Day 2: Time, time, time

Let me start this post by stating that I am a ridiculously busy person.  I don't use the word ridiculously lightly, because even I step back sometimes and say to myself, "how did I sign up for all of this??"  How busy am I you ask?

I work a full time job, but instead of working five 8-hour days, I work four 10s.  Pros - Wednesdays off for a midweek break.  Cons - I don't get done with work until 6:15 PM, and usually not out the door until 6:30 PM, so after work meetings at church and/or making dinner and not eating at 9PM gets tricky.  And speaking of church: Life Teen Core Team Member, Confirmation Team, Life Teen Plus coordinator until June, Guatemala Mission Trip (adult and teen) coordinator, Pastoral Council, Long Range Planning Committee.  Enough said.  Add to that the weekly Theology of the Body study group I attend (and host), trying to participate in our state PT Chapter's Pediatric Special Interest Group, having season ticket with my sister to the Sounders FC and somewhere in there attempting to have some semblance of a social life - not always successful.

And while you may look at my list and tell me that I'm crazy, and I probably am, the truth is many of us are juggling way too much on our plates.  And I will be the first to tell you, in all honesty, that when the stress piles up, the things get busy, the thing that is the first to go out the window is the one thing I should be focused on the most and that is prayer and my faith.  I'm not talking about going to Mass or everything I do at church.  It's the everyday deepening of prayer and a faith life that I "just never seem to have time for."  The quotes are important because of the importance of discerning whether or not we really don't have time, or just think that we don't.  I found this quote on a website that I thought spoke powerfully to this: “You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” ― Charles Buxton.  And it's true.  Last Tuesday, I went with my sister and a friend of ours to an event entitled "An Evening with the Archbishop" sponsored by Amici, a local young adult organization.  Archbishop Sartain asked the group how many people made purposeful quiet time with God every day...a few hands.  Then he asked how many people had pockets of time they could take advantage of and devote to God and prayer and didn't... a lot more hands.

My parish is a stewardship parish, so I grew up there hearing all the time about being a  steward of time, talent and treasure.  Of the three I think time is glossed over more frequently than talent or treasure.  We read in the Bishop's letter that:  

As Christian stewards, we receive God's gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.

Our time that we have is a gift, the question is, how do we choose to use it?  When am I taking the time that I could be spending in prayer to play a computer game for hours on end?  When am I taking time that I could be being active to watch a move in front of the TV?  When am I taking time that could be spent making dinner to get a quick pizza and eat that for a few days?

Being that good steward, making those smart decisions can be very challenging, but it is at the core of simplicity in life.  Find what we are passionate about and invest time in those areas, learn to say "no" when that one more thing will be one thing too many, work to keep relationships, and make prayer the number one priority.

For me, right now, that means knowing that my service on both the Long Range Planning and Pastoral Council will end when their terms are done and will not be renewed.  It means making spending at least 15 minutes a day in quiet prayer with God and making that priority - this will be my personal goal of the week, though one I know I will continue to  work on long beyond this week.  How do you simplify through being a good steward of your time?

A Year of Holystic Living: Day 1 - Why?

I had a thought this morning as I was getting ready for my day, and in that roundabout way that thoughts often take, it led me to think about this blog.

You see, I started this blog a few years ago, as blogs were starting to come into their own.  Several friends of mine were starting blogs of their own, blogging was popular, and I was busy.  I thought, why not?  And many of you who have followed the blog (if anyone out there still is) have seen me post, then not post, then promise to post some more, and not post.  Usually updates on me, what I'm up to, what I'm crafting, what I'm reading..etc.

But what I've discovered, as I've delved into reading more blogs is that the best blogs are the one with a clear purpose, a plan.  Think Julie and Julia.  For some of my friends who blog faithfully, they often focus on their families, or their faith.  But there is a unifying theme that ties that blog together.  So what about me, with my busy life and schedule, and my attempts to keep my small home under control, while finding time to sleep and relax?  What about my interests in organic food and real food, in natural beauty products and DIY anything?  Is there anything that ties them all together?

And that was my thought this morning...that in all of this busyness, this crazy life, I am looking for simplicity, I'm looking for calm, I'm looking for peace and I'm looking for fulfillment.  I recently read a wonderful little book called Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenrider which seemed to hit on a lot of what I was feeling in my busy life.  She talks about identifying your values, prioritzing time, budgeting, cooking and cleaning - all around the theme of simplicity.  (She also has a fabulous blog, Simple Mom that I highly recommend).

So what's with the post title...(and did she notice she spelled Holistic wrong??)  Well I'll start by thinking about the word holistic.  According to Merriam-Webster, the definition is: 

relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts <holistic medicine attempts to treat both the mind and the body> <holistic ecology views humans and the environment as a single system>

and the "wholes" in my life revolve around physical, mental, emotional and most importantly spiritual health.  Somehow all of these have to be in balance.  In my world and in my faith journey, I know that I have to maintain God in the center of all of this, otherwise everything gets thrown out of balance...and when your short on time, prayer and silence are usually the first to go, when they should be the first we turn to.  Hence my spelling of the word "Holystic"...putting the "Holy" in the "whole" which gets my priorities right where they need to be.


I was thinking about the title of my blog and whether or not this whole concept relates.  The title "Wanderings Toward the Narrow Gate" comes from the verse Matthew 7:14 - "For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it."  It's a journey we are all on to find that gate and we often stumble and wander off the path, but with focus our aim can be true, especially if we know what is stated in the Gospel just before the above verse, in verses 7-12:

"Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets." 

In my mind, the title of this blog and this purpose to find simplicity do relate beautifully because as we cast off the things that hold us back, we become better able on the right road.  So I hope for the next 365 days, to post on what I'm doing, what I'm discovering to explore all those wholes  in my life and find health and fulfillment in walking that path.  Blog focus?  Check.

The Journey of a Scarf

This could have been mentioned in the last post, but I thought it deserved its own section since I hope to make this a running section.

Last year, I took a class on drop spindling from my local yarn store Renaissance Yarns and learned all about the joy of making your own yarn using this little tool...

called a drop spindle.  This model is made by Cascade Spindle Company and is called the Little Si.  They name all their spindles after local peaks so even cooler considered I've hiked Little Si twice!

I eventually bought some beautifully dyed fiber...

to spin, with no end-goal in mind.

Then, flipping through an issue of my favorite crochet magazine last year, Interweave Crochet,  I found a pattern combining knitting and crocheting into a cute scarf.  The yarn used reminded me of handspun and I thought, perfect!  So these little sections will chronicle what is already in process and show the journey of making this Lorna's Laces "Mixed Berry" top...

 into the Pink Asters Scarf designed by Tracy St. John

(from the CrochetMe website at link above).

It will be an adventure, so we'll see how it turns out, and I hope to show off all the steps along the way!

7 Quick Takes...Volume 14

1. Just finished watching my Seattle Sounders FC play the first of two games against Real Salt Lake in the first round of the MLS Playoffs.  Unfortunately, the boys did not put forth their best performance and ended up falling to RSC 3-0.  Ouch.  Luckily, the first playoff round is a two-game aggregate goal process, one home and one away game.  They'll get a second chance this Wednesday and after that game, the scores from the two games are added to determine which team  advances.  My sister and I are going with a few other friends...it'll be a tough road, but I know we'll get a great game, can't beat the fan support at CenturyLink!

2. Tomorrow is the infamous Halloween Life Night!  We did a dry run today and I think it's going to be great.  I'll try to take some pictures and post!

3. Speaking of pictures...I made a little splurge this last week and finally bought a toy I've been saving up for, a digital SLR camera!  The right combination of money saved and a good deal was the perfect time to jump in.  I'm excited to take pictures and get back into photography...and not suck my phone battery dry by using it as my only camera :)

4.  For an example...

This is my Moorish Mosaic Afghan that I have been working on for quite a few months now.  There are 30 octagon motifs in all, plus 20 of the small squares and a few triangle pieces to even out the edges.  I  completely changed the colors from the original pattern to better match my living room.  It's been a process but I am finally weaving in the ends and joining it all together...almost halfway done attaching the large motifs.  Trust me I can't wait to have this done!

5. Last week's NDT Baby Course is done and I am glad to have the stress of coordinating that behind me!  I learned a lot of great information and just want to retain every bit of it to use with my kiddos!  I've already tried to use some bits and pieces and it is so rewarding to put all the pieces together.

6.  Last week's concert was a lot of fun!  I went a some good friends of mine from church and it was a nice conclusion to my crazy, class-filled Saturday.  The Head and the Heart put on an incredible show and were so full of energy!  They'll be back to play in Seattle in December, but I will be out of town so will  have to miss that show, I would definitely love to see them again in the future.

7.  I got to hang out with my a good friend from high school on Wednesday and go out to lunch with her and her four-week old little guy.  It's amazing how much he's grown since I visited her in the hosspital the day after he was born!  As usual, typical development never ceases to amaze me!

7 Quick Takes...Volume 13

1. Last Monday I taught my first Confirmation class and it went pretty well. I wrote the night on the Sacraments from scratch, and overall felt like I got some nice teaching in. The only thing I really would have changed was to put the teens in a more prayerful space for our closing reflection activity. A lot of chatter got going and I don't think they really listened to the song, "How He Loves". Always a lesson learned in youth ministry, right?

2. Speaking of "How He Loves", which was written by John Mark McMillan and made famous by the David Crowder Band, I got a chance to see both bands in concert last Wednesday at the Moore Theatre. Crowder has been a big favorite of mine for a long time, and this will be their last tour, so couldn't miss it, and they put on a great show as usual - two hour set! I had never heard John Mark McMillan before, and now definitely want to check out more by him. I was absolutely floored, however by Gungor, who with their crazy combination of instruments (pump organ, xylophone, classical guitar, cello, beatboxing, beautiful harmonies) made for amazing sounds coming out of only three people. I love their album, but hearing this stripped down acoustic version live was a real treat.

3. It must be concert fever for me, because I'm going to another show this weekend! I'm super excited to go see Death Cab for Cutie and The Head and the Heart for an all about local show. I've followed Death Cab on and off over the years, and still remember seeing Ben Gibbard perform solo with acoustic guitar in a $5 show at the VU Underground Coffeehouse during my Western days. I've also loved The Head and the Heart since they hit the radio waves...what can I say? I'm a sucker for a good banjo.

4. I'm currently taking a continuing education course that we are hosting Valley about Infant Treatment. The content is really interesting and I'm learning a ton, but am super busy since I volunteered to be the on-site contact. A little stressful, to be sure, but worth it for a free course.

5. Another continuing ed course in December is giving me the chance to go to Chicago for about five days. I can't wait, it will be really interesting by someone who is supposed to be an expert in her field ( the course is about walking in kids and picking the best bracing options), and it will give me a chance to visit friends and see my super cute Goddaughter again. Just need to start praying for no ice or snow storms....

6. I've been asked by my pastor to be one of the Pastoral Council members who is on the planning team to help create my parish's next five-year plan. It should be interesting, but likely quite a bit of work. There are quite a few parishoners on the team that I haven't met before, so this will be a nice opportunity to branch out and meet others in my community!

7. Our Halloween Life Night is coming together! It should be quite the experience, but I'll refrain from posting details should teen eyes wander onto this page :) More to follow...

7 Quick Takes...Volume 12

1. Busy week this week! Life Teen is back in full swing and between meetings, planning, and my other regular activities, I only had one down night this week. Always a lesson in time management. Haha, I should probably learn to say no sometimes, but I love all the things I do :)

2. My sister and I have been working with a friend from a nearby parish to organize a local Young Adult group so that Catholics our age can connect and get some formation. Tonight is our second meeting and my friend Val is joining us to talk about discerning vocations and where we go once we have discerned. It promises to be a great talk, and I'm excited to hear it!

3. Our Theology of the Body study group has just started a new book. We are reading "Heaven's Song" by Christopher West and I am intrigued already, just from reading the Intro and Prologue! It takes TOB to a whole deeper level and our group has already read Song of Songs and the Book of Tobit to prepare.

4. Since I finally finished watching the series "Lost" (don't judge :) ) thanks to my friend Melena's expansive DVD collection, I decided to try a new show. I've been going back and watching "Friday Night Lights" I was skeptical at first, knowing little about the show when it was actually on, except that it was about football. While I had heard the great reviews, I wasn't a football fan, so never really checked it out. I gave in and am enjoying the first season so far... very realistic.

5. Had my annual review last week, hard to believe I've been at Valley for a full year! It went really well and my lead and supervisor are having me think about the future, such as fulfilling the requirements for a PT II position. Still discerning, as that would require a lot more work on my part, but it would also mean a pay increase, so we'l see where that goes.

6. I've joined into the CSA world with a membership to Full Circle Farms. I love getting the box of fruits and veggies on my doorstep every two weeks and it's led to some creative dinners. I do know I have to be better about using things quickly, however, as I don't want to be wasteful with what I get. What was it about that whole time management thing...?

7. On the end note, it's a fabulous, sunny fall day outside, so enjoy it!

And we're back on...

Sorry for the blog hiatus all! As you could tell by the last post up, things were about to get nutty! I am now all settled in the new place...ha ha...well I guess not so new at this point. Now just trying to organize time to be all domestic and keep things up to speed while I'm busy with work and Life Teen

We've just gotten our new Life Teen year going and we have a big group of excited freshmen. I can't wait to see how they grow in their faith over the next four years. Debbie and I are running the Senior small group again this year. Most of them are ones we've worked with since their freshman year, but a few are fairly new - either they just moved here, or are just now deciding to give Life Teen a shot. Either way, they're a great bunch and already asking great questions -which I always love!

Speaking of questions, official Confirmation nights kick off next week. Confirmation is one of my favorite parts of youth ministry. Teaching is a challenge, just because of all the levels of catechesis you encounter in the group, somehow your teaching needs to try to reach all of them. Lots of prayer and asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit, especially since I am teaching the first night on Sacraments and sacramentals - which I am developing from scratch. I am hoping to frame it around the topic of God's love for us, to give the teens a deeper understanding not just of what the Sacraments are, but why God would give them to us in the first place.

Work is busy as always. Right now my biggest task is keeping up with paperwork! As my patient load has increased, it's meant more daily notes, monthly notes and reports to write. Always a work in progress to be sure. But I love my kids and I love my job and according to the Annual Review I just completed (I know, can you believe it??) they want me to stick around for awhile, so all is well on that front.