7QT: Seven Quick Takes

I'm linking up with This Ain't the Lyceum to bring you Seven Quick Takes from my world this week.  (I almost didn't link up this week, I'm feeling so down with all that's happening in our world. But, this link up is mostly links to other stuff.)   

~1~

Another day, another heartbreaking news story.  Pray for our world.  Pray for peace.

~2~

I thought this article by Simcha Fisher did a pretty good job of explaining that "custody of the eyes" is not just refraining from checking out attractive people.  It also means refraining from scrutinizing and over-analyzing people (visually), leaping to conclusions, judgments, or too much curiosity.  One thing that I've always found helpful is to look for/in the person's eyes when at a loss or distracted/tempted in other ways.  If you can, pray for them too.

~3~

I'm fascinated by people who leave the gay lifestyle and came back to their faith.  Due to teaching on Natural Law and Theology of the Body, I left the secular, worldly, promiscuous lifestyle and came back (truly discovered) the Catholic faith.  It was life-changing for me.  I don't know how to reach my gay friends, since I haven't experienced what they have, but I'm encouraged by conversations and conversions like this one.  (Note that this is a link to an interview/podcast.)

~4~

Similarly (to #3), Daniel Mattson has a great response here to why Natural Law arguments do reach some people in this discussion, himself included.  You may recognize him from the documentary Desire of the Everlasting Hills.  

~5~

On a much lighter note, Gretchen Rubin mentioned on her podcast this week that New York Public Library had archived a bunch of public domain pictures.  It's beautiful at the very least, and could even be helpful.  

~6~

NPR did a segment on the new middle class.  The quote that really stood out to me was: 

"2015 was the first year on record when Americans in the middle-income bracket did not make up the majority of the country: that is, those above and below the middle class — rich and poor combined — make up half the population"

We definitely fall into this category.  Sometimes it's hard not to give into despair, yet I also feel like it's a first world problem.  We are okay, it's just not easy.

~7~

And from the public domain (referenced above), something beautiful called halymenia ligula...

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things..."

~ Philippians 4:8 ~