The Thing About that Bruce Jenner Interview...

So, if you live under a rock, lemme fill you in on something.  On Friday, Bruce Jenner gave an interview to Diane Sawyer.  After, he was praised by the press, celebrated by celebrities, and cheered on by my facebook newsfeed.  His courageous move?  He declared to the world although he is a man in the physical sense of the word, he has always kind of felt like a woman 'in his soul'.  And, in a move pop culture is embracing, he has decided to begin transitioning so his soul matches his body, this would be his last interview under the name of ‘Bruce Jenner’.

A lot of people tuned in.  Because he is a reality star, some of us have watched Bruce Jenner as a husband, a father, a so called, 'fame whore’ on the show ‘Keeping up the Kardashians’.  Those a bit older than me will remember him as a gold medalist in the decathlon for the1976 Olympics.  This celebrity who so many of us related to as male, gave an interview to say to the world, ‘you might see me as male, but my truth is I am female- and to say so brings freedom’. 

At first I wasn't going to watch it.  To tell you the truth, I kind of rolled my eyes at the build up to the story.  I often get stuck in the muck that is the cultural wars and things like men ‘becoming’ women and celebrating it on national television?  Well to be honest, things like that, to a person like me, kind of flag why our world is so screwed up.  Things like that scare me.  And so I wasn't going to watch.  Why engage in the insanity that is our world/current culture?

But right before the interview on Friday night. I felt called to hit record.  I felt like the Lord was whispering into my heart that Bruce Jenner’s story is important.  That listening is important.  That walking with the pain, hurt, confusion, and suffocation of other’s stories is important. 

You should know, I believe in a few things.  I believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church.  I believe that God created man out of love, male and female, He created them. I believe freedom offered through the sexual teachings of the Church is desperately needed in today’s culture.  I believe the world would be better off if people listened to the teachings of the Church, and I believe moving away from traditional sexual ethics has a devastating effect on society.

And, I also believe Bruce.

People are complicated.  We have hurts and wounds that are sometimes gaping.  We have within ourselves the ability to be saints, and the ability to be sinners.  The ability to be Peter, and the ability to be Judas.  We have a history and emotions that are unique to only us, and understood fully, only by God. 

I don’t know what to do with Bruce Jenner’s experience, or the thousands of people, young and old who related to it.  I’m not sure the best way to go about ministry with people who have those kind of hurts. I’m not sure the best way to respond in our culture... those questions are hard.  I wish both ‘sides’ of the cultural war would admit how very hard this is. 

There’s so much I don’t know, but one thing I can say with certainty... when it comes to spreading the message of love and freedom which flows from having a relationship with Christ, we must first LISTEN. Listening comes before talking.  Seeking to understand is far more valuable than screaming to be understood. 

“We must lend our ears to the beat of this era and detect the scent of people today, so as to be permeated by their joys and hopes, by their sadness and distress, at which time we will know how to propose the good news of the family with credibility” – Pope Francis

And so I recorded the Bruce Jenner interview. I watched it grounded in what I know to be True about the sexual teachings of the Church, but with a compassionate heart.  One willing to learn from the experience of others.  And I wonder sometimes, if that disposition might be a bit more helpful to us as we seek to introduce people to the goodness and mercy of Christ. I wonder if it might behoove us to follow Christ’s example and be willing to ‘sit at the well’.  Even if it makes us uncomfortable, even if it’s a world we do not know. 

(PS- Ain’t it just like God to move our hearts to do somethin’ right after we declared we wouldn’t be doing somethin’ for awhile…I’m still planning that hiatus, but this one kept stirring, so I wrote it)

The Mellow Dramatic Why I Haven't Been Blogging...

So, I mean, I haven't been blogging.
It's not because I don't have things to say.
And it's not because I don't like blogging.

Truth be told, I think when people make a big 'Hey, I'm on a bloggin hiatus' announcement... it's kind of annoying.

But I'm doing it anyway.

Hey, I'm on a blogging hiatus.  I know it's not like I am the biggest thing on the internets (but I am pretty darn close right?!?!),.. but I figure sometimes people read this, and I haven't posted regularly in a few months, so I 'owed' it to those people to say something'.

And the somethin' is this.

We are having our fourth kid in five years! How fun is that (answer? super fun), but how rough is pregnancy for me (answer? super rough).  Paul passed away in January, and I feel like I'm still moving through that to be honest.  So though I have lots of thoughts, I am having a really rough time stringing them together.  I've tried, I promise, lots of times...to write all the thoughts.  But, they aren't coming out and I am being patient with that.

Do I think I'll blog again?  Gee, I sure hope so. I love having a family record, and I like sharing with a community of people.  But for now, it's just not coming...

When it does, you'll be the first to know! (ha! If I show up in your feeders or whatever fancy people call them).

Till then, things are good, blessings abound, and life continues to roll.

Oh, and don't be afraid to say a prayer for me :)

Blessings on your weekend!

Guess who's back, back again, 7 Quicks

(one)

So, it's been awhile.  Truth be told, I've been kind of off the radar for a couple months.  When people say, how did your Lent go?  My response is "I really lived it".  When people ask "how was your Holy Week?"  Well, it started with me in a ball texting my sisters, begging for prayers, telling them I "hate my life"  (never one for the dramatics).  And, if you are wondering how my Easter is going!?!?!  AWESOME.  Six Iron infusions later, I am living a spirit of Resurrection. No joke.  Which is also making me realize just how very bad the last few months were physically.  At one point I was laying in bed, no energy, constant pain and wondering if maybe it was all in my head?  Maybe I was just experiencing a time of depression?  I have never felt so terrible in my entire life- I didn't know what to do with it, and how long it lasted (Since January).  But, turns out, not having any iron in your blood really does effect how one does life.  And now that the iron has been restored (my numbers are higher than they have ever been for a pregnancy) I am honestly on cloud nine!  We are all STILL sick around here with head colds, but I barely care- I can leave my house without the threat of collapsing. It's so awesome.

(two)

Confession, and this is gonna make some of you wanna throw rotten tomatoes at me.  Until two weeks ago, I kind of didn't even have respect for natural births (drug free).  To be honest, I think waaay too often it's kind of romanticized by "natural birth advocates"- and I'm always like, "oh, or you can just take drugs and be just fine".  Anyway, it's just how I felt.  Plus, I mean, let's just be real, I have been through THREE c-section recoveries, so I'm pretty into thinking pain is kind of overrated.  So, when I got the call my youngest sister, who wanted to go naturally (eye roll) was at the hospital the same time as me (iron treatment) I was anxious to get up to her room to help be a birth coach (I mean, who wouldn't want me as a natural birth coach right?!?!).  Anyway, I'm just gonna lay it out there.  Watching her go through a six hour labor, with no drugs, and the strength it took for her to meet her baby, was honestly pretty much the most awe-inspiring thing I have ever seen in my whole life.  For real, even the next day I kept saying to my husband "you should have seen it! I have never seen anything like it".  It was so beautiful, so 'right'. I, for the first time in my almost 35 years understand the beauty of drug free birthing.  I mean, not that I'd ever attempt it, but it was really something.  OH, and the fact that like three minutes after everything my sister was literally GLOWING and acting like the last six hour of utter intensity and exhaustion had not even happened was beyond my understanding.  So cool.  And welcome to the world my sweet little godson Milo Nixon. 

Sassy post to follow- because you missed all the sass 

(three)

I cannot believe, that seemingly the majority of people I know, think that one should have to bake a wedding cake for a couple who's wedding goes against the core beliefs of the baker.  It is INSANITY that we are living in that kind of world.  And, by the way, as I have said a couple times, I am DEF. a part of the group who wouldn't see the cake baking to be an issue if I was asked... but dang, if people do...we really think the LAW should force them to make a cake?!!?!?!  I am telling you, this world has gone bat Sh#$ crazy and I am so afraid of the consequences.  This is maybe a little creepy facebook stalkerish, but you know how sometimes things show up on your newsfeed?  Well Jenny from mama needs coffee  said something like (not an exact quote) 'I think we are going to be really surprised in 10-20 years when we see what happens with religious liberties and our ability to practice freely and evangelize' ... clearly, it's stuck with me.  And yea, I think we are.  My poor kids...

(four)

John Paul, my youngest, can now crawl out of his crib.  Not 'fall' out of his crib, but intentionally and quietly crawl out of his crib. I discovered this yesterday when making lunch when he started knocking on his door and calling, 'mommeeeeeee'.  Yikes! none of my other kids even kind of attempted to get out of their cribs.  Time for the triple bunk bed eh?

(five)

I had a dream about my dear friend Paul at the beginning of the week. I know this is silliness, but ever since he has passed, like so many of us do I am sure, I asked God if I could maybe talk to him in a dream.  How childlike right? Anyway, on Monday I think, I had a dream we were all at a memorial for him.  And it was sooooooooooo sad.  My heart was so heavy.  But, after there was a reception, and he was there.  In the dream, because of how dreams go, it was very normal for him to be hanging around.  Then, he came up to me and asked me to come with him to look at some baby pictures of him.  In the dream, I didn't realize the significance, so I took his hand and went with him.  He showed me a scrap book of all kinds of baby pictures of him (Which, if you know paul, pictures aren't exactly something he even kind of cares about) and then, there was a huge light that just kind of encompassed us, and then I woke up.  When I woke up is when I realized how cool it was that I just got to spend time with me friend.  And I take great comfort in that dream.  That is all.

(six)

Franciscan University is so dumb.  I hate when I look back at my University and have to acknowledge the dumb things about it.  Poor Eve Tushnet, that's all I gotta say. I can't imagine the type of martyrdom she has to face- it's such a bummer that an academic institution would be so dumb.    

(seven)

Um, so yeah.  Disney is happening.  I am like a little kid, barely able to stand my excitement.  I'll tell you all about it when I tell you all about it :)

That's it for me.  Check out more Quick Takes at http://thisaintthelyceum.org/

Peace!