family Archives

Parenting in a Gender Confused World

Written by Anne Marie Williams. Originally published in Family Foundations CCL couples already know that our current culture is confused to the core about what it means to be a man or a woman. Many parents feel at a loss on how best to approach discussions about gender with their children in a way that…

Stress and Success in Postpartum

Written by Anne Marie Williams. Originally published in Family Foundations The postpartum period is uniquely full of the emotional highs of welcoming new life into the world as well as certain stresses like sleeplessness, round-the-clock caregiving, and adjustment of expectations between husband and wife. Couples practicing natural family planning and seeking to avoid pregnancy encounter…

Especially the Shoes…

Written by Sharon Drees, CCL volunteer. The best things in life are almost never the big things we plan for—big changes, big purchases, the gaining of great power or prestige. In my experience, the best things in life are in the little moments of love and the small details that surround them that no one…

Tolkien Imparts Timeless Lessons

Tolkien, the Fox Searchlight biopic set for release this Friday, May 10, follows young John Ronald Reuel Tolkien through events early in his life — from school years to World War I — that would ultimately lay the foundation for his world-changing fiction. The narrative is delivered as a series of flashbacks as soldier Tolkien…

French President Ignites Fury of Twitter Moms

In reference to impoverished African families and child brides, French President Emmanuel Macron exclaimed in September, “I always say: ‘Present me the woman who decided, being perfectly educated, to have seven, eight or nine children.’” Macron’s remarks finally hit social media this week, and hell hath no fury like moms with big families on Twitter.…

Everything about CCL’s Family Fun Day

In honor of Humanae Vitae’s 5oth anniversary, we’re hosting a somewhat…unconventional convention. Sure, it’s got all the elements of conventions you love — inspirational talks, engaging workshops, even a swag bag of freebies — but perhaps what makes our conference stand out from the rest is the part where we kick you out. …well, we…

Dr. Janet Smith to speak at CCL Conference

https://ccli.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Page-29-Image-2.png Dr. Janet E. Smith, author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later and the famous talk “Contraception: Why Not?”, will be presenting a keynote and a workshop at CCL’s conference from July 6-7. The conference, entitled “Families, become what you are!” will be a celebration of family life and the Church’s teachings outlined in the…

Motherhood: Strongest Antidote to Selfishness

Pope Francis is the newest pope of the people. For the first time in decades, media reports on the Holy See are trending positive, non-Catholics find him endearing and his own flock reveal a certain admiration for him, lovingly calling him “Papa Frankie.” While we may have a special place in our hearts for the…

Don’t Gobble Up Everything You Hear

Oh, the joys of Thanksgiving dinner. Sure, everyone loves the food and almost everyone appreciates the quality time, but what family doesn’t find themselves in squabbles around the close quarters of the dining room table? It seems like family gatherings these past few years have grown increasingly tense, increasingly divided and increasingly political. While we…

How Humanae Vitae Inspired a Mission

Humanae Vitae Giving Day * * * by Chris Reynolds In his encyclical Humanae Vitae, Paul VI wrote, “[T]here comes to be included in the vast pattern of the vocation of the laity a new and most noteworthy form of the apostolate of like to like; it is married couples themselves who become apostles and…