7 Quick Takes Friday

-1-

I am in the process of making the Total Consecration according to St. Louis De Montfort and it is rocking my spiritual world!  I made the consecration when I was in college 10+ years ago, but I don't remember it having such an impact on me.  I highly encourage anyone who wants to deepen their spiritual life to consider it.

-2-

College was 10 years ago??!!  In the last 10 years so much has happened....I graduated college, got my first job, got married, moved halfway across the country and then back, had 5  babies (plus 1 in heaven), worked 4 different nursing jobs, got a dog, became a doula, AND I'm still paying off my college loans, whew!

-3-

Oh, and I started homeschooling my children.  We will be starting our 3rd year of homeschooling this fall. My oldest 3 will be doing school.  We have been doing school part time over the summer, which has been great for keeping their math skills sharp, and I have to say, is great for when they get bored and start fighting.....just the threat of "Ok, let's get out our schools books...." solves any misunderstanding or lack of sharing that was happening. 

-4-

Summer!  We have been making a trail through our woods this summer.  It has been a great adventure with our boys helping out.  They love any opportunity to get dirty, so playing in the woods, catching toads and finding cool rocks has been perfect!  I can't wait until we have it finished and have a nice quiet place to go for walks and bike rides.

-5-

Quiet.  Where do you find your quiet time?  It sometimes seems as though, even just 2 minutes of quiet, with no interruptions is just a dream.  My husband just started teaching a class on Friday nights, so although I dislike getting dinner and putting the kids to bed without his help, after they are in bed, I finally get an hour of quiet (hence most of my blog posts happen on Friday night).

-6-

It's still Friday, 11:00pm, so this still counts for Quick Takes Friday, right?

-7-

My new favorite adult beverage, Saranac Shandy.  I never would have thought to mix beer and lemonade, but it is great!  I think I'll enjoy one now, in my quiet time :)

Awesome new Website

I recently came across the website: www.iusenfp.com

It is a great site about NFP (Natural Family Planning).  The site is fresh and appealing. I love their graphics!  I have been following the development of 1flesh.org and came across a link for iusenfp.com.

Check out these sites!

Good Old Catholic Guilt

"guilt

noun

1.

the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law; culpability: He admitted his guilt.

2.

a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined."

(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/guilt)

 

I was thinking about guilt recently because a friend accused me of making her feel guilty.  Is guilt something that you can impose on another person?  According to the definition above, it doesn't seem like it.   Guilt is a feeling of responsibility for having committed a wrong.  If you are feeling guilty, then you feel responsible for the wrong.  I didn't give it to you.  Maybe I reminded you that it was wrong, but I didn't make up the rules.

 

I also notice that many people get angry about things, the same things that they often feel guilty about. It's hard to escape your conscience, especially since God's law is written on your heart.  If something wasn't truly wrong, would you get so angry about it?

 

Here's the example of what I am referring to:  My friend and I were having a discussion about contraception.  I told her that I didn't use contraception for many reasons, but one being that it is against Church teaching.  She got very defensive and told me to stop pushing my Catholic nonsense on her (in some not quite as nice words).   My friend was raised Catholic, but now doesn't practice any formal religion, but has her own spirituality, her own relationship with God, outside of "religion".  

 

Now, if she wasn't feeling guilty, if her conscience wasn't nagging at her, why would she have gotten so angry?  Couldn't we have had a discussion about the risks and benefits of contraception?  Agree to disagree? 

 

Perhaps Catholic Guilt isn't so bad after all.  It seems to me that it is just your conscience nagging at your heart, trying to tell you that perhaps something you are doing or the way you are living isn't in accord with God's way.