In a manger, in
Bethlehem, under starlit skies, animals helped to warm the cool, night air with
their humid breath. Sending angels as
midwives and providing a feedbox for a crib, God chose to enter our world in
flesh in blood form; the son of Mary, the son of God. It was a moment in history marked for
salvation by the Creator of everything who chose to be born with nothing.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
Blessed Mother in Kuwait by Veronica Hargrove

As a little girl, I often noticed my father fingering a
string of pretty beads. I would wonder
why he played with those beads so often.
When I was six years old, my dad explained the power of Mary’s intercession
to her Son through the rosary. He taught me how to say this very special
prayer.
I have prayed it ever since.
Mary has not only helped me throughout my own life, but I believe she
helped save my son’s life as well as the lives of his buddies during a
difficult time.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Catholic Book Bonanza--15 Prizes!
Are you a Catholic who loves to read? Join the
club! This Christmas, Teresa Tomeo Communications, run by the
Catholic radio and TV personality Teresa Tomeo, is giving away 15 books from
some of her favorite authors AND a $50 Amazon gift card.
On the prize list are some
of this year’s best selling books. Plus, one lucky winner can choose to buy
whatever books – or holiday gifts – they want directly from Amazon with a $50
gift card.
We’re giving you lots of simple ways enter the
contest, and the more entries you complete, the better your chance to win!
Choose from the entry options below and complete as many as you’d like.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Gambling with Love
“Father, I’m ready to throw in
the towel,” Brad stated. “How long am I suppose to take this?” -- A story that shows the power of prayer to renew marriage.
Shuffling
through the mail, Brad Kremmer pulled out several envelopes from credit card
companies and ripped them open. His
muscles tightened as he skimmed over the new balances.
“She’s lied again,” Brad
realized. His wife, Jennifer, had
promised to stop gambling at the casino and going on out-of-control buying
sprees. She seemed to understand the
seriousness of their mounting debts when she
tearfully promised to quit. Instead, she
had gone through at least another two thousand dollars.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
A Prayer for the Internet
The Internet has it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Like everything in life, it is a battleground of good and evil, best navigated by staying near to God.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Defend Priests Against Bullies
‘Yeah, well
your priests, like little boys.”
There it is.
The slap in the face meant to silence a Catholic and degrade the priesthood. You would think it had been enough already,
but the priest/sex scandal card still gets played, often in comments under
articles or on Facebook posts. It has shown up a few times in comments under my
articles.
Too often,
Catholics cringe and duck out. It was the goal all along of the one who spit out
the vitriolic attack; to silence his opponent and chalk up one for the
anti-Catholic team. Should you end
it and walk away? As the saying goes,
“Don’t fight with fools, they’ll beat you with experience every time.” But
wait, priests act in the place of Jesus Christ. Will you not defend Christ?
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Dying to Live and Living to Die

Can a death sentence improve your life? Do you live life to the fullest? That includes eternity. Yet, who among us lives as if death is coming?
The default setting for most
is to live merely—or at least mostly—for Earthly life. In such a case, a death
sentence can be a great blessing. Suddenly, reality becomes real.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
"God Hears a Mother's Prayers" by Susan Brinkmann
Pedro managed to get away,
unharmed, but was not yet frightened away from the drug habit that would
consume twenty of his forty-eight years of life. His second brush with death would come soon
after, when his home was broken into one night.
Cumba was doing drugs in the living room with his friends. “I was whacked over the back of the head with
a gun, tied up and thrown in a closet.”
One of the assailants put a pillow up to the closet door and started shooting
but Cumba was able to wriggle himself into the corner of the closet and escaped
all five bullets.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The Abortion Prayer Wars
Prayer is a lethal
weapon. But in the hands of the enemy with sacrilegious intentions, it is
useless. Although abortion workers continually say that prayer vigils outside abortion clinics are ineffective, they are attempting to use prayer to
launch a counter-offensive. Unfortunately, they lack the knowledge of how such
a weapon works.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Mary’s Moms—Taking it to the Next Level
“Hey Patti, I’m getting serious about praying
for my family. I’m going to do a 40-day fast and daily rosary, do you want to
join me?” My friend Shellie Rusch asked me this recently. She has six kids and we have a spiritual
sisterhood in many ways.
As a wife and mother of ten, I had eleven
reasons to say yes. Well, twelve including me, and I certainly need all the
help I can get. It was a comforting
idea, to get serious about the spiritual well being of our families and to pool
our prayers and fasting together. It
wasn’t as if we had not always prayed for our families, but this would be
different—something more; something big. We had one intention: for the increased
holiness of our families. In the end, holiness is all that matters so it was
all we would ask for.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Ban on Beauty Pageants?
No beauty contests? That’s un-American! Well, actually it is. The
ban on beauty contests is the goal of some French politicians and it’s not a
total ban. Sadly. However, American’s take
note. Please. Too many people don’t have a clue what true beauty is. Hint: it’s not the part that turns to dust.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Pope Francis's SOS to the Blessed Mother
When we’ve messed up, we should run
to our mother. Scripture makes it clear.
At the wedding at Cana, either the wine list or the guest list was
miscalculated. Someone messed up. Mary told Jesus about it, and he saved the day by turning water into wine. But why would the Savior of the World
begin his public life over someone’s empty wine cellar?
Saturday, August 24, 2013
My Child's Voice Brought Me Back by Joy Veron

Every Mother's worst nightmare: "I could not just watch my children plunge to their deaths so I threw my body in front of the vehicle."
“Come
on, Mom, let’s go,” my kids begged. It was a typical plea from kids painfully waiting
for adults to finish up so they could get on with their own activity. It had been a beautiful weekend in the
Colorado mountains visiting my parents.
It was hard to leave on this crisp, clear morning, so my husband,
Christophe, and I promised our children, Chloe, seven; Annie, five; and Elliot,
two, one last swim in the hot springs before we headed home to McAllen,
Texas. But first, my parents were
excited to show us the mountain cabin they were thinking of buying.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
How Can I Forgive When I Can’t Forget?
While many people believe forgetting an injury
is part of forgiveness, Fr. Justin Waltz, pastor of St. Leo's Church in Minot, ND, suggested
just the opposite. In fact, he stated that forgetting is not even possible. “The only type of forgetting I have heard of is
stuffing,” he said during a retreat presentation and added, “The hurt is not
gone, it is just buried deep within.”
Monday, August 12, 2013
The Conversion of Marilyn Grodi (Wife of EWTN's Marcus Grodi)
As many of my clients strove to
overcome their addictions to drugs or alcohol, I always suggested they tap into
a powerful source for recovery--God.
Sure, some people did it without him, but not most. God could pick them up where they were at and
carry them through the pain and struggles all addicts must work through. However, it became harder and harder to
send people to Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings without feeling like
a hypocrite What of my own spiritual
recovery?
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Three Exorcists Weigh In: Should You Watch "The Conjuring"?
The scariest thing about the horror film, The Conjuring is that it’s based on a
true story. It is about an evil presence doing hair-raising
things. The story happened in 1971 and
centers around the Perron family, a couple and their five daughters who were
terrorized by a dark presence in their secluded Rhode Island farmhouse.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Locked in the Confessional

Celia Sattler often takes
advantage of the confession offered prior to daily Mass. On one occasion, by the time it was her turn,
Father Thomas Richter, a newly ordained priest, apologized saying he had run
out of time to hear her confession but would be glad to do so after the
service. After Mass, Celia waited in the pews until she saw the green light
over the confessional door, signaling that Fr. Tom had returned. It was a Friday, the usual day for church
cleaning, so during confession the sounds of a vacuum cleaner reverberated
through the door.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Never Say Never, A Padre Pio Miracle by Susan Brinkmann
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Deliver Us From Bullies by Nellie Edwards
We prayed
to God to be delivered from such an environment, where our children
were not safe to play in the nearby city park. We prayed intensely after the police knocked on our door one night, telling us,
"Lock up tight. We're after a violent gang." It was right behind
our home!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Trees, Bees, and Murder in the Target Parking Lot

The state is beautiful with a gentle climate, dramatic views and lush plant life--particularly trees. Such beauty attracts many nature lovers and a sizeable number of them, seem to like trees better than people.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
"Five Miracles in One Day" by Jody Murphy
This story was originally published in Amazing Grace for Families. It is an uplifting reminder of how amazing life and love can be.
“I can't do this anymore,” I told my husband Kevin. After three years of painful fertility treatments with no results, enough was enough. The strong medication and the extreme hormone surges brought physical pain and put me on an emotional roller coaster. I did not want to live like that anymore.
Even before I married, I knew conceiving a child would be difficult. When I was a teenager, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian disease. My health was fine, but my chances of ever getting pregnant were slim.
Kevin and I shared a deep desire to raise children, but we both agreed it did not matter if they were our own flesh and blood. We prayed to God for children and asked Him to lead us to the ones that needed us. Kevin and I felt drawn to foster care. Our caseworker understood that our ultimate dream was to adopt, so when she learned of twins that were free for adoption, she called us immediately.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Evolved Thinking Brings Us Lesbian Babies
Some
people think they are more highly evolved than those mired in morality. Their politically correct rants propel us
into a strange new world where life, death, and marriage are relative and sexual urges determine right and wrong. But rather than evolving into higher
thinking, their pride pulls them into insanity. Proof
that the world has gone mad has reared its ugly head in the Pacific of
late.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
"A Man’s Man" by Richard Leonardi

Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Studies Show the Ten Commandments are Good for You
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Making Lives Count This Memorial Day
![]() |
Each flag represents a life lost to abortion. |
When Maria Wanchic of Bismarck, ND was thirteen years old, she thought of
all the lives lost to abortion and imagined putting up a memorial to
represent them as individuals. “At the time, I
thought about crosses,” she said.
That was two decades ago. This
Memorial Day weekend, Maria accomplished her childhood dream to honor the life
of each baby lost to abortion in North Dakota.
Volunteers helped her place sixty-six thousand pink and blue flags on
the north side of the state Capitol law. The flags are a colorful testimony to each life, rippling in the breeze and making the statement, "I was here, I count."
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Two Devotions to Mary
![]() |
Mary, Untier of Knots |
In honor of the month of May, here are two
beautiful devotions to Mary. I’d love to
hear the results if you participate in either of these.
Pope
Francis’s Devotion
The first
one, “Mary Undoer of Knots” also known
as “Our Lady Untier of Knots," I came across in Dr. Matthew Bunson’s new book, Pope Francis. Bunson, one of America’s leading authorities
on the papacy and the Church, gives a personal glimpse into the life
of Jorge Mario Bergoglio from his early days as a “street priest” to his
work as a Cardinal, and finally his appointment as Pope Francis.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Family Inspiration x 2


When I just wrote for secular publications, I thought religion was boring, My goal now, whether writing fiction or non-fiction, is to present faith in a real and an exciting way. Both books can be enjoyed by all denominations.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Take the Joyful Challenge
I cannot help but wonder why God is holding back. He is so
very patient with us. It would seem that we have more than earned some chastisements.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The Holiest Form of Flattery: Imitating Mary

As a matter of fact, the very worst
thing about Mary is that so many of our Christian brethren do not appreciate
her. They love Jesus but ignore his
mother. That is so sad because Mary has
so much to offer us.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Big Hearted - Grow Your Heart.
Big Hearted is best. No one wants to be the opposite; small or
cold hearted. Jesus Christ has the biggest heart of all--the Sacred
Heart.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Pro-choice Revenge
![]() |
Snow covered early in week |
Abortion supporters have vowed revenge
against North Dakota legislators for making it the most pro-life state in the
nation. They have promised a legal
battle against the new laws and are threatening lawmakers with voting them out
of office.
To be sure legislators get the message loud
and clear, more than 1,000 little flags were placed on the front lawn of the state
capitol this week.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Outrageous Mainstream Media Blackout on Dr. Gosnell’s House of Horrors.
![]() |
Women's Medical Society dubbed "House of Horrors" |
The Media has a penchant for
murder, to the point of obsession, often saturating coverage with every little detail. Curiosity mixed with horror draws large
audiences. Yet there was only localized or pro-life reporting on one of the most horrifying cases in history,
which involves body parts, killing of screaming babies, decapitation, and even
involving a 15-year old in the killing.
After pro-life and conservative groups led a groundswell of protests against the blackout, there has been some response. LifeNews.com, which has reported extensively on Gosnell, announced that last Friday, pro-life activists posted on Twitter with the hashtag #Gosnell. In a 12-hour period over 166,000 tweets flooded Twitter forcing the media to cover his trial. This Wednesday will be round 2 exposing the horrors and answering the question Who is #gosnell to the world. Join us for Tweetfest round 2 - Who is #Gosnell?
After pro-life and conservative groups led a groundswell of protests against the blackout, there has been some response. LifeNews.com, which has reported extensively on Gosnell, announced that last Friday, pro-life activists posted on Twitter with the hashtag #Gosnell. In a 12-hour period over 166,000 tweets flooded Twitter forcing the media to cover his trial. This Wednesday will be round 2 exposing the horrors and answering the question Who is #gosnell to the world. Join us for Tweetfest round 2 - Who is #Gosnell?
Monday, April 8, 2013
Growing Love
I used to bring our two larger breed dogs--a big golden retriever and a collie mix-- to the Baptist Home nursing home for 7 years. When our golden retriever died, we added a very affectionate Newfoundland mix named Sophie from an animal shelter. One man, Arvid, especially loved our dogs. He came alive, excited to hug and pet them.
Friday, April 5, 2013
The F-Choice: Freedom or Fool
(Divine Mercy Sunday is April 7, Come to the
Feast of Mercy!)
Anyone who is holding a grudge and not
forgiving someone is a fool. What is the biggest difference between
Christians and non-Christians? And what is the one thing you can do that God
promises will come back to you? Answer: Forgiveness, aka mercy.Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Crashing an Abortion Rally: A Small Prayer Group Ventures into Enemy Territory
The day before ND's historical victory for life, our little prayer group ventured into an emotional pro-abortion rally.
“Let’s get together today at 2:00 PM to pray and balance the offensive that will occur at 2:30 at the capitol.” my friend Isabel texted me. I decided that praying for the unborn was more important than anything else I had to do that afternoon so I joined her.
“Let’s get together today at 2:00 PM to pray and balance the offensive that will occur at 2:30 at the capitol.” my friend Isabel texted me. I decided that praying for the unborn was more important than anything else I had to do that afternoon so I joined her.
The media
across the country and even around the world had been watching—wondering if
North Dakota would become the most pro-life state in the country. Three of the four bills passed by the North
Dakota Legislature to limit abortions were sent to Gov. Jack
Dalrymple that day, Monday, 2/25. On Tuesday morning, he signed them all. (See details at bottom of this article.)
Sunday, March 24, 2013
A Divine Mercy Miracle by Dr. Bryan Thatcher

I watched as many poor people walked about in tattered clothing;
visiting, eating tacos...and smiling.
“What do they have to be so happy about?” I wondered.
I was attending a medical conference in Mexico City in 1991 and had
taken time out to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image of our
Blessed Mother on the 500-year-old cactus fibers of a peasant's tilma is truly
amazing. But it was the crowd milling
around outside the shrine that captured my attention. I could not understand
why I, a successful physician with a prestigious medical practice in Florida,
should find happiness so elusive while joy radiated off these poor peasants?
Friday, March 22, 2013
Nimrods in the World
There is a growing chasm in our culture. On
one side are those who hold that life and marriage are sacred. On the other side are the Nimrods.

Sunday, March 17, 2013
Variety is Killing Us!


My husband just did our taxes and it occured to me that we are suffering from too many choices. Variety is the spice of life. It is also the bane of humanity. Human kind has become confused. When I was a kid, phones were black. Period. Shampoos were limited in options to a few brands and television to a few channels. I admit, I like variety too, but at one point is enough, enough?
For instance, how many more religions do we
need? (Stay with me and I'll get back to taxes.) There are an estimated 41,000 Christian Churches. Yet, the
Word of God calls for, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph.
4:4). Jesus says, “I will build my Church” (Matt. 16:18) not
churches.
Monday, March 11, 2013
The Bible Series Success and a Contest
(Add a comment under this
article to be in the running for The Bible books and cd giveaway.)
Do you love the Bible? Are you passionate about it?
And how about your kids? Does the Bible
excite them?
Whether you or they are or are not, if you have not
been turning on The Bible every
Sunday on the History Channel, you are missing an epic television event.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Sweet Sixteen by Jan Walgomott
Adopting a sibling group of
six had seemed like a good idea in theory, but in reality, it seemed to be
pushing the Walgamott family beyond their breaking point.
One of my sons had
come into my room, distraught. “Mom, why do you let them treat you this way?”
My children, ages nine, seven, two and one, had been willing to share their
life with the six siblings that my husband Russell and I were planning on
adopting. They had never complained about the upheaval in family life until
now. But seeing Russell and me treated with disrespect was hurting them.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Become an iMissionary
Position: iMissionaries to spread the Gospel.
Employer: God
Qualifications: Love of God and neighbor.
Job Duties:
Acknowledging Jesus before men so that he will acknowledge you before the
angels in heaven. (Luke 9:26).
Monday, February 11, 2013
Darkness Gathering, But No Need to Fear
"God will not let us down..." --Msgr. John Esseff
Pope Benedict XVI has resigned as Supreme Pontiff
effective Feb. 28, 2013. Read the full
text of Pope Benedict XVI's declaration. It has been over 600 years since this occurred in the
life of the Church.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Is Sin Obsolete?
Is it possible to have more sin in the world
but less people sinning?
Some say that our world is more sinful than
ever before—more adultery, abortion, situational ethics, etc. Yet, if committing a sin requires a person to
know it is a sin and choose to commit it anyways, doesn’t that mean a lot of
people are guiltless even though their activity is sinful?
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