Category Archives: For the Adults

Evangelizing to Others within the walls of our homes: A Review of ‘Theology of Home:Finding the Eternal in the Everyday’

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do…but how much love we put into that action.  –Saint Mother Teresa


Review and Comments

Well, here we are.  However many weeks of being at home.  However many weeks of trying to figure out this slightly new way of living.  This year started out a little crazy with life and has gotten progressively more crazy, which hopefully excuses me from my lack of book reviews.  But I am back and trying to make a valiant effort in forging ahead.

Theology of the Home was a Christmas gift and I devoured it right away, but it was not quite what I expected.  Upon first glance, the book seems to be a type of home design book, but it is so much more than that.  While it is full of absolutely gorgeous photographs of even incredibly impressive homes, it breaks apart the home and discusses at length the importance of each individual part.  

Interspersed with personal stories, the book discusses our Catholic faith and how it can be present in each spot and with each task that must be accomplished within our homes.  All of the aspects of where we live come back to that feeling of “home” and how it implants in us the desire to spread the love of God with the rest of the world.  

I love the book for what it is.  For those of us caught up in the cyclical day to day, it is a wonderful reminder that what we do behind the walls of our homes, the things that no one sees, will eventually reach the rest of the world.

I love that it begs us to invite others, despite the condition of our homes, to serve, nourish, and comfort.  These feelings that begin with our families spill out into the world.

It provides a hope beyond household design, a hope beyond accomplishment, and a place to rest and love.  

Perhaps, while we are in our homes this long period in our lives, we can begin to look at it a little differently with the help of this book.  By applying the beauty of our faith to the everyday beauty of our homes, we can hope to reach the multitudes.

Additional Reading/Information

  • Watch a preview of the book

 

A Return to Our Roots: A Review of ‘The Catholic All Year Compendium’

“Catholic parents must learn to form their family as a “domestic church,” a church in the home as it were, where God is honored, his law is respected, prayer is a normal event, virtue is transmit­ted by word and example, and everyone shares the hopes, the problems and sufferings of everyone else. All this is not to advocate a return to some outdated style of living: It is to return to the roots of human development and human happiness!”                   

– Pope John Paul II

Review and Thoughts

I am blessed to have a wonderful mother who through the course of my life has kept Christ the center of our lives and our family.  The rotating calendar of our church was reflected in our lives at home.  We were sure to celebrate Lent and Advent, we celebrated mass each Sunday and on Holy Days.  My parents both helped us grown in our personal relationships with Jesus by giving us opportunities to pray alone, with the family, and with them.  And most of all, my parents made huge sacrifices to make sure we attended Catholic schools where we learned our subjects through Catholic eyes.  I had a childhood blessed by God and I understand what a domestic church can look like.

Fast forward and  now I am a mother gifted the task of creating my own domestic church for my children.  The realization that God has given me four innocent souls to lead to heaven is not something to be taken lightly.  Continue reading A Return to Our Roots: A Review of ‘The Catholic All Year Compendium’

What is Love?: A Review of ‘Believe in Love: Inspiring Words from Pope Francis’

“God is love. And we move toward the light to find the love of God. But is God’s love within us, even in the dark moments? Is the love of God there, hidden away? Yes, always! The love of God never leaves us. It is always with us. Do we trust in this love?”–Pope Francis, Address to Children 2014

Review and Thoughts

All of us need a little inspiration or daily reminders about the wonderful love of God. It’s easy to put Him on the back burner with the daily comings and goings of our lives, but Pope Francis encourages us to keep Him at the forefront in this lovely compilation of quotes.

The book is divided into six “chapters” with each being focused on a different aspect of love. Some of the titles include “I believe in love, and I want to love a lot” and “I believe in God’s patience, as good and welcoming as a summer’s night.” Each chapter then gives us many beautiful quotes by Pope Francis. The individual quotes are given their own pages with the date and time of the quote listed underneath.

I love quote books and this book is perfect for meditation at the beginning or end of each day. It serves as a wonderful daily reminder for each of us Catholics striving for sainthood. I personally think it would serve as a wonderful gift for anyone who loves to ponder and ruminate on the teachings of the pope and the love of God.

Continue reading What is Love?: A Review of ‘Believe in Love: Inspiring Words from Pope Francis’

Love From One Generation to the Next: A Review of ‘Being a Grandparent, Just Like Being a Parent…Only Different’

“The crown of the aged is their children’s children….” – Proverbs 17:6

“Love multiplies.  It doesn’t divide.” – Dr. Ray Guarendi

Review and Comments:

Dr. Ray’s book, Being a Grandparent, is a wonderful resource for those who are seeking advice and direction while adapting to the role of being a grandparent. It’s also a good choice for anyone who just wants to see if they are “on the right track.”  Dr. Ray addresses many issues and recommends very practical solutions along with considerable wisdom and a good bit of humor.

I think most people will agree that being a grandparent is a huge blessing! That doesn’t mean the road is always smooth, however.  Problems arise, goals differ, and personalities and egos clash.  This book is organized into short chapters – each one addressing a concern from differing viewpoints. Dr. Ray then skillfully addresses each concern.  He poses thoughtful questions, makes astute statements, and sometimes gives examples from his own family. Continue reading Love From One Generation to the Next: A Review of ‘Being a Grandparent, Just Like Being a Parent…Only Different’

A Review of ‘Prayer Everywhere: The Spiritual Life Made Simple

“The Lord cannot be at work in me if I am only allowing him the time I spend doing pious or prayerful things.  I must open the whole of my life to Christ and intentionally make him a vital part of everything I do.”–Father Gary Caster

Reading Level

Grades 11+

Review and Comments

I’ll be honest, after having kids I have found prayer difficult.  I find little time to myself and am constantly interrupted.  I even have trouble making it through a rosary without falling asleep!  Then, as an attempt to make up for my distraction/frustration/exhaustion, I try to find a new devotion/method/motivation to kick myself back in gear.  Slowly I see myself becoming a Martha and less of a Mary and the downward spiral continues.

Enter Father Gary Caster’s book, Prayer Everywhere (which was obviously sent to me by the Holy Spirit).  Through his simple suggestions and wonderfully entertaining anecdotes, I was reminded about the simplicity of prayer which I’d forgotten.  Devotions aside, prayer is ultimately about our relationship with Jesus and it need not be complicated. Continue reading A Review of ‘Prayer Everywhere: The Spiritual Life Made Simple

Peace for a Mother’s Mind: A Review of ‘Good Enough is Good Enough: Confessions of an Imperfect Catholic Mom’

“If Jesus didn’t expect perfection from His people and if he accepted them for who they were, warts and all, perhaps I should dial down my own expectations for my family. Jesus chose to hang out with the likes of Peter and Judas on the evening before He saved the world from sin. He invited them to be part of his salvific plan, so why do I worry so much about my own family’s idiosyncrasies? Jesus handpicked a handful of very imperfect people who messed up a lot, just like I do and just like my family does.”–Colleen Duggan

Review and Comments

What a blessing this book was!  I have to tell you, it was perfect timing for this mom filled with all kinds of emotions in this season of my life.  I seem to constantly stress over a constantly messy house and piles of laundry.  I worry about my first child who is entering kindergarten next year and thus begins to spend more time away from my protective grasp. I continually look at the divisiveness of the world and wonder where my children will end up as adults.  Luckily, Colleen Duggan has offered me so much consolation in her book and reminded me of what is really important when raising children: that I do my best to bring them to God, and allow Him to do the rest. Continue reading Peace for a Mother’s Mind: A Review of ‘Good Enough is Good Enough: Confessions of an Imperfect Catholic Mom’

Oh, life….

Have you ever just sat there overwhelmed with everything going on?!  Well, that’s been me the last few months.

New surprises.

Lots of illness.

Catching up on things I’ve procrastinated on.

Just…life.

Needless to say there haven’t been many reviews and there’s been little action on our Facebook page.  BUT things are falling back in place (for the time being) and so I hope to be able to get things going on the blog once again.

New reviews.

New books.

Happy kids and parents reading books.

Hopefully you’ll stick with us as we pick it back up again!  Thanks for supporting us!

Building a True Domestic Church: A Review of ‘Parenting with Grace: The Catholic Parents’ Guide to Raising Almost Perfect Children’

“Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life to grow in faith.”–Pope Francis

Review and Comments

This is the second book I have read by Greg and Lisa Popcak and I am once again in love!  After spending so much time reading parenting advice from every online article and opinion piece someone writes on their blog, I have found something I can get behind and learn from.

The Popcaks begin with a lot of statistics and research that indicate the difference between parenting and “Catholic” parenting to help lay the foundation for why we should listen to their advice.   They explain the difference between punishment and discipline and the effect that can have on children (and there is a difference!).  It provides numerous examples of children who were raised through “punishment” and how, as adults, they became great rule-followers, but not empathetic caring people.  These people often followed the rules to their own detriment and the detriment of others.  After reading this intro, though it was very long, I was convinced that they had done their research and were going to give some great advice.  Continue reading Building a True Domestic Church: A Review of ‘Parenting with Grace: The Catholic Parents’ Guide to Raising Almost Perfect Children’

Redemption Through Suffering: A Review of ‘Chiara Corbella Petrillo: A Witness to Joy’

“Our body is a cenacle, a monstrance: through its crystal the world should see God.”–St. Gianna Molla

Reading Level:

Grade 11+

Review and Comments:

I’ve always been fascinated by the lives of the saints.  Their ability to see God through suffering, their bravery in evangelization, their relationship to Jesus and His mother, and their willingness to face death and persecution for Him are awe=inspiring.  As a cradle Catholic, I have read many of their stories and wished to be closer to them and learn more about them.  They have been the celebrities I have looked up to, and though my favorite saint has changed with my season of life, I have found that often I feel as though their stories are unrealistic in this day and age.  I can’t see myself being like them and I feel that their virtue is unattainable.

It is for this reason I enjoy reading about more modern people who may not be saints (yet) but nevertheless they have lived holy and virtuous lives.  A few years ago I read about Immaculee Ilibagiza and her suffering through the Rwandan genocide.  Her joy and faith  amidst terrible suffering have been a beautiful witness of God’s forgiveness and love for those involved.  She became someone I aspired to be for a long time, but her suffering was extreme, and often times I could not fully relate.  (You can read more about her here.)  

My newest role model is Chiara Corbella Petrillo. I saw Chiara’s story make the rounds in the Catholic blogosphere a year or so ago.  I read a bit about her and thought it was a sad story, but moved on as people do when they read something online.  Then her book popped up as a recommendation for me.  I couldn’t put it down. Continue reading Redemption Through Suffering: A Review of ‘Chiara Corbella Petrillo: A Witness to Joy’

An Interview with Catholic Author, Leslea Wahl

I’m so excited to get to share my interview with Leslea Wahl with you all today!  I am a little star struck, I have to admit, whenever I get talk to someone I really admire.  Ms. Wahl is one of those people!  Not only is she a great young adult author, but she tells her story and shares her faith with such entertainment!  Her books are great adventures and mysteries and I, for one, am so glad she has decided to start writing.

We are so blessed to have her books entering the Catholic fiction genre.  Check out my interview…I think you will love her as much as I do!

Can you tell us a bit about you and your family?

I live in beautiful Colorado with my husband and three children. Although “children” doesn’t really describe our kids anymore. Our oldest just graduated college, our middle child is currently in college and our “baby” will be a senior in high school. As a family, we love to travel and try new adventures like zip-lining, jet skiing and scuba diving.

What made you decide to start writing and why did you chose to write for a young adult audience?

I’ve always been creative but never thought about writing a novel, especially for teens. But when  my older children were preteens and began searching for YA books to read, I was having a really hard time finding books that they wanted to read that also reflected our values. I wondered why no one was writing these kinds of books. Then one day I woke up and the story of my first novel, The Perfect Blindside, just came to me. The characters and scenes kept flooding my mind until I finally started to write them down. I definitely felt God called me to write that book. Since then my passion has been to write Young Adult fiction and to encourage teens in their faith. Continue reading An Interview with Catholic Author, Leslea Wahl