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Bold in Faith
Bold in Work
Bold in Life
To Feel _____ is a Blessing
On an unexpectedly cold fall day, a gust of wind blew across my face, jostling my scarf in its tumultuous path. And for that, I was thankful. Thankful to be able to feel. Thankful for my scarf. Thankful that I was less than 100 feet away from a warm apartment. ...
Why You Should Choose a Word of the Month
At the beginning of 2020, I ambitiously announced my word of the year: lightheartedness. I wanted to live more lightly, to hold things more loosely, to experience the highs and the lows with joy. Lighthearted seemed to me a Christlike virtue that so many people...
November 4
I’m not one to make election predictions, but I do predict that on November 4, 2020, we will not know who will be the next president of the United States. I’m worried that our country is not prepared for this kind of non-result in a general election, especially this...
To Hear God Anew
Letting God in on our decisions is SO important, and there are so many decisions we have to make in this long (yet short, compared to our time in heaven) life of ours….. Whom should we marry?Where should we live?Where should we work?How many children do we want?When...
The Strength of Surrender
I grew up an athlete in Chicago, and to say that I am competitive? That would be an understatement. My six siblings and I are naturally competitive. I was particularly driven to succeed in every aspect of life, whether it was school, work, sports, family, or...
Choosing Greatness
The heart of the Christian life is intimacy with Christ on the cross. This past weekend I went on silent retreat, and throughout it all, the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI came back again and again: “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for...
He Saw Her
When I started watching the first few seasons of Downton Abbey in the early 2010s, I remember being struck by Lady Mary’s composure and her reserve. I, by contrast, have always tended to wear my heart on my sleeve. As a consequence, this often made me the target of...
In the Orangery
“Jesus, I surrender myself to you - take care of everything.” // The Surrender NovenaI come back often to this place, one of my favorites in DC. It the “orangery” of the famous Dumbarton mansion in Georgetown. When it gets cold, the flowers and citrus plants from...
The Unpopular Virtue
"Chastity is the most unpopular of the Christian virtues. There is no getting away from it; the Christian rule is, ‘Either marriage, with complete faithfulness to your partner, or else total abstinence.’ Now this is so difficult and so contrary to our instincts, that...
Defining Success
Wayward Buddies: What the graduate school application process taught me about God, discernment, and competition
As fall rapidly approaches and I settle in to begin my first year in my graduate program, I find myself thinking back to this time last year. I was refining my CV, fastidiously researching programs, attending virtual informational sessions, soaking in advice from...
Five Things I Wish I Knew When Starting my First Job
Starting a your first post-grad job? Feeling nervous/excited/ready/unsure? I've been there, and I've learned a lot along the way! Here are five things I wish I knew when starting my first job: 1. You're here to learn how to work In my opinion, our first...
5 Tips to Transform Your Next Interview
I recently started a new job (!!) at the Atlantic Council, the culmination of three years of hard work and prayer (more like begging) for a career that would fulfill me, excite me, and allow me to make a difference. Unfortunately along the way, writing cover letter...
Transitions
To Feel _____ is a Blessing
On an unexpectedly cold fall day, a gust of wind blew across my face, jostling my scarf in its tumultuous path. And for that, I was thankful. Thankful to be able to feel. Thankful for my scarf. Thankful that I was less than 100 feet away from a warm apartment. ...
Why You Should Choose a Word of the Month
At the beginning of 2020, I ambitiously announced my word of the year: lightheartedness. I wanted to live more lightly, to hold things more loosely, to experience the highs and the lows with joy. Lighthearted seemed to me a Christlike virtue that so many people...
November 4
I’m not one to make election predictions, but I do predict that on November 4, 2020, we will not know who will be the next president of the United States. I’m worried that our country is not prepared for this kind of non-result in a general election, especially this...
Work Well Wednesday
When can I stop discerning and start doing?
"When can I stop discerning and start doing?" Do you ever get stuck in the cycle of discernment, looking for a sign or some roses or a billboard that will tell you which way to go (ps if you want to hear an epic story about that rose⬆️, send me message!)? If...
Five Things I Wish I Knew When Starting my First Job
Starting a your first post-grad job? Feeling nervous/excited/ready/unsure? I've been there, and I've learned a lot along the way! Here are five things I wish I knew when starting my first job: 1. You're here to learn how to work In my opinion, our first...
Setting Boundaries at Work
Spoiler alert: the only person who has the ability to set and enforce your boundaries is you. I remember starting a job where I felt like I needed to be ON 24/7. At first, it was exciting. I was always on call, always needed, always in on the action. But after...
The SundayMonday Tuesday Archives
Choosing Greatness
The heart of the Christian life is intimacy with Christ on the cross. This past weekend I went on silent retreat, and throughout it all, the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI came back again and again: “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for...
The Joy List
Today I was walking around my neighborhood and came across a house that was fully decked out for Halloween. It was the whole shebang: cobwebs on the fence, skeleton ghost in the tree, and a black cat on the front door. I couldn't help but think - isn't it a little too...
Don’t Be Shark Bait
In 2017, my youngest brother, Cooper, and I went through a SCUBA diving certification course together. We sat through classes and took quizzes. Four days in, we were beyond ready to drop the pencils and get in the water. But even though we passed those tests with...