Catholic Family Journal

WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

catholicfamilyjournal — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:32:43 +0000

Uh oh! We’ve outgrown our current webpage. Look for a whole new website on April 1, 2010. We’ll leave the old website up until then. In the meantime, you can always subscribe to our our podcast on itunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-family-journal/ Plus, don’t forget to join our Catholic Family Journal facebook page for all of the latest happenings including updates on our live recordings at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/catholic-family-journal God bless!

This Time of Forty Days

catholicfamilyjournal — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:07:10 +0000

You’ve heard his music on our podcasts, now check out his latest video as we start preparing for Lent. Be sure the leave a rating on youtube.com and visit his page at nickalexander.com!

CFJ Award Winner – Best Books Read in 2010

catholicfamilyjournal — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:01:03 +0000

Mom tom Mom, Day to Day: Advice & Support for Catholic Living by Danielle Bean

Winner of the first ever CFJ Award, this book is sure to be a hit for all Mom’s. Listen to CFJ: Episode 13 to hear the exciting announcement. For more information on how you can order your copy of this “must have” book, click here!

Please Consider Donations to Haiti

catholicfamilyjournal — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:59:06 +0000

As you are aware, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake has struck Haiti near the capital of Port au Prince this past Tuesday leaving the country in ruins. Please pray for the people of Haiti as they cope with the loss of loved ones while at the same time continuing to search for survivors. Only God can give them the peace that passes all understanding. You can also help by donating to organizations such as The Red Cross or Catholic Relief Services.

Time to Get in Shape!

catholicfamilyjournal — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:24:43 +0000

New Year’s resolutions are a joke! That’s what I’ve always thought. I would always find humor in seeing people buying the latest fitness equipment, jogging in their new workout clothes, joining gym memberships, and spending some extra time in the produce aisle during the first week or so of January. It was comical to me because I knew in the back of my mind that most of these people would fail at some point…so why bother? In our society, we set goals to the things we want- and we want them NOW. The problem is, not many are willing to put in the effort required to achieve these goals. We are an instant message, buy now-pay later, fast food society after all. Yes, New Year’s resolutions are a joke. At least, that’s what I used to think. I’ve given this much thought the past few weeks and have “seen the light” when it comes to examining ourselves and seeing where we might need improvement. If it’s the adding of one to the numerical calendar year that encourages us to take a look, then so be it.

I can understand how after watching that super fit spokesperson on TV that you are motivated to shell out only 6 easy payments of $59.99 to buy the latest fitness gadget to improve your physical health and appearance (wait…if you act now we’ll slash that down to 5 easy payments). But when it comes to our spiritual health, (yes, you knew I was going to end up here eventually) we have had some great “motivational speakers” to listen to of our own.

Let’s take St. Paul, for example. In his letter to the Corinthians, he says to “examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless, indeed, you fail to pass the test!” (2 Cor. 13:5). Pass the test? That doesn’t sound easy. Paul was telling the Corinthian Church that they need to examine their faith, which is a life-long process. It isn’t something that we can begin today and successfully complete in 30 minutes, days, or even years. There is no magic pill or 90 day plan. It is a life-long process. Paul even states that we must workout! Yes, you heard me correctly- workout! In Philippians 2:12 he tells the church in Philippi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Now for all of you that have worked out physically in the past, you are well aware of fear and trembling. But in a spiritual context, what does this mean? The gift of salvation is free, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t require any effort. I usually explain it like this. If I give you the gift of an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii, that does nothing for you unless you: clear your work schedule, pack your suitcases, find a babysitter for your children, make sure your pets are taken care of while you’re gone, drive to the airport, check in your luggage, go through security, etc. Sure, the gift is free, but it does require some effort to receive the benefit of the gift. If you didn’t put in the effort, all you would have is a copy of an itinerary and a couple of boarding passes. You would never arrive at your destination.

Near the end of his life, Paul wrote that “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. There were no short cuts or easy solutions for Paul. He had to run the race, he finished the race, and in his words he “kept the faith”. That is something that we should all reflect on. So in this first week of January 2010, take some time to examine your spiritual life and continue (or start) running the race. Use the first of each year (at least) as a check point to see where you are and how you are doing. Go to confession to renew yourselves during the race- you may find that you may need to be “renewed” more frequently than you think. And don’t forget the great (and free) gifts we’ve been given to help us not only run the race but to win it- Jesus Christ and His Church. Get in the Word. Attend Mass. Talk to your priest. Pray. And when you finally finish the race, I pray that you too have kept the faith. See you at the finish line!

CFJ Video #1: A Day in the Life of Advent

catholicfamilyjournal — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:39:43 +0000

Prepared for the 2009 Catholic New Media Advent Calendar, this video portrays the importance of taking time from our busy schedules to meditate on the meaning of Advent.

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio

catholicfamilyjournal — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:12:50 +0000

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio is a modern day Catholic writer who left the entertainment world to earn his Ph.D. in Historical Theology from the Catholic University of America. His teachings cover a broad range of subjects, from historical, dogmatic, and sacramental theology to evangelization, ecumenism, and Vatican II. In 2001, Dr. D’Ambrosio left his position at the University of Dallas to direct Crossroads Productions. Since founding the Texas office of Crossroads Productions in 1994, Dr. D’Ambrosio has recorded numerous audio and video tapes of his teaching. He is also a NY Times best-selling author, with his book on Mel Gibson’s film, The Guide to the Passion. With CD titles such as “Who Needs Confession?” and “Keeping Your Kids Catholic”, Dr. D’Ambrosio is a valuable resource of knowledge for your family’s spiritual journey in the Catholic faith. As a fellow revert to the Catholic Church myself, I am looking forward to listening to many of his teachings, as well as catching Dr. D’Ambrosio on the syndicated call-in radio show “Catholic Answers Live” on which he is a frequent guest. I encourage you to check out http://crossroadsinitiative.com for more information on Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio and his apostolate.

(This post is an entry in Fallible Blogma’s Support a Catholic Speaker Month. )

Ready or Not, Here…We…Go?

catholicfamilyjournal — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:32:18 +0000

Jacob in the "recording studio".

Dinner served and consumed…check. Bath time completed…check. Changed into “jammies”…check. Read fun (yet educational) short story to children…check. Begin sleep regiment…I said…begin sleep regiment…hmmm this may take some doing. Our well thought out plan should have worked perfectly. Our execution was flawless! Isn’t it funny how life doesn’t always work out the way you think it should? Mommy and Daddy want to record a podcast…but our children have other plans. We shall ponder that a bit later, but first we’ll cherish this time with our children…with another book .

Well, as soon as Jacob and Madelyn are fast asleep, we’ll step into our “recording studio” to begin our first podcast. Stay tuned…

***UPDATE*** Recorded our podcast. Hope to have an edited version of the show by the weekend.

Curing A Couple of Cry-Babies

catholicfamilyjournal — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:55:47 +0000

Our 10-month-old is going through a strange phase right now. I make her cry. Not all the time, but on many occasions she will be perfectly happy playing with Daddy or chasing Jacob around the kitchen in her walker…. until I walk in. Then the wailing and waterworks begin, and they usually go on to some degree for quite some time. It seems very strange to me. Last night, I finished a nearly 2 hour session of this before Madelyn finally went to sleep. Before drifting off to sleep myself, I started talking to God. “I’m sooooo tired! …. There’s so much still to do that I wasn’t able to get to…. why do both kids seem to know when I am most tired and choose then to refuse to sleep?…” Then I had a thought … Was I doing to God what Madelyn had just done to me? I promptly ended my gripe session, and started focusing on the many, many things I have to thank God for. I fell asleep before I ran out of thank-you’s.

Now, Maddie and I are both generally very happy people. In fact, the recent past and the present are probably the most content and happy times I’ve ever had, so what’s the deal? Maybe Madelyn cries because I”m usually the one getting bottles and food and stuffed animals for her. I met some needs in the past, so she’s going to tell me (very loudly) about whatever she needs now. Maybe that’s what I’m doing with God. Maybe God is letting Maddie show me what I sound like to Him sometimes. In any case, you can be sure that I’ll be remembering to include the happy things in my prayers a little more often! Now…. any suggestions for Madelyn?!

Over the River and Through the Woods…

catholicfamilyjournal — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:52:37 +0000

Just got back from a weekend in north Georgia in search of Grandma and Grandpa…and some cooler weather (for a change). And I’m glad to report we found all three! Jacob and Madelyn had a blast playing with their grandparents. It’s really neat to see my own children interacting and playing with my Mom and Dad. The love of family is such a blessing from God. Now let me tell you about the cooler weather we found. From the high’s of the previous week to the low’s of last night, we experienced a 60 degree drop in temperature! Fall is finally here. Speaking of finally being here…our microphones have arrived! Just a couple of more pieces to the podcast puzzle and Heather and I will be all set to record our first podcast. Oh, one more thing…Deacon Tom was kind enough to mention our podcast on Catholic Vitamins and again offered to help us out. I’m sure we’ll need it. Thanks again Deacon Tom and thank you Dee for giving me the heads up while watching the Catholic Foodie on ustream. Now time to work on some show notes.