Starting off the weekend right

Shh...it's a surprise...

I don't know how he (at least mostly) pulled it off, but Kevin (with a great group of friends and family) pulled off a wonderful celebration in honor of his wife, Molly, last night here in Chicago. It was to celebrate how far she has come in her battle with breast cancer and the grace with which she has done so. Just to see Molly brought such joy to my heart and to the hearts of all those gathered together. And it was wonderful to see some additional ACE faces as well - all the way from South Bend, no less!

#teammollypowers #hitmewithyourbreastshot

I didn't stay too late at yesterday's gathering - after all, it had been a full day (not to mention a full week with all the Advent stuff) at school, and I was pretty tired. While I had crawled into bed around 10:30 and had fallen asleep fairly quickly, the alarm clock was still not what I wanted to hear this morning. After only a few snoozes of the alarm, I got up and got ready to go for a run. Though it was, admittedly, bitterly cold at times, it was peaceful and beautiful, as a light dusting of snow had covered most everything overnight. The sun even decided to peek out from the clouds as I rounded the curve to Navy Pier. Other bonuses included seeing a handful of running groups and fellow runners on the path as well as getting the chance to hear live classical music in Navy Pier when I stopped in to warm up for a few minutes.

What a great day!...and it's not even noon yet...

Love and Joy Made Manifest

As a teacher you can be strategic about a few things...especially field trips. The students at my school were long overdue for a visit up to Misericordia, an amazing home and facility for people with developmental and physical disabilities, so I worked with the eighth grade religion teacher and other service club moderator to plan this trip. We were looking forward to this day for a long time...and it finally arrived!

It's hard to put your finger on it, but there's something incredibly special about this place. Love and joy are expressed tangibly through the interactions of the staff with each other and with the residents and with guests such as ourselves. We watched a brief film about the services and facilities provided for residents before getting a tour around the grounds, in the bakery, by the coffee-packaging, and to the art studio (where they told us to look up this amazing video about their rhino art project with the zoo). We ended our morning there with a visit from the executive director, who also happens to be the great aunt of one of our eighth graders.

The bus ride back was rather loud, as you can probably guess if you know anything about middle school students, but I was able to get some time to think to myself, sitting towards the back amidst the students but in my own seat by the window. And I couldn't help but think about all we heard and saw. When I think of places that make a difference, Misericordia is up at the top without a doubt. It is a living and breathing example of Catholic Social Teaching, which calls us to care for the (poor and) vulnerable. And the staff carry this out with such love and grace.

It's so easy to get swept up in our day to day - we tend to worry about things that, in the grand scheme of life, do not really matter. Trips to places like Misericordia put life in perspective. We (and I include myself very much in this blanket statement) take so much for granted - walking, dressing, working, etc. but the residents and staff at Misericordia do not. Everything is a gift in their eyes, and it rightly should be in our eyes as well. All life has value and worth, even if society places more value on some types of people over others. Our city is so blessed with this wonderful place, and our school is so lucky to be connected with it (in a small way) too.


If you live in or near the Chicago area, I highly recommend you take yourself up there for a field trip. (They are always looking for volunteers.) If you are reading this from a more distant location, at least check out their online store - I highly recommend the bakery section...

'Tis a Gift to be Simple

It's simple...and yet, at the same time, it's not: Jesus commands us to love one another and to love Him.

It seems like it should be so easy. But throughout the Bible (which I've been looking at even more closely recently as I study the Old Testament with my 6th graders), throughout history, and in our present age, there is much hatred and indifference. And I'm not saying I'm not guilty of it; I most assuredly am - I turn a blind eye to the suffering of those in other countries and even right on my street corner just the same as the next person.

But God is there saying, "Love me," "Look at me," "See me." How do I choose to respond?

This time of year is so busy for everyone - Christmas concerts, holiday shopping, get-togethers, final exams... It's almost impossible not to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of the season. But we have to stop; otherwise, we miss the point of Advent, this beautiful season of preparation. Advent calls us back to Jesus' simple message of love.

While not traditionally considered an Advent or Christmas song (though I have seen it on a few Christmas albums), perhaps "What a Wonderful World" should be. The beauty of this song (in my humble opinion) lies in the gift of being able to stand in awe of the creation and people around us, not over-complicating things or thinking we don't have enough; its beauty lies in recognizing Christ in our world, in one another, and in ourselves. It's that simple.

Advent is the perfect season to strip away all of the extras, the noise, and the busyness of our lives in order to make room in our hearts and minds for God. I would argue that only then are we able to realize what a gift we have and what a gift we are as children of God. And it is then that we can simply rest in God's presence with hearts full of gratitude and love.

May God's blessings be upon all of us and our loved ones this Advent and Christmas season.

It's beginning to look a lot like...Advent!

The coming of Advent means a few things for me:

1. Wear green...for next week I wear purple.

It started out as a bit of a joke, but then I thought, hey, why not? I bet I have enough green to wear it to school every day this week to finish out this liturgical season in style. And so I did. Some of the kiddos caught on, even taking time to wish me happy end to Ordinary Time on Friday afternoon. (Sometimes you just have to bring your own fun.)

Don we now our green apparel...fa la la la la...

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

2. Finish Marian morning devotions book...and get ready to start the Advent Saint reflections book on Sunday.
The timing of this book was perfect, and I recommend it for everyone, men and women alike. It's simple...and that's what is so beautiful about it. The book reflects on a different attribute or desire of Mary in each chapter (4-5 pages), and it covers the span of one month (31 days). What was extra special for me is that it focused on some of the Marian apparitions, which I had just been teaching my students about. Talk about timing!

3. Spend time in meditation and silence to make some extra room for God.
I am so grateful for the invitation to attend a Taize prayer service out west of the city this past Friday. It was just what I needed - it was a chance to take a step back and just sit in God's presence. While I had heard most of the songs before, even the ones new to me were easy to follow. Silence. Music. Mmm...
At one point they invited the children and teens to light their candles, and they then walked down the aisles and passed the light on to everyone in the church. During the psalm and alleluia, we raised our candles - it was a sight to behold. Later on, we brought our candles to the front in a procession. It was absolutely wonderful. 

4. Get my iPhone ready...
I have only had a smartphone for a little over two years. Yet, in those two years, I am afraid that I have become somewhat dependent on my email. So, I wanted to challenge myself this Advent to remove its easy access and, therefore, delete the app from my phone. I did a dry run yesterday, and let me tell you, it's hard! But I think that's just the point. I don't need my email to be at my fingertips - everything can wait, even though society wants us to think this is not the case. The hope is that with less focus on my phone I can put more focus on God.


5. Open the Christmas presents I bought for myself...and start planning next summer's road trip!
I was practically giggling with excitement upon opening my new Camelbak and my hiking boots, though my hiking boots still had the protection tag on them. (Sad day.) This summer I am looking to drive with my friend out west again but to some different national parks, having previously been to the Badlands, the Black Hills, Devil's Tower, Teddy Roosevelt National Park, and Mount Rushmore. Because we'll be hiking and camping, these items seemed like wise purchases (especially since I had a gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods).

protection tag...womp womp...

Yes indeed. It's beginning to look a lot like Advent. In fact, I am shortly off to the Christkindlmarket and then to a Christmas high tea with the ND women's connect group. Let's kick off this holiday season! Have a blessed Advent!

Thank goodness for Thanksgiving!

When the school year starts each August, it becomes easy to fall into the daily grind, often causing us to lose sight of the important people and things in our lives. As day follows day and week follows week, it's a constant struggle to just stay afloat. This is just one reason I am especially thankful for Thanksgiving - it's a chance to slow down (not counting the actual turkey trot, where it was necessary to speed up) and relax with family and friends. 

I was lucky enough to visit with my parents and sister (and her fiance) in Michigan. We had a simple Thanksgiving - the annual "Mighty Gobbler" turkey trot in the morning followed by a late lunch/dinner (with my aunt and uncle joining us) around the table. My personal favorite part of the meal was the pumpkin pie. Mmm... 

Also, my sister and I spent part of Thanksgiving afternoon making the traditional family turkey apples. (We just didn't have the cloves for the eyes.)

We spent most of the day after Thanksgiving visiting our great aunt and my grandpa's best friends (who are as close to family as you can get). We shared a lot of good stories and laughs. I love the holidays. :)

My mom and I went to see the movie "Wonder" on Saturday. It stayed pretty true to the book (from what I can recall - I read it over 5 years ago), and it brought a number of tears to my eyes. I'd recommend seeing it.

Before heading out, my parents put up the Christmas tree and hung the lights. My dad even made a new tree topper for it. Then he started playing Christmas music on his guitar. It was then that I realized that I couldn't escape from all things Christmas - the time had come to give in...so I did. I downloaded Leslie Odom Jr's new holiday album for the drive home, and when I got home I wrote out and addressed Christmas cards. (I'm waiting a few days to actually send them, though.) Let the Christmas carols play and the lights shine brightly - it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And I'm okay with that.

I left my heart in San Francisco...

My (mini) San Francisco vacation in photos:

at the airport (11/18) - a little early for Christmas, just saying...

Two great reads from my trip - I highly recommend them!

My friend/host is the best - she had water waiting for me!

We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge!

It was a picture-perfect day in San Francisco!

Pretty as a postcard...

Bridge Selfie

Enjoy the views

The skyline

Sunset view

So many smiles - good times! Love these people...

Representing ACE Phoenix - SJV love

Wine tasting on Sunday with my hosts

We also tasted (and purchased) cheese

more wine photos

"Is this the 'That was good!' photo?"

The ferry building

Coit Tower from below

We didn't count the stairs...but my dad told me there were 400+...I believe it...

Views from the top of Coit Tower

Panorama-style

We saw Alcatraz from afar

Views from the top of Coit Tower

Lombard Street! (Walk down it, not up it...)

Chinatown dim sum

They folded the fortune cookies right in front of us!

Old Saint Mary's Church

Chinatown entrance

We visited our classmate's school in Chinatown!

So great to tour and catch up...

Gift from my hosts :)

Great pit stop :) Free samples

A perk from an early morning flight

Gotta have a good snack on a 3 1/2+ hour flight

These were just a sampling of photos - pictures could really not do this part of our country justice. I can see why there's even a song about how you can leave your heart in San Francisco...