My son enjoys making bracelets out of brightly colored rubber bands. Creating them requires a special contraption with rows of pegs. He uses a specially designed hook to grab the rubber bands and connect them from one peg to another. It requires a fair amount of dexterity. He is always so proud of his creations, […]
It was the day my divorce was filed and I remember dropping to my knees and yelling out to God, “Make this madness stop!” I could not believe this was actually happening. No sooner had the words left my mouth when a feeling of extreme doubt filled me. Questions flooded my mind. What if there […]
“I am terrified I won’t get my annulment,” Cindy blurted out with tears literally streaming down her face. This surprised me because, all during the three-hour workshop, Cindy was the epitome of composure. She seemed to have it all together. Yet, the fear that she was keeping down could no longer be contained. What Cindy was […]
“If God really loves me, where is he now when I need him the most?” That was the thought that ran through my mind often during those first weeks and months when my divorce hit. Sure, I read over and over in the Gospels how God will never abandon me. How even the hairs on […]
“What the heck are you doing to me?!” was my plea to God when my world was crashing down around me those first days after my divorce hit. I was angry, especially at God. I thought that He always had my back, and now I felt abandoned. I blamed God for not saving my marriage. […]
“Singing is praying twice,” said St. Augustine. He understood that the power of music and song can lift our hearts and minds to God in ways that nothing else can. The song, “Blessings,” by Laura Story, is a wonderful example of this. This song speaks so beautifully to the truth that, even in our sufferings, God […]
Recently, I was on a flight to New York. I was sitting in an aisle seat. The middle seat was empty, and a young woman was sitting in the window seat. She caught my attention because she was what I would call “edgy”. She was dressed very flashy, had a purple streak dyed into her […]
In our Voices of Hope DVD, one of the participants, Marty, says, “If you are afraid, God can’t get to you.” It is a very emotionally charged moment as Marty is recalling his struggles dealing with the pain and suffering during his divorce. Marty is no softy. In fact, he is a big, burly guy. […]
Mercy is experienced when God, who is love itself, loves us. It is a great form of love because it is given to us even though we don’t deserve it. We don’t need to do anything to earn God’s love. He pours it out to us freely. The greatest example of God’s mercy is when He […]
“If you have to go through a divorce, thank God you are Catholic!” I exclaimed to a group of divorced and separated Catholics. A puzzled look replaced the mostly pain-filled expressions I saw staring back at me. I knew what they were thinking: “How is being Catholic going to get me out of this mess?” […]