“Rachel’s book is a call back to simplicity and a reminder that peace and order aren’t just for bishops, priests, and nuns. God offers the same calmness and clarity to all of us — even those who live in a busy world with lots to juggle.”
— Bishop Robert Reed, president, The CatholicTV Network
“Rachel Balducci’s Make My Life Simple is a must-read for a busy mother caught in the whirlwind of keeping her home, her career, her family, and her sanity together. For those of us whose pendulum swings from zenning out in the art of laundry perfection to foraging the bottom of our freezer for chocolate chips during Lent, this book is a perfect reminder that order in our chaos can come from something as small as a clean kitchen sink or an improvised family prayer of gratitude. This spiritual and practical refresher is like the 30-minute workout that can get us back on track when everything seems to be spinning out of control in our secret quest for perfection. As a fellow member of the ‘black Sharpie to-do list club,’ I feel intense appreciation for Rachel’s insight into the simplicity behind the solutions to the complex equations of life.”
— Jeannie Gaffigan, writer, producer, mother of five
“Benedictine monks have known for 1,500 years that an ordered habitus (home) is necessary to building the spiritual disciplines that, over time, order our souls to God’s will. Rachel Balducci brings this practical ancient wisdom to bear on daily Christian living. You don’t have to be a mystic to make your bed every morning, or a doctor of the Church to do the dishes each night. But as Rachel shows, being faithful in these small habits in your family’s domestic monastery lays the groundwork for a life of conversion and abundance.”
— Rod Dreher, author of The Benedict Option
“This is not just another book about how to organize your life. There is plenty of practical help in these pages, but more importantly, Rachel encourages us to consider all the work we do as women, all those things that stress us out and threaten our peace, and to bring order to them in light of our relationship with God. Invite God in! Take a breath! Look at the bigger picture! It’s not easy, but it is simple, and this simple book is a gift of encouragement for any woman drowning in chaos.”
— Danielle Bean, manager at CatholicMom.com
“Feeling like you’re drowning? Does life seem anything but simple? Rachel Balducci is a loving sister guiding you above water. In Make My Life Simple, she will coach you into letting God’s merciful, ordering hand heal that overwhelming, sinking feeling that has you trapped in the grip of anxiety and fear. Do not be afraid! It’s not all up to you. Have faith and hope and you will be freed to love more fully, be present to the people in your life, and joyfully live God’s unique plan for you, his beloved.”
— Kathryn Jean Lopez, senior fellow, National Review Institute, and editor-at-large, National Review
“Peace. Simplicity. Let’s be honest, these words escape most of us who are in the trenches of raising babies, but coming to our aid is another mama who has been there and done that. Rachel Balducci provides easy, practical, and spiritual ways to simplify our lives so that we can better enjoy those tiny humans we co-created. In a time where chaos and busyness threaten motherhood, Make My Life Simple: Bringing Peace to Heart and Home offers a balanced approach for women and their families. This book should be on every new mama’s baby registry!”
— Leah Darrow, speaker and author of The Other Side of Beauty and Decent Exposure
“I’m greedy for more mentors in my life. So, the chance to have Rachel Balducci — mom to FIVE boys and a daughter — spill all her lessons from the last couple decades of parenting is the most delicious gift. Practical and generous, this is, I’m pretty sure, the next best thing to getting to sit down and pick her brain in person.”
— Lisa-Jo Baker, best-selling author of Never Unfriended and Surprised by Motherhood
make my life simple
bringing peace to heart and home
Rachel Balducci
Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division
Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
Huntington, Indiana 46750
Except where noted, Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America copyright © 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. — Libreria Editrice Vaticana. English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright © 1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. — Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Quotations from papal and other Vatican-generated documents available on vatican.va are copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Every reasonable effort has been made to determine copyright holders of excerpted materials and to secure permissions as needed. If any copyrighted materials have been inadvertently used in this work without proper credit being given in one form or another, please notify Our Sunday Visitor in writing so that future printings of this work may be corrected accordingly.
Copyright © 2018 by Rachel Balducci. Published 2018.
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All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts for critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without permission from the publisher. For more information, visit: www.osv.com/permissions.
Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750; 1-800-348-2440
ISBN: 978-1-68192-239-3 (Inventory No. T1936)
eISBN: 978-1-68192-240-9
LCCN: 2018950675
Cover and interior design: Lindsey Riesen
Cover art: Shutterstock
Printed in the United States of America
For Isabel,
who came along when I couldn’t possibly handle
one more thing in life.
I’m so glad God knew better.
table of contents
part I: practical peace, order within the home
chapter 1: homemaking/household management
chapter 2: giving the gift of hospitality
chapter 3: peace through organization