While raising children the reality is that you’ll never be completely at peace. You will understandably have concerns for them. You’ll also have to contend with the deafening decibels created by your boisterous brood, and their little — and not-so-little — squabbles. On top of this lack of tranquility at home there are also often Read More…

“What are we having for dinner tonight?” That particular question used to make me immediately defensive and annoyed. Dinnertime was something my husband and I both remembered fondly from childhood. We both wanted to prioritize it in our own family and marriage. Our parents had made it a priority to eat dinner all together as Read More…

A few months ago, a group of billionaires boarded a submersible vessel called Titan to explore the remains of the Titanic. They willingly took a great risk to travel to the extreme depths of the ocean to carry out their adventure. Unfortunately, the vessel imploded and all on board died. Other seemingly impossible journeys have Read More…

There are times when the world feels particularly heavy and dark, but I don’t want to pretend for a moment that this is anything new.  The darkness of evil is always present. It just becomes more or less obvious to our eyes at different times.  All the way back in 1845, abolitionist James Russell Lowell Read More…

My children regularly present me with treasures. Like explorers returned from exotic lands, they slyly unfurl their fingers to reveal a plastic golden coin from a pirate hoard buried in our backyard. The location cannot be shared. There is a cupcake iced with clumsy hands (my daughters love to be the ones who bring me Read More…

Today Pope Francis has shared the apostolic letter he wrote on the French Carmelite nun, St. Thérèse de Lisieux. He has never shied away from his admiration for the saint who died at the age of 24. In fact, in an interview with the homeless, the Pope cited her as his favorite saint. It’s not Read More…

Sometimes when we reach out to God and pray for Him to listen and heed our requests, it can be very frustrating. While our prayers might be answered from time to time, there will be occasions when our prayers remain unanswered. This can leave us feeling pretty angry with God. After all, we reach out Read More…

Books affect us enormously, especially the books we read as children.  Think back to yourself as a kid: What books were your favorites?  It’s likely that these books influenced everything from your personality and the way you saw the world to your adult career choices and interests. For example, I have a friend who became Read More…

One of the most searched questions of all time is “What is love?” When Catholic filmmaker Steve Bollman heard that, he thought, “The Church has an answer.”  This thought inspired his new film, aptly called What Is Love? You can see it in theaters October 16. The trailer can be seen here: “Hidden within the Read More…

A friend of mine introduced me to the lovely book for children The Monk Who Grew Prayer by Claire Brandenburg. The watercolor illustrations in a palette of warm earth tones are gentle and rich, and the simple sentence on each page is perfect for a new reader. However, the more I’ve read it and re-read Read More…

The demands of modern life often strip away the simplicity our older generations enjoyed in life. Between the technological advances that have left most of us attached to our phones a little too much, and taking our kids to their numerous activities and appointments, it’s no wonder that our minds can’t always think straight. The Read More…

We all know that kid. The one who is always bouncing all over the place and who is in such a ceaseless buzz of activity that it puts the Energizer Bunny to shame. Whether you’re teaching that kid in the classroom, homeschooling them, or helping them do their homework in the evenings, you need strategies Read More…