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This 4th of July Lemon Berry Trifle is to die for! It’s light and creamy with refreshing summertime flavors. We had a BLAST this last Fourth of July with our family out by the pool. That’s always been my happy place; poolside, cold beverage, grill going, tasty snacks, and oldies or country music on! Nothing is better than that! This recipe is absolutely perfect for any summer gatherings and the top can really be decorated with whatever berries, or color scheme you want. And yes those are Epiphany star cut outs because this Catholic house didn’t have any traditional small star cookie cutters. Note to self, next year order some off Amazon because they are not easy to find in person in July. Prep Time: 40 minutes Chill Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Yields: 12 servings Lemon Glaze Ingredients 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp almond extract Berry Trifle Ingredients 2 containers of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced (leave some halved to decorate the top) 1 container of blueberries 1, 4-serving size package vanilla instant pudding 2 cups milk 1, 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened 1, 5.3 ounce carton vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt 1, 8 ounce container of cool whip 1 store bought angel food cake Let’s tie those aprons on and get to it. Start by making the vanilla pudding! I just followed the box directions here, nothing fancy. Put the package of pudding mix into a mixing bowl and add 2 cups of milk. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth and set in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the rest. Whew, the hard part is over! ;) Gather your glaze ingredients and head over to the stove. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add in 1/4 cup water! Then pour in 1/2 tsp almond extract. This little ingredient gives the whole thing a really nice pop of flavor. Whisk everything together until the sugar has dissolved. This took me about 2-3 minutes! Note: This is not going to come out as a thick glaze like we normally think when we hear the word, but is really intended to wet the angel food cake and lift it up with flavor. Set that aside and cut the angel food cake into quarter inch thick slices. Lay them out on a cutting board or dish and brush the glaze on both sides of the cake. Cut the angel food cake into cubes and set that aside until we are ready to assemble the trifle. Yeah, I ate a cube of cake too! To turn our attention to the pudding mixture you will need the three things pictured below. We will also use the cool whip but I left that in the fridge until the moment I needed it. It's Texas… all that is good and holy melts here. RIP that stick of butter we left on the counter. In a mixing bowl combine the 8 ounce package of cream cheese and the 5.3 ounce cups of Greek vanilla yogurt. Mix together with a silicone spatula until smooth. Add in the pudding and beat with your hand mixer on medium low until it is smooth. Scoop in 8 ounces of cool whip and fold into the pudding mixture. Folding is key, don’t use your hand beater for this, we want light and fluffy! Before we begin to layer the trifle I want to show you how to easily make the jicama stars. Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices, then lay your cookie cutter down, press, and pop out your star shapes. Just like you would cut out a child’s fun shape sandwiches on a slice of bread! Now we put the trifle together layer by layer. Begin with 1/3 of the angel food cake and lay that across the bottom of the trifle dish. Then scoop 1/3 of the pudding mixture and spread it across the cake to make another layer. Line the glass dish with strawberries and blueberries, then sprinkle a layer across the pudding. Do this three times, or as many as it takes for you to get to the rim of the trifle dish. About half way up I evenly placed three jicama stars around the edge of the dish to create a little design interest, then continued my layers to hold them in place. When you get to the very top of the dish spread out a layer of pudding. This will help to hold our fruit design in place. I began by putting one medium sized star in the center and lining the rim with strawberries. Outline the star in the middle with blueberries. Place strawberry halves in the inner points of the star. Then fill in the open areas with blueberries. I wanted a pop of white on the top so I also added four jicama stars to each corner. Put that in the fridge for an hour to chill then serve and enjoy with family and friends, or just eat it by yourself with a glass of white wine, I won't tell on you. Prayer for Our Nation God our Father, Giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to Your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for Your glory and dwell among Your people. Send Your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation's leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind Your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing Your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the "culture of death." Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @steffani_hisgirlsunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful. God love you! His Girl Sunday

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes Yields: 1 container of strawberries Ingredients Strawberries Vanilla Candy Coating Blue Pop Rocks Red, White, & Blue Sprinkles Directions 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Wash your strawberries and set aside. 3. Pour blue pop rocks into a small bowl and red, white, and blue sprinkles into another bowl. 4. Heat the candy coating according to the box directions. 5. Dip the strawberries 3/4 of the way up into the candy coating. 6. Then dip half of the strawberries into the pop rocks and the other half into the sprinkles. 6. Lay them on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. 7. Repeat until you have finished all of the strawberries. 8. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for about an hour so the candy coating to set. 9. Serve and enjoy! To serve, place them on a platter in a circular fashion like this, or you can put a few of them on a bamboo skewer! Prayer for Our Nation God our Father, giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people. Send your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the “culture of death.” Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. + Amen. Have a faith-filled and fun 4th of July! Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful.

For the last few years, since finding out that Pentecost used to be an octave and in fact one that ranked even higher than Christmas, I have been on a mission to advocate for restoring what once existed. To do that I have taken any opportunity that I can to explain what an octave does for our liturgical life and the danger in minimizing the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Given that we are a Church living out the mission and purpose of Pentecost in hopeful waiting for the Second Coming, this Solemnity gives our life intentionality. It should direct our days and call our hearts, minds, and actions towards fervent discipleship. The Way It "Was" An octave is a 8 day prolongation of a feast day. In our current liturgical calendar this only arises on two occasions, Easter & Christmas. But did you know that Pentecost used to be an octave as well? In fact, it was an octave that ranked even higher than Christmas! I know I said this earlier, but in case you didn't catch the shock and amazement that I was in when I found this out, I thought it worth repeating. Many do not know this, but it followed immediately after Easter in importance on the liturgical calendar. In the Tridentine Calendar there were many octaves so as a better way to classify them, Pope Pius X created categories that are called "privileged," "common," and "simple." Here is a breakdown of this to give you a better view. The Privileged Octaves 1st Rank: Easter and Pentecost 2nd Rank: Epiphany and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ 3rd Rank: Christmas, the Ascension, and the Sacred Heart The Common Octaves -Immaculate Conception -The Assumption -The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist -The Solemnity of St. Joseph - Saints Peter and Paul - All Saints - The principal feast day of a parish patron saint or cathedral The Simple Octaves -St. Stephen -St. John the Evangelist -St. Lawrence -The Nativity of Mary During the revisions of the liturgical calendar most of these were removed. You could say there might have been a legitimate need for pruning, but as you can see we went from 18 to 3 octaves: Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost. And then in 1969 Pentecost was removed from the list as well. There is a little story that goes like this. "Blessed Pope Paul VI rose early and went to his chapel to celebrate Mass. Instead of the red vestments he expected, green ones were laid out for him. He asked the Master of Ceremonies, “What on earth are these for? This is the Octave of Pentecost! Where are the red vestments?” “Your Holiness,” replied the Master of Ceremonies, “this is now The Time Throughout the Year. It is green, now. The Octave of Pentecost is abolished.” “Green? That cannot be," said the Pope, “Who did that?” “Your Holiness, you did.” And, the story concludes, Paul VI wept. The authenticity of the story remains in question, but it points to the deep sadness many Catholics felt when the Pentecost Octave was abolished." (NCR) It was known as the Church's second greatest feast, and Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman referred to the breviary offices of the octave of Pentecost as the “grandest of the liturgical year." The Effects on Liturgical Life To clearly articulate the multiplicity of reasons I have for seeing the restoration of the Pentecost octave as a liturgical good for the entire Church, I have written my reasons below. Reason Number One: The loss of an octave is less time to contemplate a divine reality, time that we absolutely need! It is abundantly clear that we live in fast paced societies that demand what we want, when we want it. We have allowed ourselves to be groomed by TV, the internet, smart phones, and social media to have attention spans that can now only last the span of 5-7 seconds before scrolling on. Yet here is the Church revealing to us the truths of our inherent nature, our immortal souls, timeless teachings and traditions, and an omnipresent God. The distinction is clear, the world directs us to live for the moment, the Church reminds us that we are to live for eternity. That means it is evermore important that the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church not crumble under the weight of the modern world. The Church must continuously stand as a lighthouse calling our attention to what is everlasting and reminding us to live by and celebrate the faith. Pentecost was a momentous event in the life of the Church! Christ is no longer physically with them but the third person of the Trinity is, the Holy Spirit. On this day we see the apostles and disciples go out and convert thousands. This feast marks a pivotal day in the Church that is still ongoing and has everything to do with us and the role we continue to play in living out the faith as witnesses. By prolonging this Solemnity we are able to sit with and reflect on its profound effect on the Church and the world. It gives us a reason to not approach Pentecost with the quickness and brevity that we do many things in life, but to wonder at it. To see it and allow our gaze to rest on something beautiful. Reason Number Two: This was the one time in the year where there was any extended emphasis on the Holy Spirit as the third person in the triune God. Pentecost shows us how the Holy Spirit enlivens and quickens the apostles and disciples in the upper room with gifts that were needed to minister to the world. This event, which we should not just see as a nice scripture story but as a real experience, is a lesson to us. It communicates the ongoing role the Holy Spirit not only plays in our lives, but in the life of the Church. It is the Holy Spirit, God, sustaining us as a body and inspiring us with the virtues we need to boldly share what was witnessed during Easter. We are of course Easter people, but we are currently living in post Easter time generations later waiting for the Second Coming of Christ, just as the apostles and disciples were. And what we are called to do in that waiting is to be filled with the Holy Spirit which descended upon us to breathe life into us as the Church and the world. Allowing us more time to reflect on God and how He reveals Himself in the third person is highly important to our understanding of who God is. Additionally, by observing the Pentecost octave, Trinity Sunday is seen in a more robust context as the closing day of celebrating the Easter season and the Holy Spirit. Reason Number Three Not having the Pentecost octave effects the liturgical life of the faithful. By omission of this 8 day invitation to celebrate and better understand the Holy Spirit, we aren't reminded and called explicitly through the liturgical calendar to live the mission of Pentecost. Even in the language of the liturgical calendar, the Sundays following Pentecost used to be referred to as, "the first Sunday after Pentecost," "the second Sunday after Pentecost," and so on until you got to Advent. Referring to them as such, instead of the weeks of Ordinary Time, tells us very clearly that we are still in that season of the Church. By this I mean the season of discipleship, evangelization, mission, conversion, repentance, and hopeful waiting for Christ to return. There is little about Ordinary Time that reminds me of the last item on the list, hopeful waiting for Christ to return. This is highly important because if the second coming of Christ is a central theme in my life, then my actions are certainly called with greater awareness to ongoing conversion and repentance. The focus then becomes the salvation of my soul, and the souls of others, and this is the inherent meaning of Pentecost! This is Pentecost lived out. A big part of this is in the way that we communicate and live according to the seasons of the Church. When I hear the word Pentecost I know what that scriptural event means, I know what happened, I understand what I am called to. Yet when we take that language away and when we remove that from the liturgical calendar, which is supposed to guide the faithful in living a liturgical life, then we subtly rid ourselves of that fundamental focus. Pentecost becomes the period at the end of the Easter season instead of the life long call to ongoing action. I also see that it in some way affects the approach to liturgical living as a whole. Pentecost was a joyful time, they were filled with courage and virtues that gave their life fulfillment and purpose. Yet how many lackluster Catholics do we know, afraid to witness to their faith? I don't think removing the Pentecost octave and the liturgical language that surrounded that is fully to blame, but I think it's another piece that obscurely contributes to our lack of understanding that we are called to live joyfully. We are meant to carry out our days filled with the Holy Spirit, overflowing with love of Christ, and sharing that with as many people that we can. Reason Number Four The liturgical calendar is meant to take us through the entire life of Christ. By removing the octave, and the way we name the weeks to follow, we create disconnectedness in the Church's year, and in turn the way people understand their faith. Every year, beginning in Advent, we take a journey with Christ through His entire life. True liturgical living will help you to have a much deeper relationship with Christ by living day in and day out with His story, and the story of Mary and the saints. Through the liturgical seasons we follow alongside Christ and the apostles while striving to faithfully walk our own specific path, hopefully as models for future generations of Catholics. There is continuity in the story as it unfolds from season to season, until you get to Pentecost. The transition is very abrupt, Ordinary Time seemingly comes out of nowhere then lasts for the better part of the year. Right now Pentecost is one day and acts as an end to the Easter season. Yet this is a Solemnity that is meant to look back at all we had been through in Easter, but also progress us forward through the months where we should live like those early Church apostles and disciples. The subtle message seems to be that Pentecost is just an end to Easter, and there is no call to look ahead. This is not to say that the Holy Spirit can't be found in Ordinary Time, but that the discontinuity in the calendar creates an quick break in the momentous experience of Pentecost in the life of the Church, an event that propelled the faith forward! They lived their lives with the experience of Pentecost close in heart, mind, and action. This was not a one time event for them, this was a daily manifestation that went on for the rest of their lives. And while those apostles and disciples were alive, they shared their Pentecost moment with as many people as they could in anticipation of the parousia. This is exactly what we should be called to through the liturgical calendar. There was not disjointedness in their lives, so there should not be a break in the calendar which we are called to live by. It's a tool that exists precisely so that we can live the year, every year, with the Trinity for the sake of our faith and salvation. With all that said, even if you live by the Novus Ordo calendar like I do, there are still things that can be learned and practiced from where the Church has been and what it has done. Pentecost was seen as a highly important feast day in the life of the Church until 1969, relatively recent years! So we really challenge ourselves to celebrate the Octave in our home. We don't do something huge every single day, but through family prayer, meals, or smaller activities we make it known and present because we see that it is good. My family wants to be reminded of this Solemnity and all that it means for our lives with intentionality. Help me spread the word about this octave! See you in the Eucharist, His Girl Sunday

The Backstory I remember when I graduated from college with my degree in Elementary Education and Theology that my dad was kind of worried. Yes...worried about me being an Elementary school teacher. "Where will you try to teach?" "What district is that in?" "Are you prepared for a student that acts out?" "I hear about a lot of violence in these schools..." This is what was buzzing around me as I prepared to go into my first job. Unlike some first time teachers who begin without much on the ground experience except for their student teaching year, I was experienced even before getting hired. My university prepared me very well, I had an immense amount of practice given to me through that program, and in addition to that I taught elementary aged students in a multitude of other ways before and while earning my degree. I learned educational pedagogy, children's psychology, testing techniques, classroom management, behavioral management, and how to teach every single subject for a child in the age ranges of Pre-k to 5th grade. I still know how to use all of these things in the drop of a hat, it became second nature to me. I was very blessed as a college graduate to receive multiple elementary job offers, including the one I wanted most, 3rd grade gifted and talented. Through a series of events and several movements of the Holy Spirit, I ended up turning that offer down and began what ended up being an 8 year career teaching High School theology. It was the perfect combination for me, teaching a subject that I was well versed in, Catholic Theology, and was able to implement all of the educational techniques and theory that I had learned to keep a good classroom. I don't think I'm any different from other teachers when I say that I went in to this profession for a few reasons... I loved my subject matter, so much that I wanted to share that with students and hopefully inspire them to love it too. I really enjoyed seeing those aha! light bulb moments that students get when they discover something new. To know that you had a part in that is immensely gratifying! To positively impact the life of another human being. We all have those teachers that we adored and left a lasting impression on us, and we want to give that in return. Most children spend more hours in a day with their classroom teacher (especially in elementary) than they do in their own home during the school week. Teaching is emotional, it is full mental engagement, and it's a spiritual gift every day! Especially when you teach elementary, it's physical too. And now it's physical on an entirely other level. I didn't go into teaching to put my physical life on the line, but about several years in that outlook was told to change! (3 & 4 year old ballet class, this was a lively bunch!) The Dreaded Training Active shooter training was something that I went through a few years into my career and while I'll share with you the kinds of things I learned, it left an impression on my heart that is indescribable. As I sat there listening I thought to myself, "this could really happen!" "I'm not sitting here being trained on how to teach, I am being trained to protect the lives of my students, and potentially sacrifice my life for them." "I now need to know what to do in a traumatic and life threatening situation." And we didn't just sit there seriously considering these hypothetical scenarios, we physically practiced them! Let me rephrase this so that you know how real it is, I practiced saving my own life, and the lives of high school students that do and don't like me, whose parents do and don't respect me. I give the "dos and don'ts" to help others put this into perspective. Whether or not you like your kid's teacher... They are being trained how to save your kid's life from other kids. They are now being trained to do things well beyond educating your children. They are offering the greatest form of love that there is, complete self-sacrifice. And they will respond to these horrific moments with braveness and self abandonment, so they deserve our respect. Teaching was already an inherently self-sacrificing profession, every day all day teachers across the country give, give, and give. When I was in school my professors told us, you will give way more than you receive, and God knows it won't be in pay, but look for the moments of intrinsic reward to keep you motivated and satisfied. Now, teachers are being called to completely, wholly, and fully self-sacrifice. Lay your life down on the line if you have to. It's unbelievable! Not because some of these amazing, stellar, out of this world teachers wouldn't do it, but because they shouldn't have to! Yet here I was in active shooter training, being taught how to: Barricade a classroom. Learn various get out of the building routes. Create classroom lists that would be easy to grab so I can do quick student checks. Defend myself and my students with classroom objects. Arrange desks and books to block bullets... yes, bullets. Check for exits, no joke, anywhere I go now, I check to see where my exits are. Express how to lower their resting heart rate because we are less likely to bleed out if we are shot. Apply a tourniquet. Know active shooter lures and fake out routes, routes that the shooter want you to take. Use a ballpoint pen to stab a shooter in the neck, like I'm James Spader in the Blacklist. The list goes on and on. It amazes me to think that becoming a teacher, is now a lot like becoming a police officer, a firefighter, or other professions that you approach knowing those kinds of potential situations could happen and that you might die in them. I've seen a lot in over a decade of teaching, but thank God on high that I never had to live through the terror of an active shooter. What I have learned from all of this is how to appreciate and love teachers more, how to see that they are people with stories, professionals with experience, and human beings that deserve our care and respect. (One of my first years teaching, bit of a blur now, but I was so proud to see them off on a new adventure!) Show Appreciation for Teachers This is also how I was raised! Growing up I was taught to give my teachers respect, and I think that's because my parents knew how much those men and women were giving to me as I was going through school. And I was taught to respect the teachers that weren't nice to me, and the ones that I didn't agree with! Why? Because a teacher is an adult, a professional, and a leader, even if they aren't necessarily a good one. When something went wrong with in the classroom, my parents encouraged me to handle my affairs in school by applying their at home council. If I felt the need to have my parent talk to one of my teachers, we would do that all together after I sought to reconcile any disagreement with the teacher on my own. If that didn't work, then we got others involved! My parents didn't know it, but their approach to handling an issue with a brother or sister in Christ was actually very scriptural. Through this I learned how to talk and work alongside teachers in my learning experiences. When I grew up and became a teacher myself, I in turn experienced a lot of students and parents that handled the discussion of grades, behavior, etc. just like this, with a sense regard for me. I gave God thanks for these families, because I also painfully dealt with the opposite. Of course I encountered students who were utterly rude, called me names, yelled at me, lied, and spewed slander about me for not getting what they wanted. Then there were the parents, some of them very entitled let me know that I was "just a teacher," and they were smarter than me or made more money than me as lawyers, doctors, engineers, business owners, etc. Of course you know more about education and theology than I do! What was I thinking sitting here with all this training and experience? They trusted the word of their teenager over me, even though I was trained to immediately document difficult exchanges between students and would read that almost verbatim. In essence, this is what happens when exchanges go down like that. Children are empowered to harness hatred and anger against their teachers, against other human beings. Other people, mind you, that are now trained to possibly sacrifice their own life for your child. Note: This doesn't mean that your teacher can never be in the wrong, and a really good teacher will admit when he or she is, but it means that we need to stop talking down to these professionals and enabling our young people to do the same. I still to this day see a mother, sometimes in passing at church, who will rudely turn her nose up at me or look away quickly with a stern demeanor because her child didn't earn the grade that she desired. It used to actually hurt my feelings because I genuinely wanted the good for each and every one of my students, even if we disagreed about a grade. I share this with you, not to gossip, but to give you first hand anonymous examples so that you know the experiences of teachers. The days are long and typically non-stop, I honestly have not encountered another position, especially on that pay scale, whose daily rhythm is that fast and relentless. It is high time that these professionals are given the respect they deserve. I can't change their pay because God knows that would help them out and probably be the first request, but what I can do is bring a call to action for tangible, grateful, and joyful interactions with them. Professional educators are dedicating their days to teaching your babies (no matter how old they are) how to learn, how to work with others, how to be in the world, and how to grow! Some of them are giving them deeper spiritual lives, emotional awareness, and behavioral assistance. And your child's teacher may be the one to save your child's life one day, God forbid! (Leaving my sweet 1st graders to go teach High School.) Ideas for Sending Positive Vibes Here are some ideas for forming positive, uplifting experiences with your child's teacher. By the way, junior high and high school teachers need this too, we all know kids in that age range are not as verbally affirming. 1. Send an email thanking them. 2. Have your child come to class with a small bouquet of flowers or gift card As a token of appreciation. 3. Put together a little basket of his/her favorite things for Christmas. 4. Let them know you are praying for them and their work. 5. If you have a day off or you're a SAHM, call and see if they need help. 6. Put them on the parish bulletin prayer list. 7. Ask the priest of your parish to say a Mass for them and let them know. 8. Teach your children how to respectfully dialogue with their teachers. 9. Describe to your children all that teachers do for them. These are small gestures that can really go a long way. Remember, most educators are seeking to work alongside you in the development of their child. (My seniors thought it would be a hilarious prank to turn all the desks around before I walked in, never a dull moment.) Lest we not forget the families who have been affected by this school shooting, please join me in praying. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. See you in the Eucharist, His Girl Sunday

While liturgical living may look like it has a lot of online traction, the women I meet face to face in my ministry sing to a different tune. When I'm out giving talks, coordinating traditional communal expressions, or just chatting with people after Mass I hear the same thing over and over, "liturgical living is overwhelming me." It's not that they don't want to do it, it's not that it's not seen as important, but that through social media we have taken the fun out of it. The way it has been expressed is that in order to look like the other happy, "holy" families online, you need to do all the things for all the feast days. WRONG! What is Liturgical Living? I just want to briefly express this so that I can build upon it with the practicals. Liturgical living is a more modern term that expresses a lived Catholic experience of rituals and symbols that stems from the liturgy & sacraments. This is more often referred to as tradition. First and foremost, liturgical living takes place with the liturgy and sacraments themselves. Going to Mass is the primary step in this and then a close second would be praying the Liturgy of the Hours. I don't want you to be hard on yourself, we shouldn't downplay receiving the sacraments, so if you are receiving them then you are living liturgically. Going to confession regularly, attending Mass, receiving the Eucharist, and praying is living liturgically. Go by yourself, with your husband, your significant other, your friends, your children, and go often! Jesus is worthy of our praise, He is worthy of our thanksgiving, and He is worthy of the highest sacrificial offerings that we can make. Where does that sacrificial offering happen for us as Catholics? Mass! Then we extend the graces we receive with the praise and joy that was experienced in the Eucharistic liturgy to the entire liturgical year and its seasons. This is how Catholic traditions developed, by people coming together over shared belief in Jesus Christ, Mary, and the saints. Those timeless truths of our faith were expressed with elation in cultural, communal, and liturgical expression throughout the ages. Liturgical living was very authentic and very natural, it's only as of late that we have manicured this lifestyle in a way that makes it seem unattainable. (Image: New Liturgical Movement) The Culprit of Liturgical Living Burnout! Stop Trying to Teach & Just Do! I've said it once and I'll say it again, liturgical living (tradition) is not fundamentally a catechetical lesson or audio visual aid for teaching children about the faith. Therein lies the issue. We have been sold and told to do things in a particular way that doesn't actually reflect the real meaning of Catholic tradition. The inherent meaning of tradition (liturgical living) is to see the truths of our faith as being real, true, meaningful, and lasting, then as a response we offer our authentic praise and celebration. We immortalize these beautiful truths by festively expressing them over and over throughout the years and invite our whole family, friends, and communities into it. I'm not saying that liturgical living doesn't take any work at all, but that it should be gratifying and authentic to who you are. There is a time and place for intentionally catechizing, but liturgical living is for expressing joy, and it must be done in a way that embraces everyone. When we approach liturgical living as a lesson to be taught, then of course you are going to get tired and overwhelmed. I know, I taught for over 8 years, constructing lessons with the best books, activities, verbiage, manipulatives, etc. All age based and appropriate for the intended audience. This is exhausting, and to be done for a series of feast days each week throughout the liturgical seasons is nonsensical! I have a lot of moms come up to me and say, how can I do this when I have varying age ranges in my house, it's just not dobable. And they are right, it's not doable and it's also not true to what it means to live liturgically. Even I try to distinguish online between the things that I am giving ideas on, and the things that we are actually doing. I don't want anyone thinking that they have to do all that I'm sharing, but hopefully we will be inspired by seeing Catholic life and tradition lived out in a real way. Single Parent Liturgical Living Another factor that can be attributed to burn out is the fact that most women, particularly mothers, are doing this by themselves in their home. I will address how to get your husband on board in a later post because I think there is much to be said for that. I bring this point up to remind you that liturgical living does not need to be approached as one parent creating Catholic experiences for their children. Going off of our philosophical understanding of tradition, we must then see the importance of involving the entire family and community. That means that how we express merriment for our faith should be done in a way that comes naturally for everyone in the home. For example, if your family enjoys going on picnics together, then do that for a particular feast day. Feast days can be celebrated with and without having a cutesy connection, they can be lived out by doing things that your family or friends take pleasure in. The other thing that needs to be stated here is encouragement to lean into your parish and Catholic community. We don't know about all of these amazing Catholic traditions from people living them out privately in their home. They were transmitted because communities experienced the glorification of God in the liturgy and then began expressing that together during various times in the liturgical year, then the tradition was taken into the home. When you want to celebrate, do it together! Invite your single friends over, friends that are married without children, families with children, retired friends, and family members. Tradition (liturgical living) is so much sweeter when we continue them in the ways that they originated. Who knows, maybe everyone in your community can create and pass down your own! (Image: Catholic News Service) Mislabeled Confusion Lastly, the other reason I see burnout is because there are a lot of things labeled as liturgical living that prompt our minds into thinking that we need to engage in it all. Based on what I've studied from the topics of Catholic liturgy, sacraments, and tradition I can say that a lot of it is mislabeled. So this is just a call for you to be discerning instead of overwhelmed. There are a lot of things that we label liturgical living that are tagged as such so that you see it on social media, it's a communications technique. Other things are called liturgical living so that we will purchase it, as if the objects are the things which create liturgical life, this is not true either and is a business technique. Essentially, anything that calls itself liturgical living should meet the standard that we established at the beginning of this post. Simply put, instead of being overwhelmed and battling that awful temptation of comparison, go back to your roots. Quickly consider these 10 important questions when you are going to celebrate a feast day! 1. What does it mean to live liturgically? 2. How can we express authentic festivity for Jesus, Mary, and the Saints? 3. Does it embrace my entire family? 4. Does it speak to our culture? 5. What ways can I involve or get involved in the community? 6. How did I draw closer to the liturgy and sacraments? 7. What did prayer look like for us on this feast day? 8. Did this bring joy to the whole family? 9. Would I do this again next year to continue or create lasting tradition? 10. Was Jesus praised? All to say, we are in this together, I am living this Catholic liturgical life with you. It's not supposed to be frustrating or cause burn out, it's supposed to give God praise. We are imitating the Heavenly banquet here on earth, that is a very good and wonderful thing to partake in. Let's do it with love! See you in the Eucharist, His Girl Sunday

In fine holiday form we made these deliciously sweet candied apple pieces for Halloween and then again for Christmas as a cute party appetizer. I go nuts for a caramel or candied apple, but much like eating spaghetti on a first date, those aren't very fun to eat at a party in front of everyone. So to adapt this recipe I made candied apple slices which turned out to be a crowd pleaser. Before I could grab a bite the entire plate was gone! You can adapt this to fit the sweets you like and create as much variety as your heart desires. Other things to consider substituting or adding in. 1. Marshmallows 2. Nuts 3. Caramel drizzle 4. Sprinkles 5. Crushed Oreos 6. Pretzels Prep Time: 10 minutes Yields: 8 Servings The Mix 4-5 apples Chocolate chips, melted Candy corn Coconut flakes Peanut M&Ms, crushed Peanut butter, melted Begin by washing and slicing the apples. Then scatter them across a plate or serving platter. Melt 1/2 cup peanut butter in microwave safe glassware. You can also do this in a small pot on the stove top. Drizzle over the plate of sliced apples. Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips in the same way you did the peanut butter and drizzle that overtop the peanut butter. Sprinkle crushed M&Ms along with any of the other sweets that you chose. Sprinkle your coconut flakes and set out with a little chalk sign that says, "Buddy the Elf Candied Apples." Place serveware next to the plate and enjoy! Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @Steffani_HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to celebrate feast days.

Tacos are a weekly meal in my house and I especially love shrimp tacos. After three years of this routine, I decided it was time to start getting creative. When I commit... I commit! 😂 As I was thinking of ways to vary up the flavors, I remembered a fruity salsa that my dad used to make in the summertime. I decided to go with mango since it's one of my favorites and the taste pairs really well with fish. This is a simple recipe that can take on a lot of variation so feel free to change it up. For instance, instead of green onions you could do red, or throw in chopped bell pepper! I also like it because it lasts a while, so it's really convenient for leftovers and spooning over chips or crackers for a snack. As we enter into Lent, this seemed like the perfect time to share how we make our meatless Fridays slightly more interesting, not too interesting, and healthy. Prep Time: 15 minutes Yields: 6 servings The Ingredients 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped 1 mango, peeled and chopped 2 green onions, chopped 1 jalapeno, chopped 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped Lime juice, to taste Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste To begin, chop 1 cup of cherry tomatoes in halves or quarters, depending on how chunky you want it. Using a peeler, take the skin off of the mango. Standing it upright, cut through the fruit about 1 cm away from the center, leaving room for the pit. Do this on each side before laying the mango down and cutting the remaining top and bottom. This is the simplest way to get as much of the flesh as you can before dicing it. Toss that on top of the cherry tomatoes. Remove the outer layers of two green onions and chop off the root. From here you can slice in circular motions from end to end. I'm not sure why but in my family we always stopped about two-three inches away on the green side. It's really preference on this and how fresh the green portion of the onion is. Take your jalapeno and begin by cutting your stem off, then slice it open down the middle, long way, and remove the seeds. I used one whole jalapeno, but if you would prefer a little less spice then just do half! Chop 1/3 cup cilantro and add that to the rest of the ingredients. If you have a little more time feel free to squeeze a 1 whole fresh lime, I used store bought lime juice from the container. Add to desired taste. Sprinkle salt to taste. And pepper to taste. An alternative to salt and pepper is cajun seasoning, very yummy! I'm not sure why, but my family puts that on almost everything. We like it so much I think I almost saw an anonymous family member try to sprinkle it on their cereal.... kidding! Give it a good mixing, taste it, and add seasoning if needed. There you have it, a flavorful addition to your meatless meal lunch or dinner. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @steffani_hisgirlsunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, subscribe to the blog section of my website or follow me to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful.

I blinked and Lent appeared! One minute I was taking down the nativity scene, slight confession, and the next thing I knew Lent was upon me. This year I was very intentional about engaging in "Pre-Lent" which is a time prepare yourself so as to not go from the usual day to day routine of Ordinary Time to the depths of sacrifice and penance for Lent. I should have been doing this all along, but more than anything I wanted to be mentally and spiritually prepared for Easter. I want us all to be ready as Easter people, after all, Jesus died and conquered sin and death for everyone. We can't experience the joy of that without going through our own sacrifices, our own Lent. So have a moderate amount of fun on Fat Tuesday, go get your ashes on Wednesday, and decide what your little road to Calvary will be for the next six weeks. On Mardi Gra/Fat Tuesday/Shrove Tuesday we go to adoration and then our parish hosts a pancake breakfast dinner, burning of last year's palms, a children's parade with decorated wagons, and this year we will be burying the Alleluia! By the way, I like to call it Shrove Tuesday because I think it more accurately describes the liturgical nature of the day. Shrove comes from the word shrive which means to confess so on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, everyone would go to confession before Lent began. It is also a time for community, eating, and festivities but it in no way began and was intended to be the day that it has become for the secular world, it is so important to remember this! In fact, I have heard it called a "half-holiday" which essentially communicates that even though we are having fun and letting the good times roll, we are to also pray and prepare. *Feel free to share the graphic by right clicking to save it. Why Pancakes? Eating pancakes is an old Catholic tradition that came from the simple fact that in the Middle Ages during Lent, eggs, sugar, and butter were not allowed. What else is one to do than make pancakes? In addition to this, most people were already clearing out their pantry of perishable dairy foods and meats so it just makes sense to cook a big ol' breakfast for dinner, keeps things interesting. I have two pancake recipes, one that I use during the holidays that has pumpkin in it, and the other is a recipe that I use for pancakes & waffles! These are seriously the best, and not just because they are mine, but because they make deliciously fluffy pancakes. https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/post/holiday-season-pumpkin-pancakes https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/post/pancakesforshrovetuesday Burying the Alleluia The other Catholic tradition that we are doing this year is burying the Alleluia. This is the last day that we sing the praise of Alleluia to God so it is like we are fasting from this word throughout Lent. The practice begins by putting writing or printing the word Alleluia on a small piece of paper and enclosing it in a little coffin. It is then solemnly processed around the church, incensed, sprinkled, and buried until Easter! We are doing this with our parish but you could certainly do this at home too. *Check out this link for more of an explanation if you are interested. https://www.ccwatershed.org/2013/02/08/mardi-gras-and-burying-alleluia/ Mardi Gras Masks If you have littles I have these simple but cute Mardi Gras masks that you can print, color, glitter, sequin, feather, you name it, slap a string on it and have a good time! Forget the King Cake, Make Beignets! I know that everyone is all about the King Cake but I could do without if there were Mardi Gras beignets! Not to mention that anything I can fry makes me very happy, these were absolutely delicious. I'm not trying to be a superhero, I got these out of a box but they will not disappoint. Go buy this box right here! Lenten Prayer Companion Download I also have this Lenten Prayer Companion that will take you through Ash Wednesday, major feast days, and the six weeks of Lent. It has lots of beautiful prayers, an examination of conscience, and space to reflect. A gift from me to you, all you have to do is download and print in booklet format. http://bit.ly/2PexQSg With all that I just want to say that even if you don't get to bury the Alleluia, make the pancakes, craft the masks, decorate a wagon, do the most important thing, prepare your family for Lent! These are just ideas, what should be done is that you go to confession at some point in the very near future, take time to pray, and think about how you are going to get another step closer to Christ... and make the beignets ok? Do yourself a favor. Wishing you a Lent filled with grace, mercy, and love of Christ. Steffani

The Tradition Explained! Eating pancakes is an old Catholic tradition that came from the simple fact that in the Middle Ages during Lent, eggs, sugar, and butter were not allowed. What else is one to do than make pancakes? In addition to this, most people were already clearing out their pantry of perishable dairy foods and meats so it just makes sense to cook a big ol' breakfast for dinner, keeps things interesting. I have two pancake recipes, one I use during the holidays that has pumpkin in it, and the other is a recipe that I use for pancakes & waffles! These are seriously the best, and not just because they are mine, but because they make deliciously fluffy pancakes. https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/post/holiday-season-pumpkin-pancakes Did You Know? Around 604AD, Pope St. Gregory wrote to St. Augustine of Canterbury saying, "we must abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese, and eggs." These fasting rules governed the Church for many years and thus became the creative way of emptying the refrigerator with pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday Prayer Lord, give us grace to inaugurate with holy fasting the defenses of Christian warfare, so that we who are to fight against spiritual wickedness, may be helped and strengthened by self-denial. This is an Aquila recipe that was handed down to us from my husband's family. Every Saturday morning they would wake up early and make these together along with bacon and eggs. The smell of a big breakfast and family time in the kitchen are fond memories that he has not only shared with me in story telling, but in cooking our own Saturday morning breakfasts together. Prep Time: 15 minutes Bake Time: 10 minutes Yields: 6 servings Ingredients 2 eggs, yolk and whites separated whip egg whites put aside 2 cups buttermilk 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tsps vanilla 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 tsps baking powder Collect all of your ingredients and let's get started! Take the eggs and separate the yolks into a mixing bowl then set aside. Grab the egg whites and beat them in another bowl with your hand beater until nice and fluffy. Stage One: Bubbly but not ready yet! Stage Two: Getting there but not foamy enough to hold a shape yet. Stage Three: When your egg whites looks like Mount Crumpet, then you have attained thick and foamy perfection. Set that aside and pour 1/4 cup vegetable oil into a measuring cup. Add the vegetable oil into the bowl with the two egg yolks. Pour in 2 cups of that creamy buttermilk. Then add 2 tsps vanilla to the wet ingredients. Since your beaters are already out just give that a good mixing. Measure out 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour. For a healthier version of this, we sometimes do half whole wheat flour and half regular. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp baking soda into the flour. And then 2 tsps baking powder. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined and slowly pour that into the wet ingredients while you mix it with the hand beater. Have to get a good action shot in there while the flour is flying! Mix the ingredients until it is smooth, but we aren't finished yet! We still have one more step which is always designated to me. The egg whites! Put them in the bowl with your batter and you are going to fold them in. Folding is very important, we don't want to beat, whip, or stir them because we want to keep the airiness of the egg whites. By gently folding we keep the right consistency so that we get those light and fluffy pancakes that we all like. It is important to note that with pancakes, we don't want big chunks of egg whites so continue to fold until it is well incorporated. Now you are ready to pour them into a skillet. This pairs well with cajun food, zydeco music, and Mardi Gras masks! This is the best part, add your own flair to those delicious pancakes. My favorite toppings: Butter Mixed Berries Syrup You could also do: Chocolate chips Whipped cream Peanut butter Nutella Powdered sugar Bananas Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @steffani_hisgirlsunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful.

This is such a fun Catholic cultural tradition that we partake in every year with our special family waffle recipe. In doing some research, I discovered that in Sweden, Christians will eat waffles on the Feast of the Annunciation. This is because the feast's name, in Swedish, is called Vårfrudagen ("Our Lady's Day") which sounds awfully similar to the Swedish word Våffeldagen (Waffle Day). Honestly, if I were saying either word they would probably be spoken incorrectly, but there is one thing I can get right and that's waffles! Breakfast for dinner is never lost on this family, and we have a recipe that is just too delicious to not share. It's been perfected and practiced many times so I figure it this way, whether its Solemnity of the Annunciation or lazy Saturday morning, you're set! However, since we are celebrating a Solemnity, the highest rank of feast days, we go big. The menu typically consists of eggs, waffles, fresh fruit, bacon, toast, juices, coffee, and mimosas. We usually invite friends and family over to come drop in and share a waffle with us. It's just a casual, easy, and fun way to remember the day that the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and announced that she would be the Mother of God. We also incorporate prayer on this day by either doing a family rosary or finishing the Annunciation Novena in front of our home altar. Annunciation Novena Prayer "O most holy Virgin Mary, to whom God sent the Angel Gabriel to announce that you should be the mother of His Only-Begotten Son, pray for us who have recourse to you. Holy, lovely Mary We give our all to you What is past and present, And the future, too. Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God." Prep Time: 15 minutes Bake Time: 10 minutes Yields: 6 servings Ingredients 2 eggs, yolk and whites separated whip egg whites put aside 2 cups buttermilk 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tsps vanilla 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 tsps baking powder Collect all of your ingredients and let's get started! You can warm your waffle iron because the recipe doesn't take very long. Take the eggs and separate the yolks into a mixing bowl then set aside. Grab the egg whites and beat them in another bowl with your hand beater until nice and fluffy. Stage One: Bubbly but not ready yet! Stage Two: Getting there but not foamy enough to hold a shape yet. Stage Three: When your egg whites looks like Mount Crumpet, then you have attained thick and foamy perfection. Set that aside and pour 1/4 cup vegetable oil into a measuring cup. Add the vegetable oil into the bowl with the two egg yolks. Pour in 2 cups of that creamy buttermilk. Then add 2 tsps vanilla to the wet ingredients. Since your beaters are already out just give that a good mixing. Measure out 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour. For a healthier version of this, we sometimes do half whole wheat flour and half regular. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp baking soda into the flour. And then 2 tsps baking powder. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined and slowly pour that into the wet ingredients while you mix it with the hand beater. Have to get a good action shot in there while the flour is flying! Mix the ingredients until it is smooth, but we aren't finished yet! We still have one more step which is always designated to me. The egg whites! Put them in the bowl with your batter and you are going to fold them in. Folding is very important, we don't want to beat, whip, or stir them because we want to keep the airiness of the egg whites. By gently folding we keep the right consistency so that we get those light and fluffy waffles that we all like. It is important to note that with waffles, we don't want big chunks of egg whites so continue to fold until it is well incorporated. Now you are ready to pour them into the waffle iron. This pairs well with bacon, mimosas, and more bacon! This is the best part, add your own flair to those delicious waffles. It's a Solemnity so that means you have all the justification you need to go ALL OUT! My favorite toppings: Butter Mixed Berries Syrup You could also do: Chocolate chips Whipped cream Peanut butter Nutella Powdered sugar Bananas MMmmMMm MMMM mmmm! Okay one more with the yummiest side! Happy Feast of the Annunciation! Don't forget to ask for Mary's intercession before diving in! Prayer on the Feast of the Annunciation O God, Who wast pleased that the eternal Word, according to the declaration of the angel, should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Give to our humble petitions; and grant that we, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her prayers. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful.

The Buzzing of Lent We are currently in the season that is formerly known as, "pre-lent." While I've been on social media it's been hard to not be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content telling us what we should do, buy, or pray. Don't get me wrong, I know that the purpose of all these posts, mine included, is to help get people thinking about how to really engage in Lent. There's nothing wrong with having options and many of us are eager to share that through products, lists, and creatively engaging posts. Yet, there is a message that has been missing and it's one that around this time I try to wholly embrace by taming my wired mind and easing my routine. And That Message is This... I want to tell you to slow down. I want to tell you to do nothing. To rest. To reflect. To pause more. To embrace those fleeting moments of silence. How Can I Say This? Intentionally think about what we are approaching and let's ready ourselves. Not ready ourselves for more things or what can so easily become spiritual clutter for the sake of what we deem to be liturgical living, or so that we have things to talk about on the internet, but for a real and true relationship with Jesus. I understand that you may be thinking, "I'm confused, you're entire mission is liturgical living, you yourself recommend these things in your own shop and posts." And yes, that is all true, I do find great value in opportunities that bring the faith into our homes. However, liturgical living, in its purest form, is living a life close to the sacraments. It's a life that day in and day out reflects the graces of those liturgical experiences and draws us into holiness and true friendship with Christ. If the things that we do or buy help us to accomplish that, than we should delve into those faith-filled experiences. But if they don't, we should not engage in them and we should simplify so that our liturgical life is about what is most important, Christ sacrificing His life out of love for us. Let me share something from an experience I had several years ago that was brought back to my memory through all of the online Lenten buzz. That year we did a lot of extra things, ideas from social media manifested themselves beautifully in our home and it was to the detriment of what should be felt and known as the most impactful faith experience of our lives, Jesus' death and resurrection. Lent came and went and I was upset with myself for being so distracted by social media. I was left at the end of Lent staring up at Jesus from the foot of the cross frustratedly saying, "I didn't walk with you. I made Lent more about me, than about you and us!" Use Pre-Lent as a Time for Spiritual Focus Use the season of pre-lent to slow down so that we don't miss out on the fruitfulness that can come from Lent. The purpose of this short bout of time is to help us transition our spirits, minds, and emotions from our typical day to the way of the cross, and that doesn't just happen overnight. I truly wish, not just from a theological/liturgical stand point but from a practical stand point, that the Church still formally had this season. I say practically because as someone who does live liturgically, I look to the Church and the calendar for the cues. I await the changing liturgical and natural seasons and feast days to help me understand where I am in the life of Christ, Mary, and the saints so that I can adjust my lived experiences. Without this marker I see how easy it is for us to be thrust into Lent with a one day warning, Shrove Tuesday. So, in hopes to bring attention to the need for a preparatory time, I am inviting all of you as my friends to do just that, prepare. We hear all the time this reference to Lent as a desert. If we take that as more than just a spiritual adage, then it should really give us pause. When I imagine myself entering into the desert, I don't think of all the things I'd pack to entertain myself, or what I'd bring to fill my day, I think of necessities! What do I need to help me focus on my walk through this place of suffering? And so we put things into perspective and consider all of the resources, tools, products, etc. and think with a level of intentionality. The Important Questions What do I personally need for the journey? What will draw me nearer to Jesus? Is this thing that I am considering going to be a potential distraction? Does this help me engage in a life of prayer? How will this thing benefit my personal and familial Lenten journey? Have I created any time for not doing anything but contemplating Christ's sacrifice? Am I encouraging my husband, wife, and children to think about how much Jesus must love each of us personally to undergo such torment? Are the activities, decorations, meals, community engagements, and purchases minimal and modest to reflect this season? The Two Purposes I write this post with two purposes in mind. The first is to make ourselves more aware of this pre-lenten season, which used to be called the 'gesimas, and remind us to not squander this brief time with too much planning and prepping. Give this time the meaning it deserves by slowly starting to remove the usual busyness of life. The second is to implore you with loving precaution to avoid frantically getting distracted by the many things that we can do, purchase, read, and attend. It can be really easy to see all that is being offered on social media and proceed to fill up our Lenten days with things that we think will help us. But in the end these things will only fill the space that we really need Christ to be in. Think about the questions that were posed, these are questions that I use on myself, and answer them honestly. Then proceed in action in a manner that reflects the ultimate goal of Lent, unity with Christ in a season of suffering. Praying for you, Steffani His Girl Sunday

For our rehearsal dinner we decided to pick a handful of people that would give toasts. I wanted the night to be more personal and also allow people that played an important part in our relationship the chance to speak, especially given that the wedding day is relegated to MOH and best man speeches. As an aside, I can't recommend this enough, we got to hear beautiful words from family and friends that we have been able to look back on affectionately. One of those speeches was from my husband's friend and this affirmation really struck the both of us. He said, "these two are really good at dating." This moment feels so fresh to me, we looked at each other and smiled, giving the other that look that best friends give when you know exactly what the other person is thinking. My husband and I have always really enjoyed spending time with one another and experiencing new things. The first summer we met we spent every single weekend (this is not an exaggeration) out at a Mexican restaurant that had live music dancing, talking, eating, and shutting the place down at 2AM. We had a blast together, and that amazing summer continued on for years! The typical engagement advice of "never stop dating one another" was not lost on us, and in fact was one of the much easier words of advice to put into action. Mostly, because it already was! It could be the fact that we both have personalities that get bored easily, or that my husband knows that I love to be asked out, whatever the reason, we do something several times a month. These are some of my favorite and most memorable date nights! Dinner and Dancing: I am not talking clubs, that's personally not my scene, but more so restaurants, event halls, tea houses, beer gardens, etc that have live music. This was a local rooftop restaurant! Brunch and Antiquing: On a Saturday morning we both really enjoy waking up slowly, getting ready, having a leisurely brunch, and hitting up local antique shops. I find the best furniture and Catholic gems on these dates. My husband really likes finding old books! Outdoor Theatre & Picnic: Pack a picnic, football, frisbee, or kite and lay outside while listening to the symphony or watch a play. This is one of our go to dates when we are on a budget! Comedy Shows: We are about to go see our third comedian next month! Who do you both enjoy hearing? See when they are going on tour and spend the evening out laughing together. Give yourself permission to loosen up sometimes... it's good for the skin! Gary Gulman = Hilarious! High Tea: Sometimes I like to get a little fancy. Get dressed up and enjoy high tea together at a nearby restaurant, brunch spot, or hotel! There is nothing lovelier than this. High Tea at the Granduca Winery and Church Outings: When we can get away for a Saturday we drive out of the city and visit a nearby winery or cute small town. There are tons of those around that make for great day trips and there's usually an old Catholic Church that will delight our hearts. The painted churches around Schulenburg are absolutely breathtaking, look them up! This is St. Joseph Catholic Church in Richardson, TX. Messina Hof Winery Parish Events: These can make for fun date nights too! Sometimes we will look at events that are happening at local parishes and jump into those. Catholic churches are always offering something, could be Mass and a talk, wine & dinner, procession & community time, or a parish dance. See what is going on around you! This was a parish Shrove Tuesday event, I'm not going to pass up good Cajun food! Movie Grills: This is so simple and low key! They are easy to do when you just want to get out of the house but don't want to make a ton of decisions. Plus, who doesn't like watching a movie while being served snacks and wine? There's so many ideas that I could write about so I'll save that for a part two in the near future. If I could leave you with anything let it be this. When my husband and I were dating, and we'd be out doing something, we'd look over and say "I like you." Of course we loved each other, but before that came the very simple yet profound reality that we liked one another. We enjoy and delight in the other. Think of what you each enjoy and go experience that with them. Consider your common interests and seek those out. And maybe, if I could put it simply, we all just need to say let's go do something and then actually go do it! Peace & Good, Steffani His Girl Sunday