Though she’s primarily known as a talented singer/songwriter that’s appeared on “American Idol” and is currently a part of the duo “Jack and White” (who I’ve written about here), Brooke White is also one of my favorite bloggers. She’s got a wise, witty, loquacious style that makes you feel like you’re listening to a really interesting friend who knows how to tell a good story. One month ago, Brooke gave birth to her first-born child, a girl named London. I... Read more
…I want to share my own brief review of the movie in light of my link to Steven Greydanus’ review yesterday. Princess Merida is “Brave’s” Taylor Swift-ian heroine (assuming Swift were a red-haired Scottish lass with a penchant for archery) who is faced with being forced to marry whoever wins an athletic competition for her hand. This is tradition, her mother insists, and she tries to prepare her daughter for her destiny. In explaining her reasoning, the mother invokes a... Read more
1. Over at Ignitum Today, Jared Dale Combista writes a thoughtful piece about the notion that “sex sells.” Jared takes a slightly different view and he even invokes the TV show “Mad Men” to make his point. Here’s an excerpt: “Says who? Just so you know, the people who talk that way think that monkeys can do this. They take all this monkey c**p and stick it in a briefcase, completely unaware that their success depends on something more than... Read more
The following is an entry from The Christophers’ “Three Minutes a Day” book: During the mid-1950’s, a group of atheists demanded that the words “under God” be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. New York State Supreme Court Judge Isadore Bookstein ruled against the atheists. He stated that while the First Amendment guaranteed a citizen’s “right to disbelieve,” it gave the disbeliever “no preference over those who do believe in God.” Judge Bookstein wrote that the atheists’ interpretation of the... Read more
Christopher Closeup Podcast – Guests: Kara Eschbach and Janet Sahm When twenty-somethings Kara Eschbach and Janet Sahm met for brunch in New York City’s West Village one year ago, they ended up having a conversation that would redirect their future – and, in time, could possibly help change our culture. After lamenting the fact that the pictures, styles and articles featured in women’s magazines today didn’t reflect their own lives, hopes and values, Janet – a former intern at Elle.com... Read more
Have you ever seen an inspirational message professionally written on the door of a Men’s Room stall? Me neither until two weeks ago at a restaurant where I was attending a wedding. It was so unusual, I had to take a picture. UPDATE – Commenter Jeanne points out this is a line from A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh.” Read more
I read this Father’s Day prayer in my church bulletin this weekend, so I’m posting it here (editor’s note: this prayer was written by Rev. Chuck Currie): “We give our thanks, Creator God, for the fathers in our lives. Fatherhood does not come with a manual, and reality teaches us that some fathers excel while others fail. We ask for Your blessings for them all – and forgiveness where it is needed. This Father’s Day we remember the many sacrifices... Read more
Matt Archbold has an incredible story about faith and community at the National Catholic Register today called “How a Little Boy Saved a Catholic School.” You need to go read the whole thing, but first, here’s an excerpt: The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has closed down a lot of Catholic schools recently including the elementary school my five children attend. But we’re far from alone. I was searching around the internet about all the different school closings when I came upon... Read more
Though Father’s Day is about children honoring their dads, the story below is about one father, Len Gengel, who put his career on hold to honor the memory of his daughter, Britney. Britney was killed during the Haiti earthquake in 2010 while volunteering at various orphanages there. The last message Len ever received from Britney was a text saying she wanted to move to Haiti to start an orphanage herself. He decided to fulfill that wish himself. video platform video... Read more
The Christophers’ Jerry Costello shares a story about a teenage girl who realized she had enough material possessions, so she decided to help others in need: One of our mottoes at The Christophers is a simple one: “You can change the world.” The words were written many years ago by our founder, Maryknoll Father James Keller. Even though I never worked with Father Keller–never met him, in fact–I’ve read a good deal of what he had to say, and I... Read more
Christopher Closeup
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