My first Thanksgiving was so difficult. My divorce was in full swing and my world was crumbling. Frankly, I did not have a thankful attitude. What did I have to be thankful for? Everything in my world was being ripped away from me. Fast forward thirteen years, and here is what I have learned: the most […]
Are you having a hard time forgiving yourself? Take it to confession and know that Our Lord gave everything to forgive your sins, no matter how great. His mercy is always greater than your sin. Accept it. Next, ask yourself what you can do to repair the damage left by your sin, and do it. […]
“Mom, it feels like someone has died,” I tearfully said to my mother the month after my divorce was filed. The emotional pain was so overwhelming it paralyzed me. I couldn’t think clearly, and getting through the day doing even just basic tasks, like brushing my teeth or getting dressed, took every ounce of energy […]
I once heard a woman lamenting about her “shelf life”. I had never heard that expression before and I asked her to explain. She said that men find women less attractive as women get older. Therefore, women have a limited time in which to find a suitable mate. If they get too old, they will […]
If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the challenges of life, you are not alone. Even the apostles felt the same way, and they had Jesus walking and talking with them every day. In Mark’s Gospel account of the Jesus feeding the multitude (Mark 6:34-44), the apostles were totally overwhelmed with the prospect of having […]
I remember how anxious and worried I would be over each new crisis that erupted during my divorce. After the storm passed, I would feel relieved. I would believe I had dealt with the last major problem and calm seas would now prevail. Wrong. No matter how many times I went through the same cycle, […]
While it is true that divorce results in many negative experiences and painful changes, it is also true that in that rubble some gems can be found. Think and pray about it. Did you go back to school as a result of your divorce? Did you learn a new skill? Did you make a new […]
It is very easy to become disillusioned with our faith and with God when dealing with the crushing difficulty of divorce. It can be a lonely time, and God can feel very distant. We can become resigned to thinking that our lot in life is to endure some form of misery for the remainder of our […]
Living the truth of our faith can be very difficult. We are all guilty of trying to modify a teaching of our faith to make it easier to live. It could be the Church’s teaching on sexual morality, or marriage, or receiving the Sacraments. Unfortunately, when we do this, it stunts our growth toward holiness and […]
With the season of Lent upon us, I find myself looking to Jesus as He suffered such a violent death for love of us. He has so much to teach us, especially about truth. Let’s consider the eleventh station; Jesus is nailed to the Cross. We may find it difficult to relate to Him and […]