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...
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...
Help! We’re having a baby! How do I homeschool the toddler/older child(ren)?
[I wrote this post a year ago because a friend who was new to homeschooling AND was expecting a baby wanted to know how she could possibly homeschool when the demands on her time potentially could be endless. Reposting it for another friend who's due with her fourth...
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...
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Rethinking College 3)
Our Declaration of Independence says life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are our God-given rights, and yet we make many choices today that seem to invalidate that claim. Our government isn't exactly protecting these rights any more either, but that's another...
Helicopter Parenting, Hypersexualization and College Readiness (Rethinking College 2)
In my previous post, I suggested that perhaps college is no longer the best way to prepare our children for life and career, but while hypersexualized youth is a big problem, that's just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to our young people's cavalier attitude...
College and Hypersexualized Kids (Rethinking College 1)
We send our kids to college because we want them to become positive contributors to society. To do that, they need to reach a certain level of maturity in the different areas of their lives, sexuality being only one of them. But in many colleges and universities...
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...
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....
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...
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...
Introducing: Patron Comics
Horror Fatigue, Desensitization, Escape, Responsibility
Fr. Dwight makes a sad observation here. I agree. It's also desensitization. When you see violence all over the place, real and unreal (video games, movies, TV) it's easy for everything to just become one huge blur. And I think (analyzing some of my friends' responses...
Our Homeschooling Story, Part 2, and Favorite Sources
Part 1 is here. And so our journey began anew. As I mentioned in the previous post, I found an awesome online support group: Catholic Charlotte Mason (aka CCM -- they still exist, if you would like to join). I also had the local support group plus several other...
Dear Young Adults, Go To Ecclesia
[This is a guest post from my daughter Aisa, just back from her time at Ecclesia.] Ask yourself this question, and answer it honestly: If you were stuck in a group of fifty people for five weeks, by the end of five weeks, would you be friends with everyone? Would you...