Setting boundaries helps teens form good habits
The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and the snow is melting from the ground (well, maybe not so much in the Lowcountry, but spring is certainly here). This means extra hours of daylight, spring break, proms, summer camps and college.
Reflections on faith show many ways to achieve spiritual growth
One of my favorite things about social media -- sites like Twitter and Facebook -- is that the Internet comes to me. Gone are the days of "surfing the Web." Now a question can be thrown out into cyberspace and instantly be rewarded with answers ranging from the practical to the ludicrous. Often, the variety of opinions provides great conversation starters and new challenges.
Nativity scene more than just a symbol
When my brother was a toddler, he was excited to help set up our family's nativity scene. After arranging the usual cast of characters -- Mary, Joseph, shepherds and wisemen -- he placed one of his toy airplanes between the cow and sheep.
'The Way' reminds us to make most of every step
While Charlie Sheen was "winning," it appears his father and brother, Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez were busy filming "The Way," a story of a man who walks the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James.
'Sexy' costume trend sends troubling message to girls
Halloween, though still a few weeks away, provides serious fodder for a "Pastor's Corner" column. Few holidays stir up as much controversy. Christians don't like the spooky supernatural overtones; police warn of the dangers of going door-to-door, and dentists offer prizes in exchange for candy to prevent cavities.
Respect: Best relationship advice of all
Like any single gal, I get a lot of unsolicited advice about dating. It ranges from the not-so-helpful ("You know, you're not getting any younger" ... thanks, I hadn't noticed), to the overly simplified ("You're just too picky" ... I know, right? Me and my crazy rules about illegal drug use.), to the absurd ("There are lots of men in Alaska" ... and then I could see Russia from my house?).
On a mission to help the underserved
Occasionally I get an email, Facebook message or comment that reminds me that there is a pretty great community out there reading The Bluffton Packet and, apparently, this column.
Parents, what's in your kids' spiritual backpacks?
Walmart is a constant source of anxiety. It's not the aisles of things like Pajama Jeans, generic Cheese Doodles or planters with plastic houseplants -- the things you don't need that you have to trip over to get to the toothpaste -- that causes this anxiousness. No, it's the store's stubborn insistence on promoting holidays a solid six months in advance that feeds my neurosis.
Last week Team Catholic -- specifically, teens from St. Francis By the Sea and St. Gregory the Great churches -- attended Catholic HEART Workcamp in Tampa, Fla.
Teaching modesty about much more than clothing
This afternoon I was typing up the packing list for Jesus Camp. Most things never change: no drugs, no alcohol, no weapons of mass destruction. However, each summer finds me racking my brain for what I need to add to the dress code. A lot has changed over the years, as I learned when my middle schoolers found a stack of pictures in the youth room.
In a hectic world, it's easy to get lost in the 'buffering'
As I write this, I'm also trying to catch up on the television I gave up for Lent. Of course, Hulu has made giving up TV a much less heroic sacrifice than it was back in the days when a missed episode was lost until reruns. Right now, I'm watching Will Ferrell's debut on "The Office" and so far, have seen the first minute and thirty-seven seconds about five times. Hulu -- an Internet site that shows television shows for free -- is usually reliable but for some reason tonight my connection is so slow it refuses to buffer.
Real meaning of 'winning' lost on Charlie Sheen
Even if you're not one of the more than two million people following Charlie Sheen on Twitter, you're probably aware of what he's been up to.
In hectic lives, it's the small moments that count most
I rarely arrive at work before our parochial school begins, which is at something like 8 a.m. -- an hour when I doubt even God is awake. But the other day I was in my office at 7:30 a.m., my eyeballs propped open with caffeine, watching the kiddos being dropped off for school, and I saw something that really left an impression on me.
Teens step up to challenge of upholding dignity of life
This past weekend St. Francis By the Sea and St. Gregory the Great Catholic churches took 34 seventh- through 12th-graders, 12 adults, two bus drivers, 300 Hot Hands, 150 granola bars and 50 sack lunches to Washington, D.C.
Hilton Head high student wants you to know, life is good
This weekend I'll be taking 38 teens and 12 adult chaperones to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Politics aside, it's a pilgrimage -- a spiritual journey -- that gives the teens an opportunity to prayerfully stand up for their beliefs. In Deuteronomy 30:19 we are told by God, "I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you are your descendents may live."
Those who plan for arrival reap the rewards
This Christmas I did not compose a newsletter, nor did I get Christmas cards out, nor did I begin shopping until Dec. 22. However, I have never felt so accomplished.
Reality checks should be done regularly
I don't remember why it came up over chips and salsa with my friends the other night, but I was absolutely shocked to discover that fire stations no longer have poles.
rss
mobile
