Welcome to the Daybook. A weekly post here at The Littlest Way where I gather all the ordinary things that happen or are happening in my day to day. Things like what I’m reading or listening to, eating, cleaning, and learning. These are the small moments that make up my blessed daily life and I want to remember them. I would love to read your Daybook, just leave it in the comments section below. You can use my prompts or make up your own to include items important to you; mine change depending on season and circumstance.
Thanking God for…
::spending Christmas with family
::filling a pew at Mass with my family and my sister and her family
::meeting Mary and Jerry Lenaburg
::our tireless priest
::sunny weather
::having a little one still in the house to remind us–everything is grace and all is joy
Praying…
I tried to start a 9-week Rosary Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe a week or so ago. We were in the middle of our St. Andrew Novena so it didn’t work. Chris and I are starting it together for a couple of intentions. I’m so happy to be praying this with Chris for these intentions so close to both of our hearts.
Our priest was inspired to recommend praying a 9-week Novena in front of an image of Our Lady Guadalupe to a couple who had been struggling with infertility for years. By the end of the novena, they had conceived a baby! Our priest was then blessed to baptize the miraculous baby! In his own words about this novena, “There was a couple at St.Francis Xavier parish who had been trying to have a child for about seven years. When they came to me to tell me of their sadness and of their many prayers I had a sudden “inspiration” to tell them to make a novena of nine weeks to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn. I told them to put an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a prominent place in their house with an altar and two candles and some flowers and then to kneel down together every day as a couple to pray a rosary with the intention of obtaining the favor of having a child. Before the Novena was even concluded they returned to tell me that they had conceived and then later on when the child was born they brought him for me to baptize. I also told them that they should pray another Novena of nine weeks to thank Our most Holy Mother. Since that time I have recommended this Novena to many other people not only those trying to conceive but also those who are facing great problems in their lives. It is the power of the Holy Rosary said with faith and confidence in the intercession of the Mother of God that obtains for them what they ask if it is for their spiritual good. –Fr.Tim”
Pondering…
I’ve pondered this before, how sometimes I believe there are some of us who are strong enough for this world, just not tough enough. People can be so very hurtful. I’m also pondering my Word for the Year. In 2016, I chose “Give.” And 2015 was “More.” In years past I’ve chosen: Trust and Joy.
Listening to…
Chris is in the kitchen dishing out Pumpkin pie with a mountain of whipped cream. They are getting ready to watch “Secondhand Lions.”
Reading…
My large print Bible although I’ve started Bible journaling in my New Jerusalem Bible, Reader’s Edition.
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40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life
Chris and I have been reading this together in the mornings and I’ve been sharing quotes from this book over on Instagram.
Building Your House: A Faithful Mom’s Guide to Organizing Home and Family
First sentence of the book, “I organize for Jesus.”
Bible Journaling…
Follow me on Instagram! I’ve been sharing lots of Bible journaling pictures. This year–well I kind of jumped the gun–but this year I’m going to use my New Jerusalem Bible, Reader’s Edition for the reason mentioned above and I’m only using the Illustrated Faith Bible Journaling supplies. I’m showing you can keep it simple and beautiful at the same time.
Around the House…
I really struggle with being too lax or too rigid. Anyone else?
In the Kitchen…
My Briana Thomas cookbook came in the mail a couple of days ago. All the recipes are Trim Healthy Mama friendly. It is beautiful! I made this week’s grocery list based on recipes from her book. I totally ate off Trim Healthy Mama plan Christmas Eve and Christmas. I feel like blech!
Diffusing
Veronica has had a cold so she’s been diffusing Fighting Five and Peppermint in her bedroom and I’m wearing Joy today. For more information on how I got into essential oils and why I buy from Amazon, read this post, Where I’m from: Smells Like Home.
A Great Blog Post
My friend Candace has chosen her “Word for the Year,” Word of the Year 2017: Behold
“I want to train my mind, heart, and soul to BEHOLD my God and not my circumstances.”
The Littlest Way
This post, “Three Ways to Spend More Time with God” has been getting a lot of traffic in the last week. I love it when old posts like that come back to life.
Our Domestic Church…
Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Martyr. (That link has some really good information about this feast day.) Sunday is the Octave Day of the Nativity of Our Lord also known as the Feast of the Circumcision.
Saving Money…
Chris and I are sitting down this week and making a budget–not just for January, but also figuring out our budgeting goals for 2017.
Captured…
I don’t have a picture here this week. Not because I don’t have anything but more importantly I have some words of encouragement or admonishment. Anna and I went to a funeral 2 weeks ago for a 21-year-old girl. When we left Anna turned to me and said, “You need to take more pictures of us.” Yes, my sweet girl, I do and I will. This is a priority for 2017.
Gemma Thomas says
A few weeks ago, my daughter and I were in Hobby Lobby doing what I have come to call shoppy therapy. I am in my 7th year of fighting cronic lung cancer. The battle has been long and hard. This past year my Oncologist called me his miracle because he did not expect me to make it 6 months. Many times and especially in the last year, I have been so sick, I just wanted to give up, but I realize God has work for me to do and I will get to go home when I comlete what he wills. Since I can no longer drive, I depend on friend and family to get my shopping fixes in. During my trip, I found a beautiful sign with just the word rejoice on it. I bought it and used it for Christmas decor. When I went to tear down Christmas (have to do it early as I have a long day of meds on Wed, that will take the wind out of my sail for a few days, plus procedures scheduled for early Jan., so the wise thing is to take all down now while I can), I decided to keep the sign out… Rejoice, that I am in my 7th year, rejoice, that my faith has remained strong, rejoice that God has blessed me with so much help, rejoice that 50 years ago God knew this would happen and gave me my spouse Ron, who has been an angel in caring for me these many years. Rejoice that God opened a door for me to start a Catholic Womens Group in my neighborhood, oh there is so much more…then I received your email, and “rejoice” has become my word for 2017… I do have much to rejoice about, even though my days are now filled with pills, shots and therapy… I still work on growing closer each day to him.
Thanks for your blog and the work you are doing…I have grown because of you…
Jenny says
Well what a lovely comment Gemma! By the way, I have a sweet little niece named Gemma 🙂
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
-Philippians 4:4