Pay It Back or Pay It Forward?
I’m just going to lay this on the line, no holds barred and no holding back: It’s not easy being the recipient of someone else’s generosity. Last month hit us hard with medical bills once again. They...
View ArticleMy Daughter’s Invisible Struggle
This month is Sensory Processing Disorder Awareness Month, and I’ve (sadly) done little for promoting this awareness in my community. Admittedly, I get so caught up in Sarah’s needs – which often...
View ArticleGrowing With the Saints
For years, Melissa Kaiser kept hearing from priests and religious educators that Catholic parishes were purchasing Protestant-based vacation Bible school materials, and she wondered why. After doing a...
View ArticleIf You Know A Caregiver
I realized not too long ago that many people assume caregivers are just like everyone else. But we’re not. Most of us don’t play the role of victim, which makes it more difficult to discern whether...
View Article#CMHangout: From Grief to Grace
I’m really excited to share with you a Google Hangout conversation I had about a month ago with some contributors (now friends) at Catholic Mom. We talked about our favorite books, as well as my...
View ArticleWhy I’ll Miss Sarah’s Hands
Today is the last day I will hold Sarah’s hands before she has all five fingers separated. It may seem odd (as it does to me off and on) that I am lamenting her little mitten fingers – or the last of...
View ArticleHow To Unite Your Family Over Distance
***Note to readers: I am delighted to feature a guest post by Michael Peggs of Marccx Media as he offers five tips on staying connected with family members who don’t live close by. Enjoy!*** Family is...
View ArticleAn Agnostic’s Journey to Catholicism
As a cradle Catholic, I’ve never given a whole lot of thought to why some people do not believe in God. It seems odd to me, since I’ve always believed in the afterlife, a Trinitarian God, angels, and...
View ArticleIs Apert Syndrome A Gift?
I’ve heard people who have lived with chronic illnesses or diseases say that their conditions were actually a blessing, and I’ve always wondered how that could be. My life before Sarah was fairly...
View ArticleRadio Interview on Living Witnesses with Mary Graham
I had the honor of speaking with Mary Graham on her radio show, Living Witnesses with Mary Graham. With her dynamic and insightful questions, our dialogue centered around recognizing saints in people...
View ArticleTo the Mom Whose Son Smiled at Sarah
Recently a group of older kids gaped at Sarah with disgust, and I felt the instinct to shelter her from it. After that incident, I tried to evade other people’s glances when Sarah and I were in...
View Article“Wake Up!” Pope Francis CD
The “Wake Up” Pope Francis CD includes subtle tones and choral interludes put to the words of Pope Francis himself. Many are prayers, but some are public addresses. It’s a unique compilation of...
View ArticleAn Appeal to Generosity
Are we all called to be generous? Perhaps some of us are called to be more generous than others? What does it mean to be generous, anyway? A priest once told me in Confession that generosity is...
View ArticleHappy Fakesgiving!
My friends at Kidecals sent this hilarious infographic for your enjoyment – just in case you are feeling the frenzy of the holiday season already and can’t imagine putting on Thanksgiving by yourself....
View ArticleThe Right to Live – Thundering Legion Podcast
After reading my article on Father Solanus Casey, Christine Ross contacted me for an interview on her pro-life podcast, The Thundering Legion. It was a delight to converse with her about our journey...
View ArticleSubverted Book Review
In this brilliant treatise on the hidden aspects of the second wave of feminism in the 1960s and 70s, Sue Ellen Browder unmasks the philosophical, theological, and cultural underpinnings that led an...
View ArticleThe Not-So-Good News
I had a conversation with a good friend of mine recently about all sorts of spiritual and philosophical topics, ranging from lost etiquette to the now-obsolete concept of sin. In the throes of our...
View ArticleThe Night of Light
Today is the feast day of Saint John of the Cross, one of the most beloved Carmelites and a Mystical Doctor of the Church. I write about him again, because he is one of those friends of old whose...
View ArticleIs It Okay For Me To Be Angry?
Right now I’m pretty fired up, vexed, irate – whatever you want to call it. I’m angry. And I hesitate admitting that, because I always end up feeling guilty after I feel angry. I know enough about...
View ArticleWe Are John the Baptist
As I was listening to the Gospel at Mass on Gaudete Sunday, it occurred to me that we are John the Baptist. In a figurative sense, we are all called to be this missionary and prophet, paving the way...
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