Five Favorites--4/26

Joining Hallie once again for Five Favorites.  Yeah!!

1.  My favorite thing is when I can go thrifting and get exactly what I want.  I have been looking for a braided belt, $2.  Check!  I was going to stop at WalMart after Goodwill to get another plastic tote for packing up the house and low and behold look at what was at Goodwill.  $4.  Check!  I have this thing for coffee mugs and always looking for any that catch my eye at thrift stores.  $1 "N" mug.  Check!

2.  I have been craving me some Dunkin' Donuts coffee so when I ran out off coffee this was a must. (And you can see my love of all things Trader Joe's in the background!)

3.  I had my last class of the semester today, woohooo!  Because it was the last one and we needed to fit in a little more lecture we began class at 7 instead of 8.  If I am going to class at 7 I am wearing slippers and not going to be ashamed.  I liked it so much that this will defiantly be a favorite thing next year.

4.  New sisters being inducted (and brothers!).  I don't think I ever love my household more than at induction time.  This is defiantly a favorite thing and even the RAs were excited about it.

5.  I started studying for finals on Wednesday.  I will just go ahead and pat myself on the pack because the final isn't until this coming Friday.  The studying isn't a favorite thing but the organizing for the studying sure is.

And what do you know coffee made it in yet again.  I am telling you I don't really plan this, the love of the liquid gold just flows over.  

The Lord always answers prayers no matter how small....

This afternoon my roommate and I were on the way to Aldi's from Goodwill and looking for a quarter to get a cart and realized neither of us had one.  Whatever, we were hoping for a cart not put back or a quarter on the ground and if not use our bags or find some boxes for shopping.  On the way over I said a quick prayer, "Lord, please let there be a cart there."  We pull in, get out of the car and a professor's wife is loading up her mini-van with groceries.  She sees us, knowing we are students (Franny is always written on all of our heads no matter how hard we try to wash it off), and asks us if we want our cart.

Yes, in fact we would like it, we say.  I tell her I prayed for a cart and here is the cart.  She walks over to us.  She says that they were just at Walmart and their youngest daughter picked up a quarter that the lady in front of her had dropped, looking at the woman, the lady winks at her and tells her to keep it.  That was the quarter they used to get the cart that they were now passing on.

Paying it forward.  The Lord always listens to our prayers, no matter how small they seem.  He desires to romance us if we only let Him.

When we fret and worry....

From the book Where There is Love, There is God, a compilation of Mother Theresa's words.

"If we think, Sisters, imagine God being so busy with you, so occupied with each one that He gave us a personal call.  He did not send anyone to call me but He called me personally.  He said, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love.' To think that He had me in His mind before eternity   Thousands of people are in the world, but He called me personally-I, from this country or town or village"

Life changer.

I am sure most people who stumble upon a Marian Monday link up know just how much a consecration is a life changer.  Being bound forever to Mary so that with Mary we may approach Jesus is bound to do some pretty radical things in your life.  I have done the St. Louis de Monefort consecration multiple times before and it is beautiful, however if you struggle with the language of that intense preparation for consecration I recommend the St. Maximilian Kolbe consecration to you.  The theology in it is stunning and can be a little easier to get through however no less rewarding.  I am currently, along side my household, renewing my consecration for 6th time with preparation by St. Maximilian Kolbe.  Mary I am thine, and all I have is thine.....

7QT (Vol. 13)

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Last week I was talking about going to the Pirates game.  It was so much fun.  It started out great, driving into the city with our baseball caps on and the sun beaming through the windows but as the sun went down and seeing as the stadium is right next to the river, it quickly became frigid.  But the Pirates won, I got to spend time with four of my sisters, and we got free pretzels at the end of the game, I call that a pretty great Friday.   

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A few years ago I was looking for tank tops that would be modest and not slide down during the day and were long enough to not ride up.  In my search I stumbled upon Modbod.  They are exactly what I was looking for.  At first I ordered basic cami in white and a basic tank in white.  They can be a little pricey at full price but that first order was around Christmas and I remember getting a good deal.  They go on sale often and being on the email list I keep an eye out of for great sales.  Well there is a great 70% sale going on.  At first I ordered a  black and white kit and this awesome lace cami.  I put in another order last night, the tops are that good and the deal is that great, including more camis and lace camis in more colors and one of these to try out. I am not getting any benefit from you clicking on these links but I want to share it with you because I recommend them that much.  Let me know if you take my advice and  how you like them.

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No explanation needed. 

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Another book post on Jesus of Nazareth. 

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My first attempt at brussel sprouts, the first with sausage and onion and the second with carrots and lentils.  Yummy.

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How good it was to regroup with my Haiti mission team and eat an attempt at some of our favorite Haitian food--pasta and hot dogs with ketchup and unfrosted lemon cake. Another yummy.

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The good weather yesterday!!  I had the tank top on and was out in the sun.  Now it is once again grey.  Soon enough the sunny days will out number the grey ones.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Jesus of Nazereth

I think it is about time I finished this book.  I have talked about it too many times to even link up to them.

This book was incredible.  I am confident that I will continually be referring back to enlightenment found in this book.  My favorite chapter was actually chapter one about the Baptism of Jesus however I started reading this book on the overdrive app on my phone before I realized I needed to add this book to my bookshelves.  So I don't have any quotes from that but I give you some of my favorite gems from the rest of the book...

"He must recapitulate the whole of history from its beginning from Adam on; he must go through, suffer through, the whole of it, in order to transform it" (26) 

"We who are privileged enough to receive the Eucharist as our bread must nevertheless always pray that none of us be permanently cut off and served from the body of Christ" (157 )  

Reminds me that it is a privilege not a right to receive the bread of life and it is a gift we should receive as often as possible.

The next two are perfect reminders as this season of Lent winds down.....

"Christians need the Lord to teach every generation anew that his way is not the way of earthly power and glory but the way of the Cross" (299)

"Jesus' divinity belongs with the Cross-only when we put the two together do we recognize Jesus correctly" (305) 

So there you have it.  I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking deeper insight into Christ.  As an added gem this books also opens your mind and heart to the spirituality of the now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

Please I would love to hear comments from others who have read this book.

What I Wore Sunday (Vol. 17)

I am sick.  I admit it.  I am not just under the weather, I don't just have the sniffles, I am sick.  The amount of dayquil, nyquil, cough medicine, and allergy medicine pulsing through my system should have clued me in.  But you guys didn't come around to hear about my coughing so on with the outfit.  

I apologize immensely for the poor quality iphone photos in an overhead light dorm hallway. 

The details:

Dress: wine colored wrap dress from Old Navy that you have seen many times before

Flowy "Cardigan": Brand new from Target, exactly what I have been wanting!

Shoes:  Gold Toms

Earrings:  From Macy's, love them!!

Today was so great with brunch off campus and drinking coffee in the sunshine. I am loving these warm temps.