Pregnancy and Pro-life Ministry

I've always been vehemently pro-life. I argued with classmates in my 10th grade civics class about abortion, I read about the science of fetal development, I spoke out on social media, and I eagerly followed the news of pro-life ministries and advocacy organizations. I started putting more money (and time) where my mouth was in … Continue reading Pregnancy and Pro-life Ministry →

“Reflecting on Them in Her Heart”: Pondering Versus Ruminating

What made Mary's reflection different from rumination? How can an anxious person like me imitate her, deepening my relationship with God by pondering the good and bad things that happen in my life rather than ruminating on the negative?

When Motherhood Doesn’t Feel Like You Thought It Would

Nothing can prepare you for becoming a parent. You can read all the books and blog posts and talk to all the parents you know, but the experience will still surprise you. And if you'd hung your hat—knowingly or unknowingly—on a particular image of what being a mother would be like, that surprise will be painful.

6 New Friends From “Radical Saints”

Note: I received a copy of "Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century" in exchange for an honest review. I love learning about saints. Well, I love learning about people, and saints are holy, inspiring people, so they're my favorite. I especially love learning about female saints — people who struggled with the challenges … Continue reading 6 New Friends From “Radical Saints” →

I Talked to a Therapist Last Week. You Should, Too.

I put on my headphones and logged on to the platform my therapist's practice uses for tele-therapy. Soon, I saw the face of the therapist I hadn't seen — hadn't needed to see — in almost a year. I'd been putting off making the appointment for a week or two, but after two meltdowns and a few almost-meltdowns, … Continue reading I Talked to a Therapist Last Week. You Should, Too. →

Eating to Live, Not Living to Eat

"Your grandfather always says, 'We eat to live; we don't live to eat.'" So my mother told me when I was 15 and became hypoglycemic. I don't think I really appreciated this wisdom, which came from my diabetic grandfather, until last year. I was diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis after a decade of suppressing my … Continue reading Eating to Live, Not Living to Eat →

The Best Love Story Is Your Love Story

“Intense love does not measure, it just gives" (St. Teresa of Calcutta). On Saturday, my boyfriend proposed to me. I was expecting a proposal sometime this fall, but I was not expecting it on Saturday, so I was very surprised. It was a simple, sweet proposal, and I said yes as soon as I recovered … Continue reading The Best Love Story Is Your Love Story →

Developing a Rosary Habit

I've always wanted to have a devotion to the rosary. It was a combination of factors that drew me in, from photos of beautiful rosaries on the internet to the idea of the prayer being, in the words of St. Padre Pio, "the weapon against the evils of the world today." I've also always had … Continue reading Developing a Rosary Habit →

My Next Decade: Turning My Focus Outward

When I was six years old, my cousin turned seven on April 7, excited about her "golden birthday." I remember being jealous, because my golden birthday would be my 30th — and, of course, by then, I'd be too old to enjoy it. I am 30 today, August 30. And I do not feel too old to … Continue reading My Next Decade: Turning My Focus Outward →

13 Things Edith Stein Could Have Written Today

Edith Stein, also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was a philosopher, teacher, academic and then Carmelite nun. Born to a German Jewish family on Yom Kippur in 1891, she fell away from religion as a teenager, studied philosophy under phenomenologist Edmund Husserl, and converted to Catholicism after discovering (and staying up all … Continue reading 13 Things Edith Stein Could Have Written Today →