Seattle Public Library is AWESOME!

here’s a list of their favorite books lately!

Mary Higgins Clark

doesn’t everyone love a mystery!? Mary Higgins Clark has a new book coming out around mid-November! The start of a series actually! Just so you know. Lets read the most recent book she authored. Its called I’ve Got You Under My Skin. Has anyone already read it? From what I remember Mary Higgins Clark books are pretty easy reads. Due date:December 17th, 2014.

Be there or be square.

Also, I just started reading The Help. It should be good if its anything like the movie.

Any suggestions from anyone else?

Bring back the book club!!

A blast from the past!!!

Heidi-ho good neighbor! It’s time for a new book! And it’s also back to school time soon for someone, so lets pick something EASY! How about a favorite book from someone’s childhood. That way we know its at least kind of simple! Put some of your favorites in the comments and we’ll choose one in mid-August!

Congratulations!

We made it! What an adventure I had today. And I was so worried about forgetting something (my prayer, scapulars, nice clothes) I went ahead and forgot my camera. Sorry! People were totally taking pictures too! It was an event!

Here’s where I went. You need to check out this website. Carmelites in Seattle

So I got there 20 minutes early (it was only a 10 minute drive, but traffic could easily bump that up and I didn’t want to take any chances. You have to get on I-5 after all). The place was packed! To the gills! The parking lot was full and street parking was filling up too. I parked a block away. The chapel was very cute. Already filling up, they had a bunch of folding chairs out crammed into every nook and cranny. I took a folding chair by the side. A gorgeous, LARGE statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was at the front. This was one of the coolest things. I don’t know if it is always there or it was special for the feast, but it was certainly something special. Several people brought in their own floral bouquets and placed them in front of the statue. There were probably over 20 different vases full of different flowers. And more and more people kept bringing them in. Very cool. At the end of mass, the statue got rushed. Probably half of the people ran up to the front to touch the statue and take pictures with Her. Pretty fun! Definitely a celebration.

Afterward we had some extra prayers to bless our scapulars. The priest wanted to be sure we all knew that the scapular and the rosary are inseparable. So-pray the rosary. His homily was pretty nice too because some of it was things we had just read about. The scary, fearsome Carmelites, and devotion to Our Mother. He even gave us some homework, encouraging us to read an encyclical (sp?) by Pope Paul VI . He said, “It’s an hour worth of reading, a lifetime to ponder.”

I haven’t read it yet, but I did track it down for you. Be sure to click that link up there. It’s almost funny, the more I learn the more questions I have, the more I realize I don’t know. What even is an encyclical? Anyway, I’m committed to being a good person and to focus more on prayer, and specifically placing my trust in God through Mary.

Let me know if you want a scapular! I got one for you!

The Consecration

Wow friends! We almost made it! It’s been a busy, rough, exciting four-and-a-half weeks! I really loved the message today. It’s titled Putting It All Together but it is quick to point out that we’ve only begun to put it all together. Yes! That is exactly how I’m feeling. I understand some. Some I really don’t get. I’ve been thinking about writing my own prayer, because that is one of my favorite parts of my spiritual relationships, just talking to God. But I when I pray, I talk just like I talk in real life, so I think the prayer here is a lot more eloquent. Also I’m worried I might leave out an important part. Is anyone going to write their own prayer? Or change it up a little?

Here are my brown scapulars, all lined up for tomorrow! I’m going to a Carmelite Monastery here in Seattle! (Shoreline, actually) And though I wish I was actually going to be with everyone else tomorrow, I am also pretty excited about this. Check back tomorrow for an update on my Consecration, and share yours if you want! I’ll be thinking about you all for sure. Here’s to a glorious new morning!

I’m still here!

I’ve still been reading along. and thinking a lot. There’s been a lot going on lately and I haven’t really gotten my thoughts together enough to be able to type them in concrete words, but something cool did happen over this past week, so I’m going to try to share. My apologies if it doesn’t make sense. It’s kind of difficult to describe.

 

So, remember a few weeks ago, I was having a difficult time giving up my prayers. I WANT to pray for my DAD. Well, earlier this week I was driving to work, and I have been thinking about it a lot and trying it out, just giving up my prayers to Mary and putting my trust there. I was actually worried, the Consecration is coming soon and I still don’t know if I get this whole concept. Well, I was just letting go, praying to pray and trusting that my prayers would get put to right where they needed to be. And I was stuck in traffic, staring out over a sea of cars.

and then it hit me. So many people.  So many people out there were praying for my Grandpa. And my family. More people than I could count. I could feel it. I don’t know how to describe it, but it was something that I had not considered. I wasn’t thinking ab out it. It just came. Something right there clicked for me.

It brings me back to talking about Heaven and Rae was saying its like something we can’t even imagine. I think that is here too. And sometimes we can see it in little glimpses.

Anyway, thanks all my “friends” out there holding us up in prayer. I know you are there.

Sorry if this didn’t make  a whole lot of sense-but I’m telling you, its a feeling.

How is everyone else doing? Do you feel ready for the Consecration this Wednesday? I have my brown scapular primed! I’ll try and get together my thoughts on Pope John Paul II sometime very soon because I do think he was one of the coolest guys ever, I was just too scatterbrained to type this week. I’m glad I managed just to read along 🙂

Week 3

Hi all! Hope you’re still reading along with me! Sorry I haven’t typed much up lately, it’s kind of a lot to contemplate. But here’s a few thoughts about this Mother Teresa week. First- I cracked up when it talked about the hardships Mother Teresa endured and bad breath was second on the list! Second- and on a more serious note that day especially was my favorite so far. To perform an “examen” at the end of the day, how truly eye-opening. And this can work for everyone: believers, non-believers, murderers (maybe not because there must be a psych component somewhere otherwise WHY would you murder?), anyway, believer or not, sinner, depressed, rich, poor, star athlete, physically ailing… Etc. We could take some time to think about our sins OR how we could have treated people better, how we could have made the world better. And THEN to think about all the many ways our day was special: sunset, sisters, Oreos, love, job with fun co-workers, BEING A US CITIZEN, having heat, being able to cut my hair when I want, dogs, eating popcorn for dinner, 2 legs that can do Zumba… Ohhhhhh I could make this list forever. So many good things in my life if I just take the time to remember them. So I think I’ll start practicing a daily examen too.

And now on to St. Pope John Paul II this week. “Another hand guided the bullet” I think that’s very true. Things are going to shake out in ways we might not expect. Maybe our actions can alter the course. Maybe they can’t. In the meantime I can be a good person and do (1st) what I think is good/just/fair and (2nd) what will make me happy. Then trust that what happens is just that.

One last thing. It’s been talking about how suffering brings us closer to Jesus and I can’t help but think, is this why I am not as close to Jesus as others? I really haven’t suffered much so far in my life. I wouldn’t wish for suffering though, ever. I can’t imagine anyone who would. I’ll take the hand dealt to me and try to deal with it in stride (and hopefully with grace). Still though. I never could imagine wishing to suffer. So let me know your thoughts on this. What have you been thinking about the past week? What are some things you could have done better? What are some of the blessings you have in your life? Do you believe in fate? Lets have a discussion!

week 2

how was the weekend!? Gorgeous summer solstice here! As I’ve said once before, good thing these pages are short and simple-I think one of the days topics was even talking about it being a “fast-track” to holiness. Thank goodness for that! How are you liking Maximilian Kolbe so far? Can you even imagine what it would be like to live in his time? I’ve read so many books lately about WWII and I can’t help but think just how lucky I am to be who I am, live where I live, love who I love, and have what I have. Any thoughts on the Immaculate Conception? I’ve been humming this around work all weekend…

IMMACULATE MARY

Remember going out to the May Day crowning. like a mini church adventure 🙂

Got any other favorite church songs? Did someone say singing is like praying-TWICE? Or did I just make that up in my head because it would be awesome. When Nat and I went to Adoration I didn’t know what to do, so I flipped through the book and sang songs (In my head. still probably out of tune 🙂 haha) Talk about a power hour! 🙂

After Life

What do you think happens next?

Are you scared?

Excited?

Other emotions?

Angel / ghost

(got the image from http://freddyflip-mysteriousearth.blogspot.com/2011/02/angels.html)

Short and INTERESTING (to Kristin) note about prayer :)

Short and INTERESTING (to Kristin) note about prayer 🙂

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Wise Rt. Rev. Baines! (p.s. what does Rt. Rev. mean?)