Waiting for Patience

"There are a whole lot of people who are so freakin' busy-they've so clutter up their lives-they're at their wits end.  And if they'd only just stop for a minute, they could hear the God of the universe whisper to them, 'I love you.'" -Mike Yaconelli

Putting together these quick takes is going to be an interesting feat for me this week. --- 1 --- Although  I am a single gal without children, I feel overwhelmed by working and having a personal life.  I cannot comprehend what it would be like to add a husband, some little ones, and an infinite amount of chaos to this already complicated existence! --- 2 --- This evening's activities held a spaghetti dinner, Brave , and Pink Spoon with MG, Meredith, & Ajay. --- 3 --- I  was completely fascinated by the girls hair in this Pixar film.  It seriously looks like real hair in this cartoon.  Throughout the entire film all I kept thinking about was "how in the world did they do her hair like that?" --- 4 --- Every  person I interacted with today somehow got on my nerves.  I had such a hard time letting go of my own way, my own pride, and just my own stubbornness.  All I wanted to do was SCREAM, not necessarily at s...

Christ calls us to be "fishers of men" not just "keepers of the aquarium." Be bold today. Share the gospel in your deeds AND words.  -Mark Hart, The Bible Geek

"Discouragement can often be a sign of having sown without an upright intention, of not working for God but for oneself." (Fr. Fernandez)

Be faithful! Sow tirelessly. The seed will one day beat fruit, even if you never see it. Remember, there is great joy in the sowing!  -Jimmie Mitchell

Remember that your virtue may seem to be that of a saint and yet be worth nothing if it is not joined to the ordinary virtues of a Christian. That would be like adorning yourself with magnificent jewels over your underwear. -- St. Josemaria Escriva

"When you approach the tabernacle remember that he has been waiting for you for twenty centuries." - St. Josemaria Escriva

"He Must Increase, I Must Decrease" ~St. John the Baptist Happy Feast Day!!! As the days begin to shorten we are gently reminded about John's mantra.  Our desires, our prominence, our wills must decrease just as the daylight does each day.  Making room for the Lord to become more visible in the world. What a hard concept to embrace and live by!  To reduce my will, my need for attention, my desire to be successful and loved - it's almost too much to even think about doing.  ALMOST!  There are so many times when I want to just have it my way...like this week for work.  We are hosting Totus Tuus, a summer catechetical program for our youth from pre-school through 12th grade.  I'm in charge of the 1st-12th grade students and have prepared an appropriate amount - with supplies, room reservations, priestly help, snack acquiring, volunteer helpers, etc...  BUT after I returned from my week away, I find many things to be askew.  For instance, s...

"There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers." -St. Teresa of Avila

"Don't you long to shout to those youths who are bustling around you: Fools! Leave those worldly things that shackle the heart - and very often degrade it - leave all that and come with us in search of Love!" -St. Josemaria Escriva

--- 1 --- Faithful Servant  was this week.  It is a camp that trains leaders for both Dioceses in our state.  I had an amazing experience.  My community members bonded well to each other and myself, my presentation produced good fruit, and I grew in better relationship with the other adults in my area!  What a lovely time! --- 2 --- Finding friends in Charlotte  was an incredibly difficult experience.  After reading this book I have a whole new appreciation for the friends I have made in the last 4 years.  It was SO HARD, but incredibly worth it! Check out Rachel's Blog at:  MWF Seeking BFF --- 3 --- My Google Reader account  has 838 unread items!  How in the world am I EVER going to read all of those items?  Oh, goodness - this might have to be a project for JULY!  It's too overwhelming to even begin to tackle today... --- 4 --- The Next Food Network Star  is one of my secret (or not s...

"If this is the way You treat Your friends, no wonder You have so few!" -St. Teresa of Avila

"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." -Venerable John Paul II

“It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without the holy Mass.” St. Padre Pio

“Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.” G.K. Chesterton “America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance – it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance

“If you don't behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

“Truth doesn’t change simply because you can’t stomach it.” Flannery O’Connor

“The Jesus of the Gospels is surely not convenient for us.” Pope Benedict XVI “The Jesus who makes everything okay for everyone is a phantom, a dream, not a real figure…” Pope Benedict XVI

--- 1 --- The calm week of June is over...unfortunately.  Back from vacation, wedding was wonderful (a few pics below), and the regularity of this week (which I long for so terribly) is already over!  So, just two days before the two week storm begins!  All good stuff, but way too much stuff! --- 2 --- Steph, Erin, Lawton, & I The wedding was so beautiful!  From setting up on Thursday to our girl's night to the rehearsal and then the wedding on Saturday it was SO wonderful to see friends, catch up with all of my 'back home' people, and relax with my family!  Congrats to Erin & Lawton, may this be the beginning of many happy years together! --- 3 --- Last night was our volunteer appreciation dinner at work/Church - where I am sorta a volunteer except I am actually a staff member (no appreciation for that!).  Set Up was so long, but incredibly worth it since all of the volunteers had such a great time!  Wonderful for us ...

"Our Lord loves you and loves you tenderly; and if He does not let you feel the sweetness of His love, it is to make you more humble and abject in your own eyes." -St. Pio of Pietrelcino

"There are not over a 100 people in the U.S. that hate the Catholic Church, there are millions however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church. Which is, of course, quite a different thing." -Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen

“If you experience dryness in prayer or a time when you come to Mass and feel like you didn’t get anything out of it, then that’s a good day… That’s a day where you get to chose to love God for His sake and not for what He can do for you.” Fr. Mike Schmitz (slightly paraphrased from his homily, “The Doorway to Heaven”)

'It is only necessary to say energetically "I will," and all will go well.' St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

“Lord, may I do much while appearing to do nothing at all.” St. Francis of Assisi

"Hearing nuns’ confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn." -Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen

“I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.” Blessed Mother Teresa Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Lawton Cretsil!!!

Happy 2nd Week of June! --- 1 --- The Wedding Week  is FINALLY here!!!  These quick takes come to you from good old St. Marys, PA! The city of a million trees, many buzzing bees, and not too many babies!  The last census reported a decrease in the population by 1500.  That might not seem like too many if you were considering NYC or Charlotte or Miami or Los Angeles.  But up here, we were only working with 13,000 to begin with - this is a more than 10% reduction! --- 2 --- Being Honest  - the best advertising sign ever! No false advertising here! --- 3 --- 1 of 3 places to have a nice meal at 8:30pm in town! Mini-Bachelorette Party tonight with Steph and Erin at Gunners!  It's been almost 2 years since we were all three together.  Steph only had 1 baby then, and Erin wasn't even engaged!  SO much has changed in such a short period of time - unbelievable! --- 4 --- Color: Malibu ... Dress: Middle one...

“In the designs of Providence, there are no mere coincidences.” John Paul II, 1 year after being shot The wedding is tomorrow - beautiful pics to follow next week :)

“When a Man stops believing in God he doesn’t then believe in nothing, he believes anything.” G.K. Chesterton

“Christianity has not been tried and found lacking. It has been found difficult and so left untried.” G.K. Chesterton

“Become a saint, and do so quickly.” Pope John Paul II “The only reason you are not yet a saint is because you do not wholly want to be one...” Peter Kreeft

“If you are going to worship a guy who was crucified, don’t expect life to be pop and Skittles.” Mark Shea

“Marriage is the real vocation crisis in the United States… We have a vocation crisis to life-long, life-giving, loving, faithful marriage. If we take care of that one, we’ll have all the priests and nuns we’ll need for the Church.” Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York

"Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it." "The truth is not always the same as the majority decision." -Blessed John Paul II The saints always provide an interesting perspective.  They say things that we all think we know, but don't act upon.  Some words to remember in the future!

Welcome to June, ladies and gentlemen!  2012 almost half way over, ALREADY! --- 1 --- Mom.   Found out my mom has gall stones and needs to have them and her gall-bladder removed some time next week.  Prayers are greatly appreciated! --- 2 --- Vacation.   Leaving on Monday for a week-long vacation at home...glad it's coinciding with mom's need for surgery.  Last time I went home in the summer my dad had Thyroid Surgery...I'm beginning to dislike traveling home in the summer. --- 3 --- Wedding.   Erin (one of my BFFs from high school) is getting married next Saturday!  Don't even have any idea about what to expect. --- 4 --- our cute favors - filled with Hershey's Kisses & Glow-in-the Dark Stars! Dresses.   SO excited to dress up tomorrow for our youth ministry event.  We're going to a local assisted living facility and having a Senior Prom!  Wearing a bridesmaid's dress twice in 1 week. --- 5 --- Fo...

An Entire month of Quotes - a new quote every day of June, something to live by! "He loves, He hopes, He waits. If He came down on our altars on certain days only, some sinner, on being moved to repentance, might have to look for Him, and not finding Him, might have to wait. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than keep him waiting one instant." -St. Julian Peter Eymard