Friday, July 12, 2013

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 110)


-1-
Road of Hope Last week some exciting news came out about a man I definitely feel will one day be canonized as a saint: Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan.  It has been announced that this amazing priest is being considered for sainthood.  I first read about this man in A Priest Forever: Nine Signs of Hope and Renewal.  Later, I read the book he wrote to his people during his 13 years in prison, nine of which he spent in solitary confinement, The Road of Hope: A Gospel from Prison and watched the DVD about his life also called Road of Hope.  I am still blown away by his tremendous faith, hope, and joy in the midst of terrible conditions and awful treatment.   
-2-
Men of Courage There are a number of male family members and friends I have seen suffer terribly as a result of varying illnesses, injuries, and life-threatening conditions.  I hope and pray that if ever faced with any of the challenges they have faced, I may have the grace to be as brave, courageous, determined, good humored, and full of faith that the men (and women) in my life have exhibited.  I’m praying especially for my Godfather and his family as he goes through more cancer treatment, as well as my uncle whose health is declining.

-3-
French, Fun, & Photos Speaking French, funny stories, rollercoasters, West African music and dance, an assortment of photos, video clips, and discussions made Wednesday evening quite enjoyable.  My youngest sister is in town for a couple weeks, and I hadn’t seen her since my mom and I went up to Ohio back in April to see her performances. 
     Since then she’s been to Burkina Faso for the second time and loved it.  I was excited to hear about her trip and looking forward to speaking with her in French, which she’d really like to keep up.  We hung out at my mom’s.  Kevin came over after work and grocery shopping and cut up fruit for us all to eat while we were talking.

-4-
Take a Bite Outta Crime The girls have been very interested in paper products.  There wasn’t actually enough left of the newspaper article Sophie took a bite out of left to determine what section it came from, but I’m guessing that she would crack down hard on crimes such as robbery, assault, and battery if given the chance after being in the company of her two very assertive sisters.   
-5-
Keeping it Fresh Opening a package of crackers that were starting to go stale, my sister said she didn’t mind them.  I told her that she should have known they were stale since there wasn’t FRESH written on the side in black permanent marker.  Writing FRESH in black marker was a trick a household member had for identifying the cereal purchased most recently that was least likely to be stale.  Rather than throw the stale cereal out, this individual helpfully marked the new box as FRESH.


-6-
Toe-Up The girls have a special affection for dairy products, as is often the case with little ones their ages.  Yesterday, after eating some of the shredded cheese I gave them at lunchtime, Sophie was walking around.  I looked over at one point, and she’d plopped down on the floor to pick out a tiny clump of cheese that had gotten caught between her toes.  Naturally, her first inclination was to pop it in her mouth.  She certainly gives new meaning to the term toe-cheese.  I remember when “my little guys” were pre-verbal (still members of the bare piggy brigade), and one of them had this unique laugh he did specifically when he saw and wanted something made with milk.  To read more about adventures in nanny land, check out My Nanny Diary.      
    
-7-
Carmel or Bust! It still hasn’t completely sunken in that one of my very close friends, a dear sister in Christ is leaving Richmond this Sunday and doesn’t plan to return ever again.  This evening we’re having a farewell/adieu pizza party for Michele Morris before she leaves.  Soon she’ll be flying to the West Coast to enter a cloistered monastery called Sisters by the Sea in Carmel, California.  Please pray for Michele, her family, and the many who love and will miss her dearly during this time of transition.  Michele has always had a fondness for Harley Davidson motorcycles, so this graphic of a nun on a motorcycle is the one she asked me to put on her business cards when she was traveling around performing her play “Teresita.”    
                  
Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...