It seems like everyone is blogging about their resolutions. I like to see what others are hoping to accomplish in the year. Over at A Woman’s Place….Depends on Her Vocation is an entry that inspired me to put my personal resolutions on my own blog…. and to make suggestions for handling the typical small children interrupting mommy problems when attempting to fulfill resolutions.
My resolutions fall into categories not unlike those on this blog:
Blogging: I recognized the need to DO SOMETHING to motivate me and help me become more diligent in writing to this blog. I decided to make it short, so I chose to blog the 12 days of Christmas. Worked very nicely so far! Next is Ordinary Time and I am debating what to do for that segment of the Liturgical Calendar. I may make it Sewing and Music, or perhaps continue blogging the Saints days. I have to choose soon since today is the 11th Day of Christmas!
Writing: I am focused currently on the blog. The reason for this is that my whole life has been regimented to school schedules and I need to lay a foundation of self discipline that is my own, apart from deadlines set up by school. I have resisted this first step, jumping into my various writing projects and failing to make progress because I lack a foundational discipline to fire up my gift. I am no longer content to whine about my lack of progress. I know writing is part of my vocation and it is a sin that I am not doing enough of it.
Music: Musically I am seriously considering adding an Bb-F-C autoharp to complement my G-D-A autoharp and my chromatic. I hope to be more disciplined in my practice times this year. Even a small improvement would have a solid impact. I am a beginner to playing an instrument but it is a good experience.
Sewing: Sewing resolutions are simply to insist that my Saturday sewing day be respected and to actually put it on my calendar as a re- occurring event. Our local Society for Creative
Anachronism is having a series of sewing together evenings and so I hope to get with the gals and do some sewing and socializing over my Byzantine garb. I have fabric for a few new skirts and even a top or two waiting as well.
Spiritual: I would like to make it to Recollection each month and to keep my daily prayer and reading time. I also plan to go to confession on a more regular schedule and to take a bit more time with my evening examination of conscience. It helps a lot that I have a new Kindle and have a Bible downloaded to it already. Other spiritual reading will follow so that I can carry this in my purse for those moments when I can actually sit still and read something. My focus on spiritual reading is always the same: Carmelite Saints, Blessed John Paul II, Saint Josemaria Escriva’s writings, Scripture, Catechism, documents and encyclicals.
Service: Just a prayer. God, please help me do housework cheerfully and well. Help me care for my children with patience and consistency. Help me to deserve the blessing of my husband! Amen.
Those are my goals for 2012.
Now, for those who, like me, have small children who seem to always need something when mommy is trying to read the Bible or pray.
Set up coloring paper and colors and tell the kids to make pictures from what you are reading out loud. No, they will not understand it all. But they will make pictures you can put on the wall and you will get your passage of scripture read, or a few paragraphs from a Saint or Doctor of the Church and the messages will be shaping their minds for future understanding.
Keep some sort of spiritual reading next to the toilet. St. Josemaria Escriva writes in short bullets meant to be contemplated and prayed over– this can happen in the 60 seconds you get on the toilet. I know, I do it!!
The Catechism of the Catholic Church also works in short bits that can then be thought about.
I prefer to keep Bibles next to chairs and in my purse for reading someplace OTHER than while on the toilet. It just seems a little bit dis-respectful of Holy Scripture if it becomes a bathroom book. God may not care but I feel that the Bible is too sacred for the bathroom.
CHEAP copies from used book stores of classics can be bathtime reading. Just saying, if the book was cheap enough then the occasional water spot is not the same tragedy it is when a lovely hardbound edition gets damaged.
Oh, kid bathtime– set a chair outside the door, door open so you can see the children in the tub clearly, and read out of reach of the splashing. Not all bathrooms are set up with a clear view of the tub from the door– I have one such bathroom and it is really GREAT.
EWTN is a blessing. Turn it on, pause and join the prayers between programs. You never have to quit working on the house or managing the children, just pray with as much attention as you can muster and if you CAN pause to improve your focus do it. This also teaches the kids the prayers, shows them that it is important to stop and pray throughout the day, and helps you master the art of working and praying at the same time. GOOD Catholic radio can serve something of the same purpose but I don’t find the variety of prayers so consistently as when I was keeping EWTN on in the background.
SONGS: memorize hymns which contain deep truths of the Faith. I sing while doing dishes. I sing while cooking or baking. GOOD music with lyrics that carry GOOD theology will allow you to “pray twice” and will also help you teach those deeper concepts to your children. My favorite songs are mostly older music. Wesley brothers, music with lyrics written by or attributed to greats like St. Thomas Aquinas or St. Pope Gregory the Great, and songs plucked from the liturgy are all good. I particularly like “This Is My Father’s World” because it points to the Creator and to the truth that God loves us and is always going to win in the end no matter how bad it feels right at this moment. This is an important basic concept for children to internalize and for adults to review and this one song is easy to learn and does the job well. It is only one example! Look up songs you want to learn on Youtube. It is a great resource.
Long enough, an extra post written, inspired by another blogger! Go enjoy her blog from the link at the top of this post. God bless you all!