A coworker of mine and I were talking before the All School Mass this week. I mentioned something to her about corny Catholic jokes because I had just asked someone, “How was your Easter?” And the joke should have been on me, “What do you mean? Easter isn’t over. We are still celebrating!…”

Does this sound like a familiar scenario to many of you? I began by asking God to give me not only the opportunity, but also the right words. Then I prayed for wisdom and discernment and courage…

Father Adam asked the kids at the school mass on Thursday how many of them had ever read or watched the story/movie, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." A few adults and a small sprinkling of kids had read it…

My family enjoys scaring me.

I told them that I read an article about how frightening someone can take a year off their life for each occurrence. (So at this point, I am convinced that I have lived WELL past my life expectancy in years). That hasn't helped…

It became a family mantra of sorts. I grew up hearing it and, in turn, my husband and I preached it to our kids…don’t leave the car empty-handed! The list of items to be toted included everything from backpacks to groceries, suitcases to toys and everything else in between…

I have a very limited knowledge of farming; however, I have many friends that live on farms, work on farms, are married to farmers of all shapes and sizes. I never really considered myself much of a farmer…until the last couple of years…

About ten years ago was our first Spring of baseball games out at a place called the Rec Plex. I remember a particular evening early in that first season…

How nice is it to have something green and growing in our environment, especially during these drab, end-of-winter days when we think Spring will never arrive?…

I'm not sure how this writing is going to be received. I'm afraid Father might come over and knock me on my head after he reads this, but I am nothing if not honest, so here goes. I get nervous around the Lenten season…

There’s a first for everything.

Several weeks ago, I arrived at work, set down my things, and walked down the hall for a morning check-in with my boss. He made a motion toward my feet…

It is mentioned in the Old Testament over one hundred times in some form and in the New Testament over fifty times. God must have thought it important to caution us against fear…

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word team as “a group of people who work together.” I truly believe that everyone should be on a team of some sort in their lifetime…

Our second child is starting his behind-the-wheel hours, and I am still learning to navigate. This reality set in recently as I made plans for him with a driving school…and I proceeded to make two wrong turns…

Apparently, I needed a lesson in connectivity this week. The reliability of my Toshiba laptop and all software applications plus our internet connection have been blessedly reliable…until this week. Frustrating and time consuming are the least objectionable descriptive adjectives that come to mind…

It has been a long couple weeks since Christmas break. It seems like everything is just spiraling out of control. Usually when this happens in my life, I spiral right with it. It is so easy to get caught up in the chaos and add fuel to the raging fire…

Over the years, I have been inspired by people willing to share their faith testimonies. In a sense, these people are sharing their own story, their autobiography, of their faith…

Haven’t we all had these moments of spiritual insight or sudden discovery? Sometimes we recognize them immediately for what they are; other times there is wisdom in hindsight. They are moments when the light bulb turns on big time, when you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way. They are flashes of brilliance, illuminating discoveries…

I have wondered this week while reading the daily scripture if Mary and Joseph were nervous. I know how I felt when I was expecting our kids. I know how hopeful, anxious, and excited we were for this life changing event…

Tomorrow marks the 44th anniversary of my chubby-self entering the world. My mom carried me two (long) weeks past my due date, and then I made my appearance to the world as a 9 pound baby girl who could barely fit into the stocking that I came home in from the hospital…

Some of it has been in hindsight, but I am both excited and somewhat surprised to report what a week of JOY this has been.

Father Adam got the ball rolling with his homily on Sunday. Among other things, he reminded us of the importance and priority of joy – Jesus-Others-Yourself…