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Showing posts from February, 2015

All the shattered little pieces

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Sometimes, writing a blog entry is a test in subject matter searching.  Other times, I am repeatedly bashed over the head with an idea until I have no other choice but to sit down, contemplate it, and finally write something semi-cohesive.  This has been a bit more of the latter this week.  I suppose the kickoff point was a simple prayer said by one of the brothers for a meal at the monastery last weekend: "Give bread to those who are hungry, and to those of us who have bread, give hunger for your justice." (or something like that, I've slept since then, it's close enough) This simple prayer rippled through me, and the rest of the room, like a massive tidal wave.  It was over well before the impact truly hit, and I stood a little shocked at its profundity and simplicity.  Since then, the persistence of message has turned toward the concept of brokenness, and I feel they go together quite well. Our faith, our songs, our conversations reference often the concept...

The Girl in the Monastery: An Unexpected Discovery

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After a little over 12 hours in residence up at Holy Cross Monastery, I've discovered something I didn't think I would.  There are many different rules and customs that are quite outside my norms, and I expected to feel constrained to their slower pace and daily regulations.  What I have actually found is a unique sense of freedom.  First let me say that the atmosphere is absolutely beautiful.  I feel like I want to snap a picture every 5 seconds. The View from my room But my worries started when I read the signage posted in my accommodations.  There were signs about the room that spoke to the unwelcomeness of cell phones at all times.  That plus the page that said "The Great Silence begins at 8:30 pm and lasts until 8:30 am" and you can surely count me down as worried.  I'm not someone you'd normally associate with silence.  I live often in the loud and semi-chaos of life with middle, high, and college students and their world.  ...

All my bags AREN'T packed, but I'm ready to go!

I'm sitting here waiting on the laundry to finish so I can finish packing my bag for tomorrow's flight out.  Other than that, I'm about as ready as I'll ever be, I suppose.  I need to get a few things from the store for traveling snacks and I'm praying that my package arrives today so I can use its contents on this trip, but I'll manage okay even if it doesn't show up. I can't believe that something that has felt so slow in coming has actually happened so fast in retrospect.  2 months ago, YASC was not a reality for me.  Now I'm hoping to plan a large portion of my future around it.  I've finished the application, been accepted, formed a discernment committee at my church and had the full 4 meetings completed, and I'm 20+ pounds lighter than when this all started.  Plus I got to oversee a successful sub fundraiser for the youth group and spend a great Tampa holiday with friends (Gasparilla Day is awesome!).  The icing on the proverbial cake...

Understatement: change is difficult (Part 2)

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Once again, I'm woefully late with this.  I'm starting to think I should just never plan to write here again, that way I'll be way ahead of schedule next time I do.  Anyways, it's been a couple weeks since part 1 went on the book, and the meal plan and exercising is going pretty well.  I'm losing weight, but more importantly I feel better.  I have more energy (fewer naps needed) and am more consistently upbeat than before.  Plus, I'm currently winning the competition, so that doesn't suck either. Last post had just barely touched the topic of how the spiritual and physical interact on a personal and body image level.  Let's be honest, American culture sends a lot of really messed up messages to girls and women about themselves.  Whether it's the "damsel in distress" trope or just the photoshop augmented images held up as standards, there's a lot of really crappy stuff thrown our way.  Every single female I've ever known has gone t...