Let Your Light Shine: Braving Solo Travel to Attend the Blessed is She Retreat
Just shy of two years ago, I was in my home watching Beth Davis do a Teachable Tuesday talk on Instagram. She discussed letting God know your dreams. The idea...
How to Overcome Guilt
I still remember the hurt. The pain I had as a young girl. Some girls from my class called me to say they were having a sleepover and I wasn’t...
When You Don't Feel "Catholic-Catholic"
God led me to her, who led me to Blessed is She, who will walk me back home. I think I might be the kind of woman the sisterhood here...
Weeding the Garden of My Soul
Last spring, my husband and I invested in a new backyard. Once a meadow of unruly weeds and improperly pruned trees, our yard was transformed into our personal paradise. It...
How the Fear of Hell Made Me Want to Be Holy
It constantly happens that the Lord permits a soul to fall so that it may grow humbler, when it is honest, and realizes what it has done, and returns, it...
How to Find a Spiritual Director
I’m a member of a large Blessed is She regional Facebook group. Questions related to spiritual direction often arise there. Women ask about how to find a director, seek recommendations...
Our Family Secret: Addiction and Shame
One Wednesday night, my husband and I attended a class that Catholic Charities hosted at our parish about family stress. We sat in a partially-filled room as the topic of...
Making Holy Week New
Tomorrow, we enter into the holiest week of the Church’s year. If you experienced God’s love and mercy in a new and powerful way this Lent, Holy Week may be...
The Healing Power of Confession in My Life
To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well,...
How to Go to Confession (and a Printable Examination of Conscience for Women)
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a great gift to Catholics. But sometimes we don't avail ourselves of this grace as much as we should. Sometimes fear or uncertainty keep us...
Scrupulosity: When Catholic Guilt Goes Wrong
The word scrupulous is usually used to describe someone who is extremely thorough and attentive to detail. It’s meant to be a compliment. However, for many Catholics, being scrupulous is...
Sweet and Sour Chicken Confessions
My affection for sweet and sour chicken did not begin until a few years ago. In simpler times, I preferred macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders, and the occasional peanut butter...
