Are You in the Habit of Daily Spiritual Reading?

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It's no secret that I've been reading, rereading and thinking about the book Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers lately.

It's just such a gem - and even better because - as I shared here -  it's available to everyone despite budgets or preferred "reading" style.

One of the first practical tips it gives is to use "spiritual reading as a first means of becoming fervent."

It goes on to explain that "all reading which enlightens the mind and determines the will to do good" can be included in this category of reading and then reminds us that "there is hardly one among you who cannot spend a quarter of an hour each day in spiritual reading"

That's the truth!

Yet, I know I, for one, had been letting distraction, poor priorities, and busyness of life prevent me from tapping into the edification daily spiritual reading can bring until I read these different passages in the book:

Do you engage in spiritual reading every day?" I have asked; and they have responded: "No! I have not time." Well, for mothers of families who toil from morning till night to gain a livelihood, this reason is acceptable; but when it is alleged as an excuse for the laziness and inertia of those who squander a considerable amount of time in useless babbling, in long and purposeless visits, and in reading the daily papers, this excuse is intolerable. How many are there among you, my daughters, who cannot reserve at least a quarter of an hour every day for spiritual reading, by omitting all futile occupations, and by economizing their time. There are some, perhaps, but not very many, I know. 

Devote at least a quarter of an hour
every day to pious reading. Let it take the form of a talk, an intimate conversation with God, and I promise that it will not be long before you will witness a happy change in your lives. 

In short, spiritual reading, if methodically practiced, will effect a complete transformation in your lives.  

Left to yourselves, you will always revolve in the same plane, think the same thoughts, and perhaps never find a new habiliment in which to dress them. Therefore, you must frequently renew your wardrobe of ideas. Some one must whisper new sentiments into your ears each day. Now spiritual reading can render you this service.

Sure. I often read spiritual things - but had fallen away from doing so daily. So, when I read the passages above, and then read that "the success of our struggle against nature is always the measure of our progress towards perfection," I heard the Spirit speaking loudly to me:

"Commit to daily reading again, dear. Do it now. Do it daily!"

I listened.

I committed to prioritizing a habit of focused daily spiritual reading and have been holding myself accountable by actually using a timer and not allowing myself many distractions until it goes off each day.

Of course, as a mom, some distractions are inevitable, though, so, when they come, I either remind my children that I need x amount of minutes to finish what I am doing or, when needed turn my timer off, take care of pressing matters, then reset my timer and begin a new 15 minutes of spiritual reading.

Doing so has helped me solidify a daily spiritual reading habit again - even if I did miss one or two days since committing to this, and, then, on subsequent days, dusted off my "failed" fallen self, set a timer for 30 minutes, and to got reading again.

It has been a blessing! I encourage you to tap into this blessing, too.

I also would LOVE to hear what your favorite not too heavy, but still edifying and inspirational saint books and spiritual reading titles have been. Please do share them with me in a comment here, on Facebook, or in person. Thank you!

Some that the book recommended were:

• The Spiritual Combat by Scupolis
• The Introduction to a Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales.
• Christian Perfection by Rodriguez
• The Practice of Love Towards Jesus Christ by Saint Alphonsus Liguori
• the various works of Père Saint-Jure.
• Meditations on the Holy Ghost by Pergmayr
• The Way of Interior Peace by Père de Lehen.
• The Manual of Interior Souls, The School of Jesus Christ, The Interior Life of Jesus and Mary by Père Grou
• Retreats by Père Olivaint

May we each take that quarter an hour or more each day to immerse ourselves in the blessing of spiritual reading!

Select Spiritual Reads for Teens and Tweens

...there is hardly one among you who cannot spend a quarter of an hour each day in spiritual reading...

Let it take the form of a talk, an intimate conversation with God, and I promise that it will not be long before you will witness a happy change in your lives. 

Left to yourselves, you will always revolve in the same plane, think the same thoughts, and perhaps never find a new habiliment in which to dress them. Therefore, you must frequently renew your wardrobe of ideas. Some one must whisper new sentiments into your ears each day.

                            from Counsels of Perfection

                            for Christian Mothers 

                            by Reverend P. Lejeune

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

After reading Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers  by Reverend P. Lejeune, I began working to build a habit of conversing with God through focusing on at least 15 minutes of spiritual reading daily.

If I am honest, I will admit that I still have not perfected the habit. However, I am getting nearer to this simple - but not exactly easy for me - goal and always find my days edified and enriched when I successfully dedicate time to immerse msyelf for a quarter of an hour in spiritual reading.

Typically, I engage in my spiritual reading during pockets of time when my children are not in my direct presence - in the wee hours before they rise, in the margins of time between dropping some of them to work and entering Mass, out on the swing in our front yard while they are otherwise occupied... As such there has been little, "there is more that's caught, than taught," going on here in regards to spiritual reading.

Okay. Over the summer, one child sometimes chose to read spiritual materials without my prompting, but the other two do not. In fact, sadly, one of my children tends to eskew all things faith-related right now. 

As I thought about all this at the beginning of the month, I wondered if I should move the times and locations of my (almost) daily spiritual reading to ones when my children are near to me in order for more "catching" to go on. Then, i realized, with my faith-adverse child in the mix, my efforts might be fruitless. I would likely end up distracted and at leat one of my children would probably not "catch" anything.

Therefore, I decided to coax the kids into personal spiritual reading this fall with clear parameters and appropriate carrots and sticks.

The parameters: Every day, each child must pick material off our spiritual reading shelf and read for a quarter of an hour, freely taking some of that time to journal, too, if desired.

The carrot: When a child finished a book, he or she can let Mom know. Then, the child can choose a treat (a snack to share or a place  to go visit) and we'll have a book chat whle eating or visting.

The stick (for the two who may need it): No child may not turn on a screen until spiritual reading/journaling are completed.

After deciding this, I stacked a shelf with fiction, nonfiction, light, and heacy faith-related reads and let each child pick one.

One of my children picked Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints, enjoyed it, and, then, moved onto Mother Teresa: Lessons of Love and Secrets of Sanctity.

Another child is reading Catholic Stories for Boys and Girls, because that child cannot remember when we read the stories as a read togther and wanted something super light to start with.

My final child began with The Great Divorce, which I am now reading, too.

Then, that child moved onto A Shepherd in Combat Boots next.

None of these books are of the deep spiritual quality that Reverend P. Lejeune indicated would be best for daily spiritual reading, but all are serving the purpose of building a holy habit in my children and that thrills me.

I pray that the habit of daily personal spiritual reading is ignited in my children and continues throughout their lifetimes.

I would love to hear what spiritual reading (including edifying faith-based fiction) has engaged your middle and high school level children. Please share titles with me in a comment here, on our Facebook page, or, if I am blessed to know you in real life, in person.

Thank you!

May God bless and guide all of our families as continue living and learning during this new school year.

Get a FREE Spiritual Reading Log Set

What's a new year for if not failing forward?

This year, I am failing forward with many things, including my plans for getting my middle and highschoolers into a daily spiritual reading and me into a habit of discussing their reading with them.

Part A of the plan has been going fairly well since the fall. In fact, one of another of my children had ead through each of the Select Spiritual Reads that I highlighted here last September, and all have read more in addition.

Part B, though - the part where I would chat with each of them after they finished each book. That's where the failure has happened.

Praise be to God, there have been few spontanous, organic, and fruitful chats that I appreciated. (These were about books in the C.S. Lewis boxed set, the Miracle of Father Kapaun, and Mother Teresa: Lessons of Love and Secrets of Sanctity all of which I recommend.) And, there have also been some more planned or prompted chats about other spiritual reads during minivan rides and walks.

However, I have not been able to keep up with all of the kids' spiritual reading, my own, and life in general - and the kids have not bubbled over with spontaneous sharing with some reads as they hae with others, so some of their spiritual reading selections have yet to be discussed.

That is where the failing forward comes in!

Upon entering the new year, as I thought about all this, I decided that we all might do well with a tool to help with future discussions. Thus, I made a simple set of Spiritual Reading Logs.

On these logs, we can record thoughts, ideas, and questions as well as think about if we'd recommend the spiritual books we dig into.

My hope is that with notes from these logs in hand, it will be easier to go back and chat about different reads even if I keep getting behind my kids with them (which seems inevitable since my children sometimes select things I have never read before and there are three of them, each reading separately, and only one of me trying to keep up.)

In case th  ae logs might benefit you or your children, too, I am sharing them freely.

I hope you can use them and would love to hear what spiritual reads you and your children are diving into and what discussion points they bring up.

God bless!

6 Things to Do Before Christmas

I don't know about you, but, for me and mine, this Advent has been flying by with but a few of our regular traditions and so much busyness that the beauty of the season has been lost at times.

Thus, I have decided to prioritize six things in the coming week to help me and mine slow down and set aside time to better prepare our hearts and home for the coming of Christ.

I am sharing my list now in case you could use a little inspiration for ending Advent intentionally.

1. Put confession on your calendar.

Ready or not, Christ is coming, and confession is an important part of preparing room for Him in our hearts.

Decide right now when and where you're going to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas and be sure it happens.

2. Make Small Sacrifices for the Christ Child

Advent is known as "Little Lent" and is an ideal time to focus on prayer, alms, and sacrifices. Each day, commit to making at least one small sacrifice.

If you happen to have a copy of Marta and the Manger Straw, reread it and, perhaps, set up a creche with some straw nearby. When anyone in your house makes a small sacrifice or does a good deed, add a piece of straw to the creche to soften the place for Jesus. Then, on Christmas, lay a baby Jesus figurine in the creche. 

We have done this Advent activity in the past and found it a fruitful activity. This year, I almost opted to let it go, but have realized we could all use a tangible reminder of where our focus should be even on our busiest of days, so the manger will return to our table this week!

3. Consider being a Christkindl 

If you and yours have been headed in different directions throughout Advent, a wonderful way to refocus on one another while also building a spirit of giving is through the custom of having each family member secretly draw the name of another for whom to be a Christkindl.

Before Advent, my daughter asked when we were going to begin this custom of doing secret kindnesses for another again, and I said, "later".

Well, "later" got later and later and, with all the commitment we've had, our family has been in too many different directions, so I've decided that this week is the perfect week to once again promote familial kindness, thoughtfulness, and joyful suspense with Christkindls!

4. Dig into some spiritual reading and prayer.

Even if life is crazy-busy, I bet there you might spend five to ten minutes daily on mindlessly staring at or scrolling a screen or otherwise wasting time.

Why not give that time to intentionally letting God speak to you through prayer or spiritual readings? Even if only for minutes a day, picking up an Advent reflection, a passage of Scripture, a spiritual memoir, or some other spiritual reading - or simply pausing to pray - can have such a soul-changing effect.

Here, we've been doing okay with our St. Andrew Novena, but have fallen a few chapters behind with our nightly Advent readings of Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent , and I have not been picking up my own spiritual reading each day, so I am going to make time to catch up with our Advent read aloud as well as with my own spiritual reading.  I might even make a daily spot of tea, hot cinnamon almond milk, or hot chocolate and invite the children to choose their own spiritual reading to enjoy in quiet company.

5. Serve with a smile.

Whether you are simply serving your family or headed out to do charitable works in your community, smile and think, "I get to...", not "I have to..." What a gift it is to be able to model ourselves after Christ through serving others. What a blessing it is to do so with love and joy.
Singing at a nursing home, taking care of a friend's babies, packing holiday meals, slogging through dishes and laundry... with "fun" service and more mundane ministrations, having the right attitude makes a difference. I plan to choose - and encourage my children to choose - to serve with joy and thanksgiving.

6. Just say no.

While we want to model after Mary's beautiful "yes" to God, we also need to remember that everything we say "yes" to is a "no" to something else.

So, remember to just say "no" to some things in order to prevent yourself from becoming so overbooked and overburdened in the last days of Advent that your busy out the beauty of this season.

As a practical measure, get out your calendar, mark off "have to" commitments, then pencil in a few special Advent outings or observances - particularly penance services, charitable works, and family time.

That done, give yourself permission to say "no" to anything else that may distract you from a commitment to live the end Advent meaningfully. For, while it may be hard to turn down good things, some of your "no"s might help you better say "yes" to what matter most.
I know that I am entering into the final portion of Advent ready to say "yes" to better preparing my heart and home for Christ. I pray you are, too!

Journal Your Way Closer to God {A Review}

When I was offered a chance to review the Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens by Spiritual Circle Journal, I was excited.   





 
Journaling is a habit that my children and I have actually built and stuck with in our home over the past several months.   Typically, before breakfast, as a part of the children's "Five Before Breakfast", each child writes the date and a sentence to a page in a blank journal with half of each page blank and half ruled.  Sometimes, the children draw pictures, too.  Then, over breakfast when we are home for breakfast and not taking it to-go in our minivan, we typically center much of our reading and conversation on topics of faith.  So, when I saw the Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens, I thought:

Perfect!  Either my oldest or my middle child can use this to connect morning journaling and faith pursuits.  I'd love for each of my children to begin keeping a prayer journal and this could be a perfect way to begin drawing them all into doing so.  When it comes in, I will let the children see it and see which child seems most interested in beginning to use it.

With that, I signed up for the review and eagerly awaited the arrival of our review journal.


Simple, Sturdy, and Filled with Opportunities to Help You Listen to Spirit-Speak, as I Call It

When our Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens arrived, I was impressed with its practical simplicity and sturdiness.

The journal is spiral bound with a binding that does not unravel.  journal and has heavy paper pages, which allow kids to get creative without so much worry about bleed-through.  There is a protective, clear page over the front cover and a design-your-own cover page underneath the first paper page in case children wan to personalize the journal.  After that, there are parent pages, journal pages, and summary pages.

At the front of the journal, several Parent/Teacher/Leader pages offer information on how to use the journal with recommended ages (8 and up).  In this brief, but thorough section, the author explains the concept of the journal - to provide kids and teens with clear direction on how to connect with God during a fulfilling quiet times from a young age through the use of the journal as a tool.

Within the tips, the author of the journal encourages grown ups to actually sit down with children to complete some journal entries in order to provide examples, ignite excitement, and prevent frustration.

While sitting together with children to use the journal, parents are encouraged to share stories of how God has worked in their own lives with their children.  You know, the "more is caught than taught" theory: If children hear grown ups talking about how God has moved them, witness them praying, recognize them listening for what I call "Spirit-speak" and, then, see grown ups acting on what they have heard, then children will follow suit.    

The author makes other good points in the introductory pages, too.  One that stood out for me was an explanation of the connection between writing with real pen and ink and the ability to focus. I always loved writing long hand as a child and still enjoy it as a grown up, but sometimes, it seems easier or more convenient to tap and type.  Perhaps, though, when prayer journaling, pen-and-paper is the way to go! 
 

By actually sitting down and physically writing, we often maintain more focus.  For children writing long hand in their journals, such focus may help them to to make real and relevant connections with God and better understand how the Spirit is guiding them along life's journey.

I dare say, we could all use a bit more guidance from God, or rather understanding of His will in our lives and motivation to make His will our own through thought and deed... prayer and action. 

Building a habit of using the Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens creates a tool for children to talk and listen to God, as well as to reflect upon, and, in turn, understand and act upon, what God wills of them.
Journaling to Build a Relationship with God
In 10-15 minutes a day, once a week (or at whatever interval a child finds works), kids and teens can deepen their relationship with God through using the specially designed pages of the the Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens.  

After the parent pages and a personal page, each of the main pages of the journal look alike.  They contain nine graphic images, each meant for a specific type of talking to or listening to God.  A key and a filled-in sample page provide children with memory-joggers for what each of the nine graphics is for:

• Journal Entry- what's going on in your day; what you're thinking about
• Lyric/Verse- a line of a song or Bible verse that has caught your attention
• Message- the most important thing you learned from your Bible reading
• Confession- anything that you need to confess to God
• God Moving- something you are seeing God do in your life
• Lesson Learned/Lightbulb Moment- any lesson you've learned lately
• Prayer- what you want to ask God for
• Thank you/Adoration- what you can praise God for
• Actions- something you think God wants you to do

x
Of course, these category prompts are just suggestions.  Children may use the blank graphics for whatever they wish according to how the Spirit speaks to them.  They may also leave some graphics blank or, if feeling particularly inspired one day with more to write, draw, or color than will fit on a particular graphic page, they may use blank pages between each graphic page to express their creativity and thoughts.

There are enough graphic pages for children to use once a week throughout the year, with a few to spare.  Then, there are summary pages (for use once a month with a few to spare), which contain nine circles in which children are encouraged to record:

• lessons learned over the time period of the journal
• favorite verses to memorize or focus on
• "God Stories" or things God is doing in your life
• Bible characters you want to learn more about

 

I think it could also be fun to use these pages to:

• write notes on feast days and saints studied throughout the year
• track prayer requests from friends and family
• jot down what comes to mind during Adoration hours
• key into Sunday Gospel readings
• record notes on monthly liturgical year dedications

There is definite flexibility within the loose structure of the nine circles.

How We've Been Using the Journal

Flexibility is key in my family's life.  In fact, it is so key that sometimes I feel like a poster child for not using things as intended - and, in saying this I mean not using resources as an author intends nor using them as I initially intend to do so.

For example, I intended to receive our Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens, to introduce it to my children, and to let whichever child was most excited about it claim it as his or her own, going to town with it as a once-a-week-or-more alternative to his or her regular journal.  Instead, I received the journal, read the introductory materials, introduced the journal to the children during a post-breakfast Together Time, and did a page together as a sample.  I did the same thing the next day.  Then, the next time I pulled the journal out, I asked who might like to have it.

My children, not being "children" as they often are did not clamber, "Me.  me.  ME!" when I asked who wanted the journal, and it was not because none of them wanted it.  Rather, it was because they liked to do it together, or so they told me.  It was not until I began writing this review that my oldest confided in me:

I  like that it is easy to switch from a one-person thing to a multi-person thing.  I liked the journal as a multi-person thing and do not want to use it as a single-person thing yet, because that would be unfair to my brothers and sisters.  I might like to use it myself if we all got one.

My heart melted when he did this since he is not always the most selfless person.  The fact that he did not vie for solo use of the journal on the day I asked who wanted to claim it as his or her own evidences his personal growth in character and virtues. (Praise God!)  My lack of awareness that that was what was going on attest to... um, Mommy fail!

Or maybe it attests to obedience.  For, if there are two things the Spirit has been saying to me lately, they are "roll with it" and "listen and act". 

In rolling with the fact that none of my children asked to take possession of our Spiritual Circle Journal, I opted to continue use of it collectively until someone wanted to use it individually as intended.  Using it together, over breakfast as a part of our Together Time Bag, the children dictated responses to the journal prompts to me and I voiced and wrote some of my own.  We, then, chatted about our thoughts before one child each time took a turn at coloring the day's page.  Using the journal this way may not have developed a habit of personal prayer and quiet time for any of my children, but it did deepen both our relationship with God and connectedness with one another. 

My children told me more than once that they liked the new habit of our directed collective prayer and reflection together.  Likewise, I found hat as I wrote down what the children said, I got better at listening and acting.  Sometimes the Spirit spoke to me through the children's words, I listened, and, later, found ways to act on what I heard.  Other times, the Spirit prompted me to model how to talk to and listen to God through my voiced responses.  Always, the time was fruitful.

My 10-Year-Old's Thoughts on the Journal

My oldest son was the only one awake when I began writing this review, so I asked him what he thought about the journal.  He said:

It's good.  I like the symbols in it. 

The symbols are a smart idea and great to get people to do it.  It would be boring if it were all in boxes.  The symbols make it more interesting. 

He tends to be a visual learner and to express himself in drawing or through demonstration more than through writing, so his comment made total sense to me.

My oldest son went on to say: 

I think it is good to use once every two days at least.  That gives you a chance to think of things in between, but still to use it a lot.

(The author actually suggests using the journal only once a week, but sometimes we used it more often.)

Finally, when I asked my son what maekes this journal different than other journals he has used, he said

This journal is for your soul unlike other journals.  It helps you become closer to God.

That is certainly the truth.  The Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens was designed to help children grow in faith.  In my family;s experience, it meets that goal when used together as a family (as is NOT intended) or when used individually (as IS intended.)

Rolling with It
As I look ahead, I know I want to continue to use the journal.  

As I reflect upon my son's thoughts, I intend to find a quiet moment to speak 1:1 to my daughter and my youngest son about the journal and its current use in order to glean if each really wants to continue to use the journal as a collective morning practice or if they would like their own journals.  Pending what each says, I will either:

• carry on as we have been doing, periodically asking if anyone wants to take over the journal personally,
• give the journal to my oldest letting him know his younger siblings are totally okay with me doing so and he is therefore not being "unfair",
• or take advantage of the 2-for price on the journals to by each of my children and me new copies of the journal so we can each go solo at last (as I initially intended to do so.)

Yes, basically, I intend to just keep rolling with things, listening and acting in the moment, and letting the journal (or journals?) bless one or more of us with directed prayer time.  The Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens certainly is worth continuing for me and mine and, I'd say, worth trying for you if you have a child that likes to color, write, and pray and could use a tool for building a habit of connectedness with God. 

Learn More

You can find Spiritual Circle Journal on social media at:

• Facebook: Spiritual Circle Journal
• Instagram:  @spiritualcirclejournal
• Twitter:  @liz_lassa
• Hashtags: #hsreviews #spiritualcirclejournal #journal #prayerjournal #spiritualcirclejournalforkids #kidsjournal

 

The Spiritual Circle Journal can be found in an adult version or the Kids/Teen version I have reviewed here.  The Kids/Teens journal costs $15, or two for $26.   There is also a bulk rate price for homeschool co-ops!  Contact Spiritual Circle Journal for more information on the bulk rate.

Forty Schoolhouse Review Crew families had someone center prayer time with the Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids & Teens. Read all the reviews by clicking through the banner above.
 

Get this Exciting New Saint Book with a Discount Code! {A Holy Heroes / Blessed Carlo Acutis Review}

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Holy Heroes.

I have some exciting news for fellow lovers of the Eucharist and of saints and saints-in-the-making: One of my long-time favorite Catholic companies, Holy Heroes has a new book out called Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven and it is fantastic.

Better yet, to celebrate the release of this new book, you can use use the discount code CARLO15 to get a 15% off discount when ordering this new Blessed Carlo book plus any additional Blessed Carlo resources. Love it!

Not Just Another Saint Biography

This story of the brief but beautiful life of Blessed Carlo Acutis captures children and adults as it unfolds with details about this teen saint's relatable and inspirational life, death, and cause for sainthood. In text and photos, we see Carlo as an everyday kid with favorite pets, a passion for computer programming, a love for film making, and a host of struggles and successes.

We also get to know his inspirational side - his Eucharistic devotion, his respect for others, his charity work, his virtues, his acceptance of God's will, and the miracles that have been attributed to him.

Further, the book includes information on how and why the Church investigates who is in Heaven, what some of Carlo's favorite sayings were, Carlo's "kit" for becoming a saint, and more.

Well-written and put together, the book is more than just a saint biography. It is also a wonderful window into causes for sainthood, prayers, devotions, relics, saints, and more.

Having drawn on Church documents and interviews - especially personal interviews with Carlo’s mother, author Sabrina Arena Ferrisi brings Blessed Carlo Acutis to life in text and photos and also includes practical explanations on the canonization process, growing in holiness, and more. She did a fantastic job creating a book that can engage, inspire, and teach, drawing us closer to Christ through the story of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a modern-day teen saint in blue jeans.

 

Not Just Another Saint Biography

Having just had my youngest prepare for and receive Confirmation, I wish this book had come out earlier, for I think Confirmandi would definitely benefit from reading it and recommend it for others who are preparing for Confirmation.

I would also recommend the book for homeschool families, Catholic teachers and students, and just about anyone who would like to learn more about an inspiring modern day saint who inspires love for the Eucharist.

The book is written in such a way that it could be used with elementary-aged students. The translated documents, additions to Carlo's biography and more in it also make it suitable for middle- and high school-aged students. Adults can enjoy it, too. In fact, I picked up the book to browse through one night while waiting for my son at baseball and ended up reading it straight through. Interesting, informative, and inspiring - acting as a 3-n-1 saint biography, prayer book, and apologetics book on how the Church determines sainthood, I recommend Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven.

Imagine if we all lived like Blessed Carlo "without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn't please God." Many of us might fall short with us, but all of us can be inspired by Carlo's example!

Things You May Especially Like about the Book

• Quotes by Carlo inspire us and help us see his spirituality in succinct thought nuggets.

• It is well written, easy to understand, and engaging, capturing the everyday aspects of Carlos Acutis as well a the extraordinary ones.

• There is practical information about how Carlos aimed for Heaven which can act as a roadmap to motivate you and yours to do the same.

• Appealing to those in our modern, visual age, there are many photos of Carlo and his family included.

• It can introduce you to a wide variety of religious practices, devotions, and saints.

• The book appeals to children and adults alike so it is good for the whole family.

Before I Introduce This Book to My Children and You to Yours...

• If you, like me, have a child that struggles with dyslexia, be aware that this book has glossy pages and a relatively small font. Such formatting can be challenging for some kids, so it might be good to read the book together - or at least begin it as a read aloud - if this is the case in your home.

• If you have children who like a story, I might suggest skipping the first portion of the book - which offers information about the process of becoming a saint, and getting right into Blessed Carlo Acutis' story. Then, you could go back to  read the beginning right before reading the second-to-last section of the book, “What comes next?” For while the order of the book makes sense from an adult perspective, I think some children - including some of mine - prefer to be engaged by a story before getting into the details and meat of things that relate to it, such as the process for canonization.

I am grateful to have Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven in my family's collection of spiritual reading books and think you will be, too, should you choose to get the book. Don't forget that for a limited time beingyou can use use the discount code CARLO15 to get a 15% off discount when ordering this new Blessed Carlo book plus any additional Blessed Carlo resources. 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us!

Be a Reading Mother!

Image: The Fairy Tale by James Sant

What a blessing each Lord's Day is when we purposefully slow down to focus on faith, family, sometimes friends, and, frequently, taking time to refresh ourselves before another week ahead.

As my children grow, we don't spend the entire day every Sunday together, of course, but we dp aim to be together for Mass and at least a bit of family time, too. 

Sometimes, our time together includes read-togethers. For, yes, even with teens and tweens, I still try to include read alouds in our lives. In the minivan and at home, we sometimes all get read to by an audio CD. At home, I also still read aloud to my kids.

Sometimes they grumble about it. Sometimes they eagerly gather. Always I am glad for the time to share time together with books.

I pray that when my children are older, they will look back at our read-together times with thoughts much like Strickland Gillilan writes about in this poem that is in the public domain.

What a fun poem it is and what a blessing it is to be a mother who reads to her children.

The Reading Mother

by Strickland Gillilan

I had a mother who read to me

Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,

Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,

"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath.

I had a Mother who read me lays

Of ancient and gallant and golden days;

Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,

Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales

Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,

True to his trust till his tragic death,

Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things

That wholesome life to the boy heart brings--

Stories that stir with an upward touch,

Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be--

I had a Mother who read to me.

I encourage all mamas to be reading mothers - reading adventure, reading spiritual readings, reading the Word.

God bless!