Category: My Life

7QT, Vol 67: Contraception, Colorado, and Creme Brulee

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

Well, well, well. Hello, world! It’s been a while since I’ve written anything other than something for Everyday Ediths. So often an idea pops into my head and I think about what I’d say, but then I forget to write it down and/or don’t want to sit down to hammer it out. HOWEVER, here we are. I’m going old-school blogging style today and just sharing random updates.

1.

Starting later this month, I am SO EXCITED to be releasing a new blog series. I’ve organized it in commemoration of this summer’s 50th anniversary of the document Humanae Vitae (“On Human Life”). If you’ve not read it, it was a landmark document released by Pope Paul VI (who will be canonized later this year!) in 1968, explaining the Church’s longstanding position against contraception. The series will feature real life stories from people who have in some cases grappled with or lived against, and then come to embrace the Catholic Church’s teachings on sexual ethics. As awkward as it may seem to write about this, and as weird as it may seem for me to host this as a currently single person, I’m doing it anyway. People need to hear about this. It is my hope that you see a glimpse of the freedom and peace that living in conformity to God’s design brings, and are inspired to do so in your own journey.

2.

Last weekend I took an extra day off and spent a refreshing extra long weekend with a couple college friends in Colorado. It was the best. Nothing refreshes the soul like nature, hours of good conversation, and an almost excessive amount of coffee.

3.

Speaking of refreshing, do you know something that isn’t refreshing? Filling your head with unnecessary noise on social media. In the last several months I’ve been unfollowing pages and people with reckless abandon and it is glorious. It also makes me want to be there less (specifically Facebook and Instagram where I mainly am), so that’s awesome. I’ve realized that though social media can be used for good and some people are great evangelizers on there, it’s not my jam or calling. And that’s ok. Follow me if you want, but I’m not here to make money or grow some crazy following. I am at peace with doing whatever on social media without treating it like a business.

4.

What do you do with your time otherwise? Well, one thing I’ve been doing is reading more. That needs it’s own post, but this year I’ve finished the entire Narnia series (for the first time ever, I know). Most recently I finished Cecile Richard’s memoir Make Trouble, an interesting book on Pope Francis’ papacy and divisions within the Church by Ross Douthat called To Change the Church, Emily Wilson-Hussem’s Go Bravely, Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen, and many more. Read anything good lately? I’m also finishing a re-read of Humanae Vitae (this edition) in preparation for #1 above.

5.

What are some fun things you’ve cooked lately? I was gifted with a kitchen torch for my birthday last month, and made creme brulee! The traditional one turned our pretty good for a first try, but I want to find a vanilla bean paste to make that flavor stronger. I also did a non-dairy version for family with dairy allergies and the third try (with regular coconut milk) was almost right! The first try  was one of my weirdest kitchen fails, and I don’t know what happened. It felt very unjust that the one time I actually followed a recipe it failed, but oh well. Don’t use coconut cream! See what I’m saying? So weird how it separated.

6.

Were you shocked with the news in Ireland recently? I didn’t know how it would end up, but of course am sad that preborn babies no longer have legal protection there. I thought this piece by Stephanie Gray was a good and hopeful response.

7.

It feels like SUMMER and I am so ready. Bring on all the evening sunshine, tans/burns, flip flops, painted toenails, family BBQ’s, etc. What are some of your favorite summertime things to do?

That’s it for now. Go visit Kelly’s place for more quick takes. And see you soon for the upcoming series!

To life,

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I am a political orphan

~ Laura ~ 18 Comments

As a young adult making my way in life, there are many things I’ve had to (and am continuing to) figure out through experience. Things like budgeting and insurance. Getting my oil changed regularly and apartment hunting. Filing taxes and all that fun stuff. Another part of life I’ve been reflecting on for some time is my political affiliation.

Current events are a topic I’ve enjoyed keeping up on for years. I have strong opinions, and don’t tend to shy away from sharing them. I’ve been behind the keyboard for many a Facebook debate, usually having to do with the very calm and uncomplicated issues (I kid) such as abortion, same sex marriage, other life issues, and my faith. Don’t worry, though, they’re mostly a thing of the past.

I enjoy a lively discussion, and challenging bad logic, because I want to get to the truth. It’s not enough to me to take what any media source says as the truth. I want facts, which are often hard to find among the opinion pieces passing as journalism nowadays. And it comes from both sides.

At first, I registered as a Republican. But over the last several years, I’ve become disillusioned by Republicans who sit on their rears and don’t get things done. Some conservatives will stand with the party no matter what, since these are the people standing up, in their minds, to extreme liberals. Speaking of, I also have zero tolerance for the extremists currently representing the Democratic party. I find that their stances are often based on what is politically and personally convenient ($ from Planned Parenthood and the like is a great motivator to vote against a 20 week abortion ban), and are often out of touch with what people in their own party believe. There’s so much talk, but so little action. That’s why I’m now a no party preference voter.

My point is: what I’ve found in this journey is that I don’t really have a political home. In what seems like an extremely polarized country, I am a political orphan because I agree completely with neither side of our two party political system.

I am neither republican nor democrat, flaming liberal nor uber conservative.

I believe we are obligated to help our fellow human beings, but not that we are entitled to getting things from our government.

I believe in material aid, but not in handouts.

I believe in free speech, but not in normalizing divergent behavior.

I believe in women’s rights, but not a feminism that degrades men.

I believe life is precious at all stages, and that any unjust killing is unwarranted (whether it be abortion, doctor assisted suicide, euthanasia, unjust war, some cases of capital punishment, etc.).

I believe in small government, focused on people helping people most locally, but not that government is evil.

I believe in immigration, but that it should be done legally.

I believe in the triumph of the human spirit and not the allure of power, money, or Wall Street.

I believe taxes make sense, but not that our salaries should make us pay a higher or lower percentage. I also think tax dollars should be used properly.

I could go on, but you see the point. The two parties we have aren’t working anymore, because many people don’t fit into the box each party put itself into. It’s turned into identity politics where your beliefs explode into an ideology and you don’t just think for yourself because you go along with the party platform. We’re polarized by who you’re with, not what you believe.

And I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that this two party system is utterly broken.

What are we to do with this?

I refuse to give in to the idea that we are all on opposing sides of political debates, that it’s me vs. you in a competition to see whose party beats the other. I am interested in the truth, and right now that doesn’t seem to be coming from either of our self-imposed sides of the political spectrum.

The thing is, no political party really defines who we are anyway. Our culture is overly concerned about who we identify with, and what labels we embrace. But my opinions are not my identity. I have certain beliefs about many issues, which are informed by my Catholic faith. I am Catholic, but am otherwise not interested in labeling my beliefs. They’re not defined by a broken political system. They are my own beliefs, that evolve, are challenged, and clarified as time goes on.

This makes me a political orphan of sorts, and that’s alright. I don’t want to be part of identity politics anyway, because that’s not where my identity comes from. My identity is a daughter of God. I am created and loved by him, and that tells me all I need to know.

To Life,

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My epiphany of our calling to give

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

The original Epiphany we celebrated a few days ago commemorated Jesus’ physical manifestation on earth thousands of years ago. Now we think of modern day epiphanies as earth-shattering dramatic moments where we suddenly understand something previously unknown. Or is that just me? My life doesn’t contain too many of those. But there are many times when I’ve come to understand a concept in a way that completely shifted my perspective.

I was on my way to one of those moments in an airplane during spring break. It was a combined retreat and service trip, in a place I’d never been to, without a single soul I’d met before. I’m still not sure why I went, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience during my college years.

Continue reading my piece on discovering the basics of Theology of the Body over at Everyday Ediths.

 

My 2017 in review

~ Laura ~ 7 Comments

Ah, 2017. It was a quiet year in many ways, but also contained some of the deepest growth I’ve experienced too. I didn’t move mountains or cure cancer, but my faith is deeper and habits better.

Here’s a little of my year in review.

In January, I volunteered for the Walk for Life West Coast for the first time (which is happening again later this month!). This was the first pro-life event I went to (back in 2011), where I first remember feeling part of something bigger than myself. So it was and is special to be back and helping to coordinate the event.

A couple college friends visited (separately) this year, and it’s fun to have my own (shared) place to host. We did some exploring in San Francisco! Even though I’ve now worked in the city for over a year and a half, it would be less than honest to say big city life, and this one in particular, are any more appealing to me. It just feels so dirty and too busy to stop and be human. There are certainly benefits, but I come for work and not much else.

Speaking of work, it was a significantly steep learning curve at first. I definitely cried one of those first days (on my way home because of public transportation issues, before I had my car). But at some point this year, I smiled and realized it is now my own. I have grown into my job, learned so much (including from some mistakes), and am grateful for it. These little flowers brighten it up too.

There was a bit of travel this year – a bridal shower and then in June the grand adventure of going to two weddings on back to back days: one in Iowa and the other in Colorado. I held my breath hoping there wouldn’t be early morning flight trouble getting to the second one and thank you Jesus there wasn’t! It has been so beautiful and wonderful seeing cousins and friends get engaged and married, and I am just so happy for them.

There was a bit of greenery on my back porch for a while, but then my green thumb ended up being more blackish because it almost all died. Only the succulents survived round one. Now the bulbs I planted in the fall are starting to come up early, so we’ll see if those survive round two. Someday when there is actual land instead of pots, I look forward to figuring out the art of keeping things alive.

I’ve enjoyed furnishing the apartment through the thoughtfully curated feed of Craigslist, and fit some crazy things into my small hatchback car. My bike is one of them, a ficus tree another, but my proudest Craigslist journey was a $10 dresser that was too long. So I went to CVS across the street for some jump cables, left the back of the car open, and gingerly drove home up a very steep hill. Thank goodness a college friend was in town and held onto it so it wouldn’t fall out. Good deals require a bit of finagling at times.

I read more than I have in a long time. You can expect more on that soon! But I did get out too. By nature I’m in the middle of the introvert/extrovert spectrum. So I want community and friendships like what I miss from college, but have found it challenging to find and grow them. It’s takes a LOT more effort when everyone’s busy working. It’s taken forcing myself into many events (that usually end up well – don’t worry), but it’s a work in progress and I’m proud of where I’ve come in my budding social life.

I rediscovered my love of group fitness classes, Zumba Toning being the most frequented. It is ridiculous and cracks me up. I’ve learned the moves and teacher over the last several months, which makes it so fun to be feeling capable. I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life, but eat mostly well and feel strong, so it’s probably all new muscle. LOL. But really, it has toned me noticeably and I’m feeling great with the level of exercise I’ve maintained (and plan to increase it!).

I also discovered a spark of creativity, and have been experimenting with watercolors, calligraphy, and hand lettering. I’ve been thinking of starting an Etsy shop for over a year, so maybe it’ll happen in 2018.

Some of my favorite posts from 2017 are:

My Bookshelf – November 2017

A silly little 7 Quick Takes about crazy California drivers

Growing in Silence

You can see that this year wasn’t about anything crazy big. It really was relatively quiet and focused on my own development professionally, spiritually, physically, etc. But it was also filled with many ups and downs that aren’t the kind to see the light of Instagram.

I learned this year that love, if it is sincere, does not calculate. I learned that love is a choice, and chose to give it many times when everything in me absolutely did not want to. That isn’t to say how heroic my capabilities are, but just the opposite. Life has shown me how incapable I am on my own of being a saint. It is ALL God’s grace and learning to hear and respond to it.

I’d really rather my year have been filled with crazy stories and adventures to tell, but it was more a school of love in the little boring and difficult moments of everyday life. It still was good. And I’m grateful for every step! 2017 ended with a quick trip to Southern California for family festivities (see above, unfiltered, picture of our glorious sunshine), and now it’s back to work. I’m stepping into the year with hope and peace about what it may or may not hold. May the beginning of this year be filled with faith, hope, and trust that whatever it brings is part of God’s master plan.

New Years excite me with the possibilities they hold, so cheers to 2018! Thanks for being along for the journey.

To Life,

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What I’m doing for Advent 2017

~ Laura ~ 9 Comments

Of the many things I love about being Catholic, the season of Advent is definitely high on the list. Advent is the beginning of each new liturgical year. It’s a fresh start (we get TWO new years!), and a hopeful season in preparation for Jesus’ coming at Christmas.

There are so many ways to observe Advent, but much of what I see on the interwebs is how to observe it within the context of family life. As someone that doesn’t apply to right now, I thought it might be nice to share a bit of how I’ll be observing the season.

1. Decorating my apartment
It might be hard if you live with un-festive people, but fortunately that’s not the case for me. We already got a tree (still to be decorated) and set out our Advent wreath with a few other things and will be adding more soon. I think it’s fun to leave the mangers empty in nativity scenes and only add him on Christmas, but otherwise I say go all out. Chocolate calendars are not only for children.

2. Cutting back on social media
It’s a perennial problem for many people nowadays that we just need to put down our phones more. I’m not sure exactly what this will look like, because I like to break self-imposed rules. But my mornings are awesome when I don’t get on anything before work, so that’s where I’m starting. I removed the Facebook app from my phone a while ago. We’ll see how this goes.

3. Making time for extra prayer
First, this includes saying the St. Andrew novena (starts today!). It goes from November 30 to Christmas Eve, and I highly recommend the beautiful prayer if you’ve never said it. My family said it around the lit Advent wreath every night growing up, so I’ll be making an effort to light the wreath more often with my housemates.

4. Making time for extra reflection and reading
This year I was overly ambitious and purchased In the Beginning as well as Rooted in Hope. I enjoyed Blessed is She’s last year – it was an excerpt from the Bible, a reflection, and journal space for each day. In the Beginning is the same format. I’m excited to do Rooted in Hope as well because it gives you space for lectio divina for each day’s Bible excerpt, which I think helps you dig even deeper into it and think about what you’re reading. I’m getting up 15 minutes earlier than normal to give more time to do this in the morning before leaving for work.

5. Confession
Ideally I would be going every month already, but never in my life have I gotten into that habit. Advent and Lent are always times I’ve gone, though, and I want to make this the beginning of a monthly habit.

6. Festive everything
Socks, pajamas, hand soap, FOOD, music (just bought this), earrings, you name it. Bring on the festivities. I am really not at all liturgically observant of the fact that much of the celebration is more appropriate in the 12 days of Christmas. I just can’t contain the cheer and yes, if you’re wondering, I am not yelling in my car at the stoplights. I am rocking out to festive music because Baby Jesus is worth celebrating. Here’s a pretty epic song to check out.

7. Christmas cards
Is it awkward for single young adults to send Christmas cards? If it is, I don’t care, because I’m doing it anyway (along with housemates). Snail mail is timeless and amazing and I love sending Christmas cheer. This year I designed the card by hand, digitized it, and had it printed, which is quite exciting.

Aaand I’m linking up with Kelly & fam for some Friday quick take fun. Head over there for more.

That’s it for now! How do you do Advent? Share below and let’s chat about all the ways we can celebrate the season. Jesus is coming!

To Life,

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