Sugar Rush!!

I enjoy traveling; by air or train mind you... I am only tricked into long car expeditions by great music and friends. But the planes or trains are like fun retreats where I get to draw or read the books I want. Delayed two hours? Sweet more time to read Witness to Hope or Enchanted... but which shall I pick? The agony!

I'm traveling to mushy Florida tomorrow, my hair will be a fuzz ball and my face will be shiny like the tip of an ancient grandma's nose but all I have to do is be fed and paint pretty murals while I listen to audiobooks. 

Books. I have a silly big bed for tiny me and sometimes my bedmates are books because I just leave them on the right side of me and fall asleep. I have a horrible habit of book jumping. Never giving each book it's proper start and end. I'm a flaky reader. 

I was just surfing through all my geeky, fun blogs. Because books now compete with blog entries too. Today I read Mark Shea's entry Why Bother With Such a Corrupt Church? and I liked it enough to link it. You go Mark, thank you for your lack of romanticism and BS and also for the book series Mary Mother of the Son I read years ago when I was going through all my Mary questions and I trusted you because of your lack of BS and also for being an adult convert and since I am not an adult convert it gets me thinking of all the things I've taken for granted as a baby Catholic.  

I finally had my first grown-up freelance job and I had no idea what an invoice was and guess what? I guessed wrong. But my uber helpful friend helped me google "Freelancer Invoice" (who knew the internet could be so helpful?). He almost punched in the letters for me but I said no! I can type my own words thank you! And lo, here is my final design for it and I've gained Competency +1!

Which reminds me of a blog called Adulting, which has some crass language but very helpful advice if you are trying to be a responsible adult. ME! I want to be responsible!

I had a small.... small (mind you almost insignificant) meltdown over the children's book I am trying to write and illustrate. What am I doing? This is going to take forever... I don't want to show anyone what I'm doing because I'll just cry. They'll find out I don't know what I'm doing and they won't know how to help because I don't know what I'm doing. 

Breathe. 

Pray. 

....

You know making things that are worth while should take effort... just a thought. 

Oh. Okay! 

Crisis averted for now. And when my pride swells up (everyday) I pray The Litany of Humility and sigh because really I care too much about what others think about who I am and do. 

May the Good God keep you safe! 

Love,

Wacko Girl that should have gone on her run but didn't.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Events, Likeable Art & Hunger Games)

Hola Amigos! Listed below are a bunch of events happening soon around the country and since I can't go because they are far away you must go if you are near by and because I say so.

-1-

Fill These Hearts

Oct 26 -27 St. Paul, MN

Nov 17 Sylvania, OH

This one I've been to when it was in Rhode Island and it was pretty extraordinary.

-2-

Adore Ministries

Sept 5 - Oct 3 - Nov 7 Houston, TX

Ennie Hickman will be speaking there fyi and he's pretty cool. For more information please go here

-3-

If you are a Youth Minister...

NCCYM Converence

Nov 27-Dec 1 Orlando, Fl

-4-

Now I'm going to shamelessly promote Cory Heimenn at Likeable Art! Hire him!

-5-

Squee! Jump! Yay! Jump!

-6-

I hosted a Hunger Games Party a few days ago! 

where should I put these cupcakes????

President Snow wants you to eat the cupcakes and die.

-7-

No more to report. 

Please visit ConversionDiary.com

Witness to Hope

I had the privilege of seeing George Weigel, Pope John Paul II’s personal biographer not long after the Polish Pope was beatified. I’ve spent the last couple weeks reading Weigl’s Witness to Hope which documents the Pontiff’s life and it’s been crazy. Crazy in a good way. It’s packed with history, theology, philosophy, letters and memories. I thought I’d share some of the most stricking passages so far. I’m hoping this will make you read it too ....

Please read the rest at Ignitum Today

Mass

In search of some photos of JPII I came across pictures of Masses celebrated during WWII.

Sky High

I am greatly blessed.

I just resumed my study of the life of Pope John Paul II for a little book I’m writing and illustrating. God has given me a really sweet reason to immerse myself in Him through someone who loved Him dearly. In only a few hours of spending my time reading his biography and discourses I feel infected by that love and close to Jesus. Few things are more moving to me that the love of God winning over tragedy.

I have a book called “A Year with John Paul II” and there are meditations for each day taken from the Pope’s writings and Prayers. Today, on a whim I opened it up to August 10 and this section cut me straight through!

“The consumer society in which we live and the fear of an uncertain future drive one to seek immediate gratification for oneself. One becomes, introverted, falling back on one’s small personal happiness, on one’s emotions, in a circle where aroused feeling is incessantly on the look out for new sensations, which quickly fade away, where there is no reference but to self and to one’s pleasures. This is no way to live. This is not the world you want: it would be a world without hope, one that empties man’s life of meaning.” - Discourse to the Youth of Fribourg, Switzerland, June 13, 1983

I tried to find the rest of the discourse online, but couldn’t so I’m no the hunt for the rest. There is a danger, at least for me at the moment, when I am focused on job hunting and working on my personal art to become oh so self-centered! To become more excited about “the next new thing” than God and the people he calls me to serve. Compliments, fame, fads, movies, etc come quick, strike high and then they are gone. But God’s love and the deep connection with neighbor is so much deeper and lasting I pray that even when I am working on my own I am drawn out of myself to something greater. That my heart might expand. And that is what I hope for you too! Whatever your creature comforts may be that they will not become crutches in your life but sweet nectar to add to your daily romance with our Lord and his people!

When I discovered iMOVIE...

I drew something then put it on YOUTUBE.