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Finding God in the Little Things with Erin Leonard

“I started writing 10 things I was grateful for every day during Lent… and never stopped.”

If you’ve ever felt like your spiritual life is too small or scattered to matter, this conversation will encourage you.

In this episode of Divine Disruptors, I sat down with Erin Leonard, a Catholic wife, mom of three, former teacher, and founder of Notice the Little Things. Erin shares how one small decision during Lent by giving up hurry instead of chocolate, completely transformed her faith and family life.

Her story is a beautiful reminder that we don’t need perfect routines or quiet mornings to connect with God. Sometimes, the most sacred moments are the smallest ones. The moments tucked into school drop-offs, dinner table conversations, and whispered prayers at bedtime.

A Lent Practice That Changed Everything

Years ago, as a college student, Erin decided to do something different for Lent. Instead of giving up sweets or soda, she chose to give up hurry. Each night, she wrote down 10 little things she was grateful for, the simple moments she would have missed if she hadn’t slowed down.

That daily gratitude list grew into a lifelong habit. Today, it’s become a signature practice in her home and community. Erin now leads a growing group of women through a 40-day gratitude journey every Lent, and her encouragement reaches thousands through her website, Notice the Little Things.

What started as a personal experiment to feel more connected to God has become a movement.

Faith in the Everyday

What struck me most in our conversation is how deeply Erin lives her faith in the middle of regular life. She’s not waiting for silence or solitude. Her spiritual practices are woven into the rhythm of motherhood while carpooling, doing DIY projects, or helping with homework.

One of her biggest desires is to help her children know that God is always accessible. Whether it’s praying in the car, noticing a beautiful sky, or asking for help with a hard day, she wants her kids to see that faith doesn’t have to happen in a “perfect” setting. It can happen in real life, in real time.

She said, “I don’t want my kids to think they need a candle lit and a quiet house to talk to God. That’s just not how life works for us.”

And I couldn’t agree more.

Modeling Faith Without Pressure

Erin shared that she doesn’t use a curriculum to teach her kids about God. Instead, she models faith through small, consistent actions like attending weekly Mass, praying in the car, encouraging gratitude, and talking openly about what she’s learning and struggling with spiritually.

She also gives her kids room to explore faith in their own way. One child enjoys devotionals at night. Another prefers coloring scripture verses. Her youngest just loves being able to sing the words at church now that she can read them.

Every child’s relationship with God looks a little different and Erin encourages that diversity instead of forcing one “right” path. As someone who teaches about the power of learning styles in faith, I loved hearing her validate this approach. It’s one of the kindest and most spiritually respectful things we can do as parents.

A God Who Shows Up in the Small

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Erin calls God “the constant” in her life and she’s learned to find Him in the smallest details. Whether it’s sunshine through a window or a child’s smile on a hard day, she’s built a habit of looking for His presence.

“The more you notice, the more you notice,” she told me. And that’s exactly what her gratitude practice has done-it’s trained her eyes to see God in the everyday.

If you’ve ever struggled to feel like your spiritual efforts “count” because they don’t look a certain way, Erin’s story is the reminder you need: God is not asking for performance. He’s inviting you to notice.

Watch or listen to “Finding God in the Little Things: Faith, Family, and Gratitude with Erin Leonard” on the Divine Disruptors YouTube series.

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