— 1 —   This Week’s Post:  I was honored to do this guest post for Esther’s blog, For Such A Time As This. My guest post is just one in Esther’s excellent series called, “What does it mean to you to be a woman of God in the 21^st Century?”  Go check her out and be inspired!  Thank you, Esther!

— 2 —   Next Week:  I will share my book review of These Beautiful Bones by Emily Stimpson.  The subtitle of her book is “An Everyday Theology of The Body.”  Emily shows us how to apply the T.O.B everyday, everywhere and in everything we do.  She shows us that T.O.B was never intended to be ‘just’ about sex.  Do I have your attention now?  😉 Oh, I am also working on my “Real Men Don’t Text” book review.   

 —3 —  Not Alone Series:  This week’s topic was “Guess Who’s Engaged?!”. You know what I love about this series?  I love how these girls support and edify one another!  Each girl shared the struggle that ensues, as well as, the excitement they feel when a friend/acquaintance gets engaged.  In some ways engagement news, to me, brings hope because at least we can say that marriages are still happening!  But, the struggle to know when it will be your turn is a reality.  I loved that Natalie identified in her follow-up post a common ’cause’ of the struggle which she calls the ‘blue f’:

“Ahh the joys and the sorrows involved with the blue f.  Nearly everyone talked about getting depressed/sad/angry about engagements they saw on Facebook.”

Oh, that darn Facebook! My only input to this topic is this:  What you are experiencing is hard.  I wrote about it here. God has not forgotten you and your plight has not passed out of His notice.

— 4 —  Spotlight On:  This week’s spotlight is on the Modesty Rediscovered blog.  I love, love, love the fashion and style they share.  Let’s support and follow these awesome girls on Facebook and Twitter!  Here is a little bit about them:

“This blog aims at helping young women dress stylishly while still being able to uphold their dignity. It also seeks to rekindle the important virtue of modesty.

Far from curtailing women’s freedom, modesty safeguards it by enabling them to choose the greater good. It also shifts their focus from physical beauty to spiritual beauty that inspires others towards good.”

— 5 —    The Occult:  I have had a number of emails from readers who are tempted to participate in the occult.  Things such as tarot cards and palm readers tempt them into thinking they can obtain peace by ‘knowing’ their future.  If you have done this in the past, please go to confession.  If, thank God, you have never sought false peace via the occult, then please never open up your precious and eternal soul to these demons.  If you think I am over-reacting, read Take # 6 and #7.

— 6 —   Dan Lord:  Gregg and I watched The Choices We Face with guest, Dan Lord.  Dan is married to Hallie Lord and he has quite a conversion story.  He also has a book which we ordered called Choosing Joy.  The thing that captured my attention about his journey was how he noticed that after years of having access to the fount of grace in the Sacraments, he still felt as if he was not growing in virtue.  He writes:

“it was as if my spiritual growth had reached a rock ceiling, that no matter what I did I could not seem to grow any more in virtue or in my relationship with Christ…. I was now forced to admit that there remained an ugly, nebulous blockade inside me, past which I simply could not go. I had no joy…”

Wow! You can see the show for yourself here:

— 7 —   Dan Lord’s Exorcism:  Yes, you read that right.  His 3-part story is here, here and here. The book of James Chapter 5 says:

“But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.”

Dan’s testimony reminded me that our words and actions have meaning!  Just because we do not believe in evil does not mean it cannot take hold of our souls.  We can open ourselves up, unknowingly, to the occult. And, this stronghold or blockade has no expiration date.  It can stay in place for years. Be careful.  And, if you have done this, please go to confession! Only Christ can set you free.

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —   This Week’s Post: Truth Is Written On Our Hearts.  Don’t you just love when the Lord sends His blessing at just the right time?  Joanna, which means ‘a gift from God’ was certainly a gift to me this week and her sage advice and insights captured in this post are gifts to us all. Thank you, Joanna!

**next week I will be a guest blogger on For Such A Time As This! The topic?  What is it like to be a 21st Century Woman?  #excited

— 2 —   March For Life:  I watched the whole March for Life on EWTN while sitting on my couch.  And do you know what?  I was freezing.  I was inside, under a blanket and I was freezing.  All I kept thinking about was how those holy marchers must have been chilled to the bone (I’m looking at you, Morgan and TEAM D!)! Thank you and God bless each and every one of you!

 —3 —  Mass For Life:  Did you get to see the Mass for Life Wednesday morning?  These young Catholics are such an inspiration!! Did you see the photo of the cute guy praying the rosary?  Wink, wink. Uh huh.  Oh, Lord, you refresh us with your consolations and give us hope!

And, cue the ‘Hallelujah’ music!

— 4 —  Abby Johnson:  Abby Johnson is a former Planned Parenthood worker who is now one of the strongest pro-life advocates in this important cause.  She was on The Journey Home Monday night and I was super impressed and moved by her story.  It is an hour long but worth every minute! And, Marcus’ son JonMarc did a great job as the host!

— 5 —   Not Alone Series: 

• This week’s topic is Beauty. It reminded me that I need to do my book review of Emily Stimpson’s book, These Beautiful Bones. Isn’t it funny how one of the readings from this week’s Mass was from Samuel which reminds us:

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7 ‪

Check out Jen’s blog for the link-up!  Oh, and speaking of link-ups, the Not Alone Series was nominated for the Sheenazing Award!  I know you love this link-up so go cast your vote of support! Congrats to Jen, Morgan and all the girls!!

— 6 —   Spotlight On:  

• This week’s spotlight on is a triple-decker (a ‘hat trick’ for your hockey fans) by Celeste from Sacred Sharings For The Soul.  First, if you are having trouble surrendering to the Lord, check out her post Do You Trust? and be encouraged!

 “Our often inability to accept the will of our Lord is a reflection of our failure to die to self in surrender. We do not die to self in a way that brings about harm, we die to self so that the life and love of our Lord may live in us, enabling us to be who we were called by God to be within this world. Death to self so that Life itself may live in us more fully.”

Next, this beautiful meditation on Faith will warm your soul.  But, but, but, then she wrote a post about preparing for marriage and its title is…..Lifting The Veil of Disillusionment. She sweetly incorporated the concept of The Veil in her post and then gave me a little shout out on Twitter.  Great job, Celeste and thank you!

— 7 —   The Veil ~ Again:  The concept of us having a veil has also been expressed by Alice and Dietrich von Hildebrand.  I did not come up with the concept on my own but instead as a result of reading their writings. I was reminded this week about Alice’s words in this Letter To A Young Girl:

“….That is to say, a “secret” is entrusted to her body, and a secret is always “veiled”. According to Christian teaching, this veil closes the entrance to a mysterious garden which belongs to God in a special way, and for this reason cannot be entered into except with His express permission, the permission that God grants spouses in the Sacrament of Matrimony.”   Alice von Hildebrand

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —   This Week’s Post:  Where Would I Be Without The Veil?  Did you see the beautiful testimony in this Guest Post by the lovely fellow blogger, Pier?

Isn’t the Catholic Blogging world such a blessing?!  Pier is so sweet.  She featured The Veil of Chastity twice in this post and this post.  In this post, she included a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip.  My friend, Jeanette, brought the same dip over to our house for our little New Year’s Eve party and I fell in love with it.  I followed the recipe on Pier’s blog and made this yummy appetizer.  We enjoyed it as we watched ‘playoff’ football on Sunday.  Yummmm.  Thank you again, Pier!

— 2 —   Meg:  As reported in last week’s 7QTs, our friend Meg Hunter-Kilmer stayed at our house last Friday night!  She presented her Apologetics Bootcamp class at our Parish and it was fantastic.  Gregg and I were blessed with a babysitter at the last minute on Friday night and we were able to go to Meg’s Bootcamp class together.  Please ask your Pastor to bring Meg in to your Parish for this Apologetics Bootcamp class.  You will not be disappointed!

 —3 —  Amazing:  Speaking of not being disappointed, we are blessed with amazing young people in our County.  As we were leaving the Church Friday night, a young girl of about 17-years old sweetly suggested that we all stop in front of the altar and say an Our Father.  So, there we were.  Meg, our amazing Pastor, about 6 college students and a couple of parents praying an Our Father….on a Friday night….following the lead of a beautiful 17-year-old girl.  Wow.  Amazing!

In addition, we have two more young Catholics seeking religious vocations in our County for a total of 12! Check out this article  which shares the beautiful story of 2 young women from our local Catholic high school.  Our County cup overfloweth!

— 4 —  Not Alone Series:  The NAS girls are back after taking a short break for Advent and Christmas!! Boy, did I miss them!  Check out all the links over at Jen’s blog, Jumping In Puddles.  This week’s topic was: In what ways can you grow/stretch RIGHT NOW that could affect the whole of 2014?  Great job girls!  They had a new participant, Laura, who jumped right in this week.  And, this one by the other Laura from Life is Beautiful was sweet.  She wrote:

“In keeping with the NAS question above, I have a feeling this year’s goal will stretch me more than some of the others. I’m asking the Lord to help me have an inviting heart.

I want to invite others into my heart, into my home, into the Catholic Church. I want to invite new friends and old friends into my life even when I feel busy. I want to invite people into my vulnerability. Into my messiness (including my home at times!). I want to invite people in deeper relationship with Christ. By my word. By my example. By open arms and heart and listening ears.”

— 5 —   Spotlight On:  This week’s spotlight is on Leticia from Ramblings Of A Crazy Face. I just love this girl.  Take a look at the work the Lord is doing in her life and bring a tissue! 

— 6 —   Spotlight On:  The next spotlight is on Kari Kampakis for her blog post, Raising A Kind Daughter.  I found her blog via a High School friend on mine on Facebook and I know I will be spending time over this long holiday weekend reading more of her wise posts.  You can check out her blog, ‘like’ her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter to get more.  Here is the best line from Raising A Kind Daughter:

“And can I tell you what their kind friends all have in common? Kind mothers.”  Kari Kampakis

— 7 —   Silence is Scary:  I know the saying is really ‘Silence is Golden’ but for me, extended silence is scary! Well, the Lord loves to scare us stretch us out of our comfort zone and I can recognize a good nudge when I feel one.  My latest scare stretch came straight out of the book of Judges Chapter 6.  The fleece was wet and then it was dry.  Praise the Lord!  Here is the story:

A friend of mine gave me a flyer a couple of weeks ago for a…silent retreat.  Oh goodness, I hope my face did not look as frightened as my soul felt.  I sweetly thanked her and silently said, “No way.”  Then, Gregg said, “That sounds great!  You should do it!”. I gave him the “No way!” look of disapproval.

Then, another sweet girlfriend of mine emailed me the same flyer!  I told her that I would ‘try’ to sign up (knowing that the spots were filling up fast).  So, I went to the website and yes, all the spots were filled.  But, they had the option for a waiting list and a ‘commuter’ option.  Well, I got a commuter spot.  And, guess what?  I am excited now!  Another lovely girlfriend heard about my commuter spot and called to ask me if she could ride with me because the commuter option sounded perfect for her too.

God is soooo gentle with us.  He does not push us in the pool.  He allows us to dip our toe in first and ease our way into the pool.  And, I am no longer scared.  But, please pray for me.  The retreat is in mid-February and I will let you know how it goes!

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —   This Week’s Post:  Are You A Priority Or Just An Option?  Some tough love served with a spoonful of humble pie!

— 2 —   Next Week’s post:  Ohhhhh, I am sooo excited to share with you a guest post that will be up this Monday, January 13^th!  The title is “Where Would I Be Without The Veil?” and you are going to love the guest blogger!

 —3 —  Meg:  Our friend Meg Hunter-Kilmer will be staying at our house this weekend!  She is presenting her Apologetics Bootcamp class at our Parish this weekend and we have the privilege of hosting her.  I’ll report back on the fun next week!

— 4 —  Spotlight On:  This week’s spotlight is once again on……Ta  da! Emily Stimpson!  Check out this post!

“I reread my own words here and am embarrassed by them; by the presumptiousness of one who needs others to live as he has been, himself, unwilling to live.“  What Catholic Tradition Means to a Protestant by Paul Harvey

— 5 —   Spotlight On:  The next spotlight is on Jen from Jumping in Puddles for her book review of……Emily Stimpson’s The Catholic Girls Survival Guide.  Great job, Jen!

— 6 —    Life is It:  Most, if not all, of you are too young to remember the “Coke Is It” slogan and commercials.  I know you may have seen the latest commercial that has been going around but I have to share it in case you did not see it.  It is pro-baby and pro-love. It perfectly expresses the excitement that a couple in love feel when learning of new life and the privilege of being co-creators of a new soul.

— 7 —   Mr. Romance:  Has a guy ever said this to you: “You make me so happy!”?  If so, check out this article which explains Dietrich von Hildebrand’s thoughts on Union With Our Beloved.  It is not simply about happiness.  It is about Union.  Something tells me Mrs. Alice von Hildebrand felt very loved by her ardent spouse!  Go Dietrich!

“The moment man is more interested in his happiness than in union with his beloved, he stops wanting real union. This would play out as so: Boy meets girl, girl makes boy happy, boy wants to keep girl around for his own happiness. This is selfish in that man does not want “union” with the beloved. He wants “possession” of the beloved. Perhaps this is why some marriages have ended in a divorce.”

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —   This Week’s Post:  Dear Cindy ~  My Friend Says Her Friend Likes Me.   What to do when:

 “He texts you and emails you and pays you nice compliments.  But, he has not initiated anything beyond a flirty friendship.”

— 2 —   Your Parents:  Last week I wrote a little note in my 7QTs about Parents and how they have a hard time handling their children’s extended singleness.  Let me just say, if you are experiencing this with your parents, you are not alone!  I received a lot of feedback from readers thanking me for recognizing this cross which is thrust upon them and difficult to carry without a whole range of unproductive emotions gushing forth.

 —3 —  Christmas:  Our Christmas and New Year’s was spent with wonderful friends and family. The Seminarians were home from University and served during Mass which brought an extra special reverence to the Mass.  Last Sunday, I was privileged to sit next to Sister Mary Rock of Constancy at Mass.  Yes, there is something about the habit that reminds us of God and encourages us all on to holiness! Our parish is rich with vocations, praise God!

— 4 —  Spotlight On:  This week’s spotlight is on Britt from Proverbial Girlfriend.  Her book, The Ten Commandments for Kissing Gloria Jean was released!  As a person who is gluten-free, I totally love that Britt’s main character has Celiac.  Okay, there is more to it than that but it makes me even more excited to read it.  I am waiting for the hard copy so that I can flood our church’s lending library with copies.  But you can order the digital version now!  Check out the book at her sight here.  Let’s support each other in getting Catholic fiction in the hands of our youth!  Congratulations Britt!

— 5 —   The Choices We Face:  Have you seen this awesome show on EWTN?  I watched The Lordship of Jesus Christ last night and felt so encouraged and inspired.  Check out this awesome show hosted by Ralph Martin and Peter Herbeck from Renewel Ministries.  Here is a list of past shows that you can also watch!

— 6 —  First Friday Adoration:  I signed up for First Friday Adoration of our Lord from 10:00 – 11:00 this morning. Since it snowed last night, it may be family adoration for us.  Gregg may need to drive me! I will be praying for all of you on my Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer list.  If you have a need for prayer, please send me a note!  

— 7 —  Rock of Faith, Love and Truth:  Here is something beautiful from Pope Francis’ Encyclical, Lumen fidei (Light of Faith):

“…The light of love proper to faith can illumine the questions of our own time about truth. Truth nowadays is often reduced to the subjective authenticity of the individual, valid only for the life of the individual. A common truth intimidates us, for we identify it with the intransigent demands of totalitarian systems. But if truth is a truth of love, if it is a truth disclosed in personal encounter with the Other and with others, then it can be set free from its enclosure in individuals and become part of the common good. As a truth of love, it is not one that can be imposed by force; it is not a truth that stifles the individual. Since it is born of love, it can penetrate to the heart, to the personal core of each man and woman. Clearly, then, faith is not intransigent, but grows in respectful coexistence with others. One who believes may not be presumptuous; on the contrary, truth leads to humility, since believers know that, rather than ourselves possessing truth, it is truth which embraces and possesses us. Far from making us inflexible, the security of faith sets us on a journey; it enables witness and dialogue with all.”

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —   This Week’s Post:  My Christmas Card To You!  I hope you had a very merry Christmas!

— 2 —   Christmas Miracles:  Gregg and I witnessed several Christmas miracles this week having to do with loved ones we have been praying about for a while.  Prayer~ an act of Charity that will never offend.

“…Was just at Adoration praying for you and our sweet and gentle Father wanted me to tell you that He loves you and yearns for you to ask miracles of Him. ‪#‎youareloved.‬”  Maura ~ Made In His Image

 —3 —  Confession:  We went to the Penance Service at our church on the Wednesday before Christmas.  There were four Priests available and we were blessed to have a new Priest to our County hear our confession.  After sitting with me for what, five minutes?, he gently and lovingly indicated that I might have a trust issue with God.  Hello, Holy Spirit! 🙂

— 4 —  Spotlight On:  This week’s spotlight is on Stephanie Calis for her guest post on Arleen Spenceley’s blog called A Case For Chastity.  You know Stephanie, right?  Besides being a new Mom to this gorgeous child, here is a bit more about Stephanie:

“Her passion is telling young women they possess immense worth and that pure, sacrificial love is real; she thinks a truthful understanding of sex and love is medicine for an aching culture. Stephanie blogs about love and wedding planning at Captive the Heart.”

— 5 —  Your Parents:  If your singleness is causing stress between you and your parents, it is most likely because your pain becomes their pain.  They want your pain to end and they have no idea how to help end it.  They want you to be happy.  They may think that you are somehow causing your own pain.  Finding a spouse may have been easy for them and they cannot figure out why in the world you cannot make this happen in your life.  They may have no clue when it comes to understanding the weight of your cross.  Their insensitive remarks and actions are most likely the result of worry and guilt ~ as I always say, “the two gifts of Motherhood.” Guilt leads them to look back on every parenting decision they made and wonder if they could have done something different.  Their perceived insensitivity is just them fumbling the parental ball.  

— 6 —  ‎No One Is Getting Away With Anything:  If the events of this Christmas have tempted you to think that God is rewarding those who do not follow His commandments and precepts, here is a good reminder for all of us:

“Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away.  For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.”  Psalm 1:4-5

— 7 —  Faith “Sees” To The Extent That It Journeys:  I love this reminder from Pope Francis’ Encyclical “Lumen fidei / The Light of Faith”:

Abraham, our father in faith: Faith opens the way before us and accompanies our steps through time. Hence, if we want to understand what faith is, we need to follow the route it has taken, the path trodden by believers, as witnessed first in the Old Testament. Here a unique place belongs to Abraham, our father in faith. Something disturbing takes place in his life: God speaks to him; he reveals himself as a God who speaks and calls his name. Faith is linked to hearing. Abraham does not see God, but hears his voice. Faith thus takes on a personal aspect. God is not the god of a particular place, or a deity linked to specific sacred time, but the God of a person, “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Ex 3,6), capable of interacting with man and establishing a covenant with him. Faith is our response to a word which engages us personally, to a “Thou” who calls us by name.

The word spoken to Abraham contains both a call and a promise. First, it is a call to leave his own land, a summons to a new life, the beginning of an exodus which points him towards an unforeseen future (Gn 12,1). The sight which faith would give to Abraham would always be linked to the need to take this step forward: faith “sees” to the extent that it journeys, to the extent that it chooses to enter into the horizons opened up by God’s word.

This word also contains a promise: “Your descendants will be great in number, you will be the father of a great nation” (Gn 13:16; 15:5; 22:17). As a response to a word which preceded it, Abraham’s faith would always be an act of remembrance… But, as the memory of a promise, it becomes capable of opening up the future, shedding light on the path to be taken… It is thus closely bound up with hope.  Pope Francis Encyclical ” Lumen fidei / The Light of Faith”

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —   This Week’s Post:  The Veil of Chastity Interviews Blogger Amanda Mortus!!  Check out my nosey questions and her honest answers.  Thank you, Amanda!

— 2 —   Maura:  Hang on to this truth that Maura from Made in His Image wrote:

“Oh sweetheart, you’re worth so much more than your pant size.‪#‎youarebeautiful ‪#‎youareenough“

 —3 —  Just Friends For Now:  Did you see this post from Seraphic Singles? Solid analysis is provided.  I had to look up the word Addlepated.  It means “confusion.” I usually use the word ‘confounded’ but Addlepated is an excellent word. My favorite line:

  “I bet he is just addled by the culture of choice.”

— 4 —  More SAYONARA, 20s!:  As she turns 30, Christina Grace of The Evangelista wrote a follow-up post to the ones I shared in last week’s 7QTs.  How To Make The Most Of Your 20s: Part 2  Excellent again! 

— 5 —  Friends With Benefits Are Neither:  A great reminder from Jason and Chrystalina Evert:

— 6 —  ‎Sins of Omission: 

“Many lose their peace of soul on earth and their soul for eternity, not just because of the evil they have done, but also because of the good that they have left undone. A man who is poisoned may have the antidote alongside his bed, but if he neglects to take it, he parishes.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen  Walk With God 

— 7 —  ‎Hallelujah, Our Savior Is Born: I have always loved this song but the lyrics this artist has chosen to replace the original are beautiful!  Clink on the link and enjoy!  Merry Christmas, my sweet girls!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1pQVRyPGTEc

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —   This Week’s Post: Guest Post ~ To Have A Friend by fellow blogger Mary Beth Baker.  Lots of good things to ponder in her post about friendships!  Thank you, Mary Beth!

— 2 —    Next Week’s Post:  Sooooooooooooooo excited to announce that author and fellow blogger Amanda Mortus will be featured here next week.  Amanda is a newly engaged bride-to-be and when I found out about her engagement I pounced on her to ask her some very nosey questions.  Ya wanna know her answers?  Come back on Monday and check out my interview with Amanda!

 —3 —  Spotlight On:

• This week’s spotlight is on Celeste from Sacred Sharings for the Soul!  Do you know the date of your Baptism?  Check out her blog post and read about her sweet celebration of her first Sacrament!

— 4 —  SAYONARA, 20s!:  As she turns 30, Christina Grace of The Evangelista wrote a fantastic post called Why I’m Ridiculously Happy To Be Turning 30.  Excellent! Oh, and her follow-up, How To Make The Most of Your 20’s.  Excellent again!

Happy Birthday, Christina Grace!

“When I look back on my 20s, with all of the graduating and moving and changing jobs and therapy and running from God and running to God and making new friends and dating and blogging and letting go and hanging on and learning to love and learning to be loved, all I can say is: Deo Gratias. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the beauty and the mess”

— 5 —    Try On Wife:  Oh goodness, I found this and I had to share it.

— 6 —  ‎Evangelii Gaudium:  From 

• The Joy of the Gospel:

10.  “The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is
not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment
for the weak.”

— 7 —  ‎Evangelii Gaudium:  Awesome Comments shared by Janet Smith:

“Just finished reading Evangelii Gaudium. Nothing like it. Every pope has his own voice and Pope Francis’ is truly distinctive. What a reader of the human heart! He identified all my excuses for inaction… He wields a veritable sword to the heart. I have my “concerns” but most of it is powerful spiritual reading and my guess is every reader will come away, thinking “I wish I had his faith and zeal.” And he would say, “Just ask, and the Holy Spirit will help you.”  Janet Smit

“He walks the talk. Here is what an almoner is. I want to learn to be an almoner.

“”Being an almoner, it has to cost me something so that it can change me,” he said. He contrasted such alms-giving with, say, the unnamed cardinal who once …boasted about always giving two euros to a beggar on the street near the Vatican.

“I told him, ‘Eminence, this isn’t being an almoner. You might be able to sleep at night, but being an almoner has to cost you. Two euros is nothing for you. Take this poor person, bring him to your big apartment that has three bathrooms, let him take a shower – and your bathroom will stink for three days – and while he’s showering make him a coffee and serve it to him, and maybe give him your sweater. This is being an almoner.””  Janet Smith

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —   This Week’s Post:  Dear Cindy ~ My Daydreaming Mind.  May you be blessed and assured that you are not alone in your habit of day dreaming!

— 2 —    Next Week’s Post:  We have a guest post from Mary Beth from Life in the Gap!  Have you checked out this blog?  She and her sister, Virginia, host the blog and have been posting interviews from various girls about singleness and life in the gap! Check them out. I am very excited to have Mary Beth as a guest blogger next week!

 —3 —  Guest Bloggers:  Speaking of my guest bloggers….well I will just let her tell you! 🙂

— 4 —  Spotlight On:   This week’s spotlight is a little tardy.  Britt from Proverbial Girlfriend wrote this about Online Dating.  Check it out!

— 5 —    Meg:  Our dear friend Meg Hunter-Kilmer lost her Daddy last Friday.  He was only 55.  She and her sister, Rosie, wrote beautiful tributes to him here and here.  Our most sincere condolences to Meg and Rosie, their Mom and family.  May his soul rest in peace.

— 6 —  Maura:  Amazing Maura from Made In His Image Tweeted this:

“If he is interested in you, you’ll know. If he isn’t, you’ll be
confused. Don’t settle ladies! #youareworthbeingpursued” 

and this

“Part of the irresistible beauty of a woman rests in her inherent
ability to make better a man in every way.”

— 7 —  ‎Evangelii Gaudium: Oh, The Joy of the Gospel! I’ve loved all the quotes from Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation on The Joy of the Gospel!  I can’t wait to read the whole thing!  This one was very convicting:

“All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients.”

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —   This Week’s Post:   A Sacramental Life In Christ.  This post was long overdue and it felt good to finally capture all the beautiful ways Christ gives us to share in His own divine life.

— 2 —  Tardy Today:  My 7QTs are very tardy today because we were out late last night (9:00pm!) and we had to work today. Since I have committed to not working on blog stuff at work and because the home/family life was crammed this week, I am working on these 7 nuggets after work on Friday.  I will be way down in the 100’s on Jen’s linky-links this week!

 —3 —   Not Alone Series: This week’s topic was Surviving Events/Parties as a Singleton.  As usual, the NAS girls provided great suggestions on this topic.  One suggestion by Nikki was to “Help, be of service.”  Now, your response may be, “Hey, I am a guest at the party.  Just because I am single does not mean I have to always play the servant.”  I understand this response but please stay with me on this.  I would often ask the hostess if she would like me to show up early and help set up. That way, I would avoid the whole walking-in-by-myself-feeling-like-everyone-is-staring-at-single-me thing.  I would have a role at the party instead of feeling out-of-place and awkward.  The beauty of this advice?  It is strategic and kind to be of service.

— 4 —  Spotlight On #1:  This week’s spotlight #1 is on Allie Millette for her guest post over at the Life In The Gap blog.  You remember Allie, right?  She provided a wildly popular guest post for me back in October called “Friending.”  Her latest guest post, It Starts At Home, is especially poignant for those of us who have struggled or are struggling to give ourselves a break.  Tissue time.

“…but at the end of the day, what’s done is done and the only thing left to do is look in the mirror and say I love you, I’m sorry for abandoning you, and I forgive you. After all, how can we honestly expect for others to accept our offers of forgiveness when we can’t even face forgiving ourselves?…”

— 5 —     Spotlight On #2: Spotlight #2 is on Ann from A Holy Experience for her post about public proposals and Redefining Boring.  Personally, I think the public proposal thing is tacky. I know you girls think it is romantic but as an older gal may I please share with you that sometimes the biggest shows of love and commitment end up being the most fake and fragile.  I am not wishing bad on any of the couples who get engaged as a result of a huge public proposal.  I just cringe when I see these outlandish public proposals on Facebook because I feel concerned that an expectation is being placed in your hearts. Please, please read this woman’s blog post and embrace the boring.  I pray it helps you to raise and lower your expectations in the right areas of marriage and romance.

 “…How a man proposes isn’t what makes him romantic. It’s how a man proposes to lay down his life that makes him romantic.”  Ann

— 6 —   Anyone Need to Forgive an Ex-Boyfriend?  Hopefully, you still have the tissues out from Allie’s post because this post from The Evangelista is a tear jerker.  

“…Things were getting intense in that classroom. At this point, I was in tears, but I already felt as if a huge weight had been lifted. God’s grace was working in a powerful way. But then, Fr. James surprised me by going in an unexpected direction: he told me that we were going to do the exercise again, but that instead of imagining my ex-boyfriend in the chair opposite me, he told me I imagine that I was looking into a mirror. 

“Christina, I want you to look at the girl in the mirror. You’re angry at her aren’t you?”

[Tearfully] “Yes.”

“You’re even angrier at her than you are at your ex-boyfriend, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” 

— 7 —Virgin and Martyr:  St. Cecilia, pray for us! Today is her feast day!    

God love and bless you!

p.s.s. Check out all my posts listed by category here!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow“ button. Please check me out and follow me on Twitter too! Thank you!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!