Believing in the Lord's Love

Greetings! Well, it's here. Deep breath. My latest book, Woman of Worth: Prayers and Reflections for Women Inspired by the Book of Proverbs, officially comes out on June 15. Each chapter takes a verse or two from Proverbs 31 and offers a personal story, a reflection, a portrait of a woman saint who exemplifies the verse, questions to ponder, and a prayer. Curious? My publisher, Twenty-Third Publications, has an online sample available .

In addition, I've done short videos on each of the chapters, if you'd like to check them out.

Of course, I hope you'll buy the book from your favorite local or online bookstore (or at an event, and more on that later). But mostly, I hope that despite the busyness of everyday life, you'll take a few minutes today to think about how much God loves you... and how worthy He finds you.



Friends in Faith: Paula Lazor

One of the first times I spent serious time with Paula Lazor, she talked of helping and defending a good friend. The friend was an elderly woman who had said something untoward after a lifetime of professional excellence and was being treated as a pariah as a result. Paula’s eyes flashed as she told the story. What she didn’t know was that that friend had been one of my career idols, someone with whom I’d been fortunate enough to spend time on a few occasions. As I watched Paula, I thought, she’s someone I’d like to have on my side in a fight.

Now, she’s written about a different kind of fight, one of getting her son the right education program after years of struggle, in her book, Beyond the Box: How Hands-On Learning Can Transform A Child and Reform Our Schools . It’s clear God was the source of her strength and inner peace as she continued to push through roadblocks and adversity to advocate for her son.

Paula shows me that the Lord desires not only prayer from us, but also action on His behalf.

On the Nightstand: Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story

It's a funny thing. My Protestant friends generally have no problem telling you about how they came to love the Lord. That's probably why it comes easily to me; I learned a lot from the way they witnessed to me and continue to witness to the world. But Catholics, for whatever reason, often find that a struggle. That's why I'm delighted Nancy HC Ward has put together Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story: Tools, Tips & Testimonies. I gave it a quick skim a few months ago and plan to dig in this month. The book has a great setup, explaining what a faith story is and guidance on how you might want to communicate yours. Nancy also offers testimonies/examples from 30 Catholics, and I'm especially looking forward to reading about their journeys.