A few months back, I started to think about getting ready to renew my consecration to Mary, which I do every year on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Gianna has been deeply interested in all things to do with faith lately, so I went searching for a consecration prep designed for children her age. … Read more
One of the many, many things I love about Catholicism is how tangible it is; the Church makes use of all of our senses to teach us the riches of the Faith. Once upon a time, when most people were illiterate and couldn’t read the Scriptures or stories of the saints, images were made that … Read more
Once upon a time, in what feels like another life, I was a missionary with Life Teen. I lived in community with other missionaries and families at Camp Covecrest, in Tiger, GA. It was there I first encountered St. Benedict. We missionaries lived by a Rule of Life modeled after the Rule of Benedict. It … Read more
Recently I was searching the internet for rosary themed crafts to do with my kids, and while I did find the cutest pipe cleaner rosary project for them, I also found a fabulous mom-friendly craft: the Kitchen Rosary. A kitchen rosary is abacus style rosary, designed to be used when your hands are full or … Read more
In a corner of our basement, tucked behind the furnace, sits a big, cozy leather chair. It is my favorite piece of furniture in the house, my place of refuge from the chaos and noise, it is the place in the house that I can stop, quiet myself, and listen to the Lord easily. The … Read more
My mother-in-law has a saying that she often likes to quote, “begin with the end in mind.” This applies to a lot of areas in life, but most recently it has been on my mind regarding my children’s faith. If I am beginning with the end in mind, the end here being their salvation, what … Read more
I’ve been musing a lot lately on the fall of man. It is shockingly instinctual for us as humans to run and hide when we’ve done something wrong. Our eldest, now almost 4, is a example of it. Gianna has reached the age where she knows that she has done something wrong when she’s chosen … Read more
I first encountered this wonderful saint when I was a missionary at Life Teen’s Camp Covecrest in Tiger, GA. St. Therese is the patroness of missionaries, so in formation class we spent time reading her autobiography, Story of a Soul. At first I didn’t feel at all connected with her- she seemed so faithful, so … Read more
I’ve had some comment about the name of the blog and questions about this “elevator to Heaven”, so I thought I’d spend a little time and explain where the idea came from. The name was suggested by a friend of mine, Sister Kate, who knows of my love of St. Therese. This is the quote … Read more
We don’t sleep much over here. This child of mine doesn’t seem to need very much. She wakes up every couple of hours at night. She takes one, maybe two, 20 minute power naps during the day. If she sleeps for longer it’s because she’s being held. I thought that maybe once she started moving … Read more