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

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

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.

Video Link

Please introduce yourself and your family to our readers.

Greetings to all Catholic moms!  You do a tremendous service to our Church and to your children through your selfless service.  Like our Blessed Mother, who spent her whole life in silent service in the shadow of her Son; the future Church will owe so much to the unseen love and guidance you provide to my generation and the generations to come.  As a young adult, I am only beginning to realize and appreciate the generosity and love my mother poured out on me all these years.  And as St. Monica prayer her son St. Augustine back to the Church, I know that the prayers of my mother and grandmother will continue to give me the strength to seek and serve our Lord.

My name is John Paul Rudolph and I am the eldest of 6 boys, born and raised in central Illinois.  Being an all male household, save my mom, I am sure that there is already a special place in heaven for her.  Growing up with all brothers is an exciting experience, and we were blessed with having strong, supportive Catholic parents who helped us take on our Catholic identity as our own.  You may remember my family from earlier interviews or articles – my mom heads up our family ministry: Rose of Sharon Media.  Our ministry has produced 5 CDs and multiple videos which have been featured on EWTN.  You can learn more about our family ministry and our music at www.roseofsharonmedia.com and www.johnpaulrudolph.com.

Can you fill us in on what’s been happening in your life recently?

The Lord continues to bless me with His unpredictability.  Last time I spoke with you, I believe I was half-way through graduate school and had just released Reflections, my solo album.  I was in a very exciting time in my life with so many opportunities ahead of me.  The Lord had blessed me academically, and I was preparing to become one of the youngest individuals to receive an MBA from the University of Illinois (at age 22).  In addition, He had blessed me throughout graduate school with a great Catholic community and potential job opportunities at multiple Fortune 500 companies after graduation.  I had the next few years planned out in my head, and it wasn’t until only a few months before graduation that the Lord threw me a curve ball.

One day, while talking over our future plans and opportunities, one of my friends casually challenged me to re-examine my career plans.  I had planned on starting a professional career, a family, and serving the Church in my spare time and after retirement; and it seemed with the educational opportunities the Lord had put in front of me, that this was His will.  However, after listening to my friend, I decided to pursue opportunities in direct service of the Church.

Over my college and graduate school years, I had been in contact with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students).  However, I was always very busy academically, was working part-time, and was involved in other Catholic groups as well as our family ministry.  I was friends with FOCUS missionaries at both Bradley and University of Illinois who directed me to the Executive Vice President of FOCUS who offered me a position in Denver.

It was the hardest decision of my life! I had taken out lots of loans to get through graduate school, and I would be passing up very good jobs to take this position which required me to fundraise my salary.  I was nervous about how this would affect my ability to support a family someday, the effect it would have on my career and that I would have to move 1,000 miles away instead of taking one of the other jobs in Illinois, closer to my friends and family.  However, after much prayer and reflection, I put my total trust in the Lord and accepted the position.

After working at FOCUS this past year, I am again amazed at how the Lord has blessed me.  He put me in a position where I could leverage my MBA education and my faith; the perfect match.

Please tell us about the mission of FOCUS.

Rooted in John Paul II’s call for a “New Evangelization,” FOCUS, The Fellowship of Catholic University Students, is a national outreach that takes recent college graduates (such as myself), trains us, and sends us out in teams to college campuses to introduce students to the love of Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church.  We meet these students where they are at in their walk of faith and invite them to examine the meaning and purpose of their lives.

Since 1998, FOCUS has grown to over 250 staff who will serve this coming academic year on nearly 50 campuses in the United States.  FOCUS has fostered over 188 vocations to the Priesthood and Religious life, 44 of which were this past year alone.

FOCUS missionaries reach students by winning them over through genuine friendships, building up their personal relationship Jesus Christ and their knowledge of the Catholic faith, and then sending them out to evangelize their peers.  We host events, conferences and retreats that foster relationships and provide social and spiritual growth opportunities. We facilitate small group discussion and bible studies to aid students in understanding and applying Sacred Scripture and other Catholic teaching to their everyday lives.  Lastly, we personally invest in the lives of our students through one-on-one mentoring in order to model Christ’s love and guidance; teaching them how to live their faith in the midst of life’s everyday demands and distractions.

You can find more information on our work at: www.focusonline.org.

What prompted you to become involved with FOCUS and what have you gained from this affiliation?

There were multiple reasons why I choose FOCUS; but I believe the most significant reason was that I had spent the previous 5 years in school and I saw first-hand the need for FOCUS on our campuses.

When I speak about the need for FOCUS, I share some of the scary statistics about declining mass attendance, sexual promiscuity, rape, abortion, depression, cutting, and other struggles on campus.  Most college students fit into at least one of these statistics before they graduate.  However, in the end, these are just numbers, and numbers are impersonal; except that I have friends who fit into each of these statistics.  I remember their struggles vividly, and have seen the effect it has had had on them years afterwards.  I don’t see numbers, I see faces; the faces of people I love.

When I look at the 16 million college students in the US, I see my peers, my friends, my future coworkers, the future teachers of our children, the future politicians who will be shaping the world, the future priests and religious who will help pass on the faith; I see the future of our Church.  College is that critical time where my peers set habits and make major decisions which affect the rest of their lives.  And it seems that this is the time where as a Church, we are least present in their lives.

FOCUS offers college students what they need most – a community of Christ-centered peers.  And almost as important, FOCUS offers students our missionaries; who just graduated, who recently experienced the struggles of college life, and who can help to guide them through one of the most important and formative times in their lives.

Beyond anything else, working for FOCUS has opened my eyes wider to the need for Christ in my life and the lives of my peers.  Every day I see the struggles they face, and celebrate their lives changed by the work that we do.  Through FOCUS, I have a front-row seat to see lives transformed through the loving power of our Lord.

How can Catholic families support FOCUS?

Your support is vital in helping us reach thousands of college students each year.  Above all, please pray for FOCUS, all of our missionaries, and all of the students we serve.  It is only through the power of the many prayers of our supporters that we are able to serve.

Also, prayerfully consider financially partnering with us in our mission.  Each missionary (like me) depends entirely on the generosity of others to support us in our work.  Through partnering with us, you “go by giving” and we “give by going”.  The benefits of adopting a FOCUS missionary are: (1) the Lord’s generosity; He richly blesses both the missionary and the Mission Partner (you); (2) it gives you a front-row seat to see the Lord transforming lives; (3) we keeps you up to date with our work through regular newsletter and other correspondence; and (4) we pray for you, your loved ones and your intentions in our daily mass, rosary and holy hour.

Lastly, our goal is to have missionary teams on over 100 campuses in the next 5 years, doubling the number of campuses we current serve.  Please prayerfully consider supporting us on a national level to help us expand to new campuses and bring Christ to tens of thousands of additional college students.

Please visit www.focusonline.org/support for more information.

Are there any additional comments you’d like to share with our readers?

I would ask you to please keep me in your prayers as I continue to serve through FOCUS.  Also, please contact me with any additional questions about FOCUS, any prayer intentions you may have, and or to support me in my work.

May our Lord abundantly bless you and your families!

For more information on FOCUS or to support John Paul in his missionary work, contact him by email at jrudolph@focusonline.org or via his missionary page at www.focusonline.org/8455

During the week of July 13th, CatholicTV will air a documentary about a young man who drove drunk one night and killed 3 people. The documentary entitled “One Decision” includes the story of David Emigh, who grew up in a family of faith, and who made a terrible mistake which ultimately landed him in prison.

CatholicTV is a nationally-broadcasted television network headquartered near Boston. CatholicTV streams its broadcast simultaneously, 24 hours a day at www.CatholicTV.com

David Emigh was in many respects an average young man. He was captain of his high school soccer team, and went to the Dominican Republic to serve the poor. Afterwards, he attended Indiana University with hopes of becoming a teacher.

In July of 1998, David went out drinking with one his friends Amy Titus. David remembers waking up handcuffed to a hospital bed. Beside him was the sheriff who said, “Son, you’ve just killed 3 people.”

Ultimately, David was sentenced to years of probation and community service. He was also sentenced to 5 months in prison. There, he found himself to be one of few believers. In the documentary, David discusses how he “was used as a tool of God” to minister and to give hope to others during his brief, and frightening stay in prison. One prisoner wrote a letter to David which spoke of how David had given the man hope where there was no hope. David also describes how during one prison stint, he was placed in a cell with 3 Christian men, which David felt was due to God’s providence. The cell block housed about 100 convicts.

CatholicTV will air “One Decision” during the “Catholic Saints & Lay People” block during the week of July 14th-19th. The show will air at the following times (Eastern): Tuesday-11:30AM; Wednesday-5AM; Friday-8AM; Sunday 10:30PM. This will air at CatholicTV.com at these times and also on CatholicTV where available.

We would never host a party where alcohol was served.  The facts in the article seem to be contradicted by many of the comments below that seem to indicate that the mom in question, Debbie Gibney, was not serving alcohol and was trying to handle a situation gone horribly wrong.  Not knowing the families involved or the facts of the case, all I can say is that I’m praying for the Gibney family, the students of Cathedral High School, and teens and their parents everywhere.  The journey to adulthood is a precarious path.  Situations such as this are a great reminder that we all need to be very careful with our most precious resource – our children.

This year, my Adam read the diary for the first time.  His take on the musings of a girl his age was the source of many mother son conversations this Spring, as he started to keep his own journal.

This week, it was announced that in commemoration of what would have been her 80th birthday, the entire collection of Anne’s original writings will now be on rotating display in the museum that was once her “Secret Annexe”.  You can learn more about the collection here.

With summer upon us, it’s a great time to pick up Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and share it with our older children.  It’s also the perfect time to give them the gift of their own diary or journal and to encourage them to share what’s on their mind.  Anne once wrote, “And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility of developing myself and of writing, of expressing all that is in me.”  Her gift continues to inspire others!

All Things Girl: Friends, Boys, and Getting Along

Apparently, I wasn’t alone in my wishes.  The outcry for All Things Guy: A Guide to Becoming a Man that Matters was so great that the authors simply couldn’t avoid putting out a resource for boys.  The book formula is slightly different this time around, with all of the content compiled into one longer book rather than the series approach that is so appealing to young girls.  All Things Guy: A Guide to Becoming a Man that Matters is chock full of great content presented in a fashion that will appeals to boys.  Mixed in with the messages on dignity, virtues, and becoming a “Man that Matters” are mazes, puzzles, games and activities that drive home the authors’ points.  I particularly enjoyed the “Media and Men that Matter” and “Know Your History” chapters.  The book is aimed at readers ages 9 through thirteen, but could be read to younger boys under adult supervision and will also be enjoyed by older boys due to the depth of the content included.

I’m pleased to give All Things Guy: A Guide to Becoming a Man that Matters my highest recommendation and to share the following interview with authors Teresa Tomeo, Molly Miller, Monica Cops and Cheryl Dickow.

Q:  How does a team effort like your collaboration between four talented authors get off the ground and logistically how did the book come together?

Cheryl Dickow: If you think about it, how does that happen?!  Four women, two states!   So, clearly the Holy Spirit has been a very large part of what we have done.  That and, I believe, our passion for getting the message of Truth to the next generation.  We’ve prayed, conference called many times, emailed endlessly, and prayed some more.

The process has made us all quite close as we’ve worked together and been forced to put all egos aside to serve God.  We’ve often said it is amazing the way each of us has brought a unique talent and necessary piece to the projects.  Monica has a degree in graphic design and has made our gorgeous covers. She and Molly also run the non-profit apostolate Runway to Reality and have given great theological insights to the books.  Teresa is the media expert with almost three decades of secular media experience and has provided a real sense of what is “out there” that our kids need to be made aware of.  Molly’s insights into fashion and her ability to speak to kids is uncanny.  Me — I’ve pulled it all together, edited, formatted, and written from my own areas of expertise.

Interestingly, the boys book was not originally even on our radar but as the “All Things Girl” book series took on a life of its own we were getting bombarded with requests for something for the boys.  At first we just nodded and thanked the people making the request but as the requests became more and more consistent we realized it was a need that we were being asked to fill and that we ought to answer.

We spent a lot of time discerning each step and, as I’ve shared, it took awhile to get All Things Guy off the ground.  You see that All Things Guy is just one large book versus the girls’ series, which is a number of books.  We really wanted this to be “right” and so spent a lot of time putting it off.  I guess in the beginning we were being a bit like Jonah!

Q:  Please briefly describe All Things Guy for our readers who may not have read the book yet?

Molly Miller: I just love how this book turned out, all praise be to God!  Like Cheryl mentioned earlier it was a project we dragged our feet on because we are women and worried that we wouldn’t have the male point of view.  However the Holy Spirit prevailed and showed us that between the 4 of us, we have 9 sons which made us plenty qualified to speak to boys.  This book is what we as mothers want our sons to know and live and we pass this on to others.  You will find that it speaks to boys on their level yet does not compromise the Truth.  Some things in the book are funny and creative other subjects are more serious.  We had a chance to visit with Dr. Ray Guarendi at a conference.  (He endorsed the book in print!)  He told Monica and I that he felt like a wimp after reading the book because we had covered so much information for boys. Wow, that coming from Dr. Ray is truly a compliment!  Here are some of the things we discuss in All Things Guy:  dignity of the person, relationships (family, friends, bullies, girls), virtues, vocations, puberty, the importance of knowing history, a prayer plan and examples of strong Catholic men today.  Mixed with puzzles, brainteasers, activities and great guy recipes, we feel we hit on many things in a guy’s life.

Q:  As a fan of your “All Things Girl” series, I’d like to know how the compiling of this book and the subject matter addressed differed from the books you’ve done for girls?

Monica Cops: We knew from the beginning that All Things Guy was going to be an all-in-one book. There are two core principles in all our books (both for girls and boys) from which all the other subjects stem from. These principles are: You are a child of God, this is your highest dignity; and, the purpose of your life is to know, love and serve God in this life in order to be happy with Him forever in the next. Since boys and girls are so different, it was important in All Things Guy to write about things that pertained to boys. For instance, in the virtues section, we wrote about the virtues of courage, self-control, sportsmanship, responsibility and patriotism, very important virtues for boys growing up. We looked for a saint figure with which the boys could relate: Saint Joseph, who lived a very ordinary life and is Patron of the Universal Church, and also Blessed Miguel Pro, whose story boys love. The section on body care addresses puberty changes in boys, skin care, shaving and a list of “Do it for Mom” things. Sprinkled throughout the book are mazes, stories, and fun things such as how to make a bow and arrow, chivalry and coat of arms.

Q:  What prompted you to become involved in the All Things Guy project and why is this book so greatly needed in today’s society?

Teresa Tomeo: The book was actually a direct response from parents.  I actually never thought about a book for boys as being a woman I tend to think more along the lines of women’s issues but so many Moms and Dads said, “You know our boys are really under a lot of peer pressure and cultural pressures as well. When are you going to do something for them?”  So that’s when we got together and made the decision.  It really was a direct result of readers’ feedback.

Q:  As a mother of sons, what type of message are you trying to send to boys with All Things Guy?  What do your sons think of the book?

Monica Cops: As a mother of 4 sons, my message to all boys is, “Hey, you are here for a reason! God loves you so much and has awesome plans for you!”  We encourage boys to become a Man that Matters, to be not afraid and make a difference in the world. We are bombarded by so much immorality and anti-Christian influences, that boys need to be given the tools to stand up for the Truth and go against the grain. The tools we offer in All Things Guy are Basic Combat Training, which is a prayer plan designed specifically for boys, a whole chapter on the media and how it interferes with a boy’s plans for the future, practical ideas on how to grow in different virtues, a whole chapter on family, relationships and how to get along, and a chapter on vocations and the importance of praying about your vocation from a young age. In a few words, our message for boys is: You can Become a Man that Matters! You can transform the world!

Our boys (ages 10, 13, 15 and 16) were teasing me when they found out that four women were writing a book for boys. But once the book was done, they were impressed. Even though All Things Guy is geared towards boys ages 9-13, our older boys were interested in the Know your History and Strong Catholic Men Today chapters. Our 10-year-old son, who is not a big reader at all, enjoyed reading the stories and the Boys in the Kitchen chapter. The rest of the book we read together and brought up a good opportunity to talk about things.

All four boys — and my husband too — got a kick out of the Do it for Mom list on page 116. It made them realize — in a casual way — what is important for me!

Q:  How did you select the three “Strong Catholic Men of Today” featured in the book and what can young men learn from their examples?

Teresa Tomeo: Molly, Monica, and Cheryl had more involvement in choosing the “Strong Catholic Men of Today”.  However, as in all of our books the men and women we choose to highlight must be good Christian role models who are living out their faith in ways that make a difference.  This book in particular is about encouraging men to be a light in the darkness.  I was very proud of the men they chose as I think they are great examples of people who are not afraid to speak the truth in love.  Young people, both boys and girls, need strong role models to emulate and I believe we provided those in both All Things Girl and All Things Guy.

Q:  What is your favorite section of the book and what are you hearing from families who’ve shared the book with their children?

Molly Miller: It’s really hard for me to say what is my favorite part.  Being a mother, I have to say the section on family and especially on Mom has to rank at the top.  When I was writing the part on having good manners, (which I have attempted to teach my sons since birth), I listed all the aggravating and less than nice behaviors that my sons portray and then sent them to Monica to proof.  She answered immediately in an email, “You just described my boys.”  Now, the word is out that we have the same struggles as all mothers!  I am sure Lisa could add a few things too with her experience raising boys!  The vocation section is also a favorite part because boys do not get the encouragement they need these days to truly discern what God wants from them and that the priesthood should be considered by all young men.  The media chapter that Teresa did is also a huge favorite because she tells it like it is, straight to the boys and they hear the truth about the different areas of the media and it validates what parents are trying to tell their boys.  I love the way Cheryl put together all of the ideas and graphics.  How do you pick one favorite thing?  I just can’t!  But those are on the top of my list.

One day I gave All Things Guy to a friend for her 13-year-old son.  This family has been away from the Church and I wasn’t quite sure how they would like the book.  The very next day her son called to tell me that he loved the book and that he had read the entire thing in one night.  He specifically mentioned that his favorite part was about chivalry and being a gentleman.  My own sons liked the stories and the mazes.  Little do they know that they are all meant to teach a lesson!

Q:  What future hopes and dreams do you foresee for the All Things Guy and All Things Girl series?

Cheryl Dickow: My hopes and dreams for these books is that they contribute to the solid Catholic teachings of our next generation.  We all must consider ways to counteract the culture of death that prevails and the only way to truly do that is to steep the next generation in the truths and teachings of the Church.  Each book — whether in the All Things Girl series or in All Things Guy — does just that in a fun, honest, exciting way.

We’ve just had a request from a publisher in Croatia for the foreign rights so that the books can be translated into Croatian.  I pray that we get these requests from many other countries and that these books, truly meant to serve God, are taken to the ends of the earth!

Q:  Please share any additional thoughts or comments on All Things Guy that you would like to express to our readers.

Cheryl Dickow: I would encourage anyone who is looking for new, fun, and faithful ways to impart the teachings of the Catholic Church to family and friends to make a visit to www.ATGSeries.com and not waste another precious minute!

We are currently working on All Things Girl: Truth for Teens and keeping an eye on the site will also keep everyone up-to-date on release information on the book intended for 14-17 year old Catholic girls.

Order your copy of All Things Girl: Friends, Boys, and Getting Along today and support CatholicMom.com with your purchase.

Every day of my life, I am proud of my sons.  Today will be no exception as I watch Eric go forward to fully bind himself to our Church and become an adult witness of our Catholic faith.

I think I’ve shared here before that my own Confirmation came at a time in my life when I could not fully appreciate the sanctity and importance of the Sacrament.  As an eighth grader, I was far more concerned with how my hair looked than with the seriousness of the step I took that day.

Eric, on the other hand, is fully prepared for his Sacrament.  I give a great deal of credit to his religion teachers and also to Sharon, our wonderful Youth minister, all of whom have walked this path with Eric.  His Confirmation sponsor was his Freshman year religion teacher, a wonderful young woman whose vibrant faith has had a tremendous impact upon my son.

It’s interesting that this year, as he has transitioned into a public school setting, Eric has been called upon to defend and witness to his faith more than ever before in his life.  I watch him make moral choices that reflect the depth of his character.  I observe him answer his classmates’ criticism of organized religion as archaic.  I see his heart for community service and the profound nature of his compassion for others.  I know he is ready to take this step.

For many, Confirmation ends the period when we receive faith formation in our lives – since it’s no longer “required”, many of us set studying and learning about our faith aside.  I know that Eric will face periods of trial and doubt in the years ahead, and that he will have to face continual challenges to his faith.  I hope that I will have the grace, as a mom, to accept these moments and to continue to be a prayer companion to my son in his life.

I’d ask your prayers for Eric, and for all of those who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this weekend.  For those of you with children who have been confirmed, I would love to hear your insights and experiences on this sacrament.  It seems just yesterday that Greg and I asked for the Sacrament of Baptism for our baby Eric!