family

When God Says Wait

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by Guest Blogger Olivia Folmar Ard

When I was a child, the saying “slow as Christmas” actually meant something to me. For someone with a single digit age, the twelve months passing from Christmas to Christmas might as well be twelve years. I remember how slowly each day passed as I mentally counted down to the blessed holiday from New Year’s Day, spring break, summer vacation, and Thanksgiving.

Even during the month of December, I found it difficult not to squirm. Moving our little stuffed mouse from one day to the next on the cloth Advent calendar hanging on the door was physically agonizing. I couldn’t wait for Christmas and all the joy that day symbolizes, which in that season of my life meant lots of baked goodies, family get-togethers, and more gifts than I knew what to do with.

As I age, “slow as Christmas” means less and less to me. My life is so busy and filled with activity that by the time I pause to check the date, I am astounded by how much time has passed me by. I’m more likely to say, “Christmas again, already?” Continue reading →

Faith, Family & Freedom: Fight For Liberty Available Today!

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When the sparklers have fizzled, the grill has cooled, and even the lightning bugs have taken to their beds, I have the perfect book for you! The final installment of Theresa Linden’s Liberty Trilogy is available today. You’ll want to start with the first book, Chasing Liberty. (I interviewed Theresa about the book when it was first released.) Now that the series is complete, you can read straight through Testing Liberty and then Fight For Liberty, because, believe me, you’ll want to!

Because it’s a holiday and your concentration may be sapped from fun and sun, I’ll make this simple.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Read the Liberty Series:Fight for Liberty cover

  1. Liberty. She’s strong, brave, and bursting at the seams with heart and integrity. Which makes up for her tendency to be impatient and impulsive.
  2. Dedrick. A gentleman through and through, he’s had his eye on Liberty for a long time. Chivalrous, courageous, and can also kick some butt when the situation warrants.
  3. The Evil Villain. Dr. Supero is the guy you love to hate as he doggedly pursues Liberty. [Insert maniacal laugh.]
  4. Edge of your seat. That’s where you’ll be throughout this fast-paced dystopian series.
  5. American as apple pie. Rather than letting that burst of patriotism dim with the last flickering firework, take a little time to reflect on the foundations of the United States. Good fiction deepens your understanding of concepts and values in a personal way. Let Liberty remind you of the importance of faith, family, and freedom by showing you what a world without them might look like.

Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes

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Seven Quick Takes Friday

Surviving Busy Sports Seasons Edition

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.) Continue reading →

The Witching Hour: When It All Hits the Fan

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When I say, “the witching hour,” I’m not talking about some spooky hour in the inky blackness when supernatural creatures roam the earth making the time ripe for witchery. I’m referring to the common parlance of parents of young children who are all too familiar with the early evening fussiness of babies.ClockEarly evening, you may know, generally coincides with adults returning home from work, kids heading to and from after-school activities, and preparing and eating dinner. Continue reading →

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Things My Dad Taught Me (Without Saying A Word)

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  1. Working hard for your family is honorable. My dad leased a Gulf gas station/service station for decades. He worked ten-hour days, six days a week for many years. Then tended to “book work” when he was home. He didn’t harbor any great any ambitions or wallow in his lot in life (although he always wanted to be a trolley conductor). It is simply what he did to provide for his wife and children.

    Perpetua Anniversary

    Mom and Dad celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2004.

  2. Volunteer. Give your time freely in service to others. I never realized the extent to which my dad’s life was marked by service until the priest spoke about it at his funeral Mass. From his Navy service during World War II to being a parish usher, bingo volunteer, a lifelong member of the Rennerdale Volunteer Fire Department, and helping out at one of his favorite places – the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum – my dad happily served. Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes Friday

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Seven Quick Takes Friday

Partners In Crime

Patience has been in short supply lately. (A natural byproduct of having babies in your 40s?) I’ve caught myself speaking to my kids in an irritated tone or tending to their needs in a begrudging manner.

Our children are a huge blessing, and I’m making a greater effort to be fully-present to them and remind myself how privileged I am to be their momma. So, I’ve spent more time making them smile and laugh, which is a beautifully simple thing at their ages. When they aren’t destroying things, whining, or pitching fits, they are easy to love. Continue reading →