Help Me Pray Today

Help Me Pray Today, is a wonderful book that "helps" children learn to pray through simple rhyming prayers. Natalie Friedl, the author, has paired a short bible verse with each prayer representing a theme, such as Gratitude, Respect and Obedience. Equally wonderful to the prayers, are the accompanying illustrations. They are contemporary and juvenile without being too young for an older "kid" or adult to enjoy.

I heard about this adorable book from a great Catholic Mom podcast, Catholic Moments. In the podcast, Ms. Friedl explained to Lisa Hendey how the prayers were rhymes she developed with her own children to introduce them to praying at any time throughout the day. After discovering how well they remembered the rhymes and loved the prayers, it came together as a book to spread the joy of simple prayers with other families.

When the book came in the mail this week, the kids and I read it and instantly loved it. My 7 yr old decided right away that her favorite prayer is,

"Thank you, God, for all you do. Help me live each day for you!"

This is the last prayer with the theme of "Purpose". The 4 of us recited it over and over until we memorized it. This prayer was a beautiful way for Ms. Freidl to end this book.

My younger kids have also picked favorite prayers which reflect their favorite interests and ages. Our 2 year old's favorite is,

"Thank you, God, for my hands and feet. Help me try to keep them neat."

And my 5 year old son's favorite is,

"Thank you, God, for the clouds and sky. Help me watch as they go by."

To anyone with young children, toddlers or babies, this book is a must have addition to their library, and makes a great gift.

Prayer to End the School Year

Another school year is coming to an end. And what a year the 2017-2018 school year was..... The events of the last 9 months have made me not only thankful to see it end but needing to get on my knees to Thank God for many things. This school year began with Hurricane Harvey hitting our area and ended with the devastating school shooting at nearby Santa Fe High School. In the middle of the crisis around us there were so many beautiful things, events and people that touched and changed our community and family for the better. Let's just start with the teachers and administrators who have interacted with my kids this year... A special social studies teacher that made a fast friend out of my geography obsessed daughter, an ELA teacher who slowly won my oldest daughter over with her love of the written word, a soccer trainer who pushed my son harder than he thought he could handle, and then helped him recognize how that hard work paid off. What about a school nurse who repeated

My Favorite Catholic Children's Bibles

How do you select a Catholic Children's Bible? Which children's bible is best for my kids? Those are questions I get asked all the time. Searching in my house I discovered almost a dozen different Catholic Bibles for kids or youth on our shelves. When looking for a children's bible or book of bible stories for children, there are several things to take into consideration. How old is the child? Do you want something easy to read in story form or a bible with scripture text? How big or heavy is the book? Is the children's bible a keepsake to commemorate a special event like a baptism, first communion or confirmation? And the answers to these questions might change as the child grows and develops or you have multiple children. With those questions in mind, I'll delve into the Catholic Children's Bibles and Bible Stories we like best of those in our home. My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories Compiled by Hei

12 Quotes from St. Teresa of Calcutta

St. Teresa of Calcutta made a deep impression on me as a young girl as I watched her on tv and in news. Who doesn't remember the iconic picture of Mother Teresa with Princess Diana splashed across all magazines, newspapers and news shows? To me, Saints were people who lived a long time ago, but here she was, a saint in the making. Mother Teresa was a role model of how to become a Saint in our modern world, by giving her life to God through her dedication to the poor. On her feast day, I want to share with you a few of my favorite quotes from St. Teresa of Calcutta. Her words are seemingly simple and straightforward but packed with meaning. My selection comes out of a new favorite book I picked up called, Mother Teresa: Her Essential Wisdom by Carol Kelly-Gangi. This little book contains hundreds of quotes from St. Teresa of Calcutta centered around specific themes as well as a summary of her biography and quotes about her from others. "God does not demand that

Of Sound Mind and Spirit

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