Happy May!

The month of mothers and flowers and springtime! I hope you are looking forward to it :)

For me it has always been a controversial month... the month where I should be joyful but really I'm just stressed out. It's too busy. Too many expectations, too much schoolwork, and muddy laundry, and ticks.... Mother's day should be a day of celebration and gratitude and yet for me it only serves to remind me of all the ways I fall short as a mother. Nobody should have a day that celebrates all of my shortcomings!

The anal perfectionist in me has spent a great deal of time contemplating shortcomings in the past years...

Romans 8:28 offers us a verse that has become a platitude -

"He makes all things work together for the good..."

I imagine when most of us hear that in the moment of our distress, it doesn't come across quite as consoling as the well-intentioned patronizer intended.

What good really comes out of shortcomings??

At first the question made me disdainful and haughty, like I didn't really want an answer, rather I was just trying to be rhetorical and "stick it to 'em"... (whoever they were).

But one day it dawned on me that if I were perfect, my children would never need God. If I could handle everything, and accomplish everything, and be everything to everyone, then why would they ever run to Him??

Maybe at first I was even a little mad at God for making what He asks impossible..... but then I realized, if I were capable, not only would my kids never go to Him, but I wouldn't need Him either!!!

And, what's the point of this whole life anyway!?! To be capable??? Or to learn to desire God?

Everything must point to Him...

Including motherhood!

As we enter this month of May and contemplate Motherhood, my mind, as usual, is drawn to how my insufficiencies as a mother and the very human longing we never seem to outgrow for our own mothers, are not merely empty pain, but rather point us to the very reason that Our Lord bequeathed us His mother:

We need one!

"Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities..."

for she who is full of grace (namely, the strength I lack) awaits to bring me to Him.

If you know anything about the Rosary, you know just how poignant this is! Which is why it is the perfect transition to the next piece of news.

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Guys, the book is finished!!!

It is the Marian Lent email series only, WOW! SO. MUCH. BETTER! 😍😍😍

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Heaven writes good books, Reader!!!

I was basically in complete surprise to learn the things that somehow flowed off my fingers. This is just the simple self-published version but I think I am going to send it to some people and we shall see what becomes of it.

​Here is the link to purchase from the printers. If you would like your copy by Mother's day, I would jump on ordering as soon as possible, because there is a little bit of lead time.

More info:

• The Role of Our Lady (YES, she is for Non-Catholics too!)
• The Role of Suffering
• The (forgotten) Role of the Rosary
• 210 pages of reflections on Vocal prayer, Mental Prayer, the Rosary as a Practice, the purpose of the Psalter, all 15 original decades individually, with additional bonus content on the Luminous Mysteries and Divine Mercy, the powerful link to the Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Stations of the Cross, healing traumatic past associations with the Rosary, the much requested "How to Die" (understanding the Christian ideal of self-sacrificial love), and then some!

Note: I do not do this for profit or for a living. Any purchases you make are only to help to cover project development costs and the costs of running this site. Thank you again for your support.

Here's to weakness, my friend!🥂

<3

New to ParticularlyCALLED???

Welcome!

I am so happy to have you!

This is the monthly email where we focus on living our seasons well. It always contains a little reflection and encouragement for you to press ever deeper into your calling and a little update with what's new here, typically along with an additional freebie of some kind.

Past month's Freebies all get compiled into the Library which you always have access to just for being part of the Family.

Your password: IamCALLED

I'm so glad you are here!

Feel free to respond to any emails with questions or comments and I will get back to you as soon as possible! <3