Posts Tagged ‘Praying’
Antidepressants Ushered Me Into Deeper Communion with God and with Myself
I grew up in a family that was very mental health literate. Both of my parents have experience with mental health challenges, in their own lives and in the lives of people they love. When a doctor suggested that I might be struggling with depression at 14, my parents were eager to facilitate access to…
Read MoreThe Extraordinary Ordinary Time: A brand-new e-book
Our 1st e-book is now available from Mothering Spirit! The Extraordinary Ordinary Time is a new collection from Laura Kelly Fanucci, the founder of Mothering Spirit, and includes: original essays on the spirituality of this holy season brand-new prayers for Ordinary Time best-loved poems that invite fresh reflection creative ways to pray through the longest…
Read MoreWelcome to the new Mothering Spirit
Starting in September 2022, Mothering Spirit will become a new gathering place to explore parenting and spirituality. With storytelling shaped by the liturgical seasons, this collaborative, ecumenical project will offer weekly essays and prayers from diverse voices on motherhood – plus virtual retreats, e-books, resources, and creative ways to connect our stories with God’s story.…
Read MoreLook, Mama, Look: Do You See?
Attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as prayer. It presupposes faith and love. Absolutely unmixed attention is prayer. —Simone Weil Look, mama, look, do you see? A thousand times a day, tugging at my sleeve, calling out in the rearview mirror, yelling from upstairs, downstairs, around the corner, from the other room—look! Come…
Read Morehow to pray with baby: for fussy moments
Wondering how to be more mindful with a new baby in your life? Check out two more ways to pray – all day long and up all night – and the complete series on spiritual practices with newborns. Crying To pray: O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord,…
Read Morehow to pray with baby: up all night
Continuing with the practical side of spiritual practices with newborns, here is the 2nd in this series of simple ways to pray while caring for a baby: all day long, up all night, in fussy moments, and in peaceful moments. Waking up at night To pray: I rise before dawn and cry for help; I put my…
Read Morespiritual practices with newborns: a new series
Here we go again! Settling into Newborn Land… It’s a strange place to live. Everyone keeps odd hours. Crying is common. Spit-up and strange smells are expected. Nothing is ever clean. But it’s a sweet place to stay, too. Newborn neck nuzzles and curled froggy legs. Milky breath and fuzzy fine hair. Sleepy smiles and…
Read MoreThe Gentle Voice of God
Slow down. Slow way down. Washing dishes in the sink. Running errands in the car. Rushing around the house in the morning madness before work. A dozen times in the past few weeks, I’ve heard the voice, simple and steady, speaking somewhere between mind and heart. Slow down. Slow way down. I ignored it for a…
Read Moretop 10 spiritual lessons from newborns
To be perfectly honest, the days of newbornhood – while amazing and awe-inspiring and full of love for a sweet new soul – have not been for me a time of deep connection to God. My foggy head would spin with a swirl of nursing and diaper changes and laundry and sleep. Some days I…
Read MorePrayers for Childbirth: Christ as Companion
The prayer that got me through the toughest part of my labor with my first baby was—quite unexpectedly—part of the prayer of the breastplate of St. Patrick. This was a prayer that I was familiar with but never felt any particular affinity for. Yes, it was a lovely prayer; yes, it came from my Irish…
Read MorePrayers for Childbirth: God as Midwife
When I was pregnant with my first son, my newly-graduated-from-theological-school self wanted to compile a journal of prayers for childbirth. Given my fear of the pain and the unknown that lay ahead of me, I was convinced that having prayers to accompany me through labor and birth would keep me calm, centered, and cool. Then…
Read MoreHow to Live Lent as a Busy Mother
We moms who want to nurture our relationship with God—but also lead busy lives with children—often find ourselves caught between a rock and hard place. Prayer practices seem to require 1) undivided chunks of time; 2) quiet; 3) a peaceful environment. I don’t know about you, but those three almost NEVER occur at our house.…
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