Guess who's back back in Pittsburgh. Me. So that's why I haven't posted in many moons. I only received one threatening text from Hannah so no harm no foul. So because I've been sans internet for a long time these Quick Takes will be really easy to whip out, right?


Right.


Shout out to my past-roomie Michelle with a very happy (very belated) birthday wish!

killin' it. swim skirt style #modest

Michelle is probably one of the biggest reasons why I didn't quit staff at New Staff Training/run away/become one with nature and live with the gators/cry at EVERY moment. I just cried at most moments. Also we both have a fear of St. Therese so there's a whole lot of bonding between us.


Speaking of St. Therese, I finished this book! And it was so good. I will recommend it until the cows come home and then after that as well. Seriously. I read it and expected to feel a strong connection to St. Therese but I read it and found myself relating to the emotional and flighty Maurice instead. Which, I think, is the point. The book doesn't highlight Therese's little soul but how she responds with great love to the "little" soul of Maurice. I can confidently say that I am no longer afraid of St. Therese.


The novio is coming to Pittsburgh in less than a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.


Have you visited Call Her Happy's Etsy shop yet? It's hella cute and makes me want to be crafty.


I'm starting a Bible study on CMU's campus this Tuesday. It's a bilingual study with students who speak Spanish. I studied Spanish in college and I'm rusty beyond rusty and I am very nervous. So, please spare some prayers that the study goes well and that whatever God wills for it, happens. Thanks a whole bunch.

 Shimmy on over to Jen's for some funner takes.

Have you heard of SoulCore? One post I wrote about it and thought about buying it and then I did and today I did it with my mom and we loved it. Let me be clear, I hate working out. Hate, hate, hate. But the beautiful women who do SoulCore combine something I've always wanted to do (yoga) with something I always need to do (pray the rosary). I highly recommend it. It's no nonsense yoga (like, my core is quivering, sweat all over, etc) and she provides beautiful meditations and some scripture. I'm all about it. I'll probably write a whole post about it...


I have loved being in Lincoln and it makes me realize how much I miss it. I miss my friends and family so much, so I'm going to do a better job at staying connected. Like, I might even use the phone and call people, yikes.
The next time I see Hannah, bebe Almanzo might be born. Also the bebe might not be a boy and probably won't be named Almanzo, but I like it...so...there's that.
I had dinner last night with Hannah (see #3) and our friend Katie and most of the dinner conversation was about birthing stories (other people's) and tub births and placentas anddddddd....
...A cow given birth c-section style. Katie had photos on her phone and we looked at them, at dinner, in a restaurant, in public. Lincoln, Nebraska.
I went to Whole Foods today for the first time (!!) and got Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels and I won't take a pictures because the container is basically empty.
There are no pictures in this post because I'm blazing through it so I can enjoy a glass of red wine with my mother and sit in the sun with my dad. Thanks, Lincoln, you've been real.

 Prayers as I head back to Pittsburgh would be great.

 Thanks, Jen, for hosting!

I hate making New Year's Resolutions but I sure do love picking Saints of the Year. This year I was on a bus to a FOCUS Conference in Dallas and picked my first saint from a bag.

And then I moved to Pittsburgh and the secretary at the Newman Center told me I could pick a saint from their basket and, not wanting to be rude, I picked another one.

So I totally double dipped for 2014. Not even mad.

Here we go!

Blessed Mariam of Baouardy (...of Bethlehem, Lily of Palestine, Little Arab, etc).

She has a lot of names. She's a mystic from Bethlehem and was born in 1846 and is a mystic, victim soul, and stigmatist. Her story is pretty amazing and is summarized in long form here and shorter form here. Bl. Mariam was betrothed to be married, refused, and was beaten, then a young man tried to make her convert to Islam and she refused and he cut her throat. and left her to die. Bl. Mariam later recounts that a "nun dressed in blue" came and took care of her and stitched her wound. She survived and took perpetual vows and joined a Discalced Carmelite order.

Seriously, her life was crazy. St. Joseph appeared to her, angels appeared to her, she received the stigmata at age 20, she helped found two convents, she experienced numerous ecstasies, and her religious name is Sr. Mary of Jesus Crucified. So...pretty hardcore.

Here's an icon of her:

I call this week the Week-I-Didn't-Even-Blog-One-Time-and-Jen-Fulwiler-Did-A-Seven-Day-Seven-Post-Challenge, but I'll shorten it to Fail Week.

Lately, I've been failing a lot. Being a missionary is a strange job where it's nearly impossible to determine whether or not you are doing a good job. That sounds like a cop out so I'll elaborate.

There are certain things we should do (daily prayer, daily Mass, Holy hour, meet with students, care for team, take care of yourself) and when we slack at those things then we aren't doing a good job.

But, when you meet with students or have Bible Study or have events it's hard to gauge the success since it involves another person who has free will.

Hannah suggest that I document a Day-in-the-Life and I for sure will. Probably on Ash Wednesday because that day is going to be veeeery eventful. (ALSO have you seen Hannah's blog? It is so so so so cute).

Anyway, I'm going to be better about keeping up with writing since I love it (and maybe need it to keep sane) so thanks for sticking with me.

Some high-lights of the week.

1. Got a new retainer, booyah
2. Got a $97 parking citation, not the best
3. Becca came and visited me! AHH
4. I'm going home very soon for Spring Break (Praise God for academic vacations)
5. I started praying for an increase in humility and then I bumper-bumped a car three times while trying to park. So...nailed it.

You all are big failures and Jesus loves you.