Lisa Hendey of 'CatholicMom.com'

The Catholic community is larger than most might think. We are here-full of love and wisdom to share! Especially, when it comes to Catholic women striving to make their world a better place.

Lisa Hendey is one of those women...ahem...Catholic Chicks. She is the founder of CatholicMom.Com and a very inspiring person!

Thanks to Fallible Blogma's 'Support a Catholic Speaker Month' I was given the opportunity to learn a lot more about this Fresno, California mom, wife, and Catholic Chick.


What does being a Catholic woman today mean to you?

For me, being a Catholic woman in today's Church means doing my very best to live out our Baptismal calling to be "Priest, Prophet and King". In my world, this means creating and sustaining a home environment that is holy and prayerful, doing my very best to share my love of God with my family and everyone with whom I come into contact, and using the gifts and blessings God has showered upon me to be of service to others. Our Church today abounds with opportunities to live out our faith in new and beautiful ways.

I know you have a busy life, can you describe your typical day?

Wow, it exhausts me to simply think about a typical day -- and truly no two days are ever the same for a mom, are they? I'm an early riser - I love to wake up early, have my prayer time, and maybe take a peek at my email (and Twitter and Facebook!) before I wake up my two teenage sons for school. Once they are up, the morning is spent helping get them off to school - this is a much easier process now that they are older, but I try to devote the time when they're up and home to being present to them and enjoying their company as much as possible. In the mean time, my wonderful husband Greg - an ER doctor - is either working, sleeping, or hanging around acting like one of the kids! His hours vary every day, so that's one of the reasons that life around our house is always full of excitement.

Once my guys are off to school and Greg's at work, most days I fit in a walk or workout, or make it to daily Mass if I'm very lucky and organized! Then it's time for work. Depending upon which day of the week it is, I'm updating columns for CatholicMom.com, writing articles for the other sites I'm affiliated with (www.faithandfamilylive.com and www.catholicexchange.com), recording podcast interviews with awesome guests, blogging for my own sites, or producing my Catholic Moments podcast (www.catholicmoments.com) or the Faith & Family Live Cast (www.faithandfamilylive.com). Lately, I have also spent a good deal of time working on my upcoming book (The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul) or putting together talks for speaking engagements. I spend way too much time online, so during the workday I take frequent breaks from my home office for laundry, housekeeping (yuck - I should do more of that!) and prayer.

Once the boys come home from school, I switch back into "Mom" mode and do my best to spend that time with them. We try to prioritize family dinner at the table together. Then there's homework supervision, music lessons, fencing practice, and all the fun extracurricular activities. When I have a spare moment, I love hanging out with my girlfriends or engaging in a few fun hobbies. My best hour of the day is the time I spend with my husband enjoying his company before I crash for the night and start all over the next day. It's a blessed life!

How do you pass on the importance of your faith to your family?

This is a constant challenge, and one that has evolved over the years. Moms of young ones will know that when your children are little, you do your very best to introduce them to the basics of the faith by attending Mass, reading to them constantly (we have several well worn children's bibles!), and attending to their faith formation. As I watch my sons grow into young men, its become my goal to help them to develop a well developed conscience and the ability to consider their worlds from a well formed Catholic perspective. We talk constantly about the choices they face in their day to day lives, about current events, and about the need to serve others. We're each active in ministry within our parish and always attend Mass as a family. And of course, most importantly, we try to pray with and for one another every day. Honestly, my husband and sons teach me as much about faith and living well as I have ever taught them!

Describe a moment of your Catholic faith you will never forget.

It definitely has to be the time surrounding the Easter Vigil when my husband Greg joined the Church, almost seven years ago. We had been married for seventeen years when he decided to investigate RCIA the year of my second son's First Communion. The two of them were later able to receive the Eucharist together on Adam's special day. I had prayed for Greg for so many years, and his reception into full communion with the Church I love so greatly was a moment I will never forget. But honestly, even six years later, I frequently experience "happy tears" when I see my husband receive they Eucharist. His devotion to our family and his quiet sense of faith are a true inspiration to me.

What projects or activities are you currently involved in that would be of interest to other Catholic Chicks?

I hope they will enjoy checking out my first book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul, which will be released in February, 2010. The book encourages women to care for themselves in their relationships, mentally, physically and spiritually so that they can better love and care for their families, neighborhoods, their Church and the world it serves the world. I feel blessed to have contributions by over thirty wonderful Catholic authors in the book, so it's been a big team effort!

Of course, I always invite Catholic Chicks to check out my Catholic Moments podcast for interviews with amazing Catholic men and women. Some of my recent guests have included Fr. Robert Barron, Immaculée Ilibagiza, ENDOW founder Terry Terry Polakovic, Sister Prudence Allen, and Woodeene Koenig-Bricker. I've been so fortunate to interview some incredible Catholics doing extraordinary work to share our faith!

I'm also blessed to be having more opportunities to speak to groups and meet women in person who enjoy using our resources at CatholicMom.com or who are interested in learning more about Catholic New Media or the impact of raising children in today's technological society. I love doing this and welcome emails from anyone who would like to have me speak with or lead a retreat for their parish or group.

Do you have any words of wisdom, a message, or advice for your fellow Catholic Chicks?

Care for yourself through your relationships, mentally, physically and spiritually. We women tend to be givers - we sometimes do so much in the service of our families, our co-workers, our communities and the world around us that we neglect our own self care, and especially our spiritual well being. We run the risk of becoming bitter, physically ill and spiritually burned out. Embrace the tools and gifts our Church has showered upon us. Take a few moments a day to get outside and sweat. Engage in a hobby you love or discover a new one. Give your very best to your chosen vocation. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone a bit. And be sure to pursue your dreams - I could never have imagined all of the blessings God has bestowed upon me in my life, most especially the gift of my family! Look at each day as the gift from God it truly is and offer all you do as a sign of your love for Him!

To learn more about Lisa, go to LisaHendey.com

Want to get involved with Fallible Blogma's 'Support a Catholic Speaker Month?' (click here)

Love & Blessings,

Monique