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Need a Christmas or Holiday Gift for a teen? I have a great option . . .
Is that teen a fan of Harry Potter or The Hunger Games? If so, they might well LOVE “The Crimson League: The Fight for Hope.” But don’t take my word for it. My nephew said it reminded him of Harry Potter. Reviews on Amazon are great and compare it to The Hunger Games (which I…
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Sunday Reflection: staying on mission
John the Baptist is one of the quintessential Advent figures. He epitomizes active waiting–confident yet humble service in trusting patience. That’s really what Advent is all about. I love John’s example of staying on mission. His particular mission–he was the last Old Testament prophet, the only one for hundreds of years–brought him lot of attention,…
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It’s good that it’s painful to read what you wrote years ago
I hear a lot of writers talking on social media about how much they cringe to read their older pieces–whether, poems, short stories, novellas, or even novels. It’s definitely hard to go back and look at your older work. If that’s you, and you’re feeling a bit embarrassed about stuff you put out in the…
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Thankful Thursday: grateful for childhood Christmases
This week, as I put out my grandmother’s old Nativity Scene and made cookies from a classic family recipe, I’ve been kind of nostalgic, in a good way . . . not lamenting that the past is gone or hating the present, just remembering the past with fondness and gratitude. Some of my favorite memories…
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My love/hate relationship with blogging
I very much have a love-hate relationship with blogging. It’s very much been a rollercoaster, so I’m proud of myself for publishing here consistently through the ups and downs over the last 200+ days. For now, I’m planning to continue daily posts. And hopefully, things will get both more fun and more interesting as we…
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I love so much about this time of year
I love the holiday season. On a religious level, I LOVE the liturgical seasons of Advent and Christmas. They are my favorites, I think (with the Octave of Easter). Advent always inspires me with such hope, such a beautiful and deep longing for Jesus. On a secular level, I love putting out my grandmother’s Nativity…
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Sunday Reflection: Blessed are our eyes
I’ve been talking a lot in recent Sunday reflections about being watchful, which is the theme of this week’s Sunday Gospel at Mass, so I want to focus on the first reading instead. Isaiah says, “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you, while you wrought awesome…