The Communion of Saints is a Bit Wibbly-Wobbly (The Giveaway is Now Closed)

Happy Thursday to all of you! Today, I'm linking up with Blessed is She to discuss the Communion of Saints. Last week, I mentioned Doctor Who being an appropriate activity for a Catholic Halloween celebration. Today, I'm back to explain the connection between this time-travelling show and the Saintly Triduum of Halloween,  All Saints Day, and All Souls Day. 

Let's Talk About the Death Penalty

Well, I got way far behind in blogging, and I meant to write this at the beginning of the month, but you know how life is! Adventures are out there, crazy things happen, and blog posts can slip by the wayside. But here I am, to talk with you today about the death penalty. This is a hot topic right now in Oklahoma, especially with controversies about botched executions and the case of Richard Glossip's innocence or guilt. I had never thought much about the death penalty when I was younger, because it seemed like something that never really happened, and didn't have much of an impact on my own life. Well, since moving to Oklahoma, I've come to realize that the death penalty does happen, and it impacts everyone, no matter where you may live. As Catholics, as Christians, as people, we have a responsibility to discuss this issue. I mean, the lives of other human beings are at stake!

11 Ways to Have a Creepy, Cool, Catholic Halloween

There's a lot of controversy about Halloween. Some people say it's of the devil, other people say it's super Catholic, other people don't know a thing and don't care, etc. etc. Lately on social media, I've seen some people post links as if to prove a point without even taking the chance to have a conversation! So instead of popping a link here or there that proves or disproves the Catholicism of Halloween, I want to talk about it. I think we need to discuss how our Catholic Faith connects with Halloween, and how it informs what we do on this holiday. 

Could I have Maroon 5 and JPII over for dinner?

You know how sometimes different people create their "dream dinner party lists" of individuals they would love to have over, no matter when those people lived? Recently, I was thinking about this trend, and I decided that it would be marvelous to have St. John Paul II and the members of Maroon 5 over for a dinner party with my husband and I. We could all bond and become friends over bierocks and cheesecake, and in the course of our  conversations, Maroon 5 may pick up some cool wisdom from JPII. Wouldn't that be great? 

How "Austenland" Shows Us That Pornography Is Not Fulfilling

I love Jane Austen, and I enjoy Austen-themed fiction. When I heard about Austenland, I immediately became interested. Darcy-obsessed woman goes to an Austen theme park? Sign me up! I heard the movie was terrible, but the plot intrigued me, so recently, I picked up Austenland, by Shannon Hale. I had mixed feelings while reading this book, and may not pick it up again, but the story did hit home some very good lessons. This is a piece of chick lit, and the author probably didn’t intend for any deep lessons to be gleaned from it. Even so, Austenland demonstrated to me that pornography goes against a natural desire of human beings. 

On the Bookshelf: Murders, Light Sabers, Romance, and Chesterton!

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another edition of On the Bookshelf, where we can discuss different wonderful things that we have read! Or not-so-wonderful things that we've read but need to rant about haha :) I go to my local library at least once a week, and I always wind up with armfuls of books. I have been reading a wide assortment of books lately, ranging from mystery to romance to inspirational, so hopefully you find something that interests you!

You up for the challenge of living faith?

Hey, everyone! Today I'm linking up with Blessed is She to talk about living faith. My thoughts are a little lot jumbled, but hopefully there will be something good you can take away from this stream-of-consciousness-ramble! I guess I should begin with one of my all-time favorite quotations from Mother Angelica, which I found in the book, Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality, compiled by Raymond Arroyo. 

8 Ways That Video Games Help Me Learn About Marriage

I am an old-fashioned woman. I love handwritten letters, musty books with yellowed pages, and good conversations about Jane Austen over cups of tea. Cary Grant and Shirley Temple movies filled many happy hours of my childhood, and vintage clothing websites always wind up on my computer screen.

There I stood on a Sunday afternoon, surrounded by flashy TV screens and the sounds of the buttons on controllers quickly clicking.

I, a bibliophile who dreams of Regency Era balls, married a competitive gamer.

Not only that, but I like the fact that my husband is a competitive gamer. 

You may be thinking, But aren’t video games bad for marriage? After all, gaming is often slammed with negative connotations.  Brigham Young University released some research in February 2012. Their study, which surveyed 349 couples, found that, overall, seventy-five percent of those surveyed wished that their spouse spent more time on their marriage and less time on video games.

In the beginning of our dating relationship, I didn’t think much about how my new boyfriend was a gamer. Then, I started pulling out the "my boyfriend is a gamer" card when I saw that it could be a good thing. For example, when one of my friends voiced disapproval in my dating status (because I had been on the path to the convent for years, and none of my friends in Kansas knew my boyfriend), I said:

 My boyfriend plays competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Oh, he’s all right, then!

So, the fact that my boyfriend was a competitive gamer won him points with some of my friends J As we continued into married life, I have made the shocking discovery: video games have been a great thing in my marriage. They aren’t bad in themselves; rather, they are a tool which could be used for bad or for good. To my great surprise, some of the most important lessons I have learned in marriage are due to video games.

Embrace God's Mercy-Today!

"Growing up, I never knew much about St. Faustina. I recognized pictures of her, and connected her with the Divine Mercy image, where Jesus is pictured with rays shooting out from His chest. Sometimes, I prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet with my family on Fridays. In Catholic bookstores, I would see the volume titled Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, but I never picked it up. This book looked massive, and I figured that I would never really read it. Who has time to read a 600+ page spiritual book? Slowly, over time, I developed a greater devotion to Divine Mercy in my life. Shortly after our wedding two years ago, my husband and I began reading the Diary. This book has profoundly affected my life and relationship with God in so many incredible ways. Today, I would like to share with you some benefits of reading St. Faustina’s Diary..."

Find the rest over at Ignitum Today! 
Happy Feast of St. Faustina!! 

The Fourth Glorious Mystery

“The Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption. The fruit of the mystery is Grace of a Happy Death. Pater Noster, qui es in caelis…” My sandaled feet crunched brown tree needles and leaves as I walked towards my apartment. I moved my red cord Rosary through my fingers, the silent prayers pouring from my heart.

Michaelmas, Frankenstein, and the Closet Challenge!

Happy feast of St. Therese!!! I'll be digging into some chocolate eclairs later, because St. Therese liked 'em, so it's a great way to celebrate! (another way I'm celebrating is by reading her poetry) Today I'm linking up with Blessed is She to talk about wholeness. This story begins a few days prior to Michaelmas.