How to Bloom in the Desert

It can be hard to find the heart-space to yearn for God during Advent, right? When our Christmas to-do list is eyeing us judgmentally from the kitchen table. I know.  Why does this precious season of anticipation come during the busiest time of year?   St. Anselm to the rescue I love sinking into the soothing Advent prayer of St. Anselm (1033-1109) − so I’m sharing it with you today!  It’s a nourishing done-for-you meditation that will nestle your heart deeply in the Advent spirit. Into longing for God who is inapproachable, yet closer to us than we are to ourselves. Come, Lord Jesus!   Psst…registered yet? Note that if you registered for my 6-week book club where we’ll unpack the wisdom of Jacques Philippe’s tiny-but-powerful book, Searching for and Maintaining Peace, you got this meditation as a bonus audio file. Haven’t registered yet? You deserve more peace in the New Year! Learn more here.  Now for the prayerful words of longing-for-God written by St. Anselm over a thousand years ago, fresh for you on the 4th Sunday of Advent 2025:    Escape from your everyday business for a short while, hide for a moment from your restless thoughts. Break off from your cares and troubles and be less concerned about your tasks and labors. Make a little time for God and rest a while in him.Enter into your mind’s inner chamber. Shut out everything but God and whatever helps you to seek him; and when you have shut the door, look for him. Speak now to God and say with your whole heart: I seek your face; your face, Lord, I desire.Lord, my God, teach my heart where and how to seek you, where and how to find you. Lord, if you are not here where shall I look for you in your absence? Yet if you are everywhere, why do I not see you when you are present?    I have never seen you, Lord my God; I do not know your face.Lord most high, what shall this exile do, so far from you? What shall your servant do, tormented by love of you and cast so far from your face? He yearns to see you, and your face is too far from him.    He desires to approach you, and your dwelling is unapproachable. He longs to find you, and does not know your dwelling place. He strives to look for you, and does not know your face.Lord, you are my God and you are my Lord, and I have never seen you. You have made me and remade me, and you have given me all the good things I possess and still I do not know you. I was made in order to see you, and I have not yet done that for which I was made.Lord, how long will it be? How long, Lord, will you forget us? How long will you turn your face away from us? When will you look upon us and hear us? When will you enlighten our eyes and show us your face? When will you give yourself back to us?Look upon us, Lord, hear us and enlighten us, show us your very self. Restore yourself to us that it may go well with us whose life is so evil without you. Take pity on our efforts and our striving toward you, for we have no strength apart from you.Teach me to seek you, and when I seek you show yourself to me, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, nor can I find you unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in desiring you and desire you in seeking you, find you in loving you.   Excerpts from Cap.1: Opera Omnia, Edit. Schmitt, Secovii, 1938, 1, 97-100 / iBreviary.com

There’s a moment every December—usually right around the third Christmas party, the seventh batch of cookies, and the fifteenth Amazon delivery—when a Catholic woman looks up and thinks: “Lord … is this what Advent is supposed to feel like? Because I’m somewhere between ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ and ‘O Come Get Me Out of Here.’” The holidays have a way of turning even the best-intentioned woman into a spiritual overachiever with a to-do list long enough to make St. Martha sweat. Let’s call it “Original Temptation.” That’s when we enjoy the ego-gratification of planning something, but we don’t consult God about it first. When I “forget” to ask God what he thinks before I make a commitment that’s going to cost me time and attention—it’s because I’m secretly worried he’ll disagree with what I want to do! And it’s even worse when I don’t check in with myself about my real motives. Which is like driving in the dark without headlights. And then I wonder why I’ve crashed out emotionally. It’s because I’ve made external things more important than keeping peace of soul.   What God wants God wants us to keep the peace he offers us at every moment. Because if we do, we can be most fully ourself and most fully like him, the Prince of Peace.  A woman I coached just before Thanksgiving said, “I have to have the perfect meal, the perfect table. And meanwhile, I barely take a mouthful.”  Many of us can relate to over-doing so that others will think highly of us and we’ll be proud of ourselves. Don’t get me wrong—creating something good and beautiful is godly. But if it causes us to snap at our sister for basting the turkey wrong, it’s time to re-think our priorities.   Reality check It dawned on me the other day that God loves me way more than I love myself—way more than I could ever love myself! Which got me wondering why I would ever put off asking the One who loves me for guidance, and instead barge ahead with my own plans—and without even asking myself what my real motive is for it.   Give Him room No innkeeper would make room for Jesus that first Christmas Eve. Let’s make time this Advent to prepare a place in our hearts—and our to-do list—for the peace Jesus came to offer us: the peace that the world tempts us to give up. Think of one thing you had planned to make or do this Advent that you could let go of and spend that time instead in silence, letting God’s love soak into you. Moments connecting with the One who loves us soften the soul. They reset the nervous system.They create room for God to get a word in edgewise. Because the truth is…peace doesn’t come from getting everything done. Peace comes from giving God room to guide us, protect us, and love us—in this moment. Our Lady of Advent, pray for us.   SPECIAL OFFER! Speaking of peace—would you like to walk together through the modern classic Searching for and Maintaining Peace? It’s a tiny but powerful book packed with the spiritual wisdom of Fr. Jacques Philippe.  We’ll meet weekly for 6 weeks on zoom starting in January.   You’ll discover: What inner peace consists of – and what it doesn’t (this secret alone will save you so much turmoil) How to maintain peace even in stressful situations How the saints cultivate inner peace. And much, much more.  Join me in kicking off 2026 by learning from a modern-day spiritual master how to keep our peace in the noise and chaos of the modern world. We’ll share our wins and struggles – and grow together in peace of soul – with a community of like-minded Catholics – for just $77. Scroll down and leave a comment, and I’ll send the details right over! ❤️ Rose

My Rosary began as usual -- with the Creed. And my mind got stuck on “The third day He rose again.” I started thinking about the time between Jesus’ death and resurrection -- and how much those three days of unknowing pertain to our daily lives. That space of time makes us think about the Israelites in the desert. Those three days are the “All is lost” space. Those three days are the “What's the use?” space. They are the “I was a fool to believe” space.   Hope in the desert St. Ignatius Loyola reminds us that even when things feel at their worst, there is an end to the worst and a new beginning will follow. The desert will end; the promised land will appear.  It is our enemy who tries to convince us that the worst will last forever. Because he wants us to lose hope in the power of the Resurrection. He wants us to lose hope in the promises of God. If you've ever experienced that desert place, you know that there's only one way out. And that is to connect with God to revive your hope.  That’s what I want to help you do. So, if you're having trouble connecting, if you wonder if you're “doing it right” – or you’re not sure that it's God you're hearing in your prayer –  I have good news.   Bringing you hope In my free 60-minute workshop, you’ll discover my 5 simple steps to connect with God (the same steps I use every single day) -- and keep that connection for life -- in a way that works for you. ➡️ Register here for free. It’s coming up soon, so do it now!   You’ll walk away with insights to help you: Be rooted in your true value and worth Handle the lows with a new sense of hope Discern and live out your true purpose Banish fear and anxiety Radiate the love of Christ   Register here! Hope to see you on the inside! ❤️ Rose

Just got back from Orlando, Florida, for a family gathering – and prayed for you at the Shrine of Our Lady, Queen of the Universe! 👑You know that I pray for you every day – and I think way more about your future (and doing what I can to help us all get to heaven) than I do about my past. But maybe it’s time to let you in on what led me to help my readers and clients lead holy, peaceful lives – and why I feel such an urgent need to do that.A podcast I recorded recently covers all that – and I want to share it with you.In a wonderful chat with Carol O’Brien on her “God is Good” podcast, we talk about how my years of ignoring God, and the misery it caused, finally drove me to connect closely with him – and later to help you to do the same.    Here’s a link to that 30-min eye-opening conversation:Rose's Story: Mirroring God's Love Pssst… … and if you’d like to know the 5 simple steps I use to stay close to God in prayer, register for my free workshop: rosefolsom.com/training Love always,❤️ Rose

Could you use a little inspiration to keep your inner fire for prayer burning bright? I’m pretty sure the answer is yes, because without seeking inspiration, prayer can become rote, routine, and let’s face it – tedious. But it never has to be that way!   Psssst!  If you’d love to belong in a community of like-minded Catholics who are growing together in building a prayer life that feels joyful and natural, let’s chat: https://calendly.com/vir2connection/chat-with-roseNow for the inspiration. The three truths below have meant a lot to me when I’ve started to doubt myself, drift into a prayer rut, or even doubt whether God is taking my fervent requests seriously. 😂  I pray it gives you a lift, too!   Truth #1 Consistency counts. “No matter what my condition may be, if I am only willing to pray and become faithful to grace, Jesus offers me every means of returning to an inner life that will restore to me my intimacy with Him, and will enable me to develop His life in myself.  “And then, as this life gains ground within me, my soul will not cease to possess joy, even in the thick of trials.”  —The Soul of the Apostolate by Jean-Baptiste Chautard, page 20. Notice how Fr. Chautard doesn’t say how we’re supposed to feel in prayer—our willingness to stick with it and be open to grace is enough.   Truth #2 You never need to get stuck.  Here are three things to try when prayer “isn’t working.” Shift your attention from your mind to your heart. You don’t need words here. Feel your desire to connect with God, and feel his response to your desire. Always keep something nearby that you know will get you into the God-zone. For example, a book (I suggest Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Jacques Philippe), music, scripture, or an image. Make an act of faith, out loud if you can. An example would be: “God, I know you are more present to me right now than I am to myself. I believe that you are working powerfully in me and through me, even if I can’t feel much right now. I love you. Thank you for loving me more than I will ever know.”   Truth #3 You never have to pray alone.Scripture says that the Holy Spirit prays for us when we know not how to pray. And then, there’s our Guardian Angel who brings God’s inspiration to pray and watches over us always. Do you think he prays with us? I often ask saints to pray with me for certain intentions. For example, St. John Vianney joins me in praying for parish priests. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, our country’s patroness, prays with me for the health of our nation.  Asking a saint to join you in prayer can make you feel like your prayer is powerful, even if you don’t feel that way at the moment!

…okay with God. Hey, it must be!   King David did it: “How long, Lord? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day?” (Ps 13:2,3).   St. Faustina did it: “Jesus, Jesus, I cannot go on any longer” (Diary 129).   David and Faustina, both steadfast lovers of God, let fly their frustration. They didn’t pretend to be stronger than they were. They didn’t paste a fake smile on their face because they were scared God would get mad.  They let Him have it with both barrels – pretty much complaining that He should have helped them yesterday, and what’s the hold-up?  But God’s a big boy – he’s fine with that.    God answered them Then God comes in with an attitude adjustment for David, whom He inspires to say: “I trust in your faithfulness.” Even facing imminent death, David’s faith and hope rise to the surface in his mind and heart. He remembers all the other times God saved him and knows this won’t be different. God does the same for Faustina. She writes: “Suddenly I heard a voice within my soul. ‘Do not fear; I am with you.’ And an unusual light illumined my mind, and I understood that I should not give in to such sorrows. I was filled with a certain strength and left my cell with new courage to suffer.” Interesting that God didn’t make the pain go away. He gave them both greater strength to suffer.   Now for the rest of us I can relate. I sounded like Complaining David during the 18 months it took to fire an employee (I was working in the federal government) who spent all his creativity figuring out how to avoid actually doing any work. In this situation, the supervisor can’t make even one wrong move – not a glance, not a word, not an email – or the employee can challenge the firing. Which would drag it out even longer. The guy did sue me, but that was quickly dropped.  As the excruciating process dragged on, I was surprised to find myself no longer able to feel happy in the job I loved, or even at home. What kept me going was justice – for my other great staff and for the American taxpayers. My prayer was, “I know you’re toughening me up for something, but I hate this. You’ve vaporized my happiness. This totally stinks, God, and you know it – and you’re doing it anyway. What gives?” …my up-to-date version of David’s Psalm 13.   God’s answer Like David and Faustina, I continued to suffer. And like them, my hope and trust in God grew with the difficulty. To be honest, for me it boiled down to: Who else am I gonna turn to? You have the words of eternal life. David’s and Faustina’s complaints to God yielded the strength to raise their eyes above the passing pain to the eternal joy awaiting them.  Their example gives us the courage to do the same. Even if some of us need to start off with a little whining.

Ever wonder what it means to keep our eyes on Jesus?? 🤔  After all, we have stuff to do!    The Lord asks us in this fallen world (well, the world isn’t fallen – it’s us!) to live a dynamic tension between working to build up the Kingdom (my to-do list) and prayer (if I’m worshiping my to-do list more than God, prayer can seem impossible).   But it’s not impossible. In fact, it’s simple when we know how.   So what does it look like in the real world to keep our relationship with Jesus number one so we can go through the day more peacefully, with an undivided heart? Here are three things to consider: 1 Make your morning offering – and really mean it. Humble your heart and mind before Almighty God and offer him the day he has given you to do his will and love what he loves. This covers your intention for the whole day. Recall that offering throughout the day.   2 Practice thanking him when frustrating things happen.  Today, I stood in line at the grocery story as the teller tried for at least five minutes to get an app to work so the customer ahead of me could pay on his phone. As I started to feel angry, I thanked God for this ridiculous holdup, asked him to bring good fruit out of it – and then moved over to the next checkout line. 😂 Then, as I self-checked out, one item would not scan, so the attendant had to type the 15-digit bar code number manually. It didn’t work, so he had to try again. “Lord, whoever needs the grace I’m paying for in this moment, I say yes – and thank you.”   3 Invest in “listen to God” time every day. We simply can’t have an intimate connection with God (and the peace that comes with it) without regular prayer times that are devoted entirely to listening to God (whether we “hear” anything or not).It's like any friendship. If we don’t invest in it, we can’t expect our close connection to last. I know -- listening can be challenging. So, if you’ve struggled with the “listening” part of prayer that makes inner peace possible, here’s your chance to register for my free workshop that walks you through the 5 simple steps I use every day to stay connected to the Source of peace. I’d love to see you there. 🙋 ➡️ Register here for free!

God speaks to us in so many ways: scripture, our loved ones -- and nature. Join me for a calming walk through the park in the 2-minute video below. You'll see the surprise I got when I turned a corner! Wishing you a lovely fall week, ♥️ Rose