Well, with the hectic trip home for Thanksgiving, my blog-every-day-of-November plan pretty much fell on its face. That’s ok. There were great times to be had with loved ones. But a few days off from blogging, and from the internet in general, gave me pause. How much of what I do online is self-centered? I blog about me. I read blogs mostly to entertain me. Twitter and Facebook are the same. It’s all about me. And it gets in the way of real relationship with God and neighbor. I spend too much time on these things and not enough on the food my soul needs. It’s like eating sugar 24/7.
So, this Advent, as part of preparing my heart for the coming of Christ, I am taking a Blog-Facebook-Twitter break. You can still reach me by email if you need me, but I need this time to focus on God and others instead of myself. If I can figure out a way for blogging to be about others instead of all about me, maybe I’ll be back after Christmas.
Thanks for understanding, y’all. Blessed Advent and Merry Christmas. You’re in my prayers 
I am alone, sipping a cup of coffee. The elderly couple one table over are feeding each other coffee cake as his oxygen pump makes quiet wooshing noises. And it is beautiful.
The country may be wider than it is long, but its length is pretty long too.
Every so often, we hit a patch that smells like rotting garbage. Are that many landfills so close to the interstate?
Carbon Leaf and Coldplay are my favorite bands to drive to.
When my family learned I wouldn’t be getting in until after 3 in the morning, my mom immediately suggested a familial waffle house trip upon my arrival. My DAD tried to talk her out of it. Biggest role reversal I’ve ever heard of.
We are doing the family Thanksgiving thing on Saturday, so I’m not sure what we’re doing tomorrow. Maybe we’ll make turkey sandwiches for lunch, to give the holiday its due.
Nice to go a whole day with no new ND football drama. Eesh.
Home isn’t that far. Sweet.
Guess where Joey and I are? Yep. In the library. We’re both trying to finish up major papers; I’m turning in the first part of my thesis, and Joey is enmeshed in documenting the relationship between the Holy Land and liturgy in the early Church. We’ve been pulling late nights for a while now, trying to get these projects done, and the lack of sleep may have gone to our heads. Exhibit A, above.
(Ok, I made Joey pose for that picture. But he did a similar thing, spontaneously, just moments before. For real)
But all is well, because by the end of the night, we will have finished our papers and packed our suitcases, and Thanksgiving break will be upon us. Tomorrow we’re driving home to Georgia together. A break like this, and the chance to be home with family, is just what the doctor ordered.
Until then, I will amuse myself with the mental image of myself on a magnificent white charger, galloping forwards, lance held high, some magnificent barbaric yell coming from my mouth. The finish line is in sight. (And sleep. Sweet, sweet sleep.)
Today, I am thankful for…
31. The ability to go home for a few days this week (at least, if I can make it through today and tomorrow!)
32. My wonderful family, waiting for me at home
33. Senior party on the field after the game on Saturday- ALMOST made the game not so bad
34. Caffeine. I am so, so grateful for caffeine.
35. Waddick’s Coffee Shop. One of my favorite places on campus.
I’m busy finishing a paper, so I thought I’d share some pieces I’ve loved reading recently. Enjoy!
- On Context, with excellent reflections on how we see the world. (Hat tip Saint Superman)
- Wikipedia Founder Creates Site for Homeless via Change.org
- What’s Next by Annie at Hootenannie.com
- Souvenirs of the Good Life by Jennifer at Conversiondiary.com
Oof, what a game. We lost in double overtime, to UCONN of all teams. One of the pep rally speakers told us seniors not to be sad that it was our last game, but celebrate our four years here. Hard to celebrate with a game like that, but we’re gonna try! Tonight I’m heading out to a local watering hole with some sweet friends. Let’s focus on the good, Class of 2010.
If the nature of man were all we had, then surely the outlook would be dim. But we also have the aid of God, the commandment, the mitzvah. The central Biblical fact is Sinai, the covenant, the word of God. Sinai was superimposed on the failure of Adam. The fact that we were given the knowledge of His will is a sign of some ability to cope with evil. The voice is more than a challenge. It is powerful enough to shake the wilderness of the soul, to strip the ego bare, to flash forth His will like fire.
Abraham Heschel on the problem of evil
Good news! I am officially employed by someone other than Notre Dame. (That hasn’t happened in… well, since I started college.) The homeless shelter I do work-study at has hired me as on-call staff. Needless to say, this is pretty awesome, since I’m pretty crazy about everyone there. I signed all those nasty tax forms yesterday- all that remains is to go get my drug test done. Hurray!
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I’m really, really bad at play-list making. Nevertheless, I have been mulling over what artists to include in a Girl Power playlist. Sometimes, you just need that extra reminder that girls rule and boys drool, you know? Sooo- suggestions? I will definitely be including some Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, and KT Tunstall. And who could forget Bettie Serveert? They wrote my favorite girl power song of all time:
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I have 30 pages of writing standing between me and home (and a turkey). It’s going to be rough, but it will get done. Oh, research. That’s about all I have to say about that.
What a random, disjointed post. How was YOUR day?
Friends, I have loved ones who have been caught up by a terrible disease. They have fought it tooth and nail. They have persevered through treatment after treatment and test after test, but now, still, the cancer is there. And despite all the chemo and drugs and tears, it has grown.
These friends, a beautiful, faith-filled couple, are already moving forward. Loving, sharing, deciding what’s next. So let’s build them up with our prayers, our love-thoughts. We know that with faith all things are possible. Miracles happen, and it’s all about following the Father’s will.
Your will be done, Lord. Hold them close.
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