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About Chet Collins
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Blog postAfter years of practice and observation, I know the keep components that I need to build up physical health. I need to walk for an hour daily, drink lots of water, read in the evening before bed, and go to sleep and wake up at about the same time. These are not new ideas, they are not even really negotiable. When I do them all over a sustained period of time, usually two weeks, I feel the difference.2 days ago Read more
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Blog postOver the weekend, I finished reading a book. The last time I accomplished that feat was in August. I’ve started a walking streak, another habit that I’ve let slide in the past 90 days. My sleep schedule is out of whack, and I’ve lived day-to-day. I could just blame it on everything that was 2020, but in my experience, this is something cyclical. I fall into and out of routine.1 week ago Read more
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Blog postSomething remarkable happens when you engage in a daily habit of prayer. I’ve written before about attunement, being more aware of God’s presence in your life. When you take the time to make prayer a priority in your life, you experience these moments when you feel as if God is speaking directly to you and to your circumstance. I had that experience at Mass yesterday.2 weeks ago Read more
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Blog postOur senses guide us as we move through the world and animate our path as we go. We see colors, objects, and people. The background noise of our home and neighborhood plays on as if a soundtrack to our lives. We experience the tactile nature of things around us, and even smell the delicious aroma of our kitchens. We’re driven by our senses, and can sometimes be led into sin by them.3 weeks ago Read more
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Blog postAs I sit to write this post, I’m at the kitchen counter in our new house. We’re in the midst of a move. I’ve moved more than a dozen times in my life and this is the first one that can be considered a local move. It’s an experience I’m familiar with, but one that I still don’t particularly enjoy.1 month ago Read more
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Blog postAdvent is here, that most joyous of seasons. In my neighborhood, everyone put up their Christmas lights on Thanksgiving afternoon, at least those who hadn’t done so by November 1st. There’s plenty to love about December and the festivities that mark the end of our year.2 months ago Read more
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Blog postIt’s been a year. 2020 ushered in a new decade and along with it so much hope. As we've slugged out the past eleven months, it may be hard to find things for which we can be grateful. Our Churches are closed or mostly empty. We’ve been subject to virtual house arrest, fearing a virus and locked down by our governments. In the midst of it all, a national election brought into key positions of power people who have an ideology that’s hostile to our faith.2 months ago Read more
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Blog postFor nearly three years, I’ve done most of my shopping via pickup. From time to time, though, I need to go into the store to make a return. Doing that with four kids plus the item to be returned is no easy task. One night last week, with the kids in their pajamas and ready for bed, I left the house to run some errands.2 months ago Read more
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Blog postAmerica’s political class went into Election Day with a very specific idea of how things were going to go. As the returns came in that evening, a clear picture emerged. Americans are much more moderate and level-headed than our social media feeds and the legacy media would have us believe.2 months ago Read more
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Blog postJesus told us to not worry about tomorrow, that it would take care of itself. I wrote a few weeks ago about how it’s time for us to move past the paralysis of COVID. The trap of living in the past or future is that it steals our today.3 months ago Read more
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Blog postElection day is finally here. What a cycle it’s been! In many respects, this election cycle has been just as dramatic as any other. It’s the biggest, most contentious, most important election of your life! We’re either going to have a country or a civil war starting on Wednesday morning. At least that’s what we’re told. The truth is, people have predicted the downfall of America since its beginning. Yet, here we are.3 months ago Read more
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Blog postThis blog has defended Pope Francis. He told us to go out into the Church and the world to make a mess. His pontificate has certainly achieved that objective. The Vatican’s moral abdication on China is disconcerting. Over a million ethic Uyghurs arbitrarily detained in concentration camps, and the Vatican said nothing. The Chinese Communist Party’s insistence on Sinicization of religion and even the accord allowing the CCP to co-appoint bishops adds to the concern. In addition to issues on the3 months ago Read more
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Blog postLife in March was paralyzing. The incessant flow of negative news stories crashed over us like a tsunami. Our society endured the first global health threat of our lifetimes, and we did not adapt well.3 months ago Read more
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Blog postI bring a lot of structure and process to my life. During the day, when I’m alone with my children, I need that support. I need to have decisions pre-made for me so that when it’s time to go, I only have to execute. Sometimes I use these ready-made solutions for safety, like the order in which we get into and out of the van (everyone uses a single, passenger side door). At other times, it’s just for simplicity (I always arrange my children’s plates on the counter in the same order).3 months ago Read more
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Blog postI’ve made no secret that I’m a frequent recipient of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Once or twice a month, I leave my house on a Saturday afternoon to renew myself. Despite years of this spiritual practice, I still find myself in need of a regular spiritual tune-up. I’m grateful to have a confessor locally who is both patient and gentle with me. This year, as with everything, things have been different.4 months ago Read more
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Blog postFilling up every minute of the day with activity for my kids is a real struggle. My kids are always up for adventure or doing something new, but each day presents the same challenge. How can we spend our day in a way that allows my children to grow and me to thrive?4 months ago Read more
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Blog postGetting to Mass on a weekday is hard for me, and that was before the pandemic. The difficulty is not handling my four kids by myself for half an hour. It’s getting everyone up, dressed, fed, and in the pew by 8:30am. Lately our parish switched Mass times for the weekday liturgies to 5:00pm, another challenge for parents of little ones.4 months ago Read more
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Blog postI came up in the Boy Scouts program, rising from the 1st Grade Tigers program to the rank of Eagle Scout. Along the trail, I learned many life skills. That achievement was a direct result of the constant support of my parents as I progressed through the ranks. As a military child who moved frequently, Scouts formed the third pillar of external stability in my life, aside from Church and school. No matter where we went, the Scouts were there.4 months ago Read more
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Blog postA new school year is upon us. For many parents, September is like a second January, a natural point in the year when we review our life, our goals, and our aspirations. For me, I want to change something in my relationship with my children.5 months ago Read more
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Blog postIt’s been a very fast eight years since Alison and I met at the altar and committed ourselves to one another. Each year on this blog, I like to take the opportunity to reflect. As I sat down to write this year’s post, I realized that I have little new to offer.5 months ago Read more
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Blog postIn the months leading up to my daughter’s birth, I was anxious. Both of her sisters took nearly two weeks to make it home from the hospital. The emotional drain of maintaining two households, even for just that short period of time, weighed heavily on me. 2020 is a year unlike any other. The last thing that I wanted was a two week hospital stay in the middle of the pandemic. So I took it up in prayer.5 months ago Read more
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Blog postI have a subscription to Magnificat that I’ve had for over a year now. It’s a wonderful prayer companion, filled each month with fresh perspectives, profiles, and articles. Central to each day’s prayer routine is morning prayer, evening prayer, the readings from Mass, and a short reflection.5 months ago Read more
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Blog postThe opportunity to gain clarity in your life is rare. The busyness of the world and daily distractions easily get us to lose focus on our objectives. We’ve got too much going on in the present to be concerned about tomorrow, the broader future, or even what’s just on our periphery.6 months ago Read more
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Blog postTaking care of children is no easy task. Apart from the heavy lifting of moral and character education are the daily mundane tasks. These are the repeating things that I do every day without a thought, like getting dressed, taking a shower, or brushing my teeth. When I do them for myself, it requires almost no effort, but doing them for all three of my children is a heavy lift.6 months ago Read more
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Blog postOnce or twice a month, I’ll take an hour or so on a Saturday afternoon to go to Confession. Occasionally, I’ll throw in an additional errand or two that is better done without the kids. For many of these outings, I’d spend my entire time away from home feeling guilty. I’d feel guilty about leaving my wife, who worked hard all week, alone to watch the kids. I was wrong to feel that way.6 months ago Read more
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Blog postVirtue is the antidote to sin. It’s not enough to avoid sin, whether by white-knuckling it or avoiding triggers. The only way to truly avoid sin is to live a virtuous life. The best way to live a virtuous life is to build prayer into your day.7 months ago Read more
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Blog postThe center of the daily life of the Church is the Eucharist, but it’s not the whole life. Most of us have been unable to physically access the Mass for the past several months, leading to great sorrow. In the midst of this suffering, we’ve experienced the beauty of opening the domestic church.7 months ago Read more
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Blog postFor a few weeks now, I’ve felt like I was adrift. While considering my daily routine and struggling to get back on the horse, I came to a deeper insight. A daily routine without purpose is monotonous. If I’m going through my daily repeating task list with no aim or goal, I should feel bored and lost. If the tasks that I’m accomplishing day in and day out aren’t oriented towards some larger goal, then how can I expect fulfillment?7 months ago Read more
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Blog postWe live comfortably, but that’s rarely the experience of Catholics. Many, if not most Catholics throughout history lived very rough lives. They’ve been outcasts, despised, reviled, jailed, tortured, and killed. In this pandemic, we too share in this experience of discomfort. How will we respond?7 months ago Read more
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Blog postI made my First Communion more than two decades ago. In that time, I’ve rarely been more than seven days without receiving the Eucharist. As I sit here at my desk in early June, it’s been over 90 days since I’ve been to Mass and celebrated the Sacred Liturgy in person.8 months ago Read more
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Blog postChange is on the horizon for my family. Later this summer, we’ll be welcoming our fourth child home. The Book of Psalms describes children as a “gift from God” and as “a reward.” As I watch these young lives blooming before my eyes in slow motion, I’m seeing the wisdom of the author.8 months ago Read more
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Blog postMemorial Day marks the official start of summer. While the holiday weekend is typically filled with travel and cookouts, this year the celebrations are muted. In this time of upheaval, it’s a wonderful chance for us to rediscover the meaning of the holiday.8 months ago Read more
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Blog postBack in January, I had high hopes and expectations for 2020. The future was bright as a new decade dawned. Even just saying 2020 felt hopeful. In March, all of those illusions came crashing down. While the global lockdowns are starting to lift, I’m coming to the realization that things aren’t going back to the old way.8 months ago Read more
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Blog postSticking to a routine and a list of daily habits is much easier to do when I have momentum. Building up that momentum over a series of weeks propels me to continued success. Ideally, that routine and those habits are all oriented to completing the things that I want to accomplish. They’re guardrails that keep me heading to my goals. When I fall out of that routine, it’s remarkable just how hard it is to get back into the swing of things.8 months ago Read more
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Blog postWhat a difference three months can make! Back in January, I felt completely overwhelmed with all of my ongoing projects. I committed to trimming my obligations in recognition of the little time I have each day to devote to my own activities. Now, eight weeks into self-isolation, I find myself utterly bored.9 months ago Read more
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Blog postLast year, I had the most incredible breakthrough in my life. I achieved health and fitness goals that I set for myself a decade ago. The hardest thing in managing our health is maintaining it. We can do all of the hard work, only to watch it all disappear with sloppiness.9 months ago Read more
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Blog postWhen I was in high school, we had neighbors who went for a family walk almost every evening. The family of four, along with their dog, could reliably be seen moving slowly through the neighborhood after dinner. I presume that they spent those evening walks reflecting on their days and chewing on life’s big questions.9 months ago Read more
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Blog postAfter an epic Lent, Easter has finally come. The earth is teeming with the new life of Spring and we enter into the joyful season at the center of our Catholic faith. Unhappily, we must do so from the confines of our homes. While Christ has risen and left the tomb, many of us are sadly still left, dithering in darkness.9 months ago Read more
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Blog postWe become what we consume. The uncertainty that we all experience now is only intensified when we marinate in the news of the day. To be sure, we all have a part to play. We all need to do what we can to limit the human toll that the current pandemic will take on us. But don’t let it steal your hope.10 months ago Read more
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Blog postWhat a Lent this has been. We’re familiar with the story of Jesus going out into the desert for 40 days, but never before have we had such an acute experience of that kind of isolation. While in the desert, angels ministered to him and Satan tempted him, but he was truly alone. No humans to keep him company.10 months ago Read more
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Blog postLast week kicked off Spring. Not many of us are feeling the usual cheerfulness and refreshment that this change of season brings. Instead, we find ourselves trapped in our homes, separated from the Sacraments, and coming to terms with the fragility of our world.10 months ago Read more
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Blog postWhile I normally post once per week, I wanted to write today because it’s a special day. While the World grapples with the Coronavirus pandemic and the United States economy grinds to a halt, we find ourselves celebrating the first day of Spring. Panic, fear, and uncertainty run through our minds, while nature seems not to have noticed. My azalea bushes are in full bloom, birds are chirping and building their nests, and the trees bring forth their new leaves.10 months ago Read more
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Blog postDifficult times for Catholics are here. From the founding of our Church, community has been a central aspect of our faith. We gather, from our many walks of life, on a daily or weekly basis to celebrate the Eucharist, together. Increasingly, civil and health authorities are recommending the suspension of large gatherings. How do we celebrate our communal faith when we’re precluded from gathering in our parishes?10 months ago Read more
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Blog postIn late December and early January, the Wuhan virus was a distant trouble. It was an outbreak isolated to a province of China that few of us had ever heard of. As the virus crosses borders and continues to spread, we can now see the clouds forming on our own horizon. No longer is this a problem for people we’ve never met; it’s rapidly approaching our own communities.10 months ago Read more
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Blog postI’m always caught off guard by my kids gaining new abilities. They rarely tell me that they’re ready to take on new challenges. Then one day, O ask them to do a job, and they just go off and do it. Teaching them about our faith happens in the same way.11 months ago Read more
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Blog postI spent a few hours on Saturday morning at a men’s retreat. The theme of this year’s retreat was “faith alive.” As a part of Morning Prayer, we prayed Psalm 122. In that Psalm, the people are rejoicing because they are going to God’s house.11 months ago Read more
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Deciding whether or not to propose to Alison was one of the most difficult decisions that I’ve ever made.
As it should be. Committing to spend the rest of your life in love and service is a momentous moment for any person, let alone a young person.
The process that the proposal set in motion was confusing to me. Brides-to-be have endless magazines, articles, planners, websites, and personal experience to fall back on. More likely than not, your beloved has been planning her wedding since she was a little girl. You just started a few minutes ago and, besides this book, you’re mostly on your own.
Entering into marriage is the most significant transition that will take place in your life. You will enter into a relationship that will require your full attention, commitment, and involvement. While you won’t be married until the exchange of vows, you and your fiancée start building your marital relationship at the engagement.
The Transition is the book that will help you through this process. I share my experience, tips, and ideas for you as I take you through each stage of the wedding planning process. I’ll show you what to be prepared for, how to be supportive, and what things you and your future spouse need to be talking about. I also preview all of the changes that will take place in your first six months of marriage, and perhaps help you avoid a major fight or two.
Too many couples fall apart because they spent more time planning their wedding than planning their marriage. You have one chance to build your marriage right from the start. Let me help you win Fiancé of the Year and build the foundation for a phenomenal marriage.
Here's how The Transition can help you:
Discuss the hard subjects
There are five key areas that present the biggest challenges to any marriage. If you and your beloved can work through them, your marriage has a high likelihood of success. I'll show you how to have the tough conversations.
Support your fiancée
Planning a wedding is one of the most stressful experiences that any woman can go through. I'll explain the planning process so that you can better support her.
Put you in the driver’s seat
You and your fiancée get to decide what kind of marriage you want to have. If you want to have a quality, fruitful, happy marriage, you need to start right now.
All of these years later, my life today is totally different. My family has grown to three children, all under six years old. My days are booked solid, from the moment I wake up at 5:00am, until I go to bed at 9:00pm. There’s play, work, appointments, and adventures. In those twelve hours that at least two of my children are awake, I’m constantly in motion. Despite the demands on my schedule, I still need to schedule time to take care of myself.
For most of my time as a stay-at-home dad, I was lost. With little direction and no experience, I made many mistakes as I learned. Being a stay-at-home dad requires so much more than I could’ve ever imagined. "Humble Service" is my best advice for dads. I’ve pulled together many of the lessons I’ve learned to shape a philosophical understanding of my role in our family. This book has the vision for stay-at-home dads, along with all of the practical knowledge that you need to be successful. This is a guidebook to help you be the stay-at-home dad that your family deserves.
When life gets busy, and on days when I’m falling behind on my to-do list, there are two types of activities that I’m likely to cut: exercise and prayer. Why is it that my first reaction is to cancel those activities that have the biggest impact on my life? If I neglect my physical or spiritual fitness long enough, I’m going to pay a price.
The hardest thing about prayer is knowing where to start. There’s no wrong way to pray, and thousands of right ways. Devotions to saints, memorized prayer, open conversation, reading the Bible, the list goes on and on. It’s easy to get blocked just trying to make a decision about where to start.
Grant Us Peace is that easy first step.
I’ve done all of the work and planning for you. Simply pick up the book and pray. Five minutes a day for 21 days is all that it takes. After three solid weeks of daily prayer, you’ll be on track, in the groove, and ready to continue building a rich spiritual life.
Here's how Grant Us Peace can help you:
Form a habit of prayer
21 days of reflections and practical action steps. You'll start feeling progress right from the start.
A solid blueprint
Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started. I've done the hard work for you and laid out an easy to follow plan.
The perfect jumping off point
This is only the beginning. Once you've established your habit of prayer, you'll be ready to explore all of the treasures of the Church.