October is upon us again. In many ways, it is my favorite time of year. Leaves are changing colors here in the Midwest and the temperatures are cool enough for sweaters but not so cold that I am frozen. Cinnamon, apple, and pumpkin spice treats warm my belly and make me happy. Bruce and I…
#WorthRevisit: Grab Your Umbrella!
It’s Wednesday, which means I am revisiting a post from before, and linking it up to Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb. I appreciate these two blogs sharing my posts, but I am also happy to discover other blogs too! This post originally appeared in August 2015. Students for Life Illinois will be…
#MondayMercy: Ransom the Captive
As I pondered which work of mercy I wanted to look at this week, I finally settled on this one: Ransom the Captive. It is an interesting concept in our time. When I hear the word “ransom” I think of kidnappers demanding money from parents. When I hear “captive,” I think of hostages in a…
#WorthRevisit: My Deformed Left Hand
It’s time for a #WorthRevisit post! Today, a friend tagged me in a Facebook “memory” from four years ago. It was a picture (not the one below) from the local Walk for Life. It sparked memories for me too, as it was one of the last events I served as Executive Director. I remembered that…
#MondayMercy: Give Drink to the Thirsty
Many months ago, as I was preparing for my first Embrace Mercy talk, I contemplated doing a series on the Works of Mercy. I forgot all about that idea until this morning when I had an a-ha moment. There are not enough Mondays left in this Jubilee Year of Mercy to give each one of…
Back to School Evangelization
Today, my fourth (and final) Called to Witness column was published in The Catholic Post. I have enjoyed this writing project, and might pick it up again in the future. However, at this time, I am getting ready to serve as the President of the Peoria Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. With my added duties,…
#WorthRevisit: St. Teresa of Calcutta
Monday was the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta, and Facebook reminded me of this post from 2 years ago. At that time, she was Blessed Teresa, but as you probably know, this beautiful woman was canonized on Sunday. So yes, she is a Saint with a capital S! Since I haven’t done a Wednesday…
What a Road Trip!
Saturday, Bruce and I returned from a wonderful two week vacation. We traveled to the southwest region to see one of his brothers, and one of mine. Along the way, we also saw several national parks and two of my online stamping friends. Upon returning, I posted a picture of our odometer: 4000.8 miles! We…
#WorthRevisit: “The Hug”
Today is Wednesday, and I am participating in the #WorthRevisit Link-up again. This week, teens and young adults from around the globe are gathered in Poland for World Youth Day. Today, Pope Francis arrives to preach, to bless, and to inspire! I have a young friend, a recent college graduate, who is there participating in…
The Blood of Martyrs
This morning I was shocked and saddened to read of the brutal killing of Father Jacques Hamel, a Catholic priest in France. Father Hamel was assisting at a small rural parish while the pastor was on vacation. While saying Mass, Islamic terrorists entered the Church, forced him to his knees, and slit his throat reportedly…