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Sméagol: The Wound Before the Ring
Before the Ring, before the creature, there was a hobbit who was already rejected by his own people. Tolkien’s Gandalf tells us plainly, in that second chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring, that Sméagol “had no friends.”
What Your Avoidance Is Really Trying to Protect
Perhaps it’s responding to text messages. Maybe it’s taking care of your physical health, scheduling that dentist appointment you’ve been putting off, beginning a workout routine, or opening a bill you’ve been meaning to address. Maybe it is a difficult conversation with a spouse, parent, sibling, friend, or child. Whatever form it takes, most of us can identify areas of life where we continually postpone something we know needs our attention.
Venting or Healing? What JPII Teaches Us About Self-Expression
There is often a felt tension between the need to share one’s authentic lived experience (which is inevitably messy) and wanting to protect the reputation and uphold the dignity of the person being mentioned. It’s a valid point. Am I venting, or am I healing? How do I know the difference?
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“You Don’t Have to Impress Me”: The Sentence Every Child Needs to Hear
“You don’t have to impress me for me to love you.” That one sentence did what hours of lecturing can’t. It cut through the fear that…
What OCD Really Feels Like (And Why It’s Misunderstood)
Having a part within you that is OCD doesn’t automatically equate to being organized or clean. OCD is brutal. It’s painful. It’s…
What St. Thérèse Knew About Being Supermom
When I first became a mom, I never would have said I thought holiness meant control. What I told myself was that I was…
Finding Mary in the NICU: Learning to Trust When Control Slips Away
When Stefanie’s daughter Anna was born, she arrived early and fragile. Within hours, she was whisked into the…
Parenting and the Trap of Counterfeit Connection
The TV had become my friend. As a working mom, there were moments when I needed something to keep the kids occupied while…
Healing with Padre Pio: The Interplay of Truth and Compassion
Padre Pio is, in many ways, famous for his direct and often harsh way of communicating the truth in the confessional. Here are just two…
Three Tips to Navigate Parenthood in the Modern Culture
Do you have a plan on how to navigate the difficult parenting challenges you will face raising children in a modern context?
Parents, This Changes Everything…Literally
If you’re raising Catholic kids in today’s culture, here’s the hard truth: faith won’t grow in silence. In a fallen world, parenting means…
Raising Faithful Kids in a Fallen World: 5 Lessons from a Former School Counselor and Single Mom
If you’re raising Catholic kids in today’s culture, here’s the hard truth: faith won’t grow in silence. In a fallen world, parenting means…
“Other People Have It Worse”: The Double-Edged Nature of Comparison
Here’s the deeper truth: our suffering matters. It matters so much that when we dare to voice it aloud, a part of…
Is Self-Reflection Selfish?
I am all too aware of the many influencers promoting self investment. A core question arises though, does make better people?
Waiting with St. Monica
Why is waiting on the Lord so uncomfortable? One reason I find is that it reminds me that I am not ultimately in control of…
Helping Children Face Spiritual Fears The “Big God, Little Devil” Way
Baby Brian’s body was completely incorrupt. Thirty-seven years in the ground, and he looked as though he had just fallen asleep—rosy…
Three Parenting Lessons from an Incorrupt Baby
Baby Brian’s body was completely incorrupt. Thirty-seven years in the ground, and he looked as though he had just fallen asleep—rosy…
The Fantastic Four as a Symbol of Family
How does the new Fantastic Four movie reflect the Catholic vision of life, family, and moral responsibility?
Three Ways to Experience Sacred Stillness
I measure success by what I can fit into a day. But, as I recently learned from a conversation between Dr Greg…
When Panic Hits: What to Do, and What It’s Telling You
When someone is in the middle of a panic attack, you don’t start with deep conversations about childhood trauma or…
The Rise of AI Therapy: Can a Chatbot Help You Heal?
We’re seeing clinical outcomes from AI counseling tools that are comparable to traditional therapy. But the real question is what’s missing?
The Healing Power of Watchfulness
The devil spent a lot of time harassing St. John Vianney. He would light the saint’s bed on fire. He would fill the room with…
How to settle anxiety in the heart and mind of someone with OCD
On a spectrum from discomfort to the loudest of alarm bells, OCD longs, sometimes shouts, for more. It always wants, needs, more. More…
How Adultery Happens
Recently, a video surfaced online that took the country by storm: Andy Byron, the now-former CEO, caught on camera at a Coldplay concert…
Am I Addicted to My Phone?
No one really wants to ask it—and certainly no one wants to answer it. But if we’re honest? Most of us are probably somewhere on the yes spectrum. And listen—no judgment if that’s you…
Why Every Addiction Is a Trauma Story
I’ve never encountered anyone with addiction problems who didn’t have some form of trauma. In other words, the addiction has always…
Rest Is Not Just a Mandate—It’s a Reflection of Your Identity
If you’re a father, your life is no longer your own. The reality is that school drop-offs, work emails, bedtime stories, and…
The True Cost of Being an “Always On” Dad
If you’re a father, your life is no longer your own. The reality is that school drop-offs, work emails, bedtime stories, and…
The Messy Closet and the Battle for My Soul
Every day, we’re faced with little choices. To follow through or back away. To do what’s good or what’s easy. To avoid…
Can You Be Holy and Still Be American?
As we celebrate the Fourth of July, it’s worth asking a question most Catholics probably haven’t considered: Can you be holy and still be American?