7 Quick Takes Friday - Anticipation Edition!

Let's talk about 7 things I'm looking forward to:

1

This weekend! I'm going to see my family, my friend and her baby, and, as I just found out, a couple friends from western Canada and their baby! Ohhhhhhh, it's gonna be so good!

2

Another friendship thing: my Wapak BFF comes back from vacation on Sunday! Finally. (Luckily we Skyped yesterday, so that will tide me over for the last couple days without her.)

3

We're kicking off the new youth ministry year on Wednesday! I'm not going to lie, it's not pure excitement... I'm also a little bit scatterbrained and nervous. But I know that once all the teens start walking through the doors, all the to-do lists and office work will be completely worth it! All that fades away, the adrenaline starts pumping, and I'm like GAME TIME. LET'S GO HOLY SPIRIT LET'S GO!

4

Spiritual direction! After a false start last year, it's for reals this time, hopefully. Again, nervous. But it's going to be good for me.
 

5

Labor day weekend! The action continues... a friend from Colorado is coming into town, and we're going to go visit all of our friends around Ohio! It's brilliant, really. Why aren't all holidays on Mondays? Anyway, it's basically going to be mini college friendship reunion time, so I'm psyched for that!
 

6

I'm on a roll in my kitchen: homemade granola, yogurt, and now, with the purchase of a food dehydrator from Aldi's, dried fruit all the time! Haven't busted out the bread maker yet, but it's coming. I'm also planning to swipe my family's strainer pot thingy, so that I can make and can applesauce without having to peel and core the apples first. OH! And did you know that if you freeze bananas and then blend them, it tastes kind of like ice cream? AMAZING. And healthy (unless you add chocolate syrup and coconut, like I did.) So basically, I'm looking forward to more fun kitchen time. As a friend of mine would say, #domesticdiva.
 

7

Since I mentioned food, I might as well mention its counterpart: I've actually been sticking with this exercise routine (all two weeks of it)! Although I never really look forward to working out, I've already noticed a difference in the way I feel. Plus, I'm improving! Mostly this means that I feel less like death (still like death, but less). But I've also noticed more discipline in my life as a whole, which is a pretty cool thing, too.

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 4)

Let's see if we can actually make it "quick" this week!

1

Best part of my week, hands down: getting a last-minute invite to have dinner with a lovely parishioner last night, then helping her make a pinata for her grandson's birthday! When was the last time I made a pinata?? It was gloriously messy and wonderfully random, and I left her house in the happiest of happy moods!

2

Oh yeah, I was also on the radio for the first time in my life, ever... you can listen to it here, if you really want to: http://radiomaria.us/battleforpurity/2013/07/29/july-29-2013/. I was kind of nervous that almost an hour would be wayyyyy too long, but it was actually pretty fun and the time went by quickly!

3

This: "Dear friends, let us bring to Christ's Cross our joys, our sufferings and our failures. There we will find a Heart that is open to us and understands us, forgives us, loves us, and calls us to bear this love in our lives, to love each person, each brother and sister, with the same love. Amen!" -Pope Francis

4

On Monday, I learned that I had signed up for Twitter two years before, to the day. I dubbed it my "twitterversary," and did nothing to celebrate. Except giggle whenever I thought to myself, "twitterversary!"
 

5

I'm in hard-core youth ministry planning mode. I really should get some caution tape for my office door and a sign that says "construction zone: authorized personnel only," like we have on the church door right now (the renovation is going on as we speak!). At any rate, enter at your own risk...

6

We had a great S.O.S. (Society of Saints) night on Wednesday based on Philippians 1:27-2:11. I'm so grateful to the core team member who planned and led the night... I've been feeling so over my head lately, and it was so blessed to just get to listen and reflect on the Scriptures along with everyone else, instead of leading it!

7

Last but not least, happy 18th birthday today to my brother Patrick! I got to go home last weekend for his high school graduation party, which was all you could ever hope for in a high school graduation party: family, friends, food and cornhole.

And here's a classy one of us, from our cousin's wedding the weekend before (which, by the way, was a blast... my whole family hasn't been together at a wedding for years and years!):

Happy birthday "Patty Pancake"... love you!

7 Quick Takes Friday - Road Trip Edition!

I'm sort of a road trippin' expert. I mentioned yesterday all of the traveling I've already done this summer - and let's be honest, this has pretty much been my lifestyle for the last few years. I think I can trace it back to the summer of 2009, to be exact.

The scene: a theater in northeast Ohio, after watching the latest Harry Potter movie for a high school friend's birthday.

The problem: nobody waited for me to follow them to my friend's house for the rest of the party, like they were supposed to. Also, I had no cell phone at the time. Essentially, I was stranded.

I stood at a crossroads. Go home... or trek boldly forward into the unknown?

For this story to make sense, you have to know that I had just gotten back from a travel abroad semester in Austria; ergo, the spirit of adventure was still lingering in my soul. With chutzpah, I decided to attempt to find Lauren's house, even though I truly didn't know where I was going. But I had navigated Europe! In foreign languages! America was a piece of cake.

To this day, I'm not going to lie, I'm still very proud of myself. In short, I drove to the city where she lived, stopped at the least sketchy-looking gas station I could find and asked for directions to her street. I had been to her house once before, so I knew what it looked like, at the very least. Things got a little tricky when I got to the street and didn't recognize anything; but I discovered that it's one of those streets with multiple legs that zig-zag down other streets.

And, to everyone's surprise, I pulled into her driveway shortly thereafter... with a very satisfying feeling of personal accomplishment, I might add (if you haven't noticed).

So that was my first foray into the exciting world of independent navigation. I believe the second was getting myself into downtown Pittsburgh for a friend's court case (that's another story in itself; let me just say that she is pretty much a pro-life saint, was definitely unjustly accused, and a fabulous, elderly, Irish judge laughed her opponent out of court with some awesome common sense). I believe that was my first time in the exciting world of city parking garages...

I could go on and on. Basically, since getting my taste of freely traveling to and fro, I've never been the same. I love the feeling of actually going somewhere... almost as much as I love the feeling of finally getting somewhere. In this crazy world (do I sound like I'm from the pioneer times yet?), most of my friends don't live anywhere near me, and it's such a joy to be able to solve this problem by simply hopping in my car and investing some time (and gas money... eek). At this point in my life and vocational discernment, traveling is still very much an option - so carpe highway!

Unfortunately, it's much too easy to spend half the day in the car and realize that all I've done is listen to the same 5 songs on the radio, over... and over... and over... and over. For hours. So I've come up with a list of ways to make your road trips (or even your 20 minute drives!) actually help you become the person God created you to be!

(This is quite a lot of build-up for what I'm actually going to be telling you... sorry about that.)

1. Turn off the radio and be silent.

This can be unbelievably difficult, even for those of us who really like Jesus and prayer time. Over one five-day stretch this summer, I actually spent 30+ hours in the car... and probably took about 1 hour of that to be quiet. The rest was spent listening to the radio, on the phone, etc. But car time, like shower time, is prime prayer time. So just do it.

2. Listen to a Fr. Mike Schmitz homily!

Getting a bit stir-crazy from the silence, but still want something good for your soul? Download some homilies from Fr. Mike Schmitz (they're all free podcasts on iTunes!) to listen to on the way! Alternately, you could listen to a Lighthouse CD talk, or a spiritual classic that has been read aloud and recorded (again, check iTunes, or YouTube, or your local library).

3. Actually take that rosary off of your rear view mirror and pray it!

It ain't just a cool Catholic accessory. If you're going to sport it, you better actually use it sometimes. To be honest, I've only recently come to that conviction. And believe me... even if you have to force yourself to get started, you'll never regret the time you spent on it afterwards.

4.  Pray for people who are stranded on the side of the road.

Another variation on this: pray for the other people who are driving around you, and for those in the cities you're passing by. They'll never know you did it... but it's going to make a great story-time in heaven!

5. Take advantage of your rest stops!

Yes, please use the bathroom and get snacks. But what I really mean by this is that you should always be ready for an evangelization moment! Not in a weird way - just be nice and friendly to the cashier, willing to chat with the people around you, smile, and try not to look like death and act like a grumpy ogre. You never know who you're going to meet and the kind of conversations that others will strike up with you! (I'm friends with the types of people who will pray over random strangers in parking lots, if the opportunity strikes... believe me, it happens!).

6. Appreciate the beauty!

If you're driving through somewhere naturally beautiful, soak it up! And thank Jesus for it, too. We could all be more sensitive to and appreciative of beauty. It's healing (as I wrote about here).

7. Praise and worship music.

Because nothing says "I'm dedicating this road trip to you, Jesus" like surrendering your heart to him while singing "Great I Am" at the top of your lungs. Plus, no one can hear you or judge you! (Safety tip: do not close your eyes in prayer, raise both hands in the air, or rest in the Spirit. Just don't do it... the Holy Spirit is not calling you to that, I promise.)

And there you have it! 7 tips for a holy car ride. It's basically Catholic common sense, but sometimes we need to hear it, right?

I'm headed off on another one of these trips over the next few days, so I'll probably retreat from the blogosphere again for a bit. Just an FYI. Cheerio!

(Apparently I get really chatty when I haven't blogged in two months... I'll try for some shorter posts soon!)

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!"

7 Quick Takes Friday

I thought I'd get in on the fun today! Here we go...

1

So yesterday, I got fake pulled over by the cops. What does that mean, you ask? It goes something like this:

[Flashing police car lights go off behind me as I'm getting off my exit.]

Me (to myself): Hmm... I know I was speeding earlier, but I wasn't right then! Maybe I have a headlight out or something. 

[I notice there are two officers in the car, and they're discussing something, and they look slightly confused.]

Me (to myself): Maybe one of them is in training, and the other guy is teaching him what to do.

(Side note: I was just telling this story over the phone to a friend, whose reaction was, "Wait... were you really that chill about this?" My answer: "Yep!")

[Officers still talking.]

Me (to myself): Maybe they want me to move. Maybe I should get off the ramp and go park in that parking lot... maybe they're going to give me an extra fine for being unsafe and stupid and pulling over on the ramp. Hmm... they're not waving me over, though. 

[Both officers finally get out and come to my window.]

Officer: Um, so we pulled over the wrong person. It was another beige car.

Me: Oh, okay. 

Me (to myself, in my head): There are TWO of them, and they pulled over the wrong car?!? Maybe they're BOTH in training...

Officer: We just didn't want you to be confused when we drove away.

Me: Okay, thanks!

Officer: You didn't just get on the highway, did you?

Me: No, I've been on for like twenty minutes.

Officer: Yep, it was that station wagon then. Have a good day!

And that, my friends, is how you get fake pulled over. 

2

I know I'm not the only one who's had crazy weather lately, but I thought I'd share anyway:

In case you were wondering, it usually looks like this:

3

Confirmation is this upcoming Tuesday for our 8th graders! Please pray for them. HOLY SPIRIT TIME!!!!! In other news: I get to have dinner with the auxiliary bishop that night... wooohooo!! Along with our priests, the DRE's, etc., of course (it isn't just me and the bishop... who do you think I am??). Although I do have friends who hang out with bishops all the time, I don't typically get that chance. So I'm pretty pumped!

4

Update: Deleted for sensitive material. I will not be publishing the related comments, since I have deleted this section. It is nothing against your comments (in fact, I would say they did their job) - thanks for the input!

5

It's looking like I'm going to have another summer full of weddings! If my calendar is correct, I'll be at one per month from May through September. Currently, I'm really thrilled that one such friend called me up yesterday and asked if I would do the second reading (from Ephesians 5) at hers! (My answer: "Really? Really? REALLY?!?! I'm so honored! I'm so excited! YES!")

6

I have mixed feelings on the whole #Gosnell Twitter exposure extravaganza. Yes, it's extremely, extremely, extremely important that the world recognizes the horrific reality of murder both inside and outside the womb. However, I'm not a big fan of countering murder with hatred. I think the best Tweet I saw on it all day was this: "For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on #Gosnell and on the whole world."

7 

The other night, I was slaphappy while watching a bunch of YouTube videos by Blimey Cow (they do Messy Mondays and Messyges). I was just watching them again, looking for a good one to share with you all, and they were NOT as funny as I remembered. Hmm. But I will still share this one with you, because I laughed out loud when he shared his favorite Disney princess (and the part at the end when he talked about how the country was actually mythical... don't lie, you know that you thought/wished it was real too, back in the day):

Amelia Mignognette Thermopolis Rinaldi... PrinCESS of Genovia.