"Fall"-ing Again...

October is a great month. For some, it is arguably the best month of the year. I don't know if I would go that far, but the fact that it lands in the heart of the Fall season certainly doesn't hurt.

Weather in the 60s (or 50s)...
Pumpkin flavors around every turn (and on every menu)...
Brilliantly colored leaves (of all shapes and sizes)...
Football season in full swing (and basketball starting soon)...
Cozy and warm sweaters (recently cleaned from being stored for months)...

And, as a Catholic, there's one more thing that pushes October over the edge: It's the month of the Rosary. (Yay, Mary!)

There's something powerful in praying the Rosary together. For example, today, our students raised their 21 voices up in "Hail Mary"s & "Our Father"s, while following along with an online version (which can be found here), and it was a beautiful sound. Peaceful, yet strong.

Let us remember, especially during this month of October, to lift our prayers and hearts to Mary, our mother and intercessor. What a beautiful Catholic tradition we have!

Time for a Follow Up on School Choice

It's now been a few months since I attended ACE's Parental Choice Symposium, and that has allowed me some time to read up on some articles, become more familiar with programs and policies, etc.

In fact, I now try to stay up to date by routinely checking ACE's PEA (Program for K-12 Educational Access) page for links to the latest news @ the bottom right-hand side. [Trust me, it's worth the time & effort if you want to learn more too - ACE usually updates articles once or twice a week.]

That's what ultimately brought my attention to the following video:

Doesn't that just give you chills?

The movie "Won't Back Down" (which, for the record, I still haven't seen) has created a lot of hype and has provided the opportunity for school choice programs and policies to come to the forefront of politics and, more importantly, to the attention of parents who deserve better choices, whether those be private or public, for their children.

Let's keep the conversation going...

Hey, hey, the weekend's here...

What's the beauty of a day off from school on Monday?

Well, let's face it, the extra day is worth it, in and of itself. But add some bachelorette festivities for a good friend, visits from out-of-town ACE classmates, tailgating (& bartending) with ACE, ND game watching, marathon cheering, and much needed relaxation, and you get an A+ weekend! (Heck, it's not even over yet.)

Long weekends are few and far between - let's celebrate them when we can...

Kelsey's bachelorette weekend festivities

Go Irish! (and Go ACE PHOENIX!)

Where Am I Going?

"There’s something very freeing about losing the anchors that have always defined you. Frightening, sad, but exhilarating in a poignant way, as well. You’re free to float to the moon and evaporate or sink to the bottom of the deepest ocean. But you’re free to explore. Some people confuse that with drifting, I suppose. I like to think of it as growing.” 

~ Deborah Smith ~

This quote came across my inbox in one of those Values.com emails - and I kept it unread because I wanted to think on it more.

Right now, I do feel that, at times, I am drifting. I don't know exactly where I'm going, especially at this point in my life. (Kind of reminds me of that good ol' Thomas Merton quote.) 

And that can be kind of daunting or even scary. Friends are going back to school...getting married...moving to new places...changing careers... 

Where do I fit in? What's God's plan for me?

Am I drifting? Or, as the quote insists, is it more like growing?

I suppose I like to think of it as the latter too...and I like to think that one day it will all be revealed...

In another post...Check it out!

Today, you can find me on another post on the "Picturing God" blog (Ignatian Spirituality):

Cactus Flower

OCTOBER 3, 2012

in NATURE

“There is much beauty to behold in the desert.”

---

That was one of the many small ways I saw God every day in the desert. And it serves as a reminder to find God in the everyday things around us - in nature, in people we interact with...

So, let us remember to look for God - He is all around us.

Spirit of ACE

Can you tell I got swept up in the spirit of ACE this weekend?

I ordered the tervis tumbler from the ACE store, and they threw in the bag for free. (Well done, ACE.)

Should you have the urge to show your love for Catholic education, check out their new store here.

I <3 Catholic schools...do you?

Looking to the Saints for GRACE

"You know well enough that our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love at which we do them."

- St. Therese of Lisieux

Today is the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux (also known as "The Little Flower"). I do not think it is coincidental, though, that I am determined to finish her autobiography, Story of a Soul (which can be accessed in its entirety here), during this month of October.

No, this resolve I came to on Saturday afternoon (while attending the ACE Advocates Summit at ND), when a significant question was posed to us that went something like this (although, I've probably butchered the question):

How can you experience grace more fully in your life?

Naturally, I thought of the saints. They are men and women of great faith, but, at the same time, they are human beings who have lived and walked this earth. They have wisdom and insight into attaining God's Kingdom - why shouldn't we turn to them?

So then, of course, my thoughts turned to the unfinished copy of St. Therese's autobiography that has been sitting on my bookshelf since much earlier this year. In fact, I posted on some of her wisdom in an earlier blog reflection, which can be accessed here.

So, stay tuned - and pray for me that I can actually accomplish this goal! - you can bet that I'll be sharing and reflecting on this young woman's wisdom - what an amazing story she has.