Mama Prays

After guiding my hand to tie tiny apron strings around her, my daughter busies herself with miniature pots and pans. She is a flurry of culinary activity, feeding me magic soup and dandelion tea.…Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

Tiny hands flutter in a flurry of genuflection as we wade our way into the front pew. We’re early by at least 30 minutes, but all the rest have filled up with Mass regulars, eager to beat our the C&E Catholics for good seats.…Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

A pile of odds and ends, the leavings of the day, sit at the base of our stairs like a pile of rubble after a domestic avalanche of orphaned shoes, Hot Wheels, and broken pieces of chalk. This is the “go back” pile: the pile of items designated to be returned upstairs after I have whisked them off the floor in a speed clean session inspired by the Tasmanian Devil. …Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

If you clicked on this expecting a feel-good piece about God’s graces overflowing, I apologize for the story you’re about to hear. This story is about as unspiritual as it gets. This is a story about a toilet. …Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

“Mom, how big am I?” my son bounces on his heels, eagerly awaiting my answer.“What do you mean, honey?” I ask. I am slow to look up from my reading, so I miss his gesture towards the wall. “I mean, how much do I weigh?” he asks. “We’ll have to go upstairs and see,” I reply, thinking of the digital scale in my bathroom. “NO!” he replies with uncharacteristic force for my usually mellow 5-year-old. “You know,” he says with a meaningful look, and this time I follow where he is pointing.…Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

One of the first blog posts I ever wrote was an earnest, idealistic piece on the importance of bringing our children to Mass. Several years and four kids later, those sentiments are as obsolete as that first blog. My own words pop into my head and my stomach churns — bloated from years of weekly humble pie.…Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

Several months ago, I was enveloped in the deep blackness of my autoimmune disorder. I had lived for several years with minimal symptoms following my diagnosis, but this past fall, it sucked me under.…Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

Our youngest son was the quietest in the womb. “Have you felt the baby move today?” my nurses would ask at our prenatal appointments. “No,” I’d reply, “But that’s not unusual for him.” That stillness did not last. …Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

It’s quiet in the dark, except for the screaming. I hold my one-year-old, skin hot from fever, as he writhes against me. “No, no” he cries, little hands trying to force me away. He wants neither down nor up.  I’m used to being the touch that soothes - a useless gift when everything hurts. …Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

I laugh as the line turns pink. Earlier this week, I told my husband that although we had been trying to conceive our second child for a few months, just one week of juggling night school, full-time teaching, and taking care of our 2-year-old daughter had made me reconsider.I wanted to postpone through this last semester of graduate school. Now, I can only laugh as I unceremoniously hand the test to my husband. His laugh echoes mine as he places his hands on my belly. “Another baby,” he whispers. We lock eyes and the reality of the life inside me takes hold. My narrow plans evaporate, love already blossoming.…Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

“Mommymommmymommy!” The breathless stringing together of my title is familiar, but the urgency with which my daughter calls is uncharacteristic. Her voice is laced with fear, so I rush into her room. The light of the early morning creeps into her room. It’s not enough to eliminate the darkness, just enough to cast deep shadows. …Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

When I open the door and see my mother-in-law standing there, something inside cracks and tears escape down my face. I’m not dressed. Toys and bits of food litter the floor. I’ve been wracked with piercing pain and illness for days. Merely dressing and feeding the children has been a feat; nothing about this environment speaks to my competency as a mother. …Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

The heat is creeping towards 100 degrees today, so ice cream sounds like a good idea. It could have been a good idea if my toddler had gotten her nap. Instead, we are out and about with my aunt, wandering up and down the blocks of quaint Old Town. She offers us this cool treat, and my daughter’s eyes go big and round when she sees its size. …Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

“Watch me, Mommy!”This is the single line of the chorus I hear all day long. Whatever task I am occupied by matters little to my daughter who burns to show me her latest accomplishment. From basketfuls of laundry and sinks full of dishes, I avert my gaze to behold new dances, record-breaking leaps, watercolor masterpieces, and puzzles completed. I wrestle with the need to finish what I’m doing and the desire to be present to her. Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad

“I hate you. I hate you!” my daughter screams from behind her door. Her words cut me, but this is hardly the first tantrum that we’ve weathered. I stand outside, deaf to the sound of kicks and screams. They used to break me inside; familiarity has numbed their sting. …Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, and SHARE this episode with another mom who’s pursuing holiness!CONNECT:Substack NewsletterInstagram FacebookEmail: samantha @ mamaprays.comBOOKS:Mama Prays DevotionalReclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad