7 Quick Takes Sadness and pretty pictures

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I'm just gonna come right out and say it, I'm still really not okay with what happened in Ferguson and the aftermath.  You know how sometimes, it just takes one thing and that one thing consumes you because it is the representation of so much more?  That's how I feel about this.  I had a good friend ask me, 'Are you okay, because lately you seem a little off?'  And I am feeling a little off.  A lot off actually.  To me, what happened 2 Mondays ago just tipped the iceberg of all I feel is gross in our society.  Lies, sensationalism, evil, powerlessness, relative truth, etc... I'm not quite sure what to do with it yet.  And part of me is like, 'you need to get over it, stop posting about it, stop talking about it, move on...' and the other part of me is like, 'why the heck aren't more people freaking out about riots happening based on a lie that our president made a choice to feed into?'  It's all very interesting right now.  I'm trying to consider a lot of things, including the type of people I want in my personal life and the lives of my children.  And what that might mean in terms of sheltering vs outreach.  I'm trying to decide what place social media has in all of this, because, like Pope Francis, I believe social media is a profoundly human expression, and I always try to remember there are humans behind all the gross on the digital highways and it's kind of unfair to blame the digital highways for the humans who are acting gross.  I don't know, it's just a lot.  And I am really cranky about it all. So I thought I'd update you.  BUT- my life is really really really awesome, so the rest of the quick takes are gonna be about that.  Let's get into the good shall we?

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A lot of you guys know Bonnie at Aknottedlife.  She is an awesome blogger.  She does things like host awards, and affirms other bloggers, and connect people, and is real with others.  She is a breath of fresh air on the interwebs.  So a few weeks ago, she had a blog about an Advent Care Package.  And I skimmed it because I never do give aways.  The rules are always too confusing, I don't generally 'win' at stuff and I get nervous with give away marketing (because I am weird).  So I read it, then moved on.  BUT then, she shared a post about how to be a good online friend/blogger/etc... and I read it.  And I want to be a good online friend/blogger (but, I have a huge problem I will talk about in another take) so I wanted to see how to do it.  One of the tips in the article talked about entering contests of the blogs you read.  SOOOOOO, later on that day, or another day, Bonnie posted on facebook, 'Last chance to enter the drawing'.  And it was so obvious she was doing the drawing because she was excited to bring someone so advent cheer- AND, all you had to do was comment to enter.
So I entered.
And then I FREAKING WON.
ON the cranky night.
And last week I got packages...in the mail, with PRESENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How awesome is that. seriously.

I GOT THE PACKAGE

Just one of the gifts, a lovely Rosary Bracelet

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In my fun package came these prayer resources for Lent. I think because I am feeling so yuck about the world, I am trying so very hard to enter deeply into the season of Advent, both personally (check out Mary's blog on that) and within our family.  My sister Theresa made the CUTEST Jesse tree package for each sibling for Christmas, and made it so easy to pray with kids.  We've been doing that every night, along with a song and then prayers.  I have also been praying with the great book and journal that was in my fun little package.  So the package, in a way, is a great answer for focusing me during this Lent.  And for that, I am crazy thankful.

The prayer tools

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You guys, I cannot figure out the comment thing on my blog.  As you can probably tell, I am not a 'blogger' in that I don't do fancy things and I don't really have a desire to. I just like to write sometimes and even when I do that, it's generally not even grammatically correct.  BUT, I used to be able to 'reply' to the comments people left on my blog. Now, I can't even do that because something changed, but I don't even know what, because I am not a real 'blogger'.  Does someone have a real easy/dummy proof way to explain to me a system of commenting?  Talk to me, what do you use and how do you easily respond to others?

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us, watching the parade. 

This is a true story of how awesome my life is.  When I was a kid, I always used to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade with my dad/family. It was always lovely and I always looked forward to it.  This Thanksgiving, I was able to watch the parade with my three sons and husband snuggled under covers on our couch.  I was so incredibly moved by the blessings we've been giving that I kept crying.  A couple times the boys even asked me what was wrong, and I kept saying, 'this is all just so beautiful'.  Being a mom...coolest thing I get to do.  

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We had so.many.leaves. We have a rather small yard.  But the leaves, oh my gosh. I think because of the placement of our house, we get hit the hardest in our neighborhood.  We had a service come take care of it professionally for a couple different reasons. I want you to look closely at this picture.  And this was AFTER he had already sucked up over half of them.  Worth.every.penny.

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So you know how I stay busy with all the presentations?  I am starting to figure out which ones really work, and where God might be calling me.  I have talked about our presentation on homosexuality...it's def. something unique that isn't being done in the way we do it anywhere in the country that I know of.  So I love being able to serve in that way.  But, I decided last night my second love.  Talking with women.  About all the things that matter.  Like God, and faith, and sisterhood, and families, and mothering, and all that jazz.  I had an opportunity to present for around 200 women on Advent and the movement of the season.  It was by far the most spirit filled presentation of the semester and a great way to *almost end a really busy season of ministry.  The ability to be authentic about the unique crosses and blessings we, as women, walk with, was nothing short of inspiring.  #Godisgood

For more Quick Takes, check out their new home at This Ain't the Lyceum (what the H is Lyceum?)