7 Quick Takes, Vol. 2

1.
Still no word on the clinical situation...waiting patiently! My professor did say that if Spokane isn't working out she'll look into my second choice site for the spring in Bellevue. That would be a great place to end up too, so we'll see what happens.

2.
Yesterday I got a chance to head over to UW's Center for Urban Horticulture to watch the third year students give their final case presentations. It's their last "hurrah" before they graduate. Thinking back, it's hard to believe they were just starting their second year when I met them, and now their so close to being real physical therapists. I'll be there in a year, which is really not so far away :) Good luck to all of them!

3.
My sister's friend Evelyne and her husband Nelnan celebrated the birth of their first little boy, Togue this week! They are originally from Chad and have now settled down in New York. They are a wonderful, faith-filled couple and I know they'll be incredible parents -so excited for them!

4.
Graduations have been the name of the game this week, with our exiting senior class. I stopped by two parties on Saturday, and yesterday, one of our senior teens threw together a last minute going-away party for one who is moving to Colorado. It's been a lot of fun to celebrate with them and it'll be sad to see some of them go, but I know they'll be a blessing wherever they head.

5.
Speaking of yesterday's going away party, while we were hanging out at Kent Station, a group of young, good-looking guys was standing out near the movie theater handing out slips of paper. At first I thought it must have been some advertisement and took one as I passed. Once I read it though, I realized it was a million-dollar bill with a picture of a Disney Channel character on the front. Intrigued I flipped it over and it was one of those "you're going to hell because you're a sinner but just say this prayer and all is dandy" things. Hmmm. Then, much to our surprise one of these guys literally got up on a stool and began to shout to everyone the ten commandments and how all of us were going to hell because we'd broken them. The kicker is, we'd done a night on evangelization right before the end of the year that featured one of our teens on a milk crate doing something quite similar during a skit (don't worry, we were NOT promoting this as an evangelization tool!) My friend Jim, who's a big guy, but really nice went up to talk to him...FYI, good way to get them on their guard, start your conversation by saying "My name is ____, and I'm a Catholic". Right, Jim thanked him for his evangelization efforts but warned him, that his methods were not likely to bring any converts to the faith. He then told Jim, how he knew all about Catholicism and how our whole faith was based on works alone (maybe a sign he doesn't know as much about Catholicism as he thinks...), Jim tried to exit the conversation, saying he'd pray for him...and get this...this guy says, it doesn't matter because God won't hear your prayers! I couldn't believe it! People that choose to "spread" the faith in this manner frustrate me because I feel like they bring such a bad symbol to Christianity - Catholic and Protestant. It's fear-mongering, alienating, and judgemental...who is this person, who knows nothing about my friend and his very real relationship with Christ, to judge whether God hears his prayers or not? Pray for all evangelists, that they use loving, Christ-like methods to really bring people to the faith, not turn them away.

6.
Okay, long #5, sorry! Spent this morning cleaning and organizing. Still definitely a work in progress but I've gotten quite a bit done! Hoping to have everything looking great before my grandparents and aunt get here in a couple of weeks.

7.
Heading to Ordination tomorrow, it should be fun. The Seattle Archdiocese is ordaining five men to the priesthood this year, what a blessing! I love going to this beautiful Mass, and it makes me excited for the approaching dates when friends of mine will be ordained as well. We are blessed to have our seminaries getting fuller, and more people willing to listen to God's call!