Happy New Year!  Have you made spiritual goals for the year yet? What are they? This week, I want to share a few ideas to inspire you:1. Penance on Fridays


Did you know every Friday of the year is meant to be penitential, not just during Lent? An easy way to make sure you adhere to this practice is to consider going meatless on Fridays year-round. But even if not, consider how you might be more intentional about making a sacrifice every Friday.


2. Read a spiritual book.


If you are like me, you probably have a lot of good Catholic books lying around that you have not gotten around to reading. Keep a book on your bedside table or in the bathroom or in the car, so it is ready when you might find yourself with a few moments of downtime.


3. Start a daily reading practice.


My book, Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray, and Act, is a do-able daily devotional, but there are many out there. Find a daily page-a-day book that appeals to you and commit to working your way through it in 2020.


4. Read the Bible every day.


Are you familiar with the Bible? Do you have a copy that you can browse through easily? Whether it’s reading through the Psalms or reading the daily Mass readings, find a way to make reading a bit of Scripture part of your daily routine.


5. Begin and end your day with deliberate prayer.


We have talked about praying a Morning offering many times before, but now I want to not only remind of the importance of the morning offering, but also encourage you to make the Examen part of your daily prayer practice at the end of the day.


With all of these suggestions, it’s important to start small and make steady progress toward your goals. Pick one or maybe two of these ideas to get you started, and then let me know how it is going for you!


This week, I also share some happy updates from listener Dawn who was going through RCIA and waiting for an annulment to go through. 


My newest book will be available in February 2020, but it  is already available for pre-order. Check out Giving Thanks and Letting Go: Reflections on the Gift of Motherhood on Amazon and pre-order your copy today. Until January 31, 2020, use code “BEAN” at checkout and get 20% off your pre-order!