Today is the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us that we may have the zeal for the Lord and His holy will, as you did in the early beginnings of Christ's church!
My monthly updates on my 2012 goals will be bi-monthly updates.
GOD
Increase in visits to the adoration chapel (weekly, hopefully)
Um, after Rita started digging in the plants and scattering dirt on the chapel floor and then ran to the altar cloth, ready to yank with all her might we have postponed chapel visits with a curious toddler.
Daily family prayer
Before dinner each day, or at least five days a week. It is a short but rich time. We have done a few spontaneous Rosary walks and tried to utilize travel time in the car as family prayer time. Started to pray one decade of the Rosary together in the evenings that are at home and quiet. Rita really enjoys the family prayer time and it brings much fruit to our marriage.
Teaching Rita the traditional Catholic blessing before meals, the Guardian Angel prayer and the Hail Mary
Working on it and we added the "Glory Be." Rita continues to make the Sign of the Cross and every now and then clasps her hands in prayer. She also exclaims "A-ben!"
Establishing 15 minutes of conversational prayer time
Still reading the Gospels during dishwashings - it is so uplifting and thought provoking.
Saying as much of the Rosary each day as I can (separate from conversation time with Jesus)
I usually manage to start at least one Rosary each week - progress!
OWE NOTHING*
Decrease vehicle debt by $1200 (at minimum)
We have put $524 towards principle!
GOD
Increase in visits to the adoration chapel (weekly, hopefully)
Um, after Rita started digging in the plants and scattering dirt on the chapel floor and then ran to the altar cloth, ready to yank with all her might we have postponed chapel visits with a curious toddler.
Daily family prayer
Before dinner each day, or at least five days a week. It is a short but rich time. We have done a few spontaneous Rosary walks and tried to utilize travel time in the car as family prayer time. Started to pray one decade of the Rosary together in the evenings that are at home and quiet. Rita really enjoys the family prayer time and it brings much fruit to our marriage.
Teaching Rita the traditional Catholic blessing before meals, the Guardian Angel prayer and the Hail Mary
Working on it and we added the "Glory Be." Rita continues to make the Sign of the Cross and every now and then clasps her hands in prayer. She also exclaims "A-ben!"
Establishing 15 minutes of conversational prayer time
Still reading the Gospels during dishwashings - it is so uplifting and thought provoking.
Saying as much of the Rosary each day as I can (separate from conversation time with Jesus)
I usually manage to start at least one Rosary each week - progress!
OWE NOTHING*
Decrease vehicle debt by $1200 (at minimum)
We have put $524 towards principle!
*Currently we owe on one vehicle and on our home, so this won't happen in 2012 but we are at the start of the journey to totally debt free living!
APPRECIATE
Being a SAHM is the greatest blessing, Lord let my lips not complain!
Become great at pursuing gratitude and expressing it at every opportunity
Appreciate our financial stability and practice frugality as part of my job as wife and mother
For May we dropped to $85 per week and I tried bulk shopping at the beginning of the month as well as using our debit card rather than cash...then for June I did the same thing BUT I made a simple meal plan (POST ON MEAL PLANNING TO COME NEXT WEEK, STAY TUNED). The simple meal plan allowed for better use of our grocery budget and even room for a few treats!
LISTEN
I talk way too often
I interrupt even more often
Lord Jesus Christ, remind me of the simple anatomy of my being - two ears and only one mouth
Um I've just been a chatterbox all of May. Glad I'm revisiting these goals. Maybe a little better in June...maybe
I talk way too often
I interrupt even more often
Lord Jesus Christ, remind me of the simple anatomy of my being - two ears and only one mouth
Um I've just been a chatterbox all of May. Glad I'm revisiting these goals. Maybe a little better in June...maybe
SAVE
Save, save, save!
Save$6,200 $5,967* for our three month emergency fund
Save $400 for photos with our new baby in July and for family Christmas pictures
We haven't saved anything for pictures and being that Jonah is due to arrive anytime in July...looks like I will be calling on my high school photography skills and my black and white manual camera. Won't be what we thought of but it will be done by me, and that's special! Still hopeful about Christmas though!
Save, save, save!
Save
We have saved $3,033 $3040.55 $3045.99 towards our three month emergency fund (more than half way)!
*We reevaluated our needs vs wants during a time of financial stress and determined we would truly need $5,967 for three months.
We haven't saved anything for pictures and being that Jonah is due to arrive anytime in July...looks like I will be calling on my high school photography skills and my black and white manual camera. Won't be what we thought of but it will be done by me, and that's special! Still hopeful about Christmas though!
How are your 2012 goals going? If you have fallen off track, don't be afraid to pick back up! It is never too late to start.
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Ha ha! Prayer life with kids can be very different than prayer life before (or after, I imagine). I stopped going to daily mass when I felt like I was needing daily confession because of it. We started an evening prayer ritual where we light a candle and then say (short!) night prayers with the girls. Children especially love the physical ritual and sacramentals.
ReplyDeleteI was talking with a priest who thinks that the piety of the old babushkas (the old church ladies) comes from years in the pews and the back of the church struggling to pray and teaching. When their families are grown, they live in the church praying for their families and enjoying the blessing of being able to meditate in silence.
Again, I love how you use this medium (the blog) for personal development, production, and economy! Yay!