Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I've been busy writing, so I hope you'll take the time to read some past posts from my home web site, Being Catholic ... Really My post, "I wanted to spend this summer as if it was my last," won best photo gallery in September, so I'm very proud of that one.  There's a variety of posts about a lot of different topics including politics and the adoption of two members of our family , just to single out a few. There's also a book review of Colleen C. Mitchell's book, "Who Does He Say You Are?    This is a wonderful book that's perfect to leave out when you want to just concentrate on one particular chapter.  I loved Colleen's insights into the twelve women of the Bible.  "The woman crippled by a demon" really spoke to me and you can find that article on CatholicMom.com . I also write for Catholic365.com  so if you're not too sick of my ramblings, I hope you'll stop by there, too. I must admit, since quitting my jo

My life never really went along as planned. When I was a young, unbaptized woman, I wasn’t sure I wanted to get married and I certainly wasn’t going to have children! After my conversion to the Catholic faith, I got married and we had three children. I was a stay-at-home mom for 25 years when I decided it was time to return to work. I got a job in retail during the Christmas holiday (which nearly killed my Christmas spirit!). You can read my very first post at CatholicMom.com here .

Recently I posted on my beasone.org blog about big changes coming to my site (I have totally revamped it with a fresh new look and lots of extras). Even as I was gushing on and on in my post about how “this will translate into a more enjoyable experience for you,” I thought about how much I dislike website upgrades. I could hear myself grumbling: “Why change it; I like it just the way it is!” “I can’t find my favorite posts!” “Where is the contact information; I want to complain!”   Sound like you? Click here to read on , and offer your comments on how you feel about change.

You and your smartphone are tied at the hip. Emails, phone calls and Google Calendar reminders direct your day’s activities. What if that same smartphone could help you develop spiritual discipline? I love technology and I use it to keep me aware of God throughout the day. Using my iPhone to remind me hourly to pray has probably been the most helpful in creating this mindfulness. Click here to continue reading.

I am part of a brand new published book with 30 other writers who are regular contributors to Daily Gospel Reflections on  CatholicMom .  Introducing  As Morning Breaks: Daily Gospel Reflections    I write the reflection for the fourth day of every month. If you do download this book, we would be thrilled if you left a short review. “ With Christ joy is constantly born anew.” Pope Francis Inspired by our prayer community at CatholicMom.com, As Morning Breaks offers 365 daily reflections on the Liturgy of the Word and the Gospels. With each daily meditation, the reader is invited into a further examination of the Gospel passage. A “ponder” question is provided for contemplation, discussion or journaling. Each meditation ends with a brief prayer. These prayers are offered as a springboard for your own quiet meditative prayer. Penned by over thirty authors and written from a variety of vocational perspectives, As Morning Breaks invites you to make morning prayer a fruitful part of

Her name is Fiat. That cute little goldfish--her name is Fiat. Fiat , of course, is Latin for  let it be done . In Lisa Hendey's brand-new book,  The Grace of Yes , Fiat is both the charming little goldfish on the cover as well as the simple yet profound theme guiding readers through the pages of the book.  The Grace of Yes  explores eight virtues that help us build a habit of generosity. The goldfish name surfaced (ha! fish pun!) after CatholicMom.com hosted a "Name the Goldfish" contest. The goldfish is essentially just a decoration, I realize, but the community goldfish-naming phenomenon is no mere ornament; the CatholicMom.com clever fish-naming campaign epitomizes the way Lisa--the site's founder-- habitually reaches out to others. Since the year 2000, when Lisa launched CatholicMom.com out of her California home, Lisa's work has connected countless moms (and other people) seeking to integrate faith into daily life. Read more as part of today

Before the plane took off Monday morning from DFW Airport, my nose was buried in an advanced copy of The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living . As we landed in Tampa, my new knowledge of Lisa Hendey , myself and true generosity was incredible. And one-third of the book to go! By Tuesday afternoon my mind was full of spiritual truths. My heart and soul were so reinforced with encouragement that my copious notes now fill this review and overflow into several blog ideas. Having known and grown to love Lisa long-distance for four years through CatholicMom.com and Catholic Writers Guild (CWG), I finally met her at the CWGLive conference in Chicago and took a photo with her. Her keynote speech on “Perseverance,” with many concepts from The Grace of Yes , and a one-on-one meeting when she advised me on a publishing question, created an instant connection in our spirits.   The eight virtues of the Grace of Yes continues on JOYAlive.net