The Journey and the Well

06/13/2026

As our week comes to an end, our hearts overflow with gratitude.
This week was about much more than activities, crafts, games, and lessons. It was about a community coming together to help guide young hearts toward virtue.
Thank you to those who prayed for us before camp ever began and throughout the week.
Thank you to those who baked cookies, prepared snacks, ordered pizzas, filled camp bags, organized supplies, and worked quietly behind the scenes.
Thank you to those who set up obstacle courses, decorated spaces, moved tables and chairs, cleaned up messes, and made sure every detail was ready.
Thank you to those who wrangled kiddos, led small groups, helped with crafts, encouraged nervous campers, listened to stories, and shared countless smiles and hugs.
Thank you to those who helped our children learn about Temperance, Fortitude, Justice, and Prudence—not only through words, but through your own example of generosity, patience, kindness, and service.
The children may have been the campers, but it was all of you who helped fill the boat.
Together, we created a space where children could learn that virtue is not just something we talk about—it is something we live.
Thank you for helping guide young hearts along the River of Grace.
May God bless each of you abundantly for the gifts you shared this week. 💚

06/12/2026

Last day. DAY 5.
Today, we welcomed Prudence into our boat.

Known as the Charioteer of the Virtues, Prudence helps guide all the other virtues in the right direction. Prudence enables us to reason and act rightly in any given situation—to know what is good and then choose it.

With Prudence joining Temperance, Fortitude, and Justice, our boat is now filled with the four Cardinal Virtues that help guide us on the River of Grace.

Through discussion and our maze challenge, campers discovered that Prudence requires more than knowledge. Prudence calls us to seek good counsel, carefully deliberate, make sound judgments, spend time in prayer, and then take the right action.

We explored the virtues that travel alongside Prudence, including docility (being teachable), circumspection (considering circumstances carefully), and foresight (thinking ahead about the consequences of our choices).

We also met the monsters that try to pull us away from Prudence—Recklessness, Stubbornness, and Heedlessness—and learned that when we find ourselves drifting toward the cliffs, we can return to the River of Grace through prayer, reflection, and wise choices.

As we conclude our week together, we are reminded that virtue is not simply knowing what is right. Virtue is learning to choose what is right, again and again, with God's grace.
May Prudence help guide all of us as we continue our journey.

06/11/2026

Camp day 4
Today, we welcomed Justice into our boat.

Justice teaches us to give to God and to others what is due to them: respect, kindness, gratitude, responsibility, honesty, and love.

As we continue our journey, each virtue is placed in our boat to help guide us down the River of Grace. Today, Justice joined Temperance and Fortitude as another companion for the journey.
Through Justice Says games, role-playing, prayer, crafts and discussion, our campers explored what Justice looks like in everyday life. We practiced kindness, courtesy, obedience, gratitude, and responsibility. We also learned the THINK tool for kind use of our words (or sometimes our silence):
T – Is it True?
H – Is it Helpful?
I – Is it Inspiring?
N – Is it Necessary?
K – Is it Kind?

We talked about the "monsters" that pull us away from Justice—selfishness, disrespect, unkindness, ingratitude, and dishonesty, just to name a few—and how prayer helps us return to the River of Grace.

Today's bead craft reminded us that Justice begins with giving God what is due to Him. As the children created prayer and gratitude beads, they were encouraged to use them as a simple tool for prayer, thanksgiving, and remembering God's many blessings.
As our boat fills with virtue, our journey becomes more steady and calm.

One more day...and virtue left! Ready to put Prudence in the boat!

06/10/2026

On day 3 of camp we welcomed Fortitude into our boat.
Clothed in armor and carrying a sword and shield, Fortitude stands ready to face challenges, endure difficulties, and persevere when the journey becomes hard.

She reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is choosing what is good even
when it is difficult.

At camp, each virtue becomes a character we can see, imagine, and learn from. Then we
place that virtue into our boat on the River of Grace. As the week continues, our boat fills
with the virtues that help guide us safely on our journey.Today, Fortitude stepped into the boat beside Temperance.

Through obstacle courses, role-playing, discussion, and reflection, our campers
discovered that Fortitude looks like:
• trying again when something is difficult,
• waiting patiently when progress feels slow,
• persevering when we want to give up,
• working diligently toward a goal,
• and standing firm for what is right.

We talked about the virtues that travel alongside Fortitude—patience, perseverance,
industriousness, and magnanimity—and how they help us overcome obstacles on our
journey.

We also met the "monsters" that try to pull us away from the River of Grace: Sloth, Cowardice, Impatience, and Pusillanimity—the temptation to think we are too small or weak to do great things. These monsters whisper, "Give up," "It's too hard," or "Let someone else do it." But Fortitude teaches us to answer with patience, perseverance, and trust in God.

One of today's most important lessons was this: courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is choosing to move forward despite fear because something good, true, and beautiful is worth the effort.

As our boat fills with virtue, our journey becomes steadier. With Temperance helping us
stay balanced and Fortitude helping us stay strong, we continue down the River of Grace together.

As our boat fills with virtue, our journey becomes steadier. And with Fortitude aboard, we
are learning that even when the river becomes rough, we do not travel alone.

06/09/2026

At The Journey on the River of Grace, we do more than talk about virtues — we personify them.

Today, we met Temperance, a gentle and balanced guide dressed in shades of purple and gold. She reminds us that virtue is not about being rigid or joyless. Temperance helps us enjoy good things in the right amount, manage our emotions, and stay steady when life feels overwhelming.

At The Journey on the River of Grace camp, each virtue becomes a character we can imagine, talk with, and learn from. Then we place that virtue into our boat on the River of Grace. As the week goes on, the boat fills with the virtues that help guide our journey.

Today, Temperance stepped into the boat.

We practiced her gifts through relay races, self-control games, reflection, and conversation. Campers discovered that Temperance looks like:
-pausing before reacting
-sharing fairly
-staying calm when frustrated
-telling the truth
-and choosing balance instead of excess.

We also talked about the “monsters,” or vices, that try to pull us away from the River of Grace — anger, pride, gluttony, dishonesty, and selfishness — and practiced simple regulation skills to help us return to the river when we lose our balance.

Our hope is that children leave camp knowing this: virtue is not abstract. It is something we can practice with our bodies, our emotions, our relationships, and our daily choices.

As our boat grows fuller with virtue, our journey becomes steadier.

06/07/2026

🌿 It's Camp Week! 🌿
This week marks an exciting milestone for The Journey and the Well as we officially move into the Washinton Recreation Center in Historic Washington, Louisiana !
Our very first program in this space is The Journey on the River of Grace, a week-long camp where children will explore the connection between faith, virtue, and social-emotional growth. Through lessons on brain science and the Cardinal Virtues, campers will discover practical tools for flourishing in their relationships with God, others, and themselves.
💚 This camp is more than just a week of activities—it's a reflection of the mission of The Journey and the Well: creating opportunities for children and families to grow in wisdom, virtue, connection, communuty and grace.
We are grateful for the prayers and support that have brought us to this moment and look forward to all that God has in store.
✨ Here's to a wonderful first week in our new home! ✨

MORE ON A RECREATION SPACE COMING SOON!

05/25/2026

🌿 LAST WEEK TO SIGN UP 🌿
for The Journey on the River of Grace

Children are navigating a world filled with big emotions, stress, distractions, and growing pressures at younger and younger ages. The Journey on the River of Grace was created to help children better understand themselves through faith, emotional awareness, and virtue formation.

This experience is more than a summer program.
It is an opportunity for children to grow in confidence, self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healthy relationships — all grounded in truth, goodness, and grace. 💙

Throughout the week, children will explore:

🧠 Day 1 — Brain Science & Emotional Regulation
Learning about the brain, the amygdala, fight-or-flight responses, and practical tools to help children understand and manage big feelings.

✨ Days 2–5 — The Cardinal Virtues in Everyday Life
Children will learn how prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude strengthen social-emotional skills like empathy, self-control, resilience, decision-making, and healthy communication.

Through engaging activities, discussion, movement, and reflection, children will gain tools they can carry into friendships, family life, school, and everyday challenges.

📅 Registration closes soon — this is the FINAL WEEK to sign up for The Journey on the River of Grace.

Come help your child build emotional resilience and virtue-filled confidence this summer. 🌿
https://thejourneyandthewell.corsizio.com/event/69c17713066b8e5ce9467139

Journey on the River of Grace is BACK! We are excited to announce the return of our Journey on the River of Grace Summer Camp! This unique experience is designed for 1st–6th graders, blending virtue education and mental wellness in a way that is meaningful, engaging, and fun. Because discovering v...

05/22/2026

Only 2 more weeks away!

The Journey on the River of Grace has been the biggest project The Journey and the Well has ever conceived or initiated.....and I guarantee, it won't be the last. It's virtue and and mental wellness wrapped with a really fun bow! Send your kids. Volunteer!!!! SPONSOR!! We are in for a WHOLE LOT OF FUN, VIRTUE AND WELLNESS!!
Well parents create Well families, Well families create Well communities and Well communities create a Well world.
Volunteer, Sponsor and Join at "The Events Coming Soon" at
www.thejourneyandthewell.com

Register your 1st thru 6th grader here 👇
https://thejourneyandthewell.corsizio.com/event/69c17713066b8e5ce9467139

Stay tuned for more book studies, education nights, prayer groups and summer activities. I ask each of you to kindly to share and support our endeavor.

05/21/2026

Earlier today, we shared how, unexpectedly, St. Eugene de Mazenod became one of the intercessors for The Journey and the Well. As we continue honoring his Feast Day, we keep reflecting on how deeply his words speak into the struggles families carry today.

“The world is our family.” — St. Eugene de Mazenod

What a beautiful reminder for a world that often feels fractured and disconnected. Families today are carrying so much — exhaustion, anxiety, division, loneliness, grief, and wounds that are often unseen. Yet God continues to pursue families with tenderness and hope.

The mission of The Journey and the Well was born from the belief that love within families is worth protecting and restoring — that through Christ, love can be revealed, guarded, and guided toward healing.

St. Eugene also wrote:
“Practice among yourselves charity, charity, charity, and outside, zeal for souls.”

Maybe renewal in families begins there.
With charity toward one another.
With softer words.
With mercy in the hard moments.
With remembering that every person in our home is a soul entrusted to us by God.

Today we continue asking St. Eugene to intercede for struggling and broken families everywhere — for marriages under strain, for weary parents, for hurting children, and for those longing for peace within their homes.

St. Eugene de Mazenod, pray for our families.
Lead us closer to Jesus through the trials of life.