7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 72)

--- 1 ---

By the time you read this, I will be chilling. In a big, big way. My husband and I are visiting my dad in El Paso for a mini-vacation this weekend, and after Stomach Bug Madness 2010 on top of the usual chaos of having four kids under six, it couldn't have come at a better time. I am so unbelievably excited abut it, my mind flashes to the "I'm on a Boat" video every time I think about it...though I suppose it won't be exactly the same, seeing as how El Paso is a landlocked desert city and our main activity is going to be sitting around reading books in the silence of my dad's living room. Nevertheless, it will have that level of fabulousness.

Anyone have any suggestions for where to go to Mass in El Paso? (Also, I tried to look up some of the local folks who left comments to my last post about going to the area but couldn't find contact info. I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten about your kind comments!)

--- 2 ---

I've started reading Jesus-Shock by Peter Kreeft, and it's fantastic. How fantastic? I had just started it on Day 4 of The Stomach Bug O' Doom, when things got really bad. I was up from midnight until 5:00 AM because I was getting sick every ten minutes or so, and in between bouts of illness I'd sit on the bathroom floor next to the toilet and read Jesus-Shock. I was so blown away by the book that at one point I found myself thinking, "This isn't a bad way to spend an evening!"

--- 3 ---

A while back, world-famous programmer Linus Torvalds mentioned on his blog that he was baffled that there were still people out there who believe in demons. It reminded of a part of my faith story that I'd forgotten about: that the Christian explanation of evil was very influential in my conversion. Once I was open to spiritual concepts, the idea of a "Father of Lies" made a lot of sense to me. When I heard about official Church exorcisms, reading accounts like this one from a board-certified psychiatrist and professor of clinical psychiatry at New York Medical College, over and over again it just seemed like there was a real, very powerful force at work there. Now it's hard for me to understand how people could not believe in evil.

--- 4 ---

Speaking of Mr. Torvalds, please tell me that someone else out there thinks it's as funny as I do that he hacked his wife's embroidery machine. (#!/usr/bin/mom, I'm counting on you here!) Back when I was first using the Linux platform, I heard whispers of the famous Linus Torvalds as if he resided in the clouds atop Mt. Olympus; I never dreamed I'd be reading posts about him using his skills to create embroidery designs so that his wife could better put patterns onto his children's Tae-Kwon-Do uniforms! Love it.

--- 5 ---

I've been trying to avoid bringing this up. I have. It's been my experience that people can be very sensitive about this subject; I should discuss something less controversial like health care reform or politics. But I've experienced something so dramatic that I feel like I should put it out there. I'm going to say it quickly and then duck out of the subject before people start grabbing pitchforks and torches. Here it goes:

I used to love coffee very very much and then I started to notice that I was having some pretty intense anxiety / rage issues and I suspected that coffee might play a role because of the way it messes with insulin levels so I gave it up five months ago and my anxiety / rage issues are GONE and a friend who was suffering from nightly panic attacks found that they too are gone after she gave up coffee but I'm not saying that everyone should give up coffee and/or that it's always bad.

Moving on to another take now...

--- 6 ---

If you love making soup, you'll enjoy this article where Austin's "soup peddler" shares five tips to improve your soup (he elaborated more on his blog here). He has a cool story: he was a frustrated career guy who was stuck in an office job, and ended up leaving it to create delicious soups and deliver them to local customers on his bike. He now has thousands of customers and is a local celebrity. You can read the full story here.

--- 7 ---

Monday was an exciting day: our parish had the honor of hosting the installation Mass for Bishop Joe Vasquez (you can read his inspiring story about being the grandson of migrant workers here). With the Governor, Attorney General, lots of bishops, and leaders of other local faith communities in attendance, it was a huge event. I got a chance to watch the media setting up, and was even caught off guard for a quick TV interview. By the time I left, the parking lot was filled with media vehicles and there were police cars all over the place. I watched the Mass itself on the live broadcast at home and it was a beautiful event. Our diocese is very excited about our new bishop!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Below is a Mr. Linky list if you'd like to add a link to your own 7 Quick Takes post. (1) Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your post and not your main blog URL. (2) Include a link back here.

I look forward to reading your posts!

1. CourageousGrace 2. It Feels Like Chaos 3. Amongst Lovely Things 4. Kelly @ The Startup Wife 5. Angie @ Many Little Blessings 6. Saila @ Considering the Lilies 7. carrien (she laughs at the days) 8. Heather Cady 9. Sarah Reinhard 10. Kerrie @ the Forgotten Kitchen 11. Under the Fig Tree 12. DebbieQ @ stop her she's knitting 13. Erin @ Seven Little Australians Plus One 14. michiel@ Landscapes and Portraits 15. Maia@Flowers Round the Cross 16. Pam@mosaicsynapse 17. Mary @ Hope Echoes 18. Elizabeth Mahlou 19. Kathleen@so much to say, so little time 20. Anne Bender 21. Judy 22. Living with Three Hobbits and a Giant 23. Deanna@notlukewarm 24. Sara @ AShowerOfRoses 25. Sherry at Chocolate for Your Brain 26. {just} Lenae 27. Sarah @ This Heavenly Life 28. Emily @ Addlebook Rambles 29. Rose @ Adventures In Savings (first time!) 30. MyLinks@YoungMom

31. Brandi 32. Dawn Farias @ No Heavy Lifting 33. NCSue 34. ~liz@smithical 35. Milehimama (Mama Says) 36. becomewhatyouare 37. Love2learn Mom 38. Chelsea @ Roots & Rings 39. Kristyn@Hall Cottage 40. Janet in Toronto 41. Sarah @ SoJo & Co 42. Darren and Sara Jones 43. Jamie @ A Rough Diamond 44. Jenny 45. Phyllis @ Life on Windy Ridge 46. Tracy@The Secret of Living 47. Elena @MyDomestic Church 48. Amanda @ The Mom Job 49. Sarah @ Fumbling Toward Grace 50. udubalum mama 51. Hanna @ Ontology 52. Ashley Siferd 53. the 832 54. Life from Pippy's Perspective 55. Sarah 56. byzymom 57. Curious Notions 58. Kim@ talklesssaymore 59. A Broader Mark 60. Sarah @ Simple Pleasures

61. Kim @ Love Letter to My Kids 62. Marcy K. at LiveCatholic 63. Lisa (Are We There Yet?) 64. Christine the Soccer Mom 65. Sarah @ Passing for Normal 66. Laura@Life,Faith,Home,School 67. The Praying Mom 68. No Wealth But Life 69. Betty Beguiles 70. Gillian - Life of a Photographer 71. Maggie @ From the Heart 72. Tami @ The Next Step 73. Sheila @ Seasoned Joy 74. Tiffany 75. Deedee @ You get used to it... 76. Marie @ Filling My Family 77. Nicole @ As Many As We're Given 78. Lucy The Valiant 79. Queen of Carrots 80. Esther @ The Mommy Diaries 81. Jen @ The Short Years 82. Jordana @ Curmudgeonry 83. Megan 84. Catholic Mutt 85. Katie 86. Jenny@ Home is where 87. Jill @ Old Skool 88. Amy 89. ThatMarriedCouple 90. Kelly

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7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 71)

--- 1 ---

By last Friday afternoon, I thought we were finished with that stomach bug I mentioned last week. As it turned out, it was just taking a breather to get up some strength before it really showed its stuff. This thing has been epic -- and with three children in diapers, I do mean epic. I feel happy to have just survived this week, and am glad it's almost over!

--- 2 ---

On a positive note, last week a dear friend of my family called me to say that she had the day off from her job cleaning houses, and wanted to spend it...reorganizing my pantry. I tried to put her off, but she was absolutely adamant that she wanted to bless our family in this way. Long story short, she and I worked for almost seven hours in our pantry/laundry room, and we were able to accomplish this:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(Excuse the rough composite shot.) And yes, this is the same friend who once came and cleaned my bathroom because she thought I might need the help. She is truly one of the most selfless, saintly, inspiring people I've ever met.

--- 3 ---

I received some complaints in response to my last quick takes post, saying that my writing of late is self-centered and has degenerated into, as one commenter put it, "pablum about inane things." (Yes, posting pictures of my pantry made me think of that particular remark.) I think there are two reasons for that:

1. I'm only doing "7 Quick Takes" posts during Lent, and that format lends itself more to light notes about daily life than to deep thoughts about weighty subjects.
   
   
2. I'm a self-centered person who likes pablum about inane things.
   

While I expect that my writing will be more directly on the topic of faith when I return to normal posting after Lent, I should warn you: if posts about scorpions, the "poop fates," wild mothers-in-law, Trucknutz™, banana suits and the occasional picture of my pantry aren't your cup of tea, this blog will probably continue to disappoint you.

--- 4 ---

Elizabeth Esther got a great scoop this week: she was able to interview The Raving Theist (formerly The Raving Atheist) about his conversion to Christianity. As far as I know, this is the first time he's publicly offered any details about his conversion, which, as many of you know, sent shockwaves through the atheist and Christian blog worlds alike. Go check it out!

--- 5 ---

Anna Mitchell and I have been doing a a regular series for the Son Rise Morning Show on where we talk about Catholic themes in well-known children's books. It's such a fun topic to talk about. Here's our most recent one if you'd like to have a listen:

--- 6 ---

If you know of any blogs by people entering the Catholic Church this Easter, please let me know. I'd love to stop by their sites and say hello, and I'm also putting together a list for an upcoming project I'm working on.

--- 7 ---

I will be especially grateful this weekend since I'm finally feeling better and we're going to have some warm weather. Enough of these insufferable lows in the 30's! (Just had to throw that out there for you northerners -- sorry if I caused anyone to spit any beverages onto their keyboards.) Hope everyone has a great weekend!

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Below is a Mr. Linky list if you'd like to add a link to your own 7 Quick Takes post. (1) Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your post and not your main blog URL. (2) Include a link back here.

I look forward to reading your posts!

1. Michelle Potter 2. Genny @ MyCup2Yours 3. violingirl 4. Angie @ Many Little Blessings 5. Suz@ One Of Five 6. Elizabeth Mahlou 7. Stephany @ Stephany Writes 8. DebbieQ @ stop her she's knitting 9. michiel@ Landscapes and Portraits 10. Anne Bender 11. Pam@mosaicsynapse 12. Pharmgirl @ Adventures in Pharm Land 13. Sarah Reinhard 14. Mary @ Hope Echoes 15. Judy @ A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings 16. Sheila @ Seasoned Joy 17. Ute @ FlowersRoundTheCross 18. Tami @ The Next Step 19. Becky 20. Kathleen@so much to say, so little time 21. Sarah @ This Heavenly Life 22. Happy Geek 23. Deanna@notlukewarm 24. Nadja@ Patch O' Dirt Farm 25. Kim@ talklesssaymore 26. Living with Three Hobbits and a Giant 27. MommyMonkey

28. Sara @ AShowerOfRoses 29. Janet in Toronto 30. Nichole @ 40 days of 31. Questions@YoungMom 32. Chelsea @ Roots & RIngs 33. Rose @ Adventures In Savings 34. Dakotapam 35. linda 36. Darren and Sara Jones 37. Milehimama (Mama Says) 38. Chelsey @ The Crouch Family 39. ThatMarriedCouple - My Titus 2 Women 40. Patty @ St. Monica's Tears 41. Under the Fig Tree 42. Laurie @ redolent remarks 43. Marie @ Filling My Family 44. Emily 45. Jamie @ A Rough Diamond 46. Shredded Cheddar 47. Barbara C.@Box of Chocolates 48. NCSue 49. Clare 50. Salome Ellen 51. Phyllis @ Life on Windy Ridge 52. annies home - 53. Sarah @ Fumbling Toward Grace 54. The Praying Mom

55. Jessica @ Church Year (CSA basket & Lent) 56. Sarah @ Passing for Normal 57. Tracy@The Secret of Living 58. Alice 59. Just a Minute 60. Mama Fuss 61. Melissa Wiley 62. A Broader Mark 63. Maggie @ From the Heart 64. majellamom 65. Jen @ Almost Domestic Mama 66. Erin @ Sky Blue Pink Roses 67. Missus Wookie 68. Marcy K. at LiveCatholic 69. Julie 70. Christina@Mrs. Broccoli Guy 71. Mrs. Bubbles 72. Emily@MySongofJoy 73. Amanda @ Teasingly Diverse 74. Christian H @ The Thinking Grounds 75. Katie 76. Jenny@ Home is where 77. Sherry at Chocolate for Your Brain! 78. deana 79. Training Happy Hearts (Acronyms etc for Home Learning) 80. Martianne @ Wonder and Will 81. Gillian - Life of a Photographer

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7 Quick Takes Friday

Just as I sat down to write my 7 Quick Takes post for this week, I was alerted to the fact that a stomach bug has hit our house. (I'll leave it to your imagination as to what exactly the data points were there. Let's just say that both the washer and dryer are running as I type this.)

Needless to say, I won't be able to put together my post today, but I encourage you to take a moment to check out some of the links to others' posts below! I always have a great time reading through the list of links each week. Also, I know it would be much appreciated if you left a comment if you find a post you particularly like.

I hope everyone has a great (and stomach-bug-free) weekend!

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Below is a Mr. Linky list if you'd like to add a link to your own 7 Quick Takes post. (1) Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your post and not your main blog URL. (2) Include a link back here.

I look forward to reading your posts!

1. Angie @ Many Little Blessings 2. violingirl 3. Kerrie @ The Forgotten Kitchen 4. Missus Wookie 5. Maia@Flowers Round the Cross 6. DebbieQ @ stop her she's knitting 7. Erin @ Seven Little Australians Plus One 8. Katherine @ The Domestic Church 9. ~liz@smithical 10. Mary @ Hope Echoes 11. Anne Bender 12. Kathleen@so much to say, so little time 13. Tami @ The Next Step 14. Emily J 15. Christine the Soccer Mom 16. Love2learn Mom 17. TwoSquareMeals 18. Julie at Elisharose 19. Pam@mosaicsynapse 20. Rose @ Adventures In Savings 21. Just a Minute 22. Sarah @ This Heavenly Life 23. Sheila @ Seasoned Joy 24. Nadja@ Patch O' Dirt Farm 25. Living with Three Hobbits and a Giant 26. Rachel @ Testosterhome 27. Marcy K. at LiveCatholic

28. Bored@Young Mom 29. Mrs Bubbles 30. MommyMonkey @ Mommy Business 31. Laurie @ redolent remarks 32. Under the Fig Tree 33. The Praying Mom 34. majellamom 35. Leslie@readyornot 36. Chelsea @ Roots & RIngs 37. Barbara C.@ Box of Chocolates 38. Anne 39. Sarah @ Fumbling Toward Grace 40. Laughing Lioness 41. Milehimama (Mama Says) 42. Jamie @ A Rough Diamond 43. Heather of the EO 44. Patty @ St. Monica's Tears 45. Dorian Speed @ Scrutinies 46. Ashley Siferd 47. Jamie 48. Laura @ Life, Faith, Home, School 49. MirandaM from KS 50. Pippy 51. Thou Art Jules 52. Judy @ A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings 53. Gill - Life of a Photographer 54. Angie @ abeachylife

55. Kim @ Love Letter to my Kids 56. Esther @ The Mommy Diaries 57. Sherry at Chocolate for Your Brain 58. Phyllis @ Life on Windy Ridge 59. ThatMarriedCouple 60. Lisa (Are We There Yet?) 61. Amanda@Casa Sosegado 62. Miriel @ seeking Solomon 63. Hanna @ Ontology 64. Carly @ The Tree 65. ChrisV 66. Tina @ Pecan Corner 67. Emily @ Addlebook Rambles 68. Clare @ Oceans and Mountains 69. NCSue 70. Jenny@Home is where 71. rachieannie @ Montana Missionary 72. Christian H @ The Thinking Grounds 73. Wonder and Will (seeking breakfast crock recipes amont other things) 74. Jen H @ Almost Domestic Mama 75. Training Happy Hearts (Lent with Little Ones) 76. Elizabeth Mahlou 77. Suz@ One Of Five 78. Sarah 79. Jillian @ Welcome To Jillville! 80. Rachel

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7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 70)

--- 1 ---

Every mom should watch this (men may want to skip to take #2):



It's a talk by author Katrina Kenison, reading from her book The Gift of an Ordinary Day. Not only did I like the talk, but I think it's a very well done trailer. It definitely made me want to read the book.

--- 2 ---

As much as I enjoyed Mrs. Kenison's video, I couldn't help but ask: "Where's the banana suit?"

--- 3 ---

By the way: I deserve an Academy Award for that one. On the surface my little 25-second talk might not seem impressive, but when you consider that I was delivering it WHILE LOOKING DIRECTLY AT SOMEONE WEARING A BANANA SUIT, it gets pretty amazing. And, yes, we do own it. When my husband said he thought it would be cool to have one, I asked, "But where would you wear it?!" He replied, "Where wouldn't I wear it?"

--- 4 ---

I assure you that there is a lot -- LOT -- more that I could say on this topic (for example, the fact that people who commented to suggest that I make it a running theme endeared themselves to me forever; some might say that a stunt like that could get old, but the truly wise among us understand that the goodness of the banana suit knows no bounds). But since it's Lent I'm trying to have no more than three banana-suit-related takes per post.

--- 5 ---

I finally watched the Oprah episode with the Dominican Sisters of Mary. I thought they did a fantastic job. Also, I realized that these sisters are from the same order as the nuns I met the day I was mysteriously locked out of the Adoration chapel (they have an Austin house). If you missed the show, you can watch clips here.

--- 6 ---

Someone asked me if any of the sisters I met were on the show. I hemmed and hawed, trying to avoid saying that I probably wouldn't know because I am really bad with faces. Really, really bad. And especially that the sisters' hair isn't visible, I'm just toast.

It's so bad that I had a guy confront me about it one time. I introduced myself to him, and when I extended my hand for a handshake, he recoiled and said, "Dude! This is the THIRD time we've met!" It also makes me an annoying person to watch movies with, because I'm always asking stuff like, "Wait...is that the guy who the heroine is in love with...or is that her brother?" Please tell me I'm not the only one with this problem.

--- 7 ---

I think I've looked through this Flickr photo stream about a thousand times. It's pictures from a family of three who live in a 382-square-foot house. I love all the little notes on each photo that explain how they make it work (e.g. putting cushions on top of the coffee table so that it can double as seating).

This picture is my favorite. It's a shot of the plastic folding table they use for dining space. The caption reads: "When we moved here, we made the commitment to entertain and bless others...despite the small space. Hospitality is FUN!" They live in a tiny space and are committed to hospitality? Show me your ways, sensei. (Thanks to Owlhaven for the link.)

UPDATE: Serena informed me that they're now a family of four living in an RV, and blogging about it here.

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Below is a Mr. Linky list if you'd like to add a link to your own 7 Quick Takes post. (1) Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your post and not your main blog URL. (2) Include a link back here.

I look forward to reading your posts!

1. Angie @ Many Little Blessings 2. It Feels Like Chaos 3. Heather Cady 4. violingirl 5. Disastrous Housewife 6. Elizabeth Mahlou 7. DebbieQ @ stop her she's knitting 8. Erin @ Seven Little Australians Plus One 9. Jen @ What Really Matters 10. Mary @ Hope Echoes 11. Anne Bender 12. michiel@ Landscapes and Portraits 13. Jaime @ Under the Fig Tree 14. Scarlett 15. Carol's Corner 16. Rose @ Adventures In Savings 17. Mrs. Bubbles 18. Sarah @ This Heavenly Life 19. Tami @ The Next Step 20. Kathleen@so much to say, so little time 21. MommyMonkey 22. NCSue 23. Christine the Soccer Mom 24. Julie at Elisharose 25. Nadja@ Patch O' Dirt Farm 26. Chelsea @ Roots & Rings

27. Trena @ The THird Prayer 28. Kirsten 29. becomewhatyouare 30. Genny @ MyCup2Yours 31. Tracy@The Secret of Living 32. Holly @ Hollison Journey 33. Sarah @ SoJo & Co 34. Patty @ St. Monica's Tears 35. Jennifer 36. Sarah @ Simple Pleasures 37. Laura @ Life,Faith,Home,School 38. Kim @talklesssaymore 39. Sarah @ Passing for Normal 40. Nichole 41. Barbara C.@ Box of Chocolates 42. Nicole 43. Rachel 44. Lisa @ Dear Mary 45. Ute @ FlowersRoundTheCross 46. Just a Minute 47. Papua Girl in Dallas 48. Julie 49. Emily @ Addlebook Rambles 50. Christina@Mrs. Broccoli Guy 51. Kim @ Love Letter to my Kids 52. Janet in Toronto

53. Lynsey @ Sassy&Southern 54. Rachel @ Young Catholic Mom 55. Curious Notions 56. Jenny @ Conscientious Confusion 57. Erika @effulgence 58. Julia@ Blessed Obscurity 59. Salome Ellen 60. Elena @MyDomestic Church 61. Judy @ A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings 62. Phyllis @ Life on Windy Ridge 63. rachieannie @ Montana Missionary 64. Jen @ The Short Years 65. Ms. Michalek 66. KC 67. Nili 68. Jenny@Home is where 69. Lindsey @ Love is Triune 70. Jordana @ Curmudgeonry 71. Catherine @ Adventures in Domesticity 72. Sarah Reinhard 73. Bonnie the newlywed 74. Gillian - Life of a Photographer 75. Jill @ Old Skool 76. Sherry of Chocolate for Your Brain!

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My plans for Lent

The main point of this post is just to make this announcement:

I will only be doing 7 Quick Takes Friday posts during Lent. I'll resume regular posting after Easter (April 4).

If you have any interest in the backstory, here it is:

One lesson I learned earlier this year was the importance of discerning the difference between the life changes you want to make vs. the changes you feel called to make. I was reminded of that lesson around January 5th, when I had already dropped the ball on pretty much every New Year's resolution I'd made. I was left scratching my head, wondering why this year was such an epic fail when I'd actually had a lot of success in the New Year's resolutions department in the past few years. Then I realized: I'd made a list of what I wanted to do, and spent little to no time discerning what God wanted me to do.

Last week, I caught myself making that same mistake when I thought about Lent.

I kept thinking about what sacrifices I felt like I should make, or what things would be nice to do, all without putting so much as ten seconds of focused prayer into it. When I actually carved out some time for silence to try to discern what I was led to do during Lent, I had an entirely different vision of what the next 40 days should look like for me.

Interestingly, through prayer I discerned that I should sacrifice less than I'd been planning to. I was left with a much more calm resolution to give up a couple of small things rather than an anxious, overzealous drive to become St. Clare by Friday.

I'm planning to give up a food item, set limits on my recreational internet use time, and increase my prayer time. I'll finish the fantastic Severe Mercy soon and bought Peter Kreeft's Jesus-Shock on a whim as my main Lenten reading.

The other thing I feel "called" to do (to use the term loosely) is to put some serious thought, prayer and effort into the book. I hesitate to say that because I don't want it to sound like a "GOD TOLD ME TO WRITE THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT'S SOOOOOO IMPORTANT" kind of statement. I just have a feeling that this Lent is going to be a time of great inspiration in that department, and I think I should take a little time to give it some intense focus.

That means, as you can guess from the beginning of the post, that I'll need to spend less time doing other things I love, like blogging. I will still do Quick Takes since those posts are so fun and easy to write, but I won't be writing regular posts. It's a little painful since I enjoy writing posts so much, but I think it's the right thing to do.

Blessed Ash Wednesday!

Recommended reading for Lent (and other Lent stuff)

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday! I wanted to share my usual book recommendations for Lent and hear about what you guys are going to be reading.

Also, based on some emails I've been getting with questions about Lent, I wanted to say: If you're considering observing Lent but aren't familiar with it, I strongly encourage you to go ahead and do so! If you're not sure where to start, just give up some small thing that you like (e.g. listening to the radio on the way to work, sugar in your coffee, a certain TV show, etc.) and try to do a little more praying. You can find out more here at Marcel LeJueune's excellent "All About Lent" post.

I first observed Lent a few years ago, before I was Catholic or Christian -- in fact, I wasn't even sure I believed in God! -- and it was a very transforming experience. I hadn't read up on any of the theology behind it. I just heard people on Catholic radio talking about how they were giving something up, so I decided to give up something too (a food item I enjoyed). The impact of that tiny "fast," along with trying to read more spiritual books, ended up leading to more spiritual growth than I could have imagined.

Anyway, without further ado, here is my recommended reading list:


He Leadeth Me by Walter Ciszek

This stunning autobiographical account of Fr. Ciszek's wrongful imprisonment in Russia is one of the most life-changing books I've ever read. I read it more than a year ago and yet I still find myself thinking about it almost daily.

What was most surprising to me was how applicable the lessons he learned are to modern American life. His insights about everything from suffering to discerning God's will to trusting God in all things -- which he learned the hard way during five years of brutal solitary confinement and fifteen years in a Siberian death camp -- are amazingly inspiring, whether you're experiencing great suffering or just feeling numbed by the daily grind. I particularly loved his thoughts on how to maintain a lively spiritual life even when life feels mundane or boring. I highly, highly recommend this book.

Posts that were inspired by this book:

• The finger of God is here
• Living God's will: Do all situations come from God?
• Would you kids be quiet?! I'm trying to seek God's will here!
• Building a house of cards
  

Journey to Easter by Pope Benedict XVI

Based on a Lenten retreat he gave for John Paul II in the 1980's (hosting a retreat to help John Paul II grow in faith -- how's that for pressure?!), Pope Benedict XVI walks us through a series of meditations based on Scripture readings for Lent. I admit that there were two or three chapters that were just way over my head, but the rest of the book offered powerful insights on everything from prayer to the Paschal mystery to conversion to the Church. I find myself going back to this book over and over again for inspiration. An excellent read for Lent.

Posts that were inspired by this book:

• Closing my eyes
  
• Having it all in prayer
• The desert experience

Introduction to the Devout Life by Francis de Sales

When I first read the 17th century classic Introduction to the Devout Life, I didn't feel like I got that much out of it. When I reached the last chapter I felt like I'd enjoyed reading it but couldn't point to anything specific I'd taken away from it. Then I picked it up off my desk one day and, as I flipped through and re-read the various passages I'd starred and highlighted, I realized just how much I really had taken away from this book.

Now that I've gone through it again, I count it among the best books I've ever read. It's the ultimate how-to manual for conforming yourself to Christ. Also, perhaps because the books is based on de Sales' letters of spiritual direction to his sister and other women who wanted to grow in faith, I find that his advice perfectly fits the things I struggle with on a day to day basis as a wife and mother. Just know that you may have to read it more than once to have the lessons really sink in.

Also, you can download it to your iPhone here (thanks to Melanie for that tip!)

Posts that were inspired by this book:

• If only!
• Temper control
• Anger, anxiety and trusting God
• We're always victorious as long as we're willing to fight
  

Finding God's Will for You by Francis de Sales

How do we know what God wants us to do? Should we try to discern God's will even for little decisions like what to eat for dinner? What if we pray and it seems like God is telling us nothing at all? These were the questions I had when I decided to get a copy of this book. I found good answers to those questions and a whole lot more: the book has lots of practical advice for daily living that you can start applying to your life right now. It's also a little bit less dense and more readable than Introduction to the Devout Life.

Posts that were inspired by this book:

• Keeping the big picture in mind
• Planning to do great things for God

What are your recommendations for good Lenten reads?

"Ignore them like you ignore me"

I'm terrible about trash talking. I seem to have some sort of gene that makes me want to criticize everything all the time. Especially in my pre-conversion life, you could tell that I was criticizing something if my lips were moving. Though I didn't typically turn my judgment to people I knew personally, everything else was fair game. Flipping channels on TV, reading celebrity magazines, sometimes even walking down the street were all prime occasions for running my mouth about who was doing what wrong. I had such a zeal for it that I even managed to monetize it: when I started a site where I criticized pop culture, it got a ton of traffic and is still the most popular website I've ever had.

Before I became a Christian, I didn't even see anything all that wrong with it. Sure, I could have been a little more positive, the thinking went. But as long as I wasn't running down people I knew personally, it wasn't all that bad, right?

Since my conversion, I've come to see just how wrongheaded that kind of mentality is. Not that Christians can't ever express disapproval or throw around a little snark, but the more I experience God's love and draw inspiration from the examples of the great saints, the more I see how nasty and spiritually unhealthy a disposition of constant criticism really is.

And yet changing it has not been that easy.

I tried to take practical measures to change my ways, I prayed and asked God for his grace, I did my best to dial down my trash talking ways, but I saw little improvement. It was such a deeply-ingrained habit! (I recall that even back in the third grade, my home room teacher noted to my parents on a progress report, "She's very critical.")

One afternoon at the end of last year I found myself praying about it for the umpteenth time in Adoration. I figured it was going to be yet another occasion of me complaining about my tendency to complain without getting anywhere, but, out of the blue, I got what seemed to be a very clear answer*.

"What am I supposed to do?" I'd been whine-praying in God's general direction. "Stuff annoys me. It just does. To ask me to ignore something that I think is stupid or wrong or whatever would be like asking me to ignore a train wreck. I can't do it!"

I was really getting on a roll with this train of thought, when an answer interrupted my mental ramblings like a thunderclap. The phrase popped into mind:

Ignore them like you ignore me.

As soon as I "heard" it, I sat back in my chair. It took me a moment to think through what it meant, but when I did, I was stunned by what I perfect answer it was.

Is it so true that I just can't ignore things? When you look at my cooperation with the Holy Spirit in my life -- or lack thereof -- it becomes pretty clear that I'm an "ignoring things" pro. Sure, it takes some work, but I manage to block out God's voice in my life all the time. Especially thinking back to phases where I've felt apathetic about my spiritual life, I see that I actually have an intricate system that helps me ignore the things I don't really want to think about. When it comes to God, it goes something like this:

• First, make sure you surround yourself with distractions that make it hard to hear the voice of God.
  
  
• Avoid any obvious opportunities that you might accidentally let the Holy Spirit convict you about something, such as daily Mass or focused prayer times.
  
  
• If it's unavoidable and the Holy Spirit does slip a word in edgewise, rationalize your way out of it. Ask for 10 different forms of confirmation before you can follow through, pretend you didn't hear the message correctly, tell yourself you must have misunderstood, convince yourself that it wasn't a message meant for you. If all else fails, go back to step one and drown yourself in distractions until you forget about it.
  

And so on. But when I flipped these techniques around, it occurred to me that I actually had quite an elaborate toolset at my disposal for learning how to ignore all the little annoyances of daily life.

Lent starts Wednesday, and I think that one of the things I'm going to focus on the most during this season of penance is carefully noticing which messages I choose to hear...and which messages I choose to ignore.


RELATED

• My post about God being ignorable refers to this same day in Adoration
• C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters and Fr. Dwight Longnecker's new book The Gargoyle Code both offer inspiration based on looking at spiritual growth from the opposite perspective
  

* Lest it seem like I'm constantly getting very clear, direct answer to my prayers, I assure you that that is not the case! It's just that the few times it has happened have been powerful enough to be worth writing about.

My first video

I've had an increasing number of requests lately to address some topics by speaking, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Here's my first stab at a video:

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 69)

--- 1 ---

Discussions about the weather with friends up north this week have led me to see that there is a need for a Cold Unfairness Index. Whenever I grouse about having to go out in rainy, 33-degree weather, they throw down with stories of blizzards, ice-covered sidewalks and highs in the 20's. It always seems like they handily win the woe-is-me weather contest, but I keep sensing that there is something unjust about the scale.

It finally occurred to me: there needs to be some sort of winter weather index that takes into account the number of stinging bugs one has to deal with in the summer. For example, you get to drop five degrees for every scorpion sighting in your house, two degrees for every scorpion encountered outside your house, one degree for every wasp's nest by your front door, etc. (And it automatically goes to zero Kelvin if you were actually stung by a scorpion. You just win. Nobody should have to deal with scorpion stings and weather below 40 degrees.)

--- 2 ---

A couple weeks ago my husband and I went to the coolest restaurant:


It's called Ronnie's Real Food, and eating there is a cross between dining in a restaurant and a cozy living room. The owner was an accountant who wanted to open a restaurant but didn't want all the hassle, so he bought a house, set out some tables and started taking reservations. Each night he only offers a couple choices for entrees, you bring your own beer or wine, and it's a fixed price: $25 per person including tax and tip.



The homey atmosphere, fresh, local food and personal touch made the dining experience one of my favorites ever. If you're in Austin you have to check it out!

--- 3 ---

Speaking of food, here's a tip for getting kids to get more variety in their diets: incorporate new or non-favorite foods into a "taco night." For example, when I make beef stew my kids balk at the onions and mushrooms, and they don't like the soupy texture. So I put drained meat and carrots on their plates, then set out little cups of sour cream and shredded cheese. I give them each a tortilla to combine it all into a taco, and they eat it like crazy. This works for all sorts of different food. You'd be amazed at the different kinds of "tacos" we make around here.

--- 4 ---

From the "I can't believe this works" files, another tip: I've had great success in getting my three oldest children (ages five, three and two) to help me clean up at the end of each day by playing special music. Instead of setting a timer, I put on our two clean-up songs. It took a couple weeks to enforce the concept that they need to be cleaning while those songs are on (they get some treat afterwards in proportion to how hard they worked), but I'm telling you, it's like they're robots now. They'll be standing around, whining, saying they don't want to help straighten the living room, then I put on the music, and it's as if their bodies start moving in cleaning motions without them willing it. It's amazing.

(If anyone's interested, our clean-up songs are 2-Minute Clean Up by Andy Dodge and Clean My Room by the Imagination Movers. Someone without young kids might find these songs grating, but they're like freaking Tchaikovsky to my ears because I associate them with having my living room cleaned for free and not by me.)

--- 5 ---

Has anyone tried one of these Presto things? I love the idea: it's a printer that prints emails for people who don't own computers (a more thorough explanation here). We're thinking about getting one for my 95-year-old grandfather. Anyone have any good/bad experiences with it?

--- 6 ---

I just remembered that this weekend is Valentine's Day. That holiday never makes it on my radar. It's not that I dislike it; I think my subconscious just has this tendency to block out non-essential holidays that require planning, creativity or domestic adeptness as a way to avoid epic failures on my part. My husband and I have half-jokingly talked about setting St. Claude la Colombiere day as our romantic holiday -- there'd be less pressure to do anything elaborate, and since it's the day after Valentine's Day it'd be easy to get cards and flowers on discount. (This is why nobody asks me to write homemaking advice columns.)

Anyway, I like to live vicariously through people who do cool stuff for Valentine's Day, though. Anyone have any cool plans?

--- 7 ---

Tomorrow I'm excited to be going to the Darwins' annual blogging meetup, where we'll be joined by Melanie Bettinelli, Dom Bettinelli, Literacy-Chic, Christopher of Sanctus Christopher and a few other friends who don't currently have blogs. (I apologize if I'm forgetting anyone!) Should be a great time, as always.

--------------------

Below is a Mr. Linky list if you'd like to add a link to your own 7 Quick Takes post. (1) Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your post and not your main blog URL. (2) Include a link back here.

I look forward to reading your posts!

1. violingirl 2. It Feels Like Chaos 3. Kathy @ The Political Housewyf 4. Dawn Farias @ No Heavy Lifting 5. Angie @ Many Little Blessings 6. Missus Wookie 7. Kerrie @ the Forgotten Kitchen 8. Suz@ One Of Five 9. DebbieQ @ stop her shes knitting 10. Mary@ Hope Echoes 11. Kathleen@so much to say, so little time 12. Jaime @ UnderTheFigTree 13. Tami @ The Next Step 14. Living with Three Hobbits and A Giant 15. Disastrous Housewife 16. Marcy K. 17. Shelly @ Life on the Wild Side 18. MommyMonkey 19. Emily in NC 20. Just a Minute 21. Julie 22. ThatMarriedCouple 23. Joy@ joy in the morning 24. KC 25. TwoSquareMeals 26. Mary @ Passionate Perseverance 27. Laughing Lioness 28. Sarah @ This Heavenly Life 29. ~liz@smithical 30. Aimee@ The Mother Load

31. Julie at Elisharose 32. Chelsea @ Roots & Rings 33. Nadja@ Patch O' Dirt Farm 34. Elena @MyDomestic Church 35. Elizabeth Mahlou 36. Dianna 37. Rose @ Adventures in Savings (Snow in Mississippi & Pooh Bear) 38. Layla @ ND Law Wife 39. Judy @ A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings 40. Milehimama (Mama Says) 41. Sarah @ Fumbling Toward Grace 42. Katherine @ The Domestic Church 43. Jordana @ Curmudgeonry 44. Gillian - Life of a Photographer 45. Jenny@Lest I Forget 46. Holly @ Hollison Journey 47. Kim@StarrySkyRanch 48. Jamie 49. kim@ Courageous O'Connor's 50. Transitus Tiber 51. majellamom 52. Maggie @ From the Heart 53. Martianne @ Wonder and Will 54. Sara @ AShowerOfRoses 55. Training Happy Hearts (Homeschool Parents, Help Me!) 56. Jamie @ A Rough Diamond 57. Rachel@Testosterhome 58. Ranee @ Arabian Knits 59. The Praying Mom 60. Mrs. Bubbles

61. Rachel 62. Margaret in Minnesota 63. Julia@ Blessed Obscurity 64. Jackie - what's love got to do with it 65. Aubrey @ Laughing All the Way 66. Maggie 67. Janet in Toronto 68. Emily 69. Miriel @ seeking Solomon 70. Maia@Flowers Round the Cross 71. Esther @ The Mommy Diaries 72. Christina@Mrs. Broccoli Guy 73. Emily@MySongofJoy 74. Rachel 75. Salome Ellen 76. rachieannie @ Montana Missionary 77. Emily J 78. NCSue 79. Laurie@Montag Candle 80. Monica @ And I'll Raise You 5 81. Christian H @ The Thinking Grounds 82. Lucy The Valiant 83. Grace @ Our Field of Little Flowers 84. Dorian Speed @ Scrutinies 85. Christine @ Good Company 86. michiel@ Landscapes and Portraits 87. Beth 88. Jenny-Home is where.. 89. Sharon

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