Basics

Back to blogging basics for me. The reason I began blogging a year and a half ago was because I needed a creative outlet in my life. I lost sight of that somewhere along the way and I let it translate to "burden" in my head. I'm going back to basics because I need to keep creativity in my life.

The burden came when I kept trying to analyze my life for my blog instead of ... uh, living.

My eyes were too big for my stomach

Acceptable basics: God, family, food, water, shelter.

God

This weekend God made Himself clear through a whispering wind. My (not-feeling-well-because-this-year's-cold/flu-is-a-beeyatch-and-sticks-around-for-three-weeks) beau and I spent an entire day doing NOTHING like a pair of 5-year-olds.

Sloth-y squirrel

Sloth? Maybe, but we also shook off all of the poop that we allow our daily lives to accumulate. We prayed, we napped, we watched TV shows we haven't seen since the 90s, consequently giggled and shook our heads at 90s humor (Did I do that?), and READ BOOKS. It was a much-needed, extremely lazy Saturday. God helped us get our individual inner-children back into the picture.

Family

I spent Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday with my wonderful family at the beach. Hmmm maybe I didn't really need a lazy Saturday, after all. We goofed around, pretended we were all younger again, and walked on the beach. It was another back-to-basics weekend and perfectly timed to help me focus on God's great sacrifice and Jesus' resurrection.

My dad is always the photographer. YTBDITWWW

Food

During our lazy Saturday, my beau and I made THE MOST DELICIOUS lasagna that has ever existed. God had something to do with that, as well.

Mid-construction. Those are lasagna genius hands.

Email me, I'll send you a piece.

Water

Christ in the Eucharist is the Lamb of God. Food that prevents us from hungering for eternity. His blood is the drink that saves us and quenches our thirst forever. Music, sometimes, can be like water for our soul, relieving a spiritual dry spell or a least cutting a path to God so that He may work in us. One of my very talented (I have two of 'em) sisters is a fantastic singer. She gives me chills and when I hear her, I'm transported back to a time when I would watch her determined face grab her way across the monkey bars, four feet off the ground, swinging her three foot body with every successful move forward.

This Sunday, I was the proud sister again as she quenched a Mass-full of worshipers with her beautiful voice as a cantor. I'm so grateful to God for giving her a talent that will always be a witness for others.

Shelter

Much of the time, I prefer being outside to being just about anywhere. Not all of the time. I'm not Annie Oakley, but I do love a good hike and some serotonin. 

I had to bring in some nature to calm me in my room/office. Also, some Jesus.

So, in honor of our actual anniversary (instead of the monthaversaries we've been celebrating), my beau and I will be enjoying a hike this week! I hope the weather cooperates by raining down like Niagra the day before our hike so the pollen loses this battle.

Give me this view, anyday

Souls in a storm

I'll hang on to my excuses over my missing Bright Maidens post and my absence for now.... several months ago Michelle from Catholic Unveiled asked me to help her fill some space on her blog while she served others with her big heart in Mexico. Here is my contribution that she published today:

On December 22, 2010, I woke up to one of the worst phone calls that I have ever received.On April 10 of this year I woke up feeling like someone was tugging on my throat and swinging from it like it tolled the bell in a tower. I knew she had left us.

I’ve become very familiar with funerals, the abundance of food, and handshakes over the last nine months. My great aunt died unexpectedly in November (four days before Thanksgiving), my maternal grandfather died a month later (three days before Christmas), and my paternal grandmother died a week before Palm Sunday.

An additional handful of friends and family have died since last November, placing me and my family in nine funeral Masses during the last nine months.

Someone who has to repeat outfits at the funeral home cannot easily avoid the big questions about what he or she believes about souls and life after Earth. Our logical, rational mind can get bogged down for the quest for answers to this question.

Logic and rationale are beautiful gifts of the mind; they are often helpful and the means by which we discover Truth. However, we can’t forget to think about where the rubber meets the road, especially when this vehicle is carrying a full load of grief and fear.

We are the Church, members of the Communion of Saints. When Christ conquered death and resurrected, He unified the Church beyond the weakened lines of Earthly death.

The readings for August 7 highlighted this bond and exemplifies the attendance of God in every part of our lives.

In moments of weakness, I catch myself assuming that God was only truly present with the prophets, among the Apostles, and the first disciples. Elijah had a direct telephone line to God, Moses saw Him several times, the Twelve followed Him around for three years, and then saw Him in the Upper Room after His death.

Of course they believed, I rant, their faith grew daily in His strong, factual presence.

We don’t get that luxury, I think in my self-pitying mindset. We just have to believe God cares enough to pull us out of the storm when we fall below the water’s surface.

“A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD— but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire— but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.” -1 Kings 19:11-13

God came to Elijah in the calm.

Read more....

7 Quick Takes Friday, Volume 29

Click here to read the original post at ConversionDiary.com

*1*

This was one of those weeks I was grateful to work from home. I spent most of Sunday on the beach and took my daily lunch breaks in the sand and sun.

At 3pm, the sun showed itself in a patch on the back porch just big enough for me and my wi-fi connected computer.

Oh yeah, and the sun set in our backyard. Life is good.

*2*

These kids that I'm "chaperoning" are so impressive. Most of them are a part of the Catholic student group at school.

A group went to daily Mass everyday and because of the thirty-minute drive time, this meant they had to leave at 8:30am during their beach week. We prayed meal time prayers and the rosary together at night. They were respectful with each other and I witnessed zero drama.

Impressive.

*3*

Impressive at eating peanut butter, as well.

 

 

This picture doesn't do the size justice.

*4*

Someone arrived on my blog this week searching: "parishioner grab Eucharist from non catholic and puts it into her own mouth."

How do YOU feel about that?

*5*

Homeboy McCoy is gone. All that is left of him is what you have in your hearts, minds, and Google Reader.

John 19:30 : "It is finished."

At around 2:00 PM today, the Admissions Committee met and discussed my entry into the Order.  At a little after 3:00 PM, I got the call with their decision.

I am going to become a postulant this August.

Thank you for accompanying me on this leg of my journey, and thank you for all your prayers.  But now, the rest of it must be completed between God and me.

Farewell.  I'll miss you guys.

-HM

As Sister Lisa said, "this is only the beginning."

*6*

I've made 12 cups of coffee everyday down here, I drank 6 of them, and they have yet to finish a pot.

Are these kids superhero aliens?

*7*

Thank you for your participation in the Bright Maidens' post topic, "Mary, Our Guide," this week!

Here is a collection of all of the posts we saw on our page. Keep an eye out for the next post topic announcement for May 31st!

7 Quick Takes Friday, Volume 27

Click here to read the original post at ConversionDiary.com

*1*

My sister graduates from college tomorrow!

The one on the right.

Congratulations, Christiney!! I love you, I'm very proud of you, and I can't wait to see the changes you will make in the world!

*2*

This has been quite a week, so I'm going to cop out on this 7QT. Please forgive me.

My cousin and good friend told me on Thursday that she's frustrated that I haven't been writing as much lately because she has nothing to read at work... I'm frustrated, too. The plan is: cop out on these quick takes and then get back on track.

*3*

A Catholic friend of mine just started up his new blog. He is also a creative writing professor and an MFA-holding writer, so if you abandon me for his blog, I understand.

Fighting Words

*4*

Congrats to my brother in Christ!! Praise be to God for the clarity in his life for this next step toward his vocation!

*5*

The smell of gas fumes, the burn of rubber, the muffled sound of 160mph that still sounds like one clamoring note of dropped pots and pans for hours at a time.... yes folks, I did it. I went to my first NASCAR race.

I was going to write a post about it... but as my cousin pointed out, I have been slacking. Oy vey.

You-know-who's shirt.

*6*

I linked to this on Twitter this week, but I want the non-Tweeple to see it too.

Watch ONLY IF you are ready to let your jaw fall out of socket and to start drooling all over your keyboard.

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

*7*

This was the most fun Bright Maidens post week yet because we got to read all of YOUR posts addressing "Why Mary?"

Visit the Facebook page and read the note with all of the posts from those who participated.

7 Quick Takes Friday, Volume 24

Click here to read the original post at ConversionDiary.com

*1*

Thank you for your prayers last week! My Gramma passed away on Sunday.

One of my cousins was in Europe for the semester and I am so grateful that we had the means to fly her home in time to see my Gramma before she passed. I can already feel the bond tightening a little between our families.

My favorite picture of her.

I definitely know my way around a funeral home now and the most distinctive observation I can make is how much good pours out of situations like this. When there is sorrow and a thirsting need for love, people step up.

It is beautiful to look in the refrigerator and count the number of people who loved us with their ovens, or to stand at the funeral and watch friends who interrupted their days to comfort you at the wake or funeral.

I woke up early on Sunday morning with no prompt. Yet, as I stared at the ceiling, I knew she was "one in that number" of saints in heaven. I could feel it.

I doubt Rome will ever canonize her, but I can safely say she was the holiest and most incredible woman I've ever known. It's my job to insert her -isms and her habits into my own life.

I wrote about her in our first Bright Maidens week.

*2*

As you read this, I am in New Mexico preparing to be a good bridesmaid and aide for my best friend from middle school. This is a spunky, beautiful woman with a lot of spice, so I'm sure the wedding will be very joyous!

I am not sunburned anymore.

*3*

The Bright Maidens had a great week! We were featured by the Pulp.It, the National Catholic Register, and New Advent -- thank you all!

Trista, Julie and Elizabeth (I?) are very happy to announce that we have picked our final post topic... for the Lenten season. We're even happier to announce that we will be continuing the Bright Maidens series on a bi-monthly basis and we want you to join us!

First things first, our topic this Tuesday will be "why we chose Catholicism."All of us are cradle Catholics, but everyone has a conversion story. We're going to tell ours.

Secondly, we will not be posting on April 26, but we will be posting on May 3. We'll announce the topic and the date for our future posts on the FACEBOOK PAGE. It is important you "like" us if you want to participate because you will need to post a link to YOUR posts there.

Let's say our first communal topic is: Our favorite ice cream and of which book in the Bible it reminds us.... You write your post before the correct Tuesday (after seeing the announcement on the Facebook page) and post the link to our wall! Easy Peasey. If you any questions, email me.

*4*

I had to miss my 1st grade religious education class this week because of my Gramma's wake.

1. Two beautiful friends joined me at the wake along with a host of wonderful people celebrating my grandmother's life. 2. We still went to our weekly burger and beer night where... 3. My friend and co-teacher handed me a stack of folded yellow construction paper.

The little boy who looks like Rolfe (if you don't know which Rolfe... oy vey) had asked her if the class could make some cards for me to tell me how "sarey" they are that my "grandmuther did" (died).

It was the CUTEST present I have ever received and I'm bummed I can't share it with you because I'm not in Virginia... sometime soon.

*5*

My beautiful mother accompanied me on this trip to New Mexico. We landed in Roswell (in a plane and I have yet to see an alien). Enjoy this building painted near the McDonald's:

*6*

And we drove to another town a few hours away. What a completely different climate and progression of scenery!

*7*

Have you met Kendra? She's new, soon-to-be-married, and an avid Twitter conversationalist.

Hop over to her blog and read her first in a series about a childhood staple: Disney Princesses.

When the Holy Spirit V8®-smacked me in the forehead

My sister Christine is a Christian, even with the dog. She is eighteen months younger than me and has always been eighteen times more giving of her love, affection, and generosity than I have.

When she was little and we braved preschool together, she reached out to the "new kids" or the shy kids on her very first day, trying to make everyone feel included. Before she knew much about Christ and the sacrifice on the cross, Christine leaked Christ's Love everywhere.

Tracy, a black lab/German shepherd, is senile and has a hard time going to the lady's room... or more often, she has a very easy time going to the lady's room. Inside the house.

When we don't feed her the food she likes, she refuses to eat for days. Her arthritis is incapacitating her legs and its becoming more and more difficult for her to sit and stand easily. Her solution is to pace all day long.

This dog walks a marathon a day, plopping down randomly with sound like thunder, sleeping for 789 seconds (using the lady's room without her knowledge as she sleeps), and popping up to her feet like we shot a gun over her peaceful head.

Tracy has been in my life for one and a half decades and I love her, but I easily frustrate over her new, old lady quirks. I lose patience with her on a daily basis, though I will miss her when she dies.

Christine, however, treats her like a person. She comforts Tracy when she's at home, she makes trips to the store and restocks her favorite food, she scolds us when we lose our patience with her deterioration, and she shows Tracy the love we abandon from time to time.

I found myself getting frustrated with Christine a few weeks ago. I thought, "You're such a sucker, why put so much effort into being nice to her when she doesn't remember what she's doing?"

The Holy Spirit V8®-smacked me in the forehead.

My sister shows her patience, love, kindness, and effort because she tries to exert the kind of Love Jesus came to Earth to explain. Even though Tracy doesn't have a human soul, she is part of God's creation and is worthy of respect.

(I don't own the rights)

Tracy might claw at the door to go outside, Christine will let her out, Tracy's senility will dissolve any reasoning she had for going outside and compel her to impatiently knock and bark to come back in, all in a span of sixty seconds.

Christine is unfailing and completes this ritual a dozen times an hour, when she's home. The dog doesn't remember Christine's patience, her aide, or her sacrifice, but Christine continues to offer it.

We remember an immeasurably tiny amount of the patience, aide, sacrifice, and gifts of our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.

How many times has Satan asked of God, "Come on, just give up! There's no point, see? They don't even notice how much you do for them. Isn't that exhausting?"

He never gives up on us. There's nothing we can do to make Him love us less. He wants us to seek Him, but in the meantime we can witness His sacrifice, aide, patience and clues.

We're prodigal sons and lost coins, even when we don't know it. Praise God and His exhaustive effort to seek all of us!

Manage your mannerisms

If this is your first post you've found on this blog, WELCOME! Please enjoy and consider subscribing to the RSS feed for more!

Middle school is God's preview for purgatory, in my humble opinion. Unless He meant it to be a taste of Hell, in which case: good job, God. It did the trick, I never want to go there.

During my time in Hell, I observed and people-watched so thoroughly that I created in my  mind a PhD dissertation outlining "How to Look Cool." I knew how "the popular kids" got to their thrones, I understood why it worked for them but not everyone, and I would attempt to implement some subtleties in my own life to stay under par and above water.

Pre-teen Elizabeth avoided subscribing to the big "popularizers" like boasting really low cut shirts, wearing expensive clothes, treating people poorly, and throwing myself at guys (the voices of whom, let's recall, were still changing). However, I would intentionally walk pigeon-toed.

(I don't own the rights)

I have no clue why, don't ask me, but this was a common trait among the popular girls: cute running sneakers, jeans, and a slightly deformed stride. I adopted it blindly.

It became a habit that I still have to correct consciously. Eleven-year-old Elizabeth fell so hard for the middle school message stating a self-conscious, cutesy way of walking would make her more valuable that her mark remains thirteen years later.

This mannerism sprung from a negative mindset, but everyday we can watch ourselves carryout helpful habits sprung from positive or necessary mindsets.

Those who have driven a manual car while sitting at a red light know that, with experience, the driver comes to know the exact moment to lift his or her foot off the clutch. You must teach yourself to pay attention, almost subconsciously, to the engine's queues and you adjust immediately.

Much like middle school, the first twenty hours behind the wheel of a stick-shift car tests your patience and knocks you down several pegs. These cars are meant to build humility sand castles around your wimpy "driving skills." Respect the clutch or the world will know what you've done.

We learn through our mistakes. In the manual car, no one can teach you to "know" the perfect time to shift; after some practice, your habits take over. In the decade following middle school, I looked down at my daily reminder of the futility of basing my happiness on how "the popular kids" see me.

Keep it smiley (I don't own the rights)

Make making good habits a habit. The simplest but most fruitful guideline is "Am I Loving if I do this?"

If I get angry at this telemarketer and take it out on her, am I Loving? If I decide I need to teach a lesson to the white BMW who cut me off, am I Loving? When my younger sibling is annoying me by acting exactly as I did when I was his or her age and I just want to squash it out of them, would that be Loving? If I change myself just to appear cooler to the mob of popularity on the other side of the lockers, am I Loving?

We are called to treat all as Christ would. This includes ourselves.

We encounter "Hell" in middle school, develop new wisdom and talents in everyday life, stumble over reasons to be eternally happy, and crash into reasons to feel inconsolably sad constantly over the course of a lifetime.

Keep one constant among all of the variables: make good habits that stick around when you most need to use them.

7 Quick Takes Friday, Volume 12

Click here to read the original post at ConversionDiary.com

*1*

I came across this nun's blog (Monastics on a Journey) the other day and realized I'VE MET HER! She came to talk to my theology class when I was in high school and then again when we went on our senior year recruiting trip visit to the local Order of Saint Benedict.

*2*

Two posts on other blogs that I read in the same hour the other day. They were eerily linked...

A piece by Charlotte Upah on The Practicing Catholic about her daughter's vows of "in sickness and in health" on the day of her wedding (also one of the worst days of her flu). Her brand new husband hung out with her as she napped for an hour after the ceremony instead of taking a tour of the city with the bridal party.

A post by Homeboy McCoy, one of my personal favorites, about old tendencies in his new relationship as he studies to become a monk. He dips back into his history before the monastery and asks for your prayers. His closing comment is, " I find solace knowing the ultimate vocation we are all called to is to get to Heaven. Beyond that, nothing matters."

*3*

Let me tell you something. I've never been an tween or teenage boy growing up in the 1960s. However, I really enjoy watching The Wonder Years.

(I don't own the rights)

The writing is brilliant, most of the time, and it creates a balance between creating a TV haven and breaking tough ground seldom (if ever) seen on TV in 2011. If you haven't had the pleasure of watching Kevin Arnold awkwardly bounce his way around life before college, you're missing out on rewinding time in your own mind.

The producers seemed to be aware that the cult show is in high demand because I just signed up to receive an email when they finally create a DVD set.

“Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up.”

*4*

God blessed my family with the CUTEST TWINS EVER BORN. This week I got to hang out with them, hold them, Love them, and coo at them for a few short minutes. Their grand-daddy is so wonderful with them and their gramma is watching out for them.

Cell phone cameras are the new pinhole cameras.

One of them yawns so big, it looks like her face is half yawn. She looked like Emil Daddy! His yawns were epic.


The other twinzie squirmed and wormed in my arms as she was... relieving herself, crying the cutest little cry you've ever heard. It hit me: how can people seen these brand new bundles of life, with their curious, yet cloudy eyes, watch them take in the world and deny the existence of God?


It's not simply chemical. You would have to invest a heck of a lot of faith to convince yourself of that when you see a brand new life in your arms. Jen Fulwiler has a brilliantly written post about this very phenomenon. She was freed by an exchange of eye contact with her first son.

*5*

There are a lot of wonderful Catholic mom blogs out there and I enjoy reading them. However, I'm not a mom and I have little use for some of the excellent lessons they espouse in the writing. 

I'm happy to have found the following Catholic young people blogs! Some writers are discerning or pursuing religious vocation and some are just young and telling it like it is.

• From Punk to Monk
• The Corner with a View
• Spiritual Workout Blog
• Vita Consecrata 
• Not a minx, a moron, or a parasite
• Modestia
• Secret Vatican Spy
• The Practical Catholic
• Billy Atwell

*6*

We're having my family over for a on-purpose-dinner this Saturday. After these last several months, we've all learned to make an effort to show each other Love on non-holidays too.

*7*

Do I really have to comment on this? It's an animal-loving type of week.

7 Quick Takes Friday, Volume 10

Click here to read the original post at ConversionDiary.com 

I'm doing this one in story format for the first few:
*1*

God has already used Emil Daddy's life and death to save someone else. My Gramma (other side of the family and the only other grandparent I've ever had) has been in a nursing home and rehab center for the last few weeks because her lumbar collapsed.

Yes, that's right, my dad stepped on a crack and broke his mother's back.

*2*

(photo from http://www.aquamedicine.no/)

The doctors went in there, squirted some cement between her vertebra, and she started healing nicely... until she caught the Norovirus that has taken over the nursing homes in Richmond. After two days of constant sickness, she seemed to be getting better when the vomiting stopped.

*3*

Keeping in mind how much we missed visiting my grandfather and how we wished we had gone to visit him more often, my sister and I decided to brave the Noro and visit her.

The woman we saw in that bed was half dead from severe dehydration and if we weren't there to notice it, she would have died. Her nurse was not pulling any muscles to help her, even when we arranged to get her to the hospital. Molasses RN.

*4*

Gramma, when she was feeling better.

If anyone reading this has a loved one, in the hospital or not, that you haven't seen in a while: A) go visit him or her. Do it. Today. B) be an advocate and don't worry about bothering the people who are paid to help them.

If we hadn't questioned their assessment, as illustrated by her sitting in a chair and not looking at my Gramma... I would have lost my other grandparent a week after I lost Emil Daddy.

Regarding the picture here... she is a hoot. She doesn't drink, but she does make us laugh.

*5*

Baby A was the loud one, but after they cleaned her, she was an angel.

I have new twin cousins! Take a look! To the beautiful baby girls: we have been waiting for you for a long time! You have a wonderful grandmother who will keep her eye on you throughout your life. Welcome to the world!

There is no patron saint of twins, apparently, but St. Scholastica and St. Benedict were twins and very important members of the Church. So: St. Scholastica and St. Benedict, pray for us!

Baby B is the quiet, calm one...so far.

*6*

My sisters have discovered a show they love: Dream Home. I don't always have the patience for home improvement shows, but they adore them.

(I do not own the rights)

The show was a season-long look at building a house in the mountains in Vermont (does that not sound riveting?). The show creators are giving away this house to a contest winner. It really is a beautiful home and it sparked a question: could you see yourself living there?

My answer is HECK YES, but not right now. If I'm going to live miles and miles from people, I would live in the mountains and nowhere else.

Yep, we applied for the contest. Did you have to ask?

*7*

Today brought one of those "Wow, God - You are sneaky and awesome." I love those because they hit me hard without notice.

Dear Diary

When I was in 6th grade and having a particularly rough, middle-school-is-the-first-taste-of-hell moment, my mom suggested I start writing in a diary. "Oh mom, what do you know? Well, I do have some spare time..." The habit stuck and I'm in my 13th year of diary divulging.

Buying a new diary is a ritual. It should look like the beholder in that stage of life -- the last one I bought was understated, painted leather, and two inches thick because I thought it could be filled with stories about meeting my husband and my first months of motherhood. That was important to me, therefore it's consistent with my needs for the diary.

Unexamined self-talk is vulnerable to worldliness and I think everyone should pour thoughts onto paper. My diaries are filled with milestones...though I cringe at virtually every teenage, twenty-year-old, and "last-week-ago" thought I've written.

Diary writing became such a big pillar in my life that I built my one and only art show around it.

Two autumns ago, I painted four main pieces and picked out a dozen pages from diaries dating back to 11-year-old me, lining the pages atop the paintings on the wall. In each of the works and on each diary page I painted some version of a black area, a consistency that represents a vehicle between all of them.

My objective was to illustrate the concept of memories and how they adapt to our lives

One lady told me that this was a pro-choice painting... news to me...

I wrote excerpts from diaries around this head thing.

When you recall memories that you've thought about before, you're looking through two lenses:

1) All of the experiences since you were younger shift your perspective on everything, including past memories. 2) Remembering a memory is an imperfect task to undertake anyway and acknowledging that opens another pocket for learning about yourself. 

For example, I remember my second birthday and that my cake had no candles on it. Remembering how my parents scrambled to find candles for their eldest child's second birthday cake is more important to me now than it was at six-years-old. At six, I was more concerned with the color of my dress. 

If God wills it, I'm closer to being the parent of a 2-year-old than I am to being a 2-year-old. Six-year-old me liked pretty dresses, simple as that.

I added more diary excerpts underneath and around the tree branches.

If you try to read this, please recognize that I was probably 18 and "artsy fartsy" for artsy fartsy's sake when I wrote it. *Groan*

Reading over the diaries to pick entries was painful and posting them up on walls for others to read them was even more painful. But that was part of the point. We are the sums of our experiences and the product of our equipment for absorbing them. By sharing my impression of this concept with others, I placed a marker in my memory and in the memory of everyone who looked at my show (and now, you). 

This memory "marker" may or may not pop up again in your life, but all seemingly inconsequential moments add up. In a few minutes, days, or years you may think back on any memory with a new perspective. 

The new perspective will meet with the old perspective and the difference will give you even more to think about. 

"I was once incapable of seeing a man as a brother in Christ first, instead of a potential mate. Thank You, God, for constantly de-clouding my vision of that. In a few years, I'll see more results from that."

Or

"Wow, 17-year-old me actually wrote the words, 'I have everything figured out.' Joke is on her... and now the joke is on me."

Or

"I use the word 'I' too much."

There will be more memory collisions in my future. I look forward to them, as embarrassing as they will be.

Out of the wind

Today I accomplished one of the longest-standing goals on my to-do list: I completed a triathlon. I doubt I would have done it if I didn’t love to swim, but I’m glad I did it. Believe it or not--I had fun! The whole thing was outside, which was a wonderful change to the gym-going habit I have formed.

I’m ashamed to say I completed the entirety of my training in a florescent-lit room next to other sweaty, but air conditioned and tunnel-visioned gym members. The first time my parents brought me outside when I was a little bundle of wrinkly baby, I giggled, smiled, laughed and looked in my element. Later I learned my most natural state is in the water, but if the pool/ocean/lake/bathtub is outside, it’s a double whammy of joy.

No iPod, no running partner, lots of biked hills and passing cars (and ladies 20-30 years older than me -- way to go ladies!) throughout the events. All of these “burdens” and I was in one of the happiest states throughout the whole race. I was outside, riding in the wind, through to trees, jogging on sand, around a lake, next to birds and under a cool, overcast sky. The colors popped out behind other colors in everything I passed.

A week ago, I read that a very fit, 27-year-old man dropped dead after a race. Running around outside today became one long prayer of Thanksgiving. There will be iPod buds in my ears next time I run, but I loved connecting with the outdoors and just existing (and sweating) for a while this morning. Finishing and coming home to write this was another prayer of gratitude, as each day should be.