Six Weeks Off FB: (Not the Usual) Lessons Learned

Six Weeks Off FB: (Not the Usual) Lessons Learned

Growing in our spiritual life means that we sometimes need to do hard things. Leaving Facebook was one of those things for me. I've posted before my main reasons for leaving, but as I've been gone these six weeks I've been working on attaining greater purity and...

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Mama Mary, the Rosary, and Me

Mama Mary, the Rosary, and Me

She was there when I learned my first prayers, in bed with my mom waiting for Papa to get home, the Sacred Heart of Jesus image in the hallway lit, as we prayed the Angelus and Mommy taught me how to use her Rosary beads. She was there as I was growing up, praying the...

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How Do We Help Others Carry the Cross?

How Do We Help Others Carry the Cross?

Much guidance can be found on how to suffer profitably, how to think of suffering, and why it even exists. But one of the things I've struggled with in my prayer life is how to pray for loved ones who find themselves in the midst of suffering. And now that I seem to...

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The Gentle and Arduous Task of Shepherding Little Souls

The Gentle and Arduous Task of Shepherding Little Souls

Yesterday after supper, the 6-year-old squeezed himself into the space between me and the back of the couch while I tried to catch up on reading. He does this often, using me alternately as pillow, footrest, jungle gym or whatever else suits his mood and restless...

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From Where I Stand, Pope Francis: Mid-Visit Musings

From Where I Stand, Pope Francis: Mid-Visit Musings

Like most everyone else our family is in a Pope Francis frenzy these days. Reading, talking, listening, praying. How can we not? The whole country is paying attention, or at least those of us on social media . As always, I am fascinated with all the different...

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Why I’m Leaving Facebook, for the Nth Time

Why I’m Leaving Facebook, for the Nth Time

Pardon the me-centric post, please. I'm leaving Facebook, again, this time for longer. I wish I was strong enough to say "forever", but I know my weaknesses. Friends prayed for me as I was discerning this latest departure, and I have no doubt that this is what God...

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Dear Mainstream Media, We Know What You’re Doing

Dear Mainstream Media, We Know What You’re Doing

Today my feed was inundated with Pope Francis supposedly relaxing the rules on abortion. Except that's not quite accurate. He didn't relax the rules on ABORTION per se -- it's STILL considered a sin in the Catholic Church -- always has been, always will be. We already...

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Let’s Talk Submission, Part 3: Last Thoughts

Let’s Talk Submission, Part 3: Last Thoughts

Let's Talk Submission: Part 1 Let's Talk Submission Part 2: Some Practical Suggestions I'd like to go back to some women's concerns about their husband's inability or unwillingness to lead, and ways to help with that. Try writing out a family mission statement. That...

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Let’s Talk Submission, Part 2: Some Practical Suggestions

Let’s Talk Submission, Part 2: Some Practical Suggestions

Let's Talk Submission: Part 1 Let's Talk Submission Part 3: Last Thoughts We can do a lot towards rebuilding the husband's role in our marriages: We need to stop being control-freaks (speaking to myself here really) and let men take the lead whenever possible....

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Let’s Talk Submission (Part 1)

Let’s Talk Submission (Part 1)

Let's Talk Submission Part 2: Some Practical Suggestions Let's Talk Submission Part 3: Last Thoughts Last week, a friend asked me if I had a blog post on submission. She asked,"Does that mean we (women) don't get to have opinions?" I promised her a more detailed...

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What the 6-year-old is Reading Now

What the 6-year-old is Reading Now

A friend with little ones asked me about reading recommendations for her 6-7 year olds, so I thought I'd give her a list of what our 6.5-year-old is reading right now. Hope this helps, J! Life of Fred Decimals and Percents - his big sister's book, but he's reading it...

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