by Lorraine Espenhain | Journaling is for technicians, janitors, gardeners, nurses, moms, dads, students, and starving artists! It’s not just for writers.

by Lorraine Espenhain | Our prayers will be answered by God, not because we have succeeded in getting God to see things our way, but because He has succeeded in changing our hearts

As homeschoolers, we all feel warm and fuzzy all over when Johnny finally masters his ABCs or Susie successfully memorizes her multiplication table. In moments like these, it’s easy to ...

by Lorraine Espenhain | Writing can be a lot of fun, and it can usher our children into glorious realms which they never knew existed.

by Lorraine Espenhain | I have a fourteen-year-old daughter who struggles horribly when it comes to reading comprehension.

by Lorraine Espenhain | Why couldn’t God have provided a job for my husband in Philadelphia? Why did He feel the need to uproot me from my comfort zone?

by Lorraine Espenhain | The Holy Spirit is the life of the Church. If the Holy Spirit did not dwell in the midst of the Church, the Church would be...

by Lorraine Espenhain | No matter how noble our work for Him may be, be reconciled to our brother whom we have offended. God desires mercy, not sacrifice.

by Lorraine Espenhain | For a while, after the dinner dishes were done, my family would gather around the dining room table, pray the Rosary, and then go into the family room, where I would read aloud a chapter a night from a book about one of the saints.

by Lorraine Espenhain | Once a month, I host a book reading club for Catholic homeschooling moms in my home. I like to use these monthly meetings as an excuse to try out new recipes on those gathered under my roof. If the response is favorable, I then make the dish for my family.

by Lorraine Espenhain | A paradox is a statement or situation that seems to contradict itself. For example, it has been said of the ocean: “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink!” Those who take Christ at His Word, and are not afraid to put that Word into practice in their lives, eventually discover what I call the Divine Paradox of Christianity.

Because of our fallen nature, you and I are going to be subject to all sorts of temptations for the rest of our lives. There is no point in our lives – no matter how old we are – when we are going to be able to lose our vigilance when it comes to temptation.

Blessed are those who do not stumble or become hindered in their faith when Christ does not act according to the plans and preconceived ideas they’ve worked out in their own minds concerning how things will go in their lives and how God will move in their lives as well.

Do you know what an aspiration is? An aspiration is a strong desire to do something, be something, or possess something. People have many different aspirations. Some aspire to be musicians, doctors, or librarians. Some aspire to go to college, while others aspire to go right into the workforce. Some aspire to be priests or religious brothers or sisters, while others aspire to be good husbands and wives. There are as many aspirations as there are people in the world.

My twin sister recently told me about a woman in her church who was faithful and devout. This woman did everything she could to keep her children from the world. She even home schooled them in order to preserve them for Christ. And yet, in the end, one of her children went the way of the world and even ended up on drugs.

Psst! Are you one of those people who slowly become unraveled and unglued when you get behind on your housecleaning? If you are, pour yourself a cup of tea and sit down. I want to talk to you. If dust bunnies don’t bother you, sit with me anyway.

I am convinced – utterly convinced – that if we all got together more often in order to celebrate the simple occasions in life, we would be a happier people. Each generation seems to be growing more and more isolated than the generation that preceded it. American society is fast becoming an isolated society.

One year ago, one of my daughters was given a gift subscription to American Girl Magazine. When the subscription ran out, I chose not to renew it even though my daughter wanted me to.

Tonight I’m making chicken noodle soup for dinner. I need the comfort that it brings to me because today my meds aren’t working. One of the hardest challenges that I face as a homeschooling mother is dealing with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland).

Several days ago, I was in the kitchen whipping up a pot of pumpkin chili, (recipe included below!) while reflecting on some thoughts regarding faith. Earlier in the day, when my daughter was sitting at the kitchen table working on her Catechism lesson, the subject of faith came up. My daughter wanted to know if everyone who believes in Jesus is a Christian.