I think we can all agree that the world is a harder, even scarier, place than it was when we were teens, be that 10, 20, 40 years ago.  So how do we make the most of our kids’ teenage years?  How do we, as […]

Have you ever been surprised when you unexpectedly find common ground with someone who, by all appearances, is different from you?  Well, in today’s episode of the A Welcome Grace Podcast, I had the pleasure of doing just that.  And I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation […]

Hey, you.  Yes, you – the one taking a breather or a break in your crazy busy day.  Also, you – the one mindlessly scrolling your phone because it’s a pandemic and we’re on month 32 of summer break and for the love what else […]

I’ve been involved in music ministry in one way or another since the 6th grade.  Roughly translated, that equals out to about 30 years of singing for Jesus.  As a soloist and music minister, I’ve been a chorister and a cantor in choirs of all […]

Well, kids! It has been a while since I did a good, old-fashioned book round-up.  Who among you is looking for something delightful to read while we social distance ourselves for the foreseeable future? (Raises hand)  Well, grab your coffee and your Kindle, because it’s […]

If you’ve hung around here for any amount of time, you’ll know that I don’t shy away from talking about faith.  In fact, over the years, it’s become one of my favorite things to write about!  And yes, I am a Catholic writer.  I like […]

Guess what, moms and dads — kids cry in church!  Shocking, isn’t it?  I know.  It’s even been confirmed by Pope Francis!  Who knew?  Yes, friend.  Children fuss and cry and flail around and poop their pants and spit up all over everything…IN CHURCH!!  Can […]

In a few short hours, a new year…a new decade…will dawn.  Is it really possible that it’s going to be 2020?  All signs point to yes, but still.  I have a hard enough time believing that the 90s weren’t just a decade ago, but 20 […]

Never would I have believed it if someone had told me 10 years ago that a two-day, 638-mile road trip with my family of six could be peaceful.  Truly, that sounds horrible to me!  Yet, here I am with day two well underway.  Rain is […]

“Happy birthday, Baby Jesus!” I whispered to myself through clenched teeth.  Of course, while the words were pleasant enough, the tone inside my head was considerably…not.  This is supposed to be the joyful week of Advent, I thought.  But if these children keep bickering on […]