Author: Maria Johnson

gratitude and twitter

Woohoo! back in the CatholicMom.com playground this weekend. So awesome to be with so many thoughtful ladies (and guys, too! it’s true!). I hope you follow the link to see what I share over there, and then look around and read some of the other great posts.

For all its practical uses and community building, Twitter can also easily turn into a source of self-absorption, where we go to whine and bemoan the petty ills that befall us.

It’s not just that no one wants to listen to a sourpuss all day. There’s a real danger in engaging in this persistent negativity. It brings us down, and brings others down with us. It turns us into ungrateful social media brats. And it’s contagious.

What if, instead of getting on social media first thing in the morning and complaining about not having enough sleep, we Tweeted in thanksgiving for having a bed to sleep in? What would happen to us if our first thought of the day was to express gratitude for our blessings?

[read the rest here]

this about sums it up

What’s really hilarious is how absolutely fitting Hercules’ words are. I’m looking for an opportunity to do more with my life. I just somehow can’t bring myself to do it in the setting I thought I had found. Let’s just say, neo-liberalist marxism and feminism are not my world.

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

So here we are on October 7th, this Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. You didn’t think I’d escape posting something, right?

If you’ve read this blog for a while you’ll probably recognize this picture of a well-worn (um, make that well-prayed rosary) which I had for many years before finally giving it away. It was a Rosary Army rosary, which meant it was destined to be given away, but I held onto it for many, many, many years before passing it along to someone whom I knew loved the prayer, the Blessed Mother, and her Son as much as I do.

Timing, they say, is everything, and I was granted one last very important prayer on that rosary before passing it along to someone who would use it, even if it was only rarely, to think of me and my intentions. As it happens, I couldn’t have entrusted that rosary to a finer friend and prayer buddy.

Which of course leads me to today’s prayer on a new rosary —  made by the same beloved friend who made the blue and purple rosary above. The new one hasn’t been entirely broken in, and by that I mean, it’s still stiff in places where the twine doesn’t have much give.

It’s getting comfortable in my hand, but there are many, many, many decades left on it, where I’ll worry the twine “beads” a little more, sweat a little more, maybe cry a little more, and forget it in my jeans and run it through another wash a time or three.

And that’s ok. Because the rosary is meant to be used. It’s meant to be prayed, over and over again. And again. And again.

I admit that I have sentimental attachments to some of these little sacramentals. I get comfortable with one or another for a number of reasons — whether I like the particular clink of one, or the feel of another, or like this black and gold one that has that Steelers pin on it. I know you noticed it. I’m not praying for the Steelers, ok? Really. It’s a sentimental reminder to pray for a deceased friend who maybe did pray for a Steelers win a time or two. I won’t judge him. But I do smile and pray for his soul.

So whip out that rosary you have tucked away somewhere. It deserves to be used. Momma Mary deserves a little “phone call” today. Like the loving Momma that she is, she’ll quickly turn the conversation away from her, and to her Son.

“Is that a poor man’s smore?”

Yes. Yes it is.

I make no apologies.

I have these reports that are due tomorrow, and I’ve been plodding along to finish. It’s a weird kind of writing. Let’s call it, validating something that’s already written. It’s a tedious job to rewrite stuff, but that’s not even the point of this post.

I don’t feel well…I have a migraine that is giving me some great disco lights in my peripheral vision and the disco beat behind my eyes…and I have a weenie cough that I thought was just a weenie cough, only, now, it’s gucky. Gross, and TMI. Sorry.

So that brings me to my snack. I was making coffee, hoping the caffeine might help to a) wake me up, and b) tame the headache, when I saw there was one lonely little graham cracker on the counter. I picked it up and studied it, and lamented it’s naked state, when I announced, “I could spread some fluff on it and squeeze chocolate syrup on it! I can make a pseudo smore!”

My kid looked at me sadly and said, “What is that? A poor man’s smore?”

Yes. Yes it is. Nom nom nom.

7 Quick Takes

Check out the collection of other 7 Quick Takes Friday posts, hosted at Jennifer Fulwiler’s blog, Conversion Diary. 

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Spent last weekend with my kids. It was a lot of fun to hang out together. It usually involves some silly shenanigans, so when my oldest daughter shared this photo of a momma duck with her three ducklings, it totally warmed my heart. The bonus? There’s a joker cutting up in the line. Typical.

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Here’s what we were doing: celebrating Soldier Sally’s graduation from the Defense Language Institute. We’re so proud of her achievement and service to our country!

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Then we did the touristy thing. Did I say how much I enjoyed hanging out with them?

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Well, it’s finally over, for a few years, anyway. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges approved our reaccreditation process with no recommendations. None! You know what that means: we start writing the report for the next visit. LOL…it never ends.

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I visited Alcatraz while we were in California. I was pleasantly surprised by a number of things…especially the beauty of the gardens. I was struck by the stark reality of the violence against humanity that led to the incarceration of so many men, and how some were able to find redemption. While many perpetuated violence within the walls of the prison, some few found peace in the creative outlet of gardening. The symbolism of this hope was moving — that what was once a destructive force in their lives was replaced by the desire to create beauty in living things.

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My parents are so cute. My dad recently liked a post here, the weekly photo challenge by WordPress. The idea is simple; they give a theme and you post a photo interpretation of it. You can see my response to this week’s theme, Mine, here.

My dad evidently wanted to play along but couldn’t post his picture in my combox, so he sent me an email. I’m gonna make a blogger out of him yet.

In the meantime, here’s his entry since he wanted to share:

Blue Skies, The spray of the ocean in my face while boating, and the love of my life with me….Wow, God is good.

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Finally, had this wonderful treat: Pat Gohn invited me to join her on episode 146 of Among Women for a delightful conversation about friendship, specifically praying with friends. I invite you to listen as we share some highlights of our friendship, but also discuss incorporating prayer into our relationships with friends.

Among Women 146: The Power of a Praying Friend

Weekly Photo Challenge: Mine

Mine. Is there a place, object, or view that’s entirely yours, or you’re a bit selfish or possessive about? Is it a feeling you feel when you look at the photo, or perhaps an unwillingness to share? 

I’m certainly not selfish about it, but one of my favorite places to go alone is the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers. Not because I don’t want to share my time with anyone else, but because I enjoy the silence there and the sense of timelessness.

Hey! I’m on Among Women!

Among Women 146: The Power of a Praying Friend

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And I’m having a blast. Of course, the delightful Pat Gohn is such a welcoming host, and her porch is so cozy and comfy, how could this be anything but fun?

Give this special episode a listen. Pat shares about St. Teresa of Avila, including some beautiful prayers, and then we have a lovely chat about friendship, and about being praying friends. It’s an intimate conversation about a very special and important theme, especially as we approach The Year of Faith.

How do we love our friends best, if not through prayer, for them, but also with them?

 

I admit it, I used to read under the covers

Here we go again! It’s Banned Books Week!

I like this more than Halloween, even though there isn’t any Candy Corn, and if there’s chocolate, good chocolate, it’s because I bought it.

Still, as an English teacher, it’s one of those things that makes me absolutely giddy. You know I print out the list of top most challenged books and make my way through it.

I’m not a naughty girl, really. Well, maybe a little bit. Sister Dawn did catch me reading M*A*S*H when I was in the sixth grade.

Anyway, last time I checked, the Constitution is still around (I’ll reserve further comments) and we do, in fact, celebrate the freedom to pursue the kind of reading that makes us explore, challenge ourselves, grow, learn, and, well…think.

It’s not about being naughty but about being knowledgable. Banned books tend to cover themes that promote discourse, and discourse is really at the center of a free society. Freedom, though, doesn’t mean we are exempt from responsibility or discretion. Instead, it inspires guidance.

Most people rush to see the list of banned books (I’m one of them) but I also found some compelling data.

For example, look at who is responsible for challenging the most books. Yes! Parents! That is as it should be. I can’t begin to tell you about the uninspiring stacks of books I’ve read because my children were reading them, and conversely, the amazing discoveries that I missed when I was their age and was able to enjoy with them because I was paying attention to what was on their night tables. The good news is that the institutions, for the most part, are staying out of it.

But if you’re a parent, this might be a useful table. The majority of the content questioned is, in fact, naughty.

As an English teacher, I’ll almost always encourage you to read something that challenges you, but I will always encourage you to read something that will edify you. Reading scandalous texts because they are scandalous will ultimately do you more harm than good.

It turns out that 46 out of the top 100 novels of the 21st century have been challenged. I’ve read 45. I’ll leave it up to you to figure out which ones.

🙂