Confíteor Deo omnipoténti
et vobis, fratres,
quia peccávi nimis
cogitatióne, verbo,
ópere et omissióne:
mea culpa, mea culpa,
mea máxima culpa.
Ideo precor beátam Maríam semper vírginem,
omnes angelos et sanctos,
et vos, fratres,
oráre pro me ad Dóminum Deum nostrum.

I would like to resume my online presence with an act of public contrition. Why? Because I am a very imperfect, broken person. I have sinned often; I have failed often; I am not perfect. In a world of filters and pretended perfection, I want to be real with you. If I were to die and a cause for canonization were ever to be started, I would not be surprised at the number of people who could come forward and speak to my faults. I don’t want to sugar coat my life to make it out to be something it is not. My life is messy and chaotic. But I love it and wouldn’t trade it for anything. There is so much beauty in the mess, and I try to thank God every day for the lessons I learn as I come to know myself as God knows me. I am a member of the Church Militant.

It is only after much prayer and long and careful deliberation that I decided to re-enter the online world. Our family gave up the internet for over two years, and I thoroughly appreciated the silence in our lives. It was a time of detox and reflection, a time for me to get to know myself better. There were little signs and nudges that we would one day need to resume using the internet, but I fought it off for a long time.

The first urge came just over a year into our little boycott. I missed writing, and the idea of starting a new blog with a new focus and direction started to gnaw at me. The time wasn’t right, and so I held off. Fast forward another year, and we found ourselves needing to reengage. The internet came back out of necessity. Our older children needed it for things like driver’s ed and a class at the local college.

During our time away from the internet, I began doing odd volunteer work for our parish, and if I had to exchange any kind of information, it was through phone calls or in-person visits. Sending an email would allowed me to ask questions without engaging in a conversation, something that would save precious time in my increasingly busy schedule. I also began to train as a catechist, and it required online courses, which really could only be done from home.

The tug to resume blogging, however, intensified over the months leading up to the start of this new site. But I must tell you that I am hesitant to do so. I am no saint. I have a long road ahead of me on my journey to sainthood. I am not perfect. I will not execute anything that I share on this site perfectly (unless it is my imperfections). And I am not the expert at living liturgically nor am I the expert in homesteading.

I write because it helps me to sort out my thoughts and to make sense of the world around me. As of writing this post, I am in the midst of writing a book on liturgical homesteading. My hope in keeping this blog is that I will be able to better define my own understanding of this concept and maybe help others who are trying to make their way to living this kind of life.

But I ask as you follow me on this journey to remember that I am broken. Remember that I am not the authority. Remember that I am learning and journeying with you. My greatest hesitation in keeping this blog or writing a book is that I will misrepresent God or say something that leads another astray. Please pray for me and my family, that we may always grow closer to Our Lord, and better know His ways.

In Christ,
Danielle