Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story coming soon!
I didn’t realize in 2012 when I created the website Joy Alive in our Hearts -- JoyAlive.net -- that I was taking my first step toward learning to share my…
Living in the Moments of CWCLive 2018
Nancy Ward facilitates the Nonfiction Critique Workshop at the Catholic Writers
Conference Live in Lancaster, PA, on July 31, 2018. Left to right, Geri Guadagno,
Donna Mitchell, Lisa White, Barbara Lorenzo, Nancy Ward, Virginia Pillars,
Forrest Yanke and Tony Agnesi (Photo provided by Nancy Ward)
If ever there is a place to live in each present moment, it’s the Catholic Writers Conference Live. My adventure this year began with the delightful drive from the airport through rural Pennsylvania with Volunteer Coordinator Barb Szyszkiewicz, Ellen Hrkach and Allison Gingras to the conference center hotel and ended with the train ride back to the airport with Deanna Klingel. Between these travel bookends, I enjoyed hundreds of moments of teaching and learning from my fellow Guildies, serving them and being served by them, discovering for the first time the faces of social media friends and hugging dear writers I have met and befriended at past conferences.
The pre-conference activities always begin with setting up our CWG booth, provided for us by the Catholic Marketing Network (CMN). The CMN Trade Show is fondly known as Disneyland for Catholics because everywhere you look is one more unique book or recording or statue or item of jewelry or clothing. The number of ways we find to express our Catholicism, share it with others and glorify God seem limitless. No wonder the majority of Catholic book and gift shop owners do their annual buying at CMN. And we get to meet and pitch our books to acquisition editors of publishing houses – a beautiful synergy.
The Tuesday luncheon with bookstore owners brought us introductions to a few of those on the other side of publishing our books, the retailers.
Critique Workshops opened the conference on Tuesday afternoon, the Fiction Critique Workshop led by Michelle Buckman and Karina Fabian and my Non-Fiction Critique Workshop. Although I‘ve been facilitating the session for several years, I always get excited about working with new writers, who teach me so much through their talent and commitment. By the end of the two hours, we were close colleagues experienced in the art of giving and receiving critiques as we headed to the historic St. Mary Catholic Church for Mass. (more…)
Aleteia Book Review: ‘Unconditionally: Finding Jesus in the Eucharist’
NEWS FLASH: Hear Nancy Ward speak on “Why Keep a Spiritual Journal?” at Dallas Council of Catholic Women Deanery Meeting, Feb 21, St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Dallas, TX. Contact nancyhcward@verizon.net…
St. Philip’s: The Gift of Conversion
Nancy’s presentation was well thought out and appealing to our women’s church group. She was able to elicit an interesting conversion story from one of our members.— Jeannette Sliter, Women’s Guild Program Chair, St. Philip the Apostle Church, Dallas, Texas
How many of you are converts?
How many of you are cradle Catholics?
Who has experienced a renewal of their faith?
With these questions, I opened my presentation to the Women’s Guild of St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas. The women were gracious and became intent listeners due to the noisy refrigeration unit nearby. With no microphone, I almost shouted my talk, which claimed their attentiveness.
A shaky music stand had to do because no podium was available. In the middle of my presentation, the music stand began to collapse. I held onto it like a long Popsicle stick so my iPad with my notes wouldn’t go flying! The Holy Spirit and my Guardian Angel did double duty that evening. (more…)
New Presentation! Five Ways Mary Helps Us Share Our Faith Story
The Virgin Mary was not a part of my first commitment-to-God moment when I was 15. Nor did she influence my conversion to Catholicism as a young mother.
A dozen years passed until, when family relationships deteriorated, my Catholic faith needed renewal. God called me to a deeper relationship with him in Christian community. Mary helped me learn to share that pivotal experience in my life and also my earlier God-moments when I knew God but didn’t know her.
My new presentation, “Five Ways Mary Helps Us Share Our Faith Story,” debuted on February 9, 2017, at the Women’s Bible Study and Faith Sharing. As a convert, I still find it a little strange to hear myself speaking about Mary — but I must! (more…)