Healing Milestone (SoulCore, Fitness, Courage)

In the last two months, I’ve earned my Personal Trainer and SoulCore Leader certifications. If you know me, you know that these victories run so much deeper than collecting titles...⁣

In 2018, I wrote:⁣
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“I don’t know whether to accept this sedentary life and the constant pain and decline—aging on fast forward—or whether to fight...⁣ And how does a woman fight when she’s so broken? How does she raise her body in praise when she cannot even rise from her bed?⁣ I know I’ll have to rise from the heart because my body is useless. Begging for the heart of my Savior and His Blessed Mother. With their courage, I pray to accept the cross of disease... and still keep the door open for hope of healing.”⁣
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On the days I couldn’t walk, couldn’t rise, couldn’t breathe under the weight of grief... I never imagined that I could feel physically strong again. Yet here I am.⁣
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SoulCore is a perfect fit for my life, namely because prayer is at the heart and not my ability. It’s about Relationship not perfection. If my body is weak on a given day, then I bring what I can. And if all I have is my broken body on a mat... I will rest there with my Lord and His beautiful Mother.⁣
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I went to the gym today and had some face tremors. Out of my control. I don’t know why my body malfunctions. As they increased, I felt sorrow rise, I told my husband about it (because I need his hand), and I finished my workout with renewed purpose.⁣
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Eventually, I will lose my physical health completely and succumb to illness, age, death. So I will build my foundation on permanent things...⁣
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And keep fighting for every step in between. Last Summer, I ran a 5k seven years after being told I would never run again. This year, I plan on doing it again...⁣ Maybe running, maybe walking, maybe crawling... I give it all to Jesus.

Sweet Savior, make me brave. Amen. ❤️⁣
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* NOTE* I will be focusing mostly on in-person @soulcoreproject classes (we need to be with people again) but also working on digital options for my broader community. Sign up for my email updates to stay in touch. ❤️

The Gentle Instruction of Paul

Joining with #fridaycolloquies to let the light of Christ flood our feeds. I was going to add a favorite saint quote but then read today’s first reading and my heart stayed there.⁣⁣
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Paul with the gentle instruction and piercing hope (Hebrews 13:1-8)...⁣⁣
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“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body.⁣⁣
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Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.⁣⁣
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Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.⁣⁣ Thus we may say with confidence:⁣⁣
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The Lord is my helper,⁣⁣
and I will not be afraid.⁣⁣
What can anyone do to me?⁣⁣
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Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” ❤️⁣⁣
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Thank you @littlelightfamily for the invitation and inspiration. May God be glorified in all these posts and his people consoled and fortified.

Masking in Church (My Article in Crisis Magazine)

My article on masking in church is live this morning at Crisis. Please share it with your friends, family... and perhaps your pastor: The Audacity of Exhaling
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“In the parish church, the joyful and the anxious come together to exhale in exclamations of praise, thanksgiving, and lamentation. It is time to breathe again together, without anxiety, before the Throne of Grace, and to reveal, without shame, the delightful imprint of the Imago Dei in our beloved faces.”⁣
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Read my full piece at the Crisis Magazine website. Much gratitude to the bold and faithful editors for their willingness to host this important discussion... and for inviting me to the table.⁣
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Serviam. ❤️

Spiritual Bouquet Coloring Page

Looking for Catholic Valentines? I created a spiritual bouquet printable a few years ago that you or your kids can color and customize.⁣ We have used it for Christmas gifts and general use but think that the twin hearts with the “Beloved” banner make it especially nice for St. Valentine’s Day.⁣ Click here for more info: Spiritual Bouquet

Pro-life or Pro-Birth? Toppling the Straw Man

There’s an argument used against pro-life Christians that some Catholics have been carelessly throwing around lately. They think it’s a clever way of speaking about social justice. It’s not. And I’ll tell you why...⁣
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The phrase is: “You’re not pro-LIFE, you’re only pro-BIRTH.”⁣
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The implication is that pro-lifers don’t love the baby or mom beyond birth. After birth, they don’t care, don’t help, don’t support.⁣
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It’s ridiculous on its face. A straw man argument. A stale canard used primarily by people who are pro-abortion or by young pro-lifers who have been taken in by confusing rhetoric. And what most young Catholics don’t know is...⁣
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... that it was first used in 1994 by a heretical pro-abort religious sister named Joan Chittister. She didn’t use it because she’s pro-life from womb to tomb... she used it because she isn’t. It was an attempt to shame conservative Christians into supporting her preferred social programs. And to undermine the integrity of their anti-abortion work.⁣
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Sometimes her quote is shared online with a picture of her before she shed her habit. But you should know that she is no traditional nun. And she is pro-abortion.⁣
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How do I know? Because when I was a feminist pro-abort, she was one of my heroes. (Down with the patriarchy. Up with women priests. Forward with reproductive rights.)⁣
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I encourage Catholics to reject this “pro-birth” phrasing since it is designed to obscure truth and manipulate the conversation.⁣
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You don’t have to prove your pro-life commitment to anyone but the good Lord. And you don’t have to support specific social programs in order to be dynamically pro-life.⁣
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To those Christians who want to suppress the focused anti-abortion message in the name of “social justice”....⁣
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I have the authority to cry out against abortion even if I cannot help all those directly in need. I am only one woman and I do my best. But abortion is the torture and murder of children... and I am compelled by love to cry out against it. My authority to speak rests on Christ, not on my perfection. Not on my works.⁣
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I am pro-life. I am also pro-birth. There is no contradiction. And I will not be manipulated into silence.

Packaging books and praying for you...

A happy angle. Packaging and mailing some books today. And the sun is actually shining in our dark little corner of the Midwest.⁣⁣
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If you need a little sunshine and renewal in your life, I invite you to click on my profile link and consider picking up a copy of my book, The Sunshine Principle: A Radically Simple Guide to Natural Catholic Healing.⁣
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Not every day or year feels illuminated for us. Sometimes we are stuck in the darkness for a while.⁣⁣ We’ve got to get better at making our own sunshine... and allowing the Holy Spirit to reach the darkest corners of even the most difficult days.⁣⁣
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When I package books, I pray for you. I pray for the person whose hands will hold the pages open. Praying for healing, for hope, for a breath of fresh air... of respite.⁣⁣
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That has always been my great hope for this book. To help hold the space for you just for a moment... so that you can see the Son.⁣
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Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.⁣⁣
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O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Motherhood (A peek into my future)

It’s been almost 5 years since my last pregnancy. So perhaps that season of my life has passed. I don’t know. I had a dream last night that I was pregnant and it wasn’t shocking...⁣ but I know now what it is like to look into a future without my own new babies to hold. And I am starting to feel, for the first time, the soft desire that a woman might feel for grandchildren.⁣
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It’s not a strong feeling. Just something I recognize lingering on the edge of my life. A little peek at my future.⁣ How funny to think that because I married so young, I could technically have a child younger than one of my grandchildren! And that thought, my friends, makes me laugh... ⁣
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... and also makes me feel very tired.⁣
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Motherhood is explosive. It has blown me to bits along with all of my ideas of perfection. A constant descent into humiliation and a steady rising into a true and magnificent calling...⁣
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A contradiction. A startling adventure. A consoling monotony. A painful stretching.⁣
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Lead me, Lord, to my truest self. Where I look down at my hands and see Yours. And agree to have my heart expanded beyond the limits of human reason.⁣
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I can do this if You make me not afraid. And then someday, I will rest...⁣
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But not yet. Please make me tireless...⁣
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I would like to take a break. Take a breath. Close my eyes. But I have a few more miles to go. And a few more transitions to make. Blessed be God forever. ❤️

For Your Informed Consent...

Highly recommended book for 2021…

Vaccination: A Catholic Perspective by Pamela Acker

I like this book because it consolidates a mountain of info into a simple read. After a decade of researching on my own, it's a welcome resource.⁣
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Some of you already know that I'm the mom of a couple vaccine-injured kids. I never questioned the science. I never questioned anything...⁣
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Until the first injury.⁣
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Even then I didn't question much. They told me it was rare and that my child shouldn't get a booster, but that was it. Nobody paid our medical bills. Nobody stayed up with us at night holding our child through seizures and daily vomit. Nobody told us we could report it.⁣
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And so we moved on with our new sorrow and worries. Then 10 years later, it happened again. Different shot. Different kid. Different injury. Lord, have mercy.⁣
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There are some thing you can't undo and it hurts every day. It was not all my fault but I cannot deny that I failed to do due diligence after the first injury. That fact pierces.⁣
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I did not have true informed consent. I just believed what I was told.⁣
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After the second event, I was forced by necessity to learn about what was happening to my child. And I fell into a painful and eye-opening world of study.⁣

I never wanted to be THAT MOM. I would give a lot to be able to undo the circumstances which forced me to be.⁣ I'm not an "anti-vaxxer" and I caution against using a word that has become a bludgeon used to silence grieving families who ask questions.⁣
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This book is not "anti-vax" but a summary of what you should know to make informed decisions. A beginning.⁣ I didn't know that the shot which injured my infant was only safety tested for 4 DAYS. There's a lot I didn't know.⁣
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The world wants to talk about the "miracle" shot currently in the news. The one that isn't FDA approved and doesn't even stop transmission. But the foundation of my response predates this jab by years... and will exist after it passes. I support...⁣
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•Medical freedom.⁣
•Informed consent.⁣
•Reverence for the body.⁣
•Preference for God's design.⁣
•Ethical medical advances which do not interfere with conscience, natural law, bodily autonomy, or rights of the family.⁣
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AMDG ❤️

Molon Labe! (Death has no power)

In 480 BC, the Persian king Xerxes invaded Greece with a great army. King Leonidas of Sparta stepped forward boldly with his army to try to stop the Persians. The trouble was...⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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The Spartans only had 300 soldiers.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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In spite of small numbers, Leonides confronted the massive Persian army. Knowing his certain victory, Xerxes sent an ambassador to demand that the small army lay down their arms.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ But Leonidas said:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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MOLON LABE (“Come and take them”)⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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What followed became known as the Battle of Thermopylae. King Leonidas was defeated. But his effort played a role in discouraging Persian interest in the war.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ And planted a seed of courage for the ages...⁣
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The phrase was taken up in the American Revolution and by freedom lovers since. During the Texas Revolution, Mexico demanded that Texans surrender their cannon...⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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The reply? “Come and take it.”⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I embrace it as an American, but also as a Christian who sees the signs of the times and is preparing for onslaught and perhaps earthly defeat.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I say “Molon Labe!” as a shout of defiance to the armies of death and bondage. To those who would steal the heritage of faith and freedom from my children and target their bodies and souls.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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My weapons are truth, fidelity, grace, mercy and charity. Every one of them is in the possession of Christ the King.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ My "troops" are at His disposal. I welcome His authority. I ask Him to conquer me first and then vanquish the designs of my enemies.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Defiance against evil requires a radical spirit of humility that will not be silenced by fear... and which lays down all arms at the feet of the rightful King. Death has no power.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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That is the way I desire to enter these times. Knowing that death is a guarantee in any life. Yet if I have given all to Christ... then I am certain to LIVE.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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When the enemy, like Xerxes, meets my weakness, he knows my death is imminent. But because I have given over possession of all of my weapons to God...⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Not even the power of death can destroy me.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Molon Labe 🔥

Tirelessness for 2021 (Word of the Year)

My word for 2021 is TIRELESSNESS. I found it in the Advent meditations of a priest who wrote in a Nazi prison while waiting for trial and execution.⁣⁣
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It’s a mouthful of a word but I knew it was right. 2021 needs a word that orients toward action and virtue. Because really, the time is now.⁣⁣ Then I randomly chose a second word. (More about that in a minute.)⁣
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In 1944, in the midst of the most depressing circumstances, Father Alfred Delp wrote:⁣⁣
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“All of this is waiting and keeping watch for the coming of the Lord. . . . We must know the intimacy of God, the certainty of God within life. This great virtue of tirelessness is called for here: the tirelessness, which is touched by the Lord and, with the strength from his touch, keeps rubbing the sleep from its eyes and stays awake. . . . [K]eep journeying and keep awake. This is the law of the successful and liberated life.”⁣⁣
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Staying awake.⁣⁣
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Lord knows how tired we all are. And sometimes most weary because we have been traveling without Him.⁣⁣ I do not wish to be asleep for the coming year. I wish to be commissioned. It’s a frightening request. And yet...⁣⁣
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What would you do with your life if you were not afraid of losing anything but Christ?⁣⁣
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Imagine!⁣⁣ At the end of it all is the ultimate Joy. We cannot lose if we have stayed with Christ. God is with us!⁣
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The word I got from the random generator was... CHILDLIKE.
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I’ll take that one, too. The first is a virtue, the second is a quality... a posture. Where shall I go without my Lord’s strength? Nowhere. Abba!⁣
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How shall I know tirelessness and joy without being emptied of all the self-importance of adulthood?⁣
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With all of our striving, we must be able to continuously throw ourselves into the arms of our Father and our Blessed Mother...⁣
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I am tired. Awaken me.⁣
I am afraid. Encourage me.⁣
I am lost. Rescue me.⁣
I am cold. Warm me.⁣
I am broken. Heal me.⁣
I am weak. Strengthen me.⁣
I am arrogant. Humble me.⁣
I am sinful. Redeem me.⁣
I doubt... show me the way.⁣
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Tirelessness.⁣
Childlike.⁣
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My patrons for 2021 are St. Joan of Arc and St. Thomas Becket. AMDG⁣

Detachment (2020 Thanksgiving)

Friday introductions. I’m not shopping today. I didn’t get a family photo. My house is a mess. And everyone’s sleeping in until they can’t sleep anymore (apparently). Which is a great time to just say hello here!⁣
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This photo was taken in the midst of prep for my first ever Thanksgiving in my own home. I have a Pinterest board full of ideas for that anticipated event... but I didn’t know it would be this year. So...⁣
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There was no pretty decor. There was laundry on the sofa. We had no green beans (Midwest shocker), and I felt a little weepy over circumstances that blew up my Pinterest dream and separated us from family.⁣
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But I was surprised by how the sorrows illuminated the blessing, and moved by the goodness which God has provided...⁣
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How my husband has built a home of faith and stability and love... the presence of all my kids...⁣
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The almost painful clarity of the gift of 2020. It has thrown us all into the fire and I see in my own family a true purifying. An amplifying. A tempering.⁣
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Also in 2020, my faith (which has been tried and tested in the last 5 years) has been strengthened with a companion emotional consolation that I quite honestly never expected to experience again.⁣
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I was happier than I look in the photo. It accurately depicts my level of fatigue and also some sorrow. But yes, I was happy.⁣
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Whatever comes in the next year is in His hands. And I’m working ahead of time on detaching from expectations for Christmas.⁣
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Jesus comes. And maybe we will have to light our fire of praise in the woods like we did for Easter. I don’t know. Whatever He wills. I pray that I will meet it all with His unmerited grace. A priest I know recently said that our faith should not be just an introspective spiritual journey... but should manifest concretely in the world.⁣
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And the word that has grown louder for me this Thanksgiving is TESTIFY.⁣
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Not sure this has been a great introduction! But it’s like me, I guess... overly introspective and wandering!⁣
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Other than that I’m a mom with 9 kids (one loss) ages 4-23. Wife to a fire chief/theologian. Author (click here for my book!), natural health and medical freedom advocate. AMDG