By Hand and Heart

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The Most Important Decision You’ll Ever Make: Choosing Your Life Partner

One day, when I have children of my own, there is one lesson I hope to teach them clearly: the partner you choose in life will be one of the most impactful decisions you will ever make. That choice can shape your happiness, your peace, your growth, and even the future of your family. Because of that, it is a decision that should never be taken lightly. Take time to truly know yourself and what you value. Create a list of your non-negotiables, the qualities that matter most to you. Pray about it and ask God for wisdom and discernment. And when the time comes, learn to say no when someone’s actions do not align with what you know is right for you. Words are easy to say, but character is revealed through actions. Choose someone who respects you, supports you, and makes you a priority. Choose someone who encourages you to grow, not someone who holds you back. Choose someone whose values, faith, and vision for life align with yours. The right partner should bring peace to your life, ...

Soaking in Faith and Creativity

This month of October, I’ve been focusing more on my daily sketches and watercolor studies — after all, it’s Inktober! I joined Inktober last year but didn’t manage to complete it, so this time I’ve made it my goal to finish all the prompts. Looking back at last year’s Inktober artworks, I’m happy to see how much I’ve improved. What makes it even more special is the support from the art community. Even though I spend most of my days creating art alone, I never truly feel alone — if that makes sense. In this journey, I’ve made sure to offer my love and creativity to my Father Almighty. Lately, I’ve been reading Catholic books, listening to podcasts, and watching YouTube videos about connecting art and faith. I never want to forget that every idea I have, every piece I create, and every moment I spend making art — all of it comes from Jesus. Many times, I’ve found myself praying, “Dear Jesus, how can I praise You? What can I do in this season to honor You?” Besides Inktober, Octobe...

“Do Not Ask Your Children to Strive” by William Martin

“Do Not Ask Your Children to Strive” by William Martin About the Poem William Martin’s “Do Not Ask Your Children to Strive” (from The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents, 1999) is a piece of reflective, meditative wisdom literature inspired by Taoist philosophy. Instead of urging children to chase after prestige, achievement, or “extraordinary” success, Martin calls parents to guide them toward presence, simplicity, and wonder. The poem emphasizes that the richness of life lies not in fame or accomplishment but in the ability to savor what is near and real—ripe fruit, human touch, shared grief, and quiet joy. Martin suggests that if children are nurtured in this awareness, the “extraordinary” will arise naturally from their authentic living. Ctto English Literature

Patience is also a kind of beauty

By Jenny Flores Art Today, these blooms reminded me of a simple truth: patience is also a kind of beauty. Flowers never rush. They don’t force their way into the world. They wait for the right season, the right light, the right moment to bloom. And yet, when the time comes, their beauty feels effortless. It makes me wonder, how often do we rush through life, trying to bloom before we’re ready? Trying to skip the waiting seasons that are actually shaping us? Maybe patience itself is a kind of beauty. The quiet kind. The unseen kind. The kind that teaches us to trust the process, even when we don’t see the results yet. So today, let’s honor the waiting, the slowing down, the unseen growth. Because one day, just like these flowers, we’ll look back and see that patience made us beautiful too. 🌷 💬 What’s one area in your life right now where patience is teaching you something?

A Deeper Look at the Proverbs 31 Woman

We find several clues to what guides her heart of wisdom in this passage, but the most important motivation — the one that guides everything she does — is mentioned at the end. We should read the whole chapter — every verb — in light of one verb in verse 30, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” ( Proverbs 31:30 ). This woman fears the Lord. In fact, the verse says this is the reason she is to be praised. The Proverbs 31 woman fears the Lord — in other words, she sees the wisdom in wanting to obey what God tells her to do and to honor the Lord with her whole life. And what is “the fear of the Lord” in Proverbs? The beginning of wisdom ( Proverbs 1:7 , 29 ; 2:5 ; 9:10 ; 15:33 ). It is her heart for honoring the Lord with her life, and thus living with true wisdom, that God wants women to imitate and follow. When you go back and read through all of what she does in light of ve...

The Soul’s Palette # 1

It has been some time since my last post, and I would like to share a reflection on my ongoing creative journey. In pursuing my passion and striving for a deeper understanding of my creative pursuits, I have been reading art and self-development books. This practice has become a quiet yet profound source of enrichment, one for which I am forever grateful. There are times when inner thoughts feel unsettled or incomplete, lacking the clarity or expression they deserve. In those moments, reading has offered me a kind of illumination. Art books, in particular, reveal the ways artists perceive the world and contemplate life. Their words often echo within me, resonating with my own unspoken questions and guiding me toward greater clarity. Gradually, these encounters have shaped not only my understanding but also the way I see and engage with the world. I find myself at a point in my art journey where I am seeking something deeper than self-expression, self-discovery, or even a ...

Feminine Genius

Pope Saint John Paul II’s Letter to Women In his groundbreaking letter to women, Pope John Paul II expressed profound gratitude to women serving many different roles in our society: Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God's own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child's first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life. Thank you, women who are wives! You irrevocably join your future to that of your husbands, in a relationship of mutual giving, at the service of love and life. Thank you, women who are daughters and women who are sisters! Into the heart of the family, and then of all society, you bring the richness of your sensitivity, your intuitiveness, your generosity and fidelity. Thank you, women who work! You are present and active in every area of life-social, economic, ...

Catholic Femininity

Catholic femininity. This subject has captured my interest in recent days. I simply want to renew my perspective through the lens of Catholic teaching. Although courage and confidence came to me later in life, I am deeply grateful to God for these valuable gifts. There is true joy in dressing with dignity, in caring for oneself, in accepting my imperfections, and in appreciating the uniqueness that defines me as a woman devoted to God. As far as I can recall, the idea is often associated with the concept of the “feminine genius”, a term introduced by Pope John Paul II. And in my search I came across this website— https://www.femcatholic.com/post/go-bravely-a-fresh-take-on-catholic-femininity . “ And always remember that daughters of God are not weak - they are strong, they are brave, and they shine .” “ Authentic femininity is not weak. True femininity has an undeniable strength to it, and as women, our power and strength do not lie in how much skin we show but in our...

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

A Short Catechism - The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit When a Christian receives the Holy Spirit, especially through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, he or she is filled with divine grace to live a holy and fruitful life. Among the treasures the Holy Spirit bestows are the seven Gifts and the twelve Fruits. These seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, rooted in the prophecy of Isaiah 11:2-3 and affirmed by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1831), are: - Wisdom – to value spiritual things over worldly ones, and to see all things with the eyes of God. - Understanding – to grasp the truths of faith more deeply. - Counsel (Right Judgment) – to know the right thing to do in the light of God's will. - Fortitude (Courage) – to overcome fear and remain steady in the face of trials. - Knowledge – to see the circumstances of our life as God sees them. - Piety (Reverence) – to love and worship God as a devoted child loves a father. - Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe) – not ou...

I Hope That My Daughter Uses Her Voice By Kiara Whittle

I bet she'll be pretty, They say at her cot. I wonder what this means, So I ask. Pretty what? Pretty bold? Pretty bright? Pretty wise, Loud and brave? But they just mean her face, And they hope she'll behave. But I hope my daughter doesn't do as she's told. As long as she's safe, I hope my daughter is bold. She questions the world, She fights as she'll stand. She knows she has power, As great as any man. She is sporty or creative, She has so much to say. She is kind and inquisitive, And changes the world each day. When she becomes a teen, I know the world will seem tight. With a small box to fill, And then she'll be right. I hope she knows her beauty doesn't come from her face. That being a woman doesn't mean knowing your place. And I hope she is happy and fights for her choice. I hope that my daughter always uses her voice.

Serving God starts at home…

When you serve your family, you glorify God. When you respect your parents you glorify God. When you submit to your husband, you glorify God. When you take care of your children, you glorify God. Loving and serving God doesn't only mean going to Church every Sunday, or being part of a ministry. Serving God starts at home, and your first ministry is your family.