Typically by this time of the year, calendars and planners are marked down to half price and most moms have given up on yet another set of New Year's resolutions, including the perennial favorite one to get their lives organized. Thankfully, this year there is a new tool on the market that will help revolutionize the homes and spiritual lives of many Catholic families.
The Orderly Days planner, by Kate Conway and Motherhood Press, provides a new perspective on time management. The first thing you'll notice when you receive your Orderly Days planner is the small Rosary ring clipped to the inside of the three ring binder that contains the planner. Conway's introduction for the planner sets the tone for the tool, stating that her goal is to provide a “Catholic traditions day planner that helps you organize your life the way God intended — in a proper and orderly way.”
The Orderly Days planner logo features a gracefully drawn rosary image, and uplifting fonts, artwork, and scriptural references are sprinkled throughout. The planner is compact enough to fit in a purse, diaper bag, or to sit neatly at your desk. The Personal Data again reinforces the emphasis on spirituality, by including important parish contact and schedule information among the other high priority items such as name, address, and emergency contacts.
Kate Conway expresses the objective of helping women establish a “God-focus” in their lives, enabling all else to fall into place. She gently reminds us to turn to Mary as a role model and intercessor, and lends an ecumenical spirit to the planner through her invitation to women of other faith traditions.
Proving that this planner has staying power, the calendar section includes annual, moveable feasts, holy days of obligation, and secular holidays through 2007. Other important features include a cross-section of prayers, prayer request lists and prayer prompts, and an array of printed and Internet spiritual reference guides. Each week features a “weekly goals” worksheet that gives the user the opportunity to ponder and prioritize the following areas: spiritual growth, home and family, development of spiritual gifts, physical goals, ministry to others, and financial goals.
Countless other special features abound in the Orderly Days planner, but I would recommend it most highly for its emphasis on placing a high priority on building and maintaining a solid relationship with God, and letting the benefits of that friendship rule and enhance all other areas of our home and family life.
To order the planner, visit www.motherhoodpress.com.
(Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous Web sites, including www.catholicmom.com and www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholic fiction and non-fiction.)
