Looking ahead to Lent, cousins visiting, a mother’s mistake, and more (7 Quick Takes) February 19, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window It’s hard to believe that Lent starts in just a few days and that Ash Wednesday is this week. I’m looking forward to Lent and have no concrete plan yet—except filling our prayer basket with intentions to pick each morning.
A question to ask yourself as you prepare for Lent February 16, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Lent, Open Window As we look ahead to the start of Lent, I’ve been thinking that that is a question we can ask ourselves about our relationship with God. “How do we show God that we love him, and how does he show us that he loves us?”
Ramen and dumplings and stamps, oh my (7 Quick Takes) February 11, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Our children love ramen, but I don’t think I’ve ever made homemade ramen before.
Praying Through the Fear February 11, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window The search was continuing. I thought about keeping our son home from school. Schools not far from us had been closed, but ours was open. Our son was eager to go, and I had to believe that he would be safe there. I have to have faith in our school leaders and teachers and law enforcement. We can’t live every day in fear.
What does it taste like? February 5, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Some questions are difficult to answer. What is it like to receive the Eucharist? What is it like to believe that this life we are enjoying is just a part of a whole extraordinary journey that leads us to God?
An open letter to Marie Kondo: Thanks for sparking my joy January 28, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized Dear Marie, I’m grinning ear to ear. I hear you’ve given up on a tidy house—and that you’re happier for it.
Happy Chinese New Year! Welcome to the Year of the Rabbit (7 Quick Takes) January 23, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Chinese New Year is absolutely my favorite holiday. It’s a chance to celebrate a new beginning and a special animal in the zodiac by connecting with friends and family and food.
How is God like a flyswatter? (answered by ChatGPT and a human) January 19, 2023By 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, 2023By 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, 2023By 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. […]
Celebrating Epiphany and other late-Christmas fun (7 Quick Takes) January 7, 2023By 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, 2023By 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.
