Life is stressful. There is no getting around it and for most families today it is more stressful then ever. One of the reasons people are more stressed then ever is that we have lost our focus and our balance. To keep me balanced and focused on the truly important things I make sure to incorporate things in my life like bible study, Liturgy of the Hours, and books that teach the Catholic teachings. By incorporating things like this into your daily life it helps keep you balanced.

In May I used the Magnificat for the first time. It was easier to use then the big Liturgy of the Hours that require a lot of flipping and guidance (at first). The Magnificat is great for a beginner or an old pro who would like a change of pace.

The one thing that I really enjoyed was the daily meditations. That was my favorite feature. One of the meditations really struck me. It was called "What it Means to be Consecrated in the Truth" the writing was from Saint Catherine of Siena. The entire piece was very moving but I did want to share one snip of it with you.

"All existence, every grace, every spiritual and material gift they credit to their Creator. It is obvious to them -and it is so- that they have received and continue to receive everything from him freely, and not because he owes it to them, nor because of any service they have ever done their Creator. "

This small snip doesn't even begin to cover all the great info in this one meditation. I keep re-reading it and analizing all the different layers of just this one piece. In stressful times we need to make sure to have wonderful tools to help us stay focused and balanced. For more great resources to help you stay balanced visit The Catholic Company.

What do you do to stay balanced and focused on the truly important things in life?