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One MROL Reader Shares about 'Index Cards'
Faithful Expressions
Holly's Pick: Best Catholic On-line Bookstore
The Rosary Workout
Three Moms Talk About A Mother's Rule
FAQ: What are The Steps of the Workbook Purchase?
MROL Discussion Questions
Universal Call Podcast - on A Mother's Rule of Lif...
Born Only Once An Excellent Book To Help With the...
Forming Little Christs
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Copyright ©2004 Sophia Institute
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Welcome to "Holly's Notebook"
Dear Friends,
This is my personal page where I get to put anything I want —favorite
resources; personal comments; upcoming speaking engagements; latest
news; recent articles; links; my questions for MROL readers; special
invitation
blogs posted by friends; or anything else you Moms might want me
to include!
I would love to hear from all you mothers in the comments sections,
with
questions, ideas, your favorite resources and latest news as well!
(And if you'd
like a personal chat, contact me at holly@mothersruleoflife.com.)
God Bless,
Holly Pierlot
NOW AVAILABLE!
A Mothers Rule of Life: Establishing Your Practical Rule
Printable Workbook (PDF Format)
Companion Volume to A Mothers Rule of Life (Sophia 2004)
By Holly Pierlot (with Christi Gareis)
Accompanying templates, forms and instructions to aid mothers in developing their practical schedules and routines.
$8.47 US Funds: Pay Pal or Credit Card through Pay Pal.
Sample Page: A Mothers Liturgy of the Hours
To Purchase:
1. You will need Adobe Acrobat to read the following PDF files. You can arrange for a free download from;
Adobe Reader Free Download
2. Payment through the Pay Pal button will automatically re-route you to the workbook. After payment, WAIT! for the workbook to appear, and then bookmark it, or cut & paste and save the address immediately. If it does not appear in about 30-40 seconds, press the "Click Here" link and you will be re-routed again.
(Attention: Mac Users, Credit Card Users & Perhaps Others: It is possible you will only see a link that says "merchant's website". This IS the link which will take you to the workbook.)
3. PLEASE NOTE: This is the ONLY TIME you will be directly linked to the workbook by mothersruleoflife.com.
To PROTECT YOUR PURCHASE, you will need to immediately bookmark the workbook site, and/or then save/cut and paste the URL address if you wish to access the workbook in the future. We suggest you write the address on a piece of paper and keep it in a secure location. (Note: Please contact Holly by email if there are difficulties. In normal circumstances, no refunds available.)
One MROL Reader Shares about 'Index Cards'
Thanks to Diane Ashour for this idea:
I have been working with that book for a few years now, but I could never get past lunch time on my schedule. (Tasks up to lunch were pretty much routine for me already.) I tried three different ways. I had a paper schedule that I posted in 3 or 4 places around the house. I couldn’t get enough detail (which I desperately need since I easily get sidetracked) on those because a) it wouldn’t fit and b) it was too public. I had tried utilizing the schedule programs on the computer and pda, which have little alarms, but if it beeped while I was still engaged legitimately with the previous task, I would have to keep “snoozing” the alarm and that was so annoying. Finally, I resorted to a little notebook with index cards and would turn the index card as I did that piece of the schedule. I liked that, but it tended to get lost on the counter and I tended to forget to go back to it when I finished something to see what was next.
What I needed was something I could carry around with me that could also be flexible (as in how tasks would go during the day). I did like the index cards, but carrying around the notebook was not going to work! I finally came up with putting a one inch loose leaf binder ring in the holes on one side of the cards. I started wearing an apron with 2 pockets every school day. The cards go in one pocket. In the other pocket I keep at least one writing utensil (they tend to multiply as the day goes on!) and a pad of the little bitty post it notes (a Crayola marker works well with them). The cards have the tasks I should do in an “estimated” time period. The sticky notes are for things I think of that I want to remember to do later in the day. I write them down and stick it on a card with the time period of when I want to do it.
For example, one of the index cards says 12:00-12:30. It has 6 tasks on it.
1. After lunch kid chores. (That means I need to check and make sure the kids have done their lunch chores.)
2. Start dishwasher.
3. Lunch dishes. (That means wash the lunch dishes, the ones that don’t go in the dishwasher, and it includes the breakfast ones, too.)
4. Sweep kitchen.
5. Dryer #2. (That means that by now the second load of laundry should go into the dryer.)
6. Check rubber bands. (That means to ask the current kid with braces if the rubber bands went back on after lunch.)
If I needed a reminder to make a call to someone, I would have put a sticky note on there like “Call the phone company.”
If the kid with braces is out on a bike ride during that time, and I can’t ask him about his rubber bands, I would not turn that index card to the next one. I don’t want to forget to ask him. However, I would “peek” ahead and start working on what comes next. Also, if Michael is ahead on his schoolwork and needs me to work with him on his religion class, I can stop my work in the kitchen and go ahead and work with him. When we finish, I can look at my cards again and be reminded to sweep the kitchen. If I have a good reason like Theresa’s schoolwork wasn’t finished in the morning and I know I am going to need to spend a lot of time on science with Theresa and Michael in the afternoon, I can skip the sweeping. If I forget to run the dishwasher, though, that would cause problems later in the day.
The convenient thing is that it is so easy to change the schedule. If Tim doesn’t need rubber bands anymore, I can cross that off. Titus has been wondering why I can’t ask the kids to bring in the recycle bins. (It’s because the bins and sometimes the kids are out of sight!) I could write in a new task at that time for Thursdays only to have a kid bring in the bins. If I want to be really neat about it, I can make a whole new index card and easily add it to the stack. Mine have a lot of scratching on them.
Overall, a benefit to me of the index cards is that I am not looking at the whole day’s schedule at one time, but just a manageable chunk, such as 30 minutes. I do have a two hour card for the afternoon for grading papers, but that also works for me.
I have used it to add more prayer time in my schedule by putting prayers on a couple of index cards and sticking them between chore cards. This will be so helpful for novenas (except I haven’t figured out the weekend part yet!). I put some pictures between chore cards that will make me smile. I do want to work on a weekend schedule.
Speaking of weekend, I have been doing this schedule for enough time, now, and working at it that I have been having actual restful Sundays! I started writing this on Sunday. All the laundry is done, the lesson plans are done, and the house is in general good order. This may not last forever, because there are lots of challenges that God may send my way! I found that if a day or two goes by when I am called to other tasks or events beyond my cards, I can pick up my cards again the next time I am able and getting back to routine is not so hard.
(Thanks so much Diane! ~ Holly)
posted by Holly at 10:00 AM
Faithful Expressions
A lovely little site for all sorts of Catholic cards, from announcements to thank you notes to invitations to Holy Hour prayer cards:
Faithful Expressions
posted by Holly at 1:39 PM
Holly's Pick: Best Catholic On-line Bookstore
I have to recommend to you the largest Catholic online bookstore I have yet seen, and who have a large variety of materials, especially for the homeschooler. No matter what you are looking for, from faith-filled DVDs, adult or child saint books, Catholic texts, catechism programs, or other Catholic homeschool supplies, Aquinas and More has what you are looking for.... A Catholic 'amazon.com' or better!!! Well worth our Catholic support. See www.aquinasandmore.com
posted by Holly at 9:06 PM
The Rosary Workout
Peggy Bowes has graciously sent me a copy of her new e-book "The Rosary Workout" - a 250 page guide to a spiritual/physical workout combining prayer and exercise, in an integrated whole-person way, "applying the principles of exercise science to a program centered on praying the Rosary." Peggy is a Catholic mother, a certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor and Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant. She is also an athlete herself who has a deep devotion to the Rosary. Her own experience of merging both physical activity and meditative prayer led her to surprising results in her own life, finding in this process more effective ways to deal with stress as well as overall health. The Rosary Workout uses the physiological processes of exercise to aid and foster a deeper experience of meditative prayer. Topics covered include Devotion to the Rosary, Mary's School of Prayer, Prerequisites and Considerations in undertaking this new integrated workout, Three Levels of the Rosary Workout based upon the Nine Choirs of Angels, as well as teaching on exercise science including periodization, interval training, nutrition training and hydration and more. Peggy covers all the basics for body and soul, and I think it is worth the read for the busy mother who is interested in an integrated approach to physical fitness and the spiritual life. Go to
The Rosary Workout
posted by Holly at 3:58 PM
Three Moms Talk About A Mother's Rule
Here is a radio interview of three lovely moms - Jenni Helgoth, Debbie Spech, and Gayle Fedele - as they talk about A Mother’s Rule of Life and how they have implemented their Mother's Rule. Click and scroll down:
Three Moms on a Mother's Rule
posted by Holly at 6:26 PM
FAQ: What are The Steps of the Workbook Purchase?
Once you hit the Buy Now Button:
1. It will take you to a Pay Pal page that will allow you to sign into your pap pal account or to pay with credit card.
2. You choose which method to pay with and click the appropriate button.
3. You will review the purchase and click on PAY NOW link
4. The last page says "You Made A Payment [image: Payments By PayPal]; Your payment for $8.47 USD has been completed.
5. THEN, Pay Pal automatically directs you to the workbook in PDF format. You must WAIT for this to happen, even as long as 40 seconds.
6. If you are NOT redirected to the workbook, it says: "If you are not redirected within 10 seconds "click here"". So, you would "Click Here" and it will send you to the workbook directly.
***Attention: Mac Users, Credit Card Users & Perhaps Others: It is possible you will only see a link that says "merchant's website". This IS the link which will take you to the workbook.)
7. You need to SAVE the location OR YOU WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS AGAIN!!! To do this, you can:
a) Add the page to your "Favorites" or "Bookmarks"
b) Copy the address at the top of the page and paste it in a file so you can have a saved copy of it.
c) Write down the address on a piece of paper so you can keep it safe and use it year after year.
d) If you have PDF file program or Adobe 8, you can save the file itself, I think!!! (I don't have this).
Please use the comments section to add your own hints if you had problems
posted by Holly at 2:19 PM
5 comments
MROL Discussion Questions
I have had repeated requests for group discussion questions for MROL to use with support groups or parish meetings. Despite repeated attempts to work on this, every attempt has fallen through and I am led to conclude that a discussion booklet for MROL is not meant to be - most certainly not at this time.
So , I have a different idea, which is much more interactive and much more receptive to the working of the Holy Spirit at every meeting. Why not have each woman read a section of MROL in advance, and then base discussion on these basic questions around each section or 'point' of the 5 Ps:
1. Have I heard about this idea/situation before in church teaching or scripture or my experience?
2. What did I think of automatically when I read this section?
3. What is different/same about this compared to what I usually do?
4. Do I agree with this or not, and explain why.
5. What am I getting out of this for my life? What struck me?
6. What changes do I feel drawn to implement as a result of this?
I think these 6 basic questions personalize the book/discussion, and provide a basic template which eliminates the need to provide upfront quotes or scripture references - as each woman would bring her own learning and experience to the sessions, and really leave room for the individual person and the Holy Spirit to inspire and enlighten.
So, if these basic questions were gone over by the leader before the main points she desires to bring up/focus upon, she would have the basic conversation starter and this would be all the momentum you would need if the women read the
chapter in advance of the session.
Blessings
Holly
posted by Holly at 7:25 PM
2 comments
Universal Call Podcast - on A Mother's Rule of Life
Hello Friends
A little link for you, if you would like to hear an interview I did with Jim Merante of "Universal Call" on a Mother's Rule and the vocation of motherhood. Aside from a raspy sounding first 5 minutes or so, I think it turned out OK! So here is your invitation to visit the link.
Holly's Interview at Universal Call
Blessings
Holly
posted by Holly at 5:08 PM
3 comments
Born Only Once An Excellent Book To Help With the 2nd P "Person"
There is a book I would like to recommend to all MROL Website visitors - it's called Born Only Once by the late Catholic psychologist Dr Conrad Baars. I recommend this book on two levels - first for Mom and Dad , and secondly, for any parent who wishes to raise healthy and happy children.
Born Only Once is about personal growth the way God intended it and the power of love, real & true love, in this process. For Moms, it helps us to understand why we feel the way we do, how emotional growth occurs, problems with our emotions which may have occured due to a lack of love in our lives - and then it progresses to give some key advice about how to bring more emotional and personal peace into our lives.
But it is also a very important little book for parents - as it goes through the many ways we can 'non-affirm' our children and harm them, and then gives recommendations about how to bring out the best in our children, and empower them to be holy and healthy kids and adults.
As I read this book, I found myself reading it on two levels - one for me, and one for how to love my children better. I highly recommend this, and consider the work of Dr Baars an essential read for those who wish to add to St Thomas Aquinas' philosophy of man. In my opinion, Dr Baars grasp on the emotions and their role in the whole person's development is a mind-opening revelation for our times. And couple Born Only Once with Dr Baar's other excellent book, Feeling and Healing Your Emotions, and I think we have a relevant and necessary insight into the human person for our time in history - something I don't believe has fully been understood before. I plan to introduce both of these books into my high school curriculum for my children as I consider Dr Baar's teaching here essential to understanding personal growth.
For more information on these and other excellent resources, please go to www.conradbaars.com
posted by Holly at 10:11 PM
Forming Little Christs
For an excellent article on ways to develop our children's character, see
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/education/ed0128.html
For homeschoolers, just change the language - moms are the teachers and our children are the students. Lots of little things to ponder... (so sorry - I couldn't make it turn into a link!)
posted by Holly at 12:46 PM
2 comments
Prayers to the Holy Spirit
Dear Holly,
Do you know of any prayers to the Holy Spirit? I can find lots for Jesus and the Father and Mary, but none for the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity...
posted by Holly at 9:45 PM
3 comments
A Special 'Good Friday' Novena
Hello Friends
Here is a special novena for Good Friday, and it has always been tremendously effective in my life. I came across it when I was a kid, and picked it up again after my conversion. It claims to be 'unfailing', and I have always found this to be especially true when it comes to areas of sin in our lives - things which we feel we are unable to change.
To be said 33 times for each intention on Good Friday (12am-12pm):
O Great Passion,
O Deep Wounds,
O Blood shed in abundance
O Cruel Death,
O Sweetness above all sweetness
Have mercy on me,
and grant me perfect contrition for my sins,
the grace to amend my life,
and the special favor I now implore,
through the infinite merits of the Passion and Death
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
posted by Holly at 10:37 AM
0 comments
Making Good Decisions
A situation has come up - you are confused about which route to take - how can you discern what God wants, what is best for you and your family? Here are a list of typical discernment questions to help...
posted by Holly at 11:24 AM
1 comments
What About Apostolates Outside the Home?
Dear Friends,
I've talked with two separate women in the past week who both suggested A Mother's Rule of Life needs another chapter - one that addresses the tension between the 5 Ps of our married vocation, and the role of additional apostolates outside the home. I think it's a valid question, given that many women are involved in their parishes or other forms of apostolate as well as their family life. The basic questions are - "Am I called to outside involvement?", "If so, in what area?", and "How can I do it all?"
By virtue of our baptism, we all have a call to Christianize the world and serve the church and society. I think it is most important to realize, we are doing this inherently within our vocations by raising citizens of this world & the next. Let no one belittle the importance of our call to family life.
But we also have additional talents and interests which can be applied to the greater church and society, either locally or globally, depending on who we are. There are a number of areas we can look at to discern if God is calling us to additional service, and if so, to what. Given our other responsibilities, we don't want to waste time or energy (leading to a stressed or neglected home, or on the other hand, quasi-effective service ). We want to make our service to others totally appropriate to our persons and particular gifts, within our circumstances.
To that end, here are some questions we can ask ourselves on additional apostolates outside the home:
for more, press 'comments'
posted by Holly at 2:50 PM
6 comments
The 2nd P - Understanding Your Temperament (article)
In A Mother's Rule of Life , we talked about our 'Persons' holding a high priority in our lives - the health of our body and our soul and our psyche - and ways to ensure our real needs are being met. There were other things to consider too - like overcoming various obstacles to personal health, such as sin, emotional and psychological wounds, healing & deliverance, and the role of the intellect, will and emotions in our search for Christian freedom. Discussed also was the civil war that often occurs when we don't want to do what we know is best...
That we need to 'know ourselves' is obvious- we can never work on anything effectively unless we understand it. So self-knowledge holds a high priority in our lives, and it helps us personally, as well as helps our family and all those we come in contact with, to become the whole and healthy person we are called to be.
One way to assist us in understanding ourselves is to understand our 'temperaments' - which is our personal tendencies to react to life in certain emotional ways. We're talking about understanding our feelings and how they affect us and our decisions, and how they assist us by making life smooth and wonderful, or hamper us by making life hard and unbearable....
posted by Holly at 11:23 PM
4 comments
Confused About "Types" of Prayer
Dear Holly
I have been reading your posts about contemplation, but I am confused. What is contemplation? Is it a type of prayer? Is this the same thing as 'meditation' or is it different? Where does the rosary and other prayers like this tie into it? Any clarification would be helpful.
posted by Holly at 5:04 PM
1 comments
A Special Prayer Just for Moms!
+
Behold the handmaid of the Lord
Be it done unto me according to Your Word.
I seek only to do Your Will Lord : That I avoid all sin and selfishness, That I love , That I fulfill my duties well, That I be attentive to Your Voice. Open my heart to Your Will for me today
And I pray the same for my family and friends. Grant me the Grace of a willing heart and a docile spirit.
Help me to do all for love of You.
Flood my poor heart with Your Love
so that I may love all the people in my life today
as You would have me love them.
Amen.
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posted by Holly at 10:15 PM
0 comments
Prayer, Going to Meet Jesus (article)
"Stop in Here, Free Gas!"
It's nothing more than a rickety little hut with a dusty gas pump outside, an old grizzly-looking fellow dozing in his rocker on the porch, feet up on the railing, puffing a pipe, and a great big sign along the highway advertising "Free Gas". But nonetheless, despite not looking very impressive, we turn and stare out across the vast expanse of a dry and dirty desert before us and think, "Hey, this might be my last chance! That desert is gonna be hot and dusty, and I wouldn't want to get stuck along the highway with no fuel. Not to mention the fact that the gas is free...duh!" So, we pull the car over to the little station, open the tank and let the attendant fill us up.
This is what prayer is...'free grace'. Despite that on the outside going to spend time in prayer may not seem like much, nonetheless all graces flow from prayer. In fact, the Church teaches there can be no salvation without prayer, so essential is it to our receiving the blessings and graces of God needed for us to fulfill our missions. Prayer is taking the time to pull into the gas station to receive the free gas.
(for more, press comments...)
posted by Holly at 2:04 PM
1 comments
Consecration to the Blessed Mother Prayer
Hi Holly
I would like to consecrate myself to the Blessed Mother. Is there a special prayer or way of doing this?
M.
posted by Holly at 3:40 PM
3 comments
Weekly Room Cleaning Lists
Hi Holly
I would love to see some other examples of your weekly room cleaning lists. I like the one you have for your living room in A Mother's Rule of Life and I've adapted it to my family. It would be nice to see some of your other lists to give me a starting point for my other rooms.
Leslie
Hey Leslie -
I wish only to serve.... Click comments ;-)
posted by Holly at 3:23 PM
10 comments
Little Ones - Activity Ideas
Hello Ladies!
Here is a list of all the types of things I did with my littlest ones when I was trying to homeschool the older ones. I haven't sorted them - some are independent, some are semi-supervised, but I've also added other more supervised activities that I would tend to incorporate with my older kids in group activities. If you have other activities not mentioned, please add them for the benefit of other mothers.
posted by Holly at 8:43 AM
7 comments
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