7QT: Seven Quick Takes (Volume XXXI)

I'm linking up with This Ain't the Lyceum to bring you Seven Quick Takes from my world this week.  

~1~

Litany of Saints.

You might be Catholic if...
...you don't think one day is enough to commemorate all the saints in your life (both official canonized Saints and friends or relatives that you're sure are saints).  Thank goodness, the Church uses the entire month of November to reflect on this topic, remember the dead, and pray for them.  I love the communion of saints.  As a convert, this is something that brings so much more fullness to the body of Christ for me.  Having unity with believers of all ages - past, present, future - believers in all states of being - militant, suffering, triumphant - is amazing.  Having examples that bridge the gap between the stories of the Bible and ancient times and the modern world, people to whom I can relate.  The stories are so varied.  

I heard someone recommend once that each person should build their own Litany of Saints...not just your confirmation name or the Blessed Mother or your middle name (if it's Christian), but all the saints who are dear to you.  If you don't have a growing list of favorites, get to reading and learning about the lives of the saints.  They are our allies, our friends, our advocates, our family.  They are fascinating, diverse, brilliant, humble, and encompass nearly any and every walk of life.  

If you know anyone who has passed away (and we all do), then make sure to pray for them.  Maybe they were holy and you think they went straight to heaven, pray for them anyway.  Thank God for their lives, the love they showed you, their example.  Ask God to have mercy on them and bring them to Himself, if He hasn't already.  If they're already in heaven (and only God knows), ask God to apply those prayers to all those in purgatory.  Ask them to pray for you, but pray for them too.  Do not lose hope for those loved ones who may have lived less-than-faithful lives.

St. Cecilia...
St. Therese of Liseaux...
St. Louis and St. Zelie Martin...
St. Benedict...
St. Anthony...
St. Dymphna...
St. Frances of Rome...
St. Vincent de Paul...
St. Rita...
St. Faustina...

All the angels and saints...

...Pray for us.

~2~

Manna.

"Don't speak against the provision of God."

I heard a nice reflection on gratitude that I really needed to hear.  God provides for us, just as He provided manna from heaven.  Eventually, they got sick of the manna and complained about it.  Don't we do the same thing?

"Another day at the office?"
"Another diaper to change?"
"Another run to the grocery store?"

Whatever the case may be or the cross to bear, be grateful for the provision God has given you.  Don't bite the hand that feeds you.  (I'm saying this to remind myself, too.)

Sometimes we need relief, help, or sometimes we need a big change.  But, be grateful for what you have.

~3~

Decorating.  

I love decorating the inside of our house (much more than maintaining the outside).  I don't know that I'm good at it, but I have specific ideas of what I like and what I don't.  I have always wanted my home to radiate peace and to reflect our faith, while not feeling like a museum.  

Jen, over at Graceful Living at Home compiled a list of some of the best decorating websites around, including her own.  Follow, click, add to blogroll, like, etc.  It'll give you a great list of inspiration if you like this kind of thing the way I do.

~4~

10 Tips for Online Behavior.

I guess it's link week on my 7 Quick Takes.  But, seriously...online behavior seems to have taken a down turn, and this article is a good reminder.  It's enough that I'm considering deleting Facebook, Instagram, this blog, etc.  We all need a few reminders that behavior online doesn't get a "pass."  Just because it's behind a screen doesn't mean it's meaningless or a way of getting by with bad behavior.  Especially as Catholics, keep in mind that others are watching how we treat each other, how we speak of the Church, and how welcoming (or unwelcoming) we are.  Food for thought.  

~5~

Jennifer Fulwiler referenced this long ago on her blog, and it's FABULOUS.  A “Decalogue for Daily Living” from none other than Pope John XXIII.  Such wisdom here.  

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.


2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.


3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.


4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.


5. Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.


6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.


7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure no one notices.


8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.


9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.


10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

~6~

The Battle Is Real.

Apparently there are those people out there who don't think the devil is real. While I don't want to give too much emphasis on ole' hairy legs or make him an evil equivalent to God (keep in mind he is a created, fallen angel)...I think it's dangerous to think he doesn't exist at all, to play with things that are condemned by the Church, or to otherwise be unaware. 

There is an enemy to all that is good. There is a spirit of resistance, self-hatred, and condemnation. It's a voice I know all too well.  Stay in a state of grace as best you can (by God's grace), use sacramentals, say your prayers, and of course, Carry On.  We are the victors in Christ.

**Note, I had a hyperlink, which I later removed because the article disappeared, and the website no longer exists.**

~7~

This is your daily reminder to TRUST YOURSELF...

And, in the spirit of offering basically nothing original this week on my seven quick takes, you simply must read the meditation that Elizabeth Esther posted on her Facebook page on November 4.  It was so good that I copied and pasted it to re-read over and over later as a prayer.  I feel like I need to meditate on this daily until it becomes second nature.  She thoroughly explains how to overcome some extremely damaging teaching that many of us were exposed to.  It really resonated with me, and it might with you.

Here is a copy of the text of what she said:

This is your daily reminder to TRUST YOURSELF. Growing up, I was actively taught NOT to trust myself because my heart was "desperately wicked" and everything I was feeling was suspect and that the only way I could know the truth was by checking in with the authority figures. When something bad happened to me, nobody believed me. "What? That didn't happen!" they'd say or "You're exaggerating!" or "Stop trying to get attention!" This is what I learned: that I wasn't trustworthy, that I couldn't even trust MY experience, that what I felt and thought could only be understood through the filter of other people. So I learned to repress my feelings, to push down my memories, to pretend that what was killing me wasn't really killing me.

WHAT I KNOW NOW: I can trust myself. When something feels bad, I am allowed to say "that hurts" or "that makes me feel bad" or "that makes me uncomfortable." I am also allowed to do what I need to do to make myself feel safe. If someone is making me feel unsafe, I am allowed to protect myself. And I don't "OWE" anyone an explanation for that.

I AM ALLOWED TO MAKE MISTAKES: not trusting myself meant I was hyper-vigilant about not making mistakes, not messing up. Inevitably, I *would* make mistakes and then I would go into a terrifying SHAME SPIRAL and believe I was the worst possible person in the whole world. Vile. Evil. Basically, a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was "bad" and making mistakes PROVED I was untrustworthy and bad.

WHAT I KNOW NOW: everyone makes mistakes. It's ok. It's what I DO with the mistakes that matters. Making mistakes doesn't mean I am a "bad" person. It means I'm human. I get to experience the natural consequences of my mistakes just like everyone else. I'm no better and no worse than other people. And above all, I am loved. Making mistakes doesn't mean I'm not trustworthy. It just means I get another opportunity to learn how to live my life.

I have a select few people with whom I trust my whole self. I listen to them. When I've gone off the rails, I know they'll be honest with me. But they'll be gentle about it, too. They won't blame or shame me. They won't bash me. And they'll always affirm their love for me. How did I get these good friends? By being a good friend TO MYSELF. By being whimsical and light with myself. OOPS, I did it again. Pick myself up, brush myself off, start again. Yep, I messed up. That's ok. The sun will rise again tomorrow. Take a warm bath, say sorry, eat a cookie and give it to God. Go to sleep. You're a good person because God only makes good things. xo. EE.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As a reminder, heaven is our destiny.  May we not forget what we were made for, who we are meant to be.  All the angels and saints, pray for us!