This summer, I attended a three-day silent retreat. I entered into the retreat with an agenda! I anticipated receiving very clear direction for the next phase of my life as a wife and mom. You see, my family was about to begin a new school year, and it was going to be the first time in 14 years that all six of my children would be in school. I was going to be a stay-at-home mom with no kids at home, and I…
It is midway through this week of limbo. This week that feels like I am on hold. Thanksgiving is over, but Advent hasn’t begun. I wanted this week to be a time to prayerfully consider how I wanted to enter into the four weeks of Advent. But like so often it does, life hijacked that prayerful plan. Some of it was out of my control, like my husband coming down with the flu. But other things were definitely in my control,…
It’s Black Friday. I am sitting at my computer perusing all of the sales and deals that have appeared in my inbox. I am not one to venture out on this busy day, but I am getting excited to begin the season of Advent and prepare for Christmas. Advent doesn’t begin for over a week, though. Normally, this is the weekend I unpack our Advent wreath, take out our Jesse Tree ornaments, and decorate the house with a few hints…
With Thanksgiving just two days away, there is a lot to do. My plans include cooking, baking, and cleaning. I have always liked the Thanksgiving holiday. To be with family and friends, to pause in gratitude for God’s abundant blessings. It’s a good day. Often, the Advent season begins the Sunday right after Thanksgiving. We have just a couple of days to transition from pumpkins and fall hues to our Advent wreath of purple and pink. This year, however, Advent…
It was one of those weeks. Everything was happening within the same seven days, and I didn’t know how I was going to get through it all. In addition to my family’s regular commitments, such as school, work, and errands, I had three deadlines to meet, parent-teacher conferences to attend, and a family party to prepare for. Oh, and two of my daughters and their teams were in volleyball playoff games. I am sure you can relate to the craziness…
As a little girl, I was always a little apprehensive about Halloween. I liked dressing up and feasting on candy, but some neighbors down the street created this haunted house experience in their front yard, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I don’t know if I just didn’t like feeling scared or if I actually sensed a type of evil in their decorations. What I do know is that it caused Halloween to be one of my least…
The invitation is real. His eyes dance with delight as He beckons me to join Him. “On a playground, Lord?” I ask. And all He does is laugh and extend His hand. The magnetic pull is strong. It’s as if one part of the magnet is Jesus’ heart, and the other is my heart. They are not meant to be separate but together. He is asking for my yes, my fiat. And He really hopes I don’t keep Him waiting…
Well, I started writing this Open Book post in September, but life happened, and I never got around to publishing it. As I turned the calendar to the new month of October, I was bound and determined to join Carolyn Astfalk and friends for this month’s Open Book feature on CatholicMom.com. And here I am! Do you find that your reading patterns change with the seasons? Summer seems to be the perfect time to read a little romance. They are easy, quick reads that…
I love being Catholic, and the Holy Mass is one of the main reasons why. It is the most miraculous events of the week. To meditate on what is actually happening at every Mass could leave my head spinning for days. Think about it: God Himself enters our space and time. He comes to dwell among us—and within us. He becomes just as present to us on the altar in the form of bread and wine as He was in…
I am preparing for my annual silent retreat weekend, and I have been thinking about my past retreat experiences. Sometimes I doubt that they are doing any good. Have I really grown spiritually in the past 2, 4, 6 years? I know that discouragement can be normal in the spiritual life, which is why I’m trying not to pay too much attention to the nagging voice. Still, as I reflect back on the post I wrote for CatholicMom.com three years…