It only takes a small step to begin.

I’m honored to be a part of the blog tour for the re-issue of Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray, and Act by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss.

Here’s an example of the easy-to-use meditation prompts contained in the book:

Think:

“All devotion which leads to sloth is false. We must love work.”

– St. Zita

Pray:

Dear Jesus, when I am tempted to think a job is “too dull” or “too menial” for me to perform, remind me of the menial tasks you performed in your hidden life in Nazareth. Inspire me to follow your example and serve God by serving others.

Act:

Where do you cut corners? Meal planning? Housekeeping? Prayer life? Pick your weakest link today and spend some time improving your efforts.

This is an excerpt from September, which has a theme of “Diligence.”

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Boy, was this a good one for me! I used to joke with my priest that sloth is one of my very favorite sins! At times, I know I have to remind myself that I can dedicate my regular tasks in caring for my family as a kind of prayer. I can do just what I tell my kids all the time: offer it up. When I really need to tackle a project I’m dreading, I’ll often offer it up to help motivate me to do it well, especially if I want to slack off on it. This is a much better strategy for holiness than taking up new devotions that take away from my main vocation and give me an “excuse” to not keep up with my usual duties.

Easy-Peasy!

Small Steps for Catholic Moms is filled with these kinds of easy meditations and calls-to-action; it’s perfect for busy moms who feel they need something more in their spiritual life but aren’t sure exactly what else the could possibly fit in between all the rest of life. Doesn’t it sound like something you really, really would like to have? Or something you’d really, really like to give to a friend?

Of course it does! So how about this? Leave a comment below to enter to win a copy of the book. I’ll leave comments open until Midnight on October 16 (so you’ll have until Tuesday to enter), then I’ll randomly draw for a winner of the book. Be sure you include your email in the form so I can contact you if you win. (Don’t worry, it won’t be public on the blog.)

And how about this? You can also enter the Five Minutes Alone contest for a nifty pack of books, too! Just head over to CatholicMom.com and enter there! (Small Steps is included in the drawing there, too!)

Update, October 16: We have a winner! Thank you for your participation!