Parenting has always been difficult. Yet in the last few years, as a Christian, attempting to guide my children toward holiness has become increasingly more difficult. My children are inundated daily with lies about who they are and their place in this world.
It was in the midst of this frustration that I found Sally Read’s Annunciation: A Call to Faith in a Broken World.
Read More“I convert because the Catholic Church is apostolic. We can trace Pope Francis all the way to St. Peter and all the Apostles; I want to be a part of that.” She was absolutely beaming when she told me this. As someone who grew up in a church founded in the 1970s, I understood. To be part of something with all that history made me feel connected to the panorama of the Church throughout time.
In the book, First Belong to God, Austen Ivereigh quotes Pope Francis when he writes, “Joy is apostolic. It is ‘a clear indictor of grace.’”
Read MoreWhen I decided that I wanted to write a book on Joy, (Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight coming 2025 at Zondervan) I started to look for writers to be in conversation with. I read books already written on joy and then also books that were similar to what I wanted to do. What were these writers doing? What did I want to emulate? What did I want to do differently?
You might find a book or two to inspire you from this list. They are all joyful and thoughtful texts which I will return to and continue to have “conversations with” for years to come.
Read MoreI hope you will join me on Monday as I Zoom into Catholic Women’s Literature class at University of the Incarnate Word!
Read MoreSure I put candy in my kids Easter Baskets, I’m not a GRINCH!
But I love to put a few faithfilled gifts to remind them why we celebrate.
And with Baptisms, First Communions and Confirmations filling up my calendar for the next several months of Sundays, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite faith filled gifts with you.
Read MoreI had so much fun talking about Bald Eagles, my sons and JOY with Courtney Eliis on The Thing WIth Feathers Podcast
I hope you will listen and laugh with me. Or at me.
Read MoreReading Classics with your children doesn’t have to be painful.
Read MoreI did not grow up traveling. We were poor and did not have time or the means for travel. Our vacations were usually a weekend camping trip to a site close enough that our beat-up car could make it there and back.
So in 2018 when my husband told me he had a two month Sabbatical and we were going to take our children out of school and spend it in Italy—I was shocked. Since that Sabbatical, we have done quite a bit more, each time becoming more efficient and streamlined so we can just enjoy the experience, instead of stressing.
Friends often ask me for pointers, so I thought I’d put them all in one place.
Read MoreHere are a few books I am looking forward to reading……and a few are available for pre-order!
Read MoreDo you choose a word for the new year? My word this year is LOVE.
Check out my latest for Ignatian Spirituality
Read MoreSan Fermo Maggiore Church in Verona, Italy, features foundation stones from the fifth century, so I was quite surprised to find, tucked behind one of the central pillars bearing the weight of the upper church, an exquisite modern sculpture of the Annunciation. Sometimes modern art in ancient places is jarring. It doesn’t fit quite right. Yet this piece took my breath away.
Read MoreI read over 50 books a year so many ask “what were your favorites?” I decided to make a list to share.
Read MoreThis book is a companion, not merely something to read.
Read MoreI’ve always wanted to chat with Robert McCready since I met him on X. I finally got to as a guest on his podcast Evening Magic.
Read MorePerhaps because I write for Christian publications or perhaps it is because I have a million books of my own, people are often asking me for Christian book recommendations for children.
These are some of my favorites. I have picked up a few for my favorite little people and I hope you will too.
Read MoreHonored to talk to Jessica Hooten Wilson on The Scandal of Reading Podcast. We spoke about joy and Christian Wiman's collection of Joy Poetry. I would have talked to Jessica if no one listens to this podcast. She is that special of a woman.
Read MorePleased to share this conversation I had with Marc Shea of Performance Anxiety Podcast. We chat about writing, God, being included in Pope Francis’ Sharing the Wisdom of Time by Loyola Press, staying at monasteries and an Abbot’s questions about the Night Stalker, happiness vs joy, depression and my fear of capybaras. Basically, just a regular conversation with me.
Read MoreWrote a Fall prayer for Ignatian Spirituality.
Read MoreLiminal space, a place of transition, is the moment in time caught between then and now, the past and the not yet. These places can make you feel uncomfortable, like airports or waiting rooms. Or, as an engaged couple or a pregnant woman, they remind you that you are not who you have been and neither are you who you will become.
Read MoreThe splash of paint begins to take form and I make out wings. No, this is not an abstract painting or ink blot test. I am standing before an angel.
Read MoreThrives on moments where storytelling, art and faith collide.
