Favorites
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Why, Yes, We Do Know What Causes That. An Honest Look at NFP (Part 1)
I’ll never forget the moment that I first was asked that question, “Don’t you know what causes that!?” It was at the Chelsea Flower Show in London — and it stands out in my mind because it was one of those rare trips without our kids in tow. We had even managed to secure tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show on the opening day. Believe me, this was not an easy feat. This was no ordinary flower show. It was extra fancy. I mean, look at the fancy people walking through these gardens. The Queen of England even showed up with different members of the royal family — so believe…
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Fun Fact: Sometimes John and I Fight a Lot
When I decided to begin a blog, one of the goals was to be honest about my life — not because anybody would necessary care about my life — but because I think it’s nice to know you are not alone. It’s nice to know that other people struggle like you do. Not nice like, “Hah! So happy she’s actually miserable”, but more like, “Wow, we all have our struggles, and if she can overcome them — then so can I”. That’s the kind of nice I was hoping to bring to the blogosphere. Sometimes, people will look at me and think I have things together because I can write…
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That Time We Went to Sintra (Part 1)…a.k.a Never, Ever Be Vulnerable With Your Kids
Well, it’s been an intense week, so I thought I’d lighten it up a bit with that time we went to Sintra, Portugal. Sintra is an Unesco World Heritage Site — and for good reason — when you step off the train to Sintra, you feel as if you’ve stepped into a fairy tale. That is, except for one minor itty-bitty detail — everybody else in the world seems to be trying to visit this magical place at the same time. It’s really crowded. We had planned to jump on the bus system that looped around to all the sites, but the wait to get onto one of the buses…
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Letting Go of “Perfect”
“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good”. This quote by Voltaire seems to be thrown around quite a bit as of late. The truth be known, Voltaire was actually rather anti-religion in his sentiment, but I’m guessing that if this mother of six kids sat down with Voltaire, the youngest of five, there would be much we could agree upon when it comes to perfectionism. Just the other day, I was reminded of the changes that have happened in my life in my own battle against perfectionism. I was in the middle of cleaning windows (one of my Advent resolutions) and came upon this scene: The old me…
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Why My Kids Aren’t On Facebook, Instagram, or Other Major Social Media Outlets
It was inevitable. Last summer, my oldest daughter asked about getting on Instagram and Facebook. Many of her friends were slowly getting on board, so it seemed like the logical next step. So John and I weighed the pro’s and con’s, and we concluded we just had to say “no” — at least for now. I know that she’ll most likely be getting these accounts when she goes off to college — and I’m okay with that — but for now, I have no doubt that this is the best choice for our daughter and our family. I’m not here to say what you should be doing with your own kids,…
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Beach Struggles, Hugh Hefner, and Teaching Our Kids to Navigate a Sex-Saturated World
This past week, Hugh Hefner, founder of the Playboy enterprise, died. May God have mercy on his soul and on all the souls who have been hurt by his legacy. Though I don’t dare suggest I know Hugh Hefner’s motives, I found it surprising that some people have tried to raise this man up as a sort of hero. Are you kidding me? Please somebody tell me any good that has come from Hugh Hefner and the pornography industry? Porn isn’t about helping people — it’s about enslaving people for selfish gain. Men, women, and children are being bought and sold as commodities to feed the insatiable thirst it creates…
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San Sebastian: Walking the Camino and Fighting Resistance
Somebody please explain to me why anybody would be tempted to skip a beatiful hike through the the Spanish mountains, surrounded by views like these: For me, it came down to resistance. Resistance: it’s become a popular term among Catholics, but it’s roots reach all the way back to the earliest days of Christianity. Perhaps St. Paul put it best, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Rom 7:15) I often face resistance in my own life: resisting evil, yes — but even more so, I resist doing the good. Maybe it’s because I…
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Barcelona: Stolen Wallets, Terrorist Attacks, and Making Sense of It All
We recently returned home from a family pilgrimage to Spain, Portugal and Fatima. Gotta say, it did not disappoint. It was an amazing journey from beginning to end. So let’s begin at the beginning: Barcelona. Our time in Barcelona began with us deciding to travel as pilgrims do: hoofing it with all of our bags, taking public transportation, and making our way to our hotel off of Las Ramblas. There we were, jet-lagged beyond belief, trying our best to make sure we didn’t lose a child or a bag, navigating the very busy metro system of Barcelona. It was going pretty well — until we found ourselves literally split into…
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Beauty Will Save the World
“Beauty will save the world.” F. DOSTOYEVSKY, The Idiot Recently I found myself sitting in a faculty concert of some amazing musicians — it was such a gift. I just sat there and was transported to another place — a beautiful place. I found myself being overwhelmed by beauty — in a good way. It was a good moment — a series of good moments, really. It restored my mind and soul after a hectic week. It reminded me of the importance of beauty. Beauty — it’s important. It can lift a soul out of the depths of despair. It can satisfy our deepest desires in this life. It’s a foretaste of Heaven, and…
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Dream Big. A.K.A… Life Doesn’t End With Kids
Before I was married, I travelled the country talking to kids about chastity. The year before I took on this crazy “job”, it wasn’t even on my radar as a possibility. I had thoughts of traveling as a missionary one day, but never in a million years did “Chastity Promoter” come to my mind. A funny thing happens when you start to seek out what God is asking of you, these things you never even dreamed of start to rise up in your thoughts — and desires you never imagined begin to surface in your heart. Honestly, my greatest advice before you pray the prayer, “Lord, what do you want of me?” is to buckle up —…
