Since “retiring” from the workforce in order to care for my young children, I’ve spent a great deal of time pondering spiritual friendships. If I had to pick one word to describe that first year of transition between being a working out-of-the-home mom to an at-home mom, the word is loneliness. My heart longed for a spiritual friend. What do we need to do to gain just one spiritual friend? Three biggies…
Go ahead, call me a Pinisher. I dare you!
My friend Dorian came up with an awesome link-up idea called “Pinisher” — a movement to get Pinterest-slackers like me to actually finish something I’ve pinned. How many of you have actually baked, crafted, decorated, repurposed, reused, bought, planned, played, etc. anything you’ve pinned? Really … all of you?! Well kudos and more power to you because this meme pretty much sums up my success with Pinterest.
Porn-addiction: No longer a taboo topic
Pornography is not just a topic for the ol’ boys clubs. Research indicates that pornography viewing among women is spreading widely. Why should I care about what you do in the privacy of your own home? I care because of the image St. Paul gives us in 1 Corinthians 12:26, “If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it…” When a person is caught up in a sexual addiction of some kind, the impact on family members and others can be devastating.
Unearthing the Contents of My First Communion Purse
A look inside the contents of the First Communion purse my parents gifted me on May 13, 1984 — {pretty, happy, funny, real} style. All just simple items, but because they found a place inside my First Communion purse, they hold sacred value and maybe even one day will be considered cherished family heirlooms.
Just Going Through the Motions: The Sign of the Cross
Are you just going through the motions when you make and say the sign of the cross? Then this one’s for you.
Rightsizing Das Schmidt Haus
Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan; it’s a requirement of our faith. Here are a few goals for Das Schmidt Haus in response to “Care for God’s Creation,” one of seven key themes at the heart of Catholic social teaching. What are some lifestyle behaviors you practice in the spirit of Care for God’s Creation?
How Ozzy Osbourne Made me a Better Catholic
I am a proud, very proud, lifelong Iowan and I appreciate all the charming little facts that make this state so great — the historical roots of the cities, geography of all ninety-nine counties, the locations of the best cafes and diners throughout the state, political landscapes, famous landmarks, and major employers. Don’t mess with Texas? Shoot, don’t mess with me. So how in the world didn’t I know that Ozzy bit the head off that poor bat here in Des Moines? As I thought about how this piece of trivia has been right under my unsuspecting nose for the last thirty-one years, I also started to think about my faith practices.
Quoteopia! — Das Schmidt Haus Style
We have good friends whose annual Christmas card includes a variety of hilarious quotes uttered by predominately their four young boys. Mom and dad capture quotes throughout the year and the best ones earn real estate on their Christmas letter. I can only imagine how fun this tradition will become as the boys grow and their vocabularies expand. We excitedly wait for this family’s letter each year, but darn it, I wish I had thought of the idea first.
But I do have this blog and what else would I write about for the letter Q? Quinoa, Qabalah, Qintar, Qwerty? Let’s stick with quotes. Introducing the inaugural edition of Das Schmidt Haus Quoteopia!
Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious — You Are a Beloved Daughter of God
A few months after my dad passed away, I was hustling through Walgreens to buy a pair of pantyhose. I had to be present at an event about that minute, and of course every last pair of hose I owned had holes in places too obvious to ignore. The neighborhood Walgreens and their it’ll-get-the-job-done brand of hosiery saved me once again. As I hurried to get out of the store, a man approached me from behind and said, “Hey, how are you?” I turned around and the man then replied, “Oh, I thought you were my daughter. You look a lot like her. Sorry to bother you.”
Motherhood and Novenas
Ever hear a young child sing her A-B-C’s and when she gets to the letters M and N, runs the two together as if they were one? You know … L, Emmen, O, P …? Today I’m resuming my Blogging from A to Z series and combining M and N into one post. The Letter “Emmen” is for Motherhood and Novenas.