— 1 —

You know what makes me happy? This conversation from Facebook and the subsequent picture I have in my head because of it.

Anyone know where I can find a statue of Mary on a HORSE? Huh? I think I need one.

Well, come to think of it, I probably need two. My four-year-old is sure to claim one to play with. (You know, like she did with the Holy Family.)

— 2 —

If you’re reading this in a feed reader, I’ll spare you the necessary click-through and just show you how the window view at the top of my blog has changed, thanks to Dorian and her amazingness.

— 3 —

In case you have an interest in my latest obsessions, it has involved dirt, flowers, and mulch, transforming my front view to this:

— 4 —

That streak of motivation also led to this:

— 5 —

In other news, I just confirmed, this week, that I’ll be in Dallas at the end of August. For this:

and this:

I’m a weeeeeeee bit excited, especially as I’m going to be stuck like glue to her:

(and a few other people too, but Julie and I have a special plan, mwahaha)

— 6 —

This week, my phone (which is not “smart,” and that’s part of the reason I love it so), has been spending a lot of time in rice:

It had an unfortunate meeting with some coffee and then, as I was watering my hanging baskets, I leaned over to water some of the planted stuff and forgot all about the Truth of Watering Hanging Baskets: They will drip on you if you are under them.

To this I say: I’m glad I have rice in the house!

— 7 —

And here’s something pretty I just wanted to share, and which the artist, Michelle Paine, gave me permission to share (it’s copyrighted):

Used with permission; copyright Michelle Arnold Paine

She shares about her painting of this “transciption” of Fra Angelico’s original and the story behind it on her blog. She’s doing a whole series on the Annunciation and I’m moved by them.

It reminds me of how I used to love going to the Museum of Art in Toledo with my mother, and how she would stand beneath the panel of Monet’s Water Lilies and just gaze. I never understood that stopping and looking, that pausing to savor, that slowing down.

But maybe I do, just a bit, now.

Michelle Paine is doing some amazing work. Her figurative paintings on Mary just make my heart beat harder and tears well up in my eyes…and I have no ability to explain why.

Quick Takes can be found this week at Betty Beguiles. Please pray for Jen from Conversion Diary.

It’s so easy, even *I* have done it. For the first time ever.

It’s a May altar!

Yes, I know. With my devotion to Mary, you’d think this would be something I’ve done many times. With my love of flowers, you’d think this would be something so simple and easy, I wouldn’t even need instructions.

Well, yes, I am this pathetic. I had to write instructions first, and even I pulled it off!

Here’s the before:

And here’s the after:

Go on over for my easy-peasy instructions and encouragement!

— 1 —

My favorite Nativity Set is part of my decor.

— 2 —

Since Christmas, my four-year-old has had an interest in arranging them. And rearranging them.

And now…they play hide-and-seek.

— 3 —

It took me a week or so to realize they were missing from their usual shelf.

Turns out, Mama Mary, Joseph, and the shepherd were with the Holy Family statue on an upper shelf (let’s not think about how she GOT to that taller shelf, ok?).

— 4 —

The donkey, being quite creative, hid in the printer.

— 5 —

The goat was tucked in between the tissues and my recipe box.

— 6 —

And the oxen? I missed him COMPLETELY in front of the fishing lodge.

I found him days after I thought I had everything reassembled on the correct shelf.

— 7 —

What all this says about my decorating and my ability to ignore things that are under my nose, I don’t know. OK, I DO know. There is room for humor ALL. THE. TIME.

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

By Stephen Martin

My eight-year-old son’s greatest pleasure at the dinner table lately can be summed up with one word: belching. My mom always cringed when my brother or I did the same growing up. Now I’m beginning to see her side of things.

Take this recent scene from my house, during what had been a relatively civil meal:

Son: (suddenly issues a resounding belch)
5-year-old daughter: That’s so nasty!
Wife: (says nothing, silently clutches her head)
Me: C’mon man, that’s gotta stop. That was really egregious.
Son: What’s egregious mean?
Me (an English major who likes to throw around big words): It’s when you take something too far. You know, when you go to extremes.
Son: (nods, belches again even louder)
Me: Now what did I just say? That’s totally egregious!

I’m a big believer in the importance of living in what I like to call the ‘margins’ – those hidden places in ourselves and the wider world that jolt us out of our comfort zones when we make an effort to explore them. Because getting out of our comfort zones is a great way to grow.

There are extraordinary examples of living in the margins, like Mother Teresa. One moment, she’s an obscure school teacher taking a train ride in India. The next, she experiences a vision that convinces her to work directly with the poorest of the country’s poor. It’s a job so daunting and dangerous she can barely persuade her superiors to let her try it. We know what happened from there.

And then there are less dramatic instances that happen every day– but can be equally transformative for the people experiencing them.  Raising a family. Moving somewhere new. Running a 5K. Dealing with an illness or confronting a tough challenge in prayer or reaching out to a neighbor you don’t especially like.

The specifics of the margins we embrace don’t matter; what matters is that we are willing to let them shake up our lives a little. When you’ve finally settled into a strange town or made an unlikely friend or finished a race you never thought you could run, you should celebrate. Be proud of yourself. Take some time to let it soak in. Just remember: it’s not the margins anymore if it’s not making you a little queasy. You need to find new ones.

Asking yourself the following questions and thinking seriously about the answers can help:

1. How might I push myself physically? A dozen years ago, I didn’t exercise at all. Gradually, regular runs became part of my routine. Then I stepped it up a little, adding in weightlifting. Now I’m trying (so far a bit unsuccessfully!) to work tennis into the rotation.
2. What can I do to challenge myself spiritually? There was a time during my bachelor days when this meant simply getting myself to church at all. For many years now, however, weekly Mass has been the norm for me and my family. To keep growing, I’ve started working occasionally with a spiritual director who is challenging me to approach prayer in new ways.
3. How can I stretch myself emotionally? I’m an introverted guy who generally likes to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself – and prefers for everybody else to do the same.  This, of course, is not a great way to deepen relationships with those who matter to us most. Over the past year, I’ve made a concerted effort to really communicate with close family members and friends more frequently and more openly.

It’s not always bad to push your limits. Despite what I’m telling my kids now, you might just short-change yourself if you don’t.

—

Stephen Martin is a speechwriter and journalist who blogs at MessyQuest.com. His first book The Messy Quest for Meaning: Five Catholic Practices for Finding Your Vocation, was just released by Sorin Books.

According to Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, regarding Catholic Family Fun,

I think you’re going to love it. Do you have kids or know someone who does? This IS THE book for today’s parent!

She very kindly hosted Catholic Family Fun today as part of the Book Tour.

Over at Among Women, Pat Gohn is playing hostess to me as I share “Five Ways to Have Fun with Family Fun.” It’s something I continue to struggle with (don’t be surprised: this book I wrote is as much for my family as yours!).

It still seems unlikely to me that *I* am the author of Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless, because, so often, I feel like I’m firmly planted in the Land of the Clueless.

Here are five ways I’ve found to make my attempts at family fun actually enjoyable for me, the mom who has to plan, execute, and repeat. I find that, when I can remember to follow my own advice, my instances of family fun burnout are less frequent and my ability to laugh is more sincere.

To find out what the five tips I share are, you’ll have to stop over at Among Women!

Something New

One of the promises I made recently was that I would be writing new activities for the Catholic Family Fun website.

I said Yes before I had ANY IDEA what I would write.

You know, because all the good ideas are already used, as in PUBLISHED IN THE BOOK.

Nevertheless, I did post an activity for April. And it’s something even I can handle and will be doing repeatedly with my own family.

Are you curious? Are you excited? Are you wondering what I have up my sleeve?  –> Go check it out!

(While you’re there, you can sign up to get an email newsletter that will have a new activity once a month and a “Just for Moms” reflection once a month.)

Something Nice

On the book tour note, Jennifer Fitz shares, in her review of Catholic Family Fun at Riparians at the Gate, some great observations.

You know how women’s magazines have those little articles about fun things to do with your family?  This is like 10 years of those ideas all in one place.  Only you are spared those obnoxious photos of pristine toaster ovens and closets organized by that sect of hermits who take a vow to own nothing but three pieces of splashy, sassy, ready-for-spring ensembles to pair with their strappy heels.  Also, no perfume ads.

She goes on with some further detail, which I have to say, made me want to read the book. Especially the part where she gives it the official Curmudgeon Stamp of Approval:

What if you are, in fact, the grumpy, curmudgeonly type? See the next section.  I advise letting your kids pick the activities.  That way you never need fear you’ve gotten all goofy and relaxed for nothing.  Also you could tell the kids you aren’t going to do Chapters 1 and 2 yourself, but you’ll give them five bucks if they’ll just be quiet while your finish reading the paper.  (Um, wait a minute.  No, that’s not how the book’s supposed to work.  Oops.)  Chapters 3-9 are Curmudgeon-Safe, though the one idea about a backyard circus makes me a little nervous . . .

My thanks to Jen for her review and for the great ideas she gave me! The list of people who will benefit from the book? Priceless! (Yes, I will be “borrowing” those!) The idea to include a package of bacon with the book for Mother’s Day? Brilliant!

Note: I’m making this post sticky so it stays at the top of the blog at least for today and tomorrow. New posts will appear below it.

— 1 —

As you read this, I’m probably on my way over to the Behold Conference.

Not to brag, mind you, but I am a LOT excited.

I’m going to be spending a LOT of time with Elizabeth Duffy and Mrs. Darwin. I also plan to harass pursue follow around like a puppy dog see Danielle Bean, Jennifer Fulwiler, Hallie Lord, Arwen Mosher, Kate Wicker, and many, many more of my favorite online friends.

Hoo boy!

— 2 —

In the latest Catholic Foodie, Jeff’s talking fishy Fridays, and I’m sharing a Mary in the Kitchen that reflects on just why Lenten failures are good for me, every single year.

On the newest iPadre, Fr. Jay Finelli is awesome, as usual, and I’m on with a Mary Moment that’s B16-inspired.

— 3 —

Got a new iPod, iPad, or iPhone? I share my 13 Essential Catholic Apps in this week’s Tech Talk at CatholicMom.com.

Got a few minutes to talk New Evangelization with me? Over at New Evangelizers, I’m talking about how we’re all in this together.

— 4 —

You’ve probably long suspected there’s something “not quite right” about someone who names the voices in her head. But did you know I have multiple personalities online too? I talk about my dilemma over at the Catholic Writers Guild blog this week. If you have ideas for how I can reconcile myself…well, I’m all ears/eyes.

— 5 —

“Would you review my new book, Getting #Married: Using Social Media to Celebrate the Sacred?”

I was too curious to say no when the request came into my inbox.

For one thing, I think very highly of Meredith Gould, who is an author, a blogger, and one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter.

For another, when you put both “social media” and “sacred” in the subtitle, it makes for irresistibility as far as I’m concerned.

Read my review over at CatholicMom.com.

— 6 —

I’ve been tempted to start posting links to our priest’s homilies here on my blog. He’s such a talented homilist–he can say more in seven minutes than I can say in a half-hour. Last weekend, his homily inspired a whole column idea for me, among other things. (I need to listen to it a third time to get all my notes down so I can bug him with my uber-nerdy theology questions.)

— 7 —

This is a classic case of saving the best for last, don’t you think?

Visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

— 1 —

Less than a month until we can all have our hands on this:

Join me in a happy dance, will you?

It’s not available yet for pre-order, but just as soon as it is, I’ll be sure to let you know!

— 2 —

Have you seen the great work Greg and Jennifer Willits are doing over at New Evangelizers? I have meant to mention it, and I never have. (Bad me.)

As it turns out, I’m now writing there weekly, about the New Evangelization. I’m finding this to be a topic that, like so many other topics I’ve started writing about, turns out to be FAR BIGGER than I imagined in the beginning.

My first post, “In the Silence of the Internet,” starts with a plug for the Pope’s message for World Communications Day and then a few words about how the internet inspires silence in me.

The Pope’s Message for the 46th World Communications Day has struck a deep chord with me and it speaks to each of us who are involved in spreading our Catholic faith.

For one thing, there’s the title: “Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization.”

In my years of interacting on the interwebs, there is silence of a sort, at least when I’m not yelling at my screen or ranting about what some fool (whose name may or may not be Sarah Reinhard) has said or done.

Continue reading at New Evangelizers –>

— 3 —

In my Mary Moment on iPadre this week, I share how Mary Poppins inspired me to think about Mama Mary.

In case you want to hum along with me, here you go:

— 4 —

At CatholicMom.com this week, I’m talking tech with an idea I have for an app that would take off like wildfire. Or not. Anyway, if you’re curious, you can read it and let me know what you think.

I also share a detailed review of the collection of Chesterton essays I mentioned on earlier this week.

— 5 —

I don’t really have a good entry at the Catholic Writers Guild blog this week, though I do open it up for questions (no takers so far). If you head over there, check out the other good stuff…I really liked Ebeth Weidner’s piece on tending the garden and learned quite a bit about developing theme from a writer’s standpoint from Leslie Lynch. (I may write nonfiction, but wow! I learn so much from my fiction writing friends!)

Those are just the things that went up THIS week. If you have an interest in writing, I highly recommend at least following that blog…and why not consider a membership to CWG?

Hoping to see you at the Catholic Writers Conference Online later this month, too! (Registration is closed now. And wow, it’s going to be a great and intimate group this year!)

— 6 —

I found this bit of awesomeness via Danielle Bean. I have shown it to everyone I can think of, but whether you have seen it yet or not, I MUST post it on my blog. MUST.

See why?

— 7 —

I’m pretty sure this is one of my all-time favorite pictures of my girls:

Yes, my four-year-old is now riding by herself unassisted! She takes lessons, too. A year sooner than her sister. By our calculations, that means the mancub (who is 16-months-old!) will be riding at age three.

I took this picture to show how tall my seven-year-old’s horse was next to the pony my four-year-old rides.

Have a good weekend!

Be sure to stop by Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes and lots of goodness!