Santa and His Merry Companions. This book, Santa and His Merry Companions, completes the trilogy, beginning with The Reindeer Dog and then the book, Diego and the Goofy Witches of Beigua. This story, Santa and His Merry Companions, begins on Christmas Eve, when Santa and everyone at the North Pole are preparing for the big night to deliver presents around the world. Santa checks his mail one more time, and there is a letter from his friend Peony Penguin, who lives in the Antarctica. She tells Santa not to come because something strange has been happening there. Birds are turning into icicles and dangling in the cold Antarctica sky. This has never happened before. She does not want Santa and the reindeer or Carlo the Official Reindeer Dog to end up like popsicles! But Santa has a plan that he shares with this pal Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rudy, as Santa calls him, is afraid and is worried that this plan will not work and that they will get stuck in the sky forever and ever! After a long discussion, Rudy agrees with the plan, and Santa contacts his friend Diego, the famous pelican of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Diego will lead the caravan, as he can fly low to the ground, and he can signal to Rudy the weather conditions while the reindeer are pulling the sleigh with Santa and Carlo. Alongside Diego will be Zorbella, one of the goofy witches of Beigua, and her snow globe, Sophia, giving the latest weather forecasts; and zooming with them will be all the goofy witches of Beigua, their witch friends, and the banshees. Santa is hoping that one of the witches or banshees will figure out a magical potion to stop the freeze and allow Santa to bring presents to the animals and birds of the Antarctica. But Santa knows this is risky business, and he has never experienced such a situation, other than the usual bumpy sleigh rides and landings, including the numerous times the goofy witches, such as Florinda, who flies upside down, as well as the famous acrobatic pelican Diego nearly crashed into his sleigh! Will this plan work, or will they be all frozen in the Antarctic sky?
Motherhood is a miraculous vocation - sometimes the miracle is just making it through the day! Let's face it: being a mom is not for the faint of heart. Too often we just hit the ground running without giving our faith a second thought. This collection of quick "mini-retreats for moms" can change all that. Consider these your spiritual "daily vitamins" that will energize you and help you find the faith, hope, and love you'll need to be the mom God wants you to be - today and every day. Ponderquotes from the Bible and other spiritual readings Offer yourself to the Lord through an easy activity or idea Pray suggested prayers that match the daily theme Savor a little "sound bite" to carry throughout the day Author, speaker, and EWTN host Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle knows what it's like to be a busy mother who has to carve time out of her day for the Lord or it just won't happen. With five kids of her own, she developed this book to fit into a mom's lifestyle.
In this gripping and honest memoir, Jamaican immigrant Donna Marie Hayes recounts how at the peak of her American success in New York City, she is scammed and robbed of her life’s savings by the “love of her life” met on an online dating site and how she vindicates herself to overcome a lifetime of bad choices. Donna Hayes had fortitude and smarts. She’d already survived so much. At the top of her game, thriving in New York City no less, her career was soaring on Wall Street and she was starring in her own one woman show off Broadway. To be scammed by a man she had met on a dating app, someone she thought she would marry, shocked and shamed her. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. In Jamaica as a child, death had come for Hayes three times. Each time she survived it and her beloved grandma reminded her that God had her back, that she was destined for greatness. Yet, in the poverty and loneliness of her childhood, it was hard to believe. Every day she dreamed of going to America and joining her birth family, never understanding why she had been left behind. When she was 14, her mother finally sent for her. Donna’s elation was soon offset by the challenges of her new life. From her mother’s strict church to an early marriage, single motherhood, and a second disastrous and abusive marriage, when Donna finally escaped, she vowed to never again subject herself to relationships and people who harmed her. And for the next eight years, she kept that vow. Then Hayes met the man of her dreams, Javier De Leon, on a dating website and they became inseparable. Before long, their love undeniable, he proposed and tattooed her initials in large bold letters across his chest. But 18 months and $177,000 later, it all fell apart. Hayes learned that she had been a target from the beginning, the victim of a romance/real estate scam perpetrated by a career criminal and ex-con from The Bronx. Suddenly, her financial independence was at risk and so was her ability to trust herself. This is the story of how that woman rose yet again to find her power, making the scam and her choice of De Leon the last run along the broken roads of her past.
“Fear mixed with dread, combined with a heart racing, stomach-churning sense of panic . . .” Donna Easter’s reminiscence of her husband’s death to prostate cancer cuts deep. Even if you’ve never lost a partner, grief comes in all shapes, she explains in her memoir, A Life Continued: Living After Losing Your Best Friend. Whether you are working through divorce or a first responder struggling with trauma, no one is immune from grief. Easter invites readers along on her journey of healing, sharing intimate details about loss but also providing courage and consolation. After 40 years of marriage, Easter learned to thrive again, recognizing that a life lived alone can be enriching and fulfilling, just as her longtime partnership was. She offers glimpses of humour and hope in her book, musing about the bewildering number of screwdriver types and acknowledging that she was still living and working for her late husband’s approval, permission, admiration, and respect. Now, she has the confidence to live her life in forward motion instead of backward glances. Written with courage and conviction, A Life Continued is also a call to action. After a four-year battle with the healthcare system, which provided little support during her husband’s illness, Easter has tried to educate the system and cancer care professionals on how they can improve, removing bureaucracy and enhancing compassion when families need it most.
Saint Faustina warned parents that praying for their children is not enough. That's why so many conscientious parents take the further step of consecrating their children to Jesus through Mary, thereby defending them from evil and paving their way to Heaven. This book walks you through the simple process of doing just that. Its informed pages give you detailed instructions to help you lead your family (ages seven and up) through each of the 33 mini-retreat days recommended by Saint Louis de Montfort, the beloved eighteenth-century priest and confessor who tirelessly preached that Jesus is not known well enough because Mary is not known well enough. Adapted for the often less-than-ideal prayer circumstances of families — particularly those with young children — these 33 brief, stress-free daily spiritual exercises and family activities bring adults and children greater kno
Cheeba the Dog was part of our family for eighteen years. During those eighteen years, Cheeba did some very unusual and shocking things. I felt I needed to share the stories with others. This book is written for everyone to enjoy-children, adults, pet lovers, or those who are looking for a little additional joy and laughter. Cheeba the Dog will bring that to you. Cheeba the Dog will keep you wanting to read and craving to find out what mischief he gets into next.
Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is a Catholic author, a radio and television host, and an inspirational speaker known and admired from coast to coast. Yet with all of her public exposure, she has revealed very little about her personal history, that is, until now. When she discovered that sharing her struggles gives encouragement to others, she was persuaded to write this story of her life. Growing up in a Polish-American Catholic family, Donna-Marie was blessed with hard-working parents who provided a stable home for their eight children. At times her childhood was golden and carefree, but other times it was tarnished by pain that she felt was best left unspoken as she sought God for help and strength. After she left home after high school, her path took some harrowing turns. A Vietnam veteran fiancé snapped and held her against her will. She suffered pregnancy loss, serious illness, divorce, and single motherhood. Perhaps her greatest trial was an epic custody battle in which she needed to defend both her reputation as a mother and the safety of her five children. Yet through all the dark valleys, Donna-Marie kept the fire of her faith burning. Helping her to see the beauty of the crosses in her life, and to rely on the presence and the providence of God, were saintly souls who became her friends and mentors. One of these was Blessed Mother Teresa, who was her confidant and spiritual mother for ten years.
Catholic Wisdom for a Mother’s Heart is a creative and practical guide for a wide range of domestic church situations. Catholic women can live out their familial vocation with seasoned, simple suggestions for answering Christ’s universal call to holiness. Lovely poems conclude each chapter on a note of warmth that will lift hearts beyond the kitchen and up the path toward heaven. This resource is for Catholic mothers (and grandmothers who often fill the motherly role) who are in the trenches raising their children through thick and thin amid the bombardment of the culture. They need and crave the guidance, encouragement, and affirmation that this welcoming book will offer.
A brush with fame blossomed into something far more spiritual, much longer lasting -- and infinitely more beautiful... Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle will never forget the first time she laid eyes on Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Hunched, frail, shorter than one of Donna's own children, the aging servant of the poorest of the poor cut an unassuming figure awaiting the start of Mass with Her Missionary of Charity sisters. They would speak briefly after the liturgy and then spend the next ten years intermittently sharing hopes, dreams, and prayers through the mail and in face-to-face conversations. With Mother Teresa and Me, Donna-Marie invites you to step inside her deeply personal experiences with one of the greatest souls of modern times. Take her up on the offer and don't be surprised if you, too, find your heart blessed and your soul inspired by the diminutive nun who left an enormous impression on Donna-Marie -- and on the whole world.
WHAT will happen to the global empire run by the Fontinelli family with the death of its patriarch? WHICH one will survive this house of mirrors and emerge as its new leader? WHO will follow and WHO will not? WILL the truth finally surface or continue in the Twisted Image of deceit? HIDDEN MIRRORS - Twisted Image continues the saga of the infamous Fontinelli Empire. It draws the reader deeper into a world of crime, deceit and greed as more family secrets unveil themselves. The death of Dominick Fontinelli hurls his heirs into a labyrinth of confusion forcing his son to come forward and take control. This, however, means giving up a secret that hurts one family to save another. This novel is the second in the series. Although, it reads independently, the author suggests reading HIDDEN MIRRORS The Looking Glass of the Soul first in an effort to become a part of this family.
Little Miss Grumpy Pants: The Fashion Dilemma By: Donna Marie Parents everywhere are sure to relate to Little Miss Grumpy Pants and her temper tantrums! This whimsical, touching, and humorous story reminds parents to find humor in their children’s tantrums and love them when they need it most. Little Miss Grumpy Pants is a fun tale that parents and children will want to read over and over again to see how Little Miss Grumpy Pants' mother models compassion, patience, and unconditional love when her child experiences frustration.
Spend this Advent with Our Lady of Fatima and with six saintly souls who were particularly devoted to her: St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. John Paul II, Fr. Andrew Apostoli, and the Three Shepherd Children to whom Mary appeared in 1917! In these spiritually-rich pages, award-winning Catholic author Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle brings you powerful prayers and readings guaranteed to shield you from the annual holiday sales frenzy that, during the holy season of Advent, distracts even sincere believers from preparation for the coming of the Christ Child. These wise pages are sure to draw you closer to Our Lady of Fatima and her gracious messages of peace and hope. For these Advent prayers and readings are all rooted in Mary’s 1917 messages to Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia (the three young Fatima visionaries); and in the personal Fatima devotions of three of our holy contemporaries, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. John Paul II, and the late Fr. Andrew Apostoli. Reflecting on Advent through their lives and words, you will also learn: The prayers of adoration the Angel taught Jacinta, Francisco, and LuciaWhat Fr. Andrew considered the most important of Our Lady’s Fatima requestsHow St. John Paul II fulfilled the Third Secret of Fatima — and why he credits Our Lady with saving his life!How, in his final months, Fr. Andrew radically fulfilled Our Lady’s Fatima requestsThe role Mother Teresa secretly played in the consecration of RussiaWhy, particularly in Advent, you must pray for Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart to triumphAnd much more to help you grow closer to Our Lady and keep your Advent frenzy-free. With the sure guidance of Our Lady of Fatima and these six saintly souls who loved her intensely, the frustrations of our modern Christmas seasons will soon melt away. Advent will become for you a period of expectant waiting and a time of joy and hope, as you experience within you an ever-growing desire for the coming celebration of the birth of Jesus.
A Glimpse Into the Future If a woman could ever get a glimpse at what her world would be when she becomes a mother, she would be presented with the realilty that her innermost desires and life plans would be altered or put on hold because she would be inundated with the care of others. If she was also allowed to glimpse the unending joy she would receive as a mother, there would be no pause to consider, no hesitation, as she embraced the whole package, knowing in her heart that her children will become her life's desires. -- From Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers You'll find: Original and traditional prayers and inspiration for mothers of all ages A wonderful gift for mothers and grandmothers The perfect baptismal gift from the parish to a new mom.
Embrace the God-given Dignity of Womanhood With all the mixed messages that women receive from society today, it's easy to be distracted from -- and even unreceptive to -- the deep and abiding love that Christ has for you. Whether single or married, religious or consecrated, parenting children, or spiritually mentoring others, the Lord understands the many challenges you face, your desire for inspiration, and, above all, your need to be affirmed as a woman. Through this book of original and traditional prayers, inspiring writings, and uplifting words from the saints, you can be touched by God's divine love, thrive in affirmation from the Church, and understand and appreciate the true "feminine genius" that Christ offers.
A grandmother’s prayers are of significant importance through every age and stage of a grandchild’s development! These prayers are amazing and lovely blessings that can powerfully nurture and help shape a grandchild’s conscience and future life! It is so important to recognize the great gift and role grandparents have in praying for grandchildren in utero. This grandmother’s prayer journal offers a delightful and unparalleled opportunity to not merely sit back and wait for the wondrous arrival, but instead, to use the time wisely by prayerfully waiting for your grandchild throughout what can be a meaningful and powerful nine-month novena of prayer. Month-by-month, inspired with holy insights, you will learn, discover, and note the development of your precious “grand-blessing.” Spaces are provided for you to personalize this special unborn baby book, as well as lovingly record your thoughts and prayers as you pray for your grandchild’s first nine months of life. From beginning to end, you’ll be partnering with St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus, to swaddle your unborn grandchild with prayer. You’ll journey with Mother Mary, and all the saints, to prayerfully prepare for the little one’s birth.
Il Circolo is a reunion story, the rediscovery of family and roots. Its the real dolce vita, lived to the tune of Italian Girls Just Want to Have Fun. If you like laughing, eating, and shopping, youre in for a romp of a read. Magnifico! Mark Greenside, author of Ill Never Be French (No Matter What I Do
Today's parents consistently struggle to meet their deadlines and check off their "to-do" lists, and are often stressed, exhausted, and lamenting. This often results in well-meaning parents putting off their children's faith formation for "another time" or relying on others to teach their children. This book is uniquely suited to come to their rescue. Feeding Your Family's Soul: Dinner Table Spirituality is a vital tool to enable parents to transform a regular dinner time into a prayerful faith lesson for their elementary school to high school aged children. It will indeed help to fulfill the Catholic Church's vision for evangelization in the family and beyond. Through 52 fun and creative faith lessons (one for each week of the year), this one-of-a-kind book will encourage parents and caregivers to seize the opportunity in teaching the Catholic faith to the children (the captive audience waiting to eat!) while gathered at the dinner table, and while reminding them of the value of coming together as a family to break bread and share hearts.
In this warm retelling of the story of Our Lady of Fatima, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle unfolds vividly before the eyes of children the mysterious radiant holy Lady who suddenly appeared to three peasant farm children in Portugal. At a tumultuous time when the First World War was at its height and Portuguese farm families were devastated by the horrors of the Great War, miraculous events mysteriously occurred in 1916 and again in 1917 in an obscure little agricultural hamlet in Portugal. As Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta were grazing their flock of sheep, a great white Angel emerged, preparing the little shepherds’ hearts and souls for what was to come. Soon, the Queen of Heaven appeared over a little holm oak tree, bringing many graces and important messages about penance, prayer, and peace. She even performed a miracle—the Great Miracle of the Sun – to prove her message was from Heaven, a message that would wake up the sleepy village and ultimately change the world! In reading this beautifully-illustrated chapter book, children will walk in the footsteps of Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta and will be led to ponder Our Lady’s message and how it should be applied to their own prayer lives. Award-winning author and journalist, catechist, and EWTN television host Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s love for children and family shines through these pages. A master storyteller, she now presents this authentic book which reads like a page-turning novel for children ages seven to one hundred and seven.
The Way to the Kingdom of Love and Peace is based on a true story of survival through disease, abuse, and divorce. Donna Marie lost contact with her biological dad growing up. She started writing one Father's Day when she came across some old letters she received from her dad that he sent to her when she was a young adult. She shares these letters with you along with the trials she faced on her journey in search of love in all the wrong places. She also shares her testimony of how she finally found true love. What she wants is for you to discover on her journey and yours is that you are loved beyond measure, there is hope, and dreams can come true. Take a peek inside and you just might find The Way to the Kingdom of Love and Peace.
Catholic wife, mother, and grandmother, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is known worldwide for her heartfelt encouraging words and down-to-earth guidance. Meeting St. Best-selling Catholic author Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle encourages Catholic families to reclaim a significant tradition: setting apart Sundays as a day of worship, true rest, teaching, and simply spending precious time together. In fifty-two creative chapters Donna-Marie presents fun and meaningful ideas for all fifty-two weeks of the year inspired by the seasons (both natural and liturgical), holidays, Saints days, and holy Scripture, to help keep Sundays holy, just as God said we should!
What They're Saying About Facts and Fancy . . . Thanks to a motheraEUR"daughter writing team, there is now on the bookshelves a truly sensible guide to the history, trivia, places, and things on Mount Desert Island . . . I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have to admit I learned a lot of things about Acadia and MDI that I never knew. -Hale G. Joy, The Ellsworth American A wonderful little volume . . . well done and much needed. -Duane Pierson, Friends of Acadia Catches, as well as a small, practical (but pleasing) booklet can, and better than any guide I've seen, the Island's story and character. -Patricia Ranzoni, Maine in Print As a fifthaEUR"generation summer person and a fullaEUR"time resident for 20aEUR"plus years of Mount Desert Island, I thought I was wellaEUR"versed on the history, lore, and contemporary features of the area. But I learned a number of interesting bits of information in Ivey and Lee's attractive little pocketbook, Facts and Fancy . . . This would be the perfect book to have on hand when visitors come for a weekend's stay, and you find yourself barraged with questions you really should know the answers to but don't . . . Nan Lincoln, The Bar Harbor Times
The Reindeer Dog is the authors gift to all children and adults who believe in the magic of Christmas and Santa Claus. The setting for the story is the North Pole and a little village in the Liguria region of Italy called Alpicella. Alpicella is the village where the authors grandfather, Nonno Antonio, was born. When she was a little girl, her nonno, Italian for grandfather, would tell her stories about his village. As a child she thought this village must be a magical place to live. In the story The Reindeer Dog, Santa is on his customary flight on Christmas Eve. He arrives on the rooftop of a home in Alpicella where he discovers a very special gift. This story wraps within it the history of Liguria, customs celebrating Christmas in different parts of the world, and a touching story of an unexpected gift for Mrs. Claus. The author welcomes families from all different backgrounds to share and gather together to read her story of love.
This collection draws heavily from the core devotional strain in Miller’s poetry, offering what novelist Fenton Johnson described in his review of Iron Wheel as “the vision and experience of that place where dark merges seamlessly into light; the house and home of grace—unasked for and perhaps undeserved, but transformative all the same.” Framed by meditations on the beginnings and possible post-human ends of culture, the new poems reflect on the callings and limits of art in responding to desire, history, mortality, and injustice. Set in the American South, Wales, France, the Czech Republic, and Sudan, the poems address and invoke the divine.
“Too often we whisk our youth through the Sacrament without a clear understanding of what's happening. That's tragic, because a grace misunderstood is easily unappreciated, and a grace unappreciated is easily lost. My Confirmation Book empowers young people to receive the Holy Spirit in a way that's active, personal, willing, and enduring. Highly recommended.” -Mike Aquilina, host of “Sonrise Morning Show” on EWTN, and Executive Vice-President of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology “My Confirmation Book is the perfect gift for any Confirmand. Full of inspiration and wisdom, each chapter poses a thought-provoking scenario to help bring the various gifts of the Holy Spirit to life. Donna-Marie's book will be my present of choice for the special teens in my life preparing to receive this beautiful sacrament.” -Lisa M. Hendey, Founder of CatholicMom.com and author of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms “A wonderful tool for parents, religious education leaders, and all who are concerned about raising up strong young Catholics – Catholics who will be able to boldly and joyfully proclaim their faith and engage a culture so in need of God.” -Teresa Tomeo, Catholic syndicated talk show host, Ave Maria Radio "Another winner from Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle! Clear, concise, and inspiring - everything Confirmation candidates could want in a book that will help them prepare for one of the important moments in their Livers ! A great resource for parents and catechists, too. Kudos on a job well done!" Marge Fenelon, Author, Columnist and Speaker. "Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle has created a resource of great simplicity and beauty for young confirmands. Tenderly and wisely written, My Confirmation explains and explores the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Concise, but powerful, the text includes illuminating stories and discussion questions, and a superb collection of brief quotes from saints and sacred scripture. I am eager to buy an armload of copies, not only for all the young people I know who are preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation, but for those who have already received it. In fact, I found so much encouragement and clarity in the pages of this small book of reflections; I’m going to give them to my adult friends, as well." Lisa Mladinich, author Be an Amazing Catechist: Inspire the Faith of Children, OSV Part keepsake, part teaching book, this small volume is filled with inspiration, encouragement, and reflections to ponder for 4th graders and up. Through simple text, it explains the privileges and responsibilities imparted through the sacrament of Confirmation. Compelling stories about saints and children their own age will help kids become more familiar with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and learn how the gifts can be active in their own lives. The apostolic mission of a confirmed Catholic is emphasized and readers are reminded that the sacrament of Confirmation is exciting—the same Holy Spirit who appeared to the apostles and the Blessed Mother at Pentecost is the one who will come to them when they are confirmed.
Are you ready to unlock the wisdom and treasures that exist in your inner spiritual realm and that are awaiting a connection with you now? You can manifest the life you long for, expand your awareness and definition of self, and realize your full potential and ability to create a more peaceful world. The Hooponopono Way of Life guides you through exercises and process that put you in charge of your own inner journey. Clear and informative, it helps you understand the core being of who you are, awakens your inner truth and understanding that you are pure creative light energy, and teaches simple ways to transform and heal your body, mind, and spirit. This how-to manual for upgrading your consciousness presents the daily spiritual practice of hooponopono, a sacred process founded on universal principles that serves as a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. The process guides us in making the pono (right) choices that create more balance and harmony in our life and the world. Featuring relatable stories and lessons, this self-improvement guide reveals the power in your thoughts, feelings, and life experiences and awakens your inner reservoir of true wealth.
Once their secrets are revealed, can love heal all? Living in a small town, Mia Grey has a hard enough time keeping her own unique healing powers secret, never mind those of her thirteen-year-old sister, whose powerful telekinetic abilities grow stronger by the day. Mia’s discovered it’s not so easy keeping a moody teenage witch on the right path while working full-time in her convenience store/bait shop. And her pre-occupation with their gorgeous new neighbor certainly isn’t helping matters. Jack Sutton spent seven years behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit. Longing for a family connection, he heads to Illinois in search of an aunt he’s never met. He rents an auto garage in the picturesque town of Shelbyville and just starts to settle in when late one night he’s stabbed in an apparent robbery. He wakes the following morning with a throbbing head and an aching gut. The good news is he’s alive. The bad news is he seems to have woken up in an episode of the Twilight Zone—with his beautiful neighbor in the starring role.
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