Wednesday, February 13, 2019

A little Lenten planning, because the weather is so frightful, there aren't a lot of other options... :-0

My February piece over at CatholicMom.com is devoted to OL Lourdes! 
Hello all! It's a busy week over here in my little corner of Western New York. We've had some pretty intense winter weather every single week lately, and it's made commutes and such difficult, but we're hanging in there. Speaking of traveling by car, I'm going to the Columbus Catholic Women's Conference on Friday! It's looking like the weather will be OK for me to drive, it's about 5 hours away. I'm a little nervous about it, BUT I will get to see my beloved Allison Gingras for the first time since 2015, and I'm ever so excited about that! I'm sure I'll be tweeting and posting in our Facebook group for those who partake in those communities. I'll keep you all in the know! I think it'll be a lovely way for me to prepare for Lent.

And speaking of Lent! I'm all excited. :-0 #CatholicNerd My goal this Lent is to keep up with my new subscription to Living Faith, and my first print issue should arrive anytime now. As well, I'm planning to download the Blessed Is She Lent Devotional for 2019, which is called To The End. I absolutely love their devotional journals, and although the digital download makes it harder to fill in the questions, I find that I am more apt to use it in digital form.

As well, I'm contemplating a Lenten Book Club for the blog with this book:


Thoughts?! My sister Shauna'h mentioned this book to me, so I popped over to Amazon to check out the description, and got all excited.
Do you ever feel caught in an endless cycle of working harder and longer to get more while enjoying life less? The Stewart family did—and they decided to make a radical change. Popular Catholic blogger and podcaster Haley Stewart explains how a year-long internship on a sustainable farm changed her family’s life for the better, allowing them to live gospel values more intentionally. 
When Haley Stewart married her bee-keeping sweetheart, Daniel, they dreamed of a life centered on home and family. But as the children arrived and Daniel was forced to work longer hours at a job he liked less and less, they dared to break free from the unending cycle of getting more yet feeling unfufilled. They sold their Florida home and retreated to Texas to live on a farm with a compost toilet and 650 square feet of space for a family of five. Surprisingly, they found that they had never been happier. 
In The Grace of Enough, Stewart shares essential elements of intentional Christian living that her family discovered during that extraordinary year on the farm and that they continue to practice today.  
You, too, will be inspired to:

  • live simply
  • offer hospitality
  • revive food culture and the family table
  • reconnect with the land
  • nurture community
  • prioritize beauty
  • develop a sense of wonder
  • be intentional about technology
  • seek authentic intimacy
  • center life around home, family, and relationships

Drawing from Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’, Stewart identifies elements of Catholic social teaching that will enhance your life and create a ripple effect of grace to help you overcome the effects of today’s “throwaway” culture and experience a deeper satisfaction and stronger faith.

*squeals*

What do you think? Shauna'h said that it is a *really* fast read, and that she just devoured it. I would download for Kindle, but it's available in print too, and your library may have it! I would love to hear your vote in the comments. :)

8 comments:

  1. I think we all know that I love the idea of book club but have trouble following through. That said I already have a copy of this book and book club is a good reason to finish it. I have enjoyed the part I've read already.

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    1. I hear ya! Yes, this would be a good reason to keep motivation going. :)

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  2. Super excited to read this book so YES! I am already trying to declutter and minimalize the unimportant things in my life to leave room for what truly counts - now and in eternity. Guess having to clear out the house after my mom and sister passed last year has shown me that we truly don't need much to make us happy. STUFF is just stuff and so little of it really counts. Plus - I have made a dedicated commitment to have the BEST GARDEN EVER this year and to be more self-sustaining. :) Are you going to Columbus, OHIO? Wish I'd known - we could have met. But I work weekends and we are suppose to get snow on Saturday - oh, joy. Have a safe and fruitful trip!

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    1. ooo, this is so perfect, Donna! I can't wait to read it with you!

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  3. Very cool! I've followed Haley for years and listen to her podcast sometimes but haven't read her book. My library has the audio version on hoopla so excited to join in! I Missed the advent book club. I love joining in on your book clubs :)

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    1. yay, yay, Beth Anne! :0 I'm excited too! I'll have a setup post closer to Ash Wednesday. :)

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  4. I'm interested. I recently won this book. I have so many good resources. It's hard to do everything all at once. I will definitely follow along.

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    1. That sounds fabulous! So glad to have you join us!

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