7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 1)

     A very well-known, super-popular blogger, author of Conversion Diary Jennifer Fulwiler, began a cool way to make Fridays more fun a while back.  I figure it’s high time I join her.  Below are my first 7 Quick Takes. 

-1-

     What are some of the prayers God’s placed on your heart that He’s answered?  The other day I had an epiphany that the Lord has answered my prayers, those that weighed most heavily on my heart and mind for many years. 

     Several years ago, I began praying that the Lord would place His Will in my heart and make it my deepest desire and most fervent longing.  No matter what has happened in my life, God always brings me back to the place where I am lying prostrate before Him, ready to do anything and everything He asks of me, no matter what the sacrifice, pain, and/or suffering involved. 

     The other fervent prayer I prayed was for my then boyfriend/now husband’s return to the Catholic faith.  The other night I sat in awe next to my husband of six and a half years, amazed that without poking or prodding, he’s not only returned to the Church, but become a faithful prayer partner, outreach minister, and Eucharistic Minister but he has also, since this past Lent been attending daily Mass.  God is AMAZING!!

-2-

     Here’s an excerpt from the review of a book you will not want to miss: “If Streetwalking with Jesus doesn’t break your heart, exercise your “mercy muscle,” and bring you to tears, and move you on a visceral level to submit more fully your mind, body, and spirit to serving the Lord as He appears in “distressing disguise” as the poorest of the poor, then check your pulse.  Knowing that I am not as well-versed in some aspects of social justice as others, I selected this book to read.  I had an inkling that it would help change the way I see some things.  I had no way of knowing that it would challenge me in every aspect of my life to become more Christ-like, to love more deeply, and to be a better vessel of the Lord’s mercy…” To read more, click here.

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      What favorite simple, inexpensive practice of yours has enhanced your marriage and brought you closer to the Lord?  A couple years ago I was inspired to begin a Love Notes journal with my husband when my mom gave me a magenta journal that said Love Notes on the front.  I decided to use it as a way of encouraging my husband to add some prayer time to his morning routine and leave him a little message.  This project has proven to be a success.  This morning I was incredibly smitten when I discovered that he’d done the Scripture Readings for today and had left me a really nice note, though I ended up going to bed before I had penned him one.

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      What’s your funniest experience while serving at Church?  My husband and I got a good laugh reading National Catholic Register blogger Matthew Archbold’s post “I Was The Worst Altar Boy Ever.”  My dad always told great stories about his days as an altar boy.  One of his most amusing ones dealt with how he got kicked out of the altar boys for participating in a food fight.  I wonder what Mr. Archbold would have done back in his altar boy days if he’d been there the day a server accidentally kicked the bells across the altar during Mass. 

-5-

     I accidentally spilled water that got on our laptop keyboard last week.  Now certain keys won’t work, so any message I’ve typed or posted for a few days I composed by typing as I normally would, then cutting and pasting from other documents the letters missing from what I’d written due to the unintentional baptism of our computer.  At least I remembered to change the font before sending out e-mails, so it didn’t look like I was creating electronic ransom notes.  My mom took pity on me and loaned me her laptop in the meantime which for whatever reason, I can’t get to recognize our wireless internet.  Ah well.  I know I’m not the only writer who’s been experiencing technological woes.  At least, Susie Lloyd’s computer issues are resolved for now.

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     Yesterday, my husband Kevin and I got to meet Mother Paul, who has just transferred to the St. Joseph’s Little Sisters of the Poor home for the elderly where I volunteered starting in high school and where my grandmother now lives.  It took only a few minutes to find out she has a joyful heart and a great sense of humor.  I know she’ll be a wonderful blessing to the Little Sisters, the staff, and of course, the residents there.  I’m sure she’d welcome any and all prayers for a smooth transition.

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     I have been listening to this awesome CD “The House You’re Building” by Audrey Assad over and over again since our favorite brother in Christ, John, gave it to me a few weeks ago.  If you like good Christian music with a contemporary feel, you’ll definitely want to check this out!    

     Hope you have a blessed weekend!

     Check out Jennifer Fulwiler’s 7 Quick Takes Friday series and her high-traffic blog Conversion Diary.