Faith

Truly, this little “makeover” will take 5 minutes. Maybe even less. I was at my parent’s house last summer, admiring their (what I perceived to be) gorgeous white stone statue of the Blessed Mother. I asked my mom where she got it, and she said they painted it. How this thought had never occurred to […]

One evening, just a few weeks ago, my husband was deeply inspired to create a family oratoryand informed me that he had ordered a bronze, Benedictine altar crucifix, an incense boat with a supply of frankincense, an icon for each of our children’s namesakes (baby #7 is on the way), and was on the hunt […]

I’m taking down the ornaments, wrapping up the créche, and laying the garland gently back into the storage bins when my three kids shriek in unison: “MOM WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” I explain, and the unanswerable questions roll in: “Why is Christmas over?! How did our Christmas tree become DEAD?! How many more minutes until […]

A few years ago, we found out we were expecting our fifth child. A month later, we learned it was twins, and a month after that we learned that one of them most likely had Down syndrome. We knew that God had plans for this pregnancy, but it was a lot to take in. I […]

Noah had been exhibiting worrisome symptoms for a year and a half prior to his diagnosis.  He wouldn’t gain weight for months at a time, he had stomach pain with constipation, vomiting, pale complexion, extreme temper tantrums, and delayed speech. I knew something was wrong, so I brought him to countless doctors appointments where I […]

My husband and I locked eyes at the dinner table. Wide-eyed and stone faced, our forks frozen in mid-air as our children began screeching yet another nonsensical song about spaghetti squash. Just as I moved to quiet them, our two-year-old daughter broke into a solo, reaching a record-breaking crescendo that rivaled the likes of Idina […]

I’m standing at the front of the classroom leading a discussion on Fahrenheit 451 when there came a quiet knock on the door. “Just a moment,” I said to my students, and as I walked over to see who was disrupting 5th period, the visitor opened the door herself.  It was a delivery from the […]

Mamas, whenever we undergo a life changing event—from starting a new job, to having a new baby, to moving into a new home— daily life can shift dramatically and send us into Survival Mode.  As we begin to find our bearings in the unknown, it becomes clear that some things cannot be done the same […]

Santa Claus gets some bad press these days. I encountered plenty of it while trying to sort out Christmas traditions for my own young family. He’s too materialistic with all those toys. The secular icon detracts from the Christ Child. The fantasy ruins critical thinking skills. The deception breaks the bond of trust between parent […]

“Hitherto the Herb of Grace had been to them a summer home; they had known it only permeated with sun and light, flower-scented, windows and doors open wide. But now doors were shut, curtains drawn to hide the sad, grey dusk. Instead of the lap of the water against the river wall they heard the […]