Should I Allow My Child to Struggle?
Necessary Conversations It’s difficult to be a good parent and raise children who love life and are faithful to God’s plan. It’s hard to know when to let them struggle and when to bail them out. It’s tough to discern when letting them struggle might break their spirit and when protecting them might make them…
Read MoreHaving Necessary Conversations About Right Relationships
Necessary Conversations As a child, I was the constant victim of bullying. I don’t know why, but my sisters and I were consistently targets for bullies in our neighborhood, on our school bus, at school, and even in extracurricular activities. While I got through it in the end, bullying gave me very low self-esteem that…
Read MoreTis the Season to Receive
Download the PDF How we receive gifts is just as important as how we give them. This lesson was driven home to me as I experienced the difference between how my wife’s family celebrated Christmas and my family’s tradition. My wife’s family tends to form their family traditions around practical considerations, such as impatient children,…
Read MoreSet a Firm Foundation in the New Year
The new year has begun and with it a new decade. Take just a moment to think back over the past ten years. Reflect upon this question. What has changed in your life since 2010? You may have married and started a family. You might have changed employment or the place you reside. Perhaps you experienced something life–altering that either caused you great joy or pain.
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me
Necessary Conversations As we approach Christmas our thoughts are drawn to the comfortable sights and sounds of the holiday. As followers of Jesus, we remember the “reason for the season” by reflecting on Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Another thing that Christmas should remind us of, however, is that the manger that the baby Jesus was…
Read MoreCivility: Time for a Comeback
Download the PDF A recent experience literally made me stop in my tracks in disbelief. While on my nightly walk, I noticed a group of grade school children arguing in a neighbor’s yard. Their voices were extremely angry as they stood face to face poised for physical combat. Unmistakably, a line had been drawn about…
Read MoreValuing Being More Than Doing
Download the PDF A mother’s wisdom and love are never wasted. It can be so easy to fall into a utilitarian way of valuing ourselves and others. Utilitarianism is a philosophy that values people based solely on what they can contribute to society. Accomplishments become a sign of value. Our culture may not explicitly say…
Read MoreUnderstanding Gender Identity
Necessary Conversations There are two things that really frustrate me: being confused and not being told the truth. That is why the culture’s campaign on gender is difficult for me to understand. Can you relate? The term gender is confusing to me because it used to mean the same thing as “male” or “female” (a…
Read MoreRaising Catholic Kids in a Secular World
Are you interested in raising holy, happy, and respectful children? Try incorporating these ideas into your family life. Number One: Share the gift of faith with your children. Faith allows us to believe in God. Make sure that your house and life is filled with knowledge of the Triune God. Read bible stories with your…
Read MoreA Breath of Fresh Air: Five Messages on Chastity That Will Put a Smile on Your Face!
Why is the Catholic Church’s teaching on human sexuality a light in the darkness? The Church’s teachings are a light in the darkness because the Church presents God’s plan for authentic love and human fulfillment. Let us look at five key points about the good moral habit of chastity. Chastity is about finding fulfillment in…
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