What Goes In...

"Garbage in, garbage out," Mom said. Over... and over... and over, throughout my childhood. (Kind of like Dad's favorite phrase: "Repetition is the mother of learning... repetition is the mother of learning... repetition is the mother of learning." Definitely related to the whole "Pete and Re-Pete were on a boat" joke; all eliciting equal amounts of groaning and eye rolling from us kids.)

But, despite the cheese, Mom was right! #youwinmom

I've been realizing something more and more lately: stories form us. They mold the way we think, the way we respond to the situations we face, and the kind of people we want to be. They shape our expectations about life, and our ideas of where true happiness lies. Heck, they even influence our dreams! I've found that, if I can even remember my dream from the night before, I can trace the ideas/situations/people in the dream back to a movie or TV show I watched, a book I read, or a conversation I had. It's actually kind of creepy... but it really is true. And, even though I know we're not responsible for the things we do (or say or think) in our dreams, I've still found that they reveal something about myself (for good or ill).

For instance, I have a friend who regularly has dreams about the saints. That doesn't just randomly happen! What actually happens is that she reads a lot about the saints, thinks about them, and has relationships with them. Their lives are the stories that shape her imagination and capture her heart; she measures her own life - and her ideas about what it means to be truly happy and fulfilled - against theirs.

Personally, I've noticed that the more chick flicks I watch, the less satisfied I am with life. For girls, I think this is probably pretty common! We see a super cute, romantic couple having so much fun together... and then we compare this "perfect" life to our own situations (another trap my mom always warned me about!). 

(Side note: my weakness is Jim and Pam on "The Office." Seriously, so cute. Can't even handle it. But then I remember that they both had mind-numbingly boring jobs, their boss was a freak, and it took about three agonizing years for them to get together, and I feel better.)

Anywhoozles. Basically, I've realized that there's that... and then there's the incredible talks I listen to online by people like Chris Stefanick, Mark Hart, Jackie Francois and Fr. Mike Schmitz (just type any of their names into YouTube and enjoy). There's stuff that I do to "pass the time" and distract myself from reality... and then there are the books, music, movies, etc. that I use to run toward reality, to plunge into it head-on. (I guess you don't plunge with your head; but you get the point.)

I'm not saying, by the way, that fiction is only a distraction. The right stories, whether or not they are "real," can shape us for greatness. Just look at little kids who play make-believe! They want an adventure, to be courageous and amazing, beautiful and kind. The boys want to be knights and the girls want to be Cinderella; no one wants to be the wicked stepsisters!

So, this is my friendly reminder (mostly to myself!) to be aware of what you watch, what you read, who you hang out with, etc. Again, kind of sounds like something that my mom would say to me as a teenager. But if you're a grown-up, no one is going to make you, anymore!

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!)

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."

Links I Love + Ven. Fulton Sheen Quote-y Goodness

Happy Tuesday! I think I'm going to take a cue from The Evangelista, and share some gems that I've come across on the webbernets lately (thank you to Fr. Kyle for that fabulous word. Interwebs, too!). Here we go:

This. This times five hundred and ninety-two! As a youth minister, I share similar frustrations... partially because the sorts of comments that he describes always make me somewhat insecure. But also, because I really, truly do want every baptized Christian to realize that they can be a relevant witness, if they love the Lord, love the people they meet and engage the culture in which those people live. I'm not the only person who can relate to youth, just because I'm 23, as if I'm going to expire someday. Thank you, Edmund, for this!

Jenifer Fulwiler has been rocking my socks lately! Last week, I exhorted you to watch her show; now, here it is, for your YouTube viewing pleasure! I was very excited indeed that it was trending on Twitter! Today, I also ran across this article she wrote about the message that dressing up sends to our lackadaisical culture.

My parish recently got Lighthouse Catholic Media, so I've been listening to their talks to try to spread the word! Today I listened to "True Worship" by Fr. Mike Schmitz, and I am in love with it. If I had listened to it earlier, I would have ordered a whole bunch of copies and handed them out as Christmas presents to the teens in my youth group... I still might do that sometime. It's not a freebie, but it's well worth the $2.50 to get the MP3 version online. Listen and share!! You can also find his homilies (for free) here. Praise the Lord for his gift of preachin' the truth! Seriously, it cuts me to the core.

This picture. Memes are kind of starting to get old for me. But this one makes me smile so much! Imagine Dwight saying it, and I guarantee that there is a 97.2% chance that it will make you feel better on a rainy day.

God's providence plays a definite hand in saving a prematurely born baby's life! I'm less than impressed with the UK's "ethical guidelines," but praise the LORD that this little one is alive and with his parents today!

Last but not least, I've been running across some smashing quotes from the Venerable Fulton Sheen over the last couple of days!

"Love that is only giving, ends in exhaustion; love that is only seeking, perishes in its selfishness. Love that is ever seeking to give and is ever defeated by receiving is the shadow of the Trinity on earth, and therefore a foretaste of heaven." (Three to Get Married)

"Each child that is born begins to be a bead in the great rosary of love, binding the parents together in the rosy chains of a sweet slavery of love." (Three to Get Married)

And my current favorite:

"If at all possible, the priest should make his daily Holy Hour before celebrating his Mass. Now that the Church's regulations on the pre-Eucharistic fast have been modified, he will be well-advised to take a cup of coffee before he starts. The average American is physically, biologically, psychologically and neurologically unable to do anything worthwhile before he has a cup of coffee! And that goes for prayer too. Even sisters in convents whose rules were written well before electric percolators were developed would do well to update their procedures. Let them have coffee before meditation." (The Priest is not his Own)

"...physically, biologically, psychologically and neurologically unable..." Gets me every time! I'm still giggling over it... dude, I really wish I could have coffee with Fulton Sheen. That would be the best! Although apparently, he shows up in my friend's dreams and drinks milkshakes with her. #jealous. (Probably shouldn't complain, though, because Cardinal Dolan crashed my dream once! It was pretty fabulous.)

I will leave you with one of my favorite links, the Mass readings of the day. Hopefully, this site isn't new to you. You might need a refresher on who Manoah from Zorah is, though! I did. But in all seriousness, the readings for tomorrow are beautiful, especially considering all of my friends who are currently pregnant, hoping for pregnancy, or taking care of small children. I also love this line from the Psalm 71, especially as a youth minister:

"For you are my hope, O Lord;

my trust, O God, from my youth.

On you I depend from birth;

from my mother's womb you are my strength."

See, it is possible and beautiful to be young and holy! St. Therese (my fave!) comes to mind here.

That's all for now! I pray for you, you pray for me... good night!

P.S. If anyone knows why my formatting ends up looking funny, especially for quotation marks and apostrophes, please let me know how I can fix that! I'm a grammar/format/editing nerd, so it bugs me. Thank you!