Selfless – Daily Graces

I loved Danielle’s presentation yesterday! Did you? I was also super inspired by the healthy eating presentation by Katie Kimball on Day 1. We might be asking grandparents to gift her kitchen class for kids web series for Christmas. It looks so good, and purposeful presents. That’s the Christmas theme this year – purposeful presents.

I hope you’ve been enjoying the conference. If you’re just hearing about it, no worries! Today is only Day 3 of 5, plus a bonus Day 6 of encores of the presentations. And it’s totally free! Seriously, go check it out.

If you wanted to hear more about what I thought about Danielle’s presentation, head on over to CatholicMom.com where it posted yesterday.

Also, if you are loving this who experience, there is a way for you to keep the spirit alive. Catholic Mosaic, the organization who puts this conference on, has a special M4M (More 4 Mom) package that you can purchase. You get all the presentations to download, so you can watch them anytime, anywhere. Also included is a discussion guide for all the presentations. Looking for a new study for your Moms group? Trying to get a way to engage parents during your Religious Education classes? Need something quick and easy for Advent this year? The applications are endless!

If that wasn’t enough, you also will receive ebooks, inspirational prints, coloring pages and so much more! When you add it all up, it’s about $150 worth of stuff, which is incredible!

The presentations, plus the bonus material, is only $30. It is a great price for such a wealth of information, resources and encouragement. Check out here for the full list and details. Also, as an affiliate of the conference, if you use my links listed here I will receive a small kickback as thanks for sending you there.

My big takeaway yesterday came from Colleen Duggan’s Love in the Family presentation where she challenged everyone to consider how often during the day they thought about themselves. How often am I thinking about what I want to do, how easy or hard this moment is for me, when will I be done, ect. There’s some deep thinking and praying in this for me, I’ll probably be blogging about it soon.

Enjoy the conference! And check out the More 4 Mom package!

Able to Love without Requiring Love in Return: Real Life

How do we do this in real life? How do we love someone without expecting them to love us back or at least expecting some kind of good return on our investment?

For starters, love is a choice. We are conditioned from an early age to associate love with good feelings, of warmth, hearts and red roses. When we understand love in this way, the focus is inward – it’s all about me and how I feel loved. We will never be satisfied with this kind of love.

The love that does not need anything in return is a much deeper, harder and more profound love. Rather than a love of self, this kind of love stretches beyond us and reaches to the other person. This selfless love seeks first the comfort, health, nourishment and safety of the other person, setting their needs above your own. A loving choice places someone else in the center of your focus, rather than yourself.

Think of someone who has shown you this kind of love, a love that put your own needs before their own. Reach out to them if you are able and thank them.