Blog Blink - 13 Top Posts from 2013

Happy New Year!!!

As we bid farewell to the calendar year of 2013, I thought it might be fun to have a countdown of my 13 favorite/most popular posts. I'd like to extend a special thank you to Monica, over at Equipping Catholic Families, for the idea and for setting up this linking opportunity!

Graphics for Designs by Birgit's 13 best blog  posts of 2013

So, without further ado, here's the countdown of favorites for 2013:

#13 - St. Michael the Archangel Costume for Catholic Boys - Our boys are surrounded by floofy, pink princesses and their dress-up attire all year long. All Saints Day offered the opportunity to transform them into gallant, saintly heroes.

#12 - A Baker's Dozen: Reflections From a 17-Year-Old Bride - As my husband and I celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary, I shared my perspective as a teen bride.  

#11 - Pope Francis Wants a Mess? Let's Stir Up Some Pro-life Passion - Pope Francis famously gave the young people at World Youth Day the instruction to create a mess in proclaiming the Gospel. In this post I give his words a pro-life perspective.

#10 - Are Aborted Babies Saints in Heaven? - So many of us are affected by abortion or pregnancy loss. The age old question has been where do those babies go, since they were unable to obtain the sacrament of Baptism?

#9 - A Fool's Paradise or Sin Makes Us Stupid - Spring-boarding off a popular cleaning commercial, I share an inspirational sermon from a holy priest.

#8 - Hey Scarlet, Don’t Play Games With Your Soul - Putting off for tomorrow, what needs to be addressed today, is no way to prepare for His coming!

#7 - Don't be a Cafeteria Prolifer - Just as we can't pick and choose which Church teachings to which we adhere, we need to treat our unborn brethren without prejudice.

#6 - Angelina Jolie and Me: A Preemptive Strike at Breast Cancer - As an 8 year breast cancer survivor, carrying the often fatal BRCA-1 gene, I share moral and scientific reasons to take preventive measures.

#5 - Interior Disposition: Why Fix Your Hair, If You're Wearing a Veil? - All kidding aside, veiling is only an exterior devotion that should reflect an interior communion with Christ and His Church.

#4 - Meatless Friday: Hearty Crock Pot Potato Soup - This Meatless Friday recipe became wildly popular when it was picked up as a favorite with a crock pot cooking site. Yum!

#3 - News Flash! The Pope is Catholic - With the changing of the guard in the pontificate, speculation arose as to the faithfulness of the new pope and his more earthy 'style'. An in-depth look, however, confirms he is continuing to guide the Church faithfully.

#2 - Veiling Revisited - Is It Mandatory? - With my decision to begin the devotion of veiling a year and a half old, I reviewed some of the questions surrounding the revival of veiling.

And FINALLY, the most popular post of 2013...

#1 - Elf on the Shelf and Santa Claus - What are They Really Teaching Children? - Call me a Scrooge or call me a purist, but the Elf and I don't see eye to eye. While I don't condemn those who love the prank-filled interloper, I share my reasoning - based on family anecdotes. 

SHEESH, after compiling my list and creating a collage of graphics from the above posts, I realized that I'd omitted a popular and vital post from the collection.

Just call this your New Years BONUS post:

The Salvation Army: 5 Ethical Questions to Ask Before You Feed the Red Kettle - A part of charity is determining that our gift is going to an ethical organization, with ethical beliefs. The facts presented in this post might just surprise you.

*This post is also participating in a link-up over at Amongst Lovely Things



Now it's your turn...link up your favorites post here: