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That We May Be One
Jesus’ greatest desire is that all who call themselves “Christian” would stand united, before the world. How we doing there? 😬 I think most of us have to admit “not so good” — and it’s not supposed to be that way! And here’s the thing, it’s okay to not see eye to eye on everything. It’s okay to have disagreements. People of faith can disagree and should be open to even passionate discussions on doctrine and working out the differences between us — because these things matter! We shouldn’t fail to discuss the hard stuff for the sake of unity — because that’s just a facade of unity. It’s not…
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Birthdays and Learning to Forgive
Yesterday we celebrated this girl! She’s grown so much since these pictures were taken, but her smile can still light up a room, and her laughter is contagious. You don’t see her a lot in this space because I decided long ago to try to give the older kids their privacy — but let me tell you, we are so proud of this young woman and just marvel at the ways she’s growing into such a beautiful woman of faith and integrity. She was the first person to ever call me “Mom” and she was part of a very important lesson I had to learn after a very traumatic birth…
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Chickens and Kids (2020 Revamp)
Once upon a time, I decided I really, really wanted chickens. I spent countless hours perusing Pinterest to find out everything I needed to know about chickens. Then I spent countless more hours convincing my husband that chickens were an amazing idea and we could weekend warrior a coop–no problem. Finally, I had him convinced, and the weekend warriors became embattled, broken down, over-worked, embittered serfs, subject to the chicken empire we had established. And on a dark night, just when my husband had lost the will to live, the coop was finally finished! How peaceful it was to watch them scratch and peck, lay beautiful eggs, and come…
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Trying to Make the Most of It
Hey guys, I’m about to run out the door so I can line up at a grocery store before the crowds hit. Such crazy times! On a more positive note, I decided to go early so I can get back in time to join the rest of the family for a 3pm reconsecration of our Diocese to Mary, the Mother of God. Hooray! It’s happening all around the country, and this is a positive move forward, in my opinion. So hope you will join in and be part of it, wherever you find yourself. Besides that, I’ve been trying my best to take advantage of all this family time and…
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In God’s Plan of Salvation, We Are All Essential Workers
There are some amazing people out in the world doing amazing things right now to address the challenges we are facing. They have been deemed “essential” and rightly so! Shout-out to all the essential workers out there! You are amazing! But it’s so good to remember that, in God’s plan of salvation, each one of us is essential. We all have a unique part to play in reflecting His love and Light in the world. In fact, we are irreplaceable! There are some people who simply won’t experience God’s love if you or I fail to love them. That’s how crucial we are to God’s plans. The truth is, your…
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Apparently, My Catholic Blog Was Banned From Facebook and Instagram
Hey guys, as some of you may know, the powers that be banned my Catholic blog from Facebook and Instagram. As you also may know, almost all of my activity was banned from Instagram unless I removed the link to this blog. So the other day, I had to ask myself, do I dig in and continue to fight — or do I give up? And believe me, I’m a fighter by nature. Just ask my inner circle — they could tell you some stories — and Joan of Arc is my patron Saint for Heaven’s sake. Do I think it’s unfair that I was given no explanation for why…
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Why We Call It Good Friday
Oh, what wondrous love is this — God made Man so that He could die for us and save us from our sins! NO GREATER LOVE! And this is why we call that dark and awful day — almost 2,000 years ago — “Good”. God made it good. He took what was horrific and brutal and unjust — and He transformed it into the possibility of new life for all of us. But there is one catch — we need to accept the grace of that Good Friday and allow it to change us. We need to turn from our sinful ways and begin again. Don’t let this day —…
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9 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving for An End to Corona Virus
So I’ve had a lot of time to think as I’ve been painting some walls in my house (#oraetlabora keeping me sane during quarantine) and I had an idea — and I’m really hoping you will join me! This is the idea: Starting today, what if you and I started 9 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving for an end to the Corona Virus? You don’t have to be Catholic or even a Christian to join in. In fact, my guess is if you’re not, that your prayers will touch the heart of the Father just as much as mine do — maybe even more, because you’re taking a bigger leap…
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How Ora Et Labora Is Keeping Me Sane During Quarantine
Hello everybody! I don’t know about you, but the lines for computers are long around here, as all music lessons and classes have gone to livestream or pre-recorded for the foreseeable future. Which means I’ve decided to try to post on Saturdays, instead of Fridays, and also to share one post from the week of posts I’ve shared over on Instagram and Facebook. Some will have additions and be in a longer format, but it’s the best I can do when life is so upside down around here. Stay safe and well and keep praying! I know I am! Without further ado, thoughts on how St. Benedict is helping us…
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Hope Begins With Prayer
This little window in a wall has me thinking about the power of prayer. Prayer is very much like a window that helps us to see beyond the wall of our problems. It is not a denial of the problems in our midst — but it offers us a look at the beautiful thing waiting on the other side it. It gives us hope, even when we have hit a wall. Right now, I am so grateful for the gift of prayer. I know many people are seeing only the problems right now — but prayer is helping me to see beyond the problems. It’s helping me to see the…
