Faith and Family Live! and Featured Articles

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Danielle Bean — 2009-11-08T15:00:52+00:00

Danielle Bean: Come on! It'll be fun! | UPDATE: Live chat is now closed. What Fun! Thanks to everyone who participated. If you missed this one, you can click and scroll through the box below to see the conversation. And look for future chats in the coming weeks. See you there! Hey, here’s a spot where we’ll be trying out a …

All She Had

Danielle Bean — 2009-11-08T11:00:03+00:00

Danielle Bean: from today's Gospel | Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”—Mark 12:43-44 Lord, we want to …

Sabbath Prayer

Rachel Balducci — 2009-11-07T21:27:41+00:00

Rachel Balducci: ushering in the Lord’s Day reminds me of this |

One Couple Making a Difference

Lisa Hendey — 2009-11-07T15:00:44+00:00

Lisa Hendey: Meet Steve and Joni Abdalla on this week's podcast | Our guests on this week’s show (click here to listen or click on the player above), Steve and Joni Abdalla, are the Catholic parents of three daughters and the founders of Wee Believers™, an authentically Catholic toy company based in Indianapolis. The inaugural product of Wee Believers is the …

Preparing Sunday Night Dinner

Robyn Lee — 2009-11-07T12:00:28+00:00

Robyn Lee: What's cooking in my kitchen | Every Sunday I make dinner for my family. The tradition started a couple of summers ago when I bought a new grill. I had everyone over for hamburgers and hot dogs and my Dad joked, “same time next week?” Now, every Sunday at 6:30 I host dinner for my parents, brother, cousins, sisters, …

Make Your House a Home

Danielle Bean — 2009-11-07T11:00:06+00:00

Danielle Bean: Coffee Talk: Homemaking | (Join each day’s Coffee Talk discussion: Mon: Parenting; Tues: Open Forum; Wed: NFP; Thu: Marriage; Fri: Education; Sat/Sun: Homemaking) Our weekend forum is for discussing Homemaking. Have a great craft idea? Want to share your favorite cleaning products? Have a super recipe to share? Want to ask a question or share a strategy for meal …

Sharing, Caring & So Much More

Tom and April Hoopes — 2009-11-07T10:00:48+00:00

Tom and April Hoopes: User's Guide to Sunday | (In this weekly column, Tom and April Hoopes share family-friendly ways of observing the liturgical year and celebrating the Sunday readings.) Nov. 8 is the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, Cycle I). Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to make a pastoral visit to Brescia, Italy, today. Veterans Day Nov. 11 …

What Month Is It, Again?

Arwen Mosher — 2009-11-07T02:00:12+00:00

Arwen Mosher: Our culture jumps the gun, Yuletide-wise | We were still in swine-flu quarantine over last weekend, but on Wednesday I made it to the grocery store and had the brilliant idea of checking to see if there was any leftover Halloween candy on sale. A mere four days after Halloween, all evidence of it was completely gone. There was, …

Jon & Kate - Eight

Rebecca Teti — 2009-11-06T19:30:22+00:00

Rebecca Teti: | I have managed to miss the Jon & Kate Plus Eight phenomenon, but Helen Alvare has a very nice reflection on what their sad story reveals about our divorce laws. Read it here.

Cinematic Freebies

Rebecca Teti — 2009-11-06T19:00:44+00:00

Rebecca Teti: | I don’t know why the following items came across my desktop today. But as everyone can use freebies now and again, I pass them along (not vouching for content!). Here are 20 Places to Watch Free Movies on the ‘net. Do you know about Swap a DVD, brought to you by the same folks who run Paperback Swap …

The Widow's Mite

Lisa Hendey — 2009-11-06T17:00:32+00:00

Lisa Hendey: Teaching our children to give! | For me, the focus of this week’s gospel message (Mark 12:38-44) is “Be a giver!” In this week’s Gospel Message for Children video, we share a few ideas on encouraging our kids to give of themselves - spiritually, socially, and in their relationships. We also share an idea for giving during the Year …

5 Ways I Love My Apron

Hallie Lord — 2009-11-06T14:00:18+00:00

Hallie Lord: Fashion Friday vol. 2 | Hello, ladies! Welcome to Fashion Friday! Today I have a small confession to make ... I’m unabashedly smitten with my apron. I know, I know ... somewhere along the way aprons became the favored symbol of misogyny but that’s just about the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. The only thing aprons should be a …

Teaching Kids is a Priority

Danielle Bean — 2009-11-06T11:00:25+00:00

Danielle Bean: Coffee Talk: Education | (Join each day’s Coffee Talk discussion: Mon: Parenting; Tues: Open Forum; Wed: NFP; Thu: Marriage; Fri: Education; Sat/Sun: Homemaking) Whether your children attend school or are homeschooled, this is the spot to ask questions about curricula, religious education, parent-teacher relationships, or academic concerns of any kind. Please join us!

Daughter of the King

Dan Burke — 2009-11-06T10:00:11+00:00

Dan Burke: Your Spouse is Precious to God | Though monarchies are rare these days, my wife is actually the daughter of a very wealthy King. One of the great benefits of this relationship is that he has expressed in no uncertain terms that he loves me and my family and that we will always be welcome in his care. The …

Lazy Days and Modesty in Mind

Lisa Hendey — 2009-11-06T03:14:29+00:00

Lisa Hendey: We take on both topics in today's Faith & Family Live Cast | On this week’s podcast (click here or click on the player above), Rebecca, Elizabeth and I look indepth at two popular blog posts from this past week. In our first topic, we use Tammy Darling’s recent post as a jumping off point for a great discussion …

Pages, Proofs ... and Chocolate

Robyn Lee — 2009-11-05T22:53:09+00:00

Robyn Lee: Working hard to bring you Faith & Family magazine | It is “closing week” at Faith & Family. We are finishing up the last bits of the November/December issue before we ship it off to the printer. Danielle Bean traveled from New Hampshire and associate editor, Lynn Wehner, came into the office to help with all the last minute …

Days, Weeks, Months

Rachel Balducci — 2009-11-05T20:00:29+00:00

Rachel Balducci: Counting the time | Today I am sixteen weeks pregnant. Hooray! Whenever people ask me how far along I am, I can tell them to the day (today I’m sixteen weeks exactly. Tomorrow I will add the +1). Sometimes, when I give the answer in weeks, people feel compelled to convert my calculations into months. So sixteen weeks = …

Still All Souls Week

Rebecca Teti — 2009-11-05T18:31:37+00:00

Rebecca Teti: | In light of Fr. Z’s suggestion that we dedicate today to praying for the souls of departed priests, I thought I’d highlight a portion of the Holy Father’s Angelus Address last Sunday. (The Pope did his part this morning, celebrating a Mass for cardinals & bishops who have died in the past year.) “Tomorrow we will observe the …

It's the Little Words That Count

Arwen Mosher — 2009-11-05T16:44:14+00:00

Arwen Mosher: Warming my heart with proper usage | I love grammar and proper usage. I come by it honestly; you should hear the members of my family correcting the others’ grammar. It’s obnoxious, actually. For my children’s sake I’ve never wanted to be one of those mothers who hen-pecks her children when they talk. (I should note that my mother …

Love & Marriage

Danielle Bean — 2009-11-05T11:00:49+00:00

Danielle Bean: Coffee Talk: Marriage | (Join each day’s Coffee Talk discussion: Mon: Parenting; Tues: Open Forum; Wed: NFP; Thu: Marriage; Fri: Education; Sat/Sun: Homemaking) Struggling in your marriage? Have some relationship advice to share? Have a marriage success story to share? Have a man/woman question? This weekly thread is the place to do it. Come on in and join the …

How I Stopped Chasing Perfection

Colleen Duggan — 2009-11-05T10:00:09+00:00

Colleen Duggan: Confessions of a Paper Plate Snob | Years ago I attended a coffee and bible study with a bunch of established women (read: most were twice my age, they had grown kids, and they happily shared their wisdom from years in the trenches). As a neophyte in the field of motherhood, I happily soaked up their suggestions. Convinced they …

What Did You Get Right This Week?

Danielle Bean — 2009-11-05T10:00:05+00:00

Danielle Bean: Small Successes vol. 42 | It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that. To participate, just write up a list of 3 of your recent Small Successes and post it on your blog along with the …

At Last, Real Parental Controls

Danielle Bean — 2009-11-04T21:00:34+00:00

Danielle Bean: MPower Media gives you control over television and internet in your home | Yesterday, I received an email from Senator Rick Santorum. I call him the Ricker, he calls me Dani ... Okay, not really. It was a form email. But his message is an intriguing one. He shared about a new project he has been working on since …

Neti Potapalooza

Arwen Mosher — 2009-11-04T19:00:37+00:00

Arwen Mosher: An alternative remedy that works for me! | The first time I heard about neti pots I thought they sounded so weird. You pour water up your nose. Strange, right? I figured it would probably feel like it does when you accidentally inhale water while swimming. I hate that sensation, and assumed that nasal irrigation was not for me. …

A Thankful Heart

Rachel Balducci — 2009-11-04T18:00:34+00:00

Rachel Balducci: getting the right mindset | Yesterday, as part of a writing project, I was looking at the Mass readings for Thanksgiving Day. One of the readings is so perfect, even for these weeks approaching Thanksgiving, I wanted to share it. May it spark in us a spirit of peace and gratitude as we enter the upcoming season. As God’s …

80 Minutes A Week

Rebecca Teti — 2009-11-04T16:00:55+00:00

Rebecca Teti: | Visceral Fat from uabnews on Vimeo. 80 minutes of exercise a week may not be enough to make you slender, but it is probably enough to keep visceral fat—the kind that is a major contributor to Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease—at bay. What’s also good news is that to keep your internal organs (but, alas, not your …

Lay Leaders & Parishes

Lisa Hendey — 2009-11-04T14:00:58+00:00

Lisa Hendey: How involved are the laity in the leadership and ministry in your parish? | Yesterday afternoon, I was having an interesting conversation with my sister, who has recently joined a leadership board within her parish. Along with serving in this role, my sister and her husband are also part of a team of married parishioners who meet individually with …

Fertility, Sex & Your Marriage

Danielle Bean — 2009-11-04T11:00:29+00:00

Danielle Bean: Coffee Talk: NFP | (Join each day’s Coffee Talk discussion: Mon: Parenting; Tues: Open Forum; Wed: NFP; Thu: Marriage; Fri: Education; Sat/Sun: Homemaking) This weekly thread is a place where you can share your struggles, triumphs, links, resources, concerns, and questions about all things related to Natural Family Planning. Please join the conversation!

The Mane Man

Gina Mazza — 2009-11-04T10:00:47+00:00

Gina Mazza: NFL Star Troy Polamalu Opens Up About His Faith and Family | On this sunny So-Cal day, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu graciously postpones his morning workout to ruminate about not just football—but life and what’s most important in it. Troy on Fatherhood ... Has becoming a father changed your life?  I think becoming a parent encourages people to …

Whittle While You Work

Rachel Balducci — 2009-11-03T21:59:47+00:00

Rachel Balducci: a sweet little book they'll love | If you are starting to compile your Christmas lists, I am here to recommend this handy gem: The Little Book of Whittling. The boys in your life will definitely love it (and so, perhaps, might your husband, daughter or really adventurous mother-in-law). We got this book for our oldest son a few …