The Church in Daily Life through the Young Ladies’ Institute
Blessed is She awoke in me to the desire for female-led and supported organizations. But it felt hard to connect. I thought back to my childhood and what I saw...
When the Holidays Make Your Grief Bigger
Everyone has a story. When I meet people for the first time and express genuine interest in their lives, many respond dismissively. “Oh, my life isn’t that exciting. It’s pretty...
7 Ways to Gift Differently with Meaningful and Minimalist Gift Giving
Have you had this conversation in your head, too? It goes something like this: “This is all just too much. You’ve spoiled me. I forgot so-and-so! There are simply too...
A Great Light // The 2018 Advent Gathering
Every year, in the midst of Advent, we as a sisterhood take pause for a one-day retreat together. Although we're scattered throughout the entire world, we carve out time in...
Advent and Christmas Books for Children
Sitting down with my children and opening one of our treasured Advent and Christmas picture books has become a dear part of our seasonal family traditions. There is something magical...
Living Liturgically During Advent
Advent is, by its very nature, a season of waiting and anticipation, not a destination. But to me this year, it does have a sense of being a “grand finale.”...
Bringing the Light: Preparing for Advent
One of my favorite memories of our first home in Minnesota was going out on a cold night (which we had no business going out into). It was probably near...
4 Ways to Find Leisure in an Over-Scheduled World
I don’t find it coincidental that today we find phrases like Breathe and Slow Down on the front of t-shirts, coffee mugs, and other assorted paraphernalia. Our societal “keep up...
Tips for Coming Home from College
Finals are over! You can smell the home cooking over the dirty laundry in your luggage awaiting a quarter-less washing machine at home. Your bed—not the dorm bed you have...
Remember Me: Celebrating the Day of the Dead
One of the seven Corporal Works of Mercy is to “bury the dead.” While this certainly means grieving alongside families who have lost loved ones, it also means continuing to...
An Open Letter to Moms at Mass with a Toddler
Dear Fellow Mom, Our eyes meet across the church and we exchange soft smiles. This week, it is my toddler causing commotion, announcing his dissatisfaction with the fact that we...
Accepting Our Village, Accepting Help
It was a Saturday afternoon and my husband was away for the weekend. It was just me and my three kids, three years old and under. I was exhausted, stressed,...
