{"id":42017,"date":"2013-10-22T14:22:40","date_gmt":"2013-10-22T19:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=42017"},"modified":"2013-10-22T14:22:41","modified_gmt":"2013-10-22T19:22:41","slug":"finding-peace-mom-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/10\/finding-peace-mom-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding Peace As a Mom of 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"wiml_058\"<\/a>I\u2019m not sure Hail Mary\u2019s are supposed to be yelled.<\/strong> Perhaps it\u2019s a new way of praying them?<\/p>\n

For the last several months (years), I\u2019ve struggled with finding peace in multiple areas of my life, at the same time. Maybe that\u2019s my problem. I try to find too much peace, too many places and it\u2019s just not possible.<\/p>\n

Or maybe it is.<\/p>\n

You see, I\u2019m a control freak, OCD, Type A \u2013 whatever you choose to call it. In my world, I prefer for things to follow the plan. Unfortunately, God doesn\u2019t seem to operate under the same management system. He prefers for us to follow His<\/em> plan, but then He goes and gives us free will.<\/p>\n

As the mom of five children, 12 and under, peace in my household comes in bite-size quantities. Here and there, whenever I can catch them. No matter the amount of children you have, finding peace is something in which we all struggle. During a recent homily, our priest said these words and for me and they hit my heart at just the right moment:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we lose our patience, we invite Satan in. Then, we lose control and the problem that was once so small, has now grown. It\u2019s in those moments we need to invite God in and listen.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hence, the reason why I\u2019ve been yelling Hail Mary\u2019s. That\u2019s right, I just blamed that on the priest.<\/p>\n

I wish there was some fail-safe equation, one that if you just followed the steps, you would have greater peace. If it existed, whoever wrote it would be on an island in Tahiti enjoying a Mai Tai. I\u2019m sure of it.<\/p>\n

Instead, I\u2019m learned that my journey toward peace is much like my journey toward sanctification. It doesn\u2019t happen overnight and I\u2019m going to hit peaks and valleys. God sometimes reveals himself to us in big ways, but more often I\u2019ve seen him in the seemingly small details of my life.<\/p>\n

There was peace this morning when I dropped the kids off for school. We were laughing about a recent Car Bingo game that had us all laughing.<\/p>\n

There was peace as I drove through rush hour traffic, listening to songs on Mater Eucharistiae.<\/p>\n

There was peace as I rocked my four-year-old to sleep this afternoon. He patted my arm and whispered, \u201cyou lay wif me for a minute, momma?\u201d<\/p>\n

There is peace as I type and hear the hum of the washing machine in the next room.<\/p>\n

Family, prayer, relationships and gratitude. Those are all the ways God showed himself to me today. May I find peace in those moments so they may carry me through the not-so-peaceful ones. And, maybe, I can start saying Hail Mary\u2019s instead of yelling them. A mom can hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m not sure Hail Mary\u2019s are supposed to be yelled. Perhaps it\u2019s a new way of praying them? For the last several months (years), I\u2019ve struggled with finding peace in multiple areas of my life, at the same time. Maybe that\u2019s my problem. I try to find too much peace, too many places and it\u2019s… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[55,959,120,74],"class_list":["post-42017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-blog","tag-catholic-2","tag-motherhood","tag-peace","tag-prayer","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":318602,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/11\/keeping-the-inner-peace-on-election-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":42017,"position":0},"title":"Keeping the (inner) peace on election day","author":"Shawn Rain Chapman","date":"November 8, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I messaged a friend the other day,\u00a0\"How ARE we going to keep calm on election day?\"\u00a0She wrote back: \"I'm going to be drinking!\u00a0You don't drink,\u00a0so you shall have to pray, I suppose. :P\" I do plan to pray a lot, in whatever way I can, but most of all, I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"peace","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/13640906_1199925920058556_7426082387165639649_o-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1552419,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/angels-dragons-xix-the-angel-of-peace-in-america\/","url_meta":{"origin":42017,"position":1},"title":"Angels & Dragons XIX: The Angel of Peace in America","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"February 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In the fall of 1954, the Angel of Peace came to prepare Sr. Mary Ephrem (1916-2000) of the Sisters of the Precious Blood of Jesus for the coming of Our Lady of America. \u00a0In 1960 and 1972 these apparitions received official imprimatur approval from Archbishop Paul F. Leibold (1914-1972) and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/image9-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":267217,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/07\/are-you-at-peace\/","url_meta":{"origin":42017,"position":2},"title":"Are You At Peace?","author":"Robert Lindberg","date":"July 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you at peace in the sight of Christ? Am I at peace in the sight of Christ? I remember one time; we had adoration as part of our parish mission. At one point the deacon walked all around the church with the Blessed Sacrament. As Jesus approached me I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"CaliforniaJesus","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/CaliforniaJesus-161x190.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":145169,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/08\/need-a-break-top-3-sites-for-relaxation\/","url_meta":{"origin":42017,"position":3},"title":"Need a Break? Top 3 Sites for Relaxation","author":"Britt Echtenkamp","date":"August 31, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you overwhelmed by work? Exhausted from life's demands? Maybe you feel frenzied by your list of to-do's, or super-anxious about an upcoming event. Maybe you've just watched\/read the news and now you're in a funk. Sometimes (a lot of times) you need a break. I'd venture to guess that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Social Media and Tech"","block_context":{"text":"Social Media and Tech","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/social-media\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"beach scene","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/281534_10102530545538334_841838765_n-525x700.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/281534_10102530545538334_841838765_n-525x700.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/281534_10102530545538334_841838765_n-525x700.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6554,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2011\/10\/two-guys-a-girl-and-a-catholic-podcast-32-peace-justice-and-artificial-phone-arms\/","url_meta":{"origin":42017,"position":4},"title":"Two Guys, a Girl and a Catholic Podcast 32: Peace, Justice and Artificial Phone Arms","author":"2GGCP","date":"October 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"[powerpress] Current Events: Note on financial reform from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace http:\/\/www.news.va\/en\/news\/full-text-note-on-financial-reform-from-the-pontif Rescuers save baby in rubble from the earthquake in Turkey. http:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/turkish-quake-survivors-camp-plead-tents-000727342.html Man has smartphone built in to his artificial arm http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-2053891\/iRobot-reality-patient-gets-smartphone-built-artificial-arm.html Church News: Join catholic singles, 25 years and older, at a catholic singles\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Two Guys, a Girl and a Catholic Podcast"","block_context":{"text":"Two Guys, a Girl and a Catholic Podcast","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/2guysagirl\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/2GGCP-LOGO2-300x231.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":146167,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/09\/walk-it-out-gods-will\/","url_meta":{"origin":42017,"position":5},"title":"Walk It Out (God’s Will)","author":"Ablaze Ministries","date":"September 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I used to spend too much of my time stressing about my future and what I was supposed to do with it.\u00a0\u00a0What brought me peace in that anxiety was the book of Deuteronomy.\u00a0\u00a0I love that book.\u00a0\u00a0Through it the Holy Spirit revealed so much to me about following God\u2019s will.\u00a0\u00a0A few\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"WalkItOutCC","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/WalkItOutCC-550x366.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/WalkItOutCC-550x366.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/WalkItOutCC-550x366.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42017\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}