I know it's been Flannery central over here lately, but Kendra's post sparked lots of conversations between Daniel and I about why O'Connor is so amazing. Sorry if we're beating a dead horse here, Kendra! I promise to stop with the "please, love Flannery!" posts. But sometimes Daniel writes things that are just too good not to share. So, I hope y'all enjoy a few thoughts on Flannery O'Connor from … [Read more...]
10 Things I Love About Flannery O’Connor
So, Kendra knows I love her (at least I hope she does. Love you, Kendra. Love your blog.) And Kendra isn’t afraid to stir the pot, which is something I really like about her. But I honestly lost sleep over her post about not liking Breaking Bad and Flannery O’Connor. Now, I could care less about Breaking Bad. I’ve seen all of two scenes of it and asked Daniel, “Um….is all of it like that? How … [Read more...]
Women Speak on NFP Series Wrap-Up: What I Learned and My NFP Plans
Over the summer 17 women shared about their experiences using various methods of Natural Family Planning. I was so pleased from the feedback I received about the series and how it has been informing, encouraging, and helping women. I'd like to share some reflections about what I learned from the wonderful contributors and how it's affecting my life. Because we’ve never been trained in NFP (we’ve … [Read more...]
You Were Not Made for Comfort…
Our culture loves comfort. It's not a secret. We love drive-thrus, and air conditioning, and convenience. But we don’t just love comfort, we’re obsessed with it to the point that we decided blankets aren't quite comfortable enough and we had to invent the Snuggie. And this love affair with comfort carries over into our spiritual life. We don't want to talk about the Cross. It makes us … [Read more...]
Praying with Your Feet
Sometimes I make the mistake of separating my spiritual life from my vocation as a wife and mother. I see my children as distractions from prayer and spirituality, rather than an opportunity to love God. On a particularly trying morning with a very fussy infant at church, I spent almost all of Mass outside holding my crying baby and watching Mass through the door. Afterwards, I lamented to a … [Read more...]
So, You’re Thinking of Converting to Catholicism…
I get a lot of questions from friends and readers who are interested in Catholicism but don’t know where to begin on their journey to learn more. As still a recent convert (class of 2010!) I’m no expert, but I’ll tell you a few things we’ve learned about crossing the Tiber. Pray Cover your spiritual journey in prayer. Pray that God will guide you. Pray the Rosary. Pray before the Blessed … [Read more...]
Growing in Marriage: What I Learned from the Old Couple at Confession
Although I had mentioned to my husband wanting to go to Confession the night before, my day had been growing busier. I became distracted with this and that--laundry, paperwork, groceries-- and had almost forgotten my intent to go. As the hour drew near, my husband said, “Didn’t you want to go to Confession this afternoon? I’ll go, too, and we can take turns holding Baby Gwen.” "What would I do … [Read more...]
Grace in the Sign of the Cross
You're in luck. While my post partum brain struggles to form coherent sentences and present you with anything worth reading, my brilliant husband comes up with insightful beautiful reflections despite being sleep deprived from having a sweet newborn in the house. He is the best. Enjoy! “Never leave your house without making the sign of the cross. It will be to you a staff, a weapon, an … [Read more...]
Melissa’s Journey With NFP and Infertility
This is a guest post by Melissa of Faith in All Times in the Women Speak on NFP series. In this series you will hear from women using various methods of NFP, some to avoid pregnancy, some trying to conceive, and their experiences. Disclaimer: This series is not meant to be a substitute for any method of training in NFP! If you are interested in one of the methods introduced in this series, please … [Read more...]
Women Speak on NFP: How NFP Got Me Pregnant
This is a guest post by my dear friend Kaitlin of More Like Mary~More Like Me. in the Women Speak on NFP series. In this series you will hear from women using various methods of NFP, some to avoid pregnancy, some trying to conceive, and their experiences. Disclaimer: This series is not meant to be a substitute for any method of training in NFP! If you are interested in one of the methods … [Read more...]
