Catholic Mom Moments Blog

Join me in my new blog home!

2008-11-22T08:41:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Join us over at the newly redesigned CatholicMom.com for my blog, podcast, and more great content for Catholic families:

I'm hoping that you will find the new site easy to use and that you will comment regularly to help keep me motivated! Thanks for your ongoing support - I'm hoping the end result will be a happy new home for all of us! Lisa

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Free Catholic Bible Study DVD for Year of St. Paul

2008-11-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to share with you the great news that our friends at the Come and See Catholic Bible Study series have made another generous offer for our CatholicMom.com readers.

Take a look at my interview with series co-author Laurie Manhardt to find out how you can obtain a free DVD to help you begin your study of their new "Acts and Letters" bible study book.

As a side note, I've posted this interview over at the "currently under construction new CatholicMom.com site". Please know that this site is far from being ready for prime time, but I'm going to start posting content there so that it will be packed with great stuff once it's up and fully functional. The links and navigation don't work yet, so don't bother clicking on the sidebar links, but you can read all of Laurie's great thoughts on getting started with your own Catholic Bible study devotion! You can also leave a comment on the new site if you'd like to help me get started with testing our system.

My Favorite New Catholic Calendar!

2008-11-21T09:51:00.001-08:00

This month, I was fortunate enough to receive a review copy of the calendar that will grace my office walls in 2009 - The Beauty of Grace 2009 Calendar of Indulgences from Bridegroom Press.

I’m thrilled to help spread the word about this particular product, since it is so much more than simply a way to keep track of appointments. First, a physical description of the calendar: it’s a heavy duty 12 x 12 calendar with lovely artwork from Murals by Jericho. The photos that grace each month’s page are absolutely lovely images that will look great in any room.

More importantly though, the content of this calendar far exceeds any I’ve ever seen - you could almost call this calendar a reference book. In fact, I know that the calendar will be hung very close to my desk, since I will be taking it down regularly to refer to the various features it offers. These include:

Lists all the indulgenced works of the Church on a month-at-a-glance basis,
Highlights the twenty-two special days when a partial indulgence becomes plenary to honor a day,
Color-codes the indulgences for easy identification
Has scholarly notes on the history of indulgences,
Contains the conditions for earning both partial and plenary indulgences,
Gives the complete text of over a dozen different indulgenced prayers,
Carries weekly reminders for Friday fasts and Saturday confession
Provides the Scriptural supports for one dozen different apologetics topics:

o The Eucharist
o Marian dogma and doctrines
o Redemptive suffering
o The divinity of Christ
o Apostolic succession
o The problems with contraception
o Reconciliation
o Purgatory
o Indulgences
o Divinization
o Church authority
o Catholic baptismal teaching

I’ve learned so much from this calendar already on the topic of indulgences, and I’m certain that my spiritual life will be enhanced throughout all of 2009 through the regular performing of indulgences in my own life.

I’ll be looking for opportunities to share these with you throughout the year. But if I were you, I’d head over to The Catholic Company today and purchase two - one for you and one as a gift for a special friend. The Beauty of Grace Calendar of Indulgences is the type of gift that keeps on giving!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Beauty of Grace Calendar of Indulgences 2009 Wall Calendar.

Jesus loves him...

2008-11-20T15:49:00.001-08:00

Adam 11/20/08

Catholic Moments #79 - Bryan Murdaugh and Catholic Charities

2008-11-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

This week, we share two interviews. Jody Hudson of Catholic Charities of Fresno helps us learn what we, as families, can do to reach out to the poor and needy in our communities. We also meet Bryan Murdaugh, a talented Catholic Dad, youth minister and musician. Deacon Tom Fox shares a reflection on being of service to others. Be sure to enter this month's contest - your chance to win two adorable Christmas Bracelets. To enter, email lisa@catholicmom.com with “Christmas Bracelets Giveaway” in the subject line and be sure to include your complete mailing address. Enter by November 30, 2008. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this episode:
Catholic Charities USA
Bryan Murdaugh
modernPSALTER.com
The Catholic Company
Lisa's Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments #79

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

Catholic Charities Named Top Provider of Social Services

2008-11-18T10:43:00.001-08:00

I was so happy to read the headline today that confirmed what we already know - Catholic Charities USA is the top provider of social services according to Charity Navigator.

This morning, I headed downtown to our local Catholic Charities agency for an interview with Jody Hudson, who heads the agency's food bank, thrift store and many other important areas of community outreach. I'm looking forward to sharing that interview on the next episode of Catholic Moments, but I wanted to share this article with you to remind each of you that the work we do to support Catholic Charities is reaching many lives. At the Catholic Business and Professionals breakfast I attended last week, our local executive director of Catholic Charities stated that with a five dollar donation, Catholic Charities can purchase twenty boxes of cereal! What a wonderful reminder that every little bit helps when it comes to feeding the poor and hungry.

Congrats to Catholic Charities USA and all of those who work and volunteer to carry out Christ's message of care and compassion.

Catholic Charities USA Named Top Provider of Social Services by Charity Navigator, Ranked #2 Overall in NonProfit Times Top 100 - MarketWatch

The Work of God

2008-11-17T07:00:00.001-08:00

I haven't had time yet to read the entire article, but my good buddy Gerard Faucheux wrote in last week to recommend this article in Discover magazine which addresses the origins of life. And while you're checking it out, listen to some of Gerard's songs here - one of my favorites is "How Can You Think of Me?"

Science's Alternative to an Intelligent Creator: the Multiverse Theory | Cosmology | DISCOVER Magazine

Spend some time with Donna-Marie

2008-11-17T06:55:00.001-08:00

In case you missed it last week, you can listen in here to Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle's appearance on Teresa Tomeo's show. It's always so fun to listen in when the two of them are together!

Embracing Motherhood: Listen Here to Yesterday's "Mom's Corner" show

Book Walk! Your Chance to Win

2008-11-17T06:51:00.001-08:00

Our good friend Cay Gibson is hosting a book giveaway over at her lovely blog! All you need to do is head over and comment for your chance to win two of Cay's wonderful books! Easy as pie (or cake...!)

Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks: I Smell Something Baking

Why These Games Scare Me...

2008-11-14T05:44:00.001-08:00

This article from CERC and the National Post are the reason I hate war related video games - thankfully, my boys seem too interested playing various instruments to pay much attention to them, but this tragic story of a 15 year old obsessed with Call of Duty 4 raises huge red flags for me. I am praying for his parents, who surely thought they were doing the right thing by confiscating his game console.

A Canadian teenager has been found dead after running away from home when his parents confiscated his Xbox gaming machine. Brandon Crisp, 15, was obsessed with the online Xbox 360 game Call of Duty 4, in which several participants in different locations fight wars alongside a squadron of others -- with whom they communicate over the internet using headphones and speakers. During the three-week search for the boy his mother said that the game was “his life right now”; she had taken the gaming system away numerous times.

Internet addiction expert Louise Nadeau, a psychologist at the Universite de Montreal, said that as a teenager her mother had accused her of being “a slave to TV”. “There’s something around being 13, 14 or 15 that kids find it easier to live through a screen,” she said. But internet games made it easier to lose touch with real life: “Our world becomes more and more foreign.” Nadeau added: “Addiction sets in when one feels responsible for what happens in the on-line world.”

Microsoft, the company that sells Xbox, offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the boy, and “grudgingly co-operated with police who sought IP addresses” of those who played with Brandon, according to the Post. Future Shop, a chain of stores selling games, was launching a new Xbox game, Gears of War 2, at the time Brandon’s body was found. The chain cancelled parties outside its stores in Toronto and Vancouver out of respect for the Crisp family.

MercatorNet | Family Edge | Canadian Boy Lived In An Online World

Catholic Moments #78 - Traci Matheu

2008-11-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

Our guest this week is Traci Matheu, Catholic mom, speaker and author of A Survivor from the Lost Generation of Catholics on the importance of building a foundation of faith in our families. Deacon Tom Fox shares a reflection on the topic of Loneliness. Be sure to enter this month's contest - your chance to win two adorable Christmas Bracelets. To enter, email lisa@catholicmom.com with “Christmas Bracelets Giveaway” in the subject line and be sure to include your complete mailing address. Enter by November 30, 2008. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this episode:
Traci Matheu
Paul's Men Podcast
FlockNote
Amazing Hero Art
The Catholic Company
Lisa's Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments #78

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

In the Mood!

2008-11-11T17:31:00.000-08:00

I had to share this picture and video from Eric's big concert last weekend.

In the video of the Jazz Band from University High School, Eric is the cool cat in the shades. What a blessing to watch your child do something they love so much - you can see the big smile on his face in the video. He was having a blast.

During the course of the evening, Eric played with the wind ensemble, the Orchestra and the Jazz Band. One of the highlights of the night was the finale, where all 405 students from University High School took the stage to perform together. It was amazing!

Change can be a difficult thing, especially for mothers. When Eric decided to transfer high schools, I will admit I had a lot of fear and trepidation about the move. But watching him this weekend and seeing the sheer joy that he had being among his peers and making such lovely music, I am convinced we made the right decision. It's been a big change in the past year going from football pads to a tuxedo, but I'd say Eric is doing just fine with the transition!

Christmas Bracelets Giveway

2008-11-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to announce our latest giveaway - your chance to win two adorable Christmas bracelets from the wonderful On This Day Designs.

Prizes: 1 winner receives two fun Christmas bracelets from On This Day Designs

How to Enter: To enter, email lisa@catholicmom.com with “Christmas Bracelets Giveaway” in the subject line and be sure to include your complete mailing address. Enter by November 30, 2008

About the Product: Two wonderful cute stretchy bracelets to help commemorate the Christmas season: one has a tiny ceramic St. Nicholas with the words "St. Nick pray for us". It's the perfect reminder for a child that St. Nicholas is the true Santa. A wonderful gift to place in a child's shoe on December 6, the feast of St. Nicholas. The second bracelet celebrates the birth of our Lord Jesus. It's the perfect gift for a child to help remind them why we celebrate Christmas with such joy. Just the right size for a stocking stuffer! This giveaway is sponsored by On This Day Designs

Make Multiplication Magnificent

2008-11-10T10:14:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Vikki for sharing the heads up about a great tool for teachers and parents called "Timez Attack". It's a great video game that will help your kids learn to love multiplication.

I remember hearing this game mentioned on the Rosary Army and Greg and Jennifer gave it great reviews. There is a free Base Version available online to teach your child 2s through 12s and to give you a chance to preview the product.

You can check out the game at BigBrainz.com. I really wish this tool had been available when my boys were learning multiplication! If you've used Timez Attack, I'd love to hear your comments!

Multiplication Tables - Flash Player Installation

Workout Tips for Stay-at-Home Parents

2008-11-10T10:02:00.001-08:00

I'm getting caught up on a whole bunch of backed up email today, so expect a few blog posts to be coming your way! With Nana here, I've been too busy having fun to blog!

One of my favorite daily emails comes from SparkPeople.com - this email today seemed to be a good one to share here:

Workout Tips for Stay-at-Home Parents

When you're running a household that includes young children and teens, it can be hard to get away for a workout.

If you're desperate for fitness but can't seem to find the time, all you need is some planning and a little creativity. Here are some tips for parents with children and teens:

1. Exercise with your kids. If your kids are old enough, let them bike while you run or rollerblade. Hiking makes for a fun family activity that keeps everyone shape. Or, create a fitness course in the backyard, complete with jump rope, jumping jacks, and pushup stations.

2. Purchase some exercise videos. Yoga, Pilates, low-impact aerobics, and kickboxing can all be done on your living room floor with little or no equipment. Before you buy, rent a few from your local video store or check them out from the library to see which ones you like.

3. Improvise. If you miss your aerobics class because of a marathon naptime, pop in an exercise video or do lunges in the backyard with the baby monitor hooked to your pants. Don't stress if you don't get that perfect workout in every time. With exercise, doing some is always better than doing none.

4. Most importantly, put exercise on your "to-do" list. Make it a priority. If that means getting up an hour early for a run, then set the alarm and go for it. You'll benefit in countless ways, plus you'll be a happier, more peaceful parent for your kids.

Catholic Moments #77 - Weight Issues and An Attitude of Gratitude

2008-11-06T05:33:00.000-08:00

This week, Lisa shares double the fun with two interviews: Ruby Gettinger is the star of "Ruby", a new television show that chronicles her lifelong battle with morbid obesity. Sue Lundquist is the author of the I'm Thankful journal, a tool for helping our families build an attitude of thankfulness. Deacon Tom Fox shares a stirring reflection entitled "The Struggle of Parenting" filled with encouraging words for parents. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this episode:
Ruby
Sue Lundquist - I'm Thankful website, I'm Thankful Journal
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
The Catholic Company
Lisa's Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments #77

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

Mommy and Me

2008-11-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

Nana arrives today! I always love welcoming my mom to town, despite the fact that somehow I am traditionally running around the night before she arrives, trying to make my home look halfway decent.

Her guest room adjoins my office, and is frequently the "spill over" space for all of my projects, books waiting to be reviewed, items to be donated and anything else that doesn't have a home. So on the eve of her arrival, I can usually be found moving stacks around, sorting, dusting and cleaning. It makes me happy to do these otherwise hated tasks in anticipation of her arrival though, because I want everything to be just right when she gets here (or at least not as chaotic as it usually is!)

So last night, I was running back and forth between cleaning and watching the events of the evening unfold. I thought John McCain's speech was very gracious, and I'm going to follow the marching orders he gave us in his words of concession:

"join me in not just congratulating [Obama], but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited."

As for the election of our new President Obama, I was inspired watching the crowds in Grant Park listen to his speech. I found the following section of his remarks to be the ones that will spur me to action:

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

Coincidentally, after I voted and dropped Adam off at school yesterday, I found myself at Catholic Charities delivering our canned goods. Lined up in front of the door were families, desperate for the single free sack of food they receive from the organization. The reality of their situation tore at my heart as I recognized the broad cross section of folks there - no stereotypes, just people just like you and me who are feeling the weight of these tough times. It made me ask myself what I am doing personally, daily, to respond to Jesus' call to feed the hungry and to clothe the naked. I hope we can all respond to President Obama's call to "look after not only ourselves but each other" in as many little ways as possible. I hope that these can be words that not only inspire, but that more importantly motivate us to real action.

Have I RSVP'd?

2008-11-04T06:07:00.001-08:00

In today's gospel passage, in the Parable of the Great Feast, Jesus shares the story of a master who threw a great dinner and invited many. Unfortunately, when the time came, those who were invited came up with convenient excuses why they could not answer the call - "I'm too busy" or "My spouse won't let me" are modern ways to paraphrase the lame excuses given.

So the master turned and extended his invitation to those who wouldn't have exactly been the first on his guest list, casting the net ever wider and swearing that the first invited guests would never taste a morsel of the fabulous dinner.

Every day, Jesus invites me to the heavenly feast of eternal salvation and to true Communion with God in the Eucharist. How often do I make up excuses to avoid answering his invitation? I want to go to the feast - but have I RSVP'd to Jesus lately that being with Him and replying to his call is my top priority?

Also today, we celebrate St. Charles Borromeo, the patron saint of bishops, seminarians, catechists, and catechumens. Let's pray today for the shepherds of our Church and for those of us who learn from them - may our hearts be open to hear their teachings and to answer Jesus' invitation to the great feast!

USCCB - (NAB) - November 4, 2008

Serving without Repayment

2008-11-03T06:22:00.001-08:00

I think Jesus might have been speaking to moms as well as Pharisees in today's readings when he said to those gathered:

“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

How many times a day do we find ourselves serving those in our lives and wondering if they notice it or why they don't thank us? If I'm being honest with myself, I have to admit to those small feelings of not being appreciated that bubble over into big feelings at times. But today's readings should be validation for any mom that we are called to truly serve our families, to give them our very best, and to do so humbly. In fact, in today's first reading today we hear:

"Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also everyone for those of others."

Most of us moms will never be missionaries, saints, or doctors of the Church. But we're so very lucky that every day we have the opportunity in our own homes to respond directly to Jesus' call and to do so for the people we love most in this world.

Lord, grant me the attitude today to serve my family humbly and, in doing so, to show you my love.

USCCB - (NAB) - November 3, 2008

Shopping Reminder

2008-11-03T05:02:00.000-08:00

As we enter the Christmas shopping season, I hope you will consider making your online purchases through CatholicMom.com. Please look for the links at CatholicMom.com or on the right sidebar here at the blog - your purchases at Amazon.com and The Catholic Company help pay the expenses for this site and enable me to keep dedicating my time to it. Thanks, as always, for your support and prayers!

Does Praise Add Pressure?

2008-11-01T08:51:00.001-07:00

I'd love to know what you think about this article entitled Want to build your child's self-esteem from the fabulous CERC website. It's premise is that we, as parents, need to be very careful about the way we give feedback to our children to assure that we do not set them up for disappointment or low self-esteem if they do not measure up to all they think we want for them to be.

I fear I've fallen short a bit in this area, as one who's pretty regular at praising her sons for their accomplishments. The article suggests a more refined praise paradigm:

Praise, then and now

OLD

You're brilliant.
You're a great hockey player.
You're smart.
You're so talented.
You're a great colourer.
You're a good artist.

NEW

I really like the way you tried all different ways and found one that worked.
I'm really happy for you -- you worked really hard on the ice today.
I like the way you took on a hard task. I like the way you stuck to it.
You're stretching yourself. You're trying new things.
I like the way you used colours.
That drawing makes me happy. Tell me about it.

So what do you think? I'm fairly certain our parents praised us regularly, and I don't think my self-esteem didn't suffer too greatly.

p.s. Is anyone aware of the trend towards "potty-training parties" mentioned at the end of the article? I must have missed that one!

Book Resource:

Happy All Saints Day!

2008-11-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

Today's readings remind us of the importance of living a life of purity, a life aimed at our ultimate goal - to someday see the face of God in heaven. We have such a vast number of saints who have gone before us, giving us wonderful examples of how to live this life towards that end.

I love it that our saints come in so many shapes and sizes: priests and popes, moms and daughters. Each of the saints walked his or her own path to sainthood, and some stumbled and fell along those paths just as you and I do. Knowing that, and knowing Christ's perfect love for me, helps me to pick myself up and continue my own journey on the many days when I fall so short of being all that the beatitudes call us to be.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”

USCCB - (NAB) - November 1, 2008

To Teach for November

2008-11-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

My favorite resource from the USCCB, To Teach, is now available for November and December. The online magazine offers suggestions for principals, teachers, and parents to bring faith into our homes and classrooms. I love many of their suggestions for November and know you will too!

To Teach November 2008

What's for Dinner on Halloween

2008-10-31T13:00:00.001-07:00

In case you're like me and don't have little ones to take out trick or treating tonight, I thought you might enjoy this article with ideas for a special themed dinner party. It even gives me a good excuse to carve a pumpkin or two! What are you doing tonight or this weekend to celebrate?

A Dinner Party for Allhallows Eve - FamilyTime.com -

Catholic Charities Needs Us

2008-10-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

For my Fresno friends, I want to share the following email I received which is a big call to action from our friends at Catholic Charities. For those living in other parts of the country, I'm relatively certain that your local Catholic Charities offices are likely in the same dire straights. Can you help out in your area with an immediate donation? Now, TODAY, is a great time to help!

I am emailing you today to enlist your support for two of Catholic Charities food drives. Without these food drives, Catholic Charities states that they cannot keep up with the demands that they are facing every day at the Fulton Street site.

Typically they feed 40 families a day; they are now feeding over 140 families. They have had to reduce hours of operation; otherwise they will simply run out of food. Catholic Charities serves all of those in need, regardless of their religion, race, etc. In fact, over 70% of those who walk through the doors are not Catholic- they just have a great need.

We have been asked to spread the word, come visit us, and more importantly bring canned goods to either of these events listed below- THEY NEED OUR SUPPORT.

The first event is this Saturday and Sunday Nov.1-2 at the corner of Blackstone/Shaw. The Catholic Charities truck will be parked there from 8:00a.m.-7:00p.m.

The next event Nov. 13-16 at River Park. A Mayflower Truck will be there for the 4 days, 24 hours each day.

They are working on securing a radio/tv station to broadcast live to build some excitement and awareness in the community. River Park has challenged all Fresno/Clovis High Schools to a Food Challenge. The High School that brings in the most canned goods during Nov 3-7 will be presented with a check for $1000, which will be given to them during our kick-off ceremony on Nov. 13th.

If you are looking to do something to help this a great chance to make a difference. Please spread the word and come out and support Catholic Charities. EVERY CAN COUNTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Want a Text from BXVI?

2008-10-31T12:34:00.001-07:00

We have text messaging blocked on our family cell phones, but if we didn't I might be tempted to check out this service from Catholic Mobile where you can receive daily text messages containing the words of the Holy Father.

If you're looking to use your cell phone as a spiritual tool, you may want to check it out. Somehow, I doubt seriously that Pope Benedict XVI even knows how to text, so I'm sure he has no involvement with this project, but I do love to see Catholics looking to use creative means to spread the faith. The charge for this particular service is $4.99 per month.

Catholic Mobile · Want to try?

Calling All Catholic Writers!

2008-10-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

Catholic Writers to Hold Online Conference
World Wide Web--Writers, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals from around the world are gearing up for the second annual Catholic Writers’ Conference Online, which will be held February 2-9, 2009. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild and the Extraordinary Moms Network, the online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels who register by January 15.

Last year’s conference drew over 300 participants and had more than 30 editors and writing professionals from all over the country presenting. Here's what attendees had to say:

"Gas prices are high. Writers' conferences are out of reach. CWC met my need! Write ON!" Jewel Sample, author of Flying Hugs and Kisses, and Flying Hugs and Kisses Activity Book (jewelsamples.blogspot.com).

"This conference … moved beyond practical concerns of writers and revealed the creative union between writing and faith, establishing it as a source of endless inspiration. As writers, we all want to feel good about what we write. The CWCO helped to show us how." Kate Wicker, “Momopoly” (www.katewicker.com).

"If ever a newbie writer on the scene needed an added boost of confidence, input, and tips, the Catholic Writer's Conference Online was the place for them to camp out for the week. I learned so much and enjoyed being in an arena that was friendly for all who want to share the Catholic faith. Thanks for the great week of advice, information, and meeting new people." Elizabeth Weidner, “A Catholic Mum Climbing the Pillars”

“We were very happy with the caliber of publishing professionals who volunteered to participate in the last conference,” says event co-chair Heidi Hess Saxton, author and founder of Extraordinary Moms Network. “There was a nice mix of fiction and non-fiction as well as book and magazine publishing represented. Something for everyone … and you can’t beat the price!”

"On-line conferences cross economic and political boundaries. We can reach Catholic writers who normally wouldn't have a chance to meet, much less learn from, successful writers, editors and publishers. Plus, the faith-sharing is phenomenal," said Karina Fabian, author of the Catholic science fiction anthology Infinite Space, Infinite God and President of the Catholic Writers' Guild.

Early registration is recommended. Although the conference is offered free of charge, donations are accepted; proceeds will go toward future conferences. To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.

Quitting is for Wimps

2008-10-31T11:25:00.001-07:00

I wanted to point you to a post I have up today over at Productivity @ Home where I share a fun video featuring someone who didn't quit when the going got tough - his name is Lance Armstrong.

It's very funny that I wrote this particular blog post on Sunday evening, not knowing how badly I'd need to read my own words today about not giving up.

I was at the gym this morning, for a light workout with my good friend Mara. I'm feeling pretty good after last week's biopsy, so an easy walk on the treadmill seemed like a reasonable workout. While I was there, I figured I'd try to do a few pushups (girlie style, of course!) and assisted pullups (with a lot of assistance). Dumb idea! With Coach Greg's help, I'd worked up a few weeks ago to being able to do quite a few of these. But I haven't done them for two weeks now, and the result today was pretty dismal.

I thought to myself, "Why even bother for the next month?" even though my small surgery is not scheduled until November 24th! Nice attitude Lisa! The point isn't doing pushups/pullups, it's putting things off until "it's more convenient". Do you ever fall into that trap?

Well, thankfully Mara my workout buddy was there and she has a tremendous ability to make walking on the treadmill fun for me - it's great to have someone to talk with when you're walking in circles! I took a few moments to remind myself to go easy on myself, but not to quit my trips to the gym entirely for the next month. Even easy walks and bike rides are great for me, both mentally and emotionally!

I'm not sure why I'm sharing this here, other than just to say that if you feel like quitting something today, no matter what it is, take a few moments to watch that Lance video and it might put a few things in perspective for you. It's often easy to put things off or to quit altogether, but it feels so good when you persevere and offer it all up to God, letting Him know you're doing it out of love for Him.

In today's first reading, we hear one of my all time favorite verses:

I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.

Remembering that I am continually a "work in progress" waiting to be completed is truly a blessing, and a good enough reason today not to give up!

Productivity @ Home: Never Give Up, Never Surrender

As a Mom of teenage boys...

2008-10-30T14:04:00.001-07:00

I have to thank Lisa Wheeler for bringing my attention to Skank-o-ween 2008: The Sexualization of Children by Kristen Fyfe.

I've been complaining to my girlfriends about this topic for the past few years, so it's nice to have some well-written validation of my point. Girls these days seem to be exposed to risque fashion at a younger and younger age every year - I applaud those moms and dads who are helping their children stay CHILDLIKE for as long as possible.

The book referenced in this article is So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids
by Diane Levin.

Skank-o-ween 2008: The Sexualization of Children

Medical Update

2008-10-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Just a quick note to say that I'm already home from my appointment this morning with the surgeon - you've got to love doctors' offices who get you in on time and out quickly!!

It was a good appointment. She feels that the best step at this point is to do an outpatient surgery to remove a small area, so we have that scheduled for the 24th. The surgery shouldn't be anything too difficult and I'm sure the hardest part will be fasting beforehand (does this get me out of Ash Wednesday?)

After the surgery and the resulting lab diagnostics, I will likely be meeting with an Oncologist for a consultation. Just to reiterate, this is not cancer, but rather sort of a pre-cancer diagnosis, so I'm optimistic that things should be resolved very soon and with great results.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support. Now let me know how I can pray for you to return the favor!

Inspiring Interview

2008-10-30T11:05:00.001-07:00

I had the most inspiring telephone interview this morning with Ruby Gettinger, the "star" of a new reality show on the Style Network based on her efforts to get healthy. I will be writing up a full review of the interview, and will also be sharing it on the podcast, but for now I just wanted to let you know a bit about Ruby and her show.

Ruby has weighed in as high as 700 pounds, and when the show started recording she weighed approximately 500 pounds. She bravely opened up her life and her journey to cameras, who have been documenting her efforts. The show will debut on Sunday, November 9th but I was lucky enough to prescreen the first episode.

It came to my attention through Mary Kochan of Catholic Exchange, based on Ruby's faith commitments. Although she's not Catholic, Ruby is a Christian with a strong faith that she's definitely called upon to see her through this journey.

The interview made me realize that this show truly has two purposes - the first is to inspire those who have been diagnosed with morbid obesity that losing a healthy amount of weight in a healthy fashion will save your life. The second, and perhaps as equally important, message of the show is that we should look at people for who they truly are, not what they look like on the outside. We, as a society, desperately need to stop judging and abusing people who struggle with addictions. As Ruby pointed out, those addicted to food wear their addictions on the outside, where they are obvious to others. They need our prayers, not our humiliating remarks or unkind stares.

I will keep you posted on the Ruby interview and my Catholic Exchange article, but in the mean time, feel free to head over to www.RubysJourney.com and start learning more about her. There is an active message board that is filled with all types of people and looks pretty inspirational.

Ruby - The Inspirational Weight Loss Journey on the Style Network

Medic Alert

2008-10-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

I have an appointment today at noon with the Breast Surgeon. I will go off to her office, mammograms in hand, for a consultation appointment about the next step in this process - I'm hoping to hear that increased screenings are the most appropriate solution, but will keep you posted.

In the mean time, please say a prayer for the many members of our Catholic Mom family who are needing support, encouragement and uplifting this week. We are all blessed to have such a wonderful community of friends (even ones we've never met in person)!

Cool Video Alert - "The Saints on Halloween"

2008-10-30T07:19:00.001-07:00

Over at Busted Halo, they are running a very cool video featuring Fr. Jim Martin, author of My Life With the Saintsfeaturing some very interesting saints in anticipation of All Saint's Day.

You really need to take a few moments and watch this video, which is a great way of learning more about living like a saint. Fr. Martin answers questions like how someone becomes a saint, what a patron saint is, and our devotion to saints.

I am looking forward to sharing this video with my teens and think it would be a great thing to share with any junior high or high school student. Fr. Jim just has a way about him of conveying information, but making it fun and interesting. Plus there's some cool imagery and creepy music to make things fun. Enjoy!

Busted Halo » Features » The Saints on Halloween

Catholic Moments #76- Sr. Helena Burns, "Media Nun"

2008-10-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

In this episode, recorded live from Chicago, Lisa chats with Sr. Helena Burns, FSP, the "Media Nun". Sr. Helena gives us an overview of Chicago's Pauline Book and Media Center and introduces us to her work in Media Literacy. Don't forget to help promote our great SQPN Catholic podcasters by voting every day in the Podcast Awards for your favorite SQPN shows! To enter our latest contest for your chance to win Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux email lisahendey@gmail.com by October 31, 2008 with the words "St. Therese Contest" in the subject line and your address in the body of the email. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:
Sr. Helena Burns, FSP
Pauline Books and Media
Holy Family Institute

St. Therese of Lisieux - Look for the "Email Me" button on the left side to enter contest
Sacrifice Beads - email Deacon Tom at tmdjfox@msn.com
The Catholic Company
Lisa's Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments #76

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

Unity Awards

2008-10-29T06:51:00.001-07:00

If you're a Catholic music fan, you simply MUST take a few minutes to visit Grapevine today and watch Gerard Faucheux's videos from this weekend's Unity Awards event. I have said in the past how much I would like to attend the awards, and these videos gave a little sense of being there for some of the sights and sounds.

Great job Gerard and thank so much Susan for sharing these online! Maybe I can go next year...

GrapeVine - Videos: Video Highlights from the 2008 Unity Awards

Congrats Donna-Marie!!

2008-10-29T06:39:00.001-07:00

Three cheers for Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle who is celebrating the launch of two great new books. I've read both and they are terrific, definite must-reads for any Catholic Mom!

Donna-Marie has a fun post up about a recent book signing she did and how she was able to celebrate the moment with her children. It must be a true joy as a mom to celebrate not only professional accomplishments, but more importantly a great relationship with grown children.

Congratulations Donna-Marie, may many moms continue to be blessed by your work!

How Sweet!

2008-10-29T06:26:00.001-07:00

My cyber Sister, Sister Julie at A Nun's Life, has some awfully sweet words about our recent meet up at Loyola Press on her blog. If you're not already a subscriber of A Nun's Life, you definitely need to add it to your "must read" list. Just as Catholic Mom Moments is not only for moms, A Nun's Life is definitely not only for nuns, or even "nun groupies" like me!

Proud to be a Catholic Mom fan and friend — A Nun's Life

Children, obey your parents in the Lord...

2008-10-29T06:19:00.001-07:00

Today's first reading makes me miss my Mom and Daddy! Paul's reminder to the Ephesians that they honor and obey their parents is a good reminder for us kids of all ages.

In today's video reflection at USCCB, we are reminded that in many cultures, it is considered an honor and a privilege to care for aging parents. I hope that when my parents "age" (if they ever do), I will have the honor of caring for them to the best of my abilities.

Paul also reminds parents (well, he says "Fathers" but I'm adding Moms into the mix too) not to "provoke" their children to anger. Do you think Paul ever hung out much with toddlers, or with teenagers? Yesterday, I had a long, luxurious conversation with Sue Peters, a terrific Catholic mom, Life Teen minister and musician. Sue and I spent a few hours talking about all sorts of things, but one of the most important topics was the faith parenting of our children. Sue's children are so fortunate to have a mother who "walks the talk" and does it with so much infectious joy. Her music is tangible evidence of her love of her faith. I'm sure she rarely "provokes"! If you need a mini retreat today, visit Sue's Myspace and enjoy a few of her songs. She will be featured on an upcoming episode of Catholic Moments, but I don't want you to wait until then to enjoy her art.

So today, I'm going to work on honoring my parents (even if it's from a distance), by praying for them and not provoking my children by being spiritually, physically and emotionally present to them.

I'm hoping for a great day!

USCCB - (NAB) - October 29, 2008

Health Issues

2008-10-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

I would like to ask you to join me in praying for someone close to me who is going through some tremendous trials in her health. I know she would appreciate your prayers and support as she deals with testing and treatment.

Speaking of health, I want to share what has been going on with me for the past few weeks. I've hesitated to blog about it, because I never want to attract undue attention to "me", but it's been sort of heavy on my mind and I'm thinking that maybe writing about this issue will help me to work through it. I'm beyond worrying about it at this point, but have noticed that my blogging is feeling a bit "blocked" and I think that's partially because I have yet to address this issue with you, my friends and family.

A few weeks ago, I went in for my annual mammogram as scheduled. I hate to report that it's been more than a few years since I had the last one, but I'm trying to remedy my procrastinating ways. The mammo showed some abnormalities, so it was followed up the next week with a second round and an ultrasound which showed an area of "microcalcifications".

I've been down this multiple mammogram route in the past, so I wasn't worried since previous bouts of anxiety have proven to be nothing but a waste of time. In this case, the second round led to a core needle biopsy procedure, which I had last Wednesday. The procedure is done in a Radiologist's office and took about two hours to complete - it wasn't comfortable, but gratefully I had local anesthesia and the resultant pain hasn't been too bad.

The biopsy results came in late Friday, and the diagnosis they have given me is "Lobular carcenoma in situ", which seems to be nothing more than a heightened possibility of cancer, but not cancer itself. Thanks be to God, that was great news! My doctor is now referring me to a breast surgeon, who will help me look at possible treatment options. Since I haven't met with the surgeon yet, I don't know what the outcome will be, but it's likely that we will just need to be more vigilant about regular screenings - which means an end to my procrastination! I don't know when I will be having the appointment with the surgeon - that process is still being worked out with insurance.

In the mean time, I have a few reasons for sharing this with all of you. The first, and most important, is to beg you moms out there to please be vigilant about scheduling and keeping your routine medical appointments. We often care for everyone except ourselves, and in doing that we do our family a disservice! Had this been something more serious, I would have felt very guilty about skipping appointments for the past few years!

The second reason I'm sharing this is that it's been keeping me from being my best the past few weeks - I've alternated between distraction, anxiety, and then pain and the recovery process. I've got lots on my plate right now, and adding this little medical situation into the mix threw me over the edge a bit. But now that I know what the situation is, I'm feeling much more calm and ready to get back to business.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and for whatever prayers and support you can offer, not only to me but to all of our fellow moms who carry crosses, large or small, this week. I'm blessed to have so many people in my life who inspire, support and uplift me every day!

Catholic Moments #75 - Margo B. Smith

2008-10-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

On this episode, Lisa shares an interview with Catholic Mom, songwriter and musician Margo B. Smith including a special discussion on the beauty of spending time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Deacon Tom Fox brings our month on the life of St. Therese of Lisieux to a close with his final installment of our St. Therese series. To enter our latest contest for your chance to win Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux email lisahendey@gmail.com by October 31, 2008 with the words "St. Therese Contest" in the subject line and your address in the body of the email. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:
Margo B. Smith
Grapevine - Unity Award Winners
Parish Media Liaison Kerry Madden - Political Courage and Honesty

Cool Video Podcast Resource for Kids

2008-10-25T15:09:00.001-07:00

Is your child a budding filmmaker? Then you simply have to check out Meet Me At The Corner, a free video podcasting service where kids can take a "virtual field trip" or share their own corner of the world by submitting video and having it turned into a nifty video podcast for others to view online.

I must be needing a field trip, because I had a great time today visiting their website and watching many of the kid produced videos. I think this would be a super resource for classroom, religious education teachers, or for homeschooling families who'd like to try a different approach to learning. Why not hand the kids a camera and see what they can come up with? It's free to register and they give very helpful tips on filming and uploading videos.

MEET ME AT THE CORNER

Resources for the New Evangelization

2008-10-25T14:42:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Stephen Officer and the folks at Catholic Media House for their wonderful new website featuring a cavalcade of resources for use in the "new evangelization".

If you're looking for mini movies, image backgrounds, or animated event countdowns, you will want to check out the rich variety of products available at Catholic Media House. The products are highest quality and very inspirational. As I make the foray into speaking, I'm thrilled to have access to resources such as these to help me share my messages.

Catholic Media House: Home

"Holy-ween" Party Idea

2008-10-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to Marie in Louisiana for sharing the following great idea with me this week in an email:

I wanted to share with you what we did at our children's Holy-ween party yesterday. We took the "Color & Pray the Holy Rosary" coloring sheet and made copies for every child. We gave each child a Ziploc bag with 6 skittles and 5 packs of smarties. On the bag, I place a note saying, "The Rosary is Sweet Music to Mary's Ears". They had the following instructions: Place Skittles on each Our Father and Smarties on each Hail Mary. When finished, gobble up the candy and color the Rosary. My children loved it and I got much delight out of seeing my children excited about something Holy. It presented an opportunity to teach about what a decade is and to go over the prayers of the Rosary.

Nun Costumes for Halloween?

2008-10-25T14:15:00.001-07:00

With the approach of Halloween, my kids' social calendar is getting increasingly busy. I know that Halloween can be a controversial topic these days, with many families opting to bypass the event in favor of All Saints Day celebrations.

For those who have children dressing up for either event, I thought you might be interested in a blog post by Sister Julie at A Nun's Life discussing the finer points of wearing a nun's costume for the holidays.

How do you handle Halloween and All Saint's Day around your home? Will your children dress up, gather with friends, attend social activities or stay home?

Wearing a Nun costume for Halloween — A Nun's Life

My "Pay" for Today

2008-10-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, Mrs. Karen Z. wrote me from St. Joseph's Church in Georgia to share the good news that her class is enjoying coloring with our gospel activity sheets during their Wednesday night classes. She was kind enough to send me a few pictures of her adorable class working on their projects, and the photos literally brought tears to my eyes.

CatholicMom.com is often a labor of love - long nights and early mornings spent plugging away on my computer, wondering if any of it really makes a difference. Mrs. Z. and her class are living evidence that the hours are worth it and that with the help of the Internet, we are touching hearts and souls.

I want to publicly and repeatedly thank all who contribute their time and energy to CatholicMom.com. Your talents in writing, creating, and spreading the love of Jesus are helping and impacting people around the world - I couldn't keep the site going without you, so I hope you take as much joy as I do today from the smiles of this group of children!

Preoccupied

2008-10-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

My biggest (and perhaps only) fan, my Mom, took me to task this afternoon for not updating CMM since Sunday.

Well, it's been kind of a goofy week, so although I have excuses I won't bore you with them right now. One major time situation that I can share with you, however, is the rebuilding of CatholicMom.com. Along with a very talented designer, I'm in the process of a complete overhaul of our site, which was born back in November of 1999 with Microsoft FrontPage and a lot of dummies books. For years now, the infrastructure of the site has been completely out of control and I'm finally now trying to come up with the funds and the time to do a good job of bringing it up to date.

So if things seem a little quiet here and on CatholicMom.com, please know that I'm not sitting around eating ice cream and watching soaps (hey, that ice cream sounds good though) - I'm busy on my computer doing "stuff" you won't see for another month or two. I hope, when it's all unveiled, that you will find it worth the wait!

In the mean time, if you are dying to read a thought or two from me every day, head over to Faith and Family Live where I share my thoughts most days of the week in the company of some of the web's best mom bloggers.

Catholic Moments #74 - Book Talk

2008-10-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

On this special Sunday edition of the Catholic Moments Podcast, I give an overview of the new books I received during my recent visits at Loyola Press and Ave Maria Press. Deacon Tom Fox gives us the third installment of our St. Therese series. To enter our latest contest for your chance to win Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux email lisahendey@gmail.com by October 31, 2008 with the words "St. Therese Contest" in the subject line and your address in the body of the email. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

Books shared on today's episode
Subscribe to Faith and Family Magazine
St. Therese of Lisieux - Look for the "Email Me" button on the left side to enter contest
The Catholic Company
Lisa's Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments #74

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

Win Tickets to See Secret Life of Bees

2008-10-18T09:58:00.001-07:00

The producers of Secret Life of Bees have given our readers the chance to win tickets for the movie. To enter, click on this graphic for your chance to win.

Secret Life of Bees

2008-10-17T19:43:00.001-07:00

You've gotta love taking a Friday afternoon off and going to see a chick flick with your best girlfriend! I just don't do it very often, so when I do it feels like a remarkably wonderful thing.

And it's even better when the film in question turns out to be wonderful!

Mara and I took in The Secret Life of Bees tonight. It's fitting that we saw the film together, since we read it for our book club a few years ago. From what I recall of the book, the movie seems to be very true to the original Sue Monk Kid story. The movie's chock full of stellar performances with Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo playing the Boatright sisters and Jennifer Hudson as Lilly's companion Rosaleen. Dakota Fanning, who I've loved for years, plays Lily Owens with such a vengeance that you forget she's only 14.

If you're interested in a Catholic review of the movie, check out the Bishops' website - I wish they would have addressed in greater detail the Boatright sister's devotion to Mary, as represented by the Black Madonna image in their home. I was moved to tears at several points in the film, but most especially at the closing scene of the movie when Lily writes of Mary - I don't want to ruin the film for any of you who haven't seen it yet, so I won't comment on what happens. But think of me when you do see it, and return here and share your impressions. I wouldn't call the film "Catholic" but would say that the womens' devotion to a loving and caring Blessed Mother Mary comes very close to my own feelings for Jesus' mother.

My only regret is that I didn't pack kleenex, as this film is truly one that stirred a lot of emotion - both smiles and tears. The film is rated PG13 and due to some of the difficult scenes related to the very real historical tensions related to the Civil Rights movement as well as the suicide of one of the major characters, it may be upsetting to young teens. Some will surely call the film "too sweet", but just like the honey that is at the center of this film, sweet can be perfection sometimes!

Catholic Moments #73 - Mountain Butorac and Sr. Julie Vieira

2008-10-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

On this week's "car cast" (recorded live from the front seat of Lisa's SUV), we feature two great interviews. Mountain Butorac discusses Catholic travel and his great website The Catholic Traveler. Sister Julie Vieira, IHM shares on her life as a Nun and her work with Loyola Press and on her wonderful blog, A Nun's Life. Deacon Tom Fox shares the second installment in our look at the life of St. Therese of Lisieux. To enter our latest contest for your chance to win Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux email lisahendey@gmail.com by October 31, 2008 with the words "St. Therese Contest" in the subject line and your address in the body of the email. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:
The Catholic Traveler
Loyola Press
A Nun's Life
St. Therese of Lisieux - Look for the "Email Me" button on the left side to enter contest
Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
Parish Media Liaison Kerry Madden - Spiritual Refreshment
Shrine of the Little Flower
The Catholic Company
Lisa's Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments #73

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

Pain in Perspective

2008-10-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days...

The events of the morning included the usual lunch making, shuttling both boys to school, an important telephone appointment, a funeral, a mammogram and an orthodontist appointment, all before 2:00 pm. In the midst of it all, I cleaned two bathrooms, did a load of laundry, and got caught up on email.

No wonder it's 4:16 pm and I feel like a truck hit me.

Seriously though, the day was quite thought provoking. The funeral/mammogram back-to-back combo kept things in perspective in a beautiful way for me. I was in attendance to support my good friend Tracy, who lost her brother in law to cancer suddenly and with little warning. Tracy and her husband Louis are special friends of ours from church, so even though I didn't know Louis' brother Stephen, I wanted to be present with them at Mass today to lend my prayers and support. I knew that I would have to sneak out early to be at the prescheduled mammogram in time.

Blessedly, I was able to be present throughout the Liturgy of the Word and for a wonderful homily given by Msgr. Ray Dreiling. A portion of Msgr. Dreiling's homily dealt with the gospel passage from John 4:6, in which Jesus shares the words:

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Msgr. Dreiling spoke of this passage's reminder that sometimes the disciples who followed Jesus just "didn't get it" - they followed Jesus but still really had no clue that He was truly God. Sadly, Monsignor reminded us, you and I are often the same way. Sometimes, it takes occasions such as funerals to remind us that our God is a God who loves us unconditionally, without end, and forever.

Stephen Linney died too young, there's no question about that. He left behind a wife and two children, and countless relatives and friends, who are missing him greatly. I hope they were comforted a bit by Msgr. Dreiling's homily today - he reminded each of us that Stephen is in God's loving hands now and that those hands of God are also filled with love, dedication, and peace. Msgr. Dreiling likened Stephen's life to a book, whose story continues now with a whole new chapter that is just beginnning. Like a beloved book, Stephen continues to touch the lives of those he left behind, but his impact upon them is neither ended nor will it be forgotten.

Leaving the funeral to rush to my mammogram appointment, I was filled with a tremendous sense of peace and love. Normally, these types of things stress me out beyond measure, but Monsignor's reflection and the thought of Stephen's family gathered together in sacramental prayer left me feeling so wonderfully confident about the Body of Christ and the Communion of Saints that I saw no need for worry.

Life unfolds each and every day in countless little ways. Most moments are filled with mundane things like packing brown bag lunches or getting braces checked. But every so often, in the midst of Ordinary Time, we receive the gift of knowing that each and every one of these moments is truly an extraordinary gift from God.

So today was one of those days...

Greetings from Starbucks!

2008-10-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Tonight, rather than dropping Adam off at his Fencing lesson and heading home, I'm here at Starbucks enjoying some quality time with my computer! (For a change, right?)

This weekend, I had the extreme pleasure of being a part of the Diocese of Fresno Religious Education Congress. My participation allowed me to give two presentations on topics related to family life and Catholic New Media. The first topic, "Raising Faith Filled Kids in Today's Technological Climate" looked at both the "blessings" and the "bewares" of allowing our kids to interact with technology such as texting, social networking and new media.

The second talk, "Nurturing Our Families' Faith Lives with 21st Century Resources" was a fun overview of all that's new and great in the world of Catholic New Media. I was so happy to share the good news about SQPN and to screen episodes of Grace Before Meals and That Catholic Show for those in attendance. Of course, they loved the videos!

I'm hoping that my talks convinced a few more faith-filled souls that there is great good to be done in using things like podcasting and social networking to help spread our faith, especially to the young people in our parishes. I want to send a special thank you out to my friend Cindy for not throwing tomatoes at me during my talk and for replenishing my soul with a fresh Starbucks gift card at the end of the day, when I was done with both talks - you're the best!

With these talks behind me and the Power Point Slides all prepared, I'm anxious to look for other opportunities to spread this good news. If you know of a speaking opportunity in your diocese or at your parish, I'd love it if you could drop me an email. I've got the bug!

In the mean time, over at Productivity @ Home this week I'm working on a "Time Budget". I'm looking at trying to make more time in my day to take on a big new project that I'll be unveiling very soon. If you have any pointers or tips for me, aside from telling me I'm crazy, I'd love your comments over there!

I hope your week is off to as a great a start as mine is! And I promise my Mom that I will try this week to do a better job of sharing with you here what's going on in my world. I know the rest of you probably don't miss me when I don't blog, but my Mom sure does and I need to keep her happy!

Mrs. MD

2008-10-13T13:26:00.001-07:00

Our good friend and CatholicMom.com columnist Kate Wicker has created the website I needed twenty something years ago when I fell in love with and married a man who would go on to become an ER doctor. Mrs. MD is a great new blog that's "Your Rx for a health and happy medical marriage". Kate's married to a Radiology Resident and has two lovely kiddos, which makes her an instant candidate for sainthood in my book. On top of that, she's a gifted writer and she and her fellow contributors have a great outlook on life as a "doctor's wife".

So if your spouse is a med student, a resident or even a doctor, check out Mrs. MD - I guarantee you'll find a smile and feel uplifted! Great job Kate!

Mrs. MD

Congrats Donna-Marie

2008-10-13T13:05:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to my special friend Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle who is appearing this week on EWTN's Bookmark program to share the great news about her recent projects. Visit her blog for program times and check out the EWTN site for watching the video online.

Donna-Marie's new book Grace Cafe is due to be released soon, but you'll want to visit her site to be one of the first to order an autographed copy. I've read the book and it's simply awesome - a great tool for each of us and a super gift for a special Catholic Mom in your life. I will be sharing a full review of the book soon, but please visit Donna-Marie's site and check out the special offer she is sharing with her readers.

Embracing Motherhood

Catholic Candyland

2008-10-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

Take a fun trip with my good buddy Chris Cash into the "Catholic Candyland" - the warehouse of The Catholic Company. The Catholic Company has always been such a supportive partner of CatholicMom.com - whenever you make a purchase there through our store, you make a donation to CatholicMom.com! I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to visit the warehouse in person, so Chris' tour is the next best thing. He shares a great reminder that the tools provided through The Catholic Company helps us share our faith in fun and exciting ways. Thanks for the video tour Chris and keep up the great work!

Live, from Chicago...

2008-10-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

it's Catholic Mom Moments!

OK, I couldn't resist!! I'm actually sitting, perched high above the city on the 9th floor of the Chicago Public Library, enjoying a bit of free wireless internet access.

I've been here in the city since last Wednesday, when I arrived for a weeklong visit. It's been a fabulous blending of "business" and pleasure, mostly the latter!

I've been staying with Erin, David, Evan and Tyler, enjoying as much nephew time as I can possibly pack into a few days. On Thursday, I was lucky enough to be able to spend time with Sister Julie of A Nun's Life fame and to be treated by her to a tour of Loyola Press. While I was with Sister Julie meeting many of the staff at Loyola, I was teasing her that I should have brought my autograph book, as I found myself in the company of some of my favorite authors! What a treat! I'm so happy I had the chance to learn about Loyola Press' upcoming plans as well as Sister Julie's plans for her own writing. She is simply incredible and will be featured on an upcoming episode of Catholic Moments podcast!

Next up, Greg, Eric and Adam winged in on a redeye Friday morning and we headed straight to Notre Dame. While there, I was fortunate enough to have a meeting with Tom Grady and his staff at Ave Maria Press. Once again, it was a treat to meet in person with folks I've corresponded with online and admire greatly. Watch out for future updates on great books coming soon from both publishers!

While at Notre Dame, one of our major focuses was to introduce Eric to campus life at our favorite University. We attended an information session and had a great campus tour. We dined in South Dining Hall, tromped all over our old stomping grounds, and subjected the boys to a lot of our memories. The game on Saturday, a victory over Stanford, was the icing on the cake. While at the game, we spent the weekend at Erin and David's lakehouse in Michigan City and enjoyed meeting with Michael and Meg (and their new puppy Ollie) on Saturday.

Greg and the boys have now jetted back to "the real world" but I get to spend a few more days here in the City. Today, I had the treat of visiting with Sister Helena Burns of the Daughters of St. Paul at the Chicago Pauline Book and Media Center. While in the facility, I met up again with Sister Anne, who many of us know as "NunBlogger" on the net. When I was speaking with Sister Helena, I had this strange sense of familiarity and comfort. She is so passionate about the use of new media in sharing our faith - a passion I share greatly. For many reasons, I wish I lived closer to Chicago - if I did, I'm certain I would be a groupie of the Daughters of St. Paul. I hope to spend more time with them during future visits to the city.

Over at Faith and Family Live, my blog posts for this week will feature reflections from this trip. Head over there for a few of the happenings of the week. I'm not certain what the rest of the week will hold, but I'll be back home on Thursday and resuming some semblance of my routine.

Being here has been such a blessing in so many ways. The best thing in the world is being able to spend time with my family whom I miss so greatly when we are not together. My nephews are just about the sweetest, cutest kids around so it's a true treat to have time with them.

Catholic Moments #72- A Doctor and A Genius

2008-09-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

This week, we celebrate the life of St. Therese of Lisieux with your emails, stories and phone calls. I'm also happy to share an interview with Phyllis Hall, whose family life and marriage to Bob Kearns is portrayed in the movie "Flash of Genius", coming to theaters this weekend. Deacon Tom Fox shares a reflection on the childhood of the Little Flower. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:
Flash of Genius Movie
St. Therese Related Books: Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, Third Edition, Shower of Heavenly Roses: Stories of intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux by Elizabeth Ficocelli
Faith and Family Live
The Catholic Company
Lisa's Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments #72

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

Another Great Catholic Social Networking Site

2008-09-27T17:18:00.001-07:00

My good friend Gary Gersin of WWOW invited me to join his latest project, the John 654 Network. A Catholic alternative to sites like Myspace and Facebook, this site has plenty of great features. One of my favorites is the ability to listen to great Catholic radio while you're enjoying the site. While I was online, I heard a few of my favorite Catholic musicians, enjoyed the chat, and checked out a few of the groups. If you sign up, be sure to add me as a friend!

John654 Network

Forum for Checking Out Games

2008-09-26T11:46:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite resources for investigating games for my kids prior to purchasing is Jorim's List. Jorim does a great job of specifying the reasons behind a game's ratings so that you can make informed decisions about your purchases.

Jorim has now added a Forum to his site so that users can discuss and post reviews of games. It's another great resource to help parents make informed decisions. Check it out!

Jorim's List forum - Index

Worksheet Resource

2008-09-26T11:21:00.001-07:00

A special thanks to Naomi for the heads up on the beta site WorkSheetWorks.com which enables users to create and print PDF files of worksheets to their own specifications.

This site seems to have tons of different options and looks like a great resource for teachers, religious educators and moms and dads looking to help their kids with a little extra work.

WorksheetWorks.com

Additional Personalized Prayercard Resources

2008-09-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

The following are some additional sources for great personalized Holy Cards:

Happy Birthday Adam!

2008-09-26T10:30:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to the sweetest fourteen year old in the world!
I feel blessed every day to be your mom and love you so very much!

Catholic Moments #71 - Rocking Romans

2008-09-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

This week, we learn more about the work of Paul Mazurek, creator of Rocking Romans. Deacon Tom Fox shares a thought provoking reflection on the topic of Medjugorge and the book Medjugorje the Message by Wayne Weible. We look at the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as we struggle with the concept of poverty in America. Be sure to enter for your chance to win the Faith Database - send your email to lisa@catholicmom.com by September 30, 2008 with the subject line "Faith Database Giveaway" and your complete mailing address in the body of the email. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for This Episode:
Rocking Romans
Medjugorje the Message by Wayne Weible
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Poverty in America You Tube video by Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Faith Database
Faith and Family Live
The Catholic Company
Lisa's Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments #71

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

Source for Holy Cards

2008-09-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

I'm frequently asked about sources for personalized Holy Cards. Someone sent me the link to CatholicPrayerCards.org which seems to be a good source for all kinds of things, including personalized Holy Cards. If you have an event coming up, be sure to check them out.

Free Catholic Holy cards - Catholic Prayer Cards - Buy Affordable Handmade Rosaries Online -Catholic Patron Saint Religious Medals

Get Free Shipping at The Catholic Company and Help CatholicMom.com

2008-09-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my good buddy Chris Cash for sharing the great news that The Catholic Company is offering FREE SHIPPING on everything for the next several days. As you know, we are a Catholic Company affiliate, which means that if you make your purchases through our links here and at CatholicMom.com, you make a great donation to CatholicMom.com. Is it too early for Christmas shopping?? I don't think so!

Click here to shop!

Here are all the details:

1. Simply place an order. You can place this order through our website, by phone, by fax, or by mail.

2. Use this coupon code: BLOG If you order online you will type in the coupon code during checkout. Simply type BLOG in the coupon code box located at the bottom of the payment page.
If you order by phone simply tell the coupon code BLOG to your customer service agent. If you order by mail or fax simply include the coupon code BLOG on your order form.

*Terms and conditions: This offer cannot be combined with any other offers. Applies to U.S. delivery addresses only. Applies to standard shipping only. Cannot be used on orders already placed or on backorders. Offer expires at 12:00 midnight, Eastern Time on Sunday, September 28, 2008.

Catechetical Etiquette

2008-09-23T12:19:00.001-07:00

Over at Faith and Family Live today, I'm seeking your input and suggestions. Reader Jackie asked for input on what types of classroom and mass behavior and manners catechists should be teaching their students. Have any thoughts to share? Head over and drop a comment to help out!

Faith & Family Live! : Catechetical Etiquette

Learn the Pater Noster

2008-09-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yet another reason to love YouTube! My Daddy tried to talk me into taking Latin back in high school, but I resisted. Now, years later, things like this video make me wish I'd followed his advice.

YouTube - Pater Noster with English Translation

Mom's Choice Awards

2008-09-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

To my author friends, have you investigated entering your book in the Mom's Choice Awards?

I know several of you who would be ultimately qualified, so be sure to check them out and consider applying!

Mom's Choice Awards

CatholicTV Special on Padre Pio

2008-09-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Susan Bailey of Grapevine for the great news that CatholicTV will be airing a special program tomorrow, September 23 in honor of the memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.

Susan shares that the program can be viewed live on the Internet through CatholicTV's amazing website at www.catholictv.org on Tuesday at 11:30 am and 10:00 pm and again on Saturday at 11:30 am and Sunday at 6:30 am - I believe all are Boston time zone, EST.

What a great way to celebrate the life and teachings of this special saint!

GrapeVine - Breaking News: Special program on Padre Pio to air on CatholicTV in honor of his memorial

CatholicMom.com Weekly Column Roundup

2008-09-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

As usual, we've got lots of great columns to start off your week in style!

Those who follow me on Plurk and Twitter got the news that I scheduled a doctor's appointment today. I'm long overdue and have been procrastinating badly on this one. I was surprised when I called the doctor that she's able to fit me in on Thursday. If you've been putting off scheduling an appointment, pick up the phone right now and call - I know all of the excuses and have used them all, but we owe it to our families to take good care of ourselves.

Hope your Monday is off to a great start!

The Loaves and the Fishes by Susan Handle Terbay

God Calls Us to Different Paths to Perfection by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

Homeschooling: The Growing Trend by Ebeth Weidner

Teaching Out of Your Comfort Zone by Lori Callaway

What Are You Wearing? by Janet Cassidy

Act of Faith by Michele Howe

Support from Your Spouse in the Kitchen by Kelly, Our "Kitchen Kop"

I've Created a Monster by Lisa Barker

Monday is Nun Day

2008-09-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite blogs is A Nun's Life by Sister Julie. She's got a great feature every Monday that highlights the lives of Catholic nuns and sisters who have devoted themselves to lives of service. It's very inspirational! Do you have a favorite nun or sister? Why not pay her tribute by sharing her story with Sister Julie?

Nun Photo - Sister Margaret McCormack, CCVI — A Nun's Life

Happy "Family Day"

2008-09-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my Plurk buddy BarbinNebraska for the heads up on the fact that today is Family Day, a "day to eat dinner with your children".

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the fact that we need a special day to remind us to dine as a family. I'm also feeling somewhat guilty knowing that at my house, on Monday nights, dining together is a rarity.

The mission of Family Day, as stated on their website, is as follows:

Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM is a national movement to inform parents that the parental engagement fostered during frequent family dinners is an effective tool to help keep America’s kids substance free. Family Day reminds parents that Dinner Makes A Difference!

The good news is that I do know what we're having for dinner tonight, and that our family does manage to dine together several times per week. Given the statistics that dining as a family will make children less likely to turn to drugs, alcohol and smoking, I'd say it's a great thing to prioritize.

So I hope you enjoy Family Day and that you and your family have a great dinner together tonight - and tomorrow too for that matter!

Family Day

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-09-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

To the world's best Mom, Nana, Mother in Law, Wife and Grandma - tons of greetings and great big moose smoochies on your 29th birthday.

When I grow up, I want to be just like you!!

Love, The one whose been your favorite the longest

Can You Help??

2008-09-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Reader Phylis shares the following question - I would love your suggestions and recommendations if you have anything to share with Phylis. Feel free to comment here or email me at lisa@catholicmom.com with your recommendations. Thanks!

First, I love your website! I am trying to locate some materials and was hoping you might be able to help. Do you know where to find any religious education material to help teach children with special needs? This would include weekly religious education classes and Sacramental preparation. Any direction you can give will be appreciated.

Podcast Award Nominations

2008-09-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year - time to nominate your favorite podcasts for the Annual Podcast Awards. The awards are a secular endeavor, but nominating your favorite Catholic podcasts in a variety of categories helps to bring added exposure to our shows amidst a broader audience.

Today on the Daily Breakfast, Fr. Roderick offered the following suggestions for nominating your favorite podcast. It would be great if you could take time today to go over to the Podcast Awards and nominate a show or two (or ten!).

Just in case you want to nominate Catholic Moments, here is the information you need:

Podcast Name - Catholic Moments
Podcast URL - http://feeds.feedburner.com/CatholicMoments

Your nominations would be greatly appreciated and will go a long way towards helping us spread the word about Catholic podcasting.

Here are Fr. Roderick's recommendations:

Peoples Choice:
Whichever show you like most

Best Produced:
That Catholic Show
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThatCatholicShow

Best Video Podcast:
That Catholic Show
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThatCatholicShow

Comedy:
Catholic in a Small Town
http://feeds.feedburner.com/catholicinasmalltown

Cultural/Arts:
Secrets of Harry Potter
http://feeds.feedburner.com/secretsofharrypotter

Education:
Catholic Under the Hood
http://feeds.feedburner.com/CatholicunderTheHood

Catholic Hack
http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheCatholicHack

Saintcast
http://feeds.feedburner.com/saintcast

Catholic Family Podcast
http://catholicfamilypodcast.com/goto/episodes/feed/

on the U
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ontheu

Entertainment:
Hands and Feet
http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheHandsAndFeetPodcast

Food and Drink:
Grace before Meals
http://feeds.feedburner.com/gracebeforemeals

Gaming:
Secrets of the Lord of the Rings
http://feeds.feedburner.com/secretsoflotr

General:
Rosary Army
http://feeds.feedburner.com/rosaryarmy

Catholic Moments
http://feeds.feedburner.com/CatholicMoments

iPadre
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ipadrepodcast

Health/Fitness:
Healthy Catholic
http://feeds.feedburner.com/healthycatholic

Movies/Films:
Secrets of Battlestar Galactica
http://feeds.feedburner.com/battlestargalactica

PodSafe Music:
Catholic Rockers
http://feeds.feedburner.com/catholicrockers

Religion/Inspiration:
Daily Breakfast
http://feeds.feedburner.com/dailybreakfast

Sports:
Phedippidations
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Phedippidations

Technology/Science:
Technopriest
http://feeds.feedburner.com/technopriest

CatholicUnderground.com
http://feeds.feedburner.com/catholicundergroundpodcast

Travel:
Godspeed!
http://feeds.feedburner.com/godspeedcast

Congratulations to the Antonetti Family!

2008-09-19T13:59:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to the family of CatholicMom.com columnist Sherry Antonetti, who welcomed their newest family member Paul to the family this week. Paul was born on Wednesday, September 17 at 7:28 pm. Many of you have read about and prayed for the Antonetti family who were lovingly preparing for Paul's birth following his prenatal diagnosis with Down's Syndrome.

At her blog, Sherry shares a lovely column written to celebrate Paul's birth - please take a moment to read it and to keep this precious little boy (and his mom) in your prayers.

CHOCOLATE FOR YOUR BRAIN!: Welcome Baby Paul!

Catholic Moments #70 - Barbara Bartocci

2008-09-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

This week, I'm thrilled to share my interview with inspirational Catholic author and speaker Barbara Bartocci, author of Grace on the Go: Quick Prayers for Determined Dieters, and Grace on the Go: Quick Prayers for New Moms. Deacon Tom Fox reminds us of the tremendous impact just a little bit of gossip can have on lives. Be sure to enter for your chance to win the Faith Database - send your email to lisa@catholicmom.com by September 30, 2008 with the subject line "Faith Database Giveaway" and your complete mailing address in the body of the email. Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for This Episode:
Barbara Bartocci
Barbara's Books : Grace on the Go: Quick Prayers for Determined Dieters and Grace on the Go: Quick Prayers for New Moms.
Faith Database
Faith and Family Live
Fireproof the Movie
The Catholic Company
Lisa's Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
Catholic Mom Logo Store

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments #70

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

Have You Made These Food Mistakes?

2008-09-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

HT to BarbaraKB for sharing this great article from the New York Times examining common meal time mistakes made by parents who are desperate to get their kids to eat something. Who among us hasn't tried the "Just one bite..." strategy?

In our house, the episode of our coaxing Eric to eat six kernels of corn on his sixth birthday has reached legendary status. He succumbed to the "big boy" pressure and promptly repaid us by getting sick all over the kitchen.

As my kids age, I continually find that the best strategy for getting them to try new foods is to involve them in the cooking. Both are becoming great chefs and enjoy trying new ideas and seasonings.

6 Food Mistakes Parents Make - NYTimes.com

Sunday Gospel Activities

2008-09-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday, over at CatholicMom.com, we offer fun activities related to the Sunday liturgy of the word. For the next few weeks, as a means of reminding you about them, I'm going to post the links here for you. A special thanks to Laura and Elyse, two special angels, who help me to compile these resources!

Readings for Sunday, September 21 - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Religious Education Lesson Plan
Coloring Page
Word Search
Crossword Puzzle
Mass Worksheet - ages 7 - 10, ages 11 - 14

How We Spent Saturday

2008-09-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Eric and Adam had a blast this weekend jamming with the guys from Molly's Revenge. You can find some of the videos on Eric's YouTube profile, but here's one to give you a taste of the music.

Mid Life Vocations

2008-09-15T14:23:00.001-07:00

Hat tip to Fr. Roderick for sharing this interesting article on the phenomenon of more men becoming priests at mid-life. The article isn't only about Catholic priests, but presents some interesting thoughts on people of various religions pursuing a calling regardless of their age.

Pantagraph.com | News | Men becoming priests at mid-life

Congrats Scott and Christine!

2008-09-15T14:20:00.001-07:00

Congrats to my SQPN buddies Scott and Christine on the latest addition to their family - Boris, the dromedary camel. This guy is just too cute not to be shared!! I can't wait to meet him and their other family members in person!

Christine gets an A+ in my book for following her dream!!

Boris, our Dromedary Camel - a set on Flickr

Who Do You See in Your Mirror?

2008-09-15T14:17:00.001-07:00

This article from my great coach Greg Cheney is a keeper - I'll admit to still seeing a size fourteen in the mirror, even though I have been out of double digit clothing for over five years now.

I love Greg's "three legged stool" approach to leading a balanced life! Check it out for yourself...

Faith First Fitness Programs

Relish Reading

2008-09-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

I loved this article today from Jenny over at Wishpot Baby Blog about reading with siblings. It makes me miss those wonderful evenings when Eric, Adam and I used to sit for an hour reading before bedtime.

The good news is that both of my kids are still huge readers, which means that now we simply discuss great books together rather than me reading aloud to them. My kids weren't early readers, but they developed a love for reading that will likely accompany them into adulthood.

Wishpot Baby Blog: Reading with Siblings: Wishpot Mom Expert Jenny Guest Blogs Today

Download 5 Free Catholic Songs

2008-09-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Susan Bailey of Grapevine for sharing the great news that we can all download five wonderful Catholic Songs free of charge over at SpiritandSong.com for five hours on October 7. Read all the details here and take this opportunity to learn more about a terrific Catholic recording artist, Jackie Francois.

Chore Wars

2008-09-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

I'll admit to the fact that I'm a chump when it comes to chores. But I blame it on my mom. I was raised by the world's best Catholic Mom in a home where we didn't do "chores". I never washed dishes or did laundry until I moved out of my parents home, and even then, I tried to avoid it if I could!

My mom had (and still has) a certain way of loading the dishwasher and and doing laundry that worked for her and kept her household filled with five kids running well. I fear I've inherited my mom's propensity for wanting to do these tasks myself, and thus my kids don't wash dishes or do laundry either.

They do help out quite a lot in other ways, and have actually become some of the major cooks in our home. But I'll admit that they are likely very spoiled when it comes to chores.

That's why I was very interested in this article from the Wall Street Journal about the virtues attached to making kids do chores. The article's emphasis on housework as a teaching tool and as a means of serving others has me rethinking my boys' lack of chores.

I'll report back on whether or not this new found knowledge results in someone else getting to load the dishwasher in the Hendey household. My guess is, it's doubtful!

Our Lady of Coromoto

2008-09-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to RealCatholicTV.com, I learned today about the Patroness of Venezuela and thought you might enjoy learning a bit about her too!

Prayer to Our Lady of Coromoto

Beautiful Lady Mary, Virgin Mother of the Redeemer, with you we praise and glorify the Father in the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. We beseech you that, just as in Coromoto you guided the steps of the Indians towards the baptismal grace, you may now capture the heart of the Venezuelans, and bring them to the renewal of their faith.

Virgin of Coromoto, patron of Venezuela, bless the evangelistic action of the Church in our Country so that she might be fortress and defense of the faith of your children, and beginning of a renewal of the Christian customs. (Source)

Remembering 9/11

2008-09-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Today, at Faith and Family Live, we are remembering those whose lives were impacted by the tragedies of September 11, 2001. Danielle's post recalls the prayers of Pope Benedict XVI during his recent visit to Ground Zero in New York City and I posted about our experience the day the world changed forever.

All over the country, people are pausing today to remember lives lost and families impacted. Our family will be praying today for the souls of those departed and for peace in our world.

Travel to Portugal!

2008-09-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our good friend Fr. Roderick, you and I can travel virtually to Portugal for a little pilgrimage. Father recently returned from his Portuguese sojourn and has begun posting his travel videos. I'm hoping to share them with you here as he puts them online.

I love Fr. Roderick's sense of humor, his eye for detail, the way he compliments his videos with music, and the "real world" feel that you get when you watch his films.

So today, come with me to Portugal for a little while and enjoy!

Charity Water

2008-09-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Shannon Swenson for the heads up on Charity:Water, a non profit organization looking to bring clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Since both of my boys have September birthdays, I was drawn to their concept of launching a September birthday initiative to bring clean water to Ethiopia.

Learn more about Charity:Water here and consider supporting their work this month! If you take a few minutes to watch their videos, you can't help but be moved by the work being done.

Happy 17th Eric

2008-09-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

Attend a Theology of the Body Lecture Online

2008-09-10T12:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Pauline Sister Anne for sharing the great news about a monthly streaming video lecture series on the Theology of the Body. The recommended text is Pope John Paul II's Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology Of The Body.

The next lecture is being held tonight, Wednesday, September 10th at 7:30 pm EST here at Ustream.

If you miss the live presentation or want to catch up on previous conversations, visit the Ustream channel for recordings.

Rosary for the Unborn

2008-09-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Patrick Benedict wrote this weekend to share information about the following event which is being planned:

OCTOBER 18th WORLDWIDE ROSARY FOR UNBORN BABIES GAINS SUPPORT MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE (September 4th, 2008) - The WORLDWIDE ROSARY FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event, initiated by the Saint Michael the Archangel Organization, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 18th. Support has come in from various places, including Lithuania, Czech Republic and India. Information about the pro-life prayer event is available in 9 languages(English, French, Italian, Korean, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Tagalog) at the website www.SaintMichaelTheArchangelOrganization.org The Saint Michael the Archangel Organization was contacted about the October 18th Rosary prayer event by Rev. Prof. R. C. Wanjohi of Kenya, who said: "Human Life International Kenya will participate in the Worldwide Rosary for Unborn Babies prayer event." Another person to contact the Organization was Clare Tallon of England who wrote: "I am glad such an event for innocent unborn babies is being held and hope that everyone who can, will take part." Participants in the WORLDWIDE ROSARY FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event will pray the Rosary during the 9:00 a.m. hour on October 18th. The Rosary will be prayed for the following intention: For an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn babies. (If necessary, one may pray the Rosary at another time on October 18th.) "In addition to participating, people are encouraged to ask others to be participants," said Patrick Benedict, President of the Saint Michael the Archangel Organization and a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee. " The Saint Michael the Archangel Organization needs much help so people throughout the world will know about this pro-life prayer event," concluded Benedict. The Saint Michael the Archangel Organization's website is: www.SaintMichaelTheArchangelOrganization.org. The mailing address is: P. O. Box 41257; Memphis, Tennessee 38174; U.S.A. (If a person needs a response, it is asked that a stamped, self-addressed envelope be included).

Magazine for Catholic Teen Girls

2008-09-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

13 year old Anna wrote me to share the following information about a project she's creating:

My name's Anna and I'm 13 years old. I have created a magazine for teenage catholic girls called Faithful Magazine. I created this because i could not find a magazine for teenage catholic girls here in the UK (where I live). It is free to download from the website: http://www.faithfulmagazine.webs.com/ and is for any teen girls from anywhere in the world who wishes to read it.

Feel free to contact Anna to share your stories or questions for her new project. How inspiring it is to find young women who are looking out for ways to share their faith through the Internet. Good luck Anna!

Happy Belated Birthday Mary

2008-09-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

In honor of Monday's Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, would you like to respond to the following request to celebrate our Blessed Mother with the wonderful women of Behold Your Mother? Feel free to respond to Sarah directly with your submissions:

Mary Moments: the Birthday Edition
This month, we'll be focusing on the Blessed Mother's birthday, traditionally celebrated on September 8.

What are some of your favorite Marian recipes? If Mary was coming to dinner, what would you make?
What do you give a mother who has everything? What will your gift to Mary be this year?
In reflecting on "another year older," how does the Blessed Mother serve as a guide, role model, and mentor to you?

Submit by 10 PM EST on September 10, using the online form or by emailing me at peerybingle [at] gmail [dot] com. If you have a story to share but no blog, feel free to email me your story and I'll put you live as a guest post here on my blog. We would love to have a truckload (or more) of entries to celebrate the Blessed Mother's birthday!

Must Run in the Family

2008-09-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Betsy, the sixteen year old high school senior daughter of Marybeth Hicks, on the launch of her new blog If I Could Vote...

Since I have a politically minded seventeen year old living in my home, I can appreciate the fact that young ladies like Betsy are taking time to formulate and document their opinions and thoughts leading up to the elections. I just wish more adults would take time to study the candidates positions and background as carefully as many young people are doing in their AP US Government and History classes.

Good luck with your blog Betsy - from reading what you've written so far I can see that you've inherited your Mom's talent for expressing yourself!

If I Could Vote...

Emily's Hope News

2008-09-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ellen Gable Hrkach, author of the wonderful book Emily's Hope wrote to share the following good news:

Brian Patrick of the Cincinnati-based Sacred Heart Radio Station will be interviewing Ellen Gable Hrkach on the Son Rise Morning Show regarding her first book, Emily's Hope. To listen to it live, go to www.sacredheartradio.com at 7:45 a.m. Friday, September 12th, and click on the upper right-hand corner box "On Air." If early mornings are busy, you can listen to it later by clicking "Podcasts" on the left of Sacred Heart's home page and download the show from September 12th.

For a limited time, you can get a free copy of this wonderful book online at the Full Quiver Publishing website here. The book shares a wonderful story and a great prolife message.

Real Catholic TV

2008-09-09T15:44:00.000-07:00

Have you checked out RealCatholicTV yet? My favorite feature on the site is the "Saint of the Day" video, which is updated daily and gives a great overview of the saints. It's quick, interesting and free.

You're Invited to a Concert!

2008-09-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

Catholic musician Bryan Murdaugh is spreading the word about a "house concert" he's planning for next Monday, September 15th at 8:00 pm - you can watch live via the internet on UStream here.

I always love watching Bryan's YouTube video's because he not only sings his songs, but also gives a very thoughtful introduction for every song. I'm not a music minister, but if I were I'd be a regular visitor to BryanMurdaugh.com for all the good stuff he's got going on there! Keep up the great work Bryan and I hope to have a front row seat at the concert!

Soles for Souls

2008-09-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

I love programs like Soles for Souls which facilitate our teaching our children to do good for others while at the same time being good stewards of the blessings God has shared with us. Here's some information on this program which is responding to people in need as a result of the recent hurricanes:

As you may know, the current hurricane season is upon us and is already a very busy one. While we collectively breathed a sigh of relief that Hurricane Gustav spared New Orleans a direct hit, we know that the other hurricanes lining up in the Caribbean pose a dire threat to the safety of hundreds of thousands of people.

Many of you stood with us when we sent aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina and made an enormous impact on the lives of many grateful people.

Now, we need your help again.

Soles4Souls has already set aside 50,000 pairs of shoes and boots to be donated to people in the Caribbean and the Southeastern United States, and we hope we won't need more. But Hurricane Ike, already a Category 4 storm, is taking aim at Florida, Georgia or the Carolinas, and we anticipate the need will be great.

Will you partner with us by hosting a shoe drive or collecting cash donations to help us make a difference in the lives of thousands of people? We can use nearly any type of footwear and the cash we raise will be directed solely to aiding victims of the storms so they can rebuild their communities. As always, your donations are tax-deductible.

If you can give, please visit our website at www.giveshoes.org or call us at 615-391-5723.

Your direct involvement in our mission is what keeps people on their feet and gives hope in an otherwise hopeless situation.