7 Quick Takes – Vol. 37

~ Laura ~ 2 Comments

— 1 —

I am so thankful to be past last week! The amount of stress I experienced especially this past Monday was insane…and all due to my tough classes. I had a huge test (1/4 of my final grade) that I needed to do well on. Thanks to studying, I did as well as I needed to. And I just found out that the final is not cumulative, so I am relieved about that. Whew! That was accounting. Macroeconomics has also continued to be challenging, and I’m now meeting with my teacher for a bit before class each day to go over my notes from the reading and make sure that I’m grasping all the concepts. I can see the light! Next week I’ll be registering for spring classes.

— 2 —

batkid2

Have you heard about Batkid? A little boy with leukemia was granted his wish by the Make a Wish Foundation, so they made San Francisco into Gotham City today. They staged a robbery and a woman being tied to something he had to save her from. What I love about this is how so many people have gotten excited about it. It’s so neat to see the crowds there – just to support him and his wish to be Batkid for a day.

— 3 —

Guess what? Today I got glasses! I’d been noticing how hard driving can be (especially at night), so boom bam. Vision.

image201311150002

— 4 —

Another exciting thing: I’m leading a mission trip for spring break! Details are not at all confirmed yet, but it’ll be with the Missionaries of Charity, most likely in Memphis or Chicago.

— 5 —

Today I donated blood. I was a little nervous to do it for the first time this past spring, but it went really well and I wasn’t concerned about doing it again. The nurse did have a hard time finding my vein last time, but she could feel one in my right arm and had no problem sticking it. Today I told them about that, and the nurse could definitely feel the one in my right arm better. Good. But then I stopped bleeding out before the bag was filled, so she had to adjust the needle. Again. And again. Ouch. Then the tape that was holding it in place came loose. *AHEM* It ended up that they just had to take it out before the bag was filled, so I don’t know if they’ll be able to use it at all. Apparently I just clotted really quickly where the needle was, which stopped it, so I guess it’s good I don’t have hemophilia.

— 6 —

Sailor James Crisier meets his 6-week-old daughter Jadyn.

The happiest thing I’ve seen today? These pictures of soldiers meeting their babies for the first time. Pure love, folks.

— 7 —

I’m looking forward to a non-stressful weekend and catching up on some assignments. Oh, and maybe cleaning up around here and working on my November goals. Let’s do it!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

On dressing like a hoochie mama

~ Laura ~ 8 Comments

Ladies, this post is for you. I’m going to be honest and frank, so just hear me out.

Leggings. What’s the deal here? Love ’em, hate ’em? Do you wear them?

I do. Leggings are rather comfy if you ask me, and are convenient for making a winter outfit more warm. I’ve been wearing them quite a bit, actually. The catch? I only wear them under other articles of clothing. Now don’t stop reading. I’m not a crazy modesty freak who wears floor length jumpers. Though I don’t have many recent pictures to share, I can tell you that I strive to dress modestly and cutely at the same time. My sense of fashion is most definitely debatable, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about.

I’m here to talk about something  I heard last night.

Last night I went to a girls night talk with Sarah Swafford (who is AWESOME!). She’s like a big sister and a young mom at the same time. She gets us ladies. And she meets us where we’re at.

Last night many girls had questions about modesty in general, and if specific articles of clothing were appropriate. Of course, the legging debate came up. Are they acceptable? I mean, what’s the big deal, right?

I’ll tell you what she told us.

Over the past few years she’s sat down different groups of guys to ask them what challenges they’re facing. When leggings came up, here’s what the guys said:

When girls just wear leggings (or any skin tight pants), what they see is her silhouette. Nothing is left to the imagination. What they see is pretty much you. Naked.

Now, you say, “It’s not my responsibility what other people think! If a guy sins because of seeing me in what I like to wear, it’s his problem. Not mine.”

Let me tell you. I see the point. I actually get annoyed sometimes when people say that they cover themselves so that guys don’t sin. Why? Because I think there’s a lot more to it. I dress the way I do because 1. I don’t want that kind of attention. And 2. This picture.

What are you advertising when you wear leggings as pants? Apparently it’s your booty. You may be comfortable. You may have dressed this way forever. But guess what? You just might look a little like a hoochie mama. And ladies, let’s be real. No one wants to be a hoochie mama.

If you want to date a respectable guy, then why are you wearing something that is advertising parts of you that should not be on display? Is that going to convey the right message? When the guy you like sees you dressing like that, do you think he’s going to be drawn to your beautiful eyes, your character, or your great laugh?

No. No, he won’t. Because you’re distracting him.

Like Sarah said, don’t shoot the messenger. I’m writing this because I believe women out there need to hear this. They need to know that what we wear sends a signal to the world of who we are. It’s time we live up to our calling to “Be the light” of the world. It’s time we chuck physically revealing pieces of clothes out the window because really . . .

I want ladies out there to know that dressing like something they are not (ie. hoochie mamas) is not going to get them anywhere. For the guys in your life, the young ladies you are a role model for, and anyone you come in contact with: Dress in a way that instead of your cleavage and booty, reveals your true beauty and femininity. You were made for more.

7 Quick Takes – Vol. 36

~ Laura ~ 2 Comments

Thank you God for Fridays. College has made me appreciate them so much more than I used to.

— 1 —

Life has been rather stressful lately because apparently teachers had a meeting and decided to swamp all us ravens in projects and papers and exams at the same time.

I’ve had 2 exams in the past week, another one today, a 7-8 page paper due on Monday, a group paper (8-10 pages) and presentation (8-10 min.) due on Wednesday, a BIG test on Tuesday, a two-day test on Wednesday and Friday, and probably something else. I forget. Oh yeah. Another 10ish page paper due in a couple weeks and huge project. Whew! On top of that, there’s lots of regular homework and everything else life entails.

If only this was how I felt all the time.

— 2 —

With all the crazy going on, I have to take breaks. I have found that I cannot handle studying for hours on end because I think my brain would explode. Whether it’s a moment of belting to a random song, or going to a short event, I’ve found that this is necessary to my sanity since:

Can I get an “amen”?

— 3 —

On the bright side, I’ve determined that I will be effectively able to take over the world once I have my business management degree. After going over the course catalog again and re-visiting everything necessary for me to graduate, I am:

50% paralyzed in fear

50% crazy excited to see what this will lead to

. . . and 100% positive that this is (and is going to be) the most difficult challenge I have ever been faced with in my life. Yes, you may queue the dramatic music. I’ve had my moments of doubting that this is the right major for me (isn’t the shower the best place to re-think your life?), but I always come back to it. I know what I want to do after college, which seems to be where God is leading me, and this degree will equip me (in ways I cannot even comprehend yet) for my future.

— 4 —

This meeting between the Pope and a badly disfigured man will warm your heart.
Love.

I can’t get over these pictures. Pope Francis never ceases to remind us of what God’s love looks like in our everyday lives.

— 5 —

How’s your November going? It’s getting chilly, and I’m loving winter clothes. And can I just say that I appreciate how it forces people to dress more modestly?!?! Of course, with the exception of leggings, that is. *AHEM* Yes, I have a post in the works about those. Be warned. Moving on . . . I’ve gotten rid of lots of clothes over the last few months. I have a lovely collection of skirts. I’ve been making more of an effort to dress nicely, and only wear sweats when going to Zumba. Yay winter clothes. I’ll have to take some pictures for WIWS sometime to share.

— 6 —

Chocolate is salad. Period. Ladies, can I have an AMEN?
Had to share . . .

— 7 —

And now, I’m off to work on projects, be constructive, and enjoy another weekend. Sort of. I’m just tired of homework and assignments and books and learning in general right now. That’s a rather lame way to end this, but it’s where I’m at right now. How long until Christmas again?

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Goal Review: November 2013

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

Hello again.

Goals are fun, huh? They can either give you a little boost from knowing how much you’ve accomplished, or smack you in the face and make you realize how terrible of a person you are. This month was in the middle for me. I didn’t do everything I listed last month, but at the same time when I sat down to re-read them, I kind of laughed at myself. Two months ago my goals were too general, and now I realize that for last month, they were not realistic enough. It’s a learning process.

Sometimes I need to step back and realize that I can’t be all-or-nothing about everything, and need to take smaller steps.

Let’s see how this month went, then I’ll list (hopefully more realistic) goals for this month.

October 2013 Goals (and how they went):

1. Continue going to 40 Days for Life prayers everyday.

Check! The campaign will end tomorrow, and other than when I was gone for Fall Break, I will have only missed two days (one when I was in the Homecoming Parade with RRL, and then tonight when I’m volunteering at a Catholic Education event). I would not have been able to do this if I hadn’t set a reminder on my phone, though. One time I was in the middle of Just Dance with a friend when my phone went off just in time for me to dash over there. Whoohoo!

2. Go to daily Mass twice a week: Tuesday and Thursday.

Fail. I should have realized that Tuesday and Thursday are the worst days of the week for me to go to Mass since I have to get up early the next morning. I’ll change the days for this month!

3. Go to Latin Mass in Kansas City.

Semi-fail. I have not actually gone, BUT there are people on campus who are putting together a group of people to go every month. I’ve been in contact with them, so we’ll see what happens.

4. Do not dilly-dally on social media when there is homework to be done.

Haha. No comment. I do get my homework done, but not always in the most timely manner. I’m getting better though. Baby steps!

5. Finish “On Heaven and Earth”

Nope. I did read almost two whole other books.

6. Exercise 3 times a week. No excuses.

Should I make up some excuse here? Darn, I can’t. I am doing zumba twice a week (OH MY GOSH, SO MUCH FUN!!!). It is the most fun exercise out there. Anyone have a recommendation for a DVD that is not inappropriate? I haven’t really exercised outside of this, but I’m walking a lot more around campus and am staying in fine shape. Yay.

7. Publish 5 articles with Live Action.

Again, what was I thinking? I wrote one. I will most definitely break this record  this month.

8. Set up that meeting to figure out more of where I want to go with next summer’s work.

I did meet with the person on campus, and am very excited about potential jobs for next summer. I don’t have any concrete details yet, but it’s going to be good.

9. Devote a solid hour with no breaks to diligent homework each day – more as necessary.

Fail. I forgot about this one. I’m printing up my new goals so I can actually remember to do them!

10. Start sidewalk counseling.

Success! I brought out a wonderful experienced person to train RRL people, and it was great. We learned a lot, and then she took us outside the clinic we go to. As soon as I have the materials to hand to people, we will be starting a regular schedule of SWC. I am pumped about this, especially since a lot more people are interested than I predicted.

11. Get the “Pillar of Inspiration” set up so I can go stare at it when I want to procrastinate or work on a project that is not extremely important.

It’s a work in progress! I have some of the pictures picked out, and am going to sit down with some suite-mates to finish picking them. They shall be printed this week!

12. Keep adding to my prayer intention booklet and become a prayer warrior for people. Let me know if you have someone (or something) or a specific intention you’d like me to add.

Hmmm. . . . I haven’t added a whole lot to my book. But I’ve remembered a lot of people to pray for. I love how this give my prayers a direction.

13. Read Lumen Fidei.

Nopety, nope, nope.

November 2013 Goals

1. Go to Mass twice a week: Monday and Wednesday.

2. Go to Latin Mass.

3. Finish On Heaven and Earth.

4. Do one exercise video a week (on top of zumba class) on Saturdays.

 – Thanksgiving weekend is excluded.

5. Write 3 articles for Live Action.

6. Work on summer plans. If possible, secure internship.

7. Start  working on homework assignments before dinner.

8. Print pictures for the Pillar of Inspiration and hang them up.

9. Add at least 1 prayer intention to my booklet each day.

10. Write at least 1 non Quick Takes post a week.

See you next month to see how it went!

7 Quick Takes – Vol. 35

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

— 1 —

Happy All Saints Day!

Saints are so awesome. Let this be a reminder that we should always strive for holiness and sainthood! All-school All Saint’s Day Mass was BEAUTIFUL as well. It’s so awesome to have examples of people who dedicated their lives to following God’s will. One of the best quotes I saw today?

“Saints are sinners who have never stopped trying.”

Boom. Beat that.

— 2 —

DSCN2598
Last Year . . .

If anyone could ever find a reason worthy of convincing me to not live in California, it would probably be because of this. Fall weather! (Well, midwest thunder storms too.) When I step out of my suite in the morning and am greeted with colorfully exploding trees and the crisp air bringing on winter, it just puts a spring in my step. Add sunshine, and it’s going to be a good day. But don’t worry, family. I still love California.

— 3 —

I miss blogging. Writing helps me think about what I believe, and come to conclusions as I sort through things. It forces me to think. I’ve not been writing much lately simply because I’ve had so much on my plate keeping busy. So really I should be thankful that I haven’t spent time on it. But I’m not. While homework and other commitments are important, I do need to figure out how to minimize time on other things so I can blog more. I have a growing list of things I’ve been meaning to write about that I can’t wait to get started on!

— 4 —

A Bump In Life by Amy Ford

A Bump in Life: True Stories of Hope & Courage During an Unplanned Pregnancy

On the plane home for fall break, I finished Amy Ford’s recently published book A Bump in Life. Wow! I’ll write up an On My Bookshelf post for it (you know, when I have time), but for now, I’ll tell you that it gives you incredible insight as to what women are actually going through in these crazy situations, and why so many are driven to have abortions. My only note about it is that it is heavy on Jesus-ness in a very protestant way for some of the stories. I love, love, love what Amy is doing with her organization Embrace Grace, and am more than willing to work with anyone who is pro-life and has the same goal as me though. Just don’t ask me if I’ve accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior 🙂 Or, if you do, I will politely let you know that in fact I’m Catholic, and yes we believe Jesus is da bomb too.

* The first link there is an affiliate link. That means if you buy through it, I will get a few pennies. Yay.

— 5 —

How true

Good reminder, huh? Let’s chuck our computers out the window and spend time with people instead! Well, I do have to keep mine for school things, but you get the picture. Time is a valuable gift that you will never be able to re-wrap. I so appreciate when people make the effort to look up from their phones and detach themselves from distractions to spend time with me . . . though the world better watch out. Who knows what can happen when we’re being productive and spontaneous 😉

— 6 —

Have you seen this?

A photographer pulled random people off the streets and had them pose for pictures together as if they had known each other for years. My first thought was something along the lines of “Oh my gosh how awkward would that be?” but at the same time, I think it’s kind of neat. When you get down to the heart of it, we’re all 100% human.

— 7 —

Life is sweet right now. (No, I’m not referring to all the Halloween candy.) I’m busy, but loving life. I’m working on getting better at things that are important to me (ie. goal post coming soon!), and generally looking forward to the future and whatever it may hold. I know as long as I keep my eyes on becoming the best-version-of-myself (Thank you summer reading for giving me that phrase) and what God wants me to become, I can’t go wrong.

Enjoy fall! For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary.