7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 138)

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Grace is… having food, clean water, shelter, and skills you can use to help others who don't have those basic necessities, something I’m much better about remembering to pray before meals when I'm not juggling, running, and attempting to prepare food and serve it to young children who at every meal and snack act as if they haven’t eaten in a week…

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A Man for All Seasons Kevin and I finally got around to watching this award-winning film this evening.  I hope and pray that at the end of my life I will be able to say that I have remained true to God, above all.  I highly recommend A Man for All Seasons and any others that help us learn more about those who said yes to God and Truth, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

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Under Construction I have been grateful for snow this week, not for the reasons many others might find it exciting, pretty, comforting, but because it helped preserve my sanity.  For several days in a row, yes including both early Saturday and Sunday mornings, there have been men walking, hammering, drilling, pounding, and otherwise creating as much noise as possible on the roof of our building.  Since we live on top floor, it has sounded and at times felt that we have been the unfortunate victims of an attack of elephants, apparently ones with wings or at the very least ladders.  Once it snowed enough and then froze, the gentlemen saw fit to let our roof be for a few days. 
     I do feel that I've missed offering Sunshine an interesting learning opportunity to witness such work.  She is very fascinated by Handy Manny and his friends.  Our place is one of the farthest things from childproof, but if both of her parents came with her and her twin sisters, then there would be four adults and three children under four, so the odds would mostly be in our favor.   

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Stuff my husband says: “Not for nothing, but…” followed by all sorts of helpful and just as often, if not more, not-so-very-helpful words of wisdom.  My response to this beginning of a sentence is usually to roll my eyes and groan.  Regardless of the time of day, I’ll suggest that it’s too early in the day for one of his “not for nothing” proclamations.   

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Quality Child Care This week among other things I have caught up on is my required training hours for working at school.  One of the ways we can fulfill these hours is by reading certain training books and passing the tests on them.  Again, I really enjoyed the book I read about Early Childhood Education called The Practical Guide to Quality Child Care by Pam Schiller and Patricia Carter Dyke.  It includes information on everything to management, hiring and screening employees, to setting up the best programs for students to learn, and for parents and families to be involved in that process.  Anyone who wants to learn more about what quality child care looks like, how it is achieved, and maintained will find this book quite helpful.

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March for Life 2014 

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A Lifelong Learning Blog This is a link to a fantastic idea for kids that parents and grandparents will be excited about.  Would you like to encourage your child’s writing interests and abilities while supporting their academic pursuits?  I don’t know many parents or teachers that don’t.  Check out this video and consider the possibility of setting up such a thing for the young ones in your life. 

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of  7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.

Children Are Always Recording Audio and Video (My Nanny Diary)

Any time children are partially awake and conscious, you can be fairly certain they are recording everything you say and do, even if they seem to be totally occupied with whatever fun, possibly noisy toy currently in hand. 

If you have an infant or are around toddlers or any young children, it’s a good time to reprogram your vocab to G-rated and fine-tune your shut-up filter, because everything you say (and do) can and likely will be repeated generally at the most inopportune time.  Any words shouted or said with any sort of extra emotion will be the most likely candidates for new vocabulary acquisition. 

That’s why so many kids learn “NO!” very early on, because they hear it all the time.  “Up” and “down” are two other ones children tend to learn very early.  Seinfeld does a great bit where he talks about this phenomenon.    

Many Occasions for Humility

There’s no way around it, really; whatever you say can and will be used against you.  It provides many occasions for humility (in case being peed, pooped, spit-up, thrown-up, and sneezed on hasn’t produced a sufficient amount of that in your life, yet.)

   
 Having spent a lot of time working with and caring for children of a variety of ages, I’ve gotten pretty darn good about keeping exclamations—even in the midst of an emergency or crisis—G-rated around little people.  I figure I’ve already had enough explaining to do when I have a little one shouting things like: “Where my ho’?” on the playground.  I did actually have this happen to me and quickly rephrased the question for the little tike so as not to be shunned from the church playground forever: “You mean: Where’s my gardening tool?” 

He had been helping his parents working in the garden recently, and there was a plastic hoe and other gardening tools in the sandbox in that playground area, but that’s certainly not what it must have sounded like to the other mommies and nannies at the playground that day. 

   
I’m all for encouraging kids to learn the proper names for things, but only when it doesn’t get us kicked out of the sandbox.  I’m sure it didn’t help a whole lot that when a car would drive by with really loud rap music playing that the same little one would stop whatever he was doing on the playground and start his bounce dancing.       

      
Sometimes it’s hard not to laugh when kids come out with something you know they must have heard at home that couldn’t possibly have been intended to be repeated anywhere. ever.  I’ll admit I laughed hysterically when I was reading a book by Anne Lamott in which she talks about how she came to the realization that she and her son had gotten in the habit of using some words that were inappropriate.  I can’t in good conscience quote exactly what either of them said (as it’s not G-rated), but if you’d like to read it directly (and I think you’ll want to), you can find that particular excerpt of Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

     Minor Misunderstandings

They will happen all of the time anyway, because kids fill in the words that they think you said or make up their own when recounting a story.  Case in point, just this morning we had the following exchange:  

   
“Dad is a she,” Sunshine said.

    
“Your dad is a he.  Your mom is a she,” I replied.

   
“My mom is not a sheep!” she said emphatically with more than a little attitude working.

   
I explained that I did not call her mom a sheep, but I’m not sure if that really sank in, so I informed her mother of the conversation because I knew she’d be amused and also in case later during dinner or bedtime she recounted to her mom what she thought I’d said.       

    
We had quite a few mishaps when my youngest sister, who is 11 years younger than I am, would repeat and/or mess up something one of us had said and announce it to family, friends, guests, etc. at the most awkward times.  Some of the mix-ups were just plain hilarious. 

Once my cousin had been telling us a story about how she'd been visiting UC Berkeley and had seen two women walking around holding hands wearing nothing but tie-dyed socks.  She added that she didn't think the two of them had ever seen a razor.  Most of this went right over my youngest sister's head.  Later when my sister was retelling the story to someone, I heard her say that “the two women looked liked they'd never seen a raisin.”  Then she added, "I don't know how she could tell that, though."

    

Running commentary

As those who know me are already aware, I absolutely love spending time with little ones.  It isn’t long before I go into “running commentary” mode where, for purposes of learning and language acquisition, I describe everything around us and all the things we’re doing as we go.

    
I did this so often on walks with “my little guys” that they got to the point when they’d know what was coming next and get excited and tell me before I had a chance to say a word: fire station, library, church with bells that ring and that at noon and 6pm play two songs…  

   
I’m glad to know I haven’t lost this valuable time-with-toddlers instinct from my earlier days as a nanny.  Apparently my “running commentary” switch still works.  That being said I don’t need it or use it quite as much when there’s also a preschooler in the house, because her commentary is pretty much always running.  And by that I mean, pretty much whenever she’s awake her mouth is running, which can be as amusing and entertaining as it can be exhausting and annoying when it goes on for hours.  

In short, it’s easier to tone it down a tad when little ones are in earshot, so you are less likely to find yourself explaining to a concerned adult how it is that your child knows certain words, phrases, or exclamations. 

     

Children Shouldn’t Be Crash Test Dummies (My Nanny Diary)

Children by their very nature will manage to get themselves into a dizzying number of dangerous situations of their own concocting, so it’s best not to give them an easy way into trouble and becoming another statistic or sad story in a “What to Expect When You Don’t Childproof Your House” type series of books—as it will take several volumes to document and describe all of the illnesses, injuries, accidents, including but not limited to: gaping head wounds, cuts requiring stitches, burns, poisoning, a sudden supposedly accidental loss of limb, and/or other households little shop of horrors tales from beyond the crib and the crypt. 

Childproofing 101: The Rule of Thumbs

For the safety and well-being of children, it’s absolutely necessary to be proactive about childproofing and safety concerns.  The worst way to find out something should have been done is after someone is seriously injured because it wasn’t.  There are so many different basic childproofing things that need to be done, and they vary from one house to the next.  What's more, the basic baby and childproofing needs for your little one can be much more extensive than the lists of some other mothers.  This is by no means a complete or exhaustive list.  It's merely a jumping off point (pun intended) like everything that's in your house will become if it hasn't already.    

Before your child can roll over, install plug covers on any outlets at floor level in rooms where you will let them play.  You will be amazed at how quickly they can get from one part of the room to another when they get on a roll (literally).

Put gates at the top and bottom of staircases once your child can roll, but way before he or she is crawling.  It will help you preserve whatever sanity you have left when they become more mobile and will boldly explore in all directions. 

Any heavy furniture, shelves, etc. that may tip over should be tethered to the wall.  You can be certain that when climbing capable your child will try to get something out of reach by scaling whatever they need to in order to reach new heights. 

If there are more children than there are adults the majority of the time, then there needs to be two to three times more childproofing done, and/or your place will need to be up to Department of Social Services Standards for Child Care Centers if you intend to make it through the baby and preschool years with a below-average number of trips to the pediatrician's office and/or emergency room.

If an older sibling does it, their younger siblings will learn from them possibly/probably sooner than the first child learned it and do it as often as they can if they receive a high level of alarm from parents or caregivers.  This factor is multiplied with twins and multiples.  What was okay when you just had one little one running around is NOT necessarily safe when you have two or three young ones.

A funny-in-retrospect true story to prove toddlers are smarter than you think, so watch out!

When one of “my little guys,” who resembled a little old man when he was using his walker/push toy, shuffled up to the huge wooden door and pushed on it with his toy, presumably to see if he could get it to open.  I laughed and jokingly said to him that, “maybe if you got a running start…”  That was my first mistake.  I underestimated the kid, who I knew could understand what I was saying.

He was young enough I didn’t think he’d take what I said to heart and have the reasoning power to execute it, especially on a huge, heavy nine feet tall door built in the 1800s.  Wrong again.  He looked right up at me when I said that, then looked over at the closed door.  I always kept this particular door closed once the boys were mobile if I was the only adult present.  This was my sturdiest back-up so as to keep the two toddlers from gallivanting about the dining room, living room, front entryway, and downstairs bathroom, as well as the really big main staircase, none of which were fully childproof.  

 
This cutie backed up from the door a bit further than he had been before, and the little skunk moved as quickly as he could in jeans that were a tad big for him and a somewhat unwieldy walker back over to the door and rammed it even harder this time.  I was initially amused at his cleverness and persistence until the huge, heavy door opened. 

     
The important lesson learned here is that if you’re going to give a kid some pointers, even jokingly, thinking he won’t listen or use them, that’s when he’s most likely to awe and distress you with his cleverness and comprehension.

Parlez-vous français? Mais, oui!

I couldn’t resist the opportunity to have some fun with French.  Since I took French from fifth grade through college, and I spent an academic school year my junior year at Hollins studying in Paris, France, I offered to have some conversations in French with my sister before she went back to Burkina Faso (where she’s studying West African dance this month).  She wanted to brush up on the basics and learn some key phrases that wouldn’t likely be in a textbook.

    
I began with one of the few things Kevin learned to say in French before he came over to visit me:

Est-ce que tu m’épouseras?          Will you marry me?

   
This was not my response when he asked, but is one I suggested for my sister to use if it turns out to be a more appropriate answer in her circumstances.

Non, ma mѐre va me tuer.    No, my mother will kill me.

    
Actually, when Kevin said, “Je t’aime du fond de mon coeur Patricia Niermeyer.  Est-ce que tu m'épouseras?” He was down on one knee with a ring box in his hand which by itself got me crying so hard I hadn’t heard him.  He looked at me, waiting for my answer, and I looked at him not having heard the question.  He asked quietly, “Did I say it wrong?”  I told him, “I didn’t hear you.”  He laughed and asked again.  I said yes and gave him a big hug and a kiss.  I was thrilled!! 

This phrase I thought of because it’s a pretty cool French song that we learned when I took a French music course in college.  I still listen to the CD sometimes.
“Je crois que ça va pas être possible."    I believe that will not be possible.

These I included because they'd probably be useful: 

Dégage-toi!      Free me!  Let me go!

Aidez-moi!        Help me!

Je dois allez aux toilettes.       I need to use the toilet/go to the restroom.

Où se trouvent les toilettes?  Where is the restroom?

J’ai mal (à + le, la, or, les, l’) _____________                        My   _________________ hurts.

Combined becomes (au, à la, aux, à l’)                                           (part of the body)

    

J’ai soif.                I’m thirsty.

J’ai faim.               I’m hungry.

J’ai assez mangé.     I’ve had enough to eat/have eaten enough.

Never say: Je suis pleine.  (word for word translates to I’m full, but in French means I’m pregnant unless, of course, that’s what you mean to say.)

Je suis fatigué.        I’m tired.

J’ai chaud.              I’m feeling warm/hot.

J’ai froid.                I’m feeling cold/cool.

J’ai perdu…mon billet, ma carte de crédit…                I lost…my ticket, my credit card…

     I hope this has been a fun learning experience for you.  

Saint Ignatius Loyola: The Spiritual Writings

I learned quite a bit from reading Saint Ignatius Loyola: The Spiritual Writings and highly recommend the book to those who are interested in a solid overview of the saint’s life, how the the Society of Jesus (aka the Jesuits) began, and what defines and explains their main spiritual training and practices.  I had in my mind only a brief summary of Saint Ignatius’ life when I began reading these excerpts written by the founding father of the Society of Jesus’ and annotated author Mark Mossa, SJ.  I have found this man’s life and philosophy of how to live out the teachings of Christ quite fascinating. 

     
Over the years, I’ve heard a number of people, Catholic and Protestant, who have done The Spiritual Exercises written and propagated by St. Ignatius.  I have not yet embarked on them, but my interest in learning more is piqued, and I could be easily persuaded to take on such a program for spiritual growth. 

    

I didn’t realize how much of modern day spirituality and prayer practices came from this particular saint and his prescribed methods of growing closer to the Lord.  Now that I have read excerpts from his memoir as well as his letters within the context of explaining certain passages of The Spiritual Exercises, I have a far greater appreciation of the wealth of wisdom he provided through his writing. 

     

Saint Ignatius Loyola: The Spiritual Writings is proof positive that there is a great deal we can learn from the lives of the saints and apply to our present circumstances and daily challenges to offer all that we are, have, and do for the Lord’s greater glory in time and eternity. 

     

A reminder that we need to have a measure of balance in our religious practices and spiritual lives is one important principle that this saint explores at length.  It’s not a new concept to me that spending hours in prayer daily without devoting any time to works of mercy or studying can actually go against what would be best for us. 

     

I have gotten into trouble far too often in the past when I have assigned greater value to one form of prayer or activity done for the Lord than I’d give to something else that is also part of the work I do for Him. 

     

For example, if a student were to neglect his studies in favor of spending all of his time in prayer, then this would likely go against what God intended for him.  In the same light, if a mother of young children offers to God the cooking, cleaning, teaching, and nurturing she does as part of her vocation of raising her family, then that is admirable and advised, even if it means that she is not able at that particular time in her life to devote as much time to study, personal prayer, or corporal works of mercy outside the home. 

     

Saint Ignatius Loyola: The Spiritual Writings is a wonderful introduction to this great saint and Jesuit spirituality and/or serves as a wonderful refresher on this man’s life and proposed prayer practices.  For more information, or to order your own copy, click here.       

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 55)

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“Once Upon a Time” Camp this week was a super-smashing success!  I really enjoyed being lead teacher for a camp that combines some of my favorite things: reading, children, learning, and laughing.  We read a number of popular children’s books, made some cute pig and colorful big bad wolf puppets and got to take turns using them for improv shows.  Check out the other awesome camp offerings available through Richmond Montessori School here.  There’re still a few spaces left in a couple of my camps.     

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 Oh-so-sleepy It’s always difficult going back to work after vacation, but Kevin and I really like the people we work with which certainly makes it easier to return.  We were both really exhausted at the beginning of this week, though.  I can’t believe it’s gone by so quickly, that it was less than a week ago that we were still enjoying our time in Rochester, NY.  As always, on the drive up two weeks ago, I knew that it would seem like no time at all had passed and we’d find ourselves back in the car headed South.  And that’s precisely what happened.     

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Creative Writing Workshop for Adults is being offered in the Richmond area for one week.  Whether you have a lilt for the lyrical or a passion for prose, you’ll have your inner muse kicked into high gear as we explore the spectacular world of creative writing. We’ll see how music, art and stimulating our five senses inspire us to create literary masterpieces (or at least the beginnings of such). Discover your writing gifts and learn how to hone those literary skills.  Register online at Richmond Montessori School under "Summer Programs." 

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Dominating in Dominoes Kevin and I have a new gaming obsession thanks to his sisters: Mexican train dominoes.  We played it a couple different times with his sisters and their spouses, and we actually had a really good tutor in our corner the first time we played, which was nice because these games can get pretty hardcore.  John beat everyone when we all played together, so we had to have a rematch, and he won against just Kevin and me, too.  I bought a set so Kevin and I can play at home, too.  Justice will be served, dear brother :)      

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Friday Fish Fry Last Friday, Kevin, his three sisters, Deb, Wendy, and Chari, our beloved brother in Christ John, and I went to Schooner’s restaurant on the Genesee River to get a fish fry.  It was a beautiful evening to sit outside, be on the water, share a meal with loved ones, and even listen to a live band.    

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Blast from the Past Kevin had to laugh when he saw that a buddy of his from back in the day when he owned his own music studio was the singer/guitarist for the band playing at Schooner’s that evening.  As soon as Mickey Ames (guitarist/vocalist of The Fools) spotted Kevin, he announced that KP was in the house.  Since Kevin was no longer a drummer in a band, running sound for a band, and had gotten rid of his recording studio by the time we met, I feel that I’m getting a glimpse into his former life. 

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How Sweet It Is Ever since I was in utero, we’ve gone to Rochester, New York in the summer, but this was the first time that Kevin and I got to show someone who had never been there around, and it was fun.  John took the train up and arrived late a week ago last Tuesday to stay with us at the cottage for a few days.  The three of us really had a good time.  It was neat taking John to the many different places that have been significant for Kevin and me throughout the course of our relationship, and also introducing him to Kevin’s family, and to our favorite restaurants. Oh, yeah, and now he understands why we like being on the lake so much and has experienced some of what I've written about in the memoir I've been working on about the miraclous series of events God orchestrated to bring Kevin and I together and keep us best friends until we could date. 

Head over to Conversion Diary, to read Jen Fulwiler's wonderful tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday.

Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown

Fearless is a full-throttle, no holding back, breakneck-paced true story of Navy SEAL Adam Brown.  Ever since his childhood, Adam Brown was a risk taker who loved pushing the limits.  This engaging account of his life is nothing short of breathtaking, earth-changing, and absolutely miraculous.  Eric Blehm, New York Times Best-selling Author of The Only Thing Worth Dying For, has masterfully illustrated and expressed the fascinating trials, triumphs, tribulations, and turmoil that defined a man hardwired with a mission to give everything he had and was in mind, body, and spirit in service to his country, his family, and his comrades.

     
One of the most remarkable aspects of Fearless, besides the literary prowess and the novel-like intrigue with which it’s written, is that Adam Brown encouraged others to share his entire story, in the event of his death.  He was selfless, courageous, brave, and faith-filled enough that he didn’t want any part of his life hidden, no matter how dark that time had been, because he knew that others would find hope and encouragement knowing what he’d gone through.  That has indeed been the case. 

     
Fearless is a portrait of a real American hero with some dark times in his past who, with the assurance of faith in the Lord, the love of family, and close friends, proves that “all things are possible for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

     

Adam Brown took the same approach to pretty much everything he did in life.  His philosophy for everything was: “Go hard or go home!”  And that’s precisely what he did.  He would give whatever or whoever was in front of him his all, and if that wasn’t sufficient he would push himself even harder until he reached (and usually far surpassed) his goal.  This approach to his life, military training, and faith earned him the respect of some of the most elite warriors in the U.S. Navy SEALS as well as those around him in the air, on land, in the water, in the barracks, overseas, across enemy lines as well as at home with his wife and children, and the family and friends he held dear back in his hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas.  

    

Only God Himself could have come up with such a plan for one man’s life.  What a remarkable example of what we can do with God, for whom nothing is impossible.  Adam Brown experienced many instances of being incredibly broken in mind, body, and spirit, yet he grabbed onto his faith and used his gift of fearlessness to persevere.  When others did throw in the towel and accepted defeat, this man pushed forward relentlessly.  He was seemingly immune to pain, to giving up, to defeat…He gave everything he had and everything he was until he took his very last breath.  If that’s not the definition of a true hero, then I don’t know what is. 

     

I received Fearless for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  To purchase your own copy of Fearless, click here.  To learn about how you can receive free books from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, check out their Blogging for Books program here. 

     Watch the Fearless book trailor here!

The 60 Minute Money Workout

The 60 Minute Money Workout is an easy-to-follow guide about how you and your family can get your finances into shape one hour at a time.  Ellie Kay, who is known as America’s Family Financial Expert®, describes in detail how you and your spouse and family can get out of debt, create a budget and stick to it, pay cash for your cars, save 10% and donate another 10% of your income to charitable organizations, while still saving for your kids’ college, and preparing for your retirement. 

     
This step-by-step tutorial on how to manage your money is very practical and quite feasible.  So often, it seems as if the task of financial planning, budgeting, and such is so complex we’re not sure where to begin.  Ellie Kay understands people’s tendency to be overwhelmed by the prospect of getting our financial house in order, and she addresses this inclination by providing one hour workouts that are easy to follow.  She is very upbeat, humorous, and matter-of-fact in her approach.  She lays out what to do in what order, and has broken the daunting prospect of remedying past financial decisions that weren’t the best, making better ones at present, and preparing wisely for the future. 
     
One of the things I really admire about The 60 Minute Money Workout is that Ellie Kay includes
personal stories about how and why she developed these strategies, then illustrates how she and her family have put them into practice with a great deal of success.  She’s included a plethora of resources on her website that are definitely worth checking out.
     
This military wife and her husband have seven children, so they’ve had to do some creative financing to make ends meet and get from the point of surviving to thriving.  Ellie Kay has put together this workbook complete with quizzes, and a one hour workout on each major topic that includes a: warm up, strength training, cardio burn, heart rate, and cool down.
     
I received The 60 Minute Money Workout for free from WaterBrook Multnomah PublishingGroup for this review.  To purchase your own copy of The 60 Minute Money Workout to get you finances in shape, click here.

We get to choose where we spend eternity!

     I don’t like to admit it, but I have been a modern-day Judas.  Through God’s grace, I’ve been shown the error of my ways and repented, asking for help in accepting the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy which I don’t deserve, can’t earn, or do anything to merit. 

     In the past few months, God has made something abundantly clear to me that I happened to miss for many years.  For the longest time, I would spend time in prayer trying to tell God how much I don’t deserve His Mercy or Forgiveness, how I have messed up too often and will likely do it again, so that I should not be granted pardon.  Recently, the Lord helped me see how ridiculous it is for me to spend time telling Him I’m not worthy to be loved, forgiven, or saved, when He knows that better than anyone else.  (Yes, I’m slow enough that this was a major ah-ha moment for me.) 
     In prayer, the Lord made it abundantly clear to me that it isn’t my pride, anger, lust, envy, gluttony, avarice, or sloth that is most abhorrent to Him.  It’s actually when I choose to reject His Mercy and believe that His love is greater than every single one of my sins that I am in the gravest danger of being separated from Him for all of eternity.   
     My view of things has begun to change now that I know the greatest rejection of God is to believe that something I (or someone else) have done, some sin I (or someone else) have committed, some evil thought I (or someone else) has had, is too horrible that it could be forgiven by the Lord of infinite Mercy and the Source of Love.
     Lord, thank You for the beauty, love, and joy in our lives that give us a glimpse of what eternity with You will be like.  Thanks for not giving up on us when we're slow on the uptake.  Draw us closer to You in all ways.  Amen. 
     Where and with whom would you prefer to spend all of eternity?   

Crazy Busy and Super Sick

     The past month has been crazy busy.  So much so that I have a better understanding for family members and friends who tend to disappear from the face of the earth at times.  I was so tired after work, ministry commitments, and doing what I could to care for my husband who’s been really sick with bronchitis this past week, that most of the time I didn’t feel like texting or calling anyone in the evenings to see how they were doing or let them know I’ve been thinking of them. 

     This is significant for me, not because I’ve never been crazy-busy before, but because I have sometimes felt really hurt and slighted when family members or close friends haven’t bothered getting in touch, even just to say hi.  I’ve tried to make a mental note of how draining this kind of busy-ness on top of being sick with the yucky cold that’s going around while hovering at the same time has affected me, so that I cut others more slack. 

     It gives me a little hope and comfort to think that maybe my sisters don’t really forget I exist for weeks or months at a time.  I haven’t been very good about keeping in touch with them regularly either, but I think of them and pray for them daily, generally many times a day. 

     Last week someone we hadn’t seen or talked with in ages told me that Kevin and I had been on his prayer list for a long time.  The gentleman said he keeps a list of people he’s praying for on the refrigerator, and we’ve been on it for months.  This reminds me of two posts I wrote awhile back called Prayers for You in Progress and A Cloud of Witnesses. 

     I find it comforting and uplifting to know that others are thinking of and praying for us though we haven’t seen or heard from them in months, just as we have many loved ones in our thoughts and prayers who we haven’t been as great about reaching out to as we could be. 

No Human's Health Left Behind

     It’s very important that we do engage in discussion with people who have opposing views.  I believe it’s best to do so in a way that is as non-threatening as possible, but it needs to be done. 

     Fortunately, I have been able to have a great many discussions, chats, e-mail exchanges, and such with people who have very different political, ethical, moral, and/or religious views from those I hold.  The exchanges I have gotten the most out of are those I’ve had with people I know genuinely care and have compassion for others.  With that basis, I have an easier time answering questions or responding to objections than I would with someone I’m not sure at their center really cares about other people and what’s best for them. 

     I think it is a pretty natural tendency for us to want to avoid conflict.  We’d rather not have our thoughts and beliefs tested, especially in a way that seems mostly confrontational or adversarial.  For me, it’s been a good lesson to remember when I engage others in discussion about controversial topics. 

     Am I more likely to read or listen to what someone has to say if I know that they are considering my position and addressing my concerns? 

It's Gettin' Real on My Facebook Wall!

     The following message is Facebook comment 70 of 70 (the last time I checked my wall) in response to this link I posted "Time to Admit It: The Catholic Church Has Always Been Right on Birth Control" on February 10, 2012 at 4:14pm:                  "To be honest, there have been times recently when I have dreaded opening my Facebook account, not because there would be comments contrary to my political, moral, or religious viewpoints, but mostly due to the almost vicious tone with which new ideas, arguments, and perspectives were shared.  I like to encourage discussion and learn what others know, think, feel, have experienced, and discerned in prayer about different issues.  I believe most of the time the discussions, conversations, even debates are ones that help us voice our concerns in a place that’s relatively safe to explore—at least that’s the tone I try to set for the discussions that take place on my wall. 

      In looking at some of the above comments and the accusations, I feel I haven’t been a good facilitator of this particular discussion, and I would like to extend my apologies to each of you along with

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 37)

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Adorable much?  Oh yeah!  I had the joy of taking care of Vivi this week.  She’s so flipping cute!  Among my favorite stories that I shared with Kevin about the day: Vivi tried feeding a spoonful of the yogurt she hadn’t finished at lunch to her baby doll.  Judging by the results, I think little miss pink ’n’ poofy is lactose intolerant.  

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Nice try, cutie! Vivi got me to help her put her coat on.  I knew it was because she wanted to go outside, but as soon as she approached the back door wearing a short-sleeve onesie, no socks, no shoes, I reminded her that she also didn’t have pants on.  She still looked hopeful, and I conceded that we could go out a little while before her nap, then I looked out and saw it was raining.  I told her that we weren’t going out in the rain if we didn’t have to, but that she could continue wearing her coat around if she felt like it (which apparently she did).   

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Some Spring in Her Step “Is Vivi napping?” her mom asked when they arrived home.  “No.  I just put her down a little while ago and heard her jumping in the one place where it’s easiest for her to do so (on the mattress in her crib).” 

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Want to Protect Religious Freedom in This Country? Read here what you can do to protect religious liberty:

Six Things Everyone Should Know about the HHS Mandate

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"Bonhoeffer"Author Compares Obama's HHS Mandate to Nazi Germany

“180” A shocking, award winning documentary! 33 Minutes that will rock your world!!

 

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Thinking Pink? Think Again  The biggest issue in all of this is that people have been hurt, people have been lied to, people have been judged. What each of us needs to do is be more open and loving to those around us...read more here. 

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Laughter, Learning, & Prayers  I realize this week's 7 quick takes are quite a mix, but this week has been chockful of all three, so there you have it!

Head over to Conversion Diary, to read Jen Fulwiler's wonderful tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday which this Friday is actually being hosted by blogger friend Hallie Lord of Betty Beguiles.

Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck

Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck is an in-depth look at how and why we can and should strive to live out our Christian values in the workplace.  I really enjoyed this book.  The personal stories, the concrete ideas and suggestions at the end of each chapter as well as the reflection questions added to the Scripture-based reasoning for making Christ-like behavior and a closer relationship with God and others your two main goals.

     
Through quotes from the Bible, the Catechism, popes and saints, Kevin Lowry underlines the importance of putting God at the center of our lives and gives practical advice on how we can do that even at work in ways that are socially acceptable and likely to open the hearts and minds of others to Christ. 
     
This book also resonated deeply with me is because it often made me think of the ways my husband has, through his strong work ethic, moral sense of responsibility, and the genuine care and concern he has for people, been a Christ-like witness to his co-workers.  It’s kind of interesting that what seems so natural for him has to be studied and learned by others.  I know his friendliness and compassion for others has had a much more profound effect on his co-workers than he even realizes. 

Several of the questions also made me think of my supervisor at work, who is one of the kindest, calmest, gentlest, most loving people I know.  I have talked with people at work about faith and passed along various religious and spiritual books I’ve read, but it would be hard for me to say if I’ve been able to make a difference just by who I am and what comes naturally to me.      
     
I love that Lowry includes tips and suggestions that are reasonable and help us accept the sanctifying grace that can come to us through our jobs, if we know where to look and how to respond when we find the challenges.
   
I highly recommend Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck the book and the practice.  The whole time I was reading it, I was praying for a friend who has been really stressed out by her job lately.  I think I’ll deliver this book to her doorstep with a note of encouragement. 
     
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage (and can save yours, too!)

I was intrigued by the description of Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage (and can save yours, too!).  It was written by a couple that’s been married for over twenty years and has seven children.  I wasn’t quite sure what it was these two individuals would consider an emergency marriage situation, but I know their approach to turn everything over to God is the right one. Greg and Julie Alexander were living the secular American dream perfectly.  They both worked hard, had very successful, lucrative jobs, were blessed to have one boy and one girl, a big house, a boat, luxury cars, and nice vacations.  They were in the elite social circles and kept rising in the ranks.  The higher they climbed in their careers the further they drifted from God, each other, and their children.  They both concluded their unhappiness sprang from having married the wrong person, and they decided to get a divorce. 

     
They saw it as a blessing when they found out that they’re new parish priest worked for the Tribunal, the office that handles annulments.  They weren’t at all prepared for the three key questions the priest asked them.  They completely rocked their world.  In seeking the answers to these most pertinent questions, which every married couple needs to know, they discovered what God’s plan is for marriage and opened themselves up to His will for their lives.    
     
Greg and Julie Alexander share both sides of their story with candor, openness, and honesty that will speak to all married couples regardless of the current state of their marriage.  They point to the most essential element to make marriage work: putting God at the center. 
     
I read the Marriage 911 all the way through, and now my husband and I are going through it a second time together and discussing the questions at the end of each chapter in addition to the big three.  We both agree it’s a remarkable story and magnificent evidence of how nothing is impossible with God.
     
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Marriage 911. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.