Review: The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living

Long-time fans of Greg and Jennifer Willits, familiar with the Willits’ raw honesty on the Rosary Army Podcast, their fun and faithful antics on That Catholic Show, and recently, their misadventures in Mass Confusion, will find The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living a delightful and entertaining book.

Reading their anecdotes is like showing up at their back door in search of a cup of coffee in the kitchen with Jennifer, or a beer on the porch with Greg. It’s friendly. Engaging. Fun.

Honest.

They don’t claim to be perfect…and if you’ve heard them on their Sirius/XM talk show during the week, you’ll know they are sometimes a mess, but that’s what makes them real…and really lovable.

Greg and Jennifer, or how I like to refer to them, Jennifer and Greg, are just regular folks trying to live their lives faithfully. They truly are the family next door…or in my case, sitting in the pew next to me.

They are the folks you worship with and share a handshake with during the Sign of Peace. They’re the ones who wave you into the exit line in the parking lot, or baby-sit your kids, or make taco dinners to celebrate family and friends.

In short, they’re regular people, just like you and me.

So why should you pick up a copy of their book and read it?

Because they’re regular people like you and me.

Sometimes we just need to hear that whatever is going on in our lives is not weird or out of kilter with the rest of the world. Reading about their adventures in imperfect living makes me feel encouraged in my own faith journey, which is full of my own imperfections.

It’s not a guide or a manual; it’s a visit with the Catholic family next door, and no visit is complete without a little catechesis being lived out in the daily grind, a little self-deprecating humor when things go wrong, and a huge dose of love for Jesus Christ, His Mother,  and the Holy Church…all thrown in together with a lot of love.

Review: A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms

When I received my copy of Lisa Hendey’s new book, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, I did a little dance in the driveway. I’m nerdy that way — who doesn’t love to get stuff in the mail? When it’s a book — JOY!

Of course, I immediately sat down to read it, but rather than starting on page one, I flipped around, stopping to read when I recognized a favorite Saint, but also when I ran across a Saint that I didn’t know.

I spent about an hour reading in this manner, and I didn’t realize how much time had passed until my husband asked if I had picked up the mail.

Oh! I was that engrossed!

One of the things that I like about Lisa’s writing is that it comes from a practical place. Her first book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms, is a resource that can be used, re-used, and adapted to mothers’ needs. A Book of Saints takes that to the next spiritual level. As mothers, we are well-aware of our responsibilities to provide sound instruction for our children, but we also need to nourish ourselves spirtually along the way.

In spite of my enthusiastic jump into the book and the sporadic jumping around to get a feel for the contents, I recognized a different gift in the book. Lisa presents us with companions on a faith journey that spans a year.

One part history, one part reflection, and one part mini-retreat, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms will slow me down. I love that. It meets me where I am (needing some spiritual growth) and asks of me something I can easily work into my busy schedule (52 saints instead of a daunting 365).

Whether I sit down with my new companions for a little while every day, or in a weekly marathon session to get everything read at once, I know I’ll be a better mom and a better Christian for spending time in the company of Saints.

Thanks Lisa!

in which I review The Mighty Macs

If you’ve been doing the rounds on Facebook and Twitter, you’ve probably seen a lot of activity on the new movie, The Mighty Macs, which opens this weekend.

It’s a fun movie if you’re looking for a few laughs and a little inspiration. Happy endings tend to do that for me.

What I didn’t expect was that it would open the flood gates of memories for me. You see, I was a young girl playing basketball in those early 70’s. It was just too much fun reliving those days…I still have a great big ole smile on my face when I think about it.

I saw a preview of The Mighty Macs a couple of weeks ago, and reviewed it over at Patheos! Go check it out…I interviewed the amazing Theresa Grentz and Katie Hayak…see what they have to say about playing on the championship Immaculata team, in real life and reel life…

I love basketball and I love nuns.

It’s a left over from my Catholic youth, playing ball at Christ the King Elementary School and St. Pius X High School in Atlanta, so imagine my joy to attend a special preview for The Mighty Macs, which opens this weekend.

A movie about women’s basketball! With nuns? It got my attention.

And it captured my heart, because it’s wonderful.

Check out the rest of the review here, The Mighty Macs: More than a Game.

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