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Advent Prayer Resource for Families
I have created a prayer resource for you and your family to use this Advent. I do want to say early on that it’s not something that will work well with really little ones. It will work best with children who are able to read. You could always try it with a younger child if you think they are able to listen well and understand the scripture stories. This will also work well for spouses after the little children are in bed, or if you have no children at home. And of course, for any family big or small! Lectio, what? This resource focuses on families praying together with scriptures…
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When Prayer Doesn’t Work
Before you begin, read Mark 5:21-43 I have been thinking about prayer a lot lately. Not necessarily how do I pray or what should I pray, but rather what is prayer, really? How does prayer work? Why doesn’t prayer work better? I mean, let’s be honest, I feel like most people (myself included) have wondered why God isn’t answering their prayers. Now, this is such an incredibly broad topic I won’t be able to talk about it from every aspect. So today, I’m addressing the “big” stuff. Why did I have a miscarriage even though I lifted up desperate, incessant prayers that it wouldn’t happen? Why did my daughter/son/mother/father not recover…
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Run with the Saints
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 This past summer, I decided I needed to start running again. It was high time to get back in shape. When I lived in Des Moines, I did a fair amount of running, doing some 5k races and even a 20k and half marathon. While running is still not my sport of choice, I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment after…
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Miscarriage, Gemma, and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day
October weighs heaven on my heart this year. At the end of this month we were due to welcome a sweet new baby into our hearts and home. It is an emptiness I am acutely aware of. But life seldom meets our expectations. Sometimes it exceeds them far beyond our wildest imagination, but sometimes it falls so very short. Suffering miscarriage is, honestly, something I never thought would happen to me. It happens all the time, but deep down, I never thought I would have to go through it. It’s a painful experience, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. It’s hard to let go of someone you didn’t know but so desperately…
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Showered With Roses
“I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth. I will let fall from heaven a shower of roses.” St. Thérèse of Lisieux My love for St. Thérèse of Lisieux goes back to middle school. I heard a cool story about her in the 6th grade and immediately decided she was my girl. I chose her as my confirmation saint and the rest is history! I read tons about her, prayed novenas, and placed in her hands so many different intentions over the years. Since today is her feast day, I just wanted to share a quick story about a powerful role she has played in my vocation. I spent…
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5 Tips to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
In trying to live fully and joyfully, one big struggle that I constantly encounter is comparison. Male or female, married or single, student or worker, this struggle doesn’t seem to discriminate. At every stage of my own life, I have struggled with comparing myself to others. In college, I always wished to be one of the girls with a boyfriend who would get engaged senior year and married soon after college. After college, I still struggled with being single when everyone around me seemed to be getting married and having kids. Even now, comparing myself to other moms is very real. The truth is, the seasons of life have changed over…
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O, Death, Where is Thy Sting?
When I was in college, noon mass on Fridays was typically celebrated by Fr. James Albers (now Abbot). At the end of mass, we would always sing The Ultima, a Benedictine prayer asking Mary to intercede for us that we may have a happy death. Fr. James would always remind us to keep death before our eyes, not in a morbid sense, but to remember the hope and glory before us in eternal life with Jesus. Those words have been on my mind a lot lately. Do you keep death before your eyes? Do you keep the end in mind, that you may not forget the goal of this earthly…
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What’s essential?
After a youth group meeting, a student who had been absent most of the year came up to me and apologized. This student apologized for not being there, but was ready to jump back into meetings now that their other activities were over. And then this person said something that I’ve never quite forgotten. “Mrs. Peiffer, I have a lot of priorities, and this is definitely still one of my top priorities.” Hold that thought… “This is definitely still one of my top priorities.” What’s a priority? In the dictionary, priority means “the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important.” This student was absent for most of…
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New Beginnings
See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:19 I can vividly remember the anticipation of the first day of school each year. Even in grade school I can remember the excitement of seeing friends and classmates after a long absence. I can remember the desire to look a little different than the year before. Since I grew up going to school in polos and plaids, looking fresh meant a new haircut, fun shoes, a cool backpack, or the most awesome Lisa Frank folder (do they still make those?!), or maybe if you were lucky, growing an inch or two over the…
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10 Reasons You Need to do a Marian Consecration
Happy Solemnity of the Annunciation! This is the day I have done a consecration to Mary for the past several years. But what exactly is Marian consecration? It starts with Mary’s special mission. When Jesus gave us the gift of Mary as our mother when he was on the cross, she also received a special mission to lead and form us, her spiritual children, into saints. So when you consecrate yourself to Mary, you give yourself to her in order to help her lead you closer to her son, Jesus, and thus in holiness. Fr. Michael Gaitley, author of the “33 Days to Morning Glory,” which is one version of…