Seven Quick Takes

1. I have a big fundraiser coming up on Sunday for the youth ministry I work with. It's a Chiefs tailgate. I already have a new on-going fundraiser, but when I scheduled this tailgate fundraiser, I had in mind that the proceeds would go toward kids attending NCYC. I have no kids attending NCYC (unless someone suddenly decides to sign up before October 20th lolz), so I will spread out these proceeds to other needed areas, most likely some speakers in the spring.

2. I do not like how much energy big projects, such as number 1, sap out of me. And just when I finish one big project, there will be another one. I would like a 2-3 month stretch of work where I can just focus on ministry. That's the dream. Energy is also taken away from at-home projects and good leisure because when I'm at home, the last thing on my mind is to dedicate energy to something else, even if it would end up helping me relax. Again, it would be nice to have a break at work so that I can commit myself to small projects at home as well.

--To go off of Points 1 and 2 on a tangent here, I am considering how to cut back next school year already. I thought I'd been good about cutting back on work engagements this year, but it's just still overwhelming...not necessarily even because I'm overbooked, but because I'm offering so much that so few people are taking advantage of. People want and demand so much, but I quite truly only have so much time to give based on my work hours. The majority of the families just don't know that my work hours are 20 "secretary" hours and 10 "youth ministry (including PSR AND youth group)" hours. If I truly worked according to those hours, we would not be doing nearly as much as we're doing right now. And it's not fair to Matt/my mental and even physical health to be stressing the way I have been for the past 6 months. Change is in order. My current thought process is, rather than every 2 week meetings, to have once-a-quarter retreat half-days. Confirmation kids would need to attend 2-3 of them. We would still do trips, and I may consider keeping up with leadership meetings (which I just implemented this year). To replace the more-constant meetings, I would like instead to take a year to spend "one-on-one" time with each individual family to ask them their vision for the youth ministry at the parish, and THEN to develop the program from there. Still a thought-in-progress.

3. In the far off (a year out) future, my mom and I will be attending a Shania Twain concert in Kansas City. It's basically our 90s dream come true.

4. Some days all I want to do is watch baby videos. Some days the very glimpse of a baby makes me fight back tears. What gives?

5. Favorite articles and more today:
https://radio.foxnews.com/2017/10/12/man-leads-police-on-chase-to-cross-it-off-his-bucket-list/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaB9M0olC3e/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay5iEzHafeQ

6. I may have overestimated whether I have 7 points...Let's see...
Ah, I know. My Goddaughter just turned 11 at the end of September. I know she turned 11, but I was texting someone about the requirements/expectations of Godparents today, and it really hit me that she's 11. Almost a teenager. Which means her baptism was already 9 years ago (she was a little bit older because it was an adoption situation). Which means I was 17 years old. HoLy SmOkEs.

7. I've been craving milk a LOT lately (no, def not a preggo thing). Not even chocolate milk, which I love, but just plain white milk. I think it's that it's a nice mix of being cold and sweet-but-not-too-sweet. But in the midst of my brain-fog in getting ready for this Chiefs tailgate, I keep forgetting to pick it up! Grrrrrr. Really, though, I am craving it right now. At midnight. *sigh*

Prayer as Activity

Prayer is not inaction. Prayer is not sitting back and watching everyone else do good deeds. Prayer is not useless. Prayer is not meaningless. Prayer is not ineffective. Prayer is not dependent on our own goodness. Prayer is not dependent on the opinion of those who think it is useless.

Prayer does spur us on to action. Prayer does make our action more effective. Prayer does raise our action to God. Prayer makes us more aware of the good we need to do. Prayer does impel us to make effective political and social change. Prayer is action. Prayer is the highest action. Prayer is loving.

So as you pray for Las Vegas, Florida, Texas, Sandy Hook, Paris, southeast Asia, Montana, Oklahoma, Dallas, Orlando, any other hashtags, cities, or people that/who I am forgetting, let prayer be your starting and ending point. Do not let those who do not believe in prayer or God stop you from prayer. They are hurting and raw and betrayed and frustrated and rightly so. They may simply not need to know that we are praying, and that's ok. They'll come to know. Prayerfully donate blood, food, water, medical supplies, money, and any other needed resources. Prayerfully vote for politicians in local and national elections who will unwaveringly establish needed changes. Pray. It doesn't need a hashtag to work. You don't need to announce it if you don't want to. You can do it in a prayer vigil, at Mass, with your family, or as you reflect on your own. Just do it.

Lord have mercy on us.