Laura Kelly Fanucci

Advent prayers parents

Advent Prayers for Overwhelmed Parents: Joy

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / December 14, 2022

God of joy, This can be a heavy time of year for our mental health. For many of us, the world outside grows cold and dark. The sun sets early. The wind blows hard. Our minds and bodies suffer From the lack of light and shorter days. We were already struggling, but now everything feels…

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advent for parents

Advent Week 2: Prayers & Practices for Parents

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / December 9, 2022

Easy Advent Practices: Week 2 This year we’re sharing easy (and free!) ways to deepen your prayer as a parent in Advent: an activity to share with your children and a Scripture verse for you to pray later.  Print religious images to pray with. Try Google Image to find artwork with Advent themes, or check…

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Advent prayers parents

Advent Prayers for Overwhelmed Parents: Peace

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / December 7, 2022

God of peace, We’ve done it again. We’ve crammed our calendar full to bursting. We don’t know how we’ll get it all done. December is packed with Parties, plays, and performances, Christmas concerts and celebrations At school and church and work And everywhere in between— Shopping, planning, decorating, baking, Prepping, giving, buying, wrapping, Doing, doing,…

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Advent practices for parents

Advent Week 1: Prayers & Practices for Parents

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / December 2, 2022

Easy Advent Practices: Week 1 This year we’re sharing simple (and free!) ways to deepen your prayer as a parent in Advent: an activity to share with your children and a Scripture verse for you to pray later. Light a candle when you get up in the morning, in the bathroom as you get ready…

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Advent for overwhelmed parents

Advent Prayers for Overwhelmed Parents: Hope

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / November 30, 2022

God of hope, Help us in this season of stress, This beautiful time of year that Can bring added burdens. Less money, more expenses, increased anxiety, Christmas coming right around the corner— Everything feels overwhelming right now. For rising costs and mounting bills. For Christmas lists and year-end deadlines. For groceries and gas and everything…

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how to create across generations

The Fabric of Families: Creativity Across Generations

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / November 25, 2022

This Week on Mothering Spirit Alissa’s essay reveals the power of discovering a new piece of your family’s past. Rachel’s prayer speaks to the creativity of all who will “bake and be blessed” in the holiday season. Resources to keep reflecting “The Way It Is” by William Stafford is a poem about the threads running through the…

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creativity motherhood

Creativity in Motherhood

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / November 18, 2022

This Week on Mothering Spirit Kimberly’s essay weaves together her pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago and the unfolding journey of motherhood, creativity, and prayer. Rachel’s prayer reassures every mother who’s longed for the creative callings of her past. Resources to keep reflecting Want to create in this season? Check out Rachel’s brand-new book Let There Be Art:…

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forgiving families

Forgiveness in Families: Your Turn

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / November 11, 2022

This Week on Mothering Spirit Karianna’s essay invites us to consider how we forgive our families—our parents as well as our children. Rakhi’s prayer beckons us into the shadowlands of our own hearts, to ask for God’s mercy.  Resources to keep reflecting A forever-favorite essay from Brian Doyle on forgiveness as a father: A Sin. From the Mothering Spirit…

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a prayer for miscarriage

A Prayer for Miscarriage

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / November 8, 2022

This prayer for miscarriage is featured in the book Pocket Prayers for Times of Trouble (Twenty-Third Publications, 2014). God of comfort, you who are mother and father of us all, hear my anguish at the loss of my child. My heart and body are broken, wracked with pain and grief. Let me bring you my cries and my confusion, my anger…

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how to become neighbors

Becoming Neighbors: Your Turn

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / November 4, 2022

This Week on Mothering Spirit Cameron’s essay invites us to ponder what it means to be neighbors, through the eyes of a child. Rakhi’s prayer asks where are our prophets and who are our neighbors? Resources to keep reflecting For more of Cameron’s writing, get her free Advent devotional on St. Óscar Romero from her Substack newsletter…

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finding light in darkness as mother

Finding Light in Darkness: Your Turn

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / October 28, 2022

This Week on Mothering Spirit Gina’s essay shares how antidepressants deepened her relationship with God and her joy as a mother. Kimberly’s prayer (in Spanish and English) asks for God’s help to choose love even in our struggles. Resources to keep reflecting Gina mentions the prayer “Hail, Holy Queen” in her essay. Find the whole prayer here. Sarah…

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The Fire for Justice: Your Turn

The Fire for Justice: Your Turn

By Laura Kelly Fanucci / October 21, 2022

This Week on Mothering Spirit Stina’s essay shares the experience of reading Micah as a mother while the world burns. Rakhi’s prayer asks for mercy, hope, and light in the darkness. Resources to keep reflecting Rakhi’s shop Rakstar Designs offers a print of Micah 6:8 to support the Equal Justice Initiative founded by Bryan Stevenson. For more of Stina’s…

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