perseverance – Christy Wilkens

Why perfection is a worthy goal for kids with disabilities

We are all called to perfection, and we are all imperfect, even those of us with typically developing bodies and minds. The perfection we are called to is not flawlessness. It is to complete the work of being perfectly ourselves, to become completely the person God has created us to be.

St. Monica, the Syrophoenician Woman, and Me

As mothers, we are invited to pour ourselves out for our children in nearly every conceivable way. But it is the spiritual self-emptying that is most central to our role.

What Our Lady of Lourdes taught me about the power of weakness

The vulnerability of the sick and disabled is a great strength. Their receptivity to earthly love makes them powerful conduits for the heavenly kind.

The courage to risk failure

That time I took a test for college credit and almost shot myself in the foot out of fear of failure…

#7QT: 7 thoughts about writing a book

To celebrate a finished first draft, I share some answers to common questions I’ve received about writing a book, and a few tips and tricks from the writing journey of a total noob.

It is finished

I’m sitting in Panera and 14 seconds after I typed the last word of this book about my pilgrimage to Lourdes, I hear singing in Latin. It sounds like the rosary being sung in Lourdes. I mean, it sounds EXACTLY like the rosary being sung in Lourdes.

Oscar’s Undiagnosed Story

The saga of our as-yet fruitless search for answers, in honor of Undiagnosed Diseases Day.

How to pray when the answer is already no: A primer

This is not a simplistic “God never closes a door without opening a window” speech. It’s just a reminder that a negative (or absent) response does not have to mean the end of a relationship with God.

To love these days like any other

Staring into the abyss without clinging tightly to the hand of God is a dangerous game. He’s calling me back to his side now. Take my hand, dear daughter. It’s time to cling again.

And so, we deepen

I believe now, in my bones, that God is in control and will order all these scary moments into a beautiful whole, someday.

Don’t I? I think I do. Right?