Bible – Page 3 – Daily Graces

I have such an exciting project to share today! I absolutely cannot wait to have this little book arrive on my doorstep in November. Yes, November, I know it’s a ways away, but trust me, the wait will be worth it.

Processed with VSCO with s2 preset — Every Sacred Sunday. Used with Permission

Kassie Manning and Christie Vaughn are launching a brand new journal designed specifically for Catholics called Every Sacred Sunday. This is a Mass journal. It has all the Sunday readings in it (identical to the lectionary, they have gone out of their way to ensure that the readings in their journal are the exact same translation, with proper permissions), plus space to write and reflect on what spoke to you that Sunday, what is a verse or word that stood out to you, any homily or prayer notes, and even a space for how to take the lessons you learned and put them into practice that week.

This journal looks absolutely stunning. Christie, an artist, has drawn some incredibly beautiful illustrations that kick off each liturgical season. I was able to get a sneak peak at Advent’s and I know I am going to spend a good deal of time just praying with that. It is simple, but very profound. I can’t wait to see the others!

ess1 — Every Sacred Sunday. Used with Permission

I used this journal for yesterday’s Feast of the Assumption (because these girls have solid Catholic roots and also included all the Holy Days of Obligation). I loved the lectio divina quality it gave to my Mass experience. I was able to read the readings before Mass, then listened to them during Mass, and could reference back to them after as I journaled. After almost 3 complete read throughs, I definitely felt like a specific verse was standing out to me in a way that was new and different. I appreciate that there was a defined space to write. It kept me concise and to the point while still giving me plenty of room to say what I wanted. What might be the most important piece is on the very bottom of the page where Kassie and Christie have included a “Go Forth” section. How will I take what I heard and learned and use it this week? Now I have accountability and frankly, have a thought out, intentional, specific plan instead of a general “I need to try to be nicer/more helpful/etc.”

Kassie and Christie are using Kickstarter to get this project off the ground. In their first 24 hours of launching, they met their goal (this means guaranteed printing)! How incredible is that? In my opinion, it speaks to a need, a hunger people have. We, I, want to be able to carry Mass with us through the week. We want to take the time to reflect on what we heard and how to implement it in our lives. Every Sacred Sunday is taking these desires, adding paper, beauty and creativity, and transforming them into an incredible resource.

In the time since the launch, Kassie and Christie have added (and met, whoot!) a stretch goal so now each journal will also have a ribbon placeholder. There is still time to pre-order your journal(s). It is available through kickstarter until August 31. The journals will start to ship in November and should be in everyone’s hands for the first Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2017.

ess3 — Every Sacred Sunday. Used with Permission

Head over to everysacredsunday.com to learn more or pledge your support for your own journal now. Kassie and Christie also put together this great video that talks about them, their journey and how awesome Every Sacred Sunday is.

This is going to change hearts and lives in ways we can’t even imagine.

With the 4th of July upon us, what better time to take a moment to think about what matters most to us, as individuals and as a nation.

I took the kids to the park one morning this weekend. It wasn’t super hot in the mornings so we tried to get as much outside time as we could before the sun’s rays tried to burn my pasty children and myself. Anyway, I let John and Rosie pick out their own clothes most days. I do this for a few reasons. 1. It’s a simple thing that they can feel they have control over – a big deal for little ones. 2. We have done hysterical pictures from the combinations of clothing they have come up with. Recently I’ve added another advantage to this system. Taking 2 small kids to parks, especially large ones like the one we went to, is challenging. Add the baby who detests the stroller and things can get downright ugly fast. So, their tendency for flair and mismatched attire has the added bonus of an extremely identifiable child.

I didn’t take pictures but I wish I had. Rosie had chosen a pink shirt with sheep on it, florescent orange shorts, pink socks with Anna from Frozen on them pulled up as high as she could so they could “be like boots Mommy,” and a strange cross between pink and orange, very bright, gym shoes. John had a blue and orange football shirt with a pair of plaid-ish shorts that included purple and neon green lines. He rounded out his look with red socks and teenage mutant ninja turtle gym shoes. We were a pretty special sight that day.

You have to understand that playing at the park would be so much easier if I actually did have eyes in the back of my head. Or extra arms. Or could bilocate. Or had super speed. Or was capable of mind control. Any of these would be amazing. Give me two or three and I would be unstoppable, or rather, my child would be completely stoppable, which is usually the goal.

You probably by now have some idea of where this story is heading. I was pushing Clare on a swing and talking with John while he climbed on one of the two park structures nearby. Rosie had been climbing with John too. As I talked to John I realized that Rosie wasn’t talking too. I looked and didn’t see her. Enter Panic, stage left.

I try not to overreact when something like this happens, but it’s hard not to. My kids are precious gifts and losing one sends my heart racing faster than anything. I started to call for Rosie, limited in my range of of movement because Clare was in the swing and I hoped she would pop out from behind a slide or something. No response. I kept scanning for her bright shorts to appear. Panic sets in deeper and I hail Clare out. I keep calling her, trying not to sound as paniced as I felt. After only a few minutes I found her climbing stairs to a slide on the other park structure. The flash of pink and florescent orange was unmistakable. She came down the slide and proudly told me how she did it all by herself. All by herself indeed!

As my racing heart calmed, it got me thinking about other things in my life that have such power over me. Stop and think about it. What makes your heart beat faster when it’s out of sight? What commands all of your attention when you can’t find it? What would you never leave the house without and would even turn around to go get if you did forget it?

Here’s my list:

Kids – probably obvious but you never know, not to rat my parents out but I was forgotten at church a time or two (yes, they always came back for me and I anticipate the same occuring to at least of my children at some point in life – sorry in advance!)

Pacifiers – absolute necessity, the level of difficulty for our outing increases tenfold without one.

Phone – I hate admitting this, but I know where my phone is at every moment of every day. Literally, it’s a problem. Even right now, it’s next to me on the couch. I know where it is before I go to bed. I’ve even noticed that when I go to wear a skirt or pants without pockets, my awareness of my phone’s whereabouts is greatly heightened.

Wallet – this one I don’t think about as much because it always resides in my purse but if I ever need to take it out while at home, I am a bit twitchy until it’s back in it’s rightful place. Not only does it have my license, which is important, it also has my military ID. I simply cannot lose those two cards.

There was something disturbing about my mental exercise. My Bible didn’t make the list. I know where it is, I used it a few days ago to work on a bible study. But I hadn’t read it since. I’m fact, in the past weeks, I’d only read it for a weekly bible study. The things on my list are so precious to me and my happiness I keep them very close and use/engage with them multiple times a day. Shouldn’t the Word of God meet those criteria? It was a convicting thought. It was one of those revelations that ends with “well now I have to do something about this because I can’t claim ignorance anymore.” It’s going to require I change some habits, I am still a work in progress. But I am, I hope, progressing.

What makes your list? What is missing?