Off to Anaheim

Just a quick note to let you know that I will be in Anaheim at the Diocese of Los Angeles' Religious Education Congress for the next few days. I may not be blogging again until Monday, so have a great weekend!

Catholic Moments #38 - Chip Richter

Our guest this week is Chip Richter, a great family musician who will have you and your kids singing along! We share another great column by Pat Gohn and introduce our latest giveaway - your chance to win the Catholic Exchange Women's Study for Spring. Listener Amy introduces us to the concept of "Mothering Sunday", celebrated on Laetare Sunday. To share your comments, email us at catholicmoments@mac.com or comment at www.catholicmoments.com or call our new telephone feedback line at (206)339-9272.

Links for this episode:
Chip Richter: Website, MySpace, Shout Life
Phil Keaggy
Catholic Exchange Women's Study: Registration, The Power of Women
Pat Gohn
Genevieve Kineke
Lisa's Facebook Profile
Catholic Mom Catholic Company Store
Subscribe to Catholic Moments at iTunes
Subscribe to Catholic Moments in a Reader

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments Podcast #38

Resurrection! Script

A special thanks to Lisa Mladinich, our Puppet Ministry Mom, for another tremendous script. Lisa's new "Resurrection!" script is the perfect thing for either puppet shows or class skits. Check out Resurrection and our other Puppet Ministry scripts.

Three great kids activities

We have so many people contributing wonderful kids projects for CatholicMom.com! I've posted three terrific activities for kids today and would encourage you to check both out:

• "Lenten Helper" - help the kids focus on doing one good deed per day (Contributed by Erin R., Denver, CO) - print the "Lenten Helper" and trim 2/5 inches off the bottom and fold according to directions.
• "I Share Windsock" CCD Project by Cheryl Butler
• Saint Bingo Game (contributed by Trish T.) - this is a super activity and can be played at many different levels
  

If you have children's activities, CCD projects or games you'd like to share, send them to me at lisa@catholicmom.com. We have families and religious education classes from around the world visiting the site and downloading projects. It's so exciting. For more great lesson plans and Sunday Gospel activities, check out CatholicMom.com.

I Need More Meredith

Yesterday, I posted the winners of our "Come to the Table" Giveaway.

We were lucky enough to give away three copies of Come to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder for Holy Week by Meredith Gould. This is really a special book, written from the perspective of an adult convert to Catholicism who was raised in a Jewish home. The book helps families or parishes plan and celebrate their own Catholic passover Seder. With Holy Week approaching at an ever quickening pace, now is the time to order Come to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder for Holy Week if you weren't lucky enough to be one of our winners.

Meredith Gould is an amazing woman and truly one of my favorite authors. You may be familiar with her regular column in Faith and Family magazine. If you're anxious to read more of Meredith Gould's work, be sure to check out her blog More Meredith Gould. You'll love it!

Pearls of Grace

Have you visited Melissa Dayton's Pearls of Grace Catholic art web site lately? Melissa wrote to let me know that she and our good friend Laurie Collins have combined efforts to offer an "Escort to God" package. For $25, you receive a print of Melissa's lovely painting, and Laurie's CD featuring the beautiful song "Escort to God: When I Lost You". You may remember Laurie from the Catholic Moments Podcast episode #22, where we interviewed her about her music. Two phenomenal women doing amazing things!

Check out Pearls of Grace Fine Art

CatholicMom.com Weekly Column Roundup

Are you ready for the latest round of wonderful columns over at CatholicMom.com? Grab a cup of coffee, put your feed up, and spend some time enjoying this week's inspiration:

Clearing up the Confusion by Guest Columnist Genevieve Kineke

"I Share Windsock" CCD Project by Cheryl Butler

On Deliberate Detachment and Intentional Attachment by Pat Gohn

Does the Church Exist for Today or Tomorrow? by Patrice Fagnant MacArthur

Delighting in the Unexpected Immediate Intimacy of Answered Prayers by Sherry Antonetti

Entering the Church by Janet Cassidy

Chaperone Duty is Not an Easy Process by Marybeth Hicks

Stay-at-home Mom Guilt by Lisa Barker

Attention New York Homeschoolers

Thank you to Elizabeth for sharing the following information:

TORCH (Traditions of Roman Catholic Homes), a National Homeschooling Group now has a local chapter in Rome, New York. Aptly named THE ROMAN TORCH, membership is open to anyone, regardless of religious affiliation. There is a brochure detailing TORCH and it’s advantages for our Catholic community. Our meetings and other activities will be held at St. Paul’s Church, corner of Bedford and Cyprus Streets, Rome, NY. Please contact me for meeting dates, a brochure or questions! Elizabeth S. thehomeschoolers@aol.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RomanTORCH

Looking to spread the word about a group in your area? Feel free to email me at lisa@catholicmom.com and I'll do my best to help you reach others with your information.

Interesting Looking Movie

Since I don't have any girls living in my home, I likely won't get to see this movie when it opens next week on February 29. But Penelope looks like the kind of movie I would enjoy. What do you think?

Overseeing Our Kids' Cell Phone Usage

Our "Spiritual Hot Cocoa" Sherry Antonetti has an important column running with week over at Catholic.net. In the column, Sherry underscores the ease with which our kids can access objectionable and adult themed material with a few simple keystrokes on their cell phones. I'll have to admit that this column was certainly a wake up call for me - yet another tech tool that can mean danger for my teenage sons. Please take a few moments to read Sherry's Catholic.net column and share your comments here if you feel moved to do so.

Welcome Home Donna-Marie!

Well, our friends Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle, Teresa Tomeo and Genevieve Kineke are home from their wonderful trip to the Vatican. It sounds as though they had a wonderful time! If you would like to hear about some of the details of their trip, Donna has shared the following:

Donna-Marie on Teresa Tomeo's "Catholic Connection" show on Ave Maria Radio

Donna Marie's photos here, here, and here.

It sounds like each of the women had a very special experience and that they are returning home charged with a mission to inspire and to educate others. Thanks for sharing your wonderful time Donna-Marie!

New Issue of Canticle Magazine

I wanted to share with you that the latest issue of Canticle is now available.

If you are not already a subscriber to Canticle, please consider giving yourself or a friend the gift of a subscription. You can now request a free trial issue of Canticle by calling 800-558-5452. Thanks to Heidi Hess Saxton, our wonderful Adoption columnist, for the tremendous work she is doing with Canticle.

This Lenten issue also features a special Easter insert and contains articles by some of my favorite writers (and one by me too!) including:

• Denise Bossert: "Judith: An Image of Feminine Valor"
• Ronda Chervin: "The Stations of the Cross for Widows"
• Gretchen Garrity: "Giving Lent a Try"
• Laura Yeager: "Grace-Filled Speaking"
• Lisa Hendey: "Knit Together in Love"
• Deb Richards: "Hope in the Desert"
• Pat Gohn: "Longing to Have Them Home"
• Karen Edmisten: "Seconds and Sacrifice"
• Sarah Reinhard: "Smells Like Roses to Me!"
  Judy McCloskey: "Fear's Growth Potential"
  

Two Great Games for Holy Week

In anticipation of Holy Week, here are two additional games from Laura Grace for you to enjoy with your family or students. Click on the underlined titles to download the game files. For more of Laura's lesson plans and games, click here.

Holy Week File Folder Game:
Directions - Print out Directions, cut it out, and glue on front of file folder.
Game Board - Print out Game Board, trim, and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last.
Holy Week Questions - Use these questions or make your own. Use only the questions that reflect your student’s abilities.
Spinner - Make spinner according to the directions. Keep inside file folder.

Holy Week Spin the Bottle Game:
Holy Week Spin the Bottle Game - directions
Holy Week Spin the Bottle Question Cards - Print Question Cards out on card stock. Cut out Question Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last.

"Name that Prayer" Game

Laura Grace has shared another great "file folder game" over at CatholicMom.com.

Name That Prayer File Folder Game:
Directions - Print out Directions, cut it out, and glue on front of file folder.
Game Board - Print out Game Board, trim, and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last.
Question Cards - Print Question Cards out on card stock. Cut out Question Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. Use only the cards that reflect your student’s abilities.

Check out the Name That Prayer File Folder Game

Love Songs

Unfortunately, due to "technical difficulties", a wonderful Valentine's day column by Sherry Antonetti went into the email black hole. But it's so great, that I wanted to post it anyway - I think we should always be ready to celebrate love. Click here to read "Celebrating the Song of Songs on St. Valentine's Day" by Sherry Antonetti.

Catholic Moments #37 - Mary Beth Hercules and Monica Rafie

This week, I share interviews with Mary Beth Hercules, creator of "Good Deed Beads" and Monica Rafie, founder of the web site www.BeNotAfraid.net. We also share a great column by Pat Gohn. Be sure to enter our latest contest for your chance to win Milo and the Green Wagon, the new children's book by our friend Lisa Umina - Milo learns the joy of helping others. To share your comments, email us at catholicmoments@mac.com or comment at www.catholicmoments.com or call our new telephone feedback line at (206)339-9272.

Links for this episode:
"Good Deed Beads"
www.BeNotAfraid.net
National Catholic Register
Faith and Family Magazine
Lisa's Facebook Profile
Catholic Mom Catholic Company Store
Subscribe to Catholic Moments at iTunes
Subscribe to Catholic Moments in a Reader

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments Podcast #37

Fun New Games from Laura

Over at our Lesson Plan and Sunday Gospel Activity pages, I've just added two great new games from "Lesson Plan Laura", our resident catechist!

• Actions Speak Louder Than Words Game - Fun game reviews liturgical postures and actions used during the Mass
• Holy Mass Game - A wonderful game to test your knowledge of the parts of the Mass and objects used during the Mass, with an extra special set of questions for little ones

Laura also shared some great links for Christian "file folder games" groups, folks who are using creative activities in religious education. Here are the links that Laura has shared:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OLD_Creative_Kingdom/

Old Creative Kingdom- File folder games pertaining to the Old Testament.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEW_Creative_Kingdom/

New Creative Kingdom- File folder games pertaining to the New Testament.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OTHER_Creative_Kingdom/

Other Creative Kingdom- File folder games that relate to other Christian subjects: Holidays, Church, Liturgy, Prayer, Rosary, Sacraments, Saints, Stations of the Cross, etc. The group also includes: Can Games, Card Games, Memory Games, Circle Time Games, Sequence Games, etc.

On my devotional wish list

I would love to have this set of outdoor Stations of the Cross for my back yard some day:

A beautiful and rustic 14 piece set of the Stations of the Cross for outdoor or indoor use. These are made of solid cedar wood and finished with cedar or walnut exterior grade stain. Each image is individually printed on metal plates which are then permanently fastened to the Shrine. These make great pieces for gardens, prayer paths, Church yards, or home chapels!

Newly Revised Resource

Have you checked out the all new and improved Rosary Army website? Greg and Jennifer have been hard at work revamping this incredible resource. Check it out for information, community, prayer aids, and inspiration, not to mention access to the awesome Rosary Army podcast.

Another Great Giveaway

I'm so happy to announce our latest contest - enter now for your chance to win one of three copies of Milo and the Green Wagon by Lisa Umina. The early reviews of this book are great - I loved it too! It teaches the concept of community service to young children, showing that even little people can make a big difference. To enter this contest, email lisa@catholicmom.com by February 29 with the words "Milo Giveaway" in the subject line. Be sure to include your mailing address in case you're a winner! Thanks to Lisa Umina for writing such a wonderful book!

Adam's New Braces

I just finished writing an article over at Productivity @ Home about darling Adam and his new braces. If you have kids with braces, I'd love to hearing your coping suggestions! We're doing better this week with pain management, but he still seems to be having difficulties complying with keeping his rubber bands in all day and night. I have to check with him several times a day to make sure he's wearing them as prescribed. Also, what are some good food choices for kids with braces - it seems like many of his favorites are on the "no no" list. Thanks for any helping comments you can offer!

Guest Columnist Genevieve Kineke

Fresh from her return from the Vatican, I am pleased to offer a four-part series of columns by Genevieve Kineke, author of The Authentic Catholic Woman

This week's column looks at our prejudices and preconceptions when examining the Papal letter Mulieris Dignitatem. Genevieve and our good friend Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle recently returned from attending a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Click here for additional information on this event.

CatholicMom.com Weekly Column Roundup

As usual, Monday brings another wonderful bunch of columns from our tremendous CatholicMom.com columnists. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Project for the 150th Anniversary of Lourdes by Alice Gunther

Finding God Among Us by Cay Gibson featuring Recipe for Chicken Vegetable Soup

Fasting: Therapy for the Soul by Patrice Fagnant MacArthur

The Great "No TV" Experiment: Week Three by Heidi Hess Saxton

What Will Your Lent Look Like? by Janet Cassidy

The Greatness of Gratefulness by Michele Howe

My Plan Didn't Make It by Jaime Gregory

It's Hard to Focus When Life's Just a Blur by Marybeth Hicks

How to Make Your Toddler Possessed by Lisa Barker

Wonderful New Blog

Our friend and Adoption columnist Heidi Hess Saxton has a wonderful new blog entitled Behold Your Mother: A Bouquet of Love to Mary from Her Children. The blog is intended to accompany the release of Heidi's latest book, which will be coming very soon. Please take time to visit Heidi's new blog for stories, prayers, questions, quotes and more. Thank you Heidi for this lovely new place to visit!

Name That Tune - Catholic Edition

Reader Tammy is looking for piano music for a song that has the following lyrics. If you can help, please post a comment below. Tammy thanks you, and I do too!

O Sacred heart of Jesus truly present in the Holy Eucharist I give all my love to You.X2 Then Father behold your son….

Free Stations Booklet

The Catholic Information Service of the Knights of Columbus is offering a free "Way of the Cross" booklet featuring traditional and modern meditations of the Stations of the Cross.

Click here to order your booklet.

Great Resource for Lent from OSV

One of my favorite resources for Lent is Catholic Faith Facts Q&A for Lent And Easter (Catholic Faith Facts) by Theresa Driscoll and Kelly Renz. Here's some information on this fun little product, which is a great tool for kids of all ages:

Quiz yourself and others with fascinating Catholic Faith Facts! Students, catechumens, youth, and families ... Play your way to a fuller Lenten experience. Everyone will have fun celebrating and embracing their Catholic identity with Catholic Faith Facts: Q & A for Lent and Easter. Each card features three questions of varying degrees of difficulty about one aspect of Lent or Easter: perfect for the Church, the classroom, or the dinner table! Build confidence in your understanding of Catholic Tradition while developing a deeper appreciation for the richness of this glorious season.

Order Catholic Faith Facts Q&A for Lent And Easter (Catholic Faith Facts) and support CatholicMom.com.

Chocolate Breakfast

Happy Valentine's Day friends! Regardless of your personal opinion of this holiday, it's a wonderful opportunity to remember to tell our loved ones just how much they mean to us. For families, it's also the perfect opportunity to create new family traditions - simple ideas that when done over the years become the fiber of memories for our children that will be passed down to their children.

Around the Hendey house, we traditionally celebrate Valentine's Day with "Chocolate Breakfast". Granted, this blog post won't be filed under the "nutrition and fitness" category, but it's ok to make exceptions every once in a while, right? Chocolate breakfast started about five years ago, when we had a Valentine's Day where Dad would be absent, working a shift in the ER. We decided to celebrate early, and a tradition was born. In those days, my kids were early morning risers, so they always had plenty of time before school. Nowadays, waking sleepy teenagers is a challenge, and inviting them to get up even earlier to enjoy family breakfast is a little dicey. So I was happy this morning when both boys woke up with smiles on their faces and joined Greg and I at the table for a celebration of familial love.

Chocolate breakfast is simple fare - chocolate milk (served in wine goblets, of course) and whatever types of decadent offerings I find at the grocery bakery the day before the celebration. In the past, it featured frozen chocolate chip waffles, chocolate bagels, or muffins. Today, we had "lava cakes" with rich fudge oozing out the top. A sign of my boys' maturity is the fact that they limited themselves on their chocolate intake and that Eric chose OJ over chocolate milk or hot cocoa. My gifts were the hugs and the special "thanks for breakfast mom" comments that I received as they strode off to the shower.

Family traditions are wonderful things - they don't have to cost a lot or be a big deal - they just have to come wrapped in love. The wonderful thing about Chocolate Breakfast is that the good feelings you receive in those pre-dawn hours keep you warm the whole day long, and that's a great way to celebrate!

Catholic Moments #36 - Maura Weis

This week, I share an interview with Maura Weis, author of Miles from the Sideline: A Mother's Journey With Her Special Needs Daughter. Maura relates her journey parenting a child with special needs and her work with her non-profit organization, Hannah and Friends. Be sure to enter our latest contest for your chance to win Milo and the Green Wagon, the new children's book by our friend Lisa Umina - Milo learns the joy of helping others. We share feedback and look at Holy Heroes, a great resource for Catholic kids. To share your comments, email us at catholicmoments@mac.com or comment at www.catholicmoments.com or call our new telephone feedback line at (206)339-9272.

Links for this episode:
Miles from the Sideline: A Mother's Journey With Her Special Needs Daughter by Maura Weis with Jessica Trobaugh Temple
Hannah and Friends - Nonprofit foundation improving the quality of life for children and adults with special needs
Holy Heroes
CatholicMom.com Contests
Lisa's Facebook Profile
Catholic Mom Catholic Company Store
Subscribe to Catholic Moments at iTunes
Subscribe to Catholic Moments in a Reader

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments Podcast #36

What's in Your Kids' Lunchbox Today?

Thanks to our fabulous section of Meatless Recipes on CatholicMom.com, I have plenty of ideas for what to cook for dinner during Lent. But I'm stumped on lunchbox ideas...aside from peanut butter sandwiches, what do your kids enjoy taking to school for lunch on Lenten Fridays? I'd love to hear your ideas here in the comments, or email me at lisa@catholicmom.com. My kids thank you in advance for your suggestions!

Catholic Moments #35 - Lenten Kid Cast

In this podcast, we kick off Lent with an update on Lisa's family visitors, review a "kids" cartoon, share a Lent quiz and discuss Lenten devotions. To share your comments, email us at catholicmoments@mac.com or comment at www.catholicmoments.com or call our new telephone feedback line at (206)339-9272.

Links for this episode:
Take Out Magazine
CatholicMom.com Contests
Lisa's Facebook Profile
Catholic Mom Catholic Company Store
Subscribe to Catholic Moments at iTunes
Subscribe to Catholic Moments in a Reader

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments Podcast #35

Our Lenten Journey Begins

Blessings to all of you today on Ash Wednesday, as we begin our journey towards Easter.

As I spend this week hosting my mother, parenting my own teen age sons, and caring for my toddler nephews, I am reminded of both the fullness of this life and also of it's many demands on each of us. With days packed full of laundry, preparing meals, driving to activities and trying to have a listening heart, it can feel overwhelming to try to look at living life with more spiritual devotion.

Many of us would love do extra volunteer work outside the home as a form of almsgiving or spend long hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament in adoration, but this may not be the best choice for our families. We can offer our very best to Jesus in our own homes through our little acts of prayer, fasting and sharing with others. As I receive the ashes today and commence this Lenten journey towards the joy of Easter, I will keep each of you and your families in my prayers!

If you are still looking for Lenten resources, including tasty meatless meal recipes, be sure to visit our Lent page at CatholicMom.com.

Lenten Guess the Question

Reader Ruth is looking for the March 2006 issue of Catechist magazine, which contained the "Lenten Guess the Question" game. Do you have a copy? Does anyone know about this game? Can you help? If yes, comment here or email lisa@catholicmom.com.
Thanks!

Fun with Nephews

I just wanted to let everyone know that this week, I have the joy of caring for my two Chicago nephews Evan (3) and Tyler (1) while their Mommy and Daddy are in Las Vegas celebrating ten years of marriage. It's such fun to have the boys - they are showing me my age! If blogging is limited this week, it's because I'd rather be playing! Hope to share some pictures of these cuties soon!

CatholicMom.com Weekly Column Roundup

Hi everyone! As usual, we've got some great columns over at CatholicMom.com this week. I hope you can take a few minutes to enjoy some of the following:

40 Lenten Resolutions by Sherry Antonetti

The Many Facets of Motherhood: Yearning for Divine Grace by Meredith Henning

The Relationship between Prayer and Free Will by Patrice Fagnant MacArthur

Staying Active in Cold Weather Months by Lynn Bode, Fitness Focus

Big Man inside Boy is Slow to Emerge by Marybeth Hicks

Mom's Rigged Cookie Pot by Lisa Barker

Heidi's Super Weekend

I loved this post by our CatholicMom.com Adoption columnist, Heidi Hess Saxton. Isn't it amazing how a husband helping, some good cuddling and a little rest can make the world seem wonderful? Great post Heidi! Thanks for sharing and inspiring!