Family, football, and food: Thanksgiving is all of these things and more. It's also a perfect opportunity to think about gratitude. More »

A few years ago, St. Joseph came into my life in a new way. Not long before, I had taken the plunge from singlehood to married life, jumping into the deep end of the pool by marrying a widower with six children. I was hardly a natural for the role of stepmother (just ask the children!). More »

Parents share the most successful methods they've used to get their kids to talk about school. More »

Sunday's Gospel must sound familiar to parents who listen to the constant complaint, "It's not fair!" Our kids whine, "I studied hard, but I got only a 'C' on the test." "I went to every soccer practice, but I played for only five minutes in the game." More »

"God has a plan for your life." I have heard the phrase countless times and never really doubted it. In fact, my husband and I have always loved the Scripture passage from Romans 8:28: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." More »

Sometimes, the first day of school feels more like New Year's Day than the first of January does. Classes are back in session; fall sports, religious ed, and other activities and meetings resume—a new year has begun! It seems like a logical time for making a "back-to-school" resolution. More »

It doesn't take Doppler radar to reveal the storms in our lives. Apart from global terrorism and local violence, every family experiences turmoil: mismatched expectations, needy relatives, rebellious children, mounting debt, sudden unemployment, perplexing choices, beginnings and endings full of uncertainty. Yes, we are "battered by the waves . . . for the wind (is) against" us (Matthew 14:24). More »

In my late teens and early twenties, I could often be found in dark, smoke-filled clubs, hanging out with my friends and listening to alternative rock music. Typically, the band members played loud, angry songs and sported earrings and spiked hair. More »