In prayer, I often find that I seek answers in life. I know that this is a totally uncommon practice (wink wink) but questioning God and His Will, at least for the past few years, has been incredibly involved with seeking answers. There are so many questions that we become obsessed with that, I would… [Read More]
DCYC 56: Ablaze
The annual Austin Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference (DCYC) was last weekend, January 17-19, 2014 in Waco, Texas. Nearly 2400 teens from around the Diocese participated in DCYC, making it the largest DCYC ever. This year’s theme, Ablaze, was a fitting conclusion to the Year of Faith which ended this past November, reminding teens that, “If… [Read More]
“Most of You Are Probably Called To Marriage”
“Most of You Are Probably Called To Marriage”, said Mark Hart at DCYC 2013. Suddenly, a look of annoyance crossed his face. “Excuse me,” he said, “Some of you are called to marriage. SOME of you, but not all of you.” I remember, at the time, the fact that he went out of his way… [Read More]
The Rope is Hope (Review: “Delivered”)
As you know, I read a lot. I believe that we read because it teaches us what it means to be human. Most of the nonfiction I read is for Austin CNM these days, so it doesn’t all apply to me. My job here is not just to share what I think and feel about… [Read More]
The Birds in the Sky
In the midst of finals, I find that many friends, including myself experience mini-existential crises. We wonder what we are doing with our lives, how this grade will affect the future, and how we are supposed to make meaning in this messy little thing called life. I worry about where I am supposed to be… [Read More]
The Weight of the Old Testament: A Consistent God
In a number of conversations I have had with Protestants, a certain phrase has come up a few times that has baffled me. We could be casually talking about Jesus and religion when he or she will say “the Old Testament doesn’t really matter, it just leads up to Jesus.” This statement baffles me for… [Read More]
Ya Gotta Be A Straight Shooter Do Ya Got it?
If you didn’t catch the Aladdin reference, here you go. The joke ends at about 35 seconds in. Thanks and Gig’em. “Do you have what it takes?” The recurring trial of being a man; the question that can plague a man’s heart in the midst of suffering. This question has been on the soul of every… [Read More]
Oct 20 XLT for Austin Diocese Youth
This weekend there is great event for the high school youth of our diocese. There will be hundreds of teens gathered from across the area to come together for mass, a meal, and Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the AustinXLT site for more info. The event will include a keynote presentation by Matt Regitz from Prince of Peace… [Read More]
Why we can’t stop listening.
Back when I was in high school, I became close friends with two girls. They were Baptist. They taught me that God really loved me, that I could talk to Him like I talked to my best friend, and that most music played on the radio was evil. In fact, one friend went so far… [Read More]
Tips For High School Seniors, Heck, High School-ers in General
It’s like they always say, retrospective is always twenty-twenty. The ever-celebrated high school senior year is an incredibly emotion filled time period. The stress of college applications, trying to figure out what career you want to do, and how you interact with friends and relationships in this last year of being home can weigh on… [Read More]
Some Monday Morning Inspiration To Get You Going
Oh, Monday, here we are again. Maybe your weekend was packed with activities or maybe it was used for a Netflix-surfing-couch-time. Yet, here we are again, on a Monday with a full week ahead of us until the next well deserved weekend. While channel flipping over the weekend, I caught a few minutes of the… [Read More]
Hole-y Hearts: A Testimony to Ritual
Three days ago I moved into my apartment at Texas A&M. The good-bye to my family was sad, and although I could see how hot some of their eyes were getting, they held it together, which meant that I could hold it together. I love my family dearly and it was painful to see them… [Read More]
GODS: The Good Old Days Syndrome
This week, I’ve decided to take a brief side route away from my posts about the Theology of Sound to raise public awareness of a particular disease. It’s an old disease – very old, in fact – and it has never been cured, nor will it ever be. It is not a bacteria, and hence… [Read More]
Z. Randall Stroope’s The Conversion of Saul
David Casper asked this question a few weeks ago in his post: Why does music hold such power over the human heart? In middle and high school, my sanctuary was the choir room. Forget sports (although I did play soccer in high school) and the library, I’d much rather spend before school, after school and… [Read More]
On the education of children
Often I wonder if my writing isn’t just redirected self-therapy. Journaling sent out into the digital cosmos. A way of expressing my emotions, reading them, and moving on. Sometimes I wonder, but today I am sure. Last week I completed the enrollment of all four of my children in our local public schools. I made… [Read More]
Preparing for WYD 2013
In just week from today, I have the opportunity to travel to Rio de Janiero, Brazil with 10 of my teens and 3 other adult chaperones. I cannot even began to tell you all how excited I am! The theme of WYD 2013 is “Go make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), which I believe… [Read More]
Defend us in Battle
I sometimes wonder if those who are fought for human rights and those who are considered great examples of leaders for social justice knew they would be forever knitted into mankind’s history. I’m going to be bold and presume that for those who dedicated their lives to ensuring our fellow brothers and sisters were treated… [Read More]
advice for a young mother
The other night I went to a local eatery to meet up with some Catholic mommas. These ladies meet regularly at a local parish, to encourage each other in their motherhood and faith. We sat around the table at this elegant venue downtown. A raucous “Salsa Night” going on at the restaurant just next door…. [Read More]
5 Thoughts for Newlyweds
You can always tell when there’s been a wedding. At my parish, that’s when we get to look at pretty flowers. Because, at a university parish, we don’t spend the big bucks on flowers. We’re frugal, yo. So, we love it when wedding season comes around. There’s fragrant proof of white gowns, flower girls and… [Read More]
Open Letter to Graduating High School Seniors
I’ve spent the last 4 years as a catechist to high school seniors. Before that I spent 4 years with confirmation classes and middle school students, but focusing on sending students out to college and beyond high school has been some of my most fruitful experiences. I would like to share a personal letter to… [Read More]
Run, Walk, Glow-fun, and Soundwave at the Saints and Sinners AfterDark 5K – May 4 at Hutto High School
Come one, come all to the Inaugural Saints and Sinners After Dark 5K! Calling all Runners, walkers, Soundwave fans, and supporters of the St. Patrick Catholic Church community! Head over to Hutto High School on May 4th for the Inaugural Saints and Sinners After Dark 5K and MusicFEST! View the web site online here… [Read More]
The Silence of the Lamb
Ladies and gents, I think I might be clinically insane. There are many reasons I think this might be true, not the least of which is my propensity for cackling maniacally while formulating plans to take over the world, but if you’re not entirely convinced, I think I could prove my point if you just… [Read More]
Catholic Summer Camp Guide: 2013
There is one word that’s keeping me going until June: summer. I can see sweet tea, swimming pools and no alarm clocks on the horizon. If you’re a mom, you probably have summer camp on that list, as well. Perhaps you’ve been wondering just where you can find great Catholic summer camps for your children…. [Read More]
South Cross South West: Catching Up With Gina Chavez and Paul Finley
In addition to catching some official SXSW events this past month, I was able to go participate in some un-official SXSW events. The first was ACNM’s un-official SXSW interactive event. If you missed the event but want to check out the audio, it’s all here. The other un-official event I caught was South Cross South… [Read More]
How to keep your tween a child for just a little while longer
Tween. Tween? Such a strange word. When I was growing up, we didn’t call ourselves that. We were either kids, or teens. There was no in beTWEEN. But, as weird as the word is, there might be some good in setting this stage of childhood off as its own separate category. There’s a lot going… [Read More]
A South Cross Southwest Event!
For those who live in Austin (and even those who don’t) SXSW means one thing: celebrities, film screenings, music concerts and the latest nerdy gadgets. But this Saturday at an event downtown, SXSW means something much different. David Morton, co-founder of Six17 Creative, created an event to bring Catholic musicians to the University Student Center… [Read More]
Conclave? There’s an app for that! (and Twitter, Email, etc)
The eight general congregation of the College of Cardinals announced last week that the conclave to select the next Pope will begin on tomorrow on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The cardinals will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the morning and then enter into the conclave that afternoon. If you’re not planning on waiting… [Read More]
Second Pew, Choir Side
I can point to the pew I sat in the first time I went to Mass at St. Mary’s in College Station. It was my first week as a freshman at Texas A&M. I had only been to Mass a few times before in my life. A Christmas with my grandmother as a small child,… [Read More]
20 Reflective Movies for Lent… or anytime, really
I’m always on the hunt for an inspiring film, especially during a reflective time like the season of Lent. There are hundreds of beautiful movies out there, and I have put together a list of 20 of my favorites. Some are more religious in nature and some are more secular. Some are recent releases and… [Read More]
Your New Catholic Toolkit (Review: “The Confirmed Catholic’s Companion”)
“Now, Lindsay,” you might say, “it’s barely Lent! Confirmation season isn’t for months!” Well, you’re right. It’s not Confirmation season, and except in emergencies, no one is going to be confirmed for at least six more weeks. That makes it the perfect time to consider not only what delightful Catholic reference book you’re going to… [Read More]
5 Tips For An Intentional Lent
It is a week or so before the beginning of Lent, and I find myself cringing a bit. We just finished Christmas, for goodness sake! I still have a plastic box of Christmas snow globes on the top of the piano that I haven’t yet put away. And now, we’re edging up on to Lent… [Read More]
A Weekend with Almost 2,500 Teenagers? It Wasn’t as Scary as it Sounds…
Spending a weekend with a couple of thousand teenagers in one building is possibly one of the scariest scenarios for the average population. Add blaring loud music, sleep deprivation, and long lines to eat meals—are you terrified yet? But, what if I was to explain that during this weekend, the teens were all there doing… [Read More]
What Love Is
Hey. Wanna try a little experiment? Search the Internet for the definition of “love” and see what you get. I tried this just recently and discovered something rather incredible. Specifically, I wanted to know what our society thinks love is. We as Catholics know that society’s understanding of love is pretty screwed-up, but I wanted… [Read More]
Four Words I’ll Never Forget
Four years ago, my son Jonathan found me sitting in front of my laptop, tears running down my cheeks. I had read an email and had been stunned to tears and silence. I was in shock with joy. The email was about Abby Johnson, the director of our local Planned Parenthood (the number one abortion… [Read More]
St Anthony and Catholic Animals
In the United States, we often celebrate St Francis of Assisi as the great friend of animals in october. There are ever many parishes that even have pet blessings, but many other cultures do this in January. January 17th was the feast of St Anthony the Abbot, and many places, even the Vatican, held their… [Read More]
Youth Ministry Lasts a Lifetime
I’m pretty sure the youth ministry small groups I lead are sick of hearing it, but if it weren’t for kids like them, I wouldn’t be Catholic today. I didn’t grow up in a practicing Catholic family, although I was baptised as an infant. Growing up, material things were all that mattered to me. Especially in high school… [Read More]
10 Steps to a Stronger Family in 2013
Our Lord WANTS our families to be strong, holy, healthy and fun! But, in this busy, automated and digitized world, it’s all too easy to lose our cohesiveness as a family. Strong families are families that enjoy each other, spend time together and are aware of the great gift of family that God has… [Read More]
Why I Believe in Gay Equality
First things first: I apologize for my extended hiatus from posting blogs. Let’s just say a lot of very significant and life-changing things happened to me one after another. Second things second: I’d like to return to my regularly scheduled programming by speaking about a rather snaggly issue in our state/country/world at the moment: gay… [Read More]
A Real Baby
“No, he was a REAL baby!” my six year old daughter insists, eye brows lifted as she explains to her four year old sister. “It’s not a just story!” My four year old’s blue eyes are wide as she looks off out the window, pondering. Jesus was a real baby. Even as an adult, I… [Read More]
Porta Fidei: Austin DCYC 55
The excitement is growing. Austin DCYC is 50 days away, January 18-22, 2013. Every year, the numbers grow. Last year the number was nearly 2200 teens. Last year, more than 80 parishes of the 130 parishes in the Diocese of Austin participated. Ask a teen from your parish that has been to a DCYC (Diocesan… [Read More]
