We had it all planned out: My husband and I would leave our little girl with my mother on Friday night. We’d drive to Houston and stay in a nice hotel for TWO. WHOLE. NIGHTS. Two whole nights of sleeping straight on through until we felt like waking up, be it 8 AM or noon…. [Read More]
How to Stay Motivated During Lent
If you’re anything like me, you get to Day 6 of Lent and you start amending your sacrifices, making them easier and less painful. You may even have a conversation with yourself that looks like this: Scene: I’m quietly engaged in a task. My brain is wandering in thought. Suddenly, Brain taps me on the… [Read More]
Booze! A Lenten Reflection
When I started to write this, the sun was still setting on Ash Wednesday. The Lenten season had officially begun. I didn’t know until the sun rose that morning what it was God really wanted me to write about. While my more experienced cohorts in the ACNM were suggesting that people would naturally be looking… [Read More]
Slipping Up in Lent – Questions about Lenten Sacrifices
When we start Lent with a day like Ash Wednesday, it sets a somewhat somber tone for the season. This is a season of sacrifice, penance, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Definitely sounds like a no-fun zone. Thinking about doing something that makes you happy? Save it for Easter! This is at least how many Catholics look… [Read More]
Faith and Frozen [the movie]
I admit it, even as an adult I love animated children’s movies. There’s something about the humor, the joy and the fun that children’s movies have that many adult movies don’t. Kids movies don’t take themselves too seriously, yet often have a life lesson or two to share with us. And Disney’s most recent animated… [Read More]
Meat Always Looks Tasty on Friday
If you’re like me, you find meat tasty. Here in Texas, we love our steaks, burgers, and BBQ. If you haven’t seen the popular HEB commercial, it shows that most Texans would have a cookout every meal if we could. It isn’t far from the truth. Let’s talk a little more about this thing we… [Read More]
Do You Count Sundays in Lent?
I’ve been very amazed to see the amount of Catholics that haven’t been to mass in years yet still feel the need to give something up for Lent. I haven’t seen any official polls, but it seems that this group is even larger than the ones that go to mass on Ash Wednesday. It seems… [Read More]
Lent: Walking in the wilderness
Unfortunately I didn’t take the time with God to work out the post I was planning this week. After Ash Wednesday, God and I became busy working on many other issues I needed to address. Finally last night God smacked me and said “hey dummy… since you are busy with your Lenten discipline why not… [Read More]
40 Days of Awesome: Giving Up More Than Beer, Cokes & Candy
Be reckless this Lent. Oh, I mean it. I’m talking about the kind of reckless that’s make you seek, without abandon, God’s will. If St. Paul can do it, so can you. For far too many Lents, I’ve done the traditional “give up beer, Cokes and candy.” But, you know what? I think that makes… [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]
Giving Something Up? Or Giving Something Freely?
Ash Wednesday is only two weeks away! Unlike last year, I’m trying to figure out what to “give up” ahead of time. The only requirements for Lent is fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstinence on Fridays throughout Lent. The practice of giving something up is what I grew up with though, so… [Read More]
