🌷 Choose JOY: small steps for a happier heart
your plan for JOY Jan 6-12
We’re getting started! I’m so happy to launch this new newsletter version with you. Thank you for being part of it.
Our first weekly theme is JOY! As we approach the official end of the Christmas season, you might be feeling a little tired of joy. Of course, not really, but you might be weary of non-stop celebrating and exhausted from disrupted routines (this always makes me laugh).
But real joy is not a Christmas party, a bite of cheesecake, or opening the perfect gift. It’s not something that comes and goes according to outward circumstances. It’s lasting happiness that we can only find in God. I want more of that in 2025, don’t you? This week, we’ll be diving deeper into this virtue with prayer, music, Scripture, journaling, and the saints. Let’s embrace this journey together and rediscover the kind of joy that sustains us, no matter what life brings.
Want to grow in virtue and find more peace, balance, and joy in life?
Here’s the content for today and a sneak preview of the coming week…
🥳 [MONDAY 01.06] The Epiphany of the Lord
The Epiphany home blessing is a beautiful Catholic tradition where you use blessed chalk to mark your doorway with the year and the initials “C+M+B.” These letters stand for the names of the Magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) and also the Latin phrase “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” (“May Christ bless this house”). Here's how to do it:
Write the following above your front door (or on a small sign near the door):
20 + C + M + B + 25 (for the year 2025).Say a prayer, asking God to bless your home.
Prayer to Bless Our Home
Heavenly Father, we ask you to bless our home. May it be a place of peace, love, and joy. Fill every room with your presence and protect all who dwell here. May we welcome others with kindness, share our burdens with faith, and grow closer to you each day. Through the intercession of the Holy Family, may our home reflect your light and love. Amen."As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." — Joshua 24:15
👀 SNEAK PREVIEW:
Coming this week for Girlfriends in Grace subscribers:
🙏 [WEDNESDAY 01.08] Lectio Divina with Luke 11:9-10
Rejoice & Find Peace in 5 Minutes
Discover joy that overcomes anxiety and leads to peace with this week's 5-minute guided prayer on Philippians 4:4-7.
Take a moment to:
✨ Rejoice in the Lord’s presence
✨ Surrender your worries
✨ Embrace God’s peace
👉 Subscribe now to listen and pray with me. Find a quiet spot, press play, and let God’s word speak to your heart.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!”
What will God reveal to you this week? 💛
😇 [FRIDAY 01.10] A Joyful Heart with Saint Philip Neri
Find the Joy of Faith!
Discover the sources of joy in your life that draw you closer to God and inspire a deeper connection with him.
Find practical guidance for staying joyful even in the face of challenges, with actionable steps to uplift your heart in tough times.
Be inspired by a beautiful prayer to St. Philip Neri, patron of joy, to bring light and laughter into your daily walk with Christ.
✨ Don’t miss this opportunity to reflect, grow, and embrace the gift of joy in your faith journey. Subscribe today to access this bonus, soul-nourishing content!