Details

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

Details

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

Details

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

Details

Published: November 12, 2015

As I kick off this blog, I’d like to tell you a bit about my faith journey. I hope this post will give you a better sense of who I am and the small role I’m playing in God’s bigger plan. This is my re-conversion story and it’s long-winded, so bear with me! I’m going to break it up into smaller parts so it’s not too dense.

I am what you’d call a “Cradle Catholic”. I was born to a Catholic family and as I grew up, my parents made sure that every good Catholic milestone was achieved. Baptism, check! Reconciliation, check! First Communion, check! Confirmation, check! While I think these Sacraments meant a lot to them, for me they felt like items on a check list to be crossed off. I was totally passive and just accepted them like I would take my vitamins at breakfast, because I had no idea what they really meant but trusted that my parents knew what was best for me. I think many Catholics from my generation experienced this during their childhoods; where the Sacraments and going to Mass were just accepted as a part of life.

• Discernment
• Life
• Faith Formation

Details

Published: November 9, 2015

How many of you are tired of being inundated with sugar at every turn of the holiday season? With the holidays fast-approaching, I thought I'd share a sugar-free way to make cider. I created this recipe because I'm a grazer and having this to sip on keeps me away from the snack table and my sweet tooth satisfied! For those of you with kids, this is also a great treat for them and helps you avoid the much-dreaded sugar rush! And say goodbye to those cheap cinnamon-scented candles. With this brewing, your house will smell ah-mazing!

• DIY