My 3 year old, soon to be 4, daughter has the biggest and kindest heart of anyone I have ever met. Those of you who read my blog regularly, or who know me in person, know that she is my only child. She is our blessing and gift and she may end up being the …
A Very Brief Reflection on Motherhood
There are moments, and they are fleeting, when my daughter places her hand on my face and looks into my eyes with her deep, beautiful eyes and asks me if I am ok, or she tells me she loves me, or she looks at me knowingly with a slight smile across her lips and says …
St. Catherine of Siena and The Thirst for Holiness
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Catherine of Siena who is one of the four female Doctors of the Church. One of the great literary works found in the Catholic tradition is The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena. The Dialogue is private revelation dictated by her to her secretaries while she was in …
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The Shock and Awe of Becoming a Contributor for Catholic Exchange
I learned a few lessons yesterday as I began my contributor relationship with Catholic Exchange. The story of how I ended up writing periodically for them is one that I can only look back at in wonder. A few weeks before I was asked by the editor to become a contributor, I had emailed a …
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Guest Post from My Dad: Mom on the Mend
Today I want to share a post by my father, Mike Rapkoch, from his Ricochet site. My grandmother became critically ill about 2 weeks ago. My husband and I rushed out on the drive from Virginia to my home-state of Montana, expecting the worst. Instead, my grandmother recovered and amazed us all. My father was …
Love Changes the Ordinary, the Mundane, and the Ugly
Yes the picture above is an ordinary dandelion. The weed that is the bane of gardeners and lawn owners in their quest for spring and summer perfection. To adults it is nothing more than a pest to be rid of. In fact, most people would either look at this image that I took with derision …
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Social Media and Illusions of Granduer
Social media is a great tool. We can connect with old friends and meet new people. It's a place to interact and it's nice for moms like me who are a bit isolated as they raise their children. I have observed and experienced a rather disturbing trend, however. That is, because we have our own …
Cinderella: Christ and the Church in Art
I can't say that this post will be a review per say. It will be my musing on my experience of the movie and the Christian dimensions of the original fairy tale. Of course, I know the story. Almost every little girl, at least in the U.S., was introduced to Disney's version of Cinderella at …
Cinderella: Child-like Innocence, Christology, Beauty
Today I will not be writing much. Instead I have found some pictures as a feast for your eyes to instill wonder. Here in a couple of hours I will be taking my daughter to see Disney's most recent Cinderella. It is directed by Kenneth Branagh. I have been a fan of his since junior …
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Let God Woo You
This morning I looked out the window and was reminded of one of my favorite movies: Shadowlands. It is the story of C.S. Lewis as played by Anthony Hopkins. It focuses on Lewis' years well into his conversion when he marries his wife, Joy. At one point he is sitting in a library at Oxford …
Swimming the Depths 