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Rita Buettner

Rita Buettner is a wife, working mother and author of the Catholic Review's Open Window blog. She and her husband adopted their two sons from China, and Rita often writes about topics concerning adoption, family and faith.

Rita also writes The Domestic Church, a featured column in the Catholic Review. Her writing has been honored by the Catholic Press Association, the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association and the Associated Church Press.

How is God like a flyswatter? (answered by ChatGPT and a human)

January 19, 2023
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

Dolly Parton said, “I feel closest to God when I write.” That’s how I feel, too. So, it’s hard for me to believe that any kind of computer program or artificial intelligence can write the way a person can, bringing light and beauty and emotion to the written form.

Abundance in the New Year, Rubik’s cubes, random selfies, and more (7 Quick Takes)

January 15, 2023
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized

Whenever I have avocado toast for breakfast, I remember the year that my New Year’s resolution was eating avocado toast more often.

The Story of the Missing Pizza

January 12, 2023
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

The other night I ordered a pizza for dinner. When a text came through saying the pizza had been delivered, I checked, and there was nothing on our porch. For whatever reason, our house doesn’t show up properly on every GPS, so I wasn’t shocked. I called the pizza place and explained what had happened. […]

Quick Pick-up

January 8, 2023
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church

Sometimes we are seeking transformation when what we really need is more gentle growth.

Celebrating Epiphany and other late-Christmas fun (7 Quick Takes)

January 7, 2023
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

It was Epiphany Sunday when we received the referral to adopt our older son, so this time of year always makes me smile. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are wonderful gifts, but that phone call brought the best news we had ever received.

Returning a Christmas Gift

January 5, 2023
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

Hi Santa, I’m sorry, but I’d like to send this back. Yes, I know we had asked for a Christmas break again this year, but this wasn’t quite what we had in mind.

Christmas treats, victories, and memories (7 Quick Takes)

December 29, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

We’ve reached the point in our Christmas break where I am not entirely sure what day of the week it is. What I do know is that we are still in the midst of our Christmas celebrations.

Gifts under a Christmas tree

A Christmas Eve Miracle

December 27, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

On Christmas Eve morning, we woke up to find that our furnace had stopped working.

When the end of Advent is a scramble to the finish

December 18, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

In these final days of Advent, I am way behind on my preparation for Christmas.

Finding our way through the darkness

December 13, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

At this time of year, alarm clocks seem to go off during the middle of the night. But we have to get up and get the day started, even when it looks like midnight outside. So, I climb out of bed and make sure my high schooler is awake. I ask him what he wants […]

Journeying toward Christmas

December 4, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

When we were waiting to adopt our older son, we had a long to-do list.

Ready or not, it’s Advent

November 27, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

Maybe you didn’t even realize Advent had started. You feel like you’ve fallen behind. Advent will rush by, and Christmas will come, and you’ll never catch up.

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