Posts Tagged ‘read more’
A Well-Placed Nine-Top
A tale of a well-placed nine-top, unexpected fruit, and the true womanhood of Well-Read Mom that is good, beautiful, and true.
Read MoreSeeking Beyond the Suffering
Seeking. I am always seeking. Seeking a bargain, a better way to do a chore, or getting two errands done simultaneously. But this year has been different. Life events have pushed me deeper toward inner strength, perseverance, and, ultimately, toward God more fully present in me.
Read MoreSeeking the Hidden Holiness of Motherhood
In my time as a mother, I have sought long and hard for holiness. I want to feel holy. I want life to look holy. I have this false impression that my life before marriage was all those things, simply because I had the time and freedom to pray in peace, to attend mass daily, and to have a job that involved active ministry. Maybe it was holy, but holier than life as a wife and mother? More holy than a life of routine self-sacrifice, self-denial, and discomfort?
Read MoreErudite
I first learned about Well-Read Mom after our family moved from Florida to Georgia, and I was looking to meet new people. A dear friend invited me to join her evening group. The structure and rigor of the book selections fed my love for literature. Unfortunately, evening book club meetings were not sustainable for our growing family. I tried reading on my own, but it wasn’t the same. If I wanted a book club that fit my family’s needs, I would need to start my own chapter.
Read MoreFinding Charis
I began my journey in the Year of the Seeker by responding to a forwarded email from a friend inviting me to join a local Well-Read Mom group. It was July, and my husband and I were coordinating the fall schedules of our seven children. We had also just found out we were expecting. Though I have been an avid reader since childhood, I have never participated in a book club. I thought reading some new books and chatting with like-minded women might be a good opportunity.
Read MoreRevisiting Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Unlike Anne Morrow Lindbergh, a solo trip to the beach is neither possible nor desirable for me. However, I have thought about this book several times throughout the past year, especially when I needed retreat and refreshment.
Read MoreThis Child’s Mama
There was a woman who, after having six children and two miscarriages, gave all her baby gear away, from clothes—to cradle—to crib. Then, at 42, she learned that she was pregnant. Though she loved being a mother, and the initial surprise of this news sparked joy, the discovery soon turned to heaviness, and she was gripped by fear and uneasiness.
Read MoreThe Little Way of Motherhood
While, undoubtedly, I have received countless gifts throughout my marriage, these blessings have certainly not always been what I envisioned. Oddly enough, the blessings I have received have very often completely eroded my old conceptions of happiness. More frequently than not, these gifts have come in the form of crosses—trials sent to reshape my own heart.
Read MoreMina and Mattie: Examples of Femininity
I am due with a new little one any day now (prayers appreciated!), and the very clear reality of labor and birth is looming over me pretty much non-stop. While I must admit that I am battling some fear, I am also incredibly aware of my posture in front of this reality. This baby is coming, and only I can walk the road before me. It is a task that I have been given, and I must either grudgingly accept or gratefully receive. Both of these options are open to me, but it seems that there is one that offers more freedom. Freedom for me is in the active surrender of saying yes.
Read MoreHow Boldness is Both Necessary and Attainable
If “true grit” is an unflappable determination in the face of any circumstances, however horrific, challenging, or dire, the question remains: is this a natural gift or an attainable virtue?
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