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Published: December 13, 2015

A friend of mine recently gave me a beautiful book entitled,"My Sisters the Saints", by Colleen Carroll Campbell. Wow. Where was this book when I was graduating high school or in college?

Seriously, though. It was like this book was written just for me and every Catholic and/or Christian girl out there who craves to know God and His plan for her life, but has no idea where to begin. Or, she looks for God in all of the wrong places and tries to fill that void with ALL the wrong things! In today's hook-up culture and a society that tells women they'll only find total fulfillment in their career and not in motherhood or family life, I found this book to be a breath of fresh air.

• Discernment
• Life
• On My Coffee Table

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Published: December 5, 2015

When I began my internship, some odd things began to happen. From high school graduation up until that point, I had rarely gone to Mass. I only allowed God into my life when and if it was convenient and comfortable for me. Suddenly, He was making things way too easy for me to say "yes" to Him. I found it strikingly odd, and the timing couldn't be more bizarre as a brother of mine had recently given his life to Christ in joining the Jesuits as a seminarian. When I arrived at my internship, I found out the organization was housed inside an old Jesuit Seminary! Within our building, a common gathering space was in a former prayer chapel! I'd sometimes sneak in there and bask in the quiet and beautiful glow of the old stained glass windows. I'd feel His presence there, even though the Altar had been removed and there weren't any religious statues or a Crucifix. A bust of Shakespeare sat where the crucifix should have been. Just a few steps from my workplace was a parish where they celebrated daily Mass exactly when my lunch hour started. “Okay, God”, I thought. “I get it. I need you. It’s time I let you work on my broken life instead of me trying to fix everything on my own.” I began going to daily Mass and within the next seven months, my faith and my life changed dramatically.

• Discernment
• Life
• Faith Formation

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Published: November 30, 2015

I recently came across Dolls from Heaven: a wonderful ministry that celebrates and evangelizes our faith through beautiful little dolls! These little dolls are already making a big impact. I was intrigued, so I reached out to the Kiczek Family and asked if they'd like to be featured on our blog. They've graciously given us some great information on Dolls from Heaven and how you can be a part of their ministry. Enjoy!

What is “Dolls from Heaven” and what part do you play in the ministry?

As a family and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we created "Dolls from Heaven", which is a doll company with a mission "To Inspire Children to Become Saints”. Currently, we have our first doll, St. Therese, completed. It will be available to be shipped out in December. These saint dolls will always come with a book based on the saint’s life. We pray that these stories will bring children closer to Jesus through the lives of the Saints. Everything we do for Dolls from Heaven we do as a family. As the father, I do most of the promoting and answering blog responses and interviews. I also help complete the final packages that go out. My wife does almost everything as well, including customer service and everything in between. Our daughters split up responsibilities such as promotional work, packaging, shipping, photography, artwork, and assist with the final designs and proofreading. Every member of the family has put all their effort into this ministry.

• Littles
• Catholic Gifts
• St. Therese of Lisieux
• The Little Flower

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Published: November 24, 2015

Let's just get one thing out in the open. I LOVE SWEET POTATOES. They are so good, so healthy, and so simple to use! The best part is they are super sweet and don't need much to dress them up! I was having some fun in the kitchen the other day and created this special and sugar-free holiday dish. It is the perfect combination of ginger spice, sweet, and tart.

• DIY
• Healthy Living
• Holiday Eating
• Recipes

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Published: November 21, 2015

Like many young Catholics who head to college, I quit attending Mass shortly after I arrived on campus. I was consumed with classes, making new friends, getting involved in various activities, and Mass just wasn’t that important to me. Sadly, this was the first step toward me leaving the Catholic Church. You might be wondering what would go through my mind on Sundays. Did I have any guilt about not going to Mass? A little bit. But the minute I felt that pang of guilt, I’d quickly justify my decision by saying to myself, “I deserve to sleep in. It’s been a stressful week.” Or, “Why do I need to go to a building to worship God?” Or better yet, “I have a non-reliable car. I better not go. It might break down on the way there.” Ha. The way we justify our sin can be so ridiculous sometimes.

This pang of guilt would pinch a bit harder when I was home for the holidays and we’d attend Mass as a family. I felt like a stranger in the pew, yet surprised at how well my muscle memory remembered the Creed and the other prayers and movements throughout the Mass. Strangely, even when I'd been away for so long, it felt like I was coming home.

• Discernment
• Faith Formation