just another day of Catholic pondering by Sarah Reinhard
If you’re like me, when you hear the topic of Mark Shea’s book The Work of Mercy: Being the Hands and Heart of Christ, you might wonder how it can be (a) enticing, (b) non-preachy, and maybe even (c) interesting.
The topic, you ask? The corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
My first thought, I’ll admit, was that it can all be summed up in a poster. Who needs a whole book?
Find out the answer in the rest of my review and enter to win a copy at CatholicMom.com!
You can enter a number of different ways, a number of different times, but only through May 11. Read it all and enter to win at CatholicMom.com.
The stars were GPS for the sailors of many years ago, and Mary is our GPS when it comes to the New Evangelization. Her perfect knowledge of Jesus will lead us closer to Him, if only we let it. We can look to her example and find inspiration and revival.
She shows us how to become a witness, even as we strive to become teachers.
I’m so excited to be part of a new initiative: a blog of Catholic women by Catholic women in Columbus! I introduce myself over there this week, and I hope you’ll join the fun, especially if you’re in the Columbus Diocese!
When I heard about Regina Doman’s new novel, written with Rebecca Bratten Weiss, Catholic Philosopher Chick Makes Her Debut, I was ALL ABOUT reading it.
Here’s the gist of my review: I LOVED IT. (Yes, in all caps. No apologies.)
Read it all and enter to win at CatholicMom.com.
May is, without a doubt, a crazy month for most of the people I know.
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the fact that maybe May is Mary’s month because the only way we moms will get through it is with her help.
Call me a bit cynical. Or overwhelmed. Or considering crawling under the table to hide from my to-do list.
Read the rest at the Catholic Writers Guild blog.
I think my “fun quotient” just rose a few points. And what’s even cooler is that this is just the beginning. I have several more ideas to try, all thanks to Sarah’s great little book.
That’s from Ginny at Random Acts of Momness, and her “Ay, carumba” is now part of my lexicon when it comes to describing Catholic Family Fun.
Over at CatholicMom.com, Lisa Hendey (yes, the Lisa Hendey) shares this:
But don’t leave this book sitting on a shelf. It’s one that deserves a permanent spot on the kitchen counter. If used properly, it will probably be graced with fingerpaint smudges, muddy spots, and cookie dough. I plan to write the dates in our book when we do Sarah’s recommended activities, and to include a few notes on what we learned and special memories of the fun we enjoyed.
…we’re giving away a Kindle Touch and some copies of the book, so be sure to enter to win!
Over at CatholicMom.com, there’s a contest that takes care of every mom I know: you can win a Kindle Touch, loaded with a copy of the just-released electronic version of Catholic Family Fun! There are a number of ways to enter, you can enter more than once if you qualify, and hey! We’re giving away some hard copies of CFF too!
See you there!
I get quite a few review books, which is a slice of heaven for me. I’m buried in them, right now, wishing I could read faster, more often, faster, more often…
Recently, an author asked me if they could send me their novel. I said yes, with the caveat that I may or may not get to it in a timely manner (which means in the next year).
The author has been very gracious about that, and even shared a joke with me by email.
Because you might need a smile too, here’s the joke:
The Pope gets off his plane in DC and into the limo. He says to the driver, “Joe, its been years since I drove a car. Can I drive?”
The driver says, “Sure, Holy Father,” and then jumps into the back seat and raises the screen between them.
After a few miles, the Pope gets pulled over for speeding.
The cop is in an awkward posiiton, so he calls dispatch and says, “Hey, I got a really important guy here that I really don’t want to ticket…don’t we have a VIP program?”
The dispatcher answers, “Whaddaya got, the Mayor or somethin?”The cop says, “No, way bigger than that.”
Dispatch says, “A Senator?”
“Nope, even bigger,” says the cop.Finally the dispatcher says, “Don’t tell me you pulled over the President?”
The cop finally whispers. ”No, I think it might Jesus, cause the Pope’s drivin His car!”
Speaking of review books, there’s a great pile of books for the younger set that I am reviewing at CatholicMom.com this week, including one that I gave to my sister-in-law for her birthday.
Also, at CatholicMom.com this week, in my Tech Talk column this week, I review a great new app that might help you to pray the rosary by teaching you a whole new approach to it.
Exciting news about Catholic Family Fun:
I’m trying not to post three times a day about book-related stuff, but it’s hard.
There’s a weeeee bit of excitement.
Case in point: best friend got her copy the other day. She read it in all its early draft ugliness, so there was no surprises for her. And yet, she told me, she had forgotten how good it was.
Humbled, folks. Truly, honestly humbled.
Not that this project hasn’t humbled me all to pieces already. You only have to look at what other people are saying to know that I am put in my place and completely bewildered how this came from me.
I love-love-LOVE spring, don’t you? My latest Mary Moment on iPadre is all about loving spring and loving Mary.
I also love-love-LOVE Saint Joseph, and so does Jeff Young. The latest Catholic Foodie is all things Joseph, including great information about Saint Joseph altars. My Mary in the Kitchen is a tribute to Joseph, too, and a bit of reflecting on this new role of mine as boy-mom.
Thanks to Steven McEvoy for interviewing me over at Book Reviews and More. He sent me the most extensive interview I’ve done to date. He asked me what I’d do if I wasn’t a writer, how I knew I’d be a writer, and he even asked how my writing process goes. He pointed out that I’m in a lot of different places and I told him how I do that. And then he gave me a chance to explain my typical day.
If any of this interests you about me, stop over and give it a read!
I promised winners today, so here you go!
Since no one entered in the actual giveaway for a Snoring Scholar SurPrize Pack (we’ll chalk that up to a marketing FAIL), I pulled names from random comments I’ve received in the last week.
(commented on The Beauty of Spiritual Direction)
(commented on The Mighty Macs Review & Giveaway)
(commented on Leading Me to Jesus)
Each of you will receive a Snoring Scholar SurPrize Pack, which will have a copy of my new book, Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless, as well as a book from my giveaway box (there are some good titles in there, I assure you).
The winner of the Table Grace Die is:
Winners, send me your address (contact info is on the sidebar of my blog), and we’ll get everything mailed right away.
Thanks to the folks at Catholic Family Gifts for sponsoring the Table Grace Die giveaway.
There’s still time to enter my giveaway of THE MIGHTY MACS (which my girls will probably try to get us to watch again this weekend).
Have a great weekend!
More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.
Here at Snoring Scholar, you'll find marriage and motherhood, book talk and rambling remarks, observations and distractions, in the midst of life in rural Ohio on a farm, with kids, critters, and Catholic flair.
Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless is now available for ordering! Read more about it and what others are saying or visit the book's website and Facebook page.
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