There’s a word in Welsh, “hiraeth,” that embodies what this new normal meant for me. The word hiraeth means a homesickness or nostalgia for a home that you can’t return to, or maybe never was. It is a deep longing for something that no longer exists. And that feeling – of a longing that can’t be fulfilled, a thirst that can’t be slaked – is exactly what it felt like, trying to “move on” from the grief, to find a new home.
Read MoreIn all those moments, I had the privilege of ministering to the students, I felt empty. Despite serving those four years, I felt I hadn’t grown at all. I led these children with my heart closed to God. I struggled, instead, with seeking approval and purpose in my community, instead of fully pursuing Him.
Read MoreWhen I first started processing my abuse, my relationships with the men in my life suffered. […] My anxieties and fears sent me into panic attacks every time one of them asked to get together.
Read MoreAnd while I landed my first management role, my husband and I found out that we were expecting our first child. When I told my employer that I was expecting, he dropped his drink and said, “What did I do wrong?”
Read MoreI was pregnant with my third baby, but still not a child in my arms. Five weeks of carrying this precious soul and holding onto a thread of hope that perhaps this would be the one.
Read MoreIn the summer of 2004, I was sitting on a park bench with a view of the city’s skyline across from me, and these words filled my heart: “If not you, who? If not now, when?” … I could see that God was at work as He quietly stirred my heart, asking me to ponder His words more deeply while I discerned for the next chapter in my life.
Read MoreAfter 55 years, I had hit a wall. I was so uncomfortable with the chaos and craziness around me – I had lost my usual sense of peace and calm. Something was stirring inside me, drawing me away from my usual way of life.
Read MoreFor most of my life, I experienced unexpected and difficult trials that left me with hurts, fears, and growing pains that almost crippled me at times. But God carried and protected me through it all and that is what I want to share with you.
Read MoreFor a large part of my childhood, I was a quiet girl. I didn’t contribute much in class due to my intense shyness and would squirm in fear if I were called on. I preferred to recede into the walls when necessary and would find it difficult to even string together a sentence at times. I would rather go unnoticed; it seemed safer that way.
Read MoreTo say this year was an emotional roller coaster is an understatement. I was stretched and challenged in many ways, but the ultimate challenge was and in many ways still is to really believe I am a daughter of God and thus, I have reason to hope.
Read MoreWe all are in need of healing. I want to tell you a story of suffering and healing; a story of how Scripture brought me back to God. Two years ago, my husband and I journeyed towards first-time parenthood blissfully unaware of the challenges bringing a child into the world could hold.
Read MoreGrowing up, one of the people I admired the most was my mom. Her character, her faith, her relationship with my dad—if I wanted to be like anyone on this Earth, it would be my mom. Most of all, I dreamed of having a marriage like hers.
Read MoreI am not the Catholic woman who has had it all together. I am the type of individual that holds too many opinions, who is too loud, feels too deeply, and is constantly trying to get this “faith thing” right. I think that before social media, I knew I was somewhat an outsider in general, but it was once I joined that I felt that thought was perpetuated even more -- and not just by me, but by others, as well.
Read MoreIf someone told me 10 years earlier that I would eventually be married and a stay-at-home mom, I would have been angry. It was not the type of life I imagined myself having when I left the Church, and God, in pursuit of worldly things. I left the Church in pursuit of the lies our world tells us about sexuality, gender, and lack of commitment to others.
Read MoreGrowing up, most of my Catholic experiences were with groups of people who looked like me and talked like me. I attended Spanish masses often, my youth groups were mostly Hispanic, and the Catholic school I attended was a mostly Hispanic and Black Community.
Read MoreIn high school, I handled being alone very well. I was a floater, the girl who was known for being nice to everyone. On most days, I told myself I loved this role. I stayed out of drama and was able to spend time with all different types of people. I would hang out with my friends at school, and our relationships would pretty much end there. I never really had a best friend growing up anyway, so I was used to doing my own thing. It was my version of normal. I prided myself on being independent. I handled being alone very well. Until I didn't.
When I said yes to marry my fiancé on December 26, 2019, nothing could have prepared me for all the challenges that would come between my engagement and when we say “I do” in December 2020.
Read MoreEven though I was raised in a Christian home, I believed the lie that a person’s worth was tied to their productivity. Our culture is competitive and the world conditions us to believe that our value lies in our accomplishments. In 2011, two significant events would reveal the truth about human dignity. First, my two-year-old son Seth was diagnosed with Autism. Second, I made the decision to become Catholic.
I find that the most fascinating aspect of literature is the way that stories and characters can completely change our lives, especially when they reveal the presence of God in everyday life.
Read MoreI often joke that my life is composed of a series of coffee dates. From one day to the next, I am typically found either chatting in the local coffee shop or on a facetime call. The gift of love found within these times of intentionality has made such a significant impact on my life that now I never fail to appreciate the beauty of conversation.
Read More
