Author Archive for Julie Filby

One of "Those" Questions
0

One of “Those” Questions

by

I remember one night, not too long ago, when our 8-year-old’s homework assignment was to read a chapter from his religion book. As Quinn and I finished the section about patron saints, we chatted about the patron of ‘this and that’ and he mentioned St. Benedict—his favorite since learning about him in first grade. Quinn: What’s […]

CL11 -hbratton notxt
0

Silence Speaks

by

Some studies show that, on average, men say about 6,000 words a day, and women close to 9,000 (it may come as no surprise to many of you that the tally is higher for us ladies). Too many? Too few? Just about right? Every spring (this year it was Sunday May 20th) we mark World […]

In a Funk?
0

In a Funk?

by

As busy people with spouses, kids, jobs, responsibilities, we’re all bound to fall into a funk from time-to-time — a phase when we feel dejected, overwhelmed, ungrateful, unappreciated or just plain blah, sometimes for no good reason. So what can we do about it? Ride it out? Throw up our hands? Yell at our kids? […]

God's Timing: Mothers Know How, but God Knows When
0

God’s Timing: Mothers Know How, but God Knows When

by

After breakfast in bed or brunch out on the town on Sunday, many families will celebrate Mother’s Day by planting flowers together. While I can’t speak for the rest of the country, here in Colorado there’s a rule of thumb that flowers simply *should not* be planted any sooner. Up until that time, the chance […]

Prove Jesus Isn't a Fairy Tale
0

Prove Jesus Isn’t a Fairy Tale

by

Santa Claus? Check. Easter Bunny? Check. Tooth Fairy? Check. Even Leprechauns. My 5-year-old believes in all these things. Yet last Sunday on the drive to Mass she announced: “I don’t think Jesus is real. I think he’s made up.” Wwwhat?! I thought I had till at least 10 or 12 before that started (or what […]

The Church Wasn't Meant to be the "Cool Mom"
0

The Church Wasn’t Meant to be the “Cool Mom”

by

When I was asked to share my perspective on the HHS mandate, I thought there must be a mistake. Surely folks would rather hear from a good Catholic. A perfectly NFP-practicing, saved herself for marriage—five, six, seven-kid-having Catholic woman. That hasn’t exactly been my path. Not to mention, what could I possibly add to the […]

What if There Were no Working Moms?
2

What if There Were no Working Moms?

by

Before you say it, I agree: there’s no such thing as a mom that doesn’t work. I’m all for moms that work, stay home, and those somewhere in between. —JDF A few weeks ago, an article “Motherhood and the Call to Holiness” seemed to pop up on every website, blog and feed I visited. Here, […]

Our Second Baby Needs a Name
1

Our Second Baby Needs a Name

by

At adoration last week, I prayed a rosary for a dear friend who recently lost a baby eight weeks into her pregnancy. My heart breaks for her. As I prayed in the quiet chapel, my heart became even heavier thinking about the loss of our own pregnancy at 13 weeks, around this time in 2006. […]

Top 10 Things I Heard in 2011
0

Top 10 Things I Heard in 2011

by

It’s that time of year. Billboard selects the Best of the Year in Music (I like Adele too). Newsweek determines Epic Wins (Tebow) and Fails (Tiger). And the Most Fascinating People of the year are named by ABC News (Steve Jobs, OK; but I’m afraid Barbara missed the mark with the Kardashians). Here’s my contribution […]

God Loves Crybabies
0

God Loves Crybabies

by

You know the saying: ”I was a great parent before my kids were born.” No doubt I fell into that category, and was a loving, patient and confident mother 24-7. Then our two little doses of reality arrived: How do I comfort an inconsolable infant in the middle of the night? Manage a fussy toddler throwing a […]

Good Thing Baby Jesus Wasn’t Claustrophobic
0

Good Thing Baby Jesus Wasn’t Claustrophobic

by

One day last year around this time, my then-4-year-old daughter and I stopped by a local Catholic store to pick up a gift. As you can imagine in a Catholic store during Advent, there were several Nativities on display. While I was browsing the candles, Vaughn was enjoying the Nativity scenes. I noticed she was […]

I, Julie Filby, Being of Sound Mind and Body
0

I, Julie Filby, Being of Sound Mind and Body

by

Five years ago from my bed at Swedish Hospital, I wrote the journal entry below. It sounds a bit like goodbye-instructions, my last will and testament, a ‘please-raise-the-kids-right-when-I’m-gone’ plea. However there was no imminent danger of my death. On the contrary, we were awaiting the gift of new life. Though she wasn’t due for about […]

Blessed Mother Rallies Bless’d Mother
0

Blessed Mother Rallies Bless’d Mother

by

The other day when meditating on a joyful mystery of the rosary: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple, I wondered: Did they ever consider making this a sorrowful mystery, “The Losing of Jesus for Three Days?” Mary’s experience of searching anxiously for her son reminded me of one of my own experiences—one where the […]

Don't it Make My Blue Eyes Green
0

Don’t it Make My Blue Eyes Green

by

I had one of those days last week. The kind that starts out with a bad hair morning and snowballs into: I have no cute clothes, I’m a lousy writer, I’m a bad mom, etc. Naturally, this “I’m-Not-Good-At-Anything” day morphed into a “She’s-Good-At-Everything” day. Yes, the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head. [Please note: in […]