May Reflections and June Mini-Goals 2014

June 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The Liturgical Year is so rich and keeps us always looking forward. May was beautiful, and even though it is a favorite month of mine, June comes blessing us with the feasts of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, and the Sacred Heart. How can I forget how much God loves me, with so many reminders?

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May’s highlights included: enjoying our little May shrine and crowning, reading most of the Trumpet of the Swan, participating in our chapel’s May Procession,  starting The Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home and setting up our own prayer corner (a post on that later!), and a good start to praying parts of the Divine Office.

At the end of every month, I think to myself that there is NO way I can add anything more to what I am doing, but when I look at the mini-goals I pre-planned for the entire year, the dread turns into hope and excitement, because I really DO want to add the new goals to my daily routine.

Here is what I’m adding for June:

1) Say Yes: Turn your no’s into yes’s

What L.R. Knost is suggesting is that when something is a “no” at the moment, (like dessert before dinner) turn the “no” into a “yes” by telling the child, YES he CAN have dessert…after dinner. Of course, when I’ve tried this, the retort I get is, “But I want dessert NOW!” That’s when I try to be sympathetic and say something like, “I know it’s hard to wait; it’s hard for me to wait, too! What are you going to want for dessert, anyway?” But most days, I just repeat, “No, you can’t have dessert now, but you CAN have it after dinner.”

2) Decluttering a little every day

About two years ago, I printed out a 52-week decluttering plan and stuck it in my home journal. I did some of challenges, but that was two years ago! Guess I’ll take it out again, hang it on the fridge, and do 15 minutes of decluttering a day. Gotta get rid of all this extra junk around the house!!

3) Give each child an age-appropriate Bible and help them to make time each day to read a little bit (even if it’s mostly pictures) and pray.

I’m excited about this one because it fits perfectly with what I read in The Little Oratory. I have a basket in mind, and all I need to do is fill it with the children’s bibles that are on the shelves in their room. Easy! There’s a perfect spot for the basket right next to the prie dieu, and the boys have already started joining me whenever I pray, so it should be naturally appealing.  (I admit, they’re only joining me so they get to blow out the candles, but at least they’re saying a few Hail Mary’s first!)

But the idea is to make the boys take time to read a little bit, look at holy pictures, and spend some quiet time thinking about God. Maybe I should initiate a quiet time, maybe in the afternoon, for devotional reading. (Seasoned mothers, any advice/ideas?)

I was inspired by this “peace retreat” post by Ann Voskamp a few years ago. Maybe it’s time to set something up like this!

A picture of our prayer corner in its beginning stages.

A picture of our prayer corner in its beginning stages.

Other Plans for June

I really want to visit the National Enthronement Center – it would make a nice field trip and I really want to get my hands on a kit so our family can have a formal Enthronement Ceremony.

I also want to revisit the website for Nightly Adoration in the Home. Now that our prayer corner is set up, it is much easier to be drawn to prayer. (Reality check – still in honeymoon phase – I’m sure I will soon be tempted to skip prayer…sigh.) But I DO want to use our prayer corner for an hour of Adoration in the home, so maybe I’ll pick a date and write it on the calendar!

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Self-Improvement Tagged With: ,

Reflections on April AND Mini-Goals for May 2014

April 30, 2014 by 2 Comments

May Mini-Goals 2014 (2)

First off, I’m going to admit that I don’t have much to brag about for April.  But it was still an exciting month!  Well, maybe exhausting is more like it… We did some fun things as a family, such as going geo-caching for the first time with some homeschool friends, and having a “pool day” on the one semi-hot day. I gave the children good-night blessings about 8 times – in total. And finally, I went to bed at a decent hour 1 time – that’s right – 1 time. 

Sigh. Not a complete failure, but not much of a success, either.  I also started to forget about some habits from previous months, so I need to review and consider this as I look ahead to next month. One big reason for getting off track is that on April 1, I started a 30-day Fabulous Blogging Bootcamp.  And Bootcamp it was. My brain hurt (literally) for the first 4 days, and it was sore for a couple more. But I have lots to show for it, and I’m proud of my work towards understanding social media, making graphics for blog posts, and envisioning my overall goals for this blog. If you are a blogger, I highly recommend it! 

Fabulous Blogging

So now, how to handle a new month, with new goals, while there is real life to catch up with?  First, I need to review the goals made so far:  

January

1) Slow Down: Spend intentional time each day with each child to build a personal relationship with him; build connection.

2) Take a 15 minute mini-vacation every day!

3) Keep Sunday a day of rest and family prayer time  

February

1) Listen: All behaviours communicate underlying needs. Listen to the behaviours and find out what motivates each child, and understand their thoughts, hopes, dreams, hurts, disappointments, etc

2) Time Alone With God: Schedule daily time to read Scripture/ pray/ journal

3) Breakfast devotions/ Family Morning Prayer  

March

1) Live it. Make sure that what your children see in you is what you want to see in them.

2) Leave the kitchen clean at night.  Prepare for tomorrow.

3) Keep a prayer list, and pray for those intentions at meals or bedtime.  

April

1) Breathe: consciously focus on enjoying your children; ideas for memories here

2) Go to bed at a decent hour and get up early

3) Bedtime Prayer: Bless each child individually

Now, if I take those goals, and put them in the approximate order during the day, most days should have this routine:

  • Get up early (before the kids)
  • My time alone with God (hopefully before 9 am)
  • Breakfast Devotions/Family Morning Prayer
  • 15-minute vacation either before or after lunch
  • Pray for those on the prayer list at lunch
  • Bless each child at bedtime
  • Clean the kitchen and prepare for tomorrow
  • Go to bed at a decent hour

See how I’m attempting to find a routine of prayer and peace amid my days of chaos with four young boys? Now, looking at what May has in store:

May Mini-Goals 2014 (4) 

1) Read: Include books in the bedtime routine

This we do a few times a week already, but there are some classics that I want to start reading a chapter a day for literature.  I want to try bedtime as the time to do read alouds because during the day, the boys are just too LOUD!  The baby is starting to go to bed around 7:30, so it’s time (once again) to tweak bedtime routine so that everyone is ready for bed around 7:30, so that after I put the baby down,  we can do story-time until 8/8:15. The book we’re starting with?  The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White.

2) Establish a morning routine to start the day off well.

I think getting back into the habits of getting up early, spending time with God in prayer, and Family Morning Prayer IS the routine to start the day off well.  Again, I have to remind myself that it is a routine, not a schedule; a rhythm that can start and stop and have long pauses before it starts back up again. The important thing is to get in the prayer time. That will be my focus for each morning. There are some healthy habits I want to introduce into the morning routine as well:

  • Drink lemon water
  • 5 minute stretch or movement

Now, about getting up early: this is one habit that I know has lots of benefits, and there are some early risers that swear this is the secret of their success.  The reasons I want to wake up early (between 5:30 and 6:30) are:

  • I need some quiet time before the kids wake up
  • I can get some household chores started, like a load of laundry or a loaf of bread for lunch.
  • I can have some time to read, pray, or work on a personal project.
  • Here’s the plan, from Goodbye Chaos, Hello Peace:

Keep it simple! Decide what time you are going to get up in the mornings. Set an alarm and stick to it. When your alarm goes off, make yourself get up immediately. If you need a few minutes to wake up fully, give this to yourself, but NOT in bed. Stumble out to the kitchen, get a glass of water, then sit down and drink it while you wake up.

When evening comes, get yourself into your P.J’s shortly after the kids are in bed, then spend a little time relaxing and planning for tomorrow. As soon as you feel sleepy enough to go to sleep, then go to bed!

In the same resource, she offers a “Give Me Five” morning routine, and it looks right in line with what I just expressed that I’d like to do:

  1. Drink 2 cups of lemon water; stretch
  2. Shower and dress
  3. Finishing touches (hair, jewelry, shoes)
  4. Nourish yourself (small snack to hold me over until family breakfast) and take vitamins
  5. Time with God (does not have to be last…I will probably do this WHILE drinking my lemon water, because the kids always wake up before I’m ready for them!)

3) Pray in times of crisis, teaching children to turn to God in every situation.

Sibling fight? –Pray for peace and understanding.
Defiant attitude? –Pray for a gentle, grateful, and obedient heart
Chores too hard or boring? –Be grateful for having a home to take care of, and offer the work up for those who have nothing.
Just got a prayer request? –Pray for the person(s).
Selfish, “Me first” attitude? –Pray for generosity.
Whining? –Pray for the child to learn self-control over his/her voice.
Mom getting at the end of her rope? –Pray for patience.
Is someone worried? –Pray to accept the will of God, because whatever happens is what God knows is best.
Is someone giving up? –Pray for perseverance, and the sense not to rely on your own strength.
What is one part of your morning routine that you love? What is one thing you would like to change or add? I’d love to hear what you think!

Please have patience with me as I try to find a theme that works for me on this site. If you see posts that have skewed formats, please understand that I am a new blogger, and I’m trying to figure out what works best. I hope the construction will be over by the end of May, and then I will have an exciting announcement about what I will be offering (for free) on this site that will be ready for the upcoming school year! Have a blessed May!      

 

Filed Under: Self-Improvement Tagged With: ,
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