To pray our way through colder climes

A new month’s worth of prayers, poems, and podcasts to keep you company

I’m delighted to welcome Give Us This Day as our latest sponsor for Mothering Spirit! Even if you’re not a parent who reads Mothering Spirit, everyone is welcome to check out their daily prayer devotional and try a sample copy by signing up here. I’ve been praying with Give Us This Day for years (and I’m thrilled to be writing for them now, too) so I highly recommend it.

Ave Maria Press just released a beautiful new Living the Word Bible for women. You can use code LIVINGWORD52 for $5 off plus free shipping. Hint for holiday shopping: buying directly from the publisher is the best way to support authors, and I’m happy to support the many friends who contributed reflections to this Bible!

A few books that landed in my mailbox while I was gone—and I ripped open with glee:

Rachel Marie Kang, Let There Be Art: The Pleasure and Possibility of Unleashing the Creativity within You

Leticia Ochoa Adams, Our Lady of Hot Messes: Getting Real with God in Dive Bars and Confessionals

Allison Gingras, Encountering Signs of Faith: My Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, the Saints, and the Abundant Grace of God

A companion for the bittersweet task of switching kids’ clothes from summer to winter: The One About The Hand-Me-Downs from Cara Stolen at Coffee + Crumbs.

Well-worth a listen even if you’re not a die-hard U2 fan like moi: Surrender: A Conversation With Bono heads straight into the territory of faith.

The wisdom of night prayer and how Simeon’s Canticle can sing to us in times of transition.

Brace yourself for a rare household recommendation: after buying this $5 magnetic frame because I thought it looked cool on Instagram, I finally hung it on our wall this fall and started printing out a poem a week (or a month, let’s be honest). Yes, it hangs in the bathroom, and no, I don’t know if anyone else cares, but poetry on the wall for practically nothing is the best home improvement I’ve made in years. Start with 2 gorgeous poems on November here and here from Barbara Crooker.

Niche recommendation: if you’re a French-speaker, here are 3 podcasts I’m loving post-pilgrimage.

1. Little Talk in Slow French. Started binging this as pre-departure language prep, and it helped brush off my dusty grammar.

2. Maman Prie. Loving this quick pod on prayer for busy moms.

3. Croire: Les Voies de la Prière. Great interviews on faith from a diverse group of Christians.

If you like the round-up of links I share here, did you know I compile a mini-version each week on our Friday post at Mothering Spirit? This week’s included the latest book from Shannan Martin, an essay on the quiet liturgy of Fred Rogers, and a prayer for Hallowtide from Catherine Ricketts. Subscribe to the free Mothering Spirit Substack to get each week’s posts.

Finally, if you’re local to the Twin Cities and have lost a child to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss, I’d love to welcome you to the annual November prayer service that our family helps organize in honor of our daughters Abby and Maggie. Reply and I’ll share the details.

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