The Better Part - Intentional Living for Christian Moms with a Bible-Loving Catholic Mama

Latest Episodes:

Prayer: When Prayer is Hard Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, prayer is just hard. Sometimes it is due to logistical difficulties. If that is you, go back and check out the "Prayer: Practicals" and "Prayer: Troubleshooting & Tips" episodes.

But sometimes, it's just hard because of stuff we are going through in our personal lives. Major financial difficulties, depression, difficult diagnoses, and more can all affect our every day state, and this can be a huge barrier to prayer. Though we may have nothing to say to God, or seemingly nothing to offer Him, God is no further away. In fact, He has the tendency to come in closer to the broken hearted, the hungry, the lowly. Whether you are feeling His presence or not, know that you are HIS and He has not forgotten you.

If you are struggling to find anything to say to God, that is OK. I encourage you to (1.) find a guided prayer to lead you through. Continue to attempt daily prayer as an anchor in your life. Putting yourself in His word daily will remind you of truth and will help you remember His presence. (2.) Try to see how He is working in your life through little blessings and miracles. And (3.) remind yourself of the truth. You are His beloved. He will never forsake you. Psalm 139 can remind you that you are always His.

If you know of someone in a tough state, share this episode with them! They may need some encouragement that God is still there, even if they aren't able to be fully present with Him.

Prayer: Practicals - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/SpjjOLXXLGb

Prayer: Troubleshooting & Tips - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/AcYPZewLtGb

Prayer: Contemplative Prayer Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

Let's talk contemplative prayer! Many saints before us have thrived with hours of contemplative prayer every day, "sitting in the room with Jesus."

If vocal prayer is us talking to Jesus and meditative prayer is us focusing on Jesus, contemplative prayer is us listening to Jesus. It is not about our actions, but about God's actions and listening to what He wants to say to us.

This is easier said than done, though. Our world is LOUD, BUSY, and DISTRACTING. And our brains are trained to flit from thought to thought, struggling to quiet ourselves enough to hear the still, quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. In this episode, I share some tips about how to attempt contemplative prayer, with the knowledge that in the end, it will be God's decision to speak to us. We can trust that He knows what we need to hear and when we need to hear it.

Though it is hard, contemplative prayer is so worth it because:

God is real and He is good
He wants good things for us
It is good for us to learn to be quiet and listen
When we know God's voice well, we will be able to recognize it in other parts of our lives.

"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand." John 10:27-28

Prayer: Meditative Prayer Jan 30, 2024

Show notes

This episode dives into MEDITATIVE prayer, which takes a little more focus, discipline, and time than vocal prayer. Meditative prayer is beautiful for growing our virtues of patience and helping us develop more intimacy with Jesus! You can meditate on all kinds of things, including: scripture, prayers, pictures, nature, or even just a word. By training our bodies to slow down and focus, we can go much deeper into a portion of the Bible or into a truth that God wants to reveal to us.

Since we are physical people, don't skimp on preparing your body to meditate. Remove all distractions, get comfortable, and take some slow breaths before trying to dive into meditation. And remember that we are seeking a deep relationship with Jesus, not just the good feelings that may come from prayer. Feelings come and feelings go, and we'll talk about that more in a couple of episodes!

Some resources to look into for meditation are:

The Rosary
Lectio Divina
Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales
Ignatian Audio Meditations

Try to take some time this week to meditate! I recommend taking a gospel story that you know well. Read the story a few times and try to picture the elements involved. Then, after asking the Holy Spirit to help you, try to "dive into" the story. Either picturing yourself as a character or "watching" it as a movie. Take the story SLOWLY and linger on any elements that stand out to you. Afterwards, journal about anything that stood out to you or surprised you from your meditation.

Some ideas are:

Luke 5:1-11 - Jesus calling Peter
John 11 - Jesus raising Lazarus
Luke 8:43-48 - The Hemorrhaging Woman
Mark 4:35-41 - Jesus calms the storm

Prayer: Vocal Prayer Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

Once we have established a solid routine of prayer, we can work on deepening our prayer so that we can grow closer to Jesus! This episode speaks on many different types of vocal prayer (any time you are speaking to God either out loud, in your heart, or written words). I encourage you to open your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to draw out one type of prayer you can work on. OR you may just choose to just start ordering your prayer according to an acronym I share about:

(A)doration

(C)ontrition

(T)hanksgiving

(S)upplication

Regardless of what our prayers look like, remember that God looks at the heart. A short, simple prayer said from the depths of your soul is more meaningful than a long, eloquent prayer said without presence of mind and heart. Let us never be like the people from Matthew 15:8, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Let us be women who say what we mean and mean what we say, especially when it comes to speaking to Jesus!

Theme music written and produced by Jeffrey Azar.

Prayer: Troubleshooting & Tips Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

When life is inconsistent, it can be really hard to find consistency in your prayer! In this episode, we’ll do some troubleshooting. I’ll share the experiences of a few different women that can help you figure out how to make the time for prayer even when life changes. I’ll also give some overall tips that might be helpful! In the next three episodes, we will focus on deepening our prayer lives and therefore our relationships with Jesus! Theme music written and produced by Jeffrey Azar.

Prayer: Practicals Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Jenna defines what she means by consistent, daily prayer and goes through an acronym that lists aspects of a good prayer life. Use this acronym to look at your own prayer and see if there are any ways you can improve the environment in which you pray! Next week, she’ll discuss troubleshooting, which can help you if you struggle to find the time of your day to devote to prayer, plus give some more tips from her experience and that of others. The acronym to think about before next episode is: (A)rea (D)uration (E)xclusivity (P)lan (T)ime of Day

Theme music written and produced by Jeffrey Azar.

Prayer: Perspective Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

Join me for the first episode of our "Prayer" series! This series will hit on some practicals for bringing prayer into daily life as a mom and will go through different types of prayer for each of us to grow in our walks with Jesus. A daily prayer life is essential to developing a relationship with Jesus, and a relationship with Jesus is essential to living a life of peace! He wants to provide you with all that you need! Go to him regularly, and find the love, guidance, and grace that your soul longs for.

This episode sets the perspective for the series by giving you some background information on me and encouraging you to look into your personal prayer life. Think about where you have been, and where you are now!

Consider these three questions before we meet again for episode 2:

What was prayer like when you were growing up? Can you think of someone who modeled prayer for you?
Has there been a time in your life when you felt particularly connected to the Lord? Try to remember as many details about that time as possible.
Where are you at now? Do you have set aside prayer time daily? Weekly? What do you do during that time? If you had a question that you wanted to ask Jesus, how would you go about finding that answer?

Theme music written and produced by Jeffrey Azar.

What is the BETTER PART? Learn from Jenna and get excited for WHAT’S NEXT on the podcast! Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

Y’all! I’m so excited to share my lovely friend Jenna with you! You will not want to miss this episode! Here’s the survey we talk about in today’s episode - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-I-UMz4hz_0P74SSVddosk1-jrt6cZr1urbGWqzR-qONyEQ/viewform - we would so appreciate it if you filled it out! Jenna’s podcast starts January 2, 2024! Get excited!!! Email me at 500secondstojoy@gmail.com if you have any questions. :) XOXO Stephanie

I’m BACK with a SUPER SPECIAL Guest and an EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT! Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

I am BACK and I’m excited to not only share about how life has been lately and what’s next on the podcast, but to also introduce you to my special guest today. My sweet mom, Jennifer Fisch Lemp, is on the podcast today to share about her new book! It’s called Resting on a Pillow of Prayers: Poems of Loss, Hope and Healing. I am SO excited for you to learn from her. She’s going to share about how God drew her closer to Himself through a very aggressive and rare cancer diagnosis. God only wants our good and His ways are mysterious. My mom is such an example of trust in God no matter what. I hope you leave encouraged and uplifted to pursue God and let Him pursue you always! No matter what, God is FOR you. To grab my mom’s book, click here👉 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/resting-on-a-pillow-of-prayers-poems-of-loss-hope-and-healing-jennifer-fisch-lemp/1144158866?ean=9798888516805 OR HERE👉 https://www.amazon.com/Resting-Pillow-Prayers-Poems-Healing/dp/B0CK9NHKCV/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=32N9MF8HDZ3C8&keywords=resting+on+a+pillow+of+prayers&qid=1697667514&sprefix=resting+on+a+pillow+of+prayers%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1 ☺️ Email me with any questions! 500secondstojoy@gmail.com XOXO Stephanie

Bye For Now // I’m Taking A Break From The Podcast…Let Me Explain Why [EP 298] Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

I’m taking a break and I want to thank you for listening and explain why I’m taking this break. God bless you and your family! Xoxo Stephanie [email me at 500secondstojoy@gmail.com if you’d like to connect] [Here are the podcasts I mentioned to go check out: Latte and Laundry, Her Pursuit, The Joy Filled Podcast, Read-Aloud Revival, The Homeschooling Journey, and Abiding Together]

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