Well-Read Mom

Beautiful candles and stars bringing in the festive spirit

A Journey to the Hiding Place

By Well-Read Mom / November 29, 2021 / Comments Off on A Journey to the Hiding Place

A Reflection on the Consolation of Sacred Scripture by Nicki Johnston When the public celebration of Mass was suspended because of COVID, we informed our four young boys that we would be watching Mass online for a while. My four-year old looked up at me with his big blue eyes and asked, “But Mama, how…

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Children reading a book together to enrich knowledge

Till I Read With My Family…

By Well-Read Mom / November 21, 2021 / Comments Off on Till I Read With My Family…

I changed my mindset as to the role of reading in my family’s life. At some point, reading became something I did with my family rather than as an escape from them. Instead of trying to sneak in “me time” to read a book, I made reading integral to our home.

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Book is placed on a beautifully decorated table

The Sacredness of Names In Jayber Crow

By Well-Read Mom / October 26, 2021 / Comments Off on The Sacredness of Names In Jayber Crow

Wendell Berry is not alone in elevating the sacredness of names. Every mother knows the tremendous honor and responsibility of choosing, along with her husband, a name for each child.

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Novels by Wendell Berry are always inspirational

Wendell Berry, Finding Life in Limits

By Well-Read Mom / October 19, 2021 / Comments Off on Wendell Berry, Finding Life in Limits

6th, in the heart of rural Kentucky, Carla, Colleen, and I convened around the kitchen table of the Berrys. Our conversation, which for me was a taste of heaven, lasted three hours. “Mr. Berry, I live in a small town, and for 30 years, I have wrestled with the limits of small-town life. You live in a remote area too. Do you ever think, ‘I have to get out of here; I need more?’ What is it like for you? Can you find what you need here”? I ventured to ask.

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Motherhood is an Unexpected Invitation to Leisure

Motherhood: An Unexpected Invitation to Leisure

By Well-Read Mom / October 11, 2021 / Comments Off on Motherhood: An Unexpected Invitation to Leisure

Mothers, view your vocation as a catalyst, not an impediment, for true leisure. Place yourselves with serene confidence in His care and constantly reflecting on His wondrous ways.

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Children huddle together for an important discussion

Mothering: The On-Going Birth Story

By Well-Read Mom / September 24, 2021 / Comments Off on Mothering: The On-Going Birth Story

It’s easy to tell ourselves that we do not have time or energy to “take away” from mothering and give to books. What if we’re not taking anything away from our children when we read, when we become more humanly dense? Our kids learn so much more by who we are than by what we say. Perhaps our reading and contemplating, perhaps our time sharing with other women are some of the most profound acts we make as a mothers.

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Well Read Mom Brings Love Into Your Homes

Bring Love into Your Home

By Well-Read Mom / September 10, 2021 / Comments Off on Bring Love into Your Home

As we begin The Year of the Family, Mother Teresa’s words encourage us: “It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. Bring love into your home, for this is where our love for each other must start.” Saint Mother Teresa How do we bring love…

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Well-Read Mom

On the Art of Walking Alone

By Well-Read Mom / July 31, 2021 / Comments Off on On the Art of Walking Alone

by Jane Elizabeth Holman I’m an admittedly picky walker. I don’t like too much cold or heat, I don’t enjoy uphill stretches, and I prefer bucolic surroundings (which are in short supply in my suburban neighborhood). You might find me walking on a warm fall afternoon—if I’ve thoughtfully driven myself somewhere pretty with a mostly…

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Well-Read Mom

A Literary Priest Talks Books and the Heart

By Well-Read Mom / July 24, 2021 / Comments Off on A Literary Priest Talks Books and the Heart

Reading is connected to the life of the intellect more than any other activity. It’s what gets the muscle of the intellect working. An active intellect is always a good thing. This is what distinguishes us humans from the animals— our ability to reason, our ability to know things and to make decisions. Our minds are where our actions begin. Through the intellectual life humans are able to perceive the world, to understand it, and to act upon it. It is important to engage the intellect by making it work, by feeding it with beautiful images or presenting it with hard things to solve.

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In This House of Brede, we discover more of ourselves

By Well-Read Mom / July 15, 2021 / Comments Off on In This House of Brede, we discover more of ourselves

A Well-Read Mom Member Reflection by Julie from Evansville, IN My WRM group let out a collective sigh after reading In the House of Brede. This book was a pearl of wisdom, one that reminded us that we have a renewed hope to share what is dear in life and to embrace life together no matter…

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