“The LORD’s acts of mercy are not exhausted, his compassion is not spent; They are renewed each morning— great is your faithfulness!”
Lamentations 3:22
The Lord is faithful and trustworthy! The Lord offers us new graces each day for us to carry our cross and grow closer to Jesus in our joys, works, sorrows, and sufferings!
As we prepare to close the month of Jan, personally, I needed all 31 days to recover from the Christmas Season! We embark on, for me, “mentally” the longest month of the year… February in Ohio! But the Lord, too, is offering us grace and strength to continue to learn how to make spiritual strives amid the busyness of life!
Do you know that Feb. is dedicated to the Holy Family? Why not dedicate our family to the Holy Family and refocus on the importance of spiritual growth in our own family?
First Catholic Pro-Tip for Moms and Parents- Take a deep dive review of your personal prayer life. Spend time quietly reflecting on how you manage this aspect of your life. Do you carve out time to be silent? To pray? To allow the Lord to direct you?
How can we better live out our prayer life? Could we cut down on useless phone time and pick up a good spiritual reading or even our Bible? Could we attend Mass one more time a week?
Second- What is the Culture of your home? Do you need a spiritual home renovation? As I have been recently back at the gym, I can’t help to notice all the great home renovation programs! It made me wonder what if, instead of thinking about changing our kitchen cabinets and redecorating our homes, we took some time to make our homes a more loving environment? This love comes first from Christ and pours out.
- Do we need to renew our manners?
- Reconsider our tone of voice or how our body language projects messages.
- Does the yelling just need to STOP?
- What about renewing family prayer?
A spiritual makeover doesn’t cost any money but has a lifetime of spiritual benefits!
I can not recommend the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart enough! When we put Christ at the center of our hearts and homes, He can spiritually reset our homes and help us get back on track! The Enthronement is offered either as a download for free or order a kit at www.WelcomeHisHeart.com.
The Third Catholic Pro-Tip for Parents: What is our attitude towards a new life as parents? I notice much negativity about growing families, even in Catholic circles. I experienced nasty comments and “jokes” from fellow friends and Catholics when we had our seventh baby. Maybe we could make it our goal- always see life as a blessing and view it positively! Simply learn to say, “I am so happy for you.” and ask the Lord to make your heart grow to be more generous and even thoughtful. This inner shift can help create a more Catholic/ pro-life culture. Is the Lord inviting you to be generous and even have another child? Mother Teresa shares that loving your family is the greatest way to change the world.
Catholic Pro-Tip for Parents: Do ordinary tasks but with greater love. Do ordinary things with extraordinary love- Mother Teresa.
What if you started to have a better attitude about the extra driving you might have to do as your child picked up a new sport, the towel placed on the floor, or the little things that make us mad? Instead of turning to anger and frustration, let’s turn to allow it to be a moment of growth and an opportunity to instruct with love. Pausing and mentoring, and instructing are far greater than yelling and responding with frustration.
Fifth Pro-TIp for Parents: Develop a plan to navigate your season in life! One of my favorite quotes is the years are short, but the days go by quickly. I recall reading this from the biography of Barbara Bush, but the truth is, life is passing by so quickly, so let’s embrace the joys and sorrows and make sure we have a good road map to follow-one that is rooted in our faith, like going to Mass, getting the support we need and even making sure we take time for self-care and marriage care!
So for more Catholic Pro-Tips for Parents, join us each month or check out www.EmilyJaminet.com
