My freshmen year at Benedictine College, one of my closest friends delighted us all with news that he was headed for the seminary. A young man with strong devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Mother, Chris’s talents were in making people laugh and making people pray. His convictions were contagious and […]
WoWW: Tunnel of Parenthood and George Bailey Syndrome
Andrew and I need encouragement in the Parenting Department. Maybe it’s not just being parents of a nearly-4, a 2-and-a-bit, and a nearly-1 year old, or the fact that they’re excitable BOYS; I think just functioning in general is draining us dry. No one cracks me up the way our fellas do and before they […]
The Domestic Church: Forever Open to Life
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JANUARY 2014 {This video kills me. I could watch it a million times. Family life – no matter how many souls under your roof – can be tiresome and tough. Kiss a clean house goodbye. Quiet. Peace. …but say HELLO to laughing like you never would before and a joy that surpasses tidiness […]
The Urge to Purge: 4 Reasons We Trim the Fat
I’ve been on a big Purge the Excess kick for a while. What started as a weekend project to rid my pokey kitchen of clutter has become an exciting approach to a new lifestyle. A lifestyle that breathes easy, breeds simplicity, and involves a very gradual process of ridding our lives of distraction and noise. […]
Giving Time over STUFF
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s blow by in a hurried hustle. Even outside of the holidays, kids, teens, husbands, and wives are constantly on the go, on the phone, and operating frantically on the fly. While it’s ideal to slow down and savor the moment in the midst of holiday preparations, for some it’s just […]
WoWW: Penny Pinchin’ Christmas Edition!
Thanksgiving is next week! and the day after (or the night of for some retailers) starts the biggest shopping boom of the year. Christmas is crazy busy with travel prep, food prep, present prep, and even prepping prep. Here are a few tips to breathe easy, protect your wallet and peace of mind this Christmas. […]
Mary’s “Yes” to Pain
Mary is a mystery. After eager anticipation and hearing reviews abuzz with enthusiasm, I saw Mary of Nazareth last night. While I admittedly had some reservations about the film from a production standpoint (looking at editing, script, looping, and acting only; separating these from the story itself) at a certain point I dropped the Siskel-and-Ebert […]
My Father is King of Kings
Mercy Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school in Louisville, KY just launched a revolutionary new ad campaign and the national media is eating it up. The taglines: You’re not a princess. But you can still rule the world. Don’t wait for a prince. Be able to rescue yourself. Life’s not a fairytale. Prepare for real […]
He laughs because he trusts
Andrew was playing with our babiest boy last night. At 7 months, he is too cute and sweet and just old enough to toss in the air for a burst of giggles. Andrew is 6’5″ with hands large and capable enough to make all our kids feel safe, especially our baby. And there he was, […]
The Privilege of Being a Primary Educator
In light of the truth that it’s you the parent, not some actor/singer/Hollywoodian, that’s really showing your kids how to go through life, I bring you this post from the archives: Written July 2012 My toddler is at the height of imitation in his little life right now. Whatever we say, he says. Whatever we […]
