Kelly Schreckenberger

“As one set aside in a special way for the service of the altar, the acolyte should learn all matters concerning public divine worship and strive to grasp their inner spiritual meaning: in that way he will be able each day to offer himself entirely to God, be an example to all by his gravity and reverence in church, and have a sincere love for the Mystical Body of Christ, the people of God,…

Being Quiet Enough to Hear

First, I stressed the importance of silence to an overflowing room of teens.

“Turn off your phones, take your headphones out of your ears”.

“Sit no more than three to a pew when we enter the church”.

We were heading in to the Church sanctuary for adoration. I had just tried to explain the difference between what truly satisfies us and what doesn’t. I tried to tell a generation that has grown up…

Are you new here?

I knew when I walked in the door that something was different.

Someone else was sitting behind the counter. I didn’t know her, she didn’t know me.

Everything else was the same–I handed her my items, she gave me a ticket, and told me to come back in a few days.

I said thank you, and I left.

But as I walked out the door, I couldn’t help but wonder where he was.  I mentioned it to my husband. “I…

The first book I read in 2016 was one of the most mesmerizing pieces of fiction that I have found in a long time. Maybe it was the subject matter–the story revolves around a novelist headed to Athens, Greece to teach a creative writing course one summer. Maybe it’s the string of seemingly disconnected conversations that make up the entire book. Maybe its the way that these strangers share such…

Having a casual conversation with someone on New Year’s Eve, I was asked if I was making any resolutions this year.

My response was that I wanted to try new things in 2016.

“New?” he responded. “You mean like jumping out of an airplane? Things like that?”

No…not jumping out of an airplane–I already did that….I’m talking about all the little things all around me that I have never done.

Like going…

As another year comes to a close, it is time to look forward and wonder what the next year will look like.

If all goes as expected, we will have two graduations in 2016–our son will graduate with his Bachelor’s degree in May, and our daughter will graduate with a dual Master’s degree next December.

Both are ready to move on and get moving on the life adventures that await.

I remember my own time…

My first thought was that nothing out of the ordinary really happened. Nothing specific came to mind, so I sat with the challenge a bit longer and suddenly all sorts of experiences started popping in–some big, some small, but each…

My mother-in-law makes the most beautiful quilts.

Many are hand-stitched, some are machine-stitched, but however they are put together, they are intricate creations of beauty, destined to outlive her–a part of her that will be cherished for many years to come.

Off and on through the years, I have attempted to sew as well.  Just a couple years ago I was in to making fleece t-shirt quilts, and a…

There’s a wall standing between me and what I want to write.

I’m standing in front of it , alone, and I have to find a way over it, around it, or through it. It’s made of stone stacked so high it blocks out the light..

Standing at a distance, I like to look at it. I realize how much it resembles me–many different pieces coming together to make a whole.  But coming closer, I touch the wall and it…

On this third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, we light the pink candle and the Mass readings emphasize our joyous anticipation of the Lord’s coming.

We are reminded of the joy that surrounds us, even in the midst of great suffering.

We don’t have to look far to see great pain, it seems like it is everywhere these days, but then it always has been. Ever since the very first people chose to turn…

Thanksgiving Day, I posed the annual question: “When shall we put up the Christmas tree?”

He answered, “How about Monday?”

“Monday?!? You’ll be gone by then.”

“Exactly……”

“Why do I even bother?” I asked.

“I don’t know…why do you?”

And so it goes….

This time of year comes along and I feel stuck in some sort of eternal window–not where we were, but not quite yet where we are going. Looking out in…

Listening in the Dark

At times it feels as though we have been collectively thrown into an never-ending dark night.

We don’t have to look far to see the terror. All we have to do is turn on our TV, scroll through our social media feeds, check out the latest headlines in the world.

Buildings falling down.

Marathoners bombed.

Terrorist attacks. Bombings. Be-headings. Grenades. Slaughter. Death.

Closer to home, two…

Chalk Paint Part 2

Now that I had completed my six kitchen chairs with chalk paint, it was time to move on to my next project.

  I had already tried out three different colors on the kitchen cabinets…in fact, my kitchen was pretty much in a state of chaos…

But what I really wanted to makeover was the kitchen table. The size of the table is perfect for our kitchen, and it is durable–strong enough for everyday use,…

Playing with chalk paint…

At a temporary standstill with my stair makeover, I decided the time was perfect to start a new project.

I was really excited to try out the chalk paint I had recently discovered, and being one to just plunge in to something new, I decided to paint my kitchen chairs.

The chairs themselves were in good shape, being from Ethan Allan and handed down to me from my mom. But over the years they have…

How are those stairs coming along?

It was supposed to be a weekend project. Under $50.00–all I needed was some stain and polyurethane.  From the pictures on Pinterest it looked easy. That was three weeks ago.

Step One: Start tearing up carpet on a rainy Friday night. Get stuck after two stairs.

Step Two: Give carpet removal job to husband.

Step Three: Pull hundreds of carpet staples out of steps.

Step Three: Start sanding the…

Help me to see…

Mark 10:46-52

“…and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a bind man, the son of Timaeus was sitting by the roadside begging.”

Blind people were considered throwaways in the culture at that time.

Who are the throwaways in today’s world? Who do we walk on by without even noticing? Who do we turn away from?

Despite the fact that everyone around was rebuking…