Etextbook Teaching Strategies from Ave Maria Press on Vimeo.

Youth events like this one rarely, if ever, involve the parents of teens and parents need an opportunity to gather as parents for support and regular opportunities to pray together for their teenagers.  There is so much anxiety out there, so many parents who feel that they don’t know how to help their teens negotiate the culture and deal with all the issues out there…  This, I believe is where the church comes in.  Parents can only DO so much, at some point they need to let go and let God…   As parents, we need to turn to prayer more often, God has a plan for our teenagers, a plan we don’t often understand.  This hour of prayer with Sarah Hart in the middle of this exciting day at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, offers parents a time of quiet to gather for support and encouragement from each other and from Jesus.  It gives them permission to pause, disconnect and listen for God’s voice.

The event will feature some amazing speakers and artists, including Matt Maher, Sarah Hart, Addison Road and much more.  Check out all of the details on the Nor Cal On Fire Jam website at http://norcalcatholicyouth.com/.

What I’d forgotten in my own lead up to this moment were the emotions of that man – the husband and father – my partner for the past nineteen years in this amazing project called “Being Eric’s parent”. The chief lego builder, action figure player, and plastic sword swashbuckler who’d chosen his medical specialty and practice setting around his ability to devote more time to his family.  No surgery subspecialty or private practice for this dad, who wanted more than anything to “be there” for his sons.  In my own introspection, I’d expected him to be there for me to pick up the pieces as he always does.  But in typical Lisa fashion, I’d forgotten that Greg would have his own “pieces” too…

So we stood and held one another in that moment, then went and had a strong cup of airport coffee while we waited for news that Eric’s plane had departed.  Then we drove the three hours home to Fresno, me sleeping and Greg, rock steady as he always is, manning the wheel.

The great irony of that goodbye scene is that it’s only the start.  Eric is at Harvard this week, participating in a pre-orientation at Harvard as a part of the “Dorm Crew”.  The kid who never in his life cleaned a toilet will be spending a few days dealing with other people’s grunge as he and his fellow crew-mates ready the Harvard dorms for their fellow students.

For the past few days, I’ve received a few furtive texts in response to my motherly queries to verify that he’s still alive.

Him:  “I’ve landed”

Me:  “Are at the dorm yet? Do you have your keys?  Are you checked in?”

Him:  “Yes”

Me (early the next morning):  “Are you awake yet?”

Him:  “Yes”

… A man of few words, like his dad.  Something’s telling me to give him his space right now, so I’m fighting back my compulsion to text every half hour, to make sure he’s brushed his teeth, and to harp on the fact that I know he’s not getting enough sleep (this surmised from a late night Facebook update).  His wings have been developing for the past few years, but now it’s time for them to spread and soar fully.  He’s ready, and even though I may not be, it’s my job to enjoy the view and to keep up the prayers.

Next week, we’ll repeat the goodbye.  Greg and I will leave Tuesday to fly out and move Eric into his dorm at Harvard.  There will be trips to Target for dorm essentials, tours of campus from his now-knowledgeable perspective, dinner with his roommate’s parents, and yet another goodbye.  I’ve scheduled a “nervous breakdown” for the 27th through the 29th – Greg and I will spend those days in Monterey at a retreat for his hospital.  Adam will be safe at home with Grandma, luxuriating in his new “only child” status, and likely missing his big brother in his own way.

My friends have been amazing during the past few days.  They know me as the mom who cried on the first day of school every year since Kindergarten, the mom who hates the absence of her boys, and the one who would have gladly welcomed ten more kids but has done her best to treasure the two God blessed her with.  They have called me, prayed with me, and tried to distract me.  Along with Greg and Adam and my family, they will be here for me to help me figure out this new form of reality and to embrace it fully.

I miss Eric, but I can’t wait to learn about what being “Eric’s mom” means for our future.

Video Link

My friend Maria Riz Marsella is the creative genius behind SacredVerse.com, a service that employs technology to respond to the call for the New Evangelization.  Riz and her partners have created a weekly service that you can enjoy yourself or gift to someone special in your life.  The three services currently offered include:

• SACRED BIBLE VERSES – Sacred Bible Verses will be texted to your cell phone every Monday for 52 weeks.
• INSIGHTS OF GREAT SAINTS – Inspiring Insights of Great Saints will be texted to your cell phone every Wednesday for 52 weeks.
• PAPAL REFLECTIONS – Spiritually rich Papal Reflections will be texted to your cell phone every Friday for 52 weeks.

For busy moms and dads on the go, receiving this type of “byte sized” inspiration via text (but not while you’re driving!) can be a perfect “pick me up” for your spiritual life.  This is also the perfect way to share the faith with our teens and young adults, who love their cell phones.

For subscription information visit www.SacredVerse.com.

Have you ever heard a Pentecostal Preacher? Ever heard a Catholic who used to be a Pentecostal Preacher? Join Tom in this Deacon Moment about Alex Jones and his conversion.

Lisa Mladnich shares a “public service announcement” for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

As we near Divine Mercy Sunday, Sarah Reinhard uses this week’s Mary Moment to share her experience with praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. She also mentions the free Rosary CDs from Catholicity, the Divine Mercy Novena, and the sung version of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Greatness in Our Teenagers: A 10 Step Guide for Parents and Educators
• Greatness in Teens website
• Music – Popple, Matthew Baute
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Catholic Company
• The Handbook for Catholic Moms:  The Catholic Company, Amazon, Aquinas and More or Barnes & Noble
• Lisa’s Facebook Profile, SQPN Connect Page, Plurk, Twitter
• Catholic Mom Logo Store
• Yoursphere

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I don’t text while driving, but am guilty of checking my iPhone at red lights – this campaign reminds me that I am setting a bad example for my kids that could lead to life and death circumstances.  Email and phone calls can wait too!

A proud wife and mother of five children (both biological and adopted, ranging in age from 4-17 years old), Mary Kay Hoal faces the same challenges every parent does: keeping her kids safe; raising them to be good, happy and well-balanced people; and providing them with the tools and support to create their own future.  While Mary Kay readily admits that she didn’t “get” the whole online social networking phenomenon at first, she quickly recognized its importance in her kids’ lives. After researching the disturbing landscape of social networking sites—including endless inappropriate content and thousands of predators targeting youth—Mary Kay’s mission became clear: raise the bar.  Yoursphere is a terrific online community where kids and teens connect, share and inspire — all in a place the puts Internet safety first. Parents can relax while kids and teens have fun.

A visit to a U. S. military cemetery near Florence Italy is the fodder for this week’s Deacon Moment with Deacon Tom Fox. Tom suggests we applaud all our veterans and to pray for them on this, their special day.

Sarah Reinhard’s struggling with prayer, and her Mary Moment reflection this week includes a quote from Mother Teresa’s Secret Fire: The Encounter That Changed Her Life and How It Can Transform Your Own, by Joseph Langford, and thoughts on tapping into Mary’s desire to help us succeed.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Yoursphere
• Mary Kay Hoal’s Blog
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests – Pregnancy Product Giveaway
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Catholic Company
• Lisa’s Facebook Profile, SQPN Connect Page, Plurk, Twitter
• Catholic Mom Logo Store

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Like many of you, I have admired Dr. Coleen’s work on her terrific Ave Maria Radio program, “The Doctor is In”.  But there is much more to know and love about this terrific wife and mother of five.    Her professional bio from TMG Speakers gives a great overview of the breadth of her expertise:

Coleen Kelly Mast, an author, public speaker and radio talk show host, is a pioneer in the field of chastity education. Dr. Mast currently hosts a popular call-in radio advice show, The Doctor Is In produced and syndicated by Ave Maria Radio for more than 100 stations of the Catholic Radio Association, EWTN and Sirius Satellite Radio. She provides Catholic-flavored practical solutions to callers who seek her advice on a variety of personal, spiritual and family problems.

Mast holds an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Quincy University, a Masters Degree in Health Education and Secondary teaching certificates in four specialty fields: Theology, Health, Physical Education and Science. She has taught at the elementary, junior high and high school levels and has been involved in Family Life Education since 1975.

Mast has written both the ‘Love and Life’ and ‘Sex Respect’ chastity education programs, which include books, seminars and videos for teachers, teens and parents. Mast’s programs have been sold in 23 countries and all 50 states. She has appeared on Oprah, Geraldo, Mother Angelica Live, 60 Minutes, andat Steubenville High School Youth Conferences. Mast has debated the Presidents of SEICUS and Planned Parenthood on television and debated ACLU representatives on public radio.

She assisted with the writing of the USCC Bishops 1992 document on Human Sexuality Education Guidelines, and in 1997 Mast was one of four people from the United States invited to the Vatican by the Pontifical Council for the Family for an in-depth study of the ‘Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality’ document when it was released. Based on those teachings and the need for additional parent catechesis today, her ‘Love and Life’ Parent and Teen Series was updated for 2006 complete with Imprimatur and published by Ignatius Press.

She has been married for 30 years to Kent Mast. They have five children and live in Illinois.

Several times a month, I find myself referring parents who contact me to Coleen’s website at www.SexRespect.com.  Her resources, aimed at providing a Christian moral framework for sexual abstinence, are a life saver for families struggling with the pressures placed on today’s teens by their peers and society.  While I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Coleen Kelly Mast in person, I remain a tremendous fan of her work and thank Matthew Warner for the opportunity to introduce this Catholic speaking champion to our readers.

Congrats to my friend and awesome Catholic musician Bryan Murdaugh sharing the good news about his ministry group 5thousand.  It seems that the guys, Bryan and Mike, will be making a big splash at the upcoming NCYC.  I’m still trying to figure out how to get someone to sponsor my attendance at this mega event for Catholic youth  (LOL – big sponsors, I promise to wear your patches and stickers all over my body if you’ll just pay for me to go!).  Anyway, just in case you’re lucky enough to be going, be sure to check out 5thousand and tell Bryan I said hello!

Kansas City, MO, — The event ministry group 5thousand will be saying “hello” to teenagers from around the country at the Kansas City Convention Center on November 19th, 2009. As the exhibit hall – known to participants as the “Reign Forest” – opens, Mike Sylvester and Bryan Murdaugh (the co-founders and principals of the ministry) will be greeting and challenging young people to live their faith, just as they do in the events that they put on for Dioceses and Parishes in their travels. Sylvester, a seasoned youth minister and vibrant speaker, said “the conference is really the first chance we’ve had to introduce ourselves on the National level, and it’s really exciting.” Though the duo has been running retreats, rallies, prayer services, and other ministry work as 5thousand for about a year, they hope that exhibiting at the National Catholic Youth Conference will enable them to share the Gospel with young people in an increasing number of parishes, schools, and at large diocesan events.

5thousand focuses on being an all-inclusive event ministry. They specialize in covering the planning from start to finish, helping coordinate themes and then running the entire event. Murdaugh, a Catholic worship leader, recording artist, speaker, and parish youth minister says “we really are soup-to-nuts. When we arrive for an event we want the local team to relax and know that everything will be taken care of. You bring the teens, we bring the rest.”

To find out more information about 5thousand’s offerings and events, visit their website at www.5thousand.com.

A special thanks to my friend Maureen Wittmann for sharing the following good news about a special ongoing series of events over at Homeschool Connections!  Coming on the heels of our family visit to Pomona College this weekend (click here to see my photos!), this information is very timely.  If you have a student who is not yet in senior year of high school, it’s definitely not too early to get busy informing yourself!  Here’s the information from Maureen:

October is Catholic College Month at Homeschool Connections and it begins today! Though the response has been so positive that Catholic College Month covers October and November. Homeschool Connections is offering a series of free webinars (online seminars) for parents and students Catholic higher education. The first event is on college financing and so is a good one to attend even if your children are young. Note that these webinars are for everyone, not just homeschoolers.

This is also a tremendous opportunity to meet first hand (electronically, at least) with key admissions officials at some of the great Catholic universities and colleges in the US, and it’s FREE!

Click on the links below to register or learn more:

• How to Pay for College Without Breaking the Bank October 5 @ 8:30 p.m. ET
  
• Meet Franciscan University on October 21 @ 3 p.m. ET
• Meet Wyoming Catholic College on October 28 @ 8:30 p.m. ET
• Ave Maria University on October 29 @ 8:00 p.m. ET
  
• Meet Christendom College on November 5 @ 8:30 p.m. ET
• University of Dallas on November 9 @ 7:30 p.m. ET
• Meet University of St. Thomas (Houston, TX) on November 10 @ 8:30 p.m. ET

Please note that space is limited so register soon. These events are recorded and will be available to anyone who is unable to attend. You will be able to find links to those recordings within 48 hours of the live event at Homeschool Connections: Catholic College Month.

Please feel free to share this information with others who may be interested. The more we can share about faithful Catholic education the better!

Congratulations to Maria Marsella, founder of the new service SacredVerse.com, on her creative use of new media technology in evangelization.  Maria has shared the following press release to introduce our CatholicMom.com readers to SacredVerse.com:

Wishing to stay in touch with her daughter away at college and taking her cue from Pope Benedict XVI’s call to use modern technologies to spread the Gospel, Maria Marsella founded SacredVerse.com, a communications tool now available on the Internet.

“I wanted to stay connected to my daughter without being a nag,” Marsella explains. “I also wanted to encourage her to keep God in the center of her life, a challenge for any parent.”

On a subscription basis, SacredVerse.com automatically sends to a cell number a weekly verse taken from Sacred Scripture and the writings of saints and recent popes.  For example, the papal message last week quoted Pope John Paul II: “The truth is not always the same as the majority decision.” The Scripture verse was James 1:2: “Count it all joy when you meet trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” The messages are selected based on their pertinence to the times we live in, Marsella explains.

The inspiration for SacredVerse.com came to Marsella when she noticed that text messaging was the best way to communicate with her daughter.  “She seldom answered her phone and e-mails,” Marsella says, describing an experience shared by many parents, “so I decided to text message and discovered that she would more readily respond.”

Marsella sometimes squeezed into a text more than a reminder to take vitamins. “People use text messaging to send jokes and vote on American Idol,” Marsella says, “so I decided to send something uplifting.” To her surprise, her daughter appreciated the encouragement.

Pope Benedict XVI has also noted the widespread use of cell phones among youth.  “Young people, in particular, have grasped the enormous capacity of the new media to foster connectedness, communication and understanding,” he said in a May 2009 speech, noting that “many benefits flow from this new culture of communication.”

One of these benefits is that families can remain in touch with each other over long distances, the Pope added, but he urged that attention be paid not only to the speed and efficiency of modern communications but also to the quality of its content, a call that Marsella has taken to heart. “Text messages can be a tool of evangelization,” she says.

SacredVerse.com can be used by parents to evangelize their children, but also by anyone who would like to send inspiring messages to the people they love. “Our children are not the only ones who need this kind of encouragement,” Marsella says. “The other beauty of text messaging is that you can forward it anywhere, anytime to as many friends as you want. In modern lingo this is called viral marketing,” Marsella continues. “Why not tap into that to lead others to Christ.”

For additional information, visit SacredVerse.com or call Riz Marsella, 415-260-8809.

Disclaimers aside, have you seen or heard about this British PSA to attempt to dissuade texting while driving.  I made a point of watching it with Eric and plan to show it to Adam as well.  We currently have texting blocked on their cell phones (much to their dismay), but the same distraction can happen while making a call, fiddling with a stereo, or chatting with a friend.  It’s always good to be reminded that a split second mistake while driving can be devastating.

I’d love to hear your take.  Will you show this video to your teens?  Does it make YOU want to drive more cautiously?  I will admit to being guilty of peeking at my iPhone while driving, so this was a great reminder to me to put it out of reach while I’m in the car so I’m not even tempted.