As I've mentioned previously in this newsletter, I loved the movie Inside Out 2. It introduces a new emotion into the mind of the 13-year-old protagonist, one that many of us know well: Envy. ​ It can seem impossible to avoid envy. That girl has cute shoes,...

My view as I write this newsletter! Swoon. Prayer requests For baby Brynn who made her appearance this week! And for her mom, Carly For everyone traveling for the holiday For a special intention!   Whenever someone asks, "How do you hear God's voice?" my answer...

Last night after mass, I made a new friend on the stairs in front of the church. It was the best kind of new friend – a friend introduced by another good friend! We fell deep into conversation, which continued even after our mutual friend had left, and quickly got to...

On Sunday morning, my friends and ran the Cherry Blossom ten-miler (last race of the spring, I promise!). At the crack of dawn, we went out to find electric Lime bikes to ride down to the start line. As soon as the three of us rented the bikes and started riding, it...

Happy Easter friends!! We have made it through the Lenten season, into a time of great celebration, joy, and feasting. I hope you had a blessed Easter Sunday with the people you love! ​ A common refrain in this Easter season is Psalm 118:24: This is the day the Lord...

Can you believe it's Holy Week? This is my favorite week of the year to be a Catholic. Gorgeous masses, rich traditions, and so much incense! And of course, it all leads to the celebration of Easter. We're so close! ​ I wrote before how this has been the Lent of...

This past weekend, I ran the DC Rock N Roll half-marathon with my little brother and a bunch of friends. My goal was to run it in 2 hours (cutting about 5 minutes off my previous time from almost 10 years ago!) But about two months ago, I hurt my knee and had to sit...

I love nothing more than a deep convo with a good friend. Inevitably, at some point in the conversation, they’ll share something they’re going through – a suffering in their life, an annoyance at work, a personal situation, or some other difficulty. My response is...

Happy Tuesday, friends! Let's talk about doing hard things. ​ We swim in a culture that proclaims "good things are hard," and that anything worth doing or achieving is usually difficult. I have worked for things that required immense sacrifice, discipline, and...

A few years ago, my good friend Bridget and I were having a conversation about sin, and she said something that has stayed with me since: "All sin is simply a result of us grasping at a good thing that we don't trust God wants to give us freely." Oof. ​ I have seen...

Last week on the podcast, I shared my word of the year for 2024: fun. As usual, this word has many "satellite" words that accompany it, including childlike, trust, freedom, joy, play, etc. In my prayer, I've come to see that there are countless ways this word can...

Let's talk about everyone's favorite subject: humility. ​ To be totally candid, I have an ideal vision of humility, and it looks like this: ​ [Zoom in on an open floor office plan. Jane and her colleagues are working at their desks, diligently. A partner from the firm...

How does God want to surprise you this Christmas? ​ When I think of Christmas, I think of traditions. For my family, these include reading Twas Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, hosting a caroling party, attending Christmas Eve mass, and having to pause on...

If you've been here for any length of time, you're probably quite aware that I am a *big* St. Jude fan. St. Jude, the apostle and friend of Jesus, is often forgotten about because his name is so similar to that of the traitor (Judas Iscariot). However, those who ask...

One of my favorite things about being Christian is that we are constantly being invited to grow. Actually, sometimes I find this very annoying because every time I think I'm "good," the Lord reveals a new place for me to let Him work. ​ Over the past year, I've...

This past Sunday's first reading is one of my very favorites: the Proverbs 31 Woman. The world is always telling us what it means to be a woman, and it can be overwhelming to try to live up to every expectation being thrown at us from every direction. However, the...

One of my toxic traits is that I often overextend myself. Everything always just sounds so FUN! I have long been notorious for "stacking" events; i.e., a happy hour followed by a dinner followed by a birthday party, etc. The reality of living this way, however, became...

A couple of weeks ago, two of my friends discovered that I had never read John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. To remedy that, one of them lent me her book and I dove in. I really enjoyed East of Eden and was excited for another journey through my beloved Northern...

One of the most significant benefits of writing this weekly newsletter is that I'm constantly on the lookout for God's movements in my daily life – partly because I want to be aware of His presence, and also because come Monday evening, I need something to write...

On Friday night, after a DC Restaurant Week dinner, my friend and I passed a bar where a young father was standing outside, holding a brand new fresh little baby. My friend and I gasped at the cuteness and I said a quick little mental prayer: “Wow, Jesus, it would...

Everyone who has ever pursued God seriously and made an effort to grow in faith has come up against a very specific question at some point on the journey: What is God's will for my life? How can I be *sure* I am doing it? ​ Monday was the feast day of St. Ignatius of...

    I am over the moon to finally share the project I've been working on all summer... ​ Welcome to our Fruit of the Spirit Series! 🍓🍏🍇🍉🍋 ​ Over the next nine weeks, we'll be diving into the Fruit of the Spirit together! I've been drawn to these gifts again and again...

    Trust is the foundation of our relationship with Jesus. ​ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverb 3:5-6 ​ Without trust, our prayers, our devotions,...

    Happy 4th of July!! I hope you're celebrating the day with friends and family and soaking up some sunshine. I love this holiday because it celebrates freedom, and we know, deep in our souls, that freedom is good. ​ But in the midst of our fireworks and hot dogs, I...

    I love personality tests. ​ Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, Big Five, DiSC, the St. Catherine of Siena Charism identifier, Colors, the one that rhymes with shmeneagram... I’ve done them all. And I don’t think I’m alone – personality tests are a $2b industry, with...

 A couple of months ago, I wrote about "hyper-fixation," and how the enemy uses it to distract us from all of the good God is doing in our lives so we feel discouraged and frustrated about the one thing He (seemingly) isn't doing. In the time since, I've had quite a...