Ignitum Today: Perks of Embarrassment

In Beginner 1 I can be put at the front of the class to show other students and in Beginner 2 I’m cowering in the corner, face burning red as my teacher tells me to copy his swooping jump (he’s a new teacher and forgets that you can’t just do what his professional butt can)... Read the rest at Ignitum Today!

The Beauty of Now

Today is not yesterday.

 
You cannot change your past by thinking about it over and over again, reliving details in your head, thinking about how it could have been different. Your past cannot be changed, but your soul can be cleansed and healed. In time God can take the past and make something good out of it, but the past does not change because it doesn't need to. If God needed to change the past to heal you he would, but he doesn't so it remains. When Christ came, died and rose he promised the forgiveness of sins and the redemption of the world and you are part of that world. But he did not come to change your past, he came to redeem it. The Beauty comes in seeing how his mercy takes the darkness and turns it into light. He loves you with abandon. He cares about the sins that plague you at night and the ghosts of people who turn your stomach over. He cares, but he will not change your past because he honors the free choices you made, but if you are willing he will take you out of your bad choices and bring you to a better, brighter Now.

Now. Today. This Moment. Him and You. You and the world.

You are called to the Joy and Mercy of Today.


"Though time is too precious to waste, it must never be thought that what was lost is irretrievable. Once the Divine is introduced, there comes the opportunity to make up for losses. God is the God of the second chance." - Archbishop Fulton Sheen

7 Quick Takes Friday (The New New Look)

New Header Yaaay!

- 1 -

Hi! Thanks for dropping by this Friday! I'm working from home right now and these are the perks so far:

1) I can take my longest break of the day when it's the nicest out. When the sun is hitting the trees just right and all the coffee shops are still open!

2) Background entertainment!

3) I can go hug Toulie (my cat) and chase him or throw him up in the air. Sometimes he joins me for dance parties.

4) Attire: Unless I'm doing some kind of Skype meeting I can wear anything! But I do feel better when I shower and wear nice clothes. The world doesn't know what I'm wearing, but I know.

And these are the downers:

1) OMG, where are all the humans???

2) It be ever so nice if someone else was paying for my insurance.

3) Nobody gets me out of bed but me.

4) Background entertainment! I've very quickly depleted all my prime options to a near nil. I'm going to have to face the quiet. It might be a good idea.

- 2 -

Gravity Falls! Please take advantage of your Disney Channel subscription and watch this 

brilliant-hilarious show.

- 3 -

Tinkerbell and the Secret of the Wings comes out THIS TUESDAY.

- 4 -

I can't decide for the life of me what to be for Halloween this year. Nani from Lilo and Stitch? Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service? Or one of those Orca people in Ocean Girl, a reference nobody will get unless I meet an Australian who grew up in the 90s. Or maybe St. Lucy with her eyes on a plate; that will horrify people.
(Also getting an Australian accent right is ridiculously hard. Thanks youtube. No thanks.)

- 5 -

Here's Scott Hahn getting gushy about the Catechism. Gushhhhh.

- 6 -

Anybody have any tips on how to make yourself wake up early and like it? And least sort of like it?

- 7 -

I thought about making some cat comics but then I found this girl and decided it wasn't necessary.
Cat versus Human

~
Please Visit Jen at http://ConversionDiary.com

Trip Ahoy!

I waited and waited at the airport in Pittsburgh for Maria to arrive so we could go to Franciscan University (Steubie) to visit her sister.  You might know Steubie because you've attended the conferences they hold for teens every year or because Scott Hahn teaches there or because it's sooooo coooool.

Anyways... there I was waiting and experimenting with my markers and generally making a mess of it –I mean what is going on in those thumbnails?– so I drew some fan art of Ocean Girl, an Aussie tv show you might have watched in the 90s. I distinctly remember having my dad record episodes of it when we'd go away on vacation and I just rewatched all four seasons. What has happened to tween tv shows these days? This was great! There wasn't loud, sarcastic whining and barely any romantic entanglements at all. It's also nice because it isn't presumptuous and embraces its own cheesy sci-fi culture in way that you end up embracing it too.  Don't watch Glee, watch Ocean Girl. On Netflix for all of you. Just give it a few episodes. You'll be hooked on the sincerity and (how beautiful Neri is!)

And then after a lovely ride with one of the many people I met over the next few days, I arrived. Look at the pretty church! There were many other smaller chapels so you could take your pick! Need to avoid someone? No problem!

Below is one of the pictures I took when I needed a break from the intense socializing. I didn't know I'd be visiting during parents weekend so I met returning alumni, parents, undergrads, grads; basically anyone who missed and wanted to visit. And I was starving so I ran, found food and took nice photos.

When I did have to go to meetings because Maria and her sister, Natalia needed to I awkwardly drew people, but hey I was polite enough to stop when we prayed and stuff so no harm done.

I promised myself I'd get some work done on my kids book on JPII so I figured why not go to the JPII library? Inspiration had to happen! Alas, it did not kick in until the flight back but I did flip through lots of books.

I also sat in on classes!!

Christology with Dr. Micheal Sirilla (he had much kinder eyes, I'm sorry sir for making you evil)

 

Biblical Studies with Scott Hahn.

 I refrained so much from the fan girl inside me that when he asked me why me and Maria wanted to sit in I just said, "Oh, we just like learning." Really? really, Fabi? That's just silly.  You just cried all the way through Home Sweet Rome when you were 20 and then read most of his books. But you can't just come out and say those things.

I also sat in on a bit of a psychology class. Yes, men and women are different and sometimes can't stand the way they handle things. Yeah, yeah... no news there.

Maria also introduced me to Keith Major who I knew because I'd read his witness story sometime in the blogosphere. He is intensely charismatic and intensely into fasting. Also, he's planning to have a Catholic track at IHOP (international house of praise) for the first time this year. And many, other things. The lovely man can talk. It is very strange meeting people I know from the internet who don't know you.

I'm so grateful to Natalia for having me and her roommates who were a blast, for that insane late night watching The Exorcism of Emily Rose (I suppressed most of it already), for the prayer time at the Portiuncula, the festival, the talent show and for the half of the bed I slept in!

'Till next time!

Fabi

The Year of Faith

Today marks the new liturgical year.
Be Faithful.
Be True.

Live the Year of Faith called by Pope Benedict XVI

Sketches and stories from my trip to Franciscan University coming soon!