Prayer of Thanks for the Drive Through Car Wash
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Find joy in life’s small moments of wonder.
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Jagged Prayers
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“You once said that if you didn’t write, you’d wash your hands all day. This is true for me too, though it manifests itself in other ways: list-making, organizing, cleaning until I see disorder in every inch of my house. Writing becomes a compulsive behavior too, a way of finding clarity, of moving through the pain into something beautiful.”
Read MoreMind Games
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Hold on to your hats and glasses, cause this essay is going to be a bumpy ride.
This isn't like what you have read from me thus far.
Our Happy Jar and a New Year's Fresh Start
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“A few years ago, when my elder son was newly able to write his name and a few other scribblings of words, my family started a tradition called “Our Happy Jar.” I cleaned out a large Mason jar and filled it with colorful scraps of paper. “
Read MoreFamily Thanksgiving Rituals
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Read how families can create sacred moments at Thanksgiving. Read my article for Loyola Press here.
Read MoreHow I Learned to Let Go of My Worries on Vacation
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I can't be the only one who stresses out on vacation, right?
Read MoreAnticipating Pentecost: ‘Veni Sancte Spiritus’
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The first time I sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit, I was four years old.
Read MoreA Familiar Comfort From Our Lady of Guadalupe
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Read how Our Lady of Guadalupe connects me to my past and my future.
Read MoreCreating Space for Silence
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Creating space for silence with my children and learning that maybe silence isn't so scary.
Read MoreListening For What Might Be Revealed
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“Listen” I whispered, wanting them to hear the waves breaking in the cove on the other side of the cottage. But in the quiet, we heard something else.
Read MoreHow to Intentionally Plan a Day of Rest
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“After a busy week, not just my body, but my soul cries out for rest—a Sabbath. Just as God took a day of rest after six days of creation, he invites us to set apart, to make holy, a day for rest.”
Read MoreHow to Help A Friend With Depression
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“What can I do to help?” It is difficult for me to answer when in the throws of depression. So I let my nearest and dearest know ahead of time what they can do to help.
Read MoreCatholic Voices - Make a joyful noise!
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It doesn’t matter what you sound like, just sing to God with the voice God gave you
Read MoreGrandpa's for Fight Night
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“What? Oh, yeah, no problem mija.” He says as the phone rings. I would not sit on his lap that night, I never did on fight nights. “Phil here.” he answered the phone. “Uh huh, uh huh.” He grunted as he jot down a few words and numbers.
Read MoreWeight Will Not Be Ignored
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He seemed to enjoy the presence it gave him, the space he took up, in our lives and in the world, as he used his size to frighten his wife, his children and anyone else who encountered him.
He would not be ignored.
Read MoreMy Gift To A King
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I think of their gifts for Christ: gold, a symbol of kingship; frankincense, a symbol of his priesthood; and myrrh, an embalming oil, a reminder of his death to come. A baby born to die.
“What gift would I give Jesus?” I wonder.
Read MoreThe Healing Power of a Small, Good Thing
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Curled up with the book one evening, I listened to the sounds of my husband opening drawers and stirring pots in the kitchen. My soon to be 7-year-old, came over for a snuggle. He grasped the book from my hands as he curled into my lap. I had just started the first story and my son read to me in his little voice sounding not unlike a Peanuts character. I stroked his hair as he rubbed his foot against mine.
Read MoreMy Soul Rejoices Through the Darkness
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'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' is a somber sounding hymn, made more solemn in the darkened church, lit only with candles as we wait for Christ's birth.
Read MoreA Secret Gift
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It is rare that I’ll remember a sweet memory associated with my father. Most of my memories of him are intertwined with fear and anxiety. And yet...
Read MoreA Soft Place to Land
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Will he come to me when he doesn’t make the team or when his first crush turns him down? Will he look to me for comfort? I imagine a basketball player of a boy, my lap overflowing and know he will not draw to me in this same way for long. Yet I hope I can always provide a safe place for him to land, to renew.
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