Lent – Page 9

Catholic Carnival 157: Feast Before the Fast

(Illustration, Book of Gospels – Midwest Theological Forum) It’s Carnival time! And I’m not just talking about another gripping, breathlessly plotted, unabashedly literary, and intriguing installment of Catholic Carnival. I’m referring to this time of feasting and merriment, known as Carnival (derived from the carnelevarium, which is Latin for “withdrawal or removal of meat”) thatRead the whole post >>

Feeling Sleepier Than Thou During Holy Week

It’s Holy Week and I can think of plenty of adjectives that aptly describe how I’m feeling and not one of them comes anywhere close to holy. Actually, the first word that comes to mind is exhausted. Aside from being a third trimester preggo and waking up at least two times each night to payRead the whole post >>

I’m a wife, mom of five kids, writer, speaker, storyteller, bibliophile, runner, eating disorder survivor, and perfectionist in recovery. I'm the author of Getting Past Perfect: Finding Joy & Grace in the Messiness of Motherhood and Weightless: Making Peace With Your Body.

I’ve tried a lot of things in my life – anorexia, bulimia, law school, teaching aerobics, extended breastfeeding, vegetarianism, trying to be perfect and failing miserably at it – and through it all I’ve been writing. And learning to embrace the messiness of life instead of covering it up, making excuses for it, or being ashamed of my brokenness or my home’s sticky counters.

Nowadays I’m striving every single, imperfect day to strike a balance between keeping it real and keeping it joyful.