GIVEAWAY: Small Steps for Catholic Moms

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Catholic Sistas is excited to be a part of the Small Steps for Catholic Moms blog tour, hosted by the good folks at CatholicMom.com!

::THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED – SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO SEE WHO WON!::

I recently heard someone summarize what I already knew to be true, but had failed to put into words…or better said, thought to put into words. Prayer is our center and all we do through the day should be an overflow of that prayer. We were discussing how the religious life works and how their days start in prayer. As laity, our days should also follow this model. Simply put, God has marching orders for us each day. When we don’t report for duty – through prayer – it’s hard for Him to tell us what He wants to accomplish through us.

Distractions, whether mental or physical, can influence how our day goes. Moms, this is all too true for us! How often do we wake to the sweet little pitter patter of feet running down the hallway, which turns to throwing the door to your bedroom WIDE open and ends with arms and legs flailing all over your bed?

image-3Think of prayer as your oxygen mask. In order to help the rest of the family, you have to be centered and grounded in responding to God’s call to spend time with you each day. He desires it and we have to respond in kind by giving Him our time. Personally, I find prayer time first thing in the morning helps to offset the arrival of cranky momma, who usually shows up not long after waking up and before the coffee has gone down the ol’ gullet. When I do make time for prayer, I find the graces are always more than sufficient to get through the day. With six kids, homeschooling, owning a side business, running the blog, attempting to write for the blog, and tossed headlong into various ministries and other apostolates, both online and in my parish community, I found out very quickly that if I squander my time, all else falls to the wayside…and that’s me being intentionally vague about what actually happens. CHAOS would be a better description of my reality. The foundation of my day has to be set just right and with care in order for the rest of the day to go marginally smooth.

I found myself relating heavily to Ginny Sheller’s post promoting the Small Steps Tour. I, too, am a person who is constantly on the go, whether in action or thought. My mind is always spinning with what needs to get done through the day, or am busy working on a project, or thinking about a project that needs to be tackled. I bounce from the domestic front to the blog to homeschooling to parish activities and meetings – round and round we go – WEEE!

The book Small Steps for Catholic Moms, written by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss is written and laid out so simply that it becomes a must have for anyone’s prayer arsenal. If you find yourself in a spiritual rut or live by excuses as to why you can’t find time to pray, this book will put you on the path to break those habits. It is broken down by each month and contains a theme for each. Here, let me just show you how easy your prayer life can become:

1) Wake up.

2) Open book to October 10.

3) Read the following:

Think:

“Therefore, be constant in practicing every virtue, and especially in imitating the patience of our dear Jesus, for this is the summit of pure love. Live in such a way that all may know that you bear outwardly as well as inwardly the image of Christ crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy.”

 – St. Paul of the Cross

Pray:

You did not only accept your cross, Jesus, you embraced it. Help me to embrace every cross that comes my way.

Act:

Is there someone you avoid because he or she talks too much? Call that person today, open your heart, and listen.

This is an excerpt from October, which has a theme of “Patience.”

Now for FREE LOOT!

WIN: Catholic Sistas has TWO copies of Small Steps for Catholic Moms and we want to give them to YOU. How do you enter? Just leave us a comment and we’ll pick a winner once the tour is over on October 12, 2013. Not Catholic? No worries! This book is perfect for any person who desires a deeper, more intimate relationship with Our Lord through prayer and reflection.

WIN BIG: Visit CatholicMom.com to enter the “Five Minutes Alone” contest to win a HUGE assortment of books, including a copy of Small Steps for Catholic Moms. You only need to fill out the form and leave a comment answering the question What’s the funniest way you grab five minutes alone? Comments won’t win the prize, so be sure to fill out the form on their site!

CONGRATULATIONS TO CYNTHIA AND JENN!

CATHOLIC SISTAS WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU TO GET YOUR COPIES OF SMALL STEPS FOR CATHOLIC MOMS TO YOU ASAP!!

WINNER #1:

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WINNER #2:

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71 Replies to “GIVEAWAY: Small Steps for Catholic Moms”

  2. I would love a copy of this. I have Christian devotionals but would love a Catholic one. Thanks!!

  3. First, I love this blog!! Thanks be to God for your CHAOS that results in touching so many!

    I would love to read this book…. among all the others that I have laying around partially read!! Having instructions would be awesome – sometimes we need someone to tell us what to do!

  4. Hi I would love to win a copy of this book! Sounds like something I’ve been looking for!

  5. I think it’s fantastic that Mom’s are banding together to promote the love of God and that we’re all trying to work together to lead each other closer to Him. Thank you for this article and the giveaway. 🙂 God Bless!!

  6. Every small step we take to bring ourselves closer to God is a small step that carries the rest of our Domestic Church along with us.

  9. I am a mom of 6 wonderful children and I enjoy reading and finding new ways to inspire me and my family through the Jesus. Thank you

  11. I would be so happy to win a copy. It sounds like just the thing i need to help me develop a stronger prayer life. If not, prayers would be appreciated as well. Thank you!

  13. New to your site. Enjoyed the article. I struggle with my prayer time every day. How can I teach my children what I don’t do myself?

  17. I could really use some inspiration in my daily life! I have 3 children and we are so busy that I often am not as supportive as I should be.

  21. I just bought this book for myself & I’m loving it! I would love to win a copy to share with my sister.

  22. Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this book, it sounds amazing! I would LOVE to win a copy. I’m homeschooling for the first time to 4 of our 8 kids and it’s a bit overwhelming some days, this would be a blessing to me.
    God Bless Always ~ YSIC 😉

  23. Yay! Thanks for the review! Sounds like an excellent prayer companion. I would love to own a copy. 🙂

  27. I am always looking for more books catered to my two vocations, being a mother and a gracious Catholic. Thank-you for the chance to win this book!

  28. I grab a few minutes by myself when I ask the kids to take the dog in the yard to play. It’s good for them and the dog loves it.

  32. I need this! I know we all go through this…those times when you are just drained emotionally and you know it’s because you are drained spiritually. We all need to deepen our prayer lives, and for me, I’m the one who constantly gets in the way of it!

  33. This sounds like the perfect book for me right now. As I embark on my journey back to the church as a mom of 2 littles I am finding a hard time knowing how/what to do.

  34. This book sounds like it would be valuable for helping me stay on track with prayer and spiritual reflection.

  41. I have been working to get up before the kids so I have time to pray and read – this book would be perfect. Thanks for this contest.

  42. I could have really used this book, when I woke up today. I have 4 sick children. My washing machine broke yesterday, the telephone is lost, and I am out of chocolate. I have been awake since 3:00 a.m. I am supposed chaperone a high school bonfire tonight, tomorrow is homecoming, and my daughter is Senior Candidate…I have a football game to watch, followed by chaperoning the home coming dance. I have been notified, I need to make a crock pot of chili to sell at the game…so thrilled.

  47. Would love to win a copy of this for a dear friend! I have one already and I love it 🙂

  48. I just “pinned” this book! So, it’s been on my mind. I think it could be powerfully helpful for my spiritual life right now.

  53. This book has been on my wish list for a long time. I would love to win one! :)Having read Elizabeth’s writing for years, I know it’s top notch. Danielle’s too. What talented, holy women we are privileged to “know” in our walk!

  55. I’d love to be able to give this to my dear daughter, a home-schooling mom of six beautiful youngsters!

  57. Pingback: Five Minutes Alone and Small Steps, Day 10: Patience | CatholicMom.com

  67. I would love to win this!! I have 2 boys (ages 1 and 2) and another little one on the way…I have always wanted a big family! 🙂 I have found my kids have brought me to the feet of Jesus more than I ever brought myself on my own. Being a mom rocks…and being a catholic mom makes life worth living well 🙂

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