The whole point of any vocation is to get you to heaven. From my still-fresh view on marriage and family, closeness with Christ is absolutely required if salvation is the goal. I don’t know about you, but I think that fits the bill pretty well for parenthood, because how in the WORLD am I going […]
Reaping Grace from a Generous Sower
______________________________________________________________________ FACT #1: Life is easier when I decide to be happy. FACT #2: Misery abounds when I pick discontentment over joy. I don’t know what my gig was – maybe I felt like the only human trapped in the monkey house, maybe I need more time in prayer (…not maybe) – but I […]
The Wild Nature of Fatherhood
My most recent column for Shreveport’s Catholic Connection – if a man wants to be manly, he will find plenty of opportunity in fatherhood. Click through for the rest of the article and a {Pin-worthy} graphic perfect for the fridge or your desktop. _____________________________________________________________ Wild at Heart is in my top five favorite books. Written […]
I kicked & screamed my way to Mom’s Night Out
Me: “Why would I want to pay money to watch the most stressful excerpts of my life on a massive movie screen?” Him: “Because your friends are going.” I’ll be honest – I didn’t want to see it. I wanted social time, a night away from the house with girlfriends and that’s why I […]
The Questions Every Mother Answers
My May article for the Diocese of Shreveport’s Catholic Connection (complete with a Pin-teresting graphic if you read on!) – This job? It’s glorious, humbling, and so so important. Last month I was blessed to see Dr. Meg Meeker speak in Dallas at a conference on money, marriage and parenting. A veteran pediatrician and best-selling author […]
Count It Joy: How to Trudge through the Rest of Lent
By Jill Kotrba I like to think of myself as a simple person. Not too much ruffles my feathers or gets me worked into a tizzy but when it does, you had better duck. We all know the mile markers on the way to our own personal Meltdown City. Mine usually involve screaming kids, burnt […]
WoWW: Fr. Barron on the Childfree Life, Spiritual Dryness
Fr. Robert Barron makes a fantastic, one-way spiritual director. I would love a regular meeting with him because I’m sure he would provide merciful, firm insight to my faith life and soul. The star of this week’s Words of Wisdom, Fr. Barron offers comment on the elected childfree life (i.e. one not connected to infertility) […]
“Train up” Your Child in Alms
originally published to the Catholic Connection I’ll be honest, I don’t have a strong history of faithful success with Lent. Like a lit match, I flare with pious enthusiasm for fasting, penance and almsgiving, but my glow dims when I slip out of my practices. Before I know it, it’s Easter Sunday and I’m found […]
WoWW on Monday: Somebody Needs You
I highlighted the post below on my Facebook page yesterday, but it needs all the recognition it can get. The insight found therein goes so hand-in-hand with Lent, that it merited the transfer of Words of Wisdom to today. Whether it’s motherhood or being a wife, God beckons us to imitate Christ in exhausting ourselves […]
Redirect from Social Media for Better Marriage Communication
All three boys occupied with preschool, a nap, and toys respectively. Fresh black coffee. Deep breath. And exhale: a moment of peace. So naturally I’m on Facebook, scrolling the News Feed and Liking along the way – albeit not the best way to savor the quiet, but that’s another post. I was just conjuring a […]
