Mission El Salvador Day 1 Most of the first day was spent getting to El Salvador. My journey started at 5 am Austin time and didn’t pass through customs until 1 pm El Salvadoran time. El Salvador has had a little less than half a day to open my eyes. This was far more abundance… [Read More]
Mission El Salvador Day 0
Young Adult Mission to El Salvador Day 0 My next couple posts are going to be different. They are going to be shorter. They will come in more rapid succession. My spelling may be worse (not that it wasn’t bad enough already). Oh yes and after this one, they will be coming from El… [Read More]
No Greater Love: 3 Heroes from Aurora
When I was sixteen, I had a boyfriend. My young heart was madly in love. I had also spent some time reading the Bible, inspired by my Baptist friends. One day, I came across this verse: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 In a… [Read More]
Basic Biology for the Dating Catholic
So you’re Catholic? Good. And so is SHE? Well, well, well. Even better. You know the “she” of whom I speak. Your heart’s beating a little faster just thinking about her. Perhaps your palms are sweating and you need to wipe down your keyboard with a Wet-Nap. But where do you start? How do you… [Read More]
Introducing 1Flesh.org
There’s a new website going around in Catholic circles that promotes chastity before marriage, natural family planning during marriage, and more. It’s called 1Flesh.org. It’s not exclusively Catholic though, as it seeks the very broad audience of those who use contraception, regardless of faith. The catch? It’s edgy. Refreshingly edgy for some, uncomfortably so for… [Read More]
The State of Your Heart
Attention, Catholics! Do you want to grow massively in holiness? Do you long to kindle the great flames of piety and prayerfulness in your heart? Do you want to do this easily, quickly, and effectively, in one simple step? I submit to you an answer that will likely make every young Catholic cringe in despair… [Read More]
Lessons from the Giving Tree and Thorns in our Side
Growing up did you ever read the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein ? In this sad-for-a-kid-but-wonderful book, a tree and a boy become friends and the tree gives all it can to help the boy be happy. Here’s a video version if you haven’t read it, narrated by Shel). I’ve liked sappy stories my whole… [Read More]
Comparing Conversions
When the well-known atheist, Leah Libresco, announced her entrance into the Catholic Church’s RCIA program I was blown away, like many others. I have to admit that, after reading her posts, much of what she said went over my head. I’m not up on ‘athiest’ speak. But, I was very excited and encouraged by the prospect… [Read More]
Crickets, Crickets Everywhere!
Did you see something move out of the corner of your eye? Well, chances are that it wasn’t just your imagination. Unless you’ve been hiding somewhere, you’ve probably noticed that our part of Texas has been overrun by crickets for the past few weeks. It’s almost to Biblical plague proportions, or at least it feels… [Read More]
With This Cross, I Thee Wed
Today my husband and I celebrate our 4 year anniversary! It seems like our wedding was just yesterday! With marriage comes a lot of unknowns. Saying “I do” in some ways is like walking the plank without knowing whether the plank gets you to land or to a long drop into the ocean! None of… [Read More]
Jesus, The Visitation and Justin Bieber
On Wednesday May 30th, frantic officials in Oslo Norway called in the red cross to curtail growing hysteria which left 19 hospitalized and 49 injured. This was not an earthquake or a terrorist attack. Norway had been ravaged by the kind of mindless hoards whom could have only resulted from the dreaded free Justin Bieber… [Read More]
Soulless Zombies and the Pending Apocalypse
How often do you think about death? It’s 2012, and no year has brought on as much conversation about the end of the world since the new millennium. It seems like there is an ever-increasing collection of movies, shows, and even guidebooks warning us of our possible doom. Death is scary. It’s a violent act… [Read More]
Vocational Training Wheels
Cousins make really good mirrors. I suppose sisters do, too, but I don’t have any so I’m just going to stick to what I know. Anywho, I have an older cousin who has a really good knack for putting me back into perspective when I seem to get a little lost or overwhelmed. That tends… [Read More]
Furrgivness is Divine
So the kittens have taught me another lesson. (I can only reasonably promise that this blog won’t turn into a Cat-holic blog :)) This past weekend they had a fight. I’m not sure what started it, but I noticed that Boomer did not want to share her cool new toy with her sister. After trying… [Read More]
Summer Movie Mania and Catholic Mass
Have you ever stood in line hours before the midnight premiere of the movie you expect to be your new favorite? Even better, did you dress up for the event? We’re in the beginning of the summer movie season, and I’m hoping that it lives up to all the hype about the new movies. There… [Read More]
Seeing God’s love in the wildflowers
This weekend my husband and I went to the Ladybird Johnson wildflower center for a plant sale. It was our first time to go there and it was amazing to see all the different flowers! As a somewhat laissez-faire lawn person – I made sure to point out that many of these flowers are very… [Read More]
Clothes On, Eyes Open (Review: “The Thrill of the Chaste”)
As I’ve mentioned before, I am a big fan of the theology of the body (TOB). It has changed the way I view past and future relationships and the way I relate to other people in my life, male and female. Most of what I’ve learned about TOB has been from Christopher West or from… [Read More]
God’s GPS
It’s seems like I’m always getting lost. It doesn’t matter if I’ve printed off the directions, spent time checking out what turns look like on Google’s street view or even talked through the directions with my Mom a million times. It’s inevitable. Worst thing is, with no smart phone or GPS, I have to resign… [Read More]
Lent is like … a round of Mutton Bustin
I went to the Austin Rodeo this weekend and it was so much fun! As a Texas transplant I get a lot of child-like enjoyment (“Let the children come to me!”) in seeing show animals, pig races, deep-fried-everything-you-can-imagine, unique rhinestone belts, and decorative cowboy boots. This year I even got to see a baby kangaroo,… [Read More]
Fish Fry Fridays
This Lenten season is filled with extra efforts. You choose to give something up or you choose to add some activity to enrich your spiritual life whether it be making an effort to go to Daily Mass, going to Stations of the Cross or celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation. While I’ve tried to incorporate more… [Read More]
Hearing God’s call even while you’re sleeping, and maybe even if you’re stuck in a whale, figuratively
When is the last time you heard a direct message from God? To have a personal relationship with God means you are in conversation with Him – after all, communication is a key component of relationship. Is your conversation two ways, or does it seem like you’re doing all the talking? We’re only a few… [Read More]
A Catholic College Experience
It was the summer in between my junior and senior year in college. I was back at home volunteering at my parish’s vacation bible school. I was the designated photographer hoping to get some good shots for my portfolio due at the end of my summer photography course. It was during a break when I… [Read More]
Figuring God into Weight Loss
Obesity is a pandemic in the US. I know from firsthand experience. But, not until recently had I thought God could help me with this problem. After all, my lack of exercise and love for chocolate are all my doing. God is strictly for prayer. Right? Wrong. Too long have I compartmentalized societal expectations from… [Read More]
Joseph: Carpenter, Saint, Daddy
I don’t know if it’s all the Nativity scenes that are around or that really vivid dream I had a few days ago about getting married, but St. Joseph has been on my mind a lot. I love St. Joseph like I love my own father and during the Christmas season especially I like to… [Read More]
Trusting in the Truth (Review: “How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul”)
I hate to begin blog posts with apologies, but I feel I must offer mine for the tardiness of this review. I spent the day after-Christmas shopping with my mom and sister. I don’t see my family very often since they almost all still live in Maryland, so I try to make myself available to… [Read More]
Young Adults and the Parish
Looking back on my childhood, I am very grateful for the role that our parish had in my life. We prayed together, and we played together. Outside of school, the parish was everything to me and my family. That community consists of only a couple hundred families and is the only Catholic church in that… [Read More]
Purgatory – A Sign of God’s Mercy and Hope for All Saint-Hopefuls
So I knew coming into this post that I was going to be writing after a few others had their pick of All Saints and All Souls topics. But my blog is about becoming a Saint! And we can never learn too much about them, right?So, let us place ourselves in God’s presence, and the… [Read More]
Austin City Limits Music Festival And The New Evangelization
46-acres, 130 artist and over 70,000 fans each day at this years ACL Music Festival will once again be “Keeping Austin Weird.” We are called to be disciples always. How might it be possible to evangelize while not missing your favorite band? Break out your favorite Catholic paraphernalia. Whether it’s the cool swag that your… [Read More]
Workplace Evangelization
A while back, I wrote an article about Microevangalization: that is, sharing the Good News in small ways as often as possible. So, imagine my surprise when I read this part of a Yahoo article called “What Does Your Desk Say About You?” listing different items and their impressions: Rosary or hamsa:Third-rail alert! Religious icons can be the fastest… [Read More]
You Never Know
Earlier this week in the Diocese of Tulsa, a newly ordained priest and a seminarian were killed in a car accident. I didn’t know either of the men, but my heart goes out to their parish. This, combined with a personal battle my wonderful, wonderful parents are fighting at home has me thinking about the… [Read More]
It’s the (3rd) most wonderful time of the year.
There are three times of year that I count among my most favorite. Christmas, Easter, and…the start of a new school year. I am pathologically obsessed with school supplies. New paper smell and fresh pens and bright, new erasers. If ever I were to appear on Hoarders, I can almost guarantee that binders and post-it’s… [Read More]
My prayer journal is made of iPhone apps.
I pray that anyone who got a succinct email from me today, will forgive any offense; I was tired. It’s entirely my fault and I apologize. But, staying up till 1 AM to find the perfect app to fit my prayer need was well worth it. It probably wouldn’t have taken so long if the… [Read More]
Ladies in Lace: Catholic Women and Veiling
I have to admit that I’ve got a little bit of a Christmas in July, complete with eager anticipation of the package to come. I just ordered a lovely brown lace chapel veil (mantilla) from veilsbylily.com and I can’t wait for it to get here! I’ve been looking for a modest veil for a while. I bought… [Read More]
Catholic Rock Stars
“You cannot be half a saint. You must be a whole saint or no saint at all.” -St.Therese of Lisieux Ever since I was a child, I’ve had a fascination with saints, thanks to the detailed pictures in the book of saints my parents had. And, even as an adult I continue to have a… [Read More]
9 Things To Do When Needing Direction
It happens to all of us. Life is moving along swimmingly until it hits. “It” might be something thrown at us from the outside—a layoff, your child’s crisis, or realizing that all of the graduate programs you’ve applied to waitlisted you—or it can be internal—realizing that you’re not happy in your job/career, finishing college without… [Read More]
A rose by any other name. . .
. . .would not be half as awesome as Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha. I have a confession. We’re all Catholics here so I can do that, right? When I first made the conscious decision that converting to Catholicism was what I was going to do, one of the things I was geeking out about was the… [Read More]
Falling and Fighting – The Struggle for Christ
I’ve been a Catholic school kid my entire life. A fact that has provided me with a number of opportunities that many people didn’t get growing up. I had the opportunity to learn about my faith in school, to share my faith with all my friends and teachers, to pray openly. But I also had… [Read More]
It’s a Difference of Feeling – Making Mass Meaningful
We’ve all thought it at some point in our lives: “Why does Mass have to be so boring?” I’ll admit to it. Growing up in a Catholic household, I used to dread going to Mass (although for a youngster I think that’s almost expected). And there have been times – yes, even as an adult… [Read More]
Sex Is Good
Catholics aren’t known for being knowledgeable about sex. The extreme stereotype says we’re ashamed of it, and our bodies. We have sex only because of marital duty and we shouldn’t enjoy it. The stereotype says that we acknowledge we need to do it, but almost as a necessary evil. Wow. I know aspects of this has existed in time… [Read More]
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