Zeal, Fatherhood, and the Slow Purification of the Soul
There is a pattern in Scripture—a rhythm God uses to form His saints—that we often overlook when we’re in the middle of our own spiritual growth.
God starts us with zeal.
Then He purifies the zeal.
Then He restores it with wisdom, gentleness, and true authority.
You can trace this in Elijah.
You can trace it in the Apostles.
You can trace it in Jesus Himself.
The Masculine Virtue Everyone Feels — Even the Pagans Know It
To live as a disciple of Christ is to embrace this profound calling with sincerity and humility. It is to see every interaction as an opportunity to reflect love that is deeper and more transformative than mere human kindness. Grace does not discard the good found in natural human inclinations but elevates them, infusing them with divine purpose.
Seeing Beyond Emotion: Learning God’s Wisdom Through 1 Corinthians 2
Co-parenting, family stress, and personal relationships all have a way of stirring our emotions faster than anything else in life. A tone of voice, the wrong look, or a misunderstood comment can send the heart racing and the mind into overdrive. We start reading motives, assuming intentions, and judging situations before we ever pause to breathe.
But when I opened 1 Corinthians 2, something shifted.
The Night I Cried Out — And the God Who Found Me Anyway
There was a night — one I’m not proud of, but one I’ll never forget — when I sat at a table with tarot cards, crystals, candles, and a desperation that felt louder than any prayer I had ever prayed. I was trying to talk to “spirits,” trying to force blessings out of shadows, trying to find riches, success, and meaning through whatever voice would answer.
When the Intake Form Breaks You Open — And Why That’s Not the End of the Story
It’s hard to see your own life spelled out like that. Hard to admit that you’ve been moving through the world without a safety net: no friend circle, estranged biological family, no regular community, no one checking in, no one to lean on. I co-parent, I raise my son, I try to be his example — but in the quiet moments I realize I don’t have an example of my own.
When a Child’s Feelings Run the House: Learning to Parent With Structure, Not Emotion
Co-parenting brings you face-to-face with realities you can’t ignore. Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the schedule, or the school forms, or the hand-offs — it’s the emotional swirl happening between two parents who love the same child, but respond to him in completely different ways.
Lately I’ve been watching my son bounce between us, trying to figure out the rules of his world. And without even realizing it, he has learned something powerful:
If he expresses a big emotion, he can change the plan.
Authority, Obedience, and Raising an Eight-Year-Old: A Catholic Reflection on Romans 13
When St. Paul writes in Romans 13 that “all authority comes from God,” it’s easy to misunderstand. Some read it as God endorsing every ruler, parent, or leader automatically. But the Catholic understanding is deeper, wiser, and—if you’re raising a child like I am—essential to daily life.