7 Quick Takes vol. 1

1.

I went to midday mass today. Partly to receive our Lord in the most holy sacrament of the altar. Mostly because I needed photos of the church for a history assignment. 

I hang my head in shame at that ordering of priorities.

At least my history is FINISHED!!! 30 sources worth of gathering, highlighting, annotating, evaluating and organising into a way-too-massive clear file is never great for the brain.

2.

I think it's safe to say I have an addiction to Catholic mommy blogs. I follow about eight of them. They're my guilty pleasure.

 Is that an issue? I read something the other day that says mommy blogs are like vocational material for the married life. So really I'm journeying towards sanctification by looking at the adorable toddler pictures!! (or am I overjustifying my vices?)

3.

It's been a somewhat holy week! Last weekend I was at Rimbrook for a retreat and WYD prep, and tomorrow morning, bright and early, I leave for another retreat at Tyburn monastery with my BFF Niamh, her sister Aine and Karen.

Now, if only I could start being holy in my everyday life. Maybe that St Josemaria was onto something....

4.

I've reread this insightful post on the moral imagination a few times now, and it's really caused me to rethink a lot of what I read.

"Bad reading not only wastes time; not only does it fail in its vaunted objective, to make you 'well-rounded,' whatever that twinkie image is supposed to mean; bad reading makes you stupid. Assuming that if you are not reading, you must be doing something, anything, bad reading at least steals away time you might spend planing a board or walking down by the river to search for turtles; at worst, it inoculates you against good reading."

I haven't had much time for fiction reading lately (okay, that's not true, I've had heaps of time, but I've spent it else-wise), but I think it's time to re-evaluate what fiction I DO read.

When I was younger I was an absolute compulsive reader. It's something to do with my love of words, I'm sure. I would read anything and everything (unless it was about war, spaceships or dinosaurs. Those were boy things and had cooties) I could get my hands on. I'm pretty sure my moral imagination has been twisted by a lot of the complete trash I've taken in. Yes, I've read beautiful, wholesome stories like Jane Eyre. I've also read Twilight, the Princess Diaries and a multitude of other rubbishy teen novels which have distorted my views of love, goodness and beauty, I'm sure.

I'm worried. You can't forget what you've read.

5.

I can't wait for June/July. SO many grown-up friends are expecting babies around then. The world will be full of new life and butterflies and rainbows and singing!!!

Also- RIO!!!!! 64 days to go until I fly out of Auckland. It's going to be amazing. 

6.

I'm worried about how vain I'm becoming. "Words of affirmation" is a big one for me with love languages, and I think I've been praised a bit too much lately. All the lauds and accolades for the show and for my schoolwork lately have given me a rather large head. I caught myself singing "Practically Perfect" from Mary Poppins today.

I know none of it is my own- it's all Jesus' work and glory- but I can't helped getting concerned with my own blase acceptance of compliments. Pray for me.

7.

I love beautiful things. 

I know that seems like a cop-out for number seven, especially as I've said it a zillion-and-one times before on here, but it never ceases to be true.

As a woman, it is my nature and my duty to appreciate, cultivate and nurture beauty in this world. Whether that is wearing the soft pink floaty dress ( which, by the way was a $5 opshop bargain- fashion need not break the bank, ladies ), walking the long way home to take photos of the autumn leaves, learning a new waltz on the piano or simply sitting back to watch a beautiful sunset, I firmly believe that by acknowledging beautiful things for what they are, and delighting in them, we are appreciating the God who makes all things beautiful.

AMDG

P.S. I discovered how to link things today!! Aren't you proud? I think I may have overlinked this post though. Oh well. 

Linking up to something for the very first time!!! Maybe I'm become a REAL blogger. (and maybe this will make me write more often!)