(For Verily Magazine)
Photo Credit: Taylor McCutchan Photography
The struggle is real.
I’ve been married for seventeen years. For most of our married life, my husband’s job has required frequent travel. Having a spouse who’s away from home a lot was not what I wanted. I did, however, want the option to stay home with my children. My husband’s job afforded me that opportunity, so we decided to make it work.
Courage is grace under pressure
By Brigid Curtis Ayer
(For the Catholic Moment)
CARMEL — Same-sex attraction is an issue that “touches people’s hearts, homes and families very deeply,” says Father Philip Bochanski, associate director of Courage International, a Catholic apostolate assisting those with same-sex attraction live chaste lives.
Bochanski, from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, discussed ways we can respond the U.S. Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex “marriage.” We need to recognize that many in secular society and even in the Church believe that whatever government endorses is good and no longer open for discussion, he said.
GriefShare facilitator Jim Buzzelli stands in the narthex of his home parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Carmel. He found healing and hope through the bereavement program after the death of his wife, Marcy. (Photo by Brigid Curtis Ayer)
Everyone’s Grief is Different
CARMEL — “Everyone’s grief is different,” says Jim Buzzelli, GriefShare team facilitator at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish. His involvement with bereavement groups stemmed with the death of his wife, Marcy, in February 2011.
Their 44-year marriage ended in an instant when she had a heart attack. Buzzelli said he was “a walking zombie” for six months.
“The shock was so great,” he said. “I was completely lost.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxx8019vkfc&feature=share
Leighton Drake, Youth Minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Carmel, IN, shares experience of working with young people hungry for the truth. Getting into God can be a lot of FUN. Here’s the retreat video experience here with Junior High Youth. Yes, Junior High youth!! It can be done, and done well!! CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
By: Brigid Curtis Ayer (For Verily Magazine)
Have you ever wondered if your faith or spirituality really has an impact on youth health and recovery? I have. Sporadically you will hear news segments featuring a person who has experienced a profound medical miracle. It’s a scenario where doctors can’t explain how a person’s cancerous tumor vanished. I’m a big believer in miracles. Yet, these profound miracles don’t happen every day to everyone. What about a person’s everyday spirituality? Does it help them heal in normal, not so profound health situations, and if it does, how?
Me Without You–Toby Mac–Lego Version—CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
St. John told Gaius to “demonstrate fidelity” (3 Jn 5) by showing real love through helping and supporting the missionaries John had sent to Gaius’ church (3 Jn 6, 8). To do this would cost Gaius not only time and money but also his reputation (see 3 Jn 10) and his membership in his local church. This is because Diotrephes, the leader of Gaius’ church, threatened to excommunicate anyone who accepted John’s missionaries (3 Jn 10).
Here’s a great audio from Father Al Lauer, founder of Presentation Ministries, Cincinnati, OH.
Take a listen.
Appeared in Lifestyle Section of Verily Magazine
Verily Magazine verilymag.com/
By: Brigid Curtis Ayer
College debt got you down? You’re not alone.
With skyrocketing tuition costs, it’s not surprising that more than forty million students nationwide have graduated with debt. CNN reported that combined student debt has climbed to a record high of $1.2 trillion. This is an 84 percent jump since the recession began in 2008. Without a proactive plan to pay back the money, the impact can derail or delay all sorts of life plans—marriage, home buying, graduate degrees, and more.