Hope you had a Blessed Feast of the Most Holy Trinity!!
Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.
Editor’s Note: Post originally published on May 26, 2019.
Music is powerful. Something inherently in music provides peace and joy amidst stress and turmoil. At least that is the experience I have when listening to music. There exists a certain universal quality to music that draws all mankind together. Below I will provide examples from literature and the tradition of Catholic Church to show evidence of music’s capacity to unite people through its creative power.
Similar to the creation story in the Book of Genesis, the creation of Narnia takes place through the creative voice of Aslan [God]. Here is a brief excerpt from The Magician’s Nephew which gives the reader a glimpse into the inception of Narnia,
A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. It was hardly a tune. But it was beyond comparison, the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.
Words, especially clothed in music, possess a dynamic quality in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. Reading Aslan’s Aria moved me. I felt closeness to Lewis’ literary universe and a pull to experience the transcendence of God through music.
According to Peter Kreeft, in The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings, “The most powerful and magical of language is music. The reason for this is that music is the original language. Music is the language of creation” (p. 161). Similar to the creation of Narnia through Aslan’s song in The Magician’s Nephew, C.S. Lewis’ contemporary and friend J.R.R. Tolkien recognizes the creative and unifying power music holds in the creation of Middle Earth. In his great work The Silmarillion, Tolkien details the creation of the universe—and Middle earth—through the creative power of music. Tolkien writes,
Ilúvatar [God] said to them, ‘Behold your Music!’ And he showed them a vision, giving to them sight where before was only hearing; and they saw a new World made visible before them, and it was globed amid the Void, it was sustained therein, but was not of it. And as they looked and wondered this World began to unfold its history, and it seemed to them that it lived and grew. And when the Ainur [angels] had gazed for a while and were silent Ilúvatar said again, ‘Behold your Music!’ (p. 6).
I will refer back to Kreeft since he has a penchant for simplifying profound truths in easy, memorable, and digestible quotes. The Boston College professor states, “Poetry is fallen music, and prose is fallen poetry…In the beginning was music” (Philosophy of Tolkien p. 162). This makes sense to me. Something innate within music truly moves the hardest of hearts and melts differences among enemies away. Poetry and prose contain residue of music, but still fall short of fully communicating the reality that music conveys through its medium.
Promulgated on March 5th, 1967 Musicam Sacram [Instruction on Music in the Liturgy] speaks of the importance and weight sacred music has and gives to the Mass. According to this Vatican II document, “The true purpose of sacred music [is], ‘which is the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful’” (no. 4). Moreover, Musicam Sacram mentions that the celebration of the holy Mass is provided a more noble form when song is a frequent part of the liturgy (no. 5). From my own personal experience, I concur with the assertion of the conciliar document that music enhances liturgical worship. Peace is a common fruit of singing at Mass. My oldest son is starting to learn the words to the songs and I have noticed that when he sings throughout the Mass he is calmer. There is certainly a truth to the old adage: “Singing is praying twice!”
The Silmarillion and The Chronicles of Narnia are still relevant works of literature decades after they were initially published. Part of the mysterious appeal and timeless nature of Lewis’ and Tolkien’s works is their tapping into the creative power of music. Both men discovered the mysterious influence music has over mankind. Weaving melodious themes into the creation stories of their literary universes naturally draws people to wonder. Almost everyone I knew likes music of some sort and that is not a coincidence. God uses music to unite our sinful world. The height of the creative power is found during a Catholic Mass! I strongly encourage the next time you go to Mass whether you are Catholic or not to sing along with the music and take note of how your heart is moved.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Jack Dunbar via phone call on March 27th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
I’m 32 years old and grew up in a small town. My parents didn’t expect to have kids and I’m an only child. My mom was raised as a Roman Catholic but she wasn’t really practicing her faith. Both her and my dad were nominal Christians. I was baptized as an infant. I got into youth group and got to know the Youth Group Leader. There was a talk about Mark 2 (the Healing of the Paralytic). Hearing this story and how Jesus has authority to heal spiritually and physcially opened my eyes. I prayed to accept Jesus, I went to bible studies for a few years.
When I was 16 I made a decision to follow Jesus and when signing up to go to college I was set on going to the University of Washington. I wanted to be a doctor, as I was drawn to the stories of Jesus’ healing, and I wanted to get out of my small town. I ended up being drawn to Whitworth College in Spokane. While all the faculty were Christian it was not a requirement for students to be Christian but I felt called to that school. I applied and was accepted. During my undergraduate degree I got involved in ministry. I received my Master’s Degree in Theology (2014-2016) from Whitworth as well.
I got involved in Pacific Keep Church after my Master’s Degree and in 2016 started serving as a lay associate pastor, baptized in 2018 and met my wife that same year. Between 2018-2023, I served as a full pastor. I have a young daughter, started a board game business, and looking to have more kids.
Since 2022 I have been working at Shepherd Financial Group (a faith-based accounting firm).
Going back to 2016 with my church ministry, we were talking about the mission of the Gospel in our ordinary life. I loved playing board games with my cousins and friends. For me it was a way to be social. I was an introvert world (in a rural area and as an only child). I played games with my youth ministry kids, but I started to take it a step further by inviting people into my house to play board games. As I got more deeply in the hobby of collecting games I found it to be a way to build deeper relationships with people.
Fast forward to 2019, I was doing other work to help pay the bills to supplement the ministry work. As I was transitioning between jobs, the pandemic occurred. I had a friend ask me about how my work going and it led me to finding out my desire to work in retail but to sell something that I believed in. We started looking around the Internet for Christian board games and saw a gap in the market. The high-quality Christian board games were hard to find. I find the story of the Bible is the most compelling and creative work ever.
I discerned that the skills, experience, and passion for the faith made it possible for me get in to this work.
My wife and I got into Dominion. I started to think about making a clone of this game with Christian themes. In January 2020, I created a proto-type. I listened to Andrew Lowen’s podcast on marketing and I networked with other Christian board game designers. I also stumbled across his game Deliverance and this furthered my interest in the Christian board gaming niche.
Gabe Barrett from the Board Game Design Lab. I joined a Facebook group Christian Game Design Conference- this way primarily focused on video games and was referred to Andrew Lowen. I also met Pete Schultz in 2020.
Pete helped me think through things practically. He made time for me and prayed for me. Andrew helped me connect more broadly online.
In 2021 after spending a lot of time learning, we found out my wife was pregnant and our daughter was born in August. This was a sign that I needed to focus on fine-tuning my board game. I came across my board game artist Melissa in the spring of 2021. Around Christmas 2021, I picked up the game Wingspan. I was intrigued because while it was complicated, it was communicated simply. It had beautiful art. This game made me see my clearer vision for my games.
When my artist would sketch things, my imagination was activated. It made me realize how I needed the theme to be more specific. I was thinking about the C.S. Lewis approach, maybe conveying things allegorically. I wanted to design these gateway games. I want my games to be a gateway to the faith, to board gaming, to the community.
The decision to gear my board game toward this specific type of audience (a gateway to board gaming) was intentional. Control over the theme was desired, avoiding potential changes from a publisher regarding the biblical subject matter. Additionally, the allure of building my own business proved compelling. Driving the creation of board games with a mission-focused approach was a motivating factor.
Around the spring of 2021, I had the design premise (strategic and approachable). I drew a Venn-diagram with my target market: the intersection of Christian families and thematic gamers. The overlap was the Christian gamer. I couldn’t be so Christian that it would turn off the thematic gamer and needed to be accessible enough of a game for the Christian family to learn and enjoy it.
I noticed planting, farming, and nature themed games were doing well. I was thinking about having the game be an allegory for planting the Kingdom of God. We had the game rethemed and I had the full idea in August 2021. Less of a deck-builder more of a tableu game like Wingspan. Going into 2022, I had the pieces to the game, God was telling me I had another year to complete the game.
In 2022 I focused on developing and marketing the game. We also were in the process of building our new home, but somehow by God’s grace the game continued to developed. I had the full vision for the crowdfunding by the end of 2022.
In April 21st 2023, on the three year anniversary of the start of this project, we launched the Kickstarter. This campaign lasted until May 15th and had 308 backers with $16,665 in Kickstarter funds.
All of the modeling and marketing stuff I learned lined up with my expectations. By the end of the year, I ended up making $25,000 and I was able to send the game to my backers in December 2023.
The reception has been great. People continue to order. My goal is to grow the company. The games are based on kingdom principles. New Kingdom: Gardeners has a discipleship component to it.
I’m casting a wider net to see what works. I’ve published three games. The first is New Kingdom: Sowers. It’s based on the Parable of the Sower. Scott Kabel is the creator of Sowers.This game is going to Kickstarter April 2024. It’s a small box game for 1-2 players.
In July I’m crowdfunding a game called Prestige. This game is not biblically themed but the designer is Christian, Fritz Paull. It’s a city-building game. We will be going to Gen-Con in August.
Finally, I will be working on a co-operative battling game called Tribulation. The idea is to create diversity in my company board. Tribulation will appeal to pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults.
Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I want people to experience the love of Jesus and have fellowship in gaming. In the past, art was what got people into learning about the Gospel. I think board gaming is the new medium by which to bring people to Jesus.
I think God has given the call to evangelize to all the Church. It is my hope that New Kingdom Gaming will serve as a way for me (and those who play it) to glorify God.
Jack Dunbar is a Christian, husband, father, lay pastor and game designer (in that order) from Medical Lake, WA. He dreams of reaching other gamers for Jesus and encouraging believers in their walk by publishing high quality Christian and biblically-themed games. He, of course, loves board games, observing the natural world, being outdoors and spending time with his family.
Hope you had a Blessed Feast of Pentecost!!
Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.
Editor’s Note: Post originally published on May 1, 2018.
C.S. Lewis wrote in his work Miracles, “Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.” This weekend I experienced the miraculous in the seemingly mundane. Before I go into detail, I need to provide a little background on my family’s situation. My youngest child who is two years old was recently diagnosed on with mild to severe autism spectrum disorder. Working with local educational and developmental professional he receives occupational, developmental, and speech therapies. Daily life is difficult for typical toddlers, but my son’s trials some days are compounded due to his cognitive delays.
The perfectionist in me seeks the attainable and perfection. However, I took up a new motto when it came to parenting and teaching my youngest son: Practice makes progress. Believe me practice does make progress. I am still fighting my perfectionist tendencies currently! Realistic goals provide a healthier home atmosphere than giving my children unattainable goals.
Our two-year old had a breakthrough in his development—true progress displayed and his hard work in therapy paid off. Before we began developmental therapy, my son struggled to communicate his needs. As a result of his inability to properly convey his wants/needs he would bang his head on the ground when overcome with stress. Additionally, every single transition point over the course of the day involved intense meltdowns. While my son still struggles to transition smoothly from activity to activity, he is making progress.
Together with the diligent efforts my toddler and his teachers put into his therapies, my wife learned about the amazing power certain music/sounds that calm the mind. According to the German mathematician Gerhard Huisken, “music tuned to 432 Hz is softer and brighter, giving greater clarity and is easier on the ears. Many people experience more meditative and relaxing states of body and mind when listening to such music. The natural musical pitch of the universe gives a more harmonic and pleasant sound than 440 Hz” (cited from https://attunedvibrations.com/432hz/). I took my three children to the playground this past Saturday. Here I utilized the power of 432 Hz.
Cabin fever took over my household over the long and drawn out winter of 2017-2018. Outside time was an activity that the doctor ordered! Along with ambling up the stairs and going down the slide by himself—and actually enjoying it—my toddler transitioned well from leaving the park back to the car. Normally, if I placed him in the stroller, wiggling, screaming, and flaying would ensue. What did I do differently this time? I downloaded a 432 Hz player app on my smartphone and played sounds with that frequency as I placed him in the stroller? Almost instantly, the power-struggle ceased. Is this a magic cure? Certainly not, however, the discovery of using 432 Hz frequency is a miracle as my wife and I found another strategy for our educational toolbox to help our child out with his development.
Along with a healthy dose of outdoor time and changing the frequency, we celebrated my godson’s First Communion. After Mass, we traveled to my aunt and uncle’s house for lunch. In the past, we discovered that new scenes oftentimes disrupted our son’s routine. Any sudden change within his daily habits nearly leads to intense meltdowns. Prepped for an apocalyptic afternoon [at least on the car ride home] my wife and I were pleasantly surprised and quite proud that our toddler had a fun and major meltdown free Sunday.
Gamboling in the vast outside spaces, frequently visiting my cousins’ parakeets, discovering hay-bales, and playing Legos with his siblings and cousins provided plenty of chances for our son to exercise some independence in a new environment.
My family truly experienced the miraculous in the final weekend of April. Aside from the Mass, as Catholics weekly partake of the miracle of transubstantiation–mere elements of bread and wine having the substance changed into the “body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ” while retaining the appearances of mere bread and wine, we experienced the miraculous in the form of hope in ordinary living. C.S. Lewis stated, “If miracles were offered us as events that normally occurred, then the progress of science, whose business is to tell us what occurs, would render belief in them gradually harder and finally impossible” (Miracles, p. 75).
Science certainly has the ability to explain why 432 Hz is the preferred frequency, describe the development of farmland, and inform us how exercise on playground sets provide health benefits to children. However, the amazing part of our weekend was being surprised by the progress our two-year displayed. Albert Einstein once said, “There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” Which way do you prefer to live? Finding the miraculous in ordinary living is both a challenge and a joy!
“and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority” —Luke 4:32
Editor’s Note: Post originally published on June 20, 2017. A lot have happened since the writing of this post. My grandfather passed away in 2018. My wife gave birth to our youngest child later that year. But what continues to remain true is the importance of the Sacrament of Matrimony and that God is good all the time.
This summer my wife and I celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary! In honor of this event, I figured I would dedicate a post to our marriage. I also want to highlight the positive effects the sacrament of marriage has on society it’s vital to a salubrious society. Along with our own marriage celebration, I want to personally recognize my cousin’s testament to the married life. He got married to his bride this past weekend. I present 4 reasons why the sacrament instituted by God is necessary for a healthy society.
The four marks [i.e. defining characteristics] of the Catholic Church according to the Nicene Creed are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Each of those traits are found within the sacrament of marriage as well. I will highlight the qualities of the oneness [unity] and catholic [universality] within this sacrament. Men and women are different. Differences are not bad. True equality is not to reduce men and women to be the same in every single aspect of life. Rather, true equality is in reference to equality of respect and dignity for how spouses treat each other.
From my own personal experiences, I look to my parent’s marriage as an example of unity found within a diverse relationship. My mother and father come from completely different backgrounds. My dad’s family lacks divorce and has long life spans. On the contrary, my mom’s family exhibited more turmoil as her dad passed away when she was only 12 years old and her sibling relationships are splintered. Men and women communicate differently. By embracing such diversity a unity may be found.
This diversity between a man and woman in the Mystery of the sacrament of marriage has been lost in our culture. Not everything in marriage needs reduction to sameness between the spouses. If that happens, a little bit of the Mystery may disappear.
I am meant to explore and learn about my wife on a daily basis. I am not meant to have her completely conform to my image or me to her image.
Diversity leads to unity.
To sum up this point I refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The love of the spouses requires, of its very nature, the unity and indissolubility of the spouses’ community of persons, which embraces their entire life: “so they are no longer two, but one flesh.”153 They “are called to grow continually in their communion through day-to-day fidelity to their marriage promise of total mutual self-giving.”154” (CCC 1644).
According to the words of Jesus in Luke 6:43-45,
A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. 45A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
The same may can be said about the sacrament of marriage. Before I continue, I do want to distinguish between different kinds of fruits: physical and spiritual fruits. I will highlight the spiritual fruits marriage offers society later on. For now, I want to focus on the fruit of children in the sacrament of marriage. The Catholic Church leaves the married couple the freedom to elect how many children they want to have. But it is important to note that openness to fertility is essential for an authentic Christian marriage. The Church states,“By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory” (CCC 1652).
Children are a gift from God, not a product for married couples to control or purchase. I think a renewed sense of children as gifts would go miles to infuse society with a new mentality that is other-centered instead of self-centered. Admitting, I too sometimes struggle to make my children in my own image and control their daily activities. I more than anyone else needs to be reminded that God gifted me with children and I am to thank Him by raising them to be gifts for all of society as well!
Society grows through the family unit. Ultimate long-term success for society hinges on families that practice sacrificial love instead of self-love.
A certain power is found in permanency. Things that last long periods of time seem to gather a force and power as they age. The best example I think of is the sacrament of marriage. My grandparents recently celebrated 67 years of marriage earlier this month! You heard me: 67 years! Feeble knees, dimmed hearing, and other ailments that go with advanced years do not diminish the power and force my grandparent’s marriage hold.
Whenever I tell a random stranger, friend or co-worker the length of their marriage there is always a momentous pause…then a statement of awe and wonder will always follow. My grandparent’s marriage is not successful because they are amazing. It is successful because they rely on God to help them forgive each other.
My cousin’s new father-in-law gave pithy, but profound advise to the new married couple from this weekend, [after telling my cousin and his wife to sit close together] “See that little space between you. Always be sure to include the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and have them fill that space. Everything else will work out, maybe not necessarily the way you think it will, but everything will work out!”
It is only through a sacramental marriage that married couples are about to use the force…the force of our Triune God!
Authentic victory is to be achieved not through military might or political prowess, but rather through personal virtue. Having virtuous and charitable citizens are the only way for society to be renewed and remain healthy. While children are the more visible of the fruits of marriage, I maintain that the more universal fruit of sacramental marriages is virtue. Not every married couple is able to conceive a child. Such marriages are not to be held as less holy or effective as couple that has children. In fact, the number of children is not to be correlated with an increase [or decrease] in holiness.
My experience shows that the longer a couple stays married, the more they remind themselves marriage is a sacrament, the greater virtues they develop. Patience, kindness, gentleness, joy, and gratitude are some virtues I notice in my parents, grandparents, and my own marriage when embracing its sacred nature. Societies with citizens exhibiting virtues and charity tend to be more unified and healthy in my observation. Embracing marriage as a sacrament fosters positive qualities beneficial to society.
On a closing note, I want to make sure I am clear that people who participate in sacramental marriages are NOT better nor more holy than single people or priests. What I want to stress is that marriage along with being a sacrament [visible sign from God] is not a right, but a gift. Not everyone is called to be married! And that is okay. Diversity of vocations: married state, single state, and ordained state all contribute to a healthy and holy society!
By: India Akua Mendonca
The thought of being confirmed as a Catholic on March 30, 2024, at the Easter Vigil on Saturday brings to mind all the people who have been instrumental in my journey. My birth father, my mother-in-law, my younger sister, Father Marlon, and my Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) teacher, Karen, who also sponsored me into the Catholic Church, have all played significant roles in bringing me back to God and reigniting my childhood memories of Catholic school. Their support, guidance, and unwavering faith have inspired me and helped me grow in my own faith. I am grateful for their presence in my life and for the opportunity to become a confirmed Catholic.
My father encouraging me to attend Catholic school as a young girl played a crucial role in introducing me to the Catholic faith. For this, I am eternally grateful. The values and teachings I learned in school have shaped my beliefs and provided constant guidance and comfort in my life.
Fast forward to my life as an adult— as a wife and mother; it was my mother-in-law who suggested that we attend a Catholic Church back in 2019, while she was visiting us from East Providence, Rhode Island. And so we did. My mother-in-law, my daughter, and I started attending the Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Clearlake, CA.
However, after a year of attending the Queen of Peace Catholic Church, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to stop going to Mass altogether. The pandemic had affected my life, including my faith. Nevertheless, through technology and the power of connection, a simple text message from my sister, Kortney, reignited my desire to be part of the Catholic Church. She introduced me to Father Mike Schmitz’s ‘Bible in a Year’ podcast, which allowed my family and me to continue growing in our faith, finding strength, hope, and a sense of community during those challenging times.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about numerous disruptions and challenges but it also led to some positive changes in our lives. One such turning point in our spiritual journey occurred when my sister introduced me and my family to Father Mike Schmitz’s podcast in 2023. Additionally, my mother-in-law suggested we attend the Catholic Church in 2019 before the pandemic, and our daughter got baptized during the pandemic.
It is because of these two beautiful ladies in our family that we have grown closer to our faith and strengthened our ties with one another. In fact, my husband began attending Mass every week shortly afterward.
Attending Mass every week and listening to Father Marlon’s sermons played a big part in my desire to convert. His words and guidance have been instrumental in helping me fully comprehend and embrace the beliefs and customs of the Catholic Church. As a result, I am currently a student in the RCIA program. To make our journey into the faith even more special, my husband also attends confirmation classes and will confirm as a Catholic on Pentecost Sunday.
Last but not least, Karen, my RCIA teacher and sponsor, has strengthened my faith in God and motivated me to become Catholic. She transformed my life and helped me find a sense of community and belonging that I had been missing. Her willingness to share her backstory and her faith with me has made a difference in my life. Therefore, I cannot overstate the importance of community and the power of our own personal testimony.
My teacher and sponsor patiently answered all my questions and provided me with the resources and support I needed. She also showed me the true values and teachings of the Catholic Church and introduced the Symbolon workbooks and DVD to me, which are the best study materials to present the truths of the Catholic faith and history. Our friendship and bond continue to grow as we share our experiences and support each other in our spiritual journeys. I am grateful to the Catholic Church for bringing us together and for providing me with a strong support system.
Helping each other and being a community is a biblical concept; we are shown the significance of this through scripture. Here is a verse that emphasizes the importance of community living:
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, they are warm; but how can one be warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. The inspired writer of Ecclesiastes wrote, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
In all, it took a community of family members and friends to get me to where I am today in my Catholic faith. I couldn’t have done it without them. With their help, I was able to find my Godmother, my faith, and the Catholic Church. I incredibly gratefully thank them for their support and guidance, and I excitedly anticipate confirming as a Catholic at the Easter Vigil on March 30th, 2024, because of their influence, encouragement, teachings, dedication, and prayers.
As a stay-at-home mom, India Akua Mendonça leads a fulfilling life balancing motherhood, wifehood, and personal interests. She enjoys writing, studying the Bible, exploring new places, going to the beach, eating at restaurants, and listening to Father Mike Schmitz podcast.
India earned her A.A. in Liberal Arts from Chabot Community College and her B.A. in Black Studies from University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to dedicating her time to her family, India worked at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University as a Document Specialist.
Currently, she is a dedicated homeschool teacher to her six-year-old daughter and takes great joy in witnessing and cultivating her education. India resides in Clearlake Oaks, CA with her husband Marco, their daughter, and their three birds.