’s time for Put It To Work, our weekly opportunity to swap prayer intentions. The goal of Put It To Work is to actively unite our intentions to the cross for one another, putting the prayer intentions “to work”–especially in times of suffering (no matter how small).
Thank you for continuing to share your prayer intentions with me. My weeks have been transformed by the power of your prayers. Being able to lift up your intentions throughout the ordinariness of my days sanctifies and blesses my work. Thank you for the honor of entrusting some of the most private and painful intentions to me. I continue to pray for all of them.
Please put these intentions to work this week:
- Strength, peace, and comfort for those who struggle with depression, anger, and loneliness during the holiday season.
- For a softening of heart and a warm homecoming for those loved ones who have left the Faith
- Safe travels for my family members as they journey here on Saturday for our first Thanksgiving celebration in our new home
- As we prepare to host my (large!) family this week, for Philip and I to prioritize and remember what really matters when snafus arise
- For my patience as I learn how to coach Jane and Walt through the preschool years
- That Philip and I will continue to work everyday to further strengthen our marriage
I know you’ve been seeing those last 2 intentions on here week after week. I’ll probably keep asking for prayers for my patience and for continued strengthening of our marriage for a long, long time because, well, who doesn’t need more patience, and who doesn’t want an even stronger marriage?
What about you? What prayer intentions can I start “putting to work” for you this week? I’ll add them to my prayer journal and bring them with me to my prayer time throughout the week.
Thank you for praying for us! You’re in my prayers this week, too!
![7QT: 10 minute challenge edition]()
by Catherine | Nov 14, 2014 | Uncategorized
- 7 Quick Takes Friday
This week, I’m going to try and write my post in ten minutes. Timer begins NOW!
-1-
Head over to Brandon Vogt’s blog to enter his “Behold Your Mother” Book Giveaway! I already did, and I’m hoping I win one of the books. If not, I’ll just have to buy myself a copy anyway! Can’t wait to feast my eyes on this compilation of everything there is to know about the Blessed Mother. As a cradle Catholic, I suppose I’ve taken a lot of the misconceptions and objections about her for granted.
-2-
I love Jen Fulwiler, I love the Gaffigan family, and those two worlds splendidly collided in a Catholic girl’s fantasy world! Jen Fulwiler just had Jeannie Gaffigan on her new Sirius radio show AND Sirius made a podcast of the show available! YAY! I haven’t heard it yet, but I have a date to listen to it tonight while I fold laundry. You know you’re jealous!
-3-
Are you going to the Edel Gathering this year? I’m going with one of my dearest friends, and I CANNOT WAIT! Is it July yet? Hallie just announced the speakers, and I’m LOVING them already! They are Rachel Balducci and Kelly Mantoan. I just started following their blogs and reading about them. Edel ’15 is already shaping up to be living up to the hype! Tickets go on sale next Wednesday. Hope I’ll see ya there!
-4-
Remember my friends Amanda and Jonathan? Their precious baby, Josephine Rose Teixeira is here!!! BABY TEX IS HERE! I can’t wait to squeeze that little cutie pie! Thank you so much for all of your prayers, especially this week. God will not be outdone in generosity, people! Isn’t it the best when we can see His faithfulness in the lives of the people we love?! Search for the hashtag #babytex for their latest updates on Amanda and Jonathan’s journey with Josie.
-5-
I’m turning 30 on the 26th. Am I the only one whose reaction to turning 30 is, “Meh”? The number just isn’t fazing me. (Yes, it’s “fazing” and not “phasing.” Read why here.) Perhaps I should feel old when I think about my big gift wishes. I don’t want jewelry, a big party, roses, or a fancy dinner. The only thing I want for my birthday (and Christmas and Valentine’s Day) is someone to help clean the house so that I can focus more on doing the mom thing. If someone could deep clean the bathrooms and kitchen for me on a semi-regular basis, that would be heavenly! If that makes me old and lame, that’s okay. I’m okay with being old and lame if it means I can spend more time enjoying our family.
-6-
We had this Slow Cooker Stout and Chicken Stew for dinner the other night. DELICIOUS! It involves chicken thighs, bacon, and a stout. Need I say more? I recommend adding a little more salt and some spices (garlic & thyme) to give it a little more pizazz. We loved it!
-7-
Philip is deer hunting with the other guys in my family this weekend. Please pray for their safety and that they each bag a deer ASAP so that us ladies can get our husbands back! Should I be concerned that Philip felt the need to pack all of these gloves and suturing supplies???
Okay, I wrote it in 20 minutes, but I had several interruptions. Maybe next time.
If you want to read more 7QT posts from real bloggers, head over to Kelly Mantoan’s blog to join in the fun! Have a great weekend!
![Thirsting Thursday: "I'm Sorry"]()
by Catherine | Nov 13, 2014 | Faith, Marriage
I know, I’m crazy, but I have another harebrained idea for a new regular series on the blog. I’m calling it “Thirsting Thursday.” No, no, I’m not talking about the “Thirsty Thursday” from your college days. J.C. gave me the idea when he said, “I thirst” (John 19:28).
I don’t know about you, but by Thursday, I’m usually thirsting. With the weekend nearly in sight and the exhaustion of the week building up, I. Am. Thirsty. I’m thirsting for inspiration, for encouragement, for a break.
- Amen, brother!
On those Thursdays when I’m needing a little pick-me-up, I thought it would be fun to revisit my previous blog posts. I’ve been writing for three years, so I’ve accumulated all kinds of posts with fun dialogues from you readers. On Thirsting Thursdays, let’s go back to those treasured posts, pull out the nuggets, ask some new questions, add new insights, share how we’re STILL struggling, and encourage each other to keep going!
Today, let’s go back to my post called, “I’m Sorry.” I published it in August 2012. It’s all about how a Catholic Answers Live episode taught Philip and I how to readily forgive one another when we’re fighting.
Philip says, “It’s helpful if both people are willing to say they’re sorry because usually both people contributed to the problem. Even if you don’t feel like you’re wrong, saying you’re sorry doesn’t mean that you’re wrong, but that the way you approached making your point might have been the issue rather than what you were saying. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t mean ‘I was wrong.'”
He had this to add: “Show the other person that you understand where they are coming from and show them that you understand their reaction. Keeping the focus on their feelings and not just on the problem helps you both to move on.
When you get to a standstill, focus on understanding where the other person is coming from rather than trying to make them understand your point of view. That helps us to move on faster and spend more time together.”
After you (re)read the post, I’d love to discuss:
- Do you and your spouse have a strategy for moving through conflict faster?
- Have you noticed any patterns to your fights?
- Are you guilty of keeping “I’m sorry score”?
- When was the last time you said the words, “I forgive you”?
- When was the last time you heard the words, “I forgive you”?
Cheers to you this Thirsting Thursday!
