Clik here to view.
Misericordia
(Originally published in the Summer 2015 issue of Soul Gardening Journal) In reflecting on my own wretched pitifulness the other day, I was disgusted to think of the squalor I had to offer God. Just...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Catching up with 2016, Christmas and Otherwise
So it’s been an off and on year with blog writing for me. But I finally took a morning and traipsed through the bookstore grabbing a large stack of new picture books to settle down and preview....
View ArticleClik here to view.
An Open Letter To Vestibule Mothers
*** originally published in Soul Gardening Journal in 2013 *** Dear Vestibule Mothers, Your arms are tired, your blood sugar is getting low and poor baby Oswald just can’t stop...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spiritual Direction for Each Temperament
Ever been too intimidated to try reading the Summa? Or found little, pithy lessons on Proverbs to be “fluff”? It’s probably just the type of person you are… Well, I found something genius. I’ve read...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Springtime with Kevin Henkes
In the same way that Jan Brett shines best in winter, Kevin Henkes was made for springtime. While he is now a prolific picture book author/illustrator, it seems that all his best works embody spring...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pride: A Self-Inventory
Have you ever been tired of your tummy pudge and after consulting Dr. Google, found out that the idea of “spot toning” is really not a viable one? Depressing isn’t it? When you realize that you can’t...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Life in Plan B
No one ever chooses to stand outside of Time. It’s only in moments of tremendous grief or personal upheaval that time itself serves an abrupt eviction. And standing there in a cosmic void of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Littleness, Truth and Happy Endings.
Last week, I worked particularly hard one day. Hard for one not accustomed to fast-paced, public work anyway. And I walked home. And it was hotter than the breath of a devil. I collapsed on my couch,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
FRBO: A Heart
If you take down the No Vacancy sign posted on your heart… all the amenities will attract Him in— He Who is known to frequent such places. And what decor! -Blackout curtains to prevent light from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
a goodbye blessing
My son, riches I have not to offer you. But still, I can baptize this departure. May my whispered prayers continue to ring in your ears, long after the din of the world has faded away. May my embrace...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2 x 2 = Faith
The 2nd grade class of St. James Catholic School in Oregon City, OR was not a particularly bright bunch in 1989. We slouched our socks and picked our noses and jockeyed to be Teacher’s Pet. There was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Saints Through the Year in Picture Books
While I have a “motherload” list of Catholic picture books, I wanted to update and talk specifically about saint books. When you find a beautiful picture book about a saint… you have a treasure indeed....
View ArticleClik here to view.
An Open Letter To Overthinkers
I know it’s a not a matter of being hard headed. Actually, you probably have an incredibly sharp intellect that wants to believe everything you read in the Gospels so you dedicate yourself to the path...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Plan B: Chapter 2
I’m beginning a new chapter of life. One that developed as a sort of plot-twist to the plan I had written out for myself. And it is filled with goblins and shadows. 900 different reasons to be afraid,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Protecting Young Minds
I’m writing a full article on this rather than a Facebook status or just a book review on Amazon, because this is Important. Like, capital “I” Important. No one likes to talk about pornography. Least...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2018 Booklist (÷ 2)
If you read this website, there’s a fair chance you have similar tastes in literature as I do. And if that’s the case, it’s probably also true that you like booklists curated by likeminded zealots. So...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Worthy
One of the more painful parts of mothering alone is the fact that no one is there to help you sweep out your head trash. And this happens to all of us. All mothers at some point or another snap...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In honor of something real
There are many things I will not be able to pass on to my children. There are many flaws I have. I can’t give them horseback riding lessons. I don’t have an inheritance set up for them, much less a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Notes from a Divorced Catholic
This could have just as easily been titled “Notes from a Mid-30s Mother” or “Notes from a Melancholic-Choleric Grad Student”. Or any other combination of personality ticks that could be labeled and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
God Will Probably Give You More Than You Can Handle.
They say “God will never give you more than you can handle.” And not only do I think this is untrue, but I think it can be incredibly damaging. Very often God DOES give you more than you can handle....
View Article