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Blog postExperiencing loss is something we all have and will face throughout our lifetime. As we get older, the number of losses increases, sometimes to unbearable proportions. One would think (or hope) that after a certain amount of losses, the sting would somehow lessen and the tears would no longer flow with abandon - instead, become a controlled trickle.
In reality, we find that after each loss, the sting is the same (and sometimes worse). We might find ourselves muddling through o -
Blog postMy writing time spans from around midnight to five o’clock in the morning. Some nights either I just don’t have the right words or the drive (shame on me) but stay up anyway watching television or reading. Last night was like that. While reading and listening to the tv (multitasking?), I glanced at the tiny Christmas tree in our window, and thoughts drifted to my mom. I wondered what she would think of it. Growing up we always had "perfect" Christmas trees
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Blog postSaint John Damascene tells us, “The day of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a day of universal joy because, through the Mother of God, the entire human race was renewed, and the sorrow of the first mother, Eve, was transformed into joy.”
As Christmas approaches, my heart overflows with gratitude towards the Blessed Mother because:
By Her saying, "Yes," -
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Blog postThis story was written by my son when he was in sixth grade, the story of his life up to that point:
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THE LONG ROAD HOME(A True Story)Bobby Cleghorn – Grade 6
Up until I was 7 years old I remember that I lived in a truck, under a roller coaster and in motel rooms. When I was 7 my Mom left my sister Bonnie and I in a motel room to go bail my dad out of jail. She never came back. The principal of my school found out that we were left -
Blog postRecently I had some work of mine reviewed. Flashbacks of when I was in the workforce facing the dreaded "annual performance evaluation" sent chills vibrating down my spine. The fear victims experience in my recent suspense series pales in comparison to the terror I felt sitting down in my manager's office as he shut the door.
I always fared extremely well in those evaluations and should have been ecstatic. BUT although 99% of the feedb -
Blog postThe following post was written a few years back. Since Lent is right around the corner, how about giving up anger and spend the time focusing on forgiveness?
As a writer, life experiences sometimes inspire ideas for future projects, but I never expected a menial household chore to be one of them.
You see, I had an attack of domesticity the other day and decided to clean out my refrigerator. I realized the contents could very easily be used -
Blog postThe Walk for Life in Hemet, CA concludes at the Cemetery of the Innocent, a touching memorial with 3,000 crosses signifying the number of lives lost to abortion each day in the United States.
This past weekend, I was honored to be the keynote speaker at a rally prior to the walk and was asked to share the written version of my speech.
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It’s an honor and privilege to speak to so many dedicated pro-life warriors.
3,000 crosses -
Blog postI wrote this back in 2016, but thought it would be worth sharing again. Hope you enjoy my trip down memory lane!
The March for Life in Washington, D.C. is the largest pro-life rally held on or around the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v Wade. After getting involved with Silent No More, I dreamed of joining my fellow SNM sisters and brothers at the event, along with thousands of others speaking out for the sanctity of li -
Blog postJanuary is Respect Life Month. Why? Because it was in January 1973 that Roe v Wade passed and legalized abortion.
To put the devastation of this law into perspective:
This month, I am honored to be speaking at the Walk for Life in Hemet, CA (January 20th) and the West Coast Walk for Life in San Francisco (January 27th). Preparing for these events always reminds me of something that happened while attending the West Coas -
Blog postI am honored and blessed to have Dr. Michelle Bengtson as a special guest blogger today. As one who has dealt with depression for decades, her encouraging insights are invaluable. ~~~~~(Excerpt from "Hope Prevails - Insights from a Doctor's PersonalJourney through Depression")
I couldn’t look him in the eye, so instead I stared icily out the car window as we sat in our vehicle in the middle of a grocery store parking lot. Looking back, I know this took him b -
Blog postNovember is the month the Shockwaves of Abortion initiative addresses pro-life workers.
Kevin Burke is the co-founder of Rachel's Vineyard and a pastoral associate with Priests for Life and the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. In one of his blogs on the Silent No More website he said, “When we hear of vicarious trauma, we often think of first responders; the brave men and women who serve as firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and police off -
Blog postAdvertisements for Halloween costumes are all over the place right now, and ... uh, oh ...it got me thinking. We all wear masks from time to time; we have to. There are situations where our true feelings or reactions would not be socially acceptable or, in the worse case scenario ... even illegal.
What we need to realize is there is one mask we wear that can interfere with our lives: A false persona created due to the misguided notion of not b -
Blog postGoing through some boxes of pictures, one surfaced that reminded me of a canceled baptism.
I was raised in a Christian home, but my parents did not have me baptized as a child; they believed it should be my decision later on as to what faith I wanted to follow. I never thought much about it in my younger years, and in my "demon days," God was not even part of my vocabulary ... unless I was using His name in vain. Anyway, I was too interested in partying and doing my -
Blog postJanet Thompson takes the mystery out of mentoring in her new book Mentoring For All Seasons. I was honored to be part of this inspirational project as I discuss after-abortion healing as a recipient and provider.
Enjoy this special introduction from Janet…
I grew up in Southern California where, with few seasonal exceptions, the weather was consistent year round—sunny and beautiful. Sunny and hot with morning fog near the beach in summer. Sunny and warm with occasi -
Blog postToday’s Gospel reading struck me like lightening.
“For there is nothing hidden that
will not become visible,and nothing
secret that will not be known
and come to light.”
Luke 8:17
It reminded me of a term frequently used in Alcoholics Anonymous: “You are only as sick as your secrets.”
Many women and men carry their abortion experience in the dark recesses of their soul. They do everything in th -
Blog postActress Martha Plimpton madeheadlines recently by announcing she had her best abortion in Seattle, which isn't surprising. She has never been coy about that part of her personal life. In 2015 she told ABC, “For me in particular because I did have two abortions as a young woman, I feel that my ability to access that kind of medical care made it possible for me to live out my dreams and do what I really want to do in life.”
My initial reactions were of disgust and -
Blog postYou can order on Amazon at http://a.co/hRguQFM
or check out the sidebar on how to get a signed copy.
Have you ordered your copy yet? Don't miss out! ....This is what a few people have said:
Wow, intense, intimate and inspiring. Wow, from the bar scene to the foot of the cross!!!! Everyone who has ever been hurt must read your book!!!!!!!!!!! What a great read....thank you!
Pastor Angelo Frazier
Riverlakes Community Church
Bakersfield, -
Blog postin·fra·struc·ture n. . An underlying base or foundation especially for an organization or system.
I was watching a History Channel documentary on the aging material infrastructure in the United States. Infrastructure is crucial for our survival and has great potential for disaster if not maintained or improved.
Here it comes...it got me thinking (again)...
We also have a spiritual infrastructure, -
Blog postIn our faith journey, it is imperative we quiet ourselves to hear God's word. What is just as important is to speak to Him. Below is an excerpt from my devotional, “Embrace the Morning,” included in the soon to be released, “And God Still Loves Me.”
Life is teeming with obligations and activities. At times we become overwhelmed; we lose track of priorities. The foremost priority, our relationship with God, unfortunately, gets lost in the chaos. We put off -
Blog postWe are all sinners; we are human, after all. Turning back the hands of time to reverse our words or actions is impossible. All we can do is ask for forgiveness and move forward, resolving to do better. That’s all well and good; however, how many times do we receive forgiveness from God and others yet still wallow in guilt by recounting the transgressions in our minds, over and over again? Why is it so easy to give forgiveness than to accept it?
Being an overac -
Blog postBarbara Bush once said, “To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.”
Her words are heartwarming, and in a perfect world, all families would be blessed with that kind of relationship. Unfortunately, ours is not a perfect world, and some families experience estrangement from time to time. The disunity is usually temporary and rectified through humility and forgiveness because both sides realize the familial relationship is and should be cheris -
Blog postIt’s 1:30 a.m. Everyone else in the house is tucked in and sound asleep. I’ve been sitting here in the recliner, listening to the dogs snore and the house creakfor the last couple of hours … struggling to find the perfect words for a Mother’s Day tribute. You might be thinking, “For crying out loud, Patti. You’re a writer … it should be easy.” Well, I’ll tell you a secret: There are times when words hide in the recesses of my heart … preventing the raw e
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Blog postOne of my favorites My son, bless his pea-pickin’ heart, has a habit of reminding me from time to time how I was before I got sober. Thankfully, most of the stories he brings up are humorous.
His favorite is the time my ex-husband convinced me of the existence of "dry-land tuna"... fish that lived in the hills of Malibu sans water (I'm turning red already). My beer brain grabbed on to that little piece of Animal Kingdom trivia, and my slurred motor mouth shared -
Blog postI've shared this experience before, but thought it was appropriate to repost.
Three of us stood at a bulletproof window separating us from an armed, uniformed receptionist. She slid a sign-in sheet and black pen through a small opening and asked us to sign it and exchange our driver's licenses for a visitor's badge. All the while I thought back to what I heard in orientation: In the case of lock-down, visitors will be escorted out; however, under certain circumstan -
Blog postMy mind is in overdrive (again) and the Holy Spirit nudged me to blog about beating myself up over past mistakes.
Although I confess my sins to a priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there are times when I just cannot let go. The tapes of my mistakes keep playing in my mind, and I end up entering the "if only" zone, wishing I could turn back the hands of time. Yeah, like that's going to happen.
It is Satan that pulls out those old tapes and I can alm
Books By Patti J. Smith
The San Francisco Wedding Planner Complete Series 1
Jul 21, 2014
$30.99
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Christmases Past
Nov 25, 2014
by
Anne Baxter Campbell ,
Andrea Merrell ,
Doris Gaines Rapp ,
Patti J. Smith ,
Sue Badeau ,
Diane Huff Pitts ,
James J. Griffin
Out of Print--Limited Availability.
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