24 Christmas carols
15 young adults from church
a couple dozen nursing home residents
1 piano player
hundreds of homemade/store-bought cookies
loads of smiles and laughter
I love the holidays - snow or no snow (although, we are currently getting hit pretty hard), it's a magical time of year.
This morning I had the privilege to drive out to a Catholic nursing home in the city for a delightful visit, which was centered around the singing of Christmas carols. While we were not always in tune, we did keep smiles on our faces and twinkles in our eyes. The residents were so welcoming and grateful - it was really neat to meet them and sing for/with them. (We even got a special request for "Feliz Navidad.")
O Little Town of Bethlehem...Little Drummer Boy...Jingle Bell Rock...Silent Night...We Wish You a Merry Christmas... all the classics.
I cannot think of a better way to have spent the morning. And soon it's off to my sister's holiday party. I'm book-ending my day with incredible friends and fun.
So grateful. So joy-filled. So hopeful. All things Advent should be...
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Meaningful Weeknight Activities
Though it's been a long week, it's hard to believe it's already Friday. Maybe it's because I have been able to fill my evenings with meaningful activities that have helped to move the week right along...
On Monday I sat down with the young adult planning team, and we started finalizing some logistics, jobs, etc. for our upcoming retreat. We made some solid progress, and everyone brought both joy and determination to our conversation.
On Tuesday I went to young adult volleyball - it was the first time in what felt like forever...and it was a ton of fun. I would definitely consider myself in just about the middle range of skill levels, so, while I definitely made some errors (and missed some serves), I made some good plays as well. Everyone was uplifting on the court and fun to talk to off the court. I hope I can now make this a regular thing...
Wednesday was a Strengths for the Journey reunion dinner and prayer reflection. Each time I turned around I was running into someone else I knew - it gave me a true sense that my Church community is my home here now. I even met a few new people, including one ACE grad who worked in Plaquemine, LA. A delicious dinner was followed by an introduction to various prayer forms and a discussion with our tables about how we might strive to use our strengths to influence and understand our respective prayer lives.
Tonight was Adoration followed by some grocery-buying and dinner-getting with my sister. How wonderful to sit in silence in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament and offer praise/thanksgiving. After such noisy days at school, nothing strengthens and renews my heart/zeal like the quietness.
Only one more day until the long weekend. I'm looking forward to some rest, relaxation, and limited internet access! Happy Valentine's Day & Presidents' Day to all!
On Monday I sat down with the young adult planning team, and we started finalizing some logistics, jobs, etc. for our upcoming retreat. We made some solid progress, and everyone brought both joy and determination to our conversation.
On Tuesday I went to young adult volleyball - it was the first time in what felt like forever...and it was a ton of fun. I would definitely consider myself in just about the middle range of skill levels, so, while I definitely made some errors (and missed some serves), I made some good plays as well. Everyone was uplifting on the court and fun to talk to off the court. I hope I can now make this a regular thing...
Wednesday was a Strengths for the Journey reunion dinner and prayer reflection. Each time I turned around I was running into someone else I knew - it gave me a true sense that my Church community is my home here now. I even met a few new people, including one ACE grad who worked in Plaquemine, LA. A delicious dinner was followed by an introduction to various prayer forms and a discussion with our tables about how we might strive to use our strengths to influence and understand our respective prayer lives.
Tonight was Adoration followed by some grocery-buying and dinner-getting with my sister. How wonderful to sit in silence in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament and offer praise/thanksgiving. After such noisy days at school, nothing strengthens and renews my heart/zeal like the quietness.
Only one more day until the long weekend. I'm looking forward to some rest, relaxation, and limited internet access! Happy Valentine's Day & Presidents' Day to all!
Friday, June 20, 2014
A Quick Book Talk
With the idea of teaching reading (& writing) finally a reality for me next year, I've taken the opportunity to read some teen novels - yes, even more so than usual...
1. Before I Fall (Lauren Oliver) - Groundhog Day + High School Musical + Tuck Everlasting = this book. I think that's a pretty fair mix. The main character gets into a car accident (in the first chapter - don't worry, it's not a spoiler alert) and spends the rest of the book figuring out what she needs to do to make good. She basically relives the same day 7 times, getting her epiphany/a-ha moment as she awakes the final day. At first I was put off because it seemed to glamorize popularity, underage drinking, sex, drugs, skipping classes, etc...but as the story progresses, the main character comes to realize that these things aren't all they are cracked up to be. I was pretty satisfied with how all these topics were handled, and I would highly recommend it for any high school student (or adult for that matter). You only live once...so make it count.
2. No Place (Todd Strasser) - Homelessness. Taboo topic. Not so, my friend. This book presents this issue in a very approachable and able-to-understand way. It tells the story of a (white) high school senior who is preparing next year for a full baseball scholarship to Rice University. He's a pretty popular guy, complete with a beautiful girlfriend and a number of pals. However, both of his parents come on hard times with their jobs, and they find themselves moving in with his uncle's family. But that doesn't quite work out, so they move to a tent city, Dignityville, where he meets a girl from his school and finds himself in a situation that is pretty uncomfortable. Issues are presented from both sides - the pros and cons of a more permanent homeless establishment. I think this book would be a great way to brace homelessness with high school students, especially within the context of teaching social justice or Catholic Social Teaching. There's quite a bit of truth to what was stated in the book, and I think anyone would do well to use this book as a starting place for becoming more informed about homelessness.
Happy Reading!
1. Before I Fall (Lauren Oliver) - Groundhog Day + High School Musical + Tuck Everlasting = this book. I think that's a pretty fair mix. The main character gets into a car accident (in the first chapter - don't worry, it's not a spoiler alert) and spends the rest of the book figuring out what she needs to do to make good. She basically relives the same day 7 times, getting her epiphany/a-ha moment as she awakes the final day. At first I was put off because it seemed to glamorize popularity, underage drinking, sex, drugs, skipping classes, etc...but as the story progresses, the main character comes to realize that these things aren't all they are cracked up to be. I was pretty satisfied with how all these topics were handled, and I would highly recommend it for any high school student (or adult for that matter). You only live once...so make it count.
2. No Place (Todd Strasser) - Homelessness. Taboo topic. Not so, my friend. This book presents this issue in a very approachable and able-to-understand way. It tells the story of a (white) high school senior who is preparing next year for a full baseball scholarship to Rice University. He's a pretty popular guy, complete with a beautiful girlfriend and a number of pals. However, both of his parents come on hard times with their jobs, and they find themselves moving in with his uncle's family. But that doesn't quite work out, so they move to a tent city, Dignityville, where he meets a girl from his school and finds himself in a situation that is pretty uncomfortable. Issues are presented from both sides - the pros and cons of a more permanent homeless establishment. I think this book would be a great way to brace homelessness with high school students, especially within the context of teaching social justice or Catholic Social Teaching. There's quite a bit of truth to what was stated in the book, and I think anyone would do well to use this book as a starting place for becoming more informed about homelessness.
Happy Reading!
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