Becoming Beauty

<p>The Christmas season is rightfully a time for great rejoicing: our Savior has come to us! But what do we do when the season feels hard or we're grieving in some way? How can we hold sorrow and joy together?</p> <p>...

<p>Important celebrations demand preparation before the party. And that is why the Church, in her wisdom, gives us Advent to prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas. Our culture tends to hop from one holiday party to...

<p>Have you ever thought about how truly mind-blowing it is that God, the Creator of the universe, became a human being? The Incarnation, a foundational truth of our faith, has become so normal to us, but we cannot let...

<p>I believe that the Lord is trustworthy, that his plans are good. But I've realized that there are still areas of my life I have yet to fully surrender to the Lord, and that realization has shaken some things up on my...

<p>Loss is a shared, common human experience. But it's hard and uncomfortable, and we're often left unsure of what to say or do when someone we love is grieving a loss. I've been the receiving end of incredible love and...

<p>This month marks five years since my mom's passing. I was 26 and she was 59. In the days and months and years since that loss, I've learned something important about grief: I will never get over it, so I must learn...

<p>I recently returned from a two-week tour of Italy, where I performed several concerts with a large ensemble and visited some of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. So why weren't those two weeks the best weeks...

<p>It's a fun and practical "list" episode! This week, I'm sharing my favorite summer products, books, music, and recipes. Some are helpful. Some are hilarious. I even threw in an embarrassing story or two. I wanted to...

<p>A few months before meeting my husband, a priest friend of mine shared some dating advice with me. And it changed my life. The dating world is a mess, even within the Church, and this priestly advice has the...

<p>Have you ever thought about what summer tastes like to you? Or sounds like or feels like to the touch? It's easy to let the summer fly by in a whirlwind of nonstop activities, over-filled calendars, and complaints...

<p>We live in a "selfie" culture, and I'm not just talking about pictures. Words like autonomy, self, and individuality are plastered across media platforms, spreading the gospel of self-fulfillment. But is this what...

<p>Throughout much of history, women have experienced oppression at the hands of men. In response, when women grew tired, they attempted to solve this problem by becoming more like the men they didn't like. Has that...

<p>Fertility and motherhood are often viewed as obstacles to fulfillment for women. We would be so much happier if we could just shut off our pesky cycles, right? We would be able to chase our dreams if kids didn't get...

<p>This episode kicks off a series on femininity, lies women believe about themselves, and how our bodies speak the truth. My understanding of femininity has changed dramatically over the last decade of my life due to a...

<p>My breastfeeding journey started with immense pain, desperate prayers, and a more personal relationship with my pump than I had ever imagined possible. But it turned into a story of hope, perseverance, and the...