This may be the most advice-y thing I’ve written, which is funny considering how we scramble to keep things together this time of year. These are things I’ve noticed work for our family when I do them. They may or may not be of any use to you. You may sit down to a gourmet meal together with ample time for travel and arrive at your activities on time. (And if so, I may wonder if you possess alien DNA.)
The non-stop news cycle and social media have allowed us to collectively mourn the passing of celebrities in novel fashion. Instantaneously, we can share memes, images, and memories associated with singers, actors, and others who have touched our lives.
Of all celebrities, it’s been my observation that actors and singers are held most dear. I think that is for two reasons.
First, stories touch and change us in ways nonfiction accounts cannot. And while books are loved, they are objects. Actors and actresses then personify for us the stories that fill our imaginations.
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Why small success? Because that’s the only kind I know! Even the big ones come in small steps. Here’s my paltry offering for the week:
I stray just slightly from all fiction this month as I review a couple of prayer books for children. I titled this Catholic Books for “Kids,” but this selection covers a wide range and includes a board book, two picture books, a chapter book/coloring book, and a novel for teens and up.
I’ll let my (short) reviews speak for themselves save for three notes:
Leave a CommentToday through April 24 is National Park Week 2016 in the U.S. That means admission is FREE at all national parks! This photo is of a…
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With more than fifteen months of blogging under my proverbial belt, I feel as if I might now have some material worth revisiting, so I’m linking up with Theology is a Verb and Reconciled to You for #WorthRevisit Wednesday Linkup. This post, written less than four months after I began blogging, was viewed by more people than any other post of mine at the time. My reflections on our less-than-perfect marriage were timed to my wedding anniversary, as is this repost. Only this makes nineteen years.
What’s different a year later? Very little. Only that I’m already considering how to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary by spending our second night (and third through eighth nights) alone since 2002.
2 CommentsI hear that complaint frequently from one of my children. It’s an age-appropriate response to a myriad of less-than-appealing tasks: cleaning up toys, getting ready for bed, trying certain foods, or ending playtime.
One of the best measures of maturity is willingly choosing to do things that we don't want to. Share on X
Most often, my response to my child’s complaint is a variation on the theme, “We all have to do things we don’t want to.”
After all, do I enjoy the many tasks I’m responsible for? Doing dishes four times a day? Changing poopy diapers? Administering discipline?
We choose to do unpleasant things because we know we must. We choose to do those things because we have foresight and know the consequences of our action or inaction. Sometimes because we’ve made a decision to love. Ultimately, we come to learn what’s good for us, and often that means self-denial.
Leave a CommentBefore I dive into what’s being read in our household this month, I have some exciting news to share! Starting in May, An Open Book…
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