I wear a lot of different hats throughout the year. A mother. A teacher. A chauffeur. A cleaning lady. An interior designer. A chef. A writer. I don't have one nine-to-five job. I have a million little jobs that make up my days and fill them with both activities and meaning. I cook. I clean. I teach. I write. I read. I shop. I drive. I decorate. I do it all. And I love doing it all (usually). But it's also nice when you can finally set something aside and not do it all. And t

I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist. I was a straight-A student, and I cried the first time I got a B+ in a class. My notebooks and folders were all pristine, my locker always perfectly organized, my bedroom a perfect representation of my need for order. My clothes were always neat and wrinkle-less, my hair smooth and straight, my skin as flawless as I could make it. I agonized over every pimple, every split end, every extra pound. I wanted to be perfect, and I fought a

I have a bit of a confession to make. I didn’t have a very strong relationship with Mary until just recently, and I’m honestly still working on it. When I began to take my faith seriously in high school, I was a Protestant-leaning Catholic who was too in love with the Eucharist to convert. After finding Jesus, I didn’t always understand the point of Mary and the saints. If I had Jesus, why did I need anyone else? At least the saints were fallen human beings like me. What coul

I’ve been in the habit of going to regular confession for more than a a decade now. At different times in my life, I’ve gone every two weeks, every three weeks, once a month, and on occasion, every six weeks. I can’t remember a time where I’ve gone more than six weeks without going to confession. I know I don’t need to go so often, but I do believe it makes me a better person, and I have no intention of change my habit any time soon. According to Church teaching, Catholics in

I started to take my faith seriously in high school. By the time I graduated, I was preparing to attend a Catholic university in the fall, where I would major in Theology. Four years later, I pursued a Master’s degree in the same field. I’ve worked in ministry, as well as volunteered as a catechist and a small group leader in youth ministry. To say that I take my Catholic faith seriously would probably be considered an understatement. I started to listen to the lies about my