Merry Mary-Marthas: Chats with Catholic women exemplifying the feminine genius in the world and in the home.
Meet Lisa M. Hendey,
best-selling author and founder of CatholicMom.com
Lisa Hendey has journeyed around the globe to hear and share messages of hope and encouragement. Her Chime Travelers series for kids is read and studied worldwide in homes, schools, and churches. A frequent TV and radio guest, Lisa also hosts two podcasts and speaks internationally on faith, family, evangelization and technology topics. She has traveled worldwide with non-profits to support their humanitarian missions. Lisa and Greg Hendey worship and live their story in Los Angeles, CA.
Even ordinary people can live amazing lives. That’s the message of Saints Like Me, a book to help the youngest children understand that God has a plan and a purpose for their lives! We don’t have to be grownups, and we don’t have to do big things. Whenever we do a little thing with great love, we are just like Jesus and the saints!
Tell us a little bit about yourself – your family, hobbies, experiences, education, etc., basically anything you’d like to share.
I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. My family is my greatest passion in life, but I’m also blessed to have an active career as an author and speaker. I love traveling, walking, kayaking, embroidery, and reading. I have a great devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux, Venerable Patrick Peyton, and St. Marianne Cope. My husband and I graduated together from the University of Notre Dame and were married in the basilica on campus. My happy place is the beach.
What is your apostolate? How do you bring truth, beauty and goodness to the world? How did your ministry/apostolate begin?
At this point in my life, I feel my apostolate is to be generative in my work, that is to lift up and encourage others. My faith propels everything I do, but I’m increasingly interested in meeting folks wherever they are on their personal journey and walking alongside them. In 2000, I founded CatholicMom.com as a way to learn about my faith and to share it with my family. I’m blessed that the organization became a part of Holy Cross Family Ministries in 2017. This has enabled our work to spread globally and to be a part of the amazing spiritual legacy of Father Peyton.
My writing has been such an unexpected gift in my life. I never expected to be a “writer”, and yet I’ve had such wonderful opportunities in a variety of genres. Whether I’m writing non-fiction spirituality for adults, chapter books for families, or picture books for little ones, I love sharing the joy I feel in knowing God’s love in my life. My writing has opened the door to an active speaking career that has carried me to corners of the world I never dreamed of seeing – to Africa, Australia, Asia, South America, and the United States.
Truth, beauty, and goodness constantly surround us. My aim every day is not only to give thanks to God for his blessings but also to find ways to convey that love and grace to others. In a very real way, the simple message of my board book Saints Like Me is my personal “marching order”. I truly believe that God created me, a very simple person, to live his love in extraordinary ways. While I’m not a “saint”, I wake up every day trying to love and serve those around me in little, ordinary ways.
What have you struggled with and how have you managed to balance the interior life of Mary, with the exterior life of Martha? Tell us about your practice of prayer and any special devotions you have, and how this supports/enhances your apostolate.
I tend toward being a Martha, but without her domestic capabilities (I can’t cook!) In my prayer life, I aim to begin every day by opening and dwelling in the Word by praying the daily gospel intentionally. I end each day with a personal Examen. At all points between, I’m in regular conversation with God as I go about my day, leaning into St. Therese’s “little way”. I credit the Holy Spirit and Mary’s intercession for any good my work has ever produced. I desire to emulate Mary’s beautiful fiat, her “Yes”, in my own way.
Where can we learn more about you and your apostolate (contact info, website, etc.) and new projects?
These days, along with continual involvement with CatholicMom.com as its founder, I am always at work on new writing projects. I’m delighted about the recent release of Saints Like Me (Amazon, Paraclete Press) and the upcoming release of my Advent book 5-Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath. It’s easy to reach me and keep up with my writing and speaking schedule through my website, www.LisaHendey.com. I’m active on social media at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I also invite friends to listen to our Catholic Momcast podcast.
