Monday, October 24, 2005
I'm going to try to concentrate whilst the flatmates are in the other room attempting to memorize the dance from N'Sync's "Bye Bye Bye". Don't ask. But it's kind of normal for around here. We had to pause the Mary-Kate and Ashley video in order to concentrate on N'Sync. Too bad the Mary-Kate and Ashley Fan Club line wasn't answering tonight...we could have really entered a new level of nerd-dom.
So this past weekend was GREAT. I went home on Thursday night to hang out with my family. Yay. My brother and I bonded over buying a birthday present for his girlfriend. Very cute. Then Friday morning my dad and I went to Mass together (!!!) and then to breakfast. We even ordered the same thing: the pumpkin pancakes special. :) Yum. It was quite the bonding time. Then I worked on my 10-12 page Ethics paper (which I finished by the end of the day!). That night I went to see my brother play football, which was really great. He's such a rock star, despite his injuries. He only played until halftime, because something in his ankle got jarred (he has to have x-rays tomorrow...), but they still won 58-0. What up now, Jefferson?! :) Saturday was awesome. My cousin Donna and I went shopping and out for lunch, which we've never done. Her kids (who are in junior high and high school...I love big families...my oldest cousin is the same age as my youngest aunt) were helping my dad cut down a tree, so we had time to bond. Then we had a baking fest, which was fun, despite the fact that my biscotti was shunned for its hardness (you dip it in hot beverages!). Oy. Then we carved pumpkins (there were seriously 10 of us gathered around the kitchen table carving pumpkins). :) Brian and Colette got into a pumpkin guts fight and Colette ended up with plenty in her nice, long hair. Gross. Then we watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and pretty much fell asleep after the long day of playing, cooking, eating and having fun. It was a great day. I love family.
So something amazing that I've been watching has been the deepening of my family's faiths. This summer when my parent's had a pretty big tiff going, I went to the perpetual adoration chapel and prayed the full 20-decade rosary. Then, for their 25th anniversary (3 months later) they went to a rosary walk and prayed a rosary together (which I can't remember them ever doing in all my 20 years...). Yay. And recently my mom and I went to a daily Mass together...and Friday my dad and I went to daily Mass together...it's just amazing to watch this!! Go God! :)
It's Peace with Justice week here at school, and it's pretty great. We've got a lot of amazing events going on. And Duhawks for Life (which I am president of!) has teamed up with P&J for one of the presentations that the Sisters of Life will be giving, and I am uber-excited about it! And so is Sister Mary Gabriel, who I talked with today! I can't wait until they're here - it's just a matter of hours now, and that's AWESOME! :)
We set up the Cemetery of the Innocents this past Sunday morning, and already I've received my first message of opposition. I was expecting it, so it doesn't bother me much, other than the fact that people don't get it. This particular gal stated that she is pro-choice because it's only right since so many women died from illegal abortions. Um, yeah. According to the statistical evidence I've encountered, a whopping 39 died from illegal abortions in 1972. Compare that to 4,000 babies dying from legalized abortion per day. If you still think you've got a leg to stand on, well, I've got news for you. The greatest thing has been Mother Teresa's statement, "We are called upon not to be successful but to be faithful." It's like, I can screw up and piss people off and feel like a complete failure...but as long as I remain faithful and keep true to the Truth, then I am doing the will of God, which is most important. It's like Acts 20:24, one of my favorite Bible verses, "Yet I consider my life no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God's grace." Yeah! I hope I can do just that. I really, really do.
And if that fails, you can always meditate on this one: Nill Illigitimi Carborundum. Heh.
Or this, which is probably more in line with God's will:
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
--Mother Teresa
(Thank you Maurice!!)
Off to bed - I can't keep hitting up Saint Vitus to protect me from oversleeping if I don't go to bed at a prudent hour!
Caritas et veritas!
So this past weekend was GREAT. I went home on Thursday night to hang out with my family. Yay. My brother and I bonded over buying a birthday present for his girlfriend. Very cute. Then Friday morning my dad and I went to Mass together (!!!) and then to breakfast. We even ordered the same thing: the pumpkin pancakes special. :) Yum. It was quite the bonding time. Then I worked on my 10-12 page Ethics paper (which I finished by the end of the day!). That night I went to see my brother play football, which was really great. He's such a rock star, despite his injuries. He only played until halftime, because something in his ankle got jarred (he has to have x-rays tomorrow...), but they still won 58-0. What up now, Jefferson?! :) Saturday was awesome. My cousin Donna and I went shopping and out for lunch, which we've never done. Her kids (who are in junior high and high school...I love big families...my oldest cousin is the same age as my youngest aunt) were helping my dad cut down a tree, so we had time to bond. Then we had a baking fest, which was fun, despite the fact that my biscotti was shunned for its hardness (you dip it in hot beverages!). Oy. Then we carved pumpkins (there were seriously 10 of us gathered around the kitchen table carving pumpkins). :) Brian and Colette got into a pumpkin guts fight and Colette ended up with plenty in her nice, long hair. Gross. Then we watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and pretty much fell asleep after the long day of playing, cooking, eating and having fun. It was a great day. I love family.
So something amazing that I've been watching has been the deepening of my family's faiths. This summer when my parent's had a pretty big tiff going, I went to the perpetual adoration chapel and prayed the full 20-decade rosary. Then, for their 25th anniversary (3 months later) they went to a rosary walk and prayed a rosary together (which I can't remember them ever doing in all my 20 years...). Yay. And recently my mom and I went to a daily Mass together...and Friday my dad and I went to daily Mass together...it's just amazing to watch this!! Go God! :)
It's Peace with Justice week here at school, and it's pretty great. We've got a lot of amazing events going on. And Duhawks for Life (which I am president of!) has teamed up with P&J for one of the presentations that the Sisters of Life will be giving, and I am uber-excited about it! And so is Sister Mary Gabriel, who I talked with today! I can't wait until they're here - it's just a matter of hours now, and that's AWESOME! :)
We set up the Cemetery of the Innocents this past Sunday morning, and already I've received my first message of opposition. I was expecting it, so it doesn't bother me much, other than the fact that people don't get it. This particular gal stated that she is pro-choice because it's only right since so many women died from illegal abortions. Um, yeah. According to the statistical evidence I've encountered, a whopping 39 died from illegal abortions in 1972. Compare that to 4,000 babies dying from legalized abortion per day. If you still think you've got a leg to stand on, well, I've got news for you. The greatest thing has been Mother Teresa's statement, "We are called upon not to be successful but to be faithful." It's like, I can screw up and piss people off and feel like a complete failure...but as long as I remain faithful and keep true to the Truth, then I am doing the will of God, which is most important. It's like Acts 20:24, one of my favorite Bible verses, "Yet I consider my life no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God's grace." Yeah! I hope I can do just that. I really, really do.
And if that fails, you can always meditate on this one: Nill Illigitimi Carborundum. Heh.
Or this, which is probably more in line with God's will:
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
--Mother Teresa
(Thank you Maurice!!)
Off to bed - I can't keep hitting up Saint Vitus to protect me from oversleeping if I don't go to bed at a prudent hour!
Caritas et veritas!
