— 1 —   This Week’s Post:   Dear Cindy ~ Discouraged and Tempted  This week I kicked off the Dear Cindy series by sharing a Reader’s question and my response to her question.  Next week I plan to explain what I mean when I advise you girls to strive for holiness through a Sacramental Life in Christ. 

— 2 —  Not Alone Series:  This week’s topic was Vulnerability with Friends.  Nikki from Catholic Heart for Home helped me to better relate to my single friends with one simple sentence:

“….she gives gentle and relevant support for the whole of me not just the want to get married part.”

Morgan from Follow and Believe concluded with the following:

“…My married/engaged friends are such great models of holy romances. They help me to know what I’m truly looking for in a relationship, what matters and what doesn’t. And you know what? While they might not be able to relate to my particular situation, they’ve had struggles of their own. Maybe I can learn from something they’ve had to deal with!”

 —3 —   Spotlight On #1:  I had a hard time choosing just one person to spotlight this week.  This week’s first spotlight is once again on Emily Stimpson.  I am getting a deeper understanding of the life-changing teaching of Theology of the Body through her book, These Beautiful Bones . Additionally, Emily continues to amaze me with her posts over at Catholic Vote.  Her latest, What Makes A Body Beautiful, makes me want to drive to Steubenville and give her a hug.   In a nutshell:  We can all be beautiful.  

— 4 —  Spotlight On #2:  I have been so blessed to ‘meet’ amazing girls through the blog world and one of my favorites is Celeste from Sacred Sharings for The Soul.  She is somewhat stealthy but if you only knew the dedication she has to teaching young girls about the virtue of chastity!  She is young and wise and is the perfect role model for young girls.  Have you seen any of her gorgeous posts? This week, she asked this ‘hit you in the gut’ question:

“In moments of spiritual desolation it is important to ask ourselves this very question “Are we in love with all the good things of God, or the God of all good things?”

— 5 —   Spotlight on #3:  This week’s spotlight #3 is on Maura from Made In His Image.  Maura most likely needs no introduction but in the event you do not know her, I featured her on my 7QTs back in March.  This week she shared a post called:  To The Broken and Beautiful Girl.  Don’t click without a Kleenex in hand!

Maura also Tweeted this truth:   “The man God has for you will say, “I’ve seen you at your worst and I’m staying.”

— 6 —   Spotlight On #4:  Mandy from Messy Wife, Blessed Life writes about the revelation she made after her recent miscarriage in her guest post, When Our Good and Holy Plans Fall Through:

“…That large family may be in our future still, but I no longer make assumptions.  Because for the first time, I’ve stopped thinking that I know what God has planned for me.  And I’ve stopped making plans for myself.  And for the first time, I feel much more receptive to God’s will; when I stop telling Him of my plans, I leave room to be able to hear His.”

— 7 — The Troops of St. George:  Gregg is taking our son on a hike tomorrow with the new troop from our parish!  Can I get an ‘Amen!’ on the need to infuse future men with virtue, decisiveness and integrity!?! 

Who are the Troops of Saint George?

“…We are a Catholic apostolate for Catholic men and their sons. We are Catholic first above all else. Our campouts feature the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the sacrament of Confession, and time-honored Catholic devotions.

We are not interested in arts and crafts or meetings for the sake of meetings. Rather, we’re interested in meeting the challenges of being a godly and Christian man for our wives, children, grandchildren, and culture. We want our sons to become true men infused with virtue, decisiveness, and integrity….”

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:   Freedom in Self-Control   May you be richly blessed by the words of Dietrich von Hildebrand!

— 2 —  Dear Cindy:  This is a new series that will include your questions and my answers!  Next week, I will answer the most common question I receive from my 30+year-old Readers:  “Is it too late and what advice can you give me on how not to fall into despair?”

 —3 —   Spotlight On:  This week’s spotlight is once again on Emily Stimpson.  As you know, I am reading her book, These Beautiful Bones and I plan to write a review of it soon.  If any of you have ever struggled with body image and your relationship with food (my hand is raised), Emily’s article, What The Pope Taught Me About Food And Sex, is for you.  The article gives you a foretaste (get it?) of her fabulous book!

— 4 —  Lady Alice von Hildebrand: This week’s post had a quote from Dietrich von Hildebrand.  His wife, Alice, is another very strong inspiration for me.  She was recently invested as a Dame Grand Cross of the Pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great. I just love her.

 — 5 —     Not Alone Series:  This week’s topic was Favorite Single-People Sites and Posts and was hosted by Morgan.  Check out the awesome resources these girls have pulled together!  I felt honored to be listed in Jen’s post, Britt’s post and Nikki’s posts.  Thank you so much! 

— 6 —   The Veil Theory:  Morgan’s post this week led me to Verily Magazine and this article by Monica Gabriel.    As I was reading it, the concept of The Veil just jumped out at me.  A guy can be attracted to you and not pursue you and that is not necessarily a bad thing.  Frustrating, yes. I love what she wrote at the end:

“…Now whenever I begin criticizing Mr. Totally Into Me for missing his cue, I check my pride and give him the benefit of the doubt. I simply ask myself one question: is he pursuing me? If the answer is no, then he is just a man who is attracted to a woman which is, as I understand it, about as unique as a moth drawn to a flame.

So I have stopped worrying about the guys who are attracted to me and have turned my attention solely to the men who pursue me–no more psychoanalysis, no more prideful wound licking.”

— 7 — Saint Ambrose (c.340-397), Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church:  This is a great commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel by this Saint and Doctor of the Church: 

The Three Parables of Mercy

“It is not without purpose Saint Luke has set three parables before us one after the other: the sheep that was lost and was found, the drachma that was mislaid and was found, and the prodigal son who was dead and came back to life, so that, encouraged by this threefold medicine, we might heal our wounds… Who are the father, the shepherd, the woman? Are they not God the Father, Christ and the Church? Christ who took your sins on himself carries you in his body; the Church goes looking for you; the Father welcomes you home. Like a shepherd he brings you back; like a mother it seeks you out; like a Father he clothes you. Mercy first of all, then rescue, and finally reconciliation.

Each of these details is appropriate to each one: the Redeemer comes to our help, the Church rescues, the Father reconciles. The mercy of the divine work is the same but the grace differs according to our worthiness. The wearied sheep is brought back by the shepherd, the missing drachma is found again, the son retraces his steps to his father and returns wholly repentant for the wandering off he rejects…

So let us be glad that this sheep who strayed in Adam has been restored in Christ. Christ’s shoulders are the arms of the cross, it is there I have set my sins, on the noble neck of that gibbet have I found rest.”

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 3-Date Rule    I hope the post cleared up some of the confusion!  

— 2 —   Next Week’s Post:  I get so many great questions from you girls.  Over the next couple of weeks, I plan to post my responses to Reader’s questions!  Don’t worry, the details will be changed to protect privacy.  The best one was when a girl asked me what I thought about her dating situation.  I told her I thought she should break up with the guy.  Then….ahh…you have to come back and see what happened!  I am also excited about some guest posts in the future!

 —3 —   Not Alone Series: This week’s NAS topic was Settling.  To settle or not to settle.  That was the question!  Morgan’s post from Follow and Believe was especially good.  It also helped that she gave me a little shout out.  ha ha.  No, I think I am being impartial.  All of the posts were great and none of the girls seemed to considered settling an option.  I have my own post on expectations and how I wondered the same thing when I was single.  Morgan nailed it though when she described the struggle that ensues when one is tempted to settle:

“…We all have moments of weakness where thoughts of “my standards are too high” or “no one will ever meet my expectations” or “all the great guys are taken” creep in…which then lead us to thinking/considering that maybe, just maybe, we should lower our standards and be more “realistic”.”

— 4 —  Spotlight On: This week’s spotlight is on Hallie from Moxie Wife for her spotlight on her husband’s gorgeous words about marriage:

 “The assignment for this chapter was to provide some hope for married people. One cause for hopelessness may lie in these facts: the supernatural grace given in the Sacrament of Marriage exists in union with everyday life; the latter is visible, the former is invisible; the latter is prosaic, the former is profound; the latter is frustrating and cruel, the former is the life of God breathing peace and charity. These are opposite things. Only God knows how to weave them together so that the latter is taken up into the former and perfected—how can we regular folk, who are year in and year out writhing in pain to bring forth children or toiling with sweaty faces to coax thorn-covered crops from the cursed ground, be expected to worthily live the vocation of marriage that God gives to us?”

— 5 —   The Virgin Mary:  Did you see this?  

— 6 —   Braces:  Our son got braces this week.  He is not quite 9 years old and it is a small but critical correction that should only take 6 months. Neither Gregg nor I had them so we had very little experience to go on.  He looks adorable in them. Although the adjustment has been hard for him, he has been a trooper! 

 — 7 — Shout Out To TVOC:  Sarah Thérèse is a new contributor over at the very popular blog, Catholic Young Women.  Well, imagine my excitement when I realized that in her latest post she referred the girls to The Veil of Chastity blog.  If you haven’t already, check out this fabulous blog.  9 different young, Catholic women contribute to the blog which was started in 2007.  There are 59 posts alone on the topic of Singleness and Waiting!  Great stuff. Thank you for the shout out my sweet friend, Sarah Thérèse!

God love and bless you!

p.s.  Today is the First Friday of the month and I will be praying for those of you on my Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer list during Adoration of our Lord!  If you want to be added to my list, write to me or comment and I will pray for you every week!

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:   Friending Limits  Just a little advice on friendships with men. 🙂 

— 2 —    3-Date Rule:  I had a question from a girl about the 3-date rule.  The reader was wondering if my advice about not talking about the guy with family and friends until after 3 dates applies to her Mom. I thought that was such a sweet question.  It made me realize that I need to explain the 3-Date Rule a little better.  Which I will do next week!

 —3 —   Not Alone Series:  The topic this week was….Patience!  I think this week may have been my favorite and it would be hard for me to spotlight just one girl’s posts.  They all shared their struggle with patience in a candid and beautiful way!  Read and be inspired!

— 4 —  Spotlight On:  I wish I could give the person credit who mentioned the Parable of the Butterfly in their post (It was Nikki ~ here is her post).  I thought it was one of the Not Alone Series girls but I read each one again and didn’t see the reference to the Butterfly.  Anyway, I shared this video and parable with my son and I think it made a big impression upon him.  The butterfly needs the struggle caused by the cocoon in order to push the fluid out of his body and into his wings. Without the struggle, the butterfly ends up with a swollen body and shriveled wings.  It was never able to fly.  Our struggles are also designed by God.

— 5 —   Your Body Is A Weapon: One of the readings from Mass this week included this truth:

“…And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness.” Romans 6:12

— 6 —   Psalms:  I love how this sacred book opens with a bang!

“…Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent. But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night.  He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers…” Psalm 1

 — 7 — I Am Not Always Right:  The Lord has blessed me with two distinct opportunities this week to help me understand that my assessments of people can be very, very wrong.  Thank you for loving me, Lord!

“For whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth…”  Hebrews 12:6

God love and bless you!

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:   Friending ~ A Guest Post by Allie Millette. Wow, oh wow! I had no idea how many friends Allie has and it seems that every single one of them checked out her guest post!  The number of hits on my site doubled on the first day and continued for a couple of days following the post.  Great job Allie and welcome to all your friends who are now following the blog!!

— 2 —    Next Week’s Post:  I plan to do a post called Friending Limits (ha ha! A funny take on Spending Limits and blowing the National Debt).  I am going to expand a little on what Allie wrote as a way of making sure you girls (and guys) avoid the dreaded Frelationship zone. 

 — 3 —   Guys Are Welcome:   Gregg and I enjoy corresponding via email with guys who follow the blog.  They are struggling too and often times Gregg will chime in and provide advice.  This week, I had a brave young man actually comment on a post and he shared the following cute story:

“…My grandmother, after not hearing from my grandfather over a period she deemed unacceptable, sent him a telegram in 1940, “Dead? Or just indifferent?” They married a while later and their more than 60 years of marriage was my model of what love should be….”  Brave commenter Ed

— 4 —  Spotlight On: This week’s spotlight is on Meg from Held by His Pierced Hands for her post How to Stay Chaste: 10 Tips for Couples.  As always, great job, Meg!    

— 5 —    More From Meg:  Meg also posted this amazing insight in her post, You Will Get Pregnant and Die: 4 Better Reasons to Wait:

”   1. Sex renews the covenant of marriage. Sex isn’t just fun—although I’m told it is that. Sex is the sign of the covenant of marriage. Every covenant is renewed by a repeated action, an action that reminds each party of their commitment, an action by which they recommit themselves. In God’s covenant with Adam, it was the Sabbath. In the covenant with Moses, it was the Passover meal. In the covenant with Jesus, it’s the Eucharist and in the covenant of marriage, it’s consummation…”

— 6 —   Not Alone Series:  This week’s topic was Chastity. Check out the beautiful and candid posts from the girls over at Jen’s blog.  Nikki from Catholic Heart for Home wrote a beautiful and simple paragraph we should use when teaching others about Chastity.  Well done, Nikki!

“….Chastity does not only direct what you do before marriage but also what comes after. In fact it can be argued that chastity can have nothing to do with sex and it is about so much more that just the physical act. Chastity is the difference between loving and using…..”  Nikki

 — 7 — Anniversary!  Gregg and I celebrate our 11^th Wedding Anniversary tomorrow!  We are so very grateful for each other and for our family.  Praise be to God, indeed!

October 19, 2002 Praise be to God!

God love and bless you!

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:   List of Posts by Category  A number of readers have asked me to create a list of posts by category.  This list gives you an opportunity to search for relevant posts by category and series. 

— 2 —   Favorite Things:  I am nutty for Coconut.  Oh, no, not the flakes.  I would rather eat dirt than eat the flakes.  Instead, I am talking about Coconut Manna or Coconut Butter!  Oh my.  Put it on some toast and enjoy a healthy and delicious treat.  Take a peek at the ingredients.  I mean, ingredient.  There is only one.  Oh, and it is low in sugar and provides healthy fiber.  And, the fat is great for your skin. 

Speaking of skin, I am now putting Coconut Oil on my face at night and under my makeup in the morning.  You do not need much because it just melts with the warmth of your skin.  I know it sounds like I walk around all slimy but it really doesn’t feel that way.  My bloggy friend Morgan confirmed for me that it is a wise product to use.  I also used the Coconut Oil on my hair and scalp last weekend as a pre-conditioner.  I was afraid it would not wash out easily.  But it did.  I have added Coconut Oil to my baked goods and it makes them taste extra yummy. I am hooked.

 — 3 —   Spotlight on: This week’s spotlight is on Hallie Lord from Moxiewife for her post called Your Love Story is Not Over.  There was a specific paragraph that really hit home for me because I think it describes the idea of Superabundance perfectly.  Superabundance, which I have defined as “fruit” resulting from a Chaste marriage, allows us to see our spouse with eyes of love. This is the paragraph:

“…But then one day, it’s like God lifted the blinders from my eyes, and said, “See! Do you see this man? Aren’t you in awe of his skill? Of the way he carries this team? And protects you on the field? And doesn’t he look cute in his uniform?” (Not that the latter was news to me.)

So, you look, and at long last you see. And he sees. You see each other with all the love, charity, and affection that God always intended. (Or a good portion more of it anyway.) And you win at the championship game of love….”

— 4 — Ruthie Dean:  Her latest article titled, When God Gives Her a Husband and You Are Still Single, was a good reminder that we need to keep our eyes fixed on our Lord.  In it, she concludes:

“…I don’t know why some women find husbands and others remain single. I don’t know why God healed her family, but not your own. I don’t know why your growing baby has a deformity. But I do know that we miss the panoramic, expansive view of grace if we are focused on everyone else’s story…”

— 5 —  Dating Wisdom:  Did you see the post by Theresa Thomas called Teenage Dating for Girls?  In it, she outlines the wisdom she uses in her household when it comes to dating.  She has 9 children, six of which are girls.  I just love how she emphasize that these are the principles that her family embraces.  She is not asking anyone to agree with her.  She is responding to parents who have asked for her dating wisdom.  Since I have a son, I pray that he surrounds himself with girls who have parents with these principles.  Thank you, Theresa!

— 6 —   Pink:  I could not agree more with This.

 — 7 — Pope Francis:   I don’t like change. His words were meant just for me. 

“…Newness always makes us a bit fearful, because we feel more secure if we have everything under control, if we are the ones who build, programme and plan our lives in accordance with our own ideas, our own comfort, our own preferences. This is also the case when it comes to God. Often we follow him, we accept him, but only up to a certain point. It is hard to abandon ourselves to him with complete trust, allowing the Holy Spirit to be the soul and guide of our lives in our every decision. We fear that God may force us to strike out on new paths and leave behind our all too narrow, closed and selfish horizons in order to become open to his own. 

Yet throughout the history of salvation, whenever God reveals himself, he brings newness – God always brings newness -, and demands our complete trust: Noah, mocked by all, builds an ark and is saved (Gn 6-8); Abram leaves his land with only a promise in hand (Gn 12); Moses stands up to the might of Pharaoh and leads his people to freedom (Ex 3-14); the apostles, huddled fearfully in the Upper Room, go forth with courage to proclaim the Gospel (Acts 2).

This is not a question of novelty for novelty’s sake, the search for something new to relieve our boredom, as is so often the case in our own day. The newness which God brings into our life is something that actually brings fulfilment, that gives true joy, true serenity, because God loves us and desires only our good. Let us ask ourselves today: Are we open to “God’s surprises”? Or are we closed and fearful before the newness of the Holy Spirit? Do we have the courage to strike out along the new paths which God’s newness sets before us, or do we resist, barricaded in transient structures which have lost their capacity for openness to what is new?…”  (trans. © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

God love and bless you!

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:   Should Women Pursue Men?  Wow, this post received a lot of page views.  It is a good topic and I appreciate being able to quote Stephanie, Jen and Morgan!

— 2 —   Not Alone Series:  The topic this week was about Careers and Vocations.  It was great the way that each girl had a different insight into the topic.  When I was single, I was under the false impression that my career was the cause of my extended singleness.  I am a Mechanical Engineer and ooh ahh that just sounds so independent and non-traditional…..to some people.  But, I am a very traditional girl. Were some guys intimidated by my career?  Maybe.  But, the one that mattered (Gregg) was and is not intimidated…. mostly because I am not very intimidating and because of the Veil. 🙂  My point?  Do what you enjoy and follow the career path that aligns with your gifts and talents. The big V vocation will be revealed at a time designated by the Lord.  And, each aspect of your life will help with your ultimate goal…..Holiness.

 — 3 —   Spotlight on:  This week’s spotlight is on David from Restless Pilgrim for his post on Vatican Wealth.  Nicely done, David.   

— 4 — First Friday and Saturday:  Today is the first Friday of the month.  I will be praying for all of you on my Divine Mercy Chaplet list today during Eucharistic Adoration of our Lord.  Don’t forget to check out the New Evangelist monthly magazine over at Convert Journal tomorrow!

— 5 —  Audrey Assad:  Did you see the post, A Few Thoughts On True Happiness by Audrey Assad?  She is a beautiful person.  My favorite quote?  This:

“…He used one of the most primordial and pervasive forms of leisure, the meal, to give us perhaps the greatest gift we have on earth—the Eucharist…”

— 6 —   Audrey Assad:  Listen to her angelic voice: Lead Me On

 — 7 — Angels Among Us:  This week’s Mass was a remembrance of our Guardian Angel and the first reading was from the Book of Exodus.  Our faith tells us that we are entertaining Angels and I find that very comforting.

“See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him. If you heed his voice and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.”My angel will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites; and I will wipe them out. Exodus 23:20-23

God love and bless you!

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:   Sexual Attraction!  What can you expect?  Does our idea of sexual attractiveness change over time and if so, how?  Do you have a question about a certain guy in your life? Does he have great character yet not exactly meet your physical ideal?  Are you wondering if you should trade-off some less important aspects (stature, earning potential, receding hairline) in order to be married?  Write to me and I will be happy to chat with you about it!

— 2 —   Next week’s post:  Should a girl pursue a guy?  I know I am arriving late to the party on this topic but I do want to share my thoughts. And Gregg’s thoughts. Some things may surprise you….

 — 3 — Not Alone Series:  This week’s topic was about NFP.  This week has been so crazy for me and therefore I did not get to read the girl’s posts until Wednesday night.  I brought the Kindle Fire to bed with me and sat and read each post.  All of them were excellent but when I got to Laura’s post on Catholic Cravings, I busted out laughing at the graphic she used to describe the pre-menstrual phases.  Gregg was like “oh yes, that is so true.  Especially the dragon!”  The best part was that as I am reading Laura’s post, I got an email from her indicating she “liked” my post this week. How is that for timing?  Anyway, go check her out here!  Great job, Laura!

— 4 — NFP: We have used it throughout our marriage to conceive and it worked at least 3 times.  Other than while I was pregnant with our son, we have not had to abstain.  So, that is one benefit of marrying later, I guess! 🙂 I do wish I would have become more familiar with it before we were married, although I am not sure it would have made a difference in the number of children we conceived.  What I found fascinating is the exactness of it.  It revealed to me a greater order of things and a beauty to our design as women. 

— 5 —  Spotlight on:  Emily Stimpson is amazing!  I just love her and everything she writes.  Did you see her article, Is Pope Francis Talking To Me? 

“….That’s not going to be a comfortable path. It’s going to take a whole lot of poking and prodding to keep me on it. That’s what Francis seems to be trying to do, poking and prodding, keeping all of us—faithful and unfaithful—from getting too comfortable. I’m not going to say to No to that prodding. Like it or not, I need it….”

— 6 —   Book Reviews:  I am working on several book reviews.  Here is what happens to me:  I get a book.  I read the book at night and I quickly fall asleep.  It takes me what seems like forever to get through a simple book.  Here are the books I am reading and will be doing book reviews on in the future:

a.  Worthy ~  By Amanda Mortus  (done)

b.  Real Men Don’t Text ~ By Ruthie and Michael Dean (almost done)

c.  These Beautiful Bones ~ By Emily Stimpson (When it finally arrives. It is on back order!)

 — 7 — The Imitation of Christ:  The only way to Life and True Inner Peace.

“Everything is founded on the cross… There is no other way to life, nor to true inner peace… Walk where you will, seek what you will; you will find neither a loftier way above nor a safer way below, but only the way of the holy cross.”

God love and bless you!

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:  Equally Yoked.   Check out the wisdom in the comment section and the link provided by Tienne!

— 2 —   This Week:  The shooting at the Navy Yard was quite scary for those of us who work on a Naval base.  Our base went on high alert and there was a time when we believed it was not an isolated crime.  Several of those killed were from our local area.  A very scary day.  I found myself spending less time on the computer and extra time putting love on my family this week.

 — 3 — Spotlight On:  Did you see this article by Mary Beth Bonacci?   What the Church Really Teaches About Sex & Marriage

— 4 — Spotlight On:  Did you see this post by Dorothy Cummings McLean over at Seraphic Singles?  Don’t Be His Cooky-Baking Slave

— 5 —  Spotlight On:  Did you see this post over at the Chastity Project? How do you know if a guy loves you or wants to use you?

— 6 —   Emily Stimpson:  She has a new book called These Beautiful Bones!  I pre-ordered mine on Amazon and cannot wait for it to arrive.  Check out this promo video!!

 — 7 — Hives:  I broke out in itchy hives both Tuesday and Wednesday evening.  I wasn’t sure if it was from gluten that I accidentally ingested on Monday.  I took Benadryl both nights which helped it subside until the next evening.  So on Thursday, I had a straight-up plain lunch consisting of eggs, bacon and grits.  And I did not break out in hives.  So, I am thinking I have a soy allergy that is exasperated by hormonal fluctuations.  Sigh.  Just call me Dr. Google.

p.s.  what is up with WordPress tonight?  Weird font and craziness. 

God love and bless you!

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:  Was He My Last Chance?    Is sexual attraction important?  What influences sexual attraction?  Check out my post next week where I expand on that topic!

— 2 —   Ruthie Dean:  Remember Ruthie and Michael Dean, the authors of the just-released book, Real Men Don’t Text?  Well, Ruthie responded to my email and said she would be open to doing an interview!  I have some great questions but please let me know if you have any questions for her. 

Have you ordered their book?  If so, what do you think? I am about halfway through the book and I will post my review next month. In the meantime, I found this gem by Ruthie.

 — 3 — No Alone Series:  This week’s  topic was: Can Women Pursue Men?  There were some really good posts with a variety of answers.  I asked Gregg over lunch yesterday what he would have thought if I had been the one to pursue him.  He said that there is a difference between initiating contact and pursuing.  Do you want to know how that discussion went?  I know I am coming late to the party but I do plan on writing a post about it and sharing it in a couple of weeks.

— 4 — Spotlight On:  This week’s spotlight is on Claire from Everything Is Grace for her post in the Not Alone Series where she answers the question, Can Women Pursue Men?  Since it was my fave, you most likely can guess what her thoughts were.  But, don’t guess!  Go here and read her very balanced and honest post!

— 5 —  Strict Mother:  Our son is reading The Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  Apparently, the story has an older brother in it who is not always nice to his younger brother.  So, I took the opportunity to point out to our son, who suffers as an only child, that older siblings are not always what they are cracked up to be.  They can sometimes be mean.  This was funny his response:

“Well, since you are such a strict Mother (no offense), I believe that you would be able to keep it under control.  From what I’ve experienced!!”

— 6 —   God’s consolations:  So, this was sort of a rough week in our house.  You know, with a 3rd grader and all.  Just when I thought I was the only one who has a child who is not perfect, God sent me a consolation. I had to be shown that even the sweet and seemingly perfect and responsible children forget to bring their stuff home.  I was  gently reminded of this when I got a call from the Mom of a girl in our son’s class asking me to read their vocabulary words to her over the phone.  You see, her daughter (who seems very responsible) forgot to bring her spelling book home.  And, it wasn’t the first time it has happened since school began 3 short weeks ago.

The amazing thing is that this Mom could have called any of the other 20 parents in the class.  But, the Holy Spirit must have led her to dial my number so that I would know that no one has a perfect child and that I should not expect mine to be.  All you have to do is ask my Mom how responsible I was as a child and you will most likely just receive a sweet smile.  She is very gracious that way.  Not willing to remember anything bad about her kids.  🙂

 — 7 — My Mom:  She is visiting with us this weekend to go to Grandparent’s Day at our son’s school today! I am so excited she is here!  Have I mentioned how wonderful she is?  Really, I could not have been blessed with a more amazing Mother.  I am so thankful because I know that there are many who don’t have good Moms.  She is the main reason I wrote my book and then eventually started this blog.  I had to pass on what she taught me.  When much is given, much is expected.  I have certainly been given much.

God love and bless you!

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!