by Barbara | Dec 22, 2023
WOW, I've made it this far, who could have guessed? With all my debacles I've really been blessed. For I've got scars older than most cars. It always seemed like such a big number, so far away, distant, encumbered. Thankfully, I still have lots of get up and go. I'm...
by Barbara | Dec 3, 2023
It's ludicrous to think that each year I go through the same routine, with the same outcome and yet, grow no smarter. My story goes something like this. I want to get candles for the following year, so I take advantage of the after Christmas sales. I place them in a...
by Barbara | Nov 24, 2023
I've read many accounts of how a wife was chosen in Scripture. It's clear, God guided the servants who were tasked to find that special someone, often an integral part of salvation history. Let's take for instance Eliezer who was sent by Abraham to find Issac a bride....
by Barbara | Nov 11, 2023
It's easy to distinguish when a child is happy or unhappy because they give clear signs which indicate their feelings. There are times when we could misread their emotions and cause further distress. Hence, the guessing game begins. Are you hungry? Does your tummy...
by Barbara | Oct 30, 2023
We had only been married a few months and lived in a third-world country under martial law. It was a great beginning for us to learn what we were made of, capable of, and willing to do for love. When the time arrived near our first Christmas, I wanted to bake...
by Barbara | Oct 17, 2023
I love it when I discover years later, the gift wrapped inside the trappings of something painful from my past. I did not always look deeper into life’s more distressing experiences. Instead, I asked, why me? Why this? When is it over? Others received answered...
by Barbara | Sep 30, 2023
We just returned from our France pilgrimage and are still working through the jet lag. This means early bedtimes and wide-awake pockets in the night. When this happens, I say a Chaplet of Divine Mercy. As I leaned over to grab my rosary, I sadly remembered losing...
by Barbara | Sep 25, 2023
Merci to anyone who came along this virtual pilgrimage. The time has passed so quickly, yet it is also time to head home. Time marches on, with or without our permission🤪 Our day began with a quickie look at the Louvre. I say quickie, because it is reported to take 2...
by Barbara | Sep 24, 2023
One of the many favorite and visually impactful events is the candlelight rosary procession that happens every night at Lourdes. Thousands and even ten thousands all process around the grounds saying the rosary. Every language can be heard but together after every...
by Barbara | Sep 23, 2023
Forty years ago, we came to Lourdes for the first time. We were living in England and Mark was flying for the U.S. Air Force serving at RAF Upper Heyford. We had lost our first child to miscarriage three years prior while living in South Korea. Adding heartbreak to...
by Barbara | Sep 22, 2023
Here we find the story of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is here where Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. As a child she dedicated herself to the Blessed Virgin. As she grew older, her mother encouraged her to be more social hoping she would...
by Barbara | Sep 21, 2023
This beautiful Gothic style church on the outskirts of Normandy is about 93 miles west of Paris. It is the sole shrine in the world dedicated to praying for the dead. Fr. Paul Joseph Buguet (1843-1918), a humble rural parish priest, is the founder of the shrine...
by Barbara | Sep 20, 2023
This is one of France's most spectacular sites. Mont St. Michel lies one kilometer out to sea off the Normandy coast of northern France. This Benedictine Abbey is perched on a rocky inlet. The tides move over 45 feet throughout a 24-hour period. Today it felt like we...
by Barbara | Sep 19, 2023
We continued north today to the Convent of Carmel where Therese entered religious life at fifteen years old. We viewed some of Therese's personal items and toured the family home with many original items still in place. St. Therese's body was not incorrupt. She was 24...
by Barbara | Sep 18, 2023
As we departed the busyness of Paris we stopped by for a few quick pictures at the Eiffel Tower. This iconic reminder of France was constructed for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. This date also marked the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Some thought it...
by Barbara | Sep 17, 2023
Thanks for joining us on this pilgrimage in France to some of the most beautiful and holy sites. Today we arrived on the Rue de Bac, to visit the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal. It is here that we see the incorrupt body of St Catherine Laboure. You can read more about...
by Barbara | Sep 8, 2023
I love words! Apart from monotonous whining or mundane dribble, words excite me. I love words so much that when discipling our kids as teens I would put them into a coma as I worded them to death about the dangers of their actions. Isn't it exciting when you...
by Barbara | Aug 29, 2023
Chocolate is my go-to flavor when eradicating my craving for something sweet. Not just any chocolate suffices, as I’ve spent a lifetime honing what gratifies. It’s easy to recognize a counterfeit when I’ve tasted the real deal. Humans have favorite foods, clothes,...
by Barbara | Aug 23, 2023
We can all relate to Jonah at times. We want people to get what is coming to them, good or bad- mostly bad- especially if they have hurt us. In this case, Jonah wanted Nineveh to die for the ill-treatment of his people. We're told in Scripture that "Jonah...
by Barbara | Jul 2, 2023
We planned a mini staycation with several of our kids who lived locally. It seemed reasonable when we made the reservations months earlier. But that was before the out-of-state baptism was scheduled, and one week later, a triple baptism which included hosting the...
by Barbara | Jun 12, 2023
Novena Pray always in readiness to surrender, and you will receive from it great peace and great rewards, even when I confer on you the grace of immolation, of repentance and of love. Then what does suffering matter? It seems impossible to you. Close your eyes and say...