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"Authentic Friendship in an Age of Social Media" This Saturday, Feb. 3 UPDATED

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Shamelessly taking from the blog post about this weekend’s gathering here:

Have you ever questioned the role of friendship in your life?

Why do women have a need for authentic friendship – to be accepted, supported, and loved?

How has social media changed our idea of friendship, perhaps making it more easy to find like-minded friends, or more difficult to deepen new friendships?

How does authentic friendship relate to our femininity?

Please join us for an exciting and pertinent talk on
Authentic Friendship in an Age of Social Media
given by Sister Helena Burns and Lisa Schmidt

Saturday, February 2nd, 2013
Doors open at 7:10pm
Event begins at 7:30
Saint Philomena Catholic Church
3300 N Twelve Oaks Dr
Peoria, IL
There is no cost to attend this event,
though a small donation for this special event is very appreciated
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I plan to attend this Saturday, and I’ll be doing a book giveaway. I’m especially excited to get to see Sister Helena Burns and Lisa Schmidt again, as well in see in person so many women that I don’t get to see very often.   I hope to see you there, too.
I thought it would be fun to have a Twitter hashtag for the event, and I thought #authenticfriendship  while a little long, could work.  I also thought #firstSaturday could be a good one, too, though also longish. Do you have any Twitter hashtag ideas for the gathering?

UPDATED: Dianna Kennedy, of The Kennedy Adventures, suggested on Facebook the hashtag #1stSat.   Works for me!  Any others?

Q&A (and Book Giveaway!) With Randy Hain, author of "The Catholic Briefcase"

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Even thought I’m not an executive with a briefcase, I am Catholic, and so I truly enjoyed reading, and then reviewing, Randy Hain’s new book The Catholic Briefcase, in my January Catholic Post column.  I was able to have a Q&A with Randy, and the publisher has shared two copies of this great resource to give away.  You can enter to win a copy of this book by commenting on this post, and one other, giveaway-specific post.  Good luck to all entering the giveaway.  And thank you, Randy Hain, for so thoroughly answering all of my questions about your helpful new book!

Q.  Tell Catholic Post readers a little more about you and your work.

Nancy-it is a pleasure to speak with you!  My family and I converted to the Catholic Church in 2006.  Prior to completing my RCIA program in 2006, I went through a life-changing personal conversion in the fall of 2005 when I finally stopped trying to be in charge of my life and surrendered to Christ.  That conversion and surrender (which is an ongoing process) has been the catalyst for how I live my life today as a husband, father, business leader and writer.  I am passionate about helping our fellow Catholics lead fully integrated lives, centered in Christ.  This means being authentically Catholic in all aspects of our lives, especially at work and in the public square.  I have started and still lead a number of ministries that are devoted to this effort.  My writing and speaking reflect my candid observations as a Catholic in the business world, as a married man (17 years to Sandra) and the father of two sons (Alex and Ryan).  I felt led to write the book to help others with practical steps to fully integrate their Catholicism with the place where they will spend the majority of their waking adult lives-the workplace.
Q.  Many people might consider that with its title, The Catholic Briefcase is only for business people or other “leadership,” but I thought it had great suggestions to infuse a Catholic culture into everything we do and a range of professions.  Who was your intended audience for the book?

Great question!  Quite frankly, I wrote the book for everyone.  I have had a number of stay-at-home-moms, retirees and students share with me that they have found valuable lessons in the book.  It has also been surprising to me how many Protestants have read the book and enjoyed it!  I write from my perspective as a Catholic in the workplace, but the lessons and stories in the book really connect well with everyone, regardless of your career or vocation.  I also was very intentional about writing a book that meets you where you are.  Some of us are quiet prayer warriors and others courageously lead the fight for our faith in the public square.  There is something here for everyone.
Q.  You have a website, The Integrated Catholic Life as an online ministry with a similar, but broader, focus than the book.  How do you see the “online” life for Catholics as opportunity and also a challenge?

Deacon Mike Bickerstaff and I started the Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine (www.integratedcatholiclife.org) as a way to share the work of outstanding Catholic writers faithful to the Magisterium, with a broad audience.  The website has exploded in popularity because we think people are hungry to learn about our beautiful Catholic faith.  They want the Truth and they are seeking ways to apply it in their daily lives.  The great opportunity for Catholics is having access to such good content from almost anywhere.  The challenge is to be careful about becoming addicted to technology and our often compulsive need to be on the Internet.  We also need silence, peace and quiet in our lives.  I worry that too much “noise” is hurting the prayer lives of our fellow Catholics.
Q.  You recommend Catholic business networking as a great way to share our faith.  How would you help broaden that to people not strictly in a business setting (such as at-home moms)?

In our wired world with so much time being devoted to online connecting (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) we must be mindful of the need to interact with our fellow human beings as much as possible.  I strongly encourage Catholics to spend time with others who will encourage, educate and challenge them in ways that lead to strengthening their faith.  Business people have ample opportunities over coffee or lunch to meet, but stay-at-home-moms and others can also seek out others through the parish network to gather together.  Our parish has a number of outlets such as the Catholic Mom’s group that does a book study at our parish once a month and Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) which is a twice a year in-parish retreat for men and women.  When all else fails, we can simply introduce ourselves to our fellow parishioners after Mass and build friendships that way.  The bottom line is we can’t lose the vital human element to connecting by exclusively interacting online.
Q. Any books or writing projects in your near future you would like to share with Catholic Post readers?

I am currently writing my second book for Liguori Publications titled “Along the Way: A Convert’s Journey in the Catholic Church” which is due to be released at the end of 2012.  The book shares my experiences and lessons learned as a Catholic since I joined the Church.  It will address almost every aspect of our Catholic faith, where I have stumbled and struggled and the powerful lessons I have learned.  I hope converts and lifelong Catholics will find it helpful.  I continue to write a blog every Thursday called “Surrender and Strength” for the Integrated Catholic Life.
Q.  Is there anything else you wish I would have asked, or would like to share?

I hope people enjoy the book and I encourage them to tell their friends about it.  I welcome feedback and can be reached at randyhain@integratedcatholiclife.org

Readers, to enter the giveaway of one of two copies of Randy Hain’s The Catholic Briefcase, just  leave a comment here.  I’ll do another giveaway-specific post, and you can enter there as well. 

January Giveaway #2: Weightless by Kate Wicker

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Congratulations to the Birgitta, winner of the giveaway of Strengthening Your Family.  

Next up is a giveaway of Kate Wicker’s Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body, another book I reviewed in my January column.   I had the chance to interview Kate and post the interview last week.  You can read that interview here, where you can read more about her book and writing.

The deadline for entering this giveaway is Monday, January 30, at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books on giveaways here at the Catholic Post Book Group.  You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book.  So, if you are interested in a copy of Weightless, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you.  If you do not respond in two days, I’ll pull another name. That’s it–couldn’t be easier.  Good luck to all entries!

Advent Book Giveaway #4: Baxter’s Big Teeth by Betty Counce

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Fourth in the Catholic Post Book Group Advent Book giveaway is Baxter’s Big Teeth.



Baxter’s Big Teeth is first in a series of books called “Critters Like Me,” from a local book publisher, Keepworthy Creations,  started last year to offer high value keepsake gifts and books that teach life lessons offered in print and interactive formats.   The books are written by local author Betty Counce, and illustrator by local artist (and member of St. Thomas the Apostle parish in Peoria Heights) David Seay.

The book tells the story of a beaver, Baxter, who has to learn patience as his “big teeth” begin to grow in.  Even the dentist- averse kids at our house enjoyed this little story, though we (including Mom) were more concerned about Baxter losing his family at the beginning of the book than his tooth woes.  It all ends well, though, as Baxter learns how to have patience and take care of his teeth.

What I like best about the book is that it comes with a nicely designed and quite substantial keepsake pewter “tooth box.”  This giveaway is for the book, pewter tooth box and soft pouch (for the box).

Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books in the giveaway.  You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book.  So, if you are interested in Baxter’s Big Teeth, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you.  If you do not respond in two days, I’ll pull another name.  That’s it!  Couldn’t be easier.

Baxter’s Big Teeth and other books in the “Critters Like Me” series are available at local Hallmarks, the “I Know You Like a Book” bookstore in Peoria Heights, and various online booksellers.

Deadline for this giveaway is Thursday, December 8, at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Advent Book Giveaway #3: Olivia’s Gift

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Third book in the Advent Book Giveaway is Olivia’s Gift by Nancy Carabio Belanger.  Olivia’s Gift was one of the highlights of my December 2010 Christmas gift books column in the Catholic Post.

This book is a great read for girls especially in the 5th to 8th grade range.  As I wrote previously:  “Olivia’s Gift follows Olivia in her summer before 7th grade, navigating friends, family and trying (and not always succeeding) to live out St. Therese’s “Little Way.”  There’s a very powerful, but sensitively handled, pro-life theme here. The book is a sequel to the wonderful Olivia and the Little Way, that chronicles Olivia’s fifth grade year and her ups & downs.  The books can be read independently of each other, but most girls will want to read both once they’ve read one.”

I’m embarrassed to say that Nancy sent me a copy of the novel last year for a giveaway, and I had all planned to give away a copy of the book back then.  But if I remember correctly, a bout of the flu took me out for quite a bit of that season, and I couldn’t manage all I had intended for the blog.   Month after month I kept thinking I would manage a giveaway of Olivia’s Gift sometime during the year, but it didn’t happen until now.  But truly, it would be a great Christmas gift for a young girl in your life.

Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books in the giveaway.  You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book.  So, if you are interested in Olivia’s Gift, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you.  If you do not respond in two days, I’ll pull another name.  That’s it!  Couldn’t be easier.

If you are not a winner in this giveaway, I notice that Harvey House publishing, publisher of Olivia’s Gift, has a free shipping offer for books ordered before December 16, so do take advantage of that special offer.

Deadline for this giveaway is Sunday, December 4, at 7 p.m. Central Time.

First, What Are You Reading? Volume 16, Christmas Book Edition, December 2011

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Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:
first, what are you reading?
what do you like best about it?
what do you like least?
what’s next on your list to read? 

As always, I hope you’ll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook.  Happy reading!

Normally, I finish my “first, what are you reading?” post well in advance of the first day of the month, but  this month I did not.  Rather than make it a “second, what are you reading?” post, I’m going to quickly list a couple of Christmas classic books, and invite you to share yours.  No “what I like best, least or next” this time.  You’ll have to fill in for me.  And don’t forget to enter the book giveaway that ends tonight.


First, what are you reading?  


Linda, a fellow library volunteer, shared with me a great book that I read to kids this week in the school library.  It’s called Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto.  It’s a very sweet and funny book, makes you want to make tamales after you finish, and also funny.  A couple of the classes of kids and I worked out the math problems if four kids had to eat the 24 tamales, how many tamales each?  Thanks for introducing it to me, Linda!

We haven’t gotten out any of our Christmas books yet, but two of our absolute favorites are The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer (note that we have that actual older edition, given to me several years back by one of my sisters).  It’s fairly goofy, but I pretty much have it memorized after reading it four Christmases ago literally every day from about December 15 to mid-February, so fond was our then four-year-old of that book.  We all still love it.

The other every Christmas must read aloud, though my kids are getting older, is Rumer Godden’s The Story of Holly & Ivy”


.  I see a handsome new edition came out last Christmas, and I might have to invest in that this year.  We have a very old edition of this.

What are the favorite perennial Christmas books at your house?