Reflection 2: Why We’re Starting This Blog

Hi, I’m Forrest.

This is my first blog post ever, so thanks for being here. My wife Kierston and I are excited and honestly a little nervous to start documenting our life, our faith, and what it looks like to intentionally build a domestic church in the middle of diapers, sleepless nights, and everything else that comes with family life.

I’m a husband and the father of two kids under three. I’m also a cradle Catholic, born and raised in the faith. I’ve stayed close to the Church, not because I had everything figured out, but because I didn’t. I’ve stumbled, struggled, and failed more times than I can count. Even in the mess, I never walked away from my beliefs. Over time, I learned how to navigate life’s challenges while still trying to keep my eyes on Christ, even when I didn’t do it perfectly.

My wife and I got married in 2022, and like many couples, once we started dreaming about family life, we also started dreaming about the kind of life we wanted to build together. Not just financially, but spiritually. Intentionally. Presently.

That’s where Captivating Catholics began.

At first, it was honestly just supposed to be something fun. Maybe a little passive income. When we were planning our wedding, we noticed there weren’t many accessible Catholic wedding resources. Programs, invitations, templates that felt both reverent and modern were hard to come by. So we made our own using Canva. After our wedding, our priest reached out and asked if we could provide a template for another couple looking for a good nuptial Mass program. I guess we should give credit to Father Will for planting the seed. That was the moment we thought, why not share these with others?

We started small. Our own wedding program and invitations became our first templates. Then we simplified and expanded them so other couples could easily customize them themselves. We wanted people to be able to use them without stress or technical headaches, so we made them editable through Canva and available on Etsy. Over time, we also helped couples who wanted more customized designs, including anniversary Mass templates. That was another gap we didn’t even realize existed until someone asked.

What surprised us most was how quickly this little idea grew. We haven’t done any real marketing. Just Etsy, and honestly not much on social media either.

After a lot of prayer, discernment, and plenty of trial and error, we reached over 100 sales in our first year and a half. That’s when something shifted. Captivating Catholics stopped feeling like a side project and started feeling like a calling.

We realized God might be inviting us to pour more into this. Not just as a side hustle, but as a form of ministry.

As parents, we deeply desire to be present for our children. We want to raise them intentionally, not just reactively. We want to guide them toward Christ while doing our best to protect their hearts from the constant noise and pressure of the world. That doesn’t mean running away from the world. It means being deliberate about what forms them.

We also believe we’re not meant to do this alone.

If you’re a young married couple, especially with little kids, you know how easy it is to feel overwhelmed, distracted, and unsure if you’re doing it right. Our hope with this blog, and with everything we create, is to walk alongside other families striving for the same thing. To love well, lead humbly, and keep Christ at the center of their homes.

We’re not experts. We’re imperfect people trying day by day to embody Christ’s perfection in our marriage and family life. Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes we fail. But we keep showing up together.

That’s what this space will be about. Real life. Real faith. Practical ways to build a domestic church right where you are.

Thanks for being here at the beginning.

Prayer
Lord, guide our family and all families striving to know You more deeply. Give us patience, humility, and courage as we lead our homes toward You. Help us to love as You love and trust You in all things. Amen.

See you in the Eucharist.