Gone Swimming

“…we become estranged from our body, looking at it as an object…” Crosby, John F., The Personalism of John Paul II   I’ve had a distorted body image for many years; in fact, I’d say, for most of…


You Are Worth It

Growing up, I felt I was different from the other girls. I didn't care about makeup, clothes, or boys; what I longed for was attention and nurturing from women. My mom was emotionally unavailable, so…


The Hidden Beauty of Brokenness

In the three years I've been a part of the Courage Apostolate, I've noticed we members are so often keenly aware of our own wounds. There can be commonalities - sometimes wounds of rejection,…


How Did I Get Here?

“How did I get here?” That’s the question that keeps coming to me in prayer.  The answer has been the same every time: Because God does not tire of being generous to us.  A few weeks ago, I made a…


Letting Go of "Mine"

Last night at the Courage meeting one of my brothers said something that rang a bell with me. He said something like, I feel like I own my friends. This reminded me of an old friend of mine who used…


Our Lord Sent Help

When we first sent him to college, Tommy was a very bright, nice young man, although socially behind his peers due to his Asperger’s tendencies. Throughout his time at college, my husband and I would…


We Fall Down and Get Up... Conclusion

Click HERE to read Part 1 of this entry “Who Are You?”   In the early 00’s, my then-lover moved to San Francisco and I wept with sadness and joy. Ultimately all the things I was doing were for him.…


We Fall Down and Get Up... Part 1

There’s a story from the Desert Fathers - I’ll credit Abba Paphnutius (one of you Patristics experts will correct me, but I’ve always wanted to use his name):    A pilgrim was traveling cross-country…


In the Footsteps of Bartimaeus

And as [Jesus] was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began…


Finding My Spiritual Home

It was the summer of 2019, and I was at my first Courage Conference. I'd never expected to be able to attend a conference, with how far away it is (I live in Scotland) and the cost to attend. But…