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1
One thing I really like about the Catholic Church is that they read not one, not two, but three scripture passages each week. Why is that so good? Because they're usually related! I had been wanting to read about how Jesus fulfilled specific Old Testament prophecies for a while, but wasn't sure where to start. This basically does that for me!
This week's Old and New Testaments were particularly related. We all know the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes (this week it was the one from John 6:1-15). But did you know there's a similar story in the Old Testament?! I didn't! Check out 2 Kings 4:42-44:
A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elish, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits, and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat." But his servant objected, "How can I set this before a hundred people?" "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha insisted. "For thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'" And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said.
That is too cool!
2
Speaking of the weekly readings, the other one was from Ephesians 4:1-6. It seems like that first verse has come up several times for me in the past few months:
I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received
That's a really big responsibility! Living up to our calling as Christians is a lot of work! I can do that maybe on Sundays and around my husband and my parents (but probably not my brothers) and my friends. That's enough, right?
No? Certainly you don't expect me to live this way all the time.
Wait, what's that? You do? Shoot. Come on, you know that's not possible in this world. How could I hope to even halfway live up to that?
Oh, through the grace you pour out in your Sacraments. Right. Hey, can we talk more about this later? I was in the middle of my blog post.
Okay, thanks. Talk to you shortly.
3
You know that feeling when the stylist finishes cutting your hair and you look in the mirror and it takes all your strength not to scream "What have I done?!" I got that yesterday afternoon. I decided I needed a change, but my husband the scientist wanted me to keep my hair long, so that change involved bangs.
I can hear you howling with laughter already. In my defense, it wasn't 5th grade rows of curly bangs, nor was it the fringe across the top from high school. I was going for trendy chunky on-the-side bangs. Okay - go ahead and laugh now.
I thought it was going well, until she blow dried them straight. And gave me some great body on top. When I looked in the mirror, I realized I had great curly hair and these sassy straight things covering one of my eyes - and I looked like a tramp. And "tramp" isn't really my look.
Time to pull out the bobby pins and invest in some headbands!
4
Good news for those of you traveling to France! Apparently modesty is coming back in style, as French women are sunbathing in the nude less. From the article:
Since France's summer-vacation season kicked off in early July, the press has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the shrinking number of topless women on the nation's beaches. As eagle-eyed reporters have made quite clear, the prevailing trend among sun-loving women these days is to actually use both pieces of their bikini.
Heaven forbid! And get this:
But the more concealing swimwear trend is also part of a wider social movement by younger French women who are shunning the less inhibited habits of previous generations.
Just thought you'd like a little dose of good news about society to go along with the heaping helpings of bad news we usually get.
5
This time next week, we will be on our way to Florida for Halleh and Gabe's wedding! I cannot wait to see all my rugby girls!! It's hard to believe, but I have not seen a single one of my college friends since our wedding almost a year ago. That is way too long.
6
I am really lacking motivation for my research. I know that's part of the whole dissertating process, but I think it's even more pronounced when you're 1600 miles away from your university. And your adviser is a difficult woman to get a hold of. And you have other things to do, like pack and clean and move your grandmother-in-law and garden and cook the produce and train for a half-marathon and why not a duathlon while you're at it and also you've been meaning to do a little light reading on the side so why not start with Mulieris Dignitatem. And the thought of starting a family consumes you, and then you think "If I feel like I'm busy now, life will be 10x as hectic then!" And so you go to the blogosphere to see how other amazing women out there do it. And then, poof, your day has disappeared!
As I type, I'm supposed to be finishing off an abstract, which happens to be due this afternoon. Any suggestions for getting back on the motivation train?
7
Speaking of my research, would you mind taking my survey? And sharing the link with other people so they'll take it also? Please? It's kinda fun - you listen to different voices and try to guess where they're from. You just need an internet connection and working speakers. It does take around 45 minutes, but you probably spend that much time reading blogs and such anyway, right?
Here's the link: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/132544/35wtq
Sorry for the shameless plug. As you can tell, I'm getting a bit desperate.
Thank you so much!!