May I pray for you today, friends? Headed to Silvis, IL, to do a music mission with my friend Julie Carrick, and I’ll be spending some time with Jesus in their perpetual adoration chapel this afternoon. I’m always home when I’m with Him!

Just saying this out loud so that I have some accountability: 2020 is the year I finally become a published author, God willing.

I have been hemming and hawing with different publishers for years, and now is the time. Please pray for me, friends! I am pregnant with a book, and I hope you will be blessed by it.

Eight years ago today, little Cecilia and I debuted “The Miracle of Life Rosary for Children” at the CMN Conference. What a joy that was! Her little voice singing and praying—as well as the other adorable kids—to Joe Hand’s wonderful arrangements and production made for a very special recording.

And now I’m thrilled to announce that we recently partnered with www.formed.org to stream the CD for free to anyone with a membership through their church parish. In just two months, it’s already been listened to for 20,000+ minutes! We’re totally humbled by that and so thrilled with the good work being done by the Augustine Institute and www.formed.org.  Please share the good news with any of your mom friends and Facebook groups! :)  

Hey, midwest ladies! Grab your girlfriends and come join Teresa Tomeo, Kelly Wahlquist, and me for the first MN Lake Country WINE Catholic Women’s Conference on Saturday, October 5, 2019.

The day will include praise and worship music, shopping, prayer, confession, adoration, lots of laughter, a fabulous lunch, CHOCOLATE, and an opportunity to join Bishop Kettler for 5:00 PM Mass. You will leave equipped to persevere in prayer, endure in affliction, and (as Pope Francis compels us) be beacons of hope to all those around you.

Ladies, this is a fabulous road trip—🍂 the fall colors🍂 will be exquisite! Join us!  You can register today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-wine-catholic-womens-conference-alexandria-mn-registration-62851987988?mc_eid=7d5170b369&mc_cid=df8beedb4c

What a joy it was to sing today for the private mass offered by Monsignor Christopher Nalty and Fr. Roger Landry’s class from the NAC, who celebrate 20 years of priesthood this year! Tomorrow I’ll be singing with Phyllis Trei the big celebration with the parish at St. Stephen’s on Napoleon Ave. at 10:30 am. May God bless them! #newmen #prayforpriests

I love asking the Holy Spirit to give me a word to guide my new year, which usually ends up being some kind of virtue that needs cultivating in my life: discipline, docility (teachability), etc.

This New Year’s Eve morning, before I even had a chance to pray, I awoke with the Latin word “sapientia” repeating in my mind. I realized that this was my “word” from God, though I couldn’t remember what it meant exactly and had to look it up.

(Drumroll…)

It means “wisdom,” (I can always use more of that!) and it is considered the first and greatest of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit received at baptism. According to St. Bernard, it both illumines the mind and instills an attraction to the divine.

So how do I grow in wisdom if it is a gift? I can think of only one way: By spending more time with the gift-giver. 💗

I encourage you to pray for a word to guide you in the new year. Please feel free to share it below!

P.S. As I looked for an image for this post, I came across this one from McEwan Hall at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland—where I went to school! God is so fun.

Collection: University of Edinburgh; Persons: N/A; Event: N/A; Place: McEwan Hall; Edinburgh; Scotland; UK; Category: University Buildings; Description: Details from the ceiling spaceof the McEwan Hall during the 2016 refurbishment of the building.

Once Mother Teresa was staying with a community of her sisters who worked among the Aborigines in Australia. She visited an elderly man who lived in total isolation, ignored by everyone. His home was a filthy wreck. She told him, “Please let me clean your house, wash your clothes and make your bed.” He answered, “I’m OK like this. Let it be.” She said, “You will be still better if you allow me to do it.” He finally agreed. While she was cleaning, she discovered a beautiful lamp, covered with dust; it looked like it hadn’t been used in years. “Don’t you light that lamp?” she said, “Don’t you ever use it?” He answered, “No. No one comes to see me. I have no need to light it. Who would I do it for?” Mother Teresa asked, “Would you light it every night if the sisters came?” He replied, “Of course.” From that day on, the sisters committed themselves to visiting him every evening. Mother Theresa left Australia. Two years passed. She had completely forgotten about that encounter. Then she received a message from him: “Tell my friend that the light she lit in my life still continues to shine.” (From https://www.spiritualdirection.com/2010/02/01/does-christ-suffer-with-me-when-i-suffer)