13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As part of my job, when I work weekends, I do a short intro before all the Masses. This can include announcements particular to the ministries I am involved in and a short intro to the readings.

I love this part of my job. I love being able to talk to the people and to share my thoughts on the readings, liturgical season.

Today I talked about Ordinary Time - something that seems boring - I thought why go to church during ordinary time when I was younger.....but Ordinary Time is not ordinary! It is still extraordinary!!! We are constantly celebrating God coming down to earth and becoming one of us! Especially in the Eucharist that we celebrate, we become aware of God's presence in our world today.

I also reflected on the Gospel for this Sunday (Luke 9:51-62). In the Gospel, followers of Christ were willing to follow God, IF....they were willing to follow God, BUT......

There are so many things we put in the way of following God 100%. So many road blocks and stumbling blocks that are put in place by us to stop us from following God because we don't agree 100% with what we are being called to do.

There are so many things that I put in the way of being a faithful follower of God. So many things that take away from our relationship. I won't list them here because it could be embarrassing so I invite you to think of your own stumbling blocks. Those things that you put up to build a wall between you and God. We need to take these and offer them up to God, knowing that He will help us to carry them and that in following Him our lives with be richer and we will be blessed greatly.

DIY Power Hour

In a matter of hours (a few) I managed to tackle a lot of DIY projects last night - surprising since I was up late the night before and had to work this morning early and yet I was still raring to go on some projects.

So last night I tore apart the box I bought for a card box - by tore apart I really mean I took one panel off - then I stained it. I also bought stuff to try out a 2nd centrepiece idea and created a little mock-up of it (it's not ideal cause not everything is the exact version of what I was envisioning so we'll see). I also played with rhinestones and put them around a heart that I am going to use somewhere.....who knows.

AND I put some DIY stuff away!! Out of my living room!! It is great! I have to clean off a shelf of my storage closet to make room for all the DIY stuff to fit but it will be good.

All in all a good night and I am surprisingly not too tired today at work! Praise God!

decisions! decisions! decisions!

I have never EVER been one to make decisions very well. That doesn't mean I make bad decisions. It means that the process for me to get from needing to make a decision to the actual decision is brutally painful - mostly for those around me. That is with the exception of moving to London...I KNEW that had to happen and never questioned it. That was likely one of the easiest decisions of my life.

But alas now I am faced with decisions that won't make themselves!!!!

So just earlier this week, I found a Masters in Journalism course offered in town. I thought "Perfect!" After talking with Tom, there was some uncertainty....it's starts next May....so 2 weeks before our wedding....then I would take 2 weeks off.....does that make sense? Maybe not! I would have to quit my job or work part-time (the course is only offered full time) - so we would lose my income. So I had been thinking about looking into other options.

Fast forward to today. I'm at working, just working along minding my own business when an email pops up from my mom, "Just thought you might be interested in this." As I click to read it I'm thinking that it's a nice forward that will make me smile.....NOPE! WRONG!! It's a link to a posting for the Catholic School Board back home for a Chaplaincy team leader at a high school. A job I had thought I would like to do when I had first started in theology. So now I am faced with the decision of whether to apply for this job, which I am qualified for, or not.

So when faced with a challenging decision, I do what Rory Gilmour would do, I make a pro/con list! Who doesn't love a good pro/con list. The list doesn't look substantial enough either way right now. The catch though is, I need to get the application in, reference letters and all by the 30th......so 5 days! Yep!! STRESS!!! But having a deadline does work best for me so here's hoping it all works out! Which is will cause it always does

11 months!!!

So time flies!!

Something I have learned more and more lately. Now that we have a count down going till we get married, I am noticing weeks and months FLY by so fast!! It's hard to believe its been almost 4 months since we got engaged with a beautiful ring....that I broke!!

That's right folks, I have the strength to bend the claws that hold the diamond in my ring without even noticing it. Seriously!! Who does that? Me apparently!! We took my ring it to the store and the one sales lady was like "You got to take the ring off BEFORE you punch him!" We laugh. Then they say "you must have hit it very hard to do this!" I think "Shouldn't I remember doing that? Shouldn't I remember thinking 'oh crap my precious ring!!!' or something?" Apparently not.....so it was hard to hand over my ring....and then she told me it would be gone for ten days!! I asked Tom very nicely to buy me a new one....and led him over to the e-ring part of the store. He wasn't quite up for that.

So then Tom, my mom and I headed to the Bay to pick up gifts for a wedding shower for Pete and Jenn. Tom left my mom and I and headed to the jewelery to buy me a stand-in ring!! So cute!! So I am no longer not visibly engaged...still taken my friends!! I never was a big jewelery person but having to say good-bye to my ring and have another ring on my finger has made me realize how much I LOVE the ring Tom bought me!! It's perfect for me!! Just like him!!!

so 11 months left and lots to do. With mom and Krista down this weekend we talked a lot of wedding Saturday night and talked through some great centrepiece ideas. So I think that might be the next thing I will try to nail down and figure out 100%. I am hoping to finish the memorial candles this coming weekend. I have bought what I hope will work as a card box we just need to stain it and figure out how to put the slit in it. I am excited for that project. So lots to do OBVIOUSLY! Also trying to decide if I want to be brave and make my own pocketfolds for invites, or if I even want to do pocketfolds......so we'll see....and you may too one day!

What's In a Name!?

I figured I would write something but I don't know what. Just over 11 months left till the big day! The big day that leads to the rest of our lives. It seems like so much work for just one day. When I think about some of the little details I want to do I wonder if I should even bother. Will anyone even remember? I think back to my sisters wedding and I don't remember the little details just the over atmosphere of the day and that stuff. I guess every little detail adds up to the overall feel and experience. It will be worth it.....I will work hard to have day that represents who we are and where we have been. I think that is what makes it special.

One super cute idea (in my humble opinion) is this clothes line of pictures. What I have in mind is a little different in the layout but similar. I think it's just neat. We'll see if it actually happens. Its hard thinking about what the space will look like. I need to creep back the the hall when its set up for a wedding to check out what peeps do and to remember the size of it. That will be my job when I'm home next! That and booking hotels for all our out of town guests!

STDs!!

Yeah!!! Our STD postcards arrived and really look great considering I only had to pay shipping....which was a crazy $10!!! They have also sparked my love for tulips...white tulips!! I had at one point been thinking about getting white tulips for bouquets and centrepieces. Now I am thinking about it again.....that gives you a hit about what the STDS look like. You'll just have to wait and see if you should be so lucky as to get one!!!

So things have been boring wedding planning wise....Other than we got all the dresses picked up (save Diana's cause her mom is getting it) AND we didn't have to pay duty!! YEA!! what a nice border crossing guy!! A great day indeed. Now I just need to figure out how to store this dress for 11 months.

Wedding Number 1

So this weekend is the first wedding in Tom's family...the first of three in 11 months. What fun!?! It will be exciting. Likely I'll end up even more anxious about our date arriving!! but the good news is that there are plenty of weddings to keep me busy. PLUS they are all spaced nicely. After this wedding there is one (or two) in September and then one in January - 3-4 months in between! I like it!!

Lots to do to keep me busy! But for now I clean my apartment so I don't go ENTIRELY crazy!