7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 2)

It's been a while since I've done this... but I've got lots to say today, so here we go!

1.

To use the words of my pastor: this week, I "experienced the demise" of my car. 

And that was the last I saw of it.

Yep... it died. In the middle of a state park in the hills of Indiana, on the way back from a wedding. To be honest, it didn't bother me all that much; it was a good little car, and a huge blessing to own it in the first place! Going down with 260,000+ miles on it... now that's going down fighting! It was rather dramatic, with smoke and dripping liquid; yes, it went out with a bang (not literally - although the teens in my youth group had previously nicknamed it the "bomb" car).

And so, I raise my glass to the little car that could. It took me to Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, Canada, all the states in-between... and of course, all around Ohio. It survived numerous starter replacements, a ghetto wiring/button arrangement, and even hitting a deer. It was a good four years, little buddy. Rest in smashed-up, junkyard peace.  

2

As a side note: the whole adventure from Indiana to Ohio is actually a pretty great story of God's providence in my life. Let me tell you, he really knows how to take care of me! I've seen his goodness time and time again, and I'm always amazed.  

Even in the midst of these material troubles (which also include my laptop not working, and to top it off, the air conditioner in my office breaking as well!), I have been able to experience some of what St. Francis of Assisi called "perfect joy." It's hard to explain... but basically, when "everything" goes wrong and you should be mopey, you still can rejoice in the goodness of God. It was definitely stronger earlier in the week, and I've had to struggle a bit to persevere in this detachment over the last couple of days - but at the same time, such a blessing! Pray that God keeps it going for me, yes? Also, I'd appreciate prayers for my car shopping this weekend!

3

Read this! Just do it: How to Become an Annoying Catholic (In 8 Easy Steps). I definitely have a friend crush on Emily Stimpson! Her writing is bomb (I loved her book, The Catholic Girl's Survival Guide for the Single Years.)

4

This:

Handing out roses to random women? Definitely, definitely a win!

5

So, I'm currently reading this:

And I just found out that our parish staff is going to be reading and discussing this:

I'm psyched! I've already read Rebuilt through once, and I was hoping to pass it around to others anyway. Has anyone else read it yet? Any insights you'd care to share?

6

Y'all need to read this: Why the world doesn't take Catholicism seriously. Again: JUST READ IT! It made me so psyched to go out and evangelize. And it's challenging. I also highly recommend his new project, The Radical Life.

7

And last but not least:

This has gone viral over the last few days, so you've probably seen it. I can't help sharing, though; it's reminded me that it is time to live. I think I'm going to use it to start out our youth ministry nights this summer! It strikes a chord with everyone, and it's the perfect lead-in to talking about what it means to be a saint. We don't have time to waste on petty arguments and distracting ourselves with mindless activities. It's go time! This is life, people... as Kid President would say, "You got air coming through your nose! A heartbeat! That means it's time to do something!"

Dealing with that Rainy-Day, Mid-Afternoon Lethargy

Today, at approximately 3:21pm on a rainy day, it hit. I really, truly, did not want to do anything. I was suddenly overwhelmed by how underwhelmed I felt. All I wanted was to go home and do absolutely nothing. Really... nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Not even one of the sticky notes or piles of paper on my desk were looking like they could hold my attention for more than 3 minutes.

What to do? Typically, I turn to caffeine and/or Facebook... but lately, I am trying to shun those habits. So I present to you... 3 ways to get yo-self back to work!

Solution #1: Read a kick-in-the-face St. Josemaria Escriva quote. Really, anything he ever said in his entire lifetime will do... but for starters, something like this: 

"Ask yourself many times during the day: am I doing at this moment what I ought to be doing?"
  
Tweeting, twirling my hair and texting my friends? Prolly not (for this very reason, I have that quote on a sticky note above my desk). This one is also fantastic:

"Don't let your life be sterile. Be useful. Blaze a trail. Shine forth with the light of your faith and of your love."
 
Then say a prayer and get back to work.

Solution #2: Put on some upbeat music! I suggest one that I ran across recently: "How I Feel Sometimes" by Kevin Heider. It's peppy and motivating, but yet you also feel understood. Bonus: it makes you want to kick Satan in the face.

"Hey, Depression, I see you lurking, and I don’t like you none. I’m gonna keep my eye on you, Mr. Serpent. Come take a good look at the bottom of my boot. I cleaned it just for you." 

I'm also a Switchfoot fan, so a song like "Afterlife" will work nicely:

"And I wonder, why would I wait 'til I die to come alive? I'm ready now, I'm not waiting for the afterlife. I still believe we could live forever. You and I, we begin forever now."

Then say a prayer and get back to work.

Solution #3: Get up out of your chair, walk around and talk to someone else. Ask them about their day, their new puppy, their sick great-aunt, their favorite pizza... anything! It's even better if you can give them a hand with something. Basically, the point is A) get your mind off of yourself and your lack of motivation, and B) do a little physical activity, however simple. 

Then say a prayer and get back to work.

I'm starting to see, more and more, that this all boils down to what kind of a person I am. Isaiah 58:8 says, "Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you." OH SNAP. I recently heard that at a funeral, and it stuck out to me like a sore thumb... which usually means that God is convicting my heart of a change I need to make. In similar fashion, Mark Hart recently quipped the following: "You can learn far more about a person's work ethic by observing them on a Friday than on any other weekday." Let me tell you, that certainly made me sit up a little straighter!

There's been so much goodness written on a "theology of work" (again, check out St. Josemaria Escriva for starters... also Blessed John Paul II!), so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here. But I will say this: we aren't meant to slug along until 5:00... we're meant to be excellent! We're meant to sanctify the world, and be sanctified ourselves, by our daily duties. In fact, according to Fr. Mike Schmitz, simply doing our daily duties is one of three main steps to discerning your vocation! So BAM. Want to fulfill your life's purpose, given to you by God? Step one: just do your job. Maybe not the most exciting thing - depending on your tasks that particular day - but hey, if it works, I'm not going to complain!

To tell the truth, I'm just tired of "getting by," "making it through the day," and all those watery, lazy, lame excuses for procrastination and lack of integrity. So let's do this, St. Josemaria Escriva style!

"To begin is for everyone, to persevere is for saints."

It's God's Boat

"Throughout history, the Church has frequently been in difficulty; those difficulties often come because of that 'little faith' or lack of faith for which Jesus chides Peter. A Church in difficulty or crisis is, typically, a frightened Church: a Church that has lost sight of the Lord, that has fixed its gaze on another horizon, and that is awash in troubles because it is no longer looking as closely or as intently as it should be on the Risen One who comes to his people in ways they often do not expect. Then the situation is rectified and the disciples' fears are relieved (as Catholic crises through the centuries will be rectified and Catholic fears for the future relieved) by the Lord's initiative: the Risen One, the Son of God, gets into the boat of the Church, on the Sea of Galilee and throughout the millennia, and puts things right. 

     "Through this story, Matthew's gospel constantly reminds the Church that, for all our cleverness and skill, we are impotent in matters of salvation - that we are the saved, not the saviors, and that all attempts at self-justification come to naught. Put another way, the Church is Christ's Church, not ours, and we start sinking when we try to make it ours."

-George Weigel, Evangelical Catholicism 

Beauty Heals

Last night, I had an evening of beautiful people and beautiful music, in someone's backyard out in the country. It was one of those experiences that has come to define my life: going somewhere I've never been, to be with people I've never met (although I had a traveling buddy along for the adventure), and seeing what the Holy Spirit has in store. And, true to form, I had no idea what we'd find!

The only way I can think to describe the experience is that it was startling, unexpected, but in a peaceful way - not jarring or shocking. It was more like a morning when you wake up peacefully, perfectly, without any grogginess. With a warm light coming in the window, and with clarity in your mind... an awakening.

As I continue to bask in the glory, all I can think is this: beauty is healing. It was such a simple evening, but I feel like it began to heal a cynicism in my heart, a hardening that I didn't even realize was there. Hope, beauty, love, truth, goodness: yes, all of these do exist. I'm not fighting an uphill battle for something that isn't real. Sometimes the world can wear us down a lot... but beauty is healing.

It didn't have to be loud or dramatic. It doesn't have to be at a retreat or during a powerful talk or something that we think of as "ministry." Healing can come through a quiet evening of beauty. Hope and renewal can be found in encountering just a few people who understand what it truly means to be human. On a blanket in a grassy backyard, as the sun goes down. Beauty is alive, and love is real, and hope is based in truth.