Association Of Catholic Bloggers

One of my greatest attributes is to not only be acutely aware of my many deficiencies; but also very willing to own up to them.  The one deficiency that I regret the most - and try the hardest to overcome is my lack of hospitality and thoughtfulness.  Though, probably a more fair assessment would be my lack of follow through! I often think of the nice or caring things I could do to help others - however, for a myriad of reasons (none of them good); my follow-through statistics are very low.   At first this behavior came from self-preservation and lack of instruction; but as an adult with fully formed conscience it is not longer acceptable behavior.   AWARENESS IS NOT HALF THE BATTLE While I would love to say, that once I realized the necessity of a life in Christ to include reaching out to others my behavior changed - I can not.  I still every day have to resist my self-absorbed ways.  In all too painful ways the Lord has allowed me to feel the DEEP regret of not acting on an inspir

Your Calling Despite my occasional pondering - God really does have a purpose and plan for me and my life.  My skills are perfectly suited for what GOD has called me to do.  For me I am fairly sure of those things He has for me to do because they are things that I enjoy, feel confident at, and others have validated my talent in.  Perhaps you've encountered the same thing - it does not mean I WILL love every task associated with the position (think diapers and poopie pants as a childcare/preschool teacher) but the main skill set will be one that  fulfills the desires of my heart. This  line from part of Week 6  sums it up, "No one in all of history -- past, present or future - is like you." Read More ..  All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

The road of virtues is not necessarily a straight path. Sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back. Sometimes we take the long road, finding out that the short-cuts weren’t worth it. Together, you and I have traveled the road of virtues for the past 20 months. In that time we have reviewed and studied every virtue in the Virtues Guide – Second Edition . In series of posts, I have defined the virtues, explained why it is important to embrace the virtues and provided suggestions for how to practice the virtues. Now it’s time to take… Read more...

Tween and Teen fiction readers deserve honest, compelling and engaging stories. They don't want to be pandered to any more than discerning adult fiction readers. Tween and Teen fiction readers are a particular breed of readers. They have just enough life experience to know realities of struggle or worry and yet ought to know that life really does offer hope and resolution. The Green Coat: A Tale from the Dust Bowl Years  by Rosemary McDunn is deservedly one of the most popular tween and teen fiction books in homes and classrooms. Available in paperback and kindle,  The Green Coat  offers a story of hardship and hope in the midst of one of the greatest struggles in American history: the dust bowl. The Green Coat's tale of perseverance is one that readers of all ages enjoy.  read more here

 I have never been a big fan of New Years resolutions. (I do realize it’s February but stay with me!)   I can never seem to keep those resolutions. It can be so defeating to begin something big at the start of a fresh year and then “fail” at whatever change I have made. A year is a L O N G time!   Plus there are SO many things I want to work on, how do I decide which ONE thing to work on all year through? Why do we feel such a need to start fresh on the first day of a new year, or even the start of a new month or week?   I am so grateful God’s Mercies are new EACH MORNING! We are offered a fresh start each and every day! That just gives me such comfort. If you want to read more about what my family is doing to focus on blessings and grow in virtue click here .

Before the plane took off Monday morning from DFW Airport, my nose was buried in an advanced copy of The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living . As we landed in Tampa, my new knowledge of Lisa Hendey , myself and true generosity was incredible. And one-third of the book to go! By Tuesday afternoon my mind was full of spiritual truths. My heart and soul were so reinforced with encouragement that my copious notes now fill this review and overflow into several blog ideas. Having known and grown to love Lisa long-distance for four years through CatholicMom.com and Catholic Writers Guild (CWG), I finally met her at the CWGLive conference in Chicago and took a photo with her. Her keynote speech on “Perseverance,” with many concepts from The Grace of Yes , and a one-on-one meeting when she advised me on a publishing question, created an instant connection in our spirits.   The eight virtues of the Grace of Yes continues on JOYAlive.net

Following up on  last week's blog tour  where I reviewed Jean Heimann's new book Seven Saints for Seven Virtues, Jean and her husband Bill return to Can We Cana? for some advice on  How to Stay Married 10 Years & Then Some . 1. How many years have you been married and how many kids do you have? Bill & Jean :  We have been married 22 years and have no biological children. Bill has an adult son from a previous marriage, which was formally annulled by the Catholic Church prior to our marriage in the Church in 1992. 2. Name 3 things that have helped you to stay married this long. Jean : Our strong Catholic faith bonded us from the beginning and has kept us together over the years. We are “equally yoked” as the Protestants say. We were both actively involved in leadership roles in various ministries prior to our marriage (and continue to be) and saw eye to eye on the important issues that face engaged couples: openness to life, putting God first in our lives, ser

Many of the traditions practiced within the Catholic faith—from the priesthood to the burning of incense—can be found by tracing their roots back to the Jewish faith. Marian virtues are also deeply rooted in the lives of the women of the Old Testament. Just as God planted the seeds of preparation for Christ, so, too, did he plant the seeds for the preparation of Mary.  In the Old Testament we witness the commitment and deep faith of women who pre-figure Mary in profound ways. Women whose lives also provide role models for the way we are all called to live as Catholics. Read more here

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” – Matthew 5:9 How do we deal with the violence, war, and conflicts that we face in our world today?  How can we serve as true peacemakers in our 21st century culture? St. Bernard of Clairvaux , a Cistercian abbot, a contemplative, theologian, and mystic of the twelfth century is an excellent example for us to follow. Due to the numerous schisms which had arisen in the Church during his age, he traveled extensively throughout Europe, restoring peace and unity. Not only did he deal with divisions in the Church, but he also mediated in secular disputes and was sought out as an adviser and an arbitrator by the ruling powers of his era. What was his secret for restoring peace and unity to a troubled world? He was merely a modest monk with no worldly power or possessions. What made him so influential and valuable to others was the fact that he was a man of heroic virtue. Which virtues made him effective as a peac