Review of “Amazing Grace for Married Couples: 12 Life-Changing Stories of Renewed Love” published by Ascension Press, by Jeff Cavins, Matthew Pinto, Patti Armstrong  This remarkable collection portrays the varied experiences of twelve couples whose marriages could never have survived without both spouses having a change of heart. The voices …

Last month, my knight and I were blessed to celebrate 20 years of marriage.  Call me crazy, call me just a hopeless romantic, but I LOVE my husband!  Yes, I refer to him as my knight because he is just that amazing in the way he treats me; holding doors …

In his final General Audience on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, Pope Emeritus Benedict gave a poignant and powerful reflection on the Church and His time in the papal office. During that speech, he said, “whoever assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy. He belongs always and totally to …

We’ve officially hit our first big milestone:  100 days of marriage!   (The timing of this post worked out perfectly…and I didn’t even play it that way!)  I can go home to my husband this evening, greet him with a kiss and say, “My dear, 100 days down…only 25,000 to go.” …

While getting my hair done recently, I flipped through one of those magazines I’d never buy but enjoy as a guilty pleasure every now and then. One page in particular caught my attention—a list of what’s currently “in” and “out.” I was pleasantly surprised to see that indoor dates are …

Today, February 17. 2013 is my parent’s fiftieth wedding anniversary.  Fifty years is a long time to be married.  When I was a child I often wondered what my parents saw in each other and sometimes why they stayed together.  I know people say “opposites attract” but they are very …

“And so I take (my wife) not for any lustful motive, but I do it in singleness of heart. Be kind enough to…bring us to old age together.” Tobit 8:7 “..Now, gird up your loins and arise…”  Jer: 1:17 Which scripture verse more accurately describes how a couple should prepare …

Even before Valentine’s Day morning, I knew what I’d receive from my husband. I’m always the first to wake. As I walk into the kitchen to turn on my coffee pot, I’ll find on the table a sweet card and my favorite chocolates next to it. While this may not …

Editor’s note: Today, we welcome new contributor (and new wife!) Megan Swaim to our CatholicMom.com family. I hope many of you already know Megan through her amazing work with MyYearofFaith.com. My friendship with Megan has blossomed over the past year, and I’m thrilled that she’ll be joining us as a …

It is amazing what one person is capable of when given rough circumstances. God is there every inch of the way, we just don’t always notice his presence until later on. The state of Connecticut recently got dumped with an average of 3 feet of snow. My husband spent all …

I’ve written about Catholic dating for about five years now and also coach women one-on-one to get to ‘I Do.’ From day one, my approach was a little different because I’m a no-bones-about-it realist. We Catholics love to cling to our ideals! We aren’t always interested in how things are, …

Today is an interesting day: both Ash Wednesday (or beginning of Lent) and the day before Valentine’s Day, a moment when we pause to show our love to those around us who are a gift in our lives every day of the year. And for you today, I have a …

“Say you were walking along a boardwalk with your dog, and a stranger fell into the water. Your dog jumps in after him. You only have time to save one. Which would you save?” My office mate Mike and I sometimes get into these wonderful philosophical or theological discussions; it …

It’s February and love is definitely in the air.  The drugstores are filled with heart shaped boxes of chocolate and unnaturally colored stuffed animals.  The card aisles are exploding in red and pink.  Children are busy selecting the right Valentine for their classmates and decorating their Valentine mailboxes for the …

It’s on.  Extra weight after the baby, yes.  And also the weight game, which I always lose. After the birth of our children, my husband and I usually find ourselves needing to lose some weight.  And since this is the fourth time, I already know who’s going to win.  And …

There’s a delightful scene from the movie “Enchanted” in which fairytale princess Giselle advises an unsentimental divorce attorney on how to tell his girlfriend that he loves her.  In song, Giselle suggests that he wear a color to match her eyes, plan a private picnic by the fire’s glow, or …

Holy Mother Church celebrates World Marriage Day each year on the second Sunday in February. Worldwide Marriage Encounter, which sponsors the day, offers many ideas for churches, groups, and couples. As we gear up to celebrate World Marriage Day this coming Sunday, I thought it might be nice to issue …

Have you ever looked yourself in the mirror and wondered why you have four “frown lines” for every laugh line? When was the last time you gut-laughed? Do you slip into your daughter’s room late at night, and wish you’d spent as much time enjoying her as you did lecturing …

I heard a shocker the other day.  One evening while she was out with a few girlfriends, a man approached my sister-in-law and started flirting.  It had only been a few months since she and her husband had exchanged wedding rings, so she happily flashed him her diamond and turned …

Our kids need to know—sin is real; the devil is real; and we need to stay on guard, especially now. Without this awareness our children will see the glistening darkness ahead and fall into the tar pit of self deception that will hold them tight. St. Basil the Great described …