“Outside” My Comfort Zone

As I started 2025, I longed to connect with the Lord more through nature. Really, I longed for a cleaner house, and that meant getting my two toddlers OUT! I came across the work of Ginny Urich and her 1000 Hours Outside Challenge. The challenge is to spend 1,000 hours outside in a year, which is about 3 hours per day. I had seen it the year before, but it wasn’t the right time to prioritize this specific challenge. But 2025 was the time!

In January I started tracking our progress, and I realized that, because it was cold, we were only going outside to water the garden. I realized then that I was much more of a go-outside-when-the-weather-is-comfortable person than a there-is-no-such-thing-as-bad-weather person! I wanted to make a change, and I was thankful to take it on with my little family.

Being who I am and loving a good goal, I jumped right in. I didn’t share our audacious goal with everyone for fear that I wasn’t going to be committed enough to complete the task. I knew in a general sense that going outside was good for you, and I wanted that for my kids. I also knew that I loved getting out of the house, at least for going to play groups and doing other indoor activities.

They say a “yes” to one thing is a “no” to another, and my “yes” to outside was indeed a “no” to extracurricular activities in the home this year. This made me nervous, for I didn’t want to “miss out” on other opportunities. I am productivity-driven, and I just wanted to be sure that this task was most “productive” for my family.

But I discovered that this challenge forced me to incorporate more stillness, silence, and slowness into our routine.

At the beginning of January, I was driven to start counting our hours and fantasized about how this challenge was going to be all sunshine and rainbows. As I bundled my babies and went outside, I realized it would be more challenging than I imagined. After a cold dance party and games of chase, we came inside for me to realize we had only spent 27 minutes out there! That’s not even half an hour! I was surprised to say the least.

I knew the benefits of being outdoors, and I wanted those benefits for my family, yet the time commitment at first felt intense.

And while changing my location did not magically change my interior life, being immersed in nature gave me an image of peace and beauty that helped me see the unhurried life that I desire.

I am wrapping up this year feeling rooted in my motherhood and connected with my children in an unexpected way. I have not once regretted keeping my phone inside and being present to my babies while we collected acorns, chased lizards, and watched our bird friends. And committing to being outside has meant many practical changes that we intend to keep, such as: eating meals around our picnic table, always opting to eat outside at restaurants, choosing outdoor social events, working outside, choosing parks for play dates, cooking outside, and investing in a fan, light, etc. for our outdoor space.

Even though we met our yearly goal of 1000 hours, I do not claim to be an expert. If anything, I still feel there’s so much growth to be had for the Munn family to slow down and learn about the world the Lord has given us.

Accepting this challenge has given me the space to hear the birds chirping, feel the sunshine on my face, and try new plants in my garden. Through this past year, I can confidently say that time spent outside has lowered my stress and helped the words of our Lord come to life. This specific verse has been my guiding star this year whenever I have a moment of silence in God’s creation:

“Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?”

-Matthew 6:26

The Lord’s intricate design of nature is more apparent when I am patient enough to see it. Because I’m a self-proclaimed “busy body,” the Lord knew that his first challenge in capturing my heart would be capturing my attention, and nature does that so beautifully.

I also didn’t anticipate the transformation that this challenge would have on our entire family. My son, Damien, who is four years old, thrives outside. It’s his safe space. He and my daughter, Gianna, have grown in confidence in this space and complain far less. What started as a challenge has transformed into a lifestyle.

I sit back and have to laugh, because I feel like this past year has taught me that the Lord has always provided what my family needed, right in my backyard. This is not to say that the tumbling classes, music classes, sports, etc. were not fruitful, but that wasn’t where the Lord was calling my family in this season. It isn’t a specific product, space, or place that transformed my year as much as it was the slower-paced life and the commitment to stop long enough to smell the roses.

I hope my experience inspires you not to forget the power of being outside to connect with the Lord. The Lord sees how hard you’re trying. The Lord wants to speak to you in that still small voice, which I ‘ve personally come to believe is most easily heard outside.

“Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light, silent sound.”

-1 Kings 19:11-12

It’s gotta be Jesus,

Ansleigh Munn

Project Coordinator, The Dominus Project

Practice Makes Perfect

It’s finally getting cooler in Louisiana, which can make for some fun outdoor activities (in keeping with Ansleigh’s reminder, above). Pick one or more of the following to do with your family in the next two weeks, or come up with an outdoor activity of your own!

• smores by an outdoor fireplace or firepit,

• post-Thanksgiving day family football or kickball game

• hiking a trail (Clark Creek is not far and great hiking for BR folks!)

• a playdate at a local park

We recommend that it be a no-phone outing and a time to focus on just being together. The more laughter the better. You can invite other family and friends if you want, as well.

What We’ve Been Up To

Born to Run Recap

As mentioned on our podcast for dads, Heart of the Father: A Dominus Project, director Brian Pedraza and the rest of the team laced up their running shoes to support families with crisis pregnancies by running a 5k. Numerous local families joined the team, which had multiple people placing in the top 3 in various age-groups! It was a blast to be with so many wonderful people in our community.

Click here to watch Dr. Pedraza’s inspiring post-race message (non-instagram users can just close the first box that appears after clicking to watch the video).

A Cup of Coffee a Month

The Dominus Project comes from a 5-year grant awarded to FranU’s theology program to help parents and caregivers be the first witnesses of the faith to their children. We’re amazed at what God gas done in the past couple years. But we’re also thinking ahead: we have a little over two years left on the grant. We’re looking for people who have been impacted by our ministry or believe in our mission to become partners with us by joining our Patreon at the lowest paid membership setting for $5 a month, the price of a small latte. We trust that, if the Lord wants this to continue, he will find a way. Say a prayer and ask him if he might be calling you to support us.

Join Our Mission: Spiritual and Financial Discipleship

The Dominus Project is run by Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, a non-profit, small-but-mighty Catholic university in Baton Rouge. We care about the community. We care about families in our land. We would love for you to join our mission by praying and sacrificing for us and by asking the Lord if He might want you to contribute financially to us. We also want to pray for you! We have a team holy hour and Mass every week for our Dominus family, so let us know whom and what we can offer up.

How Can We Pray for You?

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