Blog Posts


Introducing Lexi Conner – our newest blogger!

Hello,

I’m Lexi Conner and I am so excited to be part of the Women of Grace blogging family!

Perhaps you can guess from my name that I have a very special interest. I LOVE words!  Some might say that makes me a “geek” or a bluestocking, bookworm, or highbrow (See! I just can’t help it!). But it was this very interest that Johnnette found so intriguing (compelling, captivating, fascinating, riveting, titillating – pick one!).

However, she was very specific about what she wanted me to present in this blog (I think she might have thought I’d go off on a “word tangent” or something). She has asked me to explore words that are part of our Catholic Faith. You see, I am a devout  (zealous, passionate, ardent, faithful, fervent, earnest, orthodox) Catholic. I LOVE my Faith and I LOVE God and Our Blessed Mother and all of the saints.

Sometimes I will present you with words that are linked together by theme. Other times I won’t (I like to keep things exciting like this so you will never know exactly what you are going to get!). If there are any interesting features about the word – its history or etymology – I will let you know. If YOU have any interesting facts about the word, please let me know via” comment” and I will post it. It is all going to be so much FUN and we will learn so much about our Catholic Faith and its own special vocabulary!

I am looking forward to being your personal lexicographer (a compiler of a dictionary. Origin 1650-60. Late Greek. From “lexicon”—a wordbook or dictionary. Example: Noah Webster was a lexicographer. Interesting factoid:  The definition for Webster” comes from the Middle English. In its archaic sense it means “a weaver.” See how Noah’s last name reveals what he did – just like my whole name reveals what I do! He “weaved” together a book of words and I am providing you with a lexicon! Amazing! Can you already see how much fun we are going to have?!).

Speaking of names, I have a riddle for you. Oh yes, that is another interesting feature of the Lexi Blog (Don’t you LOVE it!): I will occasionally pose a riddle for you or a word jumble or a cute story or some other little exercise to keep your brain nimble and your funny bone tickled.

This riddle was told to my great-grandfather, whom I still have thanks to God, by his grandfather. That means it was my great-great grandfather who told it. See if you can figure out the riddle. If you think you’ve got it, post it in comments. The winner will receive a special gift courtesy of Women of Grace®(Johnnette told me it was okay). I will know who was the first to send in the correct answer (there is a way to do this, you know.).  Comment submissions will be good until one week from today.

Okay. Here is the riddle:

An older German gentleman was walking across a bridge when a beautiful young fraulein began to walk across the bridge from the opposite direction. When their paths crossed, the gentleman tipped his hat and drew his cane, and in this story I told his name. What was it? (Hint: Remember the story was told, not written. That is important.)

I’m giggling already. Have fun! I hope we become good friends!

Linguistically yours,

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"Your Cross"

Friends, we had a beautiful discussion on today's Women of Grace radio program about embracing our crosses.  One of our caller's shared this prayer by St. Francis De Sales, which I promised to post for you.  There is much in it to pray over and I am certain it will deepen our understanding of the mystery of the cross.

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A Personal Invitation

Dear Friends,

I want to personally invite you to join me, Fr. Philip Scott, FJ and Dr. Peggy Hartshorn, President of Heartbeat International for our upcoming 7th Annual Women of Grace Retreat and Benedicta Leadership Institute. It is certain to be a time of grace and healing in which Our Lord will refresh you with His spirit and renew your zeal for the mission to which He has entrusted you. Here's a preview of what you will experience. Please pray about coming and if you feel prompted, give us a call or register online today.

 

Your sister in Christ,

Johnnette

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Exciting News! The Women of Grace 2013 Benedicta Leadership Institute for Women

Dear Friends,

peggyhartshornI have very exciting news! Peggy Hartshorn, President of Heartbeat International, an affiliation of over 1400 crisis pregnancy centers internationally, will be presenting our Benedicta Leadership Institute this year, July 11th - 12th. She will train all attendees in her highly successful method for communication and leadership called called the L.O.V.E. Approach. The theme of the Institute is "The L.O.V.E. Approach...For Such A Time As This (Esther 4:14)."

Called to transform the world one woman at a time, Women of Grace exercise the charism of authentic femininity through the gift of spiritual motherhood. With the Blessed Virgin Mary as their exemplar, Women of Grace seek to do for the beleaguered Body of Christ in our day what Our Lady did for the infant Church in hers. Empathy, self-donation, compassion, and the faithful witness to truth characterize this apostolate of love, and build a strong dynamic for a profoundly Catholic women’s leadership. The Women of Grace® 2013 Benedicta Leadership Institute for Women® will train women in a proven approach that develops these four virtues, and is applicable to all professions, vocations, states in life, and life situations. Women of Grace® Regional Coordinators and Facilitators will find this approach particularly valuable in their interaction with each other and in the work God has entrusted to them with their study group participants.

The L.O.V.E. APPROACH™ Is:

• Completely consistent with Sacred Scripture and Catholic Teaching

• A catalyst for achieving a “civilization of love” according to the vision of Blessed John Paul II

• A jump start for the “New Evangelization”

• Proven efficacious and effective with women via 1400 international crisis pregnancy centers

Attendees will come away with skill development in:

• Listening with empathy and understanding

• Opening options with loving concern and compassion

• Imparting a new vision of life and relationships with values and virtues faithful to God’s desire for us

• Extending hope others by helping them constructing a new plan for their life through goal-setting and strategy development

Margaret “Peggy” Hartshorn, Ph.D., is the developer of The L.O.V.E. Approach which has been used with great success in over 1400 crisis pregnancy centers internationally. Since 1993, Dr. Hartshorn has been president of Heartbeat International, the most expansive network of Christ-centered, life-affirming, pregnancy help ministries in the world, with over 1,400 affiliated pregnancy help centers, medical clinics, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and abortion recovery programs, located in forty-eight countries. She has been a guest on the Women of Grace® Television Program, seen on EWTN and hosted by Johnnette Benkovic, and is one of the guest contributors via video to the new Women of Grace® Study, Feminine Genius…”For Such A Time as This (Esther 4:14)”: Blessed John Paul II and Authentic Femininity.

For information or to register for the Benedicta Leadership Institute or the Women of Grace Retreat, both located in Malvern, PA, please visit our website here or call the Malvern Retreat Center at 1-610-644-0400. 

Yours in Christ, Johnnette

 

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Five Benefits of Marrying Within Your Faith

Couple reading BibleEver since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of marrying the man of my dreams. I imagined being romanced by an amazing young man, and we would live happily ever after. This is the simplicity of a young girl with high, long-awaited hopes of marrying her knight in shining armor.

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Lexi Conner's Lexicon: Dogma

introlexislideAs you know, I am fascinated (enraptured, enthralled, intrigued, allured) by all things Catholic! And so, I really want to know what the Church teaches. One way to get a “bird’s eye view” (Don’t you just wonder where these phrases come from? I sure do and some nights I just sit up puzzling over it! Which I did for a spell [short period of time as in an instant, jiffy, little while, minute, second, stretch] on this one. You can find out what I discovered below. So many words, so many phrases, so much linguistic intrigue – and so little time! It near makes me batty – as in crazy or eccentric nuts or wacky– none of which really applies to me, thank goodness!).

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Introducing Lexi Conner – our newest blogger!

Hello,

I’m Lexi Conner and I am so excited to be part of the Women of Grace blointrolexislidegging family! 

Perhaps you can guess from my name that I have a very special interest. I LOVE words! Some might say that makes me a “geek” or a bluestocking, bookworm, or highbrow (See! I just can’t help it!). But it was this very interest that Johnnette found so intriguing (compelling, captivating, fascinating, riveting, titillating – pick one!).

Read the rest



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