7 Quick Takes Friday ~ Vol 76

— 1 — This Week’s Post: What To Do When He Stalls Summary: Avoid being the buddy, put him on the spot (What did you have in mind?) and practice the 3-date rule.

— 2 — Not Alone Series: This week’s NAS topic was: Hey! They are out of topics. I missed them this week! If you have any topics you would like them to write about, contact Jen or Morgan. I am sure they would appreciate your suggestions! Oh, and check out Jen’s adorable new blog design! Speaking of Jen, I will have the pleasure of meeting her in June when she is visiting her Dad who lives about an hour and half away. Funny thing is that he lives in the same town in which I was born and where my Mom still lives. Smallll world!

—3 — Spotlight On: This week’s spotlight is on Biltrix for the post, Birth Control and Spirituality. Do you know about Biltrix? The authors include 4 gentlemen, 3 of whom are holy Priests. Check them out. You can follow them on Twitter!

— 4 — My Response Time: Slowww. I feel terrible about how slow my response time has been to emails lately. I work full-time and can’t do any Veil email /blog stuff at work (duh). Plus Gregg and I share a computer here at home (along with our 9-year-old who occasionally gets to do minecrack…mine craft). In addition to that, I like to pray about my response. All this to say that I appreciate your patience. I can’t express how much I love your emails!! My response usually includes analysis (ha ha) by both Gregg and me. Most times we agree but sometimes my response is “Gregg thinks you should do X and I think you should do Y.” My Divine Mercy Chaplet list contains the names of all the girls who have written to me. I also include details next to names to remind Gregg and myself later about who is who. This also helps me to pray for you. The weekend is usually when I catch up on email so keep an eye out for me over the next couple of days! Again, thank you for your patience! You girls are the best.

— 5 — Upcoming Posts: Katie will be doing a guest post where she will share all about her mission trip to Democratic Republic of the Congo! Also, a reader asked me to do a “To My College Self” post which caused me to chuckle a bit. Lordy. That one will be easy! Oh, and I am going to do a post on Henry the 8th. Yeah. He was not a Holy Spouse. I’ll tell you why and I will make sure it is interesting and relevant! More good stuff in the hopper!

— 6 — Thank God Tobit Is In The Bible: Did you see the post by the Catholic Sistas called Thank God Tobit Is In The Bible? Do you know about and follow the Sistas? They have over 30 different contributors. You can follow them on Twitter!

— 7 — Saint Irenaeus of Lyons: (born 130AD Martyr 208AD), Bishop, Theologian and Martyr from his writings: Against The Heresies, IV, 37:

God made man a free agent… to obey the behests of God voluntarily, and not by God’s compulsion. For there is no coercion with God, but a good will towards us that is present with Him continually.

In man, as well as in angels, He has placed the power of choice… And not merely in works, but also in faith, God has preserved the will of man free and under his own control, saying: “According to your faith be it done unto you”(Mt 9,29).

Thus He shows that there is a faith specially belonging to man, since it arises out of his personal decision. And again: “All things are possible to him that believes”(Mk 9,23), and, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it done unto you”(Mt 8,13). Now all such expressions demonstrate that man is in his own power with respect to faith. And for this reason: “He that believes in Him has eternal life while he who believes not the Son has not eternal life”(Jn 3,36)…

But He should not, people say, have created angels of such a nature that they were capable of transgression, nor men who immediately proved ungrateful towards Him; for they were made rational beings, endowed with the power of examining and judging, and were not formed as irrational things or of a merely animal nature… But upon this supposition, the good would have no attraction for them, nor communion with God be precious.

What is good would not be very much be sought after since it would present itself without their own proper endeavor… The good would be implanted in them of its own accord and without their concern… If men were good by nature rather than by will, they would not understand this fact, that good is a comely thing, nor would they take pleasure in it.

For how can those who are ignorant of good enjoy it? Or what credit is it to those who have not aimed at it? And what crown is it to those who have not followed in pursuit of it?… The harder we strive, so much the more valuable it is; while so much the more valuable it is, so much the more we will esteem it.

God love and bless you!

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