by Barbara Lishko | Dec 18, 2025
Have you ever been confounded by how something turned out? Confounded? What does that mean? To be perplexed by situations or people that do not meet your expectations. That hardly sounds like a gift. As Christians, we can assume life should be a walk in the park, and...
by Barbara Lishko | Dec 8, 2025
I happened to pass a home lavishly decorated for the holiday season. What’s the big deal, 'tis the season! Yes, it’s true, and a joyful Merry Christmas to you. I made a point of going back the following day out of curiosity and to check it out after dark. The front...
by Barbara Lishko | Nov 24, 2025
It was a beautiful evening as we celebrated my husband’s birthday. In and out we went as we grilled fajitas and pushed grandkids on swings through the wide-open patio doors. My mother says I charge through life, which is not surprising, as I rushed back outside to get...
by Barbara Lishko | Nov 13, 2025
A couple of friends and I were commenting on how the warm weather still hanging around was getting tiresome. It then occurred to us that in Phoenix, we do not have to worry about tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, or snow. No unexpected earthquakes send us scampering to...
by Barbara Lishko | Nov 2, 2025
I'm fascinated by stained-glass windows. However when the sun isn't shining through, they appear dark and uninteresting, but oh, when the light shines through, they're enchanting. As the sun changes angles, we see clearly the details and colors painstakingly crafted...
by Barbara Lishko | Oct 27, 2025
I remember one of our daughters sending me a photo that, at first glance, looked like a happy toddler in a car seat. Upon closer inspection, her daughter was covered in chartreuse vomit. She had colic as a baby, and her little tummy was still trying to figure out...
by Barbara Lishko | Oct 18, 2025
If there is anything I've learned over these sixty-plus years, it is this: trust Jesus. It's easy, but we tend to make it difficult. We like being in control and calling the shots. Have you ever sat down and really thought about how much power you actually have over...
by Barbara Lishko | Oct 6, 2025
Do we ever think about asking God to increase our faith? Increase my paycheck, or my bank account, but not my faith. I want to propose that asking for an increase in faith benefits us personally, collectively, and eternally. Jesus responds to the Disciples' request to...
by Barbara Lishko | Sep 20, 2025
Jesus knew we all need a mom, so He gifted us with His perfect Mother.
by Barbara Lishko | Sep 2, 2025
We arrived at the City of the Immaculata in Niepokalanow, Poland, located outside of Warsaw. It was here that Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, would begin his passionate work in the year 1927. “The City saw its original staff of...
by Barbara Lishko | Aug 1, 2025
You never know what cartoon characters you’ll encounter at the airports these days. Today, my flight had Plum Pudding, of Strawberry Shortcake fame, and Mercury Moon, from the Manga series. Really? No, they’re fictional characters. However, these mature women...
by Barbara Lishko | Jul 27, 2025
Fr. Dave Pivonka, President of Franciscan University, stated in his Holy Spirit podcast on Hallow, that there are 350-thousand Masses celebrated around the world each day. I had to pause and let that sink in. That’s both staggering and amazing! My little grey cells...
by Barbara Lishko | Jul 17, 2025
We are a people who are stretched to the breaking point. We carry burdens too heavy for us to bear alone. We try and try, to no avail, and are more burdened due to our delay, and the troubles compound. We need that friend named Jesus.
by Barbara Lishko | Jul 9, 2025
Was all of Phoenix at the airport today?
by Barbara Lishko | Jun 28, 2025
When I think of clusters, peanuts immediately come to mind. Those delicious crunchy chocolatey nuggets of yumminess. But I am not writing about those. Apparently, stars are born in clusters, and migraines can cluster. But I am...
by Barbara Lishko | Jun 13, 2025
Every dad has them. My dad used to make statements that both baffled and challenged me. "Hold her Newt, she's heading for the barn." I spent years wondering who Newt was. When I finally rode a horse, I understood. If I apply that to myself in real life, it translates,...
by Barbara Lishko | Jun 6, 2025
We have been married over forty-five years and counting, and it wasn't all roses and rainbows. Yet, over the years, what constitutes a loving action has changed. Initially, when we were living overseas, I enjoyed the sparkly things I could put on my fingers. I loved...
by Barbara Lishko | May 27, 2025
My first memory of volunteering took place in South Korea as a new bride during our initial assignment. I said yes and helped at the wives’ club events and at Church, teaching religion classes. I found it to be a great way to meet others, and it felt good to help make a difference.
What I never expected was to discover more about myself in the process. I noticed that I was pretty skilled at specific tasks that were useful to the organizations I served. The more I shared these strengths, the more they grew.
by Barbara Lishko | May 18, 2025
Grant me an artistic license as I step far off my normal path and recount a recent event in imaginative terms rather than its gritty reality. I daresay you will eventually get the point if you remain focused as it meanders through familiar paths, recalling perhaps...
by Barbara Lishko | May 9, 2025
Moms, the best thing we can do is avoid smothering our children and instead train them for battle.
by Barbara Lishko | Apr 29, 2025
"The graces of My Mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust." (Diary 1578) Our Pastor, referring to this quote by St. Faustina, put it into terms we could understand by saying that mercy is a bottomless well. The bucket we use to draw upon God's...