“Theories and philosophies about prayer abound, but when it comes to praying with the kids, we need a guide that is practical, simple, and easy to incorporate. This book is that guide, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!” --Leila Miller, Little Catholic Bubble  Whether you are just getting started with family prayer or looking to broaden your horizons, 77 Ways to Pray with Your Kids can help, offering practical, kid-friendly guides to Christian prayer practices both ancient and new.  While not all of the prayer practices will become a permanent part of your family routine, trying out many different ways of praying will give your kids a great introduction to the wide scope of the Catholic prayer tradition. Along the way, you may find a handful of practices that become a part of your family's routine.   Features of 77 Ways to Pray with Your Kids include: * Age-appropriate adaptations for young children, older kids, and teens. * Articles on a wide range of practices, including Liturgy of the Hours, Answering Jesus' Questions, Bite-Size Biblical Prayers, Blessing One Another, Contemplative Prayer, Daily Examen, Lectio Divina, Novenas, Adapting the Rosary for Kids, Grab-bag Prayers, and more. * "Talking Points" offers a quick explanation of prayer practices that might raise questions from your kids (for example, "Why do we pray for the dead?").  * "Learn more" connects you to the relevant section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other primary church documents. * An appendix that includes thirty-three common and useful Catholic prayers for easy reference.  Find online resources to accompany the ideas in this book, as well as additional titles in the Peanut Butter & Grace Guides for Catholic Families series, at pbgrace.com.

77 Ways to Pray with Your Kids

Religion & Spirituality

Windley-Daoust, Jerry J

Christian Books & Bibles

Gracewatch Media

Little Thérèse Martin loved Jesus with all her heart. However, Thérèse was very young. She knew that because she was little, she could not do big things for Jesus. She could not travel to far-off lands to tell people about Jesus. She could not serve the poor like the great saints. And she could not be like her older sisters who went away to the Carmelite convent, spending their days in prayer. Thérèse wanted to do great things for Jesus, too. But how could someone little do great things? Jesus often spoke to Thérèse’s heart, and one day, He answered her question by telling her the story of a little flower. . . . The Little Flower: A Parable of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is a wonderful way to introduce children to the spirituality of St. Thérèse’s “little way.” with its lesson that even the littlest act, done with great love, is beautiful in Jesus’s eyes. Writer Becky Arganbright has adapted St. Thérèse’s lesson of the little flowers into a delightful parable for children. The young Thérèse learns that even though she might be little, with God’s help, her littleness can be a way of doing great things for God. Illustrator Tracey Arvidson brings the young Thérèse Martin (and the flowers of her parable) to life in gorgeous illustrations.

The Little Flower: A Parable of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

Children's Books

Arganbright, Becky B.

Literature & Fiction

Thérèse Martin wanted "to accomplish the most heroic deeds” for Christ; she wanted to be a saint, a prophet, a martyr, a Doctor of the Church, a missionary. “I would be a light unto souls; I would travel to every land to preach Your name, O my Beloved," she wrote. "I would spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, even to the most distant isles.” In time, Thérèse would achieve all of those things, despite the fact that she died at the age of twenty-four after spending nine years as a cloistered Carmelite nun. The autobiography that was published after her death, Story of a Soul, propelled her to international renown, making her one of the most popular saints of modern times. Charming in its childlike simplicity, yet full of profound (and hard-won) wisdom, Story of a Soul found millions of readers, inspiring many to follow her "little way" of detachment, sacrifice, and joy. Today, the Church honors her not only as a saint, but as a patron of missionaries and a Doctor of the Church (one of the Church’s greatest teachers). Little Lessons from St. Thérèse of Lisieux presents brief excerpts from Story of a Soul as a way of introducing those unfamiliar with Thérèse to some of the essential themes of her spirituality. The words of St. Thérèse are accompanied by the artwork of award-winning watercolorist Jeanine Crowe, a wonderful aid to prayerful meditation on the words and wisdom of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Little Lessons from St. Thérèse of Lisieux includes twenty-one selections from the words of St. Thérèse, twenty artworks, and ten questions for reflection and discussion.

Little Lessons from St. Therese of Lisieux: An Introduction to Her Words and Wisdom

Martin, Thérèse

Arganbright, Becky

Thérèse Martin wanted "to accomplish the most heroic deeds” for Christ; she wanted to be a saint, a prophet, a martyr, a Doctor of the Church, a missionary. “I would be a light unto souls; I would travel to every land to preach Your name, O my Beloved," she wrote. "I would spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, even to the most distant isles.” In time, Thérèse would achieve all of those things, despite the fact that she died at the age of twenty-four after spending nine years as a cloistered Carmelite nun. The autobiography that was published after her death, Story of a Soul, propelled her to international renown, making her one of the most popular saints of modern times. Charming in its childlike simplicity, yet full of profound (and hard-won) wisdom, Story of a Soul found millions of readers, inspiring many to follow her "little way" of detachment, sacrifice, and joy. Today, the Church honors her not only as a saint, but as a patron of missionaries and a Doctor of the Church (one of the Church’s greatest teachers). Little Lessons from St. Thérèse of Lisieux presents brief excerpts from Story of a Soul as a way of introducing those unfamiliar with Thérèse to some of the essential themes of her spirituality. The words of St. Thérèse are accompanied by the artwork of award-winning watercolorist Jeanine Crowe, a wonderful aid to prayerful meditation on the words and wisdom of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Little Lessons from St. Thérèse of Lisieux includes twenty-one selections from the words of St. Thérèse, twenty artworks, and ten questions for reflection and discussion.

Little Lessons from St. Thérèse of Lisieux: An Introduction to Her Words and Wisdom

Biographies & Memoirs

Leaders & Notable People

The Gift of Birth: Discerning God's Presence During Childbirth

Is the process of giving birth a medical problem to be solved, a hurdle to be overcome on the way to motherhood . . . or is it something more? Could it be, as Susan Windley-Daoust proposes, that giving birth is a gift from God, laden with signs that speak to women about their identity, their calling, and their destiny? If so, then learning to read those embodied signs during pregnancy and labor could transform the way women experience childbirth. These signs reveal that God is not only powerfully present in the whole birthing process, but desires to actively work with women to bring forth new life. Drawing on insights from spiritual direction literature, the Bradley Method, and Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body, Susan Windley-Daoust provides expectant (and veteran) mothers with a spiritual retreat aimed at learning to see the signs of God's presence in their pregnancy and childbirth. Reflection exercises, prayers, and meditations guide the reader in preparing for and exploring her own experience of giving birth. In learning to cooperate with "the Lord, Giver of Life," the reader receives a sacred gift to be opened not only in childbirth, but in her whole life. The Gift of Birth is divided into four parts. Part One develops insights from spiritual direction and the Theology of the Body, showing what they reveal about the divine design of childbirth. Part Two walks the reader through a typical childbirth, stage by stage, looking for God's presence and learning to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in bringing forth new life. Part Three deals with less-than-ideal birthing scenarios, including unexpected pregnancy and medical interventions. In Part Four, seven women share their own diverse birth stories, and how they experienced God's presence--even when things didn't turn out as they had planned. Susan Windley-Daoust is a Catholic theologian, spiritual director, and award-winning author of Theology of the Body, Extended: The Spiritual Signs of Birth, Impairment, and Dying. She teaches theology at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota, where she lives with her husband and five children.

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Susan Marie Windley-Daoust

Women's Health

Here are fourteen lively two-minute stories to introduce young Catholics to some of the Church’s most beloved saints. Each story is accompanied by two coloring pages: a gorgeously detailed portrait of the saint, and a scene of the saint in action.The featured saints include:Saint Bernadette SoubirousSaint Dominic SavioSaint Kateri TekakwithaSaint John BoscoSaint Thèrése of LisieuxSaint Juan DiegoSaints Perpetua and FelicityBlessed Pier Giorgio FrassatiBlessed Miguel ProSaint Martin de PorresBlessed Jacoba de SettesoliSaint JosephSaint Marcellus the CenturionBlessed Chiara Luce BadanoEach piece of artwork is "framed" at a handy 8x10 size so that young artists can cut out and frame their work.

Living Sparks of God: Stories of Saints for Young Catholics to Color

LaVoy, Maria

Religions

Little Thérèse Martin could be a very stubborn young girl. All too often, if someone wanted her to say "yes," she wanted to say "no"! But then, as she is preparing for her First Communion, Thérèse discovers a way to turn her everyday trials and tribulations into something beautiful for Jesus. Join Thérèse (and her family) as she learns to "gather roses from amid thorns." With simple storytelling and vibrant watercolors, Flowers for Jesus introduces children to a saint they can relate to: the young Thérèse of Lisieux, before she became known the world over as a spiritual master. Flowers for Jesus draws on her autobiography, Story of a Soul, to relate a key aspect of Thérèse's "Little Way" in language that children can understand and appreciate. The book concludes with biographical information about Thérèse, as well as the excerpt from Story of a Soul on which Flowers for Jesus is based.

Flowers for Jesus: A Story of Thérèse of Lisieux as a Young Girl

Becky Arganbright

Women who have had miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss often feel profoundly alone in their grief. Heidi Indahl knows, having experienced all three. In Blessed Is the Fruit of Thy Womb: Rosary Reflections on Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss, she invites grieving mothers to accompany Mary on a journey of loss and healing. Each mystery is accompanied by scripture readings and reflections, prayer intentions, and questions to ponder. The writing space opposite each mystery offers a place for readers to record their thoughts, prayers, or even to write a note to their little one.

Blessed Is the Fruit of Thy Womb: Rosary Reflections on Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss

Indahl, Heidi

In simple rhyme accompanied by Scripture verses and sweet, expressive illustrations, I Can Be Happy, Too teaches children that while we can't control the bad things that happen to us, we can control how we respond to disappointment and adversity.As essential as emotions are, they often prevent our children (and us ) from responding to the world in the best way. Learning how to respond to life's ups and downs positively empowers our children and helps them mature into emotionally healthy adults.

I Can Be Happy, Too: A Book about Attitudes

Howard, Susan A.

"If we do not know what happens in our heart ... we are like 'animals that understand nothing, ' that move along through instinct (cf. Jude 1:10). But we are not animals, we are children of God, baptized with the gift of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, it is important to understand what has happened each day in my heart." --Pope Francis, encouraging the practice of a daily examen (morning meditation for September 4, 2018) By the end of his life, St. Ignatius of Loyola could say of himself, "Whenever he wished, at whatever hour, he could find God." This sensitivity to God's presence didn't just happen. Instead, it was the fruit of his daily practice of prayerfully examining his thoughts, feelings, words, and actions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Fortunately for the rest of us, St. Ignatius taught this method of prayer to the members of the religious order he founded, the Society of Jesus ("the Jesuits"); he thought it was so important to their spiritual life, he required them to pray it twice a day. Over the centuries, millions of ordinary Christians have made the Ignatian Examen--also known as the Daily Examen--a regular part of their prayer life. Like St. Ignatius and like Pope Francis, they have found it to be a powerful aid to spiritual growth. Now, The Daily Examen Journal: A 30-Day Spiritual Retreat offers a way to practice the Ignatian Examen in a beautiful journal format. The practice of journaling the Examen has its roots with St. Ignatius himself; he kept a treasured notebook of his spiritual insights, and encouraged his Jesuits to keep a simple written record of their spiritual progress from day to day. The Daily Examen Journal includes: - a thorough introduction to the spirit and practice of the Ignatian Examen; - 30 step-by-step guided journal entries; - a different inspirational prayer from the saints or the book of Psalms for each day's entry; - beautiful black-and-white hand-drawn art. The Daily Examen Journal is a helpful aid to anyone who wants a more focused, guided experience of the Daily Examen...and, when it is finished, a written record of his or her spiritual journey.

The Daily Examen Journal: A 30-Day Spiritual Retreat

Windley-Daoust, Jerry

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