Of Sound Mind and Spirit

  Shelly and I fell in love with Catholic New Media at the   Catholic New Media Celebration (CMNC) in San Antonio, TX in 2009. The people we met and connections we made in person encouraged us to delve deeper into our Catholic faith and write about our growing experiences and interests . Last spring we were excited to hear about a new Catholic New Media event, CatholiCon Expo , to be held in our hometown of Houston, so we both registered to attend.  The  CatholiCon Expo  held last weekend, was not a copy of the immensely successful CNMC, but possessed a unique spirit and identity all its own.  Like Shelly, the session that inspired me the most was “Missionary Mindset” presented by Father Chris Decker . Some of the great quotes I pulled out of this session include: ·           We have a responsibility to reach out to others with the Fullness of Truth ·           We are called to go out in the world as a Christian ·           Plug yourselves into the digital continen

Lisa and I attended the first ever CatholiCon Expo held in Houston this weekend. With a name like CatholiCon, we knew to expect a younger crowd of techies, with references to Sci-Fi shows. (Although we didn’t expect one presenter to actually speak in Klingon.) We were also a little surprised by the pronounced traditionalism thread running within this group of 21st century technologically-advanced Catholic social media group. So what worked at CatholiCon? Relationships For people who interact via social media daily, we develop friendships and relationships separate from in-person interactions. After connecting online with a semi-regular basis, you feel like you know people, even though you haven’t met in person. CatholiCon, and other CathNewMedia conferences, offer the opportunity to bring people together face-to-face. They allow you to more personally connect with someone you may know from Twitter or Facebook. You network across the room, meeting others that you connect with,

For the past three days I’ve been trolling my Facebook feed admiring all of the Back to School photos posted by my friends. I love them! What a variety of faces and ages. Some students stand alone. Some with siblings. Many have bright smiles. One friend posted her twins scowling (and it was still adorable). Everyone looks a little bit older, a little bit taller. These are the moments that we mothers capture each year. One friend created a collage of her four children on the first day of kindergarten. Another has a collage of the first day for the past five years, charting the growth and maturity of her daughter. Since my daughters attend a school with a uniform, I’m not really up to date with the latest school fashions, so I’m also interested in what these students wear for their carefully chosen “back to school” clothes. My poor daughters have dutifully tried on khaki or navy capris and pants while sighing melancholy over the sparkly jeans and bright shirts on the racks nearby.

This weekend, the Governor of the great state of Texas, Rick Perry, announced as a Republican candidate for President of the United States . His entering an already crowded field of candidates is a breath of fresh air to me. While there are several GOP candidates on my 2012 Presidential “watch list,” for me Perry brings something new to the table, encompassing qualities I like from different candidates into one overall package. Since Shelly and I are Texans by birth and by choice, friends from other parts of the country started asking our opinion of Rick Perry as Texas Governor and GOP presidential candidate. Do we think he has done a good job as the executive of our state for over 10 years? Will he be a formidable candidate? Can he translate his success in Texas to bring our nation back from the edge? Or, will he simply be another Bush? Perry is Not Another Bush Lets address the Bush issue since many seem to be concerned about whether or not he will be a repeat of the la

Summer Reading for Kids Are your kids reading this summer? Even though school starts in Texas on August 22, there is plenty of time to keep the kids reading. This summer, JClub: A Catholic Place for Kids and their sister blog, PaulineKids launched a Catholic Kids Summer Reading List . With suggested titles for kids from First to Eighth Grade, there is a little something for almost every Catholic child in your life. After viewing the Summer Reading List, you can purchase the titles directly from Pauline Books & Media with just a few clicks. As an extra bonus, Pauline Books is having a Summer Sale with selected items 40% off until August 31st. If you haven't visited JClub or PaulineKids Blog before, take a moment to introduce your children to the stories, activities, games and book information available on these sites for kids offered by the Daughters of St. Paul. Catholic Summer Reading We’re really late to this party, but Aquinas and More launched their fifth annual spon

Get ready for Catholic New Media enthusiasts to descend upon Houston in late August with the arrival of CatholiCon Expo . From August 26-28, Catholic “missionaries” will gather to explore both traditional forms of Church communication as well as the New Media world of podcasting, vidcasting, blogging, and social networking. In addition to an Expo showing off the latest in new media gadgets, the ClareCamp schedule offers some pretty neat breakout sessions on using new technology and developing content to spread the message, “One Gospel, Many Channels.” Matt Warner, of FlockNote and blogger at National Catholic Register , will take to the podium as emcee, having the honor of introducing prominent speakers Fr. John Zuhlsdorf and Dr. Kevin Roberts . Check out their credentials on the CatholiCon Expo Speakers page . Friday evening, after a meet and greet with exhibitors, Fr. John Zuhlsdoft leads solemn chanted vespers. Saturday begins with Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form, celebrate