Time for a New Challenge

Now that the 6-item Challenge is behind me, it’s time for something new.  Sure.  I learned a lot. Sure.  I enjoyed the experiment.  But unless the weather changes significantly, you won’t catch me counting clothes again anytime soon.     

So as I contemplate a new challenge, I’ve been thinking about what made the last one a success.  First, the concrete and visual nature of the clothing challenge was easy to keep track of.  Once I selected the clothes, it was just a matter of mixing, matching and keeping them clean.  Next, I really enjoyed the 30-day time frame of the challenge.  It was just the right length of time; enough to make a real impact without being overwhelming.   So, what to do, what to do?

Last October, Pope Benedict XVI (now Pope Emeritus) declared the beginning of The Year of Faith.  This was a year that was to be focused on drawing closer to the Lord by deepening our understanding of our faith.  This prompted a blog project of my own that never made it to completion-the Year of Prayer.  My reasoning was this:  I have a solid understanding of my Faith but my prayer life in inconsistent at best.  Unfortunately, prayer is the weakest part of my spiritual life.  It’s embarrassing to admit, but it’s true.

So, to help me strengthen my prayer life, I declared the Year of Prayer on my blog.  Each month I would focus on a different type of prayer and report my experiences to you.  In honor of October, the month of the Rosary, I spent the first month saying a Rosary every day.  It was difficult at times to stick with it but, overall, it was a good experience.  Then November came and I focused on giving thanks all month.  Then December came and things started to fizzle out.  By the New Year, my project was long-forgotten.

Since I try and learn from my mistakes (which gives me LOTS of learning opportunities), I’ve decided that a whole year of prayer was just too much for a beginner such as myself.  Which brings me to my new challenge (drum roll please!)….

30 days of AM/PM Prayer-For 30 days, I will say a Morning Offering (in the morning of course!) and an Evening Prayer before bed.  That’s it-two prayers, thirty days, one woman. 

I’m not going to think any further ahead than 30 days from today.  I figure that I can do anything for 30 days, right?  To help me with my goal I am hand-writing those prayers on several different index cards that I will leave at my bedside, in my car, at my desk, in the bathroom, wherever I need the reminder.  You may wonder, “Why don’t you just print up some prayer cards instead of writing them out manually?”  I’m a firm believer that writing something out by hand helps to lock it in your brain.  So, if I write out 4 or 5 prayer cards, the chances of me staying focused on my goal are much greater than if I were to type it up once and print 5 copies.  Tricky, aren’t I?

My hand-printed Morning Offering prayer cards.

My hand-printed Evening Prayer prayer cards.

If you’d care to join me in my challenge, I’d love the company.  If you’re not up for a 30-day commitment, that’s ok.  If you could say a prayer or two for me over the next 30-days, I would REALLY appreciate it.  I need all the help I can get.  You see, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Blessings,

Laura
PS.  Both of the Morning Offering prayers are from the Laudate app as is one of the Evening Prayers.  The other Evening Prayer is from Catholic Online.  Thanks to both for the great resources.