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To use the words of my pastor: this week, I "experienced the demise" of my car.
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| 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.
Handing out roses to random women? Definitely, definitely a win!
And I just found out that our parish staff is going to be reading and discussing this:
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.
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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!
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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.)
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This:
Handing out roses to random women? Definitely, definitely a win!
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So, I'm currently reading 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?
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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.
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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!"
I read "Rebuilt." I agree that we can't discredit the techniques of megachurches that get results. We ought to have all that AND the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist! I did notice that there was almost no discussion of the sacraments, though, and that's pretty crucial to Catholicism. How can you talk about parish growth without sacraments, which are what bring many people in the door in the first place?
ReplyDeleteAgreed! They did focus a lot on the Sunday liturgy, but not so much on Confession. It was definitely a thought-provoking read... I liked their emphasis on being missionary and evangelizing! But I'm not sure I always agreed with the way they went about it... what other thoughts did you have?
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