Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here.
I hope you’ll look around a bit, and maybe visit often. I’d love you to introduce yourself in
the comments section.
As for me, well I’m a wife of a few decades, and I have one son who is 35 years old. My
husband and I wanted lots of babies, but God had other plans.
I was born and raised in New Orleans, LA, but since I’ve been married, I’ve lived in Texas, Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, and am now back in my home state.
I majored in journalism, and enjoyed doing freelance writing for a few years. When I blow out my birthday candles, I often wish that someday I’ll get around to writing a book — always a dream of mine.
When I was 25, God came into my life like the sun at dawn — brilliant, yet gentle, tenderly 
suffusing me with His Light, Warmth and Beauty. I fell passionately in love!
One of the great joys and privileges of my life is my membership in the Secular Discalced Carmelites. I began that journey in 1995, and have now been definitively professed (final promises) for the past thirteen years.
Some of my hobbies are reading, writing, decorating, and traveling. I have a zillion books, 90 percent about God and the spiritual life. The other 10 percent are nutrition/health related. (My second career choice was nutritionist.)
My favorite saint is Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. You will find her making frequent appearances on my blog posts. She has been sister, mentor and friend to me throughout my spiritual journey.
The happiest hours of my life are spent in the Presence of our Eucharistic Jesus.
Come join me on my “adventure in God,” – to quote the great Carmelite mystic, St. John of the Cross.
There’s no other adventure to compare! That’s a promise!
I Want to See God 
If you would like to write occasionally for ACWB http;//associationofcatholicwomenbloggers.blogspot.com/
email me..
On the Aug. 21st 2014 post….Just as no one knows the Father except the Son; you used a breath-taking picture of the Trinity.What is the name of the painting?
Who is the artist and would I need permission to use it? I am involved in Church ministry and the picture would be a gift this Lent. Many thanks. Sally
Hi Sally, I love that picture as well. I found it on google images where it is sourced back to another website, but the artist’s name is not given. I have no idea who painted it. It is extremely touching, especially in the larger size which you can see at google images. I tend to freely use what’s on google images, unless it’s watermarked. I don’t know if there are any prohibitions. Some of my personal images from my blog end up there…items I know are unique to me. 🙂 I don’t mind if they are used for the Glory of God. Hope this helps. Good luck with your Lenten project. Blessings! Patricia
I am happy to have found this page. I am on vacation with my wife of 31 years and our youngest son Jacob (16). I was enthralled when I received my scapular and eager to study and make my first promises. However my son’s participation in soccer became more important to me and found my self missing more and more meetings until I realized my vocation to Carmel was an idea of the past. I have since been accepted into our Diocese’s diaconate program and am eager to begin studies in September. However; Carmel has become a part of me and I don’t want to let it go. Thank you for this website. God bless,
Mike
Hi Mike! Thank you so much for visiting my blog, and for leaving your interesting comment.
Congratulations on your beautiful call from God to enter the diaconate. May He give you the Grace to persevere to your ordination. How wonderful for you!
Yes, as far as Carmel goes, timing is everything. I began the journey as my son entered his senior year in highschool. He was no longer involved in team sports and other activities which required my presence on Sundays — which is the day my Community meets monthly. Like you, I could have not joined when my son was younger.
We have a deacon in our Carmelite Community, and diocesan priests are also able to join secular orders. So if Carmel is stil tugging at your heart, you may not have to let go permanently, but perhaps will find God calling you back at some time in the future. It might be ten or even twenty years from now.
But whatever happens, keep reading the wisdom of our Carmelite Saints. Stay close to them, wear your (little) brown scapular, and you will always be part of the Carmelite family.
And….don’t forget to visit my blog whenever you can! : )
Blessings to you and your family,
Patricia
Hi Patricia,
I found your blog from your comment over at Little Way I love Joyce. . I’m a deep south girl as well though I was born and raised up north. They say after you’re in the south 25 or more years …you’re official. I’m a revert to the faith after 20 years as an evangelical protestant. Several months ago I made my final oblation as a Benedictine oblate after a 3 year journey.
I’m glad to have found you and will visit your beautiful blog often…and invite you to mine as well.
I’ve had a dream about writing a book since I was a young girl…but I’m afraid I struggle too much with confidence for that..: )
Blessings and +PAX
Hi Caroline,
If you have survived 25 years of six month long scorching summers, you are definitely “official”! Of course, that also assumes that y’all has a prominent place in your vocabulary. : )
Thank you so much for visiting my blog. More people find me through Joyce than anywhere else! She has such an awesome blog, and is so kind to list beginners like me.
Actually, I’ve been reading your blog for some time — again through Joyce! You write beautifully, and shouldn’t give up on that book.
I would love to hear more about your journey back to the Church, and also about your vocation as a Benedictine oblate. Have you written about it on your blog? Sounds like you have more than enough
material for a book. Your post today on your neighbors and forgiveness was so insightful, touching and honest. I loved it. Thanks again for stopping by. Do come again, and may God bless you!.
Patricia,
I wrote this response to your blog comment on my blog, but thought that I would duplicate it here. I am so grateful for your prayers and I wanted to make sure you know that and wasn’t sure if you would check back to see my response.
Thank you so much for praying for vocations, we are in such desperate need of good and holy men to lead us in faith! And thanks especially for praying for my son! It means so much to me to know that he is held in prayer before the Lord!
Anne, I’m off to Tuesday adoration, and John and Ken will be in my prayers. Please pray for my son too. He is going through a difficult time right now. Thank you so much!
Hi Patricia, I found your comment on The Community of Catholic Bloggers and came over to say hello! Wasn’t that a beautiful and moving Catholic Eucharistic Flash Mob? I too, posted it on my blog and pray that it will go around the world! Even those that had turned away, I pray that a seed was planted that may lead them back to Christ. The internet and the blogosphere has been such a blessing for us to share the Good News of Our Faith! I am not a writer (and you’ll notice it right away if you visit my blog) but I do so enjoy writing about my faith journey. God Bless!
Hi Noreen, thanks for stopping by. Yes, it was so beautiful. I know I’ll watch it several more times. I like to look at the different people’s reactions. Love those priests! I just wanted to be there.
I’ve been out most of today, but I will definitley visit your blog. I love the Catholic blogs. Each one is unique, but all reaching out and sharing our beautiful Faith. What a blessing to use the Internet to glorify Our Awesome God!
i have been a frequent follower and reader of thtis blog and find it both refreshing and beautiful.
God Bless
Thank you, Isaac, for your kind words. That means so much. I’m guessing that you are pretty young yet, and that makes your interest in my blog truly special. Your kindness and enthusiam are always a joy to me. I’m praying for you and your future vocation. I hope you write about your interest in the monastic life sometime.
God bless you, Isaac. You must be such a joy to His Sacred Heart.
thank you!
I hope you get to write that book one day.
I did … eventually, very eventually.
God bless.
You wrote your book? Wonderful! What did you write about? Perhaps if I visit your blog I’ll find out. Thank you for your encouragement. My problem is deciding what to write about. Hmmm…..
Hi,
Sorry it took me some time to return here. I wrote a Christian fiction story about 3 children who see Jesus in the park, and how the news affects their community when they tell the priest about it. A modern-day Lourdes or Fatima, I suppose.
There’s a short summary of “Visions” on my blog. You’re welcome to visit and download my FREE E books too.
You write beautifully and I suggest a collection of your posts here would make a good book (or E Book) of inspirationals. You see, you’ve already written your book!
Please contact me if you wish to discuss further.
May God bless you always.
Victor, I’m looking forward to reading your E books. I’m not really familiar with E books (I’m still resisting Kindles, etc. as well : ) Thank you so much for your encouragement. Yes, I am interested in further discussion. Should I email you?
Meanwhile, I’ll be praying about it. But, I’ve always wanted to write about Our Blessed Lord in whatever way might share His Love…..
Thank you so much for your kind interest in helping!
Blessings to you and yours,
Patricia
Greetings again from a grey looking UK. It’ll rain (again) later I understand.
Anyway … I hope you enjoy my E Books, and (hopefully) my one book “Visions” published in paperback. Yes … please do write me at my e-mail address. This is the private address of my personal website http://www.holyvisions.co.uk
I’ll be glad to help in any way I can.
Talking of Kindle. I have great news for you. Amazon now allow authors like you to self-publish on Kindle for FREE. You give them your book in PDF format, they sell it through Kindle, and give you Royalties.
I’ve just tried them. It took them 24 hours to put my book up for sale. (For some reason I can’t copy/paste the link here … technical problems – but I’ll do so in e-mail correspondence to show you how it works.
Looking forwards to hearing from you. God bless.
The photo of you and your beloved is beautiful !!
The light of God shines forth from you, my friend.
love..Trish
Ooooh, Thank you, Trish! I thought I would update the summer photo I had posted earlier. My son took this one in the restaurant where he works. I thought it was a nice memory of a lovely day spent together.
So glad you liked it!
Love,
Patricia
1I am happy I found your blog. I will share it with my reading group who are devoted to the great Carmelite Saints.
Some women wear habits on their hearts
While wearing an apron around their fruitful middle.
Some women become discalced by children who run out to play in mommy’s shoes.
There is a desire for the Carmel; its quiet, its simplicity, its order, which she must try to bring into her home and cultivate among what could easily fall to chaos.
It can’t be done alone, she realizes. She must bring in the great ones, Edith Stein, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross… She must introduce them to her children and together come to know and love them.
Daily, in their hearts they pray. Not just daily, but like a Carmelite, constantly their hearts pray. It looks a little different.
Their prayer is in their cooking and in their cleaning and in their correcting of their children.
Their prayer is in their serving the husband, the children, the neighbor and the stranger.
Their prayer is in their listening to the sorrows of their children and their joys.
It is in their listening to the sorrows of the worlds children and shedding tears for them as they would for their own.
Her joy is knowing that her prayers are joined to those Carmelites all over the world who are praying too, even praying for her.
Andrea! Your comment is simply beautiful….is it a poem? I love the part about the “discalced” moms who lost their shoes to the little ones : ) So precious!
I hope you will visit my blog again and we can “talk” a bit through comments.
I’m so sorry for being this late in responding to your message. I was on vacation when you left it, and while I published it from the hotel’s business center, I did not have time to respond then…..and forgot all about it after returning home shortly before Christmas.
God bless yoiu!
Patricia
Goodness gracious, I need to work on presence of mind. I just saw the comment you left on my “Good Grief, Girl Scouts” post. Maybe I approved it without really reading it, I don’t know. But it’s got to be one of the nicest comment I’ve ever gotten! Thank you for adding me to your blogroll! I love Secular Carmelites. Heck, I like all Carmelites, ‘specially Discalced ones. Zelo Zelatus Sum pro Domino Deo Exercituum!
Hi Flos! How nice to see you here…bearing a rose, which reminds me of my dear St. Therese! I can see I may need to employ Google Translator as my Latin is not up to snuff! Keep it up though, hopefully I will learn something. : )
I’m so glad you commented. I love your blog, and the fact that you are young and in college and so into your Faith. Awesome! I was also impressed that you knew about the Girl Scout situation, which is truly tragic.
I was happy to link to you. I think my blog buddies would really enjoy your posts. So glad you like Carmelites. Our Carmelite quarterly newsletter is named Flos Carmeli, which is also a title we give to Our Lady. She is also known as the Queen and Beauty of Carmel. She is that and so much more!!!
Hope you visit often!
Blessings,
Patricia
my picture for facebook
Also, I forgot to mention, I really really like your blog!
For the first time, I read through all of the comments on this page. Oh my, how striking.. and yet another indication of how the Internet can be used for the glory of God.
The words of Andrea, above, grabbed me right at the core of my own personal “cloistered heart” essence…”Some women wear habits on their hearts while wearing an apron around their fruitful middle. Some women become discalced by children who run out to play in mommy’s shoes….”
And all of that. Oh my goodness, what a perfect image.
Again I thank you for such a beautiful blog.
Nancy, bless you for taking the time to read through all of those comments! I absolutely loved Andrea’s comment too! It was just beautiful and so perfect…like poetry. I hope she is still out there reading my blog. She hasn’t commented since then, but sounds like someone I’d love to have as a friend. But then, you sound like that too 🙂
LIke you said, the Internet really can be used for the glory of God. I”m so grateful for all of the beautiful ladies I have met out there, and now count among my friends. It’s wonderful to go online and just be inspired every single day. All of the comments you guys leave me keep me going too.
Nancy, I”m so glad you found me…but I also love reading your comments on other blogs. You are delightful!
Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart today! May we all receive the Grace to love HIM more…much more.
Love,’
Patricia
Patricia, what very kind things to say! Thank you. Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart to you also, my FRIEND :).
Little One,
I’ve spent some time today visiting your blog and feel inspired, uplifted and my flame for Jesus is burning brighter. I will return often.
b/b + + +
Hi B,
Wonderful to see you here…and thank you so much for your very kind words. I hope you do come often. Check out Christopher’s wedding, if you haven’t already. It’s in the August archives. All God’s blessings to you and your family!
I’ve just starting looking at your site. I was OCDS for many years, but had to quit recently because of a move and our family situation. Can’t wait to explore more of your posts!
http://contemplativehomeschool.wordpress.com
Faith-based education, Carmelite spirituality
Welcome, Connie. Thank you so much for commenting. I love your idea of a contemplative home school. Most of our children are exposed to anything but a contemplative environment! I don’t have young children, but I’m still looking forward to checking out your blog and recommending it to others who are homeschooling. May God bless you and your family this Advent and always!
Thanks and same to you!
it is a pleasure to meet another child of god. I want to thank you for placing your blog on the blog of the year on facebook, so I could find your web pages
Terry, I was just doing some updating, and noticed I had not responded to your kind comment. Somehow, I overlooked it. Thank you so much for visiting me and for your lovely words. I stopped over at your blog just now, and please know that you and your brother will be in my prayers tonight. God bless and keep you. Hope to see you again.
Thank you so much Patricia. There is nothing more magnificent and powerful than prayer
Hello, a beautiful profile and entry on your adopted son. I followed a trail and found you by happenstance today. Surely God leads us everywhere!
I am writing from Massachusetts and am also a Secular Carmelite, a vocation I was led to after the death of my adopted son, Tim, in 2005. As it so happens, today is the official release date for my book about Tim’s life and death: Diary of a Country Mother.
May God keep us all together in the Mystical Body.
Welcome Cindy! Double welcome to a dear OCDS sister! I’m so happy the “trail” led you here 🙂 I visited your blog, but it looks like you are just getting started. I will check back again soon.
Congratulations on your book! I checked it out on Amazon, and the initial reviews sounded wonderful. But, I was so very sorry to read of the death of your son, Tim. I can’t imagine anything worse. God bless you for your faithfulness. Please know you are in my prayers…yes in the Mystical Body.
May your book be a blessing to you, and to others who read it. I will probably be among them…am only hesitating because I know it will make me cry.
God bless you, dear sister in Carmel. So glad we “met.”
Thank you so much for your prayers! God has a beautiful way of healing all things, even a mother’s worst nightmare.
Now I am trying to jump over another high hurdle-figuring out the wordpress process. Any suggestions there?
The book success is all in God’s hands, so I am trying to do my little part and then step out of the way to show others His glory.
So glad to see you back, Cindy! I love what you said about how God heals..even the worst nightmares. He really does, doesn’t He? Somehow…although pain often remains with suffering, He lifts us up to His Heart, and we manage to go on… I have a feeling your book is very beautiful!
I would love to help you with wordpress. I stumbled along myself two years ago…sort of trial and error. They change things up now and then and I have to adjust. Please feel free to ask me any questions…my email is therese.martin24@yahoo.com. I’m more than happy to share my somewhat roundabout way of doing things here 🙂
There are lots of wonderful Catholic bloggers around here, and a few Carmelites too! I know everyone will love getting to know you and your story. Please keep in touch! God bless you.
Dear Patricia, I think I’ve seen your name in the comments on the mad-eyed monk…? I just saw that you followed my blog — I am honored! It is a joy to connect with others. So, I am here to read and say hello! I, like Nancy above, enjoy Andrea’s comments on how some women are called to serve God in the midst of family life, losing their shoes to their children. Thanks for your blog. Many, many blessings to you.
Hi again Amy! Yes, I’ve been over to Cynthia’s blog many times. Who can resist her exquisite poetry! In fact, I saw your comment there and clicked on your name and that’s how I found your blog 🙂 It IS a joy to connect with others. If only I had nothing else to do but read all day, sigh….
I loved that comment by Andrea! It was so perfect. I was hoping she would return and comment again, but I guess she is busy living her own special brand of the “discalced” life. It’s wonderful knowing that so many beautiful women are out there raising the next generation. Gives one hope, which we so much need in these times. Looking forward to getting to know you Amy, and including you in all my prayers for my blogging buddies. God bless!
Feeling so blessed to have found this page x
Hi, I found this blog by accident over a month ago and bookmarked it in my favorites! You’ll be seeing me popping in here whenever I can get the chance! I was led to make a WordPress blog too.. titled, “Jesus King in Exile” and am due to be making a new blog entry there soon.
I want to say I love all of the posts here and especially love St. Therese of Lisuex. I am learning about the lives of these precious saints and what Lights they are for the rest of us to get closer to Jesus!
Hello friend, thank you for all you do for Our Lord.
Are you interested in speaking about the Secular Discalced Carmelites on a Catholic podcast?
The Source and Summit Podcast is an open podium for Catholics to share their love for the Church.
Through the technology on our website you can record an item for the show, from your own computer.
It is a new opportunity to spread the Word and let your voice be heard in the community.
You are welcome at sourceandsummit.cc for more information and to listen to some examples.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.
Peace be with you, Marvin Max.