Living
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May, You Haven’t Killed Me Yet, So You Can Stop Trying.
May hasn’t killed me yet, how about you? True, there were a few minutes when I thought I was done for, but this isn’t my first May rodeo, and I’ve learned a few things about surviving May — more often than not, the hard way. According to the internet, that basically makes me an expert and a certified life coach, so I figured I’d share a few things I’ve learned along the way. Hopefully, it will help somebody out there to not only survive a month like May, but possibly even find yourself thriving in the busiest times of your life. Yes, it is possible, and here are three easy…
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The Commencement Speech
Well, it’s that time of year — young men and women, across the nation, donning cap and gown, processing down an aisle, listening to speech or two and then they are off to begin their new lives. So this week’s post is a commencement speech of sorts — one that I dedicate to my own daughter and the class of 2019. Without further ado, here we go… Let us begin at the beginning — your beginning. From the beginning, you were greatly loved. Despite any of the challenges that may have faced your parents, you were loved by them, and without a doubt, you were perfectly loved by God. You…
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Defining Success
The other day, one of my lovely nieces was over (I have many lovely nieces), and we started discussing the innovative ways she’s been trying to encourage and highlight women doing beautiful things in this world. Suddenly, the thought came to me, “I wonder how those women define ‘success’?” Honestly, I think it’s an important question — for better or for worse, our definition of success is likely a big motivator in the choices we make and the way we live our lives. Think about it for a second. How do you define “success”? Taking the time to think about it, just might change the way you live your life.…
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Is Abortion Really About Freedom for Women?
I am going to be honest. I didn’t want to write this post. Nope. I wanted to write a nice post about capsule wardrobes or decluttering your home. But then I got writers block and as I sat staring at a blank screen, I spontaneously said, “Lord what do you want me to write about?” (Warning: don’t ever do this if you just want to write a puff piece and call it a day.) And then it just popped into my mind, “Abortion is the new slavery”. “Um, no. I won’t be writing about abortion. That’s sooo controversial and not pleasant at all”. But darn it, then I went off…
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Love Your Enemies: The Forgiveness Dare
This Lent, I decided to do something different. I decided it was time to start working on loving my enemies: both past and present. I was inspired by the words of Cardinal Robert Sarah in his book The Power of Silence: “The devil invites mankind to rebellion and disorder…he sows discord and incites us to pour out our hatred upon each other…(but God) teaches us to pray for our enemies. He constantly murmurs, ‘The disciples of my beloved Son have no enemies. Your heart must not have enemies either.'” Cardinal Sarah The words, “Your heart must not have enemies either” were especially challenging to me. The dialogue began, “Really, Lord, no enemies?” What about (fill-in-the blank?) surely you weren’t talking about that guy? Surely he deserves my hatred. And don’t get me…
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Hiking Croagh Patrick and Discovering the Real St. Patrick
Find yourself at a typical bar or pub in America on St. Patrick’s Day, and many a person might be surprised to discover that St. Patrick was not actually a beer guzzling leprechaun. It isn’t likely to win you any friends at the pub on St. Patrick’s day — but it is a point worth making. In fact, Patrick was an amazing warrior of a man. His memory deserves to be kept alive because he had an heroic love for people that once oppressed him — and that love helped transform an entire nation of people. So go ahead, enjoy a pint or two on St. Patricks’ Day — but…
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Making Sense of Suffering
I begin this post on a day that I am wrestling to make sense of the tragic death of a young mother — a faithful Catholic, getting ready to jump into her minivan of little kids and head off to Ash Wednesday Mass. There are no words. Please pray for her soul and for her family. I must admit my first response was “Why her”? Why does a beautiful young mother with young children who desperately need her, tragically die on the way out to Mass? It just doesn’t make sense. Her mother and father are model Catholics, faithfully living out the Gospel and serving the poorest of the poor.…
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Lent: What’s Love Got to Do With It
“Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,There’s always laughter and good red wine.” Hillaire Belloc I just love this quote for so many reasons. Of course, I would add “strong espresso and Prosecco” to Belloc’s list, but Belloc’s point, I believe, is that the truly Catholic man or woman knows the secret to living well. If that quote doesn’t resonate with you, then maybe it’s because too many Catholics have never fully embraced what it means to be Catholic. Too many of us have been influenced by the extremes of Puritanism and Hedonism — and in the process we have failed to truly live like Catholics. Which is why many may…
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Holding on to Hope
Oh February! It has come close to getting the better of me on several occasions — bouts of sickness, exhaustion, little sunlight and motivation — but I am happy to say I think I’m going to make it through! How about you? If there is anything good to be said about February, it is that February is the month that I grow the most in the virtue of hope. Like any virtue, hope can only grow when it is tested. More specifically, it can only grow when we are tested, and so I guess I should be thanking February for always making me exercise the virtue of hope in new…
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The Winter of Our Discontent…a.k.a How to Make Good Choices in Life
“Now is the winter of our discontentMade glorious summer by this sun of York;And all the clouds that lour’d upon our houseIn the deep bosom of the ocean buried.” William Shakespeare, Richard III Can somebody please make it stop snowing? Really! I’m absolutely done with all the cold and the slush and the ice? How about you? For those of us in the Midwest, summer is but a figment of our imagination — a promise of better days, soaked with sunshine and berries and every good thing. February, on the other hand, is the absolute worst of all the winter months — and so we buckle up and we grow…
