Today We Became Engaged
by Dianne Ahern
A thoughtful, romantic, faith-centered, keepsake book for couples discerning marriage. Discusses the power of love, the importance of shared values and more. This is a marriage planner…not a wedding planner! Allows couples to record their courtship and engagement stories for years to come.
Price: $22.95 hardback gift edition
THE BOOK
A thought provoking, romantic, faith-centered book for young adults and couples discerning marriage.
This book explores:
– The power of love
– The importance of shared values — commitment, fairness, courage, compassion, honesty, respect, and forgiveness
– History of betrothal and engagement
– Entertaining stories of proposals, engagement rings, and acceptances
“Something magical happens when two people decide they want to spend the rest of their lives together. They stand on the threshold of being totally committed to one another for as long as they both shall live, regardless of health or wealth. It is the time to revel in the mystery of what lies ahead — soon a wedding and a honeymoon, then a home, children, mingling of families and friends, sharing joys, sharing sorrows, and most importantly, the two becoming one through marriage,” excerpt from Today We Became Engaged.
It’s also a keepsake book for the engaged couple to record
– The story of how we met
– Our courtship
– Our Engagement
– Family traditions we want to keep
– Promises to each other
– Our future together
… and more
TESTIMONIALS
|
The Catholic Post
|
|
(Diocese of Peoria), February 10, 2002
|
|
What to do before ‘I do’?
|
|
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There is no shortage of guidebooks for engaged couples seeking answers to questions such as who should pay for their wedding reception, what are the current fashions in wedding attire and how soon thank-you notes must be sent for gifts. But when it comes to the ultimate questions engaged couples face — is my fiancée really the right person for me? Do we really love one another? Would I make a good spouse or parent? — few publications in the secular market have addressed them. That is, until Dianne Ahern decided to change that Ahern, a native of Sacred Heart Parish in Campus, recently published “Today We Became Engaged,” a combination keepsake book and compendium of advice to help engaged couples know if they are truly in love, approach marriage as a vocation, and discern whether or not they are really called to it. “I wanted it to be romantic, yet thoughtful, and to bring God into it in a friendly manner, not ‘lecturey’ or preachy,” Ahern, 58, told The Catholic Post in a telephone interview from her office in Ann Arbor this week. “When people are in love, they are very excited and looking to the future,” she said. She believes her book celebrates and fosters that spirit, while also “bringing to the fore things they (the couple) should think about.” “Today We Became Engaged,” published in December, is the second in her planned series of books focusing on the sacraments and other rites of passage. Ahern’s first book, “Today I Was Baptized,” was published in June of 2000, and her third book, “Today I Made My First Communion,” is due out later this year. The 56-page engagement book, illustrated by Katherine Larson, includes sections on wedding and engagement customs and pages for couples to preserve photos and record memories of how they met, how they proposed and their favorite shared or individual activities. It is available through both secular and religious outlets, including several Catholic bookstores in the Diocese of Peoria. Through anecdotes and personal stories, the book also demonstrates that a relationship is more likely to last when based on shared values such as commitment, fairness, courage, compassion, honesty, respect, and forgiveness, rather than on outward appearance or attractiveness. “A lot of material published (for engaged couples) covers how to execute a wedding or how to cope with a spouse’s idiosyncrasies,” Ahern said. “But it doesn’t get into what I think is the key to the period of engagement — which is a period of discernment and making sure this man or woman is going to be your lifelong soul mate.” Ahern, the youngest of four children of the late Vernon and Mary Ahern, grew up in rural Livingston County near Campus. She graduated from Dwight High School in 1961 and from Marian College in Indianapolis in 1965 with a degree in biology. She worked in the medical laboratory field before completing a master’s degree in healthcare administration at Indiana University in 1975. Currently she is vice president of Elan Systems, an international healthcare consulting firm based in Ann Arbor. In the mid-1990s she worked with OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria to complete a needs assessment for new laboratory facilities that were completed in 1998. Her interest in writing books began several years ago with a burst of what she now considers divine inspiration. “I was walking to work one day, having my morning talk with God, and wondering if I was doing the right thing with my life,” she said. “The idea then came to me, why not write little keepsake books on events in your life?” As a Catholic she immediately thought of the sacraments as natural subjects for her writing. She started with baptism, since it is a sacrament common to all Christians and because christening celebrations bring generations of family together. She then wanted to do a book on marriage, but felt something was lacking in most of the existing guidebooks on wedding planning and marriage relationships. “I thought something is not hitting the right spot, because there are still so many divorces and bad marriages” despite all the pages of advice, Ahern said. “I thought people needed to focus more on why they are getting married.” While Ahern is not married herself, she said she is familiar with both the good and bad sides of couple relationships from her own experience and those of her loved ones. “My parents were a wonderful example” of a good marriage, she said, noting in the book that they prayed with the family every night before bed. “Until I got out into the world, I didn’t realize how strong a marriage they had. Very few people have the kind of happiness they did.” She said the spiritual content of the book is “subtle” and designed to appeal to couples who might not otherwise think about the role of God or moral values in their relationship. The book encourages couples to respect traditional moral convictions regarding premarital sex and cohabitation. It notes that couples who do not live together or have sex before marriage are less likely to divorce. “Being soul mates first, having a relationship steeped in mutual trust, honesty, commitment, respect and fairness, will guarantee that life together and sex will be totally fulfilling in the marriage covenant,” Ahern writes. “The opposite is not true.” Because she is known to her nieces and nephews as Aunt Dee, and because she has many childhood memories of exploring her parents’ attic, Ahern named her publishing company Aunt Dee’s Attic. “You can explore and have an imagination and pretend there,” she said. An attic represents “a creative space” full of personal and family history, she added. Ahern said all her Aunt Dee’s Attic projects will emphasize strong family values, respect for life and belief in God. Other projects she is planning include books on confirmation, careers or vocations in religious life, dealing with illness and death, becoming grandparents, a child’s first day of school, and welcoming a new baby into the home. |
|
AMSNews
|
|
(Archdiocese of Military Services), Vol 2 No 3, 2003
|
|
“Spreading the Faith” a letter from the Archbishop
|
|
“I was especially taken by a series of colorful, highly informative and attractive gift books ($19.95 each), ‘Today I was Baptized’, ‘Today I Made My First Communion’, and ‘Today We Became Engaged’, each solid, amazingly comprehensive and bound to appeal to the whole family.” Edwin F. O’Brien, Archbishop for the Military Services, USA.
|
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dianne Ahern grew up on a farm in Illinois, has traveled extensively for business and pleasure, and now resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Medical Technology from Marian College (University), and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Indiana University. After rewarding careers in laboratory medicine, hospital administration, and healthcare consulting, Dianne found a new love: researching and writing about the events that shape our lives.
It was after her first Vatican visit in 1999, when Dianne looked into the eyes of Pope (Saint) John Paul II, held his hand, and kissed his ring, that she felt called to write books for Catholic children and their families. Already a successful businesswoman, Dianne formed her own publishing company, Aunt Dee’s Attic, to support her new calling.
Beginning with the sacrament of baptism, Dianne outlined a series of books on the sacraments designed to prepare families for these most important events. Her books’ formats merge storybook, reference book, and memory book elements into beautiful keepsake books. The sacrament books feature the imprimatur of the Catholic Church to assure families that the contents are true Church teachings.
In addition to her books on the sacraments, Dianne has developed a series of adventure/mystery books for young readers subtitled Adventures with Sister Philomena, Special Agent to the Pope. The Adventure books place fictional characters in real settings to teach about the Church, saints, and holy places. Her books have won accolades from retailers, readers, clergy, teachers, grandparents, and moms and dads.
OTHER POPULAR SPIRITUALITY BOOKS
Returning Home: A Spirituality of the Christian Journey
Returning Home: A Spirituality of the Christian Journey The spiritual life has often been presented in terms of a journey because it is all about finding our way to God. For Christians, the spiritual journey has to do with following Christ into the mystery of the...
The Holiness of Womanhood by Mary Kloska
Below is a spiritual talk that Mary gave to a group of Polish youth at a retreat center in Babliniec, Poland about the Love that God has for them. It was on September 3, 2005 and is translated by Hania Przybylo. You can listen to this both in my English and Hania's...
Help Dante Help Italy
Help Dante Help Italy A new translation by Daniel Fitzpatrick accompanied by the new sculptures of Timothy Schmalz Donate today!The Inferno is now available in Paperback and Kindle! Click a link below to order your copy today!"Fitzpatrick's is a translation that first...
Inspirational Observations of Our Catholic Faith by Dominic Tarquin
Inspirational Observations of Our Catholic Faith by Dominic Tarquin These writings, inspired by the Holy Spirit, are intended to offer information, encouragement and hope to all Catholics. Each page offers a combination of comments that generate a desire to ponder...
New Paths to God and the Soul by Roger Skrenes
New Paths to God and the Soul by Roger Skrenes Much of what we receive through media of social communications does not concern itself with either God or the soul. So it is up to each of us to make ourselves aware of the pathways to God and the evidence for...
Sacred Braille: The Rosary as Masterpiece through Art, Poetry, and Reflections
Annabelle Moseley interviews Malachy Fallon, the Executive Director of the Xavier Society for the Blind concerning his apostolate to the blind and the work he did transcribing Annabelle's book into Braille. For more on Malachy, visit his interview on CatholicTV's Our...
Do You See what I See? Discovering the Obvious, authored by Robert Hanley
Do You See What I See? Discovering the Obvious Robert Hanley THIS BOOK IS ABOUT finding a better, more meaningful life. Robert Hanley has an insightful way of looking at the world-finding deeper meaning in everyday events that seem to float past the observations of...
Come Alive in Jesus! Solemn Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel by Bishop Robert J. Hermann
Come Alive in Jesus! Solemn Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel By Bishop Robert J. Hermann Bishop Robert J. Hermann, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, delivered nine homilies on the occasion of the Solemn Novena to our Lady of...
At Mass with Jesus on Calvary: Reflections on the Prayers of the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, authored by Fr. Gene Martens, SJ
At Mass with Jesus on Calvary: Reflections on the Prayers of the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist by Fr. Gene Martens, SJ For the ordinary Catholic, this book will clarify the teaching of the Catholic Church on the Real Presence of Jesus in the...
What Now?: A Roadmap for 80-Year-Olds and Beyond, authored by Ronda Chervin and Al Hughes
What Now?: A Roadmap for 80-Year-Olds and Beyond by Ronda Chervin and Albert E. Hughes The purpose of this roadmap is to provide Christian insight and inspiration to those 80 years or older. May it be a help to you on your 80-plus journey! Paperback: $14.95 Kindle:...
Ave Maria, authored by Richard Ruesch
Ave Maria by Richard Ruesch The life of our Lord, Jesus Christ, is brought to mind through the contemplation of the mysteries of the Rosary and the recitation of its prayers. The mysteries of the Rosary are those that are Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious, and...
Short Takes on Catholic Life: Why You Need to Hang In, Even If You Are Wavering, Ed. by Ronda Chervin
Short Takes on Catholic Life: Why You Need to Hang In, Even If You Are Wavering Ed. by Dr. Ronda Chervin Many Catholics have wavered about staying in the Church because of certain personal problems or tragedies they think cannot be reconciled with belief...
Consecrate Me: Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and Her Most Blessed Rosary, authored by TJ Burdick
Consecrate Me: Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and Her Most Blessed Rosary by T.J. Burdick What if you knew what God’s will was for your life right now? What if you had the ability to destroy vice, decrease sin, and cause good works...
Philosophy Fridays: Armchair Philosophy Sessions from a High School Physics Classroom
Philosophy Fridays: Armchair Philosophy Sessions from a High School Physics Classroom by Matthew D’Antuono Aristotle began his great study on causes, which he called Metaphysics, with a simple connection to physics: "All men by nature desire to know. An indication of...
LIFE Runners Daily Devotions, ed. by Dr. Pat Castle
COMING SOON! LIFE Runners Daily Devotions Edited by Dr. Pat Castle LIFE Runners is the world's largest Pro-Life team, running optional, jersey required, faith needed. We are fueled by prayers and devotions. We impact hearts and minds for saving lives with our...
Servant of God, Gwen Coniker: God Leads, Faith and Trust Follow by Nancy Martin
Special congratulations to Nancy for her being awarded an honorable mention for first time Catholic author and third place in Marriage and Family Living in the 2020 Catholic Book Awards. Servant of God, Gwen Coniker: God Leads, Faith and Trust Follow by Nancy E....
The Philosophical Spirituality of Ronda Chervin
Please choose one of Ronda Chervin's vintage books for free! The titles are as follows: Holding Hands with God, Quotable Saints, Seeking Christ in the Joys & Sorrows of Aging, The Fabric of Our Lives, Becoming a Handmaid of the Lord, Voyage to Insight, Feminine,...
Mary: the Rosary, the Relationship, and Dragons, authored by Keith Berube
Mary: The Rosary, the Relationship, and Dragons by Keith Berube Mary: The Rosary, the Relationship, and Dragons reveals intriguing, little known aspects of the Rosary, gently catapulting the reader into a wondrous world of sweet, ardent, ever burgeoning intimacy with...
The Wise Guy and the Fool: A Philosophical Odyssey from Modern Error to Truth, authored by Matthew D’Antuono
Special congratulations to Br. Francois for his being awarded third place in the 2020 Catholic Book Awards contest for best cover art. The Wise Guy and the Fool by Matthew D’Antuono This is not a textbook on philosophy. It is not an essay on philosophy. It is not a...
Simple Holiness, authored by Al Hughes and Ronda Chervin
Simple Holiness by Albert E. Hughes and Ronda Chervin We all are called to holiness, but we may not know what holiness means or how to approach it. Do you really desire to climb the ladder of holiness? Do you seek a life of spiritual joy in union with God,...
Today I Made My First Reconciliation
Today I Made My First Reconciliationby Dianne AhernWonderfully instructional book!Best friends Maria and Riley accidentally break a window then lie to their parents. Their growing discomfort coincides with encounters with their parish priests and teachers and lessons...
Today I Made My First Communion
Today I Made My First Communionby Dianne AhernA favorite gift for First Communion!Join Maria and Riley and their classmates as they offer to help Father Hugo solve the Mystery of the Eucharist. Learn about the Church, the Mass, music and prayer. “Look in the Back of...
Today I Was Baptized
Today I Was Baptized by Dianne Ahern All time best seller! Begins with a children’s story about a baby’s baptism day-told from the baby’s perspective! Includes short essays that explain the sacrament of Baptism. The book becomes a keepsake for this very special day...
The Ways of Love: Transforming the Person, A Guided Hundred Day Journal
COMING SOON! The Ways of Love: Transforming the Person, A Guided Hundred Day Journal by Stephen Bujno The desire to change those around us is like willing others to go on a diet. The Ways of Love offers itself as an uncomplicated, yet profound...
Seeking Christ in the Crosses & Joys of Aging
Seeking Christ in the Crosses & Joys of Aging by Dr. Ronda Chervin Seeking Christ in the Crosses & Joys of Aging is a refreshing and inspiring look at a period of your life ‘en route to eternity’ where Jesus awaits you in a new way. A perfect gift also for...
Healing Meditations from the Gospel of St. John
Healing Meditations from the Gospel of St. John Healing Meditations from the Gospel of St. John is about recovering who we are . . . our true selves. Simply put, the true self is the self that God wants us to be, what Kierkegaard called God’s prophesy for...
Holding Hands with God
Holding Hands with God Edited by Dr. Ronda Chervin Miscarriage, depression, breast cancer, abuse, divorce, addiction, and other specific personal, chronic problems touch the lives of many Catholic women. While expert advice is plentiful, what so many women...
Quotable Saints
Quotable Saints Ed. Dr. Ronda Chervin These memorable quotes of the saints and hundreds more are uniquely organized by theme in this uplifting treasury. In each chapter, you follow a particular theme and journey with the saints as they provide just the right word of...
St. Robert Bellarmine
St. Robert Bellarmine by Shaun McAfee St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) was a prolific author of the Counter Reformation and great defender of the Catholic Church. This book tells the story of the great saint who went from obscure title to become one of...
Today Someone I Love Passed Away
Today Someone I Love Passed Away by Dianne Ahern Danny becomes enraged when he learns he has to give up his room so Grandpa Vernon can come live with his family. However, as time passes, Danny and his siblings develop a deep love for their grandfather who...
Raising Kids with a Healthy Body Image: A Guide for Catholic Parents
Raising Kids with a Healthy Body Image: A Guide for Catholic Parents by Dr. John C. Acquaviva Raising Kids with a Healthy Body Image: A Guide for Catholic Parents is the unique approach to the body image crisis that impacts many children. From a young age, our kids...
Healing of Rejection with the Help of the Lord, A Survivor’s Guide
Healing of Rejection with the Help of the Lord, A Survivor’s Guide by Dr. Ronda Chervin “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.” Psalm 118: 22-23. Dr. Ronda Chervin’s Healing...
Marrying the Rosary to the Divine Mercy Chaplet
Marrying the Rosary to the Divine Mercy Chaplet by Shane Kapler Discover the rewards of uniting two of the Catholic Church’s most beloved devotions. In this new book, Shane Kapler provides 20 reflections - paired with 40 classic works of art -...
The Prayer of Jesus Crucified: A Simple Way to Go Further in Prayer
So Shine is the debut album by brothersister 10 new original Catholic Christian songs Music & Lyrics by Fr. Lawrence Edward Tucker, SOLT“‘So Shine’ strikes an excellent balance between Catholic hymns and classic rock.” – Check out the review at Aleteia.orgThe...
Waiting with Purpose
Waiting with Purpose: Persevering When God Says 'Not Yet' by Jeannie Ewing All of life involves waiting. We wait at stoplights. We are caught in traffic jams. We agonize over medical test results. We hang on to a much-anticipated getaway. Sometimes, we wait to finish...
Cry Oneness
Cry Oneness by Joe Avalos I was spiritually dead, despite all the things I was doing with my life. I don’t think there’s a worse death that can happen to any human being. Now I have a Life beyond my dreams. Full of Miracles, Poetry, and Locutions. This book...
Diamonds in the Rough: Homilies and Reflections on the Mystery of Suffering
Diamonds in the Rough: Homilies and Reflections on the Mystery of Suffering Sister Paula J. Miller, FSE, Editor Theologians in their final months at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, Florida, reflect on the meaning and purpose of human...
Escaping Anxiety: Along the Road to Spiritual Joy
Escaping Anxiety: Along the Road to Spiritual Joy by Albert E. Hughes and Ronda Chervin Escaping Anxiety: Along the Road to Spiritual Joy is not a “simple” book of advice, which could turn out to be ineffective because too “pat.” Instead it evolved into something that...
Trinity Footprints
Trinity Footprints by Roger Skrenes This book asserts there are evidences of the tri-une nature of God in both people and in the world. However, such instances of God’s presence are not generally known by Christians or by others around the world. This book...
The Narrative Spirituality of Dante’s Divine Comedy: a hundred-day guided journal
The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri has captivated the imagination of its readers for over seven centuries as Dante, a pilgrim on a journey to God, is called by Our Blessed Mother through the supernatural realms of the afterlife to witness the state of the souls of...
A Fool’s Errand: A Brief, Informal Introduction to Philosophy for Young Catholics
A Fool’s Errand: A Brief, Informal Introduction to Philosophy for Young Catholics by Matthew D’Antuono What is the meaning of life? What is the nature of existence? Why am I here? What is real happiness? The big questions. Are there answers to these questions? In a...
Weeping with Jesus: The Journey from Grief to Hope
Weeping with Jesus: The Journey from Grief to Hope by Dr. Ronda Chervin In the past the word grief was used only to describe the sorrow of loss through death. Nowadays pain coming from other kinds of losses such as rejection and divorce are also seen to...
In Praise of Life
In Praise of Life by Dr. Donald DeMarco This book illustrates how ten different factors can improve our appreciation of life: Evolution prepares it, Meaning justifies it, Love enhances it, Truth directs it, Freedom crowns it, Virtue strengthens it,...
Spirituality for All Times: Readings from the Catholic Classics
Spirituality for All Times: Readings from the Catholic Classics Spirituality for All Times is offered in the hope that it will inspire those who seek a deeper union with God. The authors have chosen to offer short selections to enable the reader to wade in...
The Jesus Code: In the Beginning was the Word
The Jesus Code: In the Beginning was the Word by Roger Skrenes Jesus is the only person in the history of the world whose biography was known before he was born! He wanted everyone on earth to know of this miraculous Old Testament portrait of himself (Luke...
The Path of Spiritual Happiness
The Path of Spiritual Happiness by Dr. Heather M. Erb This book is a story of the unfolding triumph of Christian happiness as a philosophy of life. We begin with ancient Greek roots and principles provided us by Aristotle, ‘the master of those who know.’ We continue...
The Way of Love: The Path of Inner Transformation
The Way of Love: The Path of Inner Transformation by Dr. Ronda Chervin A reprint of Dr. Ronda's The Way of Love: The Battle for Inner Transformation, this new edition under a new subtitle puts back in front of the world the nature of human love alongside...
Does God Exist? A Socratic Dialogue on the Five Ways of Thomas Aquinas
Does God Exist? A Socratic Dialogue on the Five Ways of Thomas Aquinas by Matt Fradd and Robert Delfino If you want an easy and fun way to understand St. Thomas Aquinas’s five arguments for the existence of God, this book is for you. Written as dialogue between Lucy...
Nonsense to Horse-Sense: How Horses Tell Us the Truth about Ourselves and How to Live, authored by P. D. Basconi
Nonsense to Horse-Sense: How Horses Tell Us the Truth about Ourselves and How to Live by P. D. "Dave" Basconi This book was in the works for a decade; Dave just didn’t know it. Events happened that, when looked back upon, were minor and drew no special attention, but...