I'm in the slow process of converting from this blogspot to my own website, ReadingCatholic.com. But I've decided that while things are still quite "rustic" over there, and I'm learning my way, it makes more sense to invite you to visit me over at the new site. I did a few posts on both platforms, but posting on the new site exclusively makes the most sense.
So come visit me at ReadingCatholic.com And be sure to say hello! Today I'm sharing about what we are doing to celebrate Benedict XVI as well as the conclave.
This weekend my March column and other content that appears in print edition of The Catholic Post will post there, and gradually you'll see a great shiny new and improved site. As always, I welcome reader comments and ideas.
P.S. Sorry for the broken link to the new site! I believe it is working now.
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
"Authentic Friendship in an Age of Social Media" Coverage by Yours Truly
As I shared yesterday, I've written a couple of articles for The Catholic Post's last print issue.
One that didn't make it to The Post website was a story about the terrific First Saturday gathering covered for The Post the First Saturday gathering, "Authentic Friendship in an Age of Social Media" last month.
What a fun, lovely evening--I for one am so grateful to people like Marie from "Help Them to Heaven" and the First Saturday team, a group of great women, for organizing the event. I very much enjoyed the real life time with friends, getting to meet some people I didn't (including one that I taught when I was briefly a high school teacher!), and just having an all-around enjoyable time.
I'm going to share some photos, as well as a version of the print story. As I mentioned yesterday, most of the photos I took with my husband's very nice camera all came out looking like cell phone snaps, and I do promise to learn how to use it better before I use it again. So be forewarned, but I think the smiles and the fun make up for it.
First, some photos:
Here's Bonnie Engstrom of A Knotted Life and Lisa Schmidt of The Practicing Catholic (one of the evening's speakers). As you can see from the sidebar, I truly consider Lisa an honorary member of the Peoria diocese (along with Sister Helena Burns, the other speaker. Lisa is just lovely in person.
Finally, here is my article about the evening:
Online relationships offer the opportunity for “deep friendships” and evangelization, two new media experts told a group of Catholic women.
“Authentic Friendship in an Age of Social Media” was the topic of the February 2 program at St. Philomena Church in Peoria. The talk was sponsored by the “First Saturday” program, a monthly gathering open to women of all parishes, ages and vocations. According to Marie Meints, a member of the seven-women team from various Peoria-area parishes, First Saturday focus on fellowship and discussion for women seeking to grow in holiness in everyday life.
More than 60 women gathered for the February 2 talk, from around the central Illinois area and beyond. About half that number gathered for a pre-talk dinner.
Sister Helena Burns, a Daughter of St. Paul, who is based in Chicago, IL, but travels the country speaking about media literacy, “Theology of the Body,” and online topics, spoke on how the Internet is an vital place for Catholics to be and to find friends.
“I was surprised by the deep friendships you can have in 140 characters,” said Sister Helena, referring to the length of Twitter status updates.
Sister Helena explained how Father James Alberione, founder of the Daughters of St. Paul, told his followers to “use the fastest and latest means” to spread the Gospel message. In the 21st century, blogs, social media such as Facebook, and other online platforms, is the “fastest” means to reach people and foster friendships.
That doesn’t mean doing things perfectly all the time.
“You’ve got to make some mistakes online,” Sister Helena said, and shared times that she had been too hasty, or too trusting, in her online interactions with others. Making mistakes is part of the learning process.
Sister Helena argued that while in-person communication is preferred because we are “incarnational,” those we interact with online have “real souls and real bodies.” She quoted from Benedict XVI’s message for the World Communications Day: “The digital environment is not a parallel or purely virtual world, but is part of the daily experience of many people, especially the young.”
Blessed John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” provides a template not just for married love, but every relationship, including and perhaps especially those online, according to Sister Helena.
“We want to be known at our deepest level, and know others at deeper level,” she said. And intimacy with God promotes deeper relationships with others: “The “realer” God becomes to us, the “realer” other people become to us.”
Lisa Schmidt, from Des Moines, Iowa, who blogs at “The Practicing Catholic,” (www.thepracticingcatholic.com), also spoke at the “Authentic Friendship” program.
Schmidt, who lives with her husband and two small children in Des Moines, Iowa, shared how “spiritual friendships” helped her conquer the loneliness that she felt when she left her career in city management in Iowa to stay home with her then infant daughter.
“And I don’t think I’m alone here, pun intended, in experiencing (this loneliness),” Schmidt said. She revealed how the online world of Catholic “mommy blogs” helped her find like-minded friends and forge friendships based on “who God is calling you to be.”
Schmidt shared that “ambient intimacy,” the term used to describe the connectedness of the digital age, allows people “to keep in touch with a level of intimacy that you wouldn’t usually have access to, because time and space conspire to make it impossible.”
“Little by little, our spiritual friendships have the power to become apostolic,” said Schmidt. “A spiritual friend will lead you toward Christ, you then help your friends to be reconciled or converted and to grow in the life of the Church, those friends then go forth and do more of the same. Collectively, we evangelize and sanctify the culture in which we live. Could spiritual friendships be the key to the transformation of our culture?”
At the same time online life can be good for the soul, knowing when to “unplug” and connect in real life is critical. Sister Helena argued that there are three “sacred places and sacred times” we don’t need “screens,” whether televisions, computers or mobile devices: at church, in the bedroom, and the dinner table.
Sister Helena explained a new tradition to promote real-life intimacy called a “phone stack” used by some young people while eating out. At the beginning of a meal, all leave their phones stacked in the middle of the table. The first person to reach for his or her phone pays for the meal.
Scripture offers the secret of what’s so great about friendship, both online and in real life experience, Lisa Schmidt argued, quoting from Sirach 6:16. “A faithful friend is an elixir of life.”
“What’s an elixir? It’s a life-saving medicine,” said Schmidt. “Wow, a spiritual friend is like a life-saving medicine? What a beautiful gift!”
One that didn't make it to The Post website was a story about the terrific First Saturday gathering covered for The Post the First Saturday gathering, "Authentic Friendship in an Age of Social Media" last month.
What a fun, lovely evening--I for one am so grateful to people like Marie from "Help Them to Heaven" and the First Saturday team, a group of great women, for organizing the event. I very much enjoyed the real life time with friends, getting to meet some people I didn't (including one that I taught when I was briefly a high school teacher!), and just having an all-around enjoyable time.
I'm going to share some photos, as well as a version of the print story. As I mentioned yesterday, most of the photos I took with my husband's very nice camera all came out looking like cell phone snaps, and I do promise to learn how to use it better before I use it again. So be forewarned, but I think the smiles and the fun make up for it.
First, some photos:
Here's Bonnie Engstrom of A Knotted Life and Lisa Schmidt of The Practicing Catholic (one of the evening's speakers). As you can see from the sidebar, I truly consider Lisa an honorary member of the Peoria diocese (along with Sister Helena Burns, the other speaker. Lisa is just lovely in person.
Here is Lisa with Dianna Kennedy of The Kennedy Adventures. She is one of a group of bloggers from other states who were hoping to make it to the Authentic Friendship talk. It was kind of like Behold Conference "lite," since there won't be a Behold until 2014. (Never fear--plans are already underway for the 2104 Behold Conference, and I'm delighted to be part of it). Unfortunately, the weather was icy Friday night into Saturday morning, so the rest were unable to travel.
Again, Dianna is beautiful and so incredibly much fun to be with. I'm not sure if it's her southern accent, her spunky one-liners, or her high energy, but she was like a jolt of java to be around.
Dianna had asked before her trip if any of us local ladies were runners and wanted to run with her. She's training for a half-marathon, and so I and another local woman (who is also training for a half), made a plan to run Saturday morning on Grandview Drive. The icy weather forced us to cancel, but I am definitely taking a rain/ice check on that one, since she would be a great running buddy. The miles would fly by running with this gal.
Here are Bonnie and Marie.
I brought my teen daughter to the evening, and both of us were very excited to see Sister Helena Burns again. I said, "Let me get a photo!" and my teen, in typical teen fashion, said, "Mom!" So Sister Helena recommended they pose like this:
Because Moms who take photos are so embarrassing.
That's better! As you can see, teen is still exasperated by her mom.
Here is the dinner before the First Saturday gathering.
Dianna Kennedy and Lisa Schmidt
And Lisa Schmidt again with Marie. Lisa is very photogenic!
There were also various other photos, including several funny ones of Lisa Schmidt and Sister Helena that inspired laughs on Facebook, but I will let Lisa Schmidt incriminate herself with those.
Finally, here is my article about the evening:
Online relationships offer the opportunity for “deep friendships” and evangelization, two new media experts told a group of Catholic women.
“Authentic Friendship in an Age of Social Media” was the topic of the February 2 program at St. Philomena Church in Peoria. The talk was sponsored by the “First Saturday” program, a monthly gathering open to women of all parishes, ages and vocations. According to Marie Meints, a member of the seven-women team from various Peoria-area parishes, First Saturday focus on fellowship and discussion for women seeking to grow in holiness in everyday life.
More than 60 women gathered for the February 2 talk, from around the central Illinois area and beyond. About half that number gathered for a pre-talk dinner.
Sister Helena Burns, a Daughter of St. Paul, who is based in Chicago, IL, but travels the country speaking about media literacy, “Theology of the Body,” and online topics, spoke on how the Internet is an vital place for Catholics to be and to find friends.
“I was surprised by the deep friendships you can have in 140 characters,” said Sister Helena, referring to the length of Twitter status updates.
Sister Helena explained how Father James Alberione, founder of the Daughters of St. Paul, told his followers to “use the fastest and latest means” to spread the Gospel message. In the 21st century, blogs, social media such as Facebook, and other online platforms, is the “fastest” means to reach people and foster friendships.
That doesn’t mean doing things perfectly all the time.
“You’ve got to make some mistakes online,” Sister Helena said, and shared times that she had been too hasty, or too trusting, in her online interactions with others. Making mistakes is part of the learning process.
Sister Helena argued that while in-person communication is preferred because we are “incarnational,” those we interact with online have “real souls and real bodies.” She quoted from Benedict XVI’s message for the World Communications Day: “The digital environment is not a parallel or purely virtual world, but is part of the daily experience of many people, especially the young.”
Blessed John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” provides a template not just for married love, but every relationship, including and perhaps especially those online, according to Sister Helena.
“We want to be known at our deepest level, and know others at deeper level,” she said. And intimacy with God promotes deeper relationships with others: “The “realer” God becomes to us, the “realer” other people become to us.”
Lisa Schmidt, from Des Moines, Iowa, who blogs at “The Practicing Catholic,” (www.thepracticingcatholic.com), also spoke at the “Authentic Friendship” program.
Schmidt, who lives with her husband and two small children in Des Moines, Iowa, shared how “spiritual friendships” helped her conquer the loneliness that she felt when she left her career in city management in Iowa to stay home with her then infant daughter.
“And I don’t think I’m alone here, pun intended, in experiencing (this loneliness),” Schmidt said. She revealed how the online world of Catholic “mommy blogs” helped her find like-minded friends and forge friendships based on “who God is calling you to be.”
Schmidt shared that “ambient intimacy,” the term used to describe the connectedness of the digital age, allows people “to keep in touch with a level of intimacy that you wouldn’t usually have access to, because time and space conspire to make it impossible.”
“Little by little, our spiritual friendships have the power to become apostolic,” said Schmidt. “A spiritual friend will lead you toward Christ, you then help your friends to be reconciled or converted and to grow in the life of the Church, those friends then go forth and do more of the same. Collectively, we evangelize and sanctify the culture in which we live. Could spiritual friendships be the key to the transformation of our culture?”
At the same time online life can be good for the soul, knowing when to “unplug” and connect in real life is critical. Sister Helena argued that there are three “sacred places and sacred times” we don’t need “screens,” whether televisions, computers or mobile devices: at church, in the bedroom, and the dinner table.
Sister Helena explained a new tradition to promote real-life intimacy called a “phone stack” used by some young people while eating out. At the beginning of a meal, all leave their phones stacked in the middle of the table. The first person to reach for his or her phone pays for the meal.
Scripture offers the secret of what’s so great about friendship, both online and in real life experience, Lisa Schmidt argued, quoting from Sirach 6:16. “A faithful friend is an elixir of life.”
“What’s an elixir? It’s a life-saving medicine,” said Schmidt. “Wow, a spiritual friend is like a life-saving medicine? What a beautiful gift!”
Sunday, January 20, 2013
The "Cravings" Blog Tour: My Q&A with Mary DeTurris Poust
Today is my day on the blog tour for Mary DeTurris Poust's latest book, Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image and God. I reviewed the book in my January column for The Catholic Post. Since Q&As are one of my favorite things, I decided to do a Q&A with Mary as my part of the blog tour. Thanks, Mary, for letting me wrap up your blog tour here at Reading Catholic! Please visit this link to enter to win a $100 Williams-Sonoma gift card as part of this tour. In addition, I have a copy of Cravings from the publisher to giveaway at the First Saturday gathering early next month. If you leave a comment on this post, you can have an extra entry in the giveaway.
Q. Mary, tell Reading Catholic readers more about yourself, your work and your family.
I’ve been a writer focusing on Catholic issues for almost 30 years. These days my passion is my blog, Not Strictly Spiritual, and my books. As I get older, I find myself focusing more on the spiritual side of Church and less on the “business” side of things, such as issues and news and events, which I covered for many years as a Catholic newspaper reporter. When I’m not writing, I’m usually driving my kids around or cooking or doing yoga. We have three children, ages 7, 12, and 16, so our home life is pretty busy. The dual vocation – Catholic writer and mom – can be a bit of a challenge, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Q. As I wrote in my review of Cravings, I thought you saved the best for last, and that the last two chapters were the most compelling. Did you have a favorite chapter or concept from the book?
It would probably depend on the day. Different chapters suit different situations, moods, seasons, struggles. I think as I was writing, whatever chapter I was working on was my favorite.
Q. Over the years, I’ve seen plenty of people I know maintain health with various and contradictory food plans that have been popular in the last decade (vegan, paleo, low-carb). It strikes me that one’s diet (meaning general food choices, not a “diet”) is as individual as a fingerprint, and finding what works to maintain health is important for each individual to work out. Your thoughts on this, and how you’ve come to embrace a vegetarian diet as best for you?
When it comes to diet plans and food choices, I’m a bit of a rebel. I don’t like to stick to any one plan, and I tend to go against whatever the latest fad might be. Mainly I choose what feels right for me and what I know tends to work long-term. Yes, I’m a vegetarian, something I chose after my mother died of colon cancer at age 47, but I am not rigid about it. I think balance is the most important thing. We see, as you mention, all of these extremes – no carbs, mostly carbs, no meat, all meat. From one week to the next diet recommendations change drastically. Eat eggs. Don’t eat eggs. Drink wine. Don’t drink wine. So I think we have to stop listening to everyone else and listen to our own bodies and hearts and minds. We ultimately know what’s good for us, even when we don’t always do it. When we find a balance, enjoying what we love in moderation, we find we don’t need all these crazy diet plans. We just need to bring some common sense and some mindfulness to our meals.
Q. I am a (mostly) healthy eater, but I am not at all a mindful eater. Reading your exploration of that makes me want to give it another try, not just for myself but for the whole family. For those new to mindful eating, can you describe how that might look, especially in a family setting?
Well, mindful eating isn’t necessarily something you can do on a full-time basis, at least not if you have a houseful of kids. Try it on your own at first to get a feel for it. In our house there are certain things we never do during dinner: No TV, no phone calls, no texting, no computers. Dinner is dinner, with no outside interruptions allowed. So that sets the stage. Even when the dinner table feels more like a something out of a three-ring circus there are certain elements of mindfulness built in. The next step is to try to keep the mealtime calm – no fighting, no tension. This is not the time to start talking about things that will lead to arguments. That may not always be easy, but it’s the ideal. And last but certainly not least: prayer. We always start our meal with a blessing. Sometimes when we’re out at a restaurant, the kids will be the ones who remind us that we should pray. So something’s sinking in even when it feels like we are totally off course. Little steps. Don’t expect to turn your kitchen into a monastery if you’ve got kids. Again we need to be realistic and gentle with ourselves and aware of what we can and cant’ do. It’s when we hold ourselves to unrealistic expectations that the healthy food plans and diets often go out the window.
Q. What do you mean by a food ritual? How can it be beneficial?
Try to develop something that brings a sense of the sacred to a meal or snack. In Cravings I talk about my “mindful oatmeal” practice, where I clear the kitchen table, light a candle, pray before I dig into my regular oatmeal breakfast, and then eat in silence and with total mindfulness. It can really transform a meal into a meditation. Even something as simple as making a pot of tea with attention and intention can become a ritual. When you slow down the meal or snack or whatever you’re doing and bring some awareness to it, it becomes more satisfying. You really taste your food as opposed to eating without thinking or while you’re doing something else, and that makes you less likely to go looking for more food a few minutes later – because you’re feeding yourself on a deeper level.
Q. What is the one thing a person who is struggling with their relationship to food could do to make the new year healthier?
First, I’d recommend bringing even five minutes of prayer into everyday life. It’s amazing what that can do for your heart and head. Then I’d suggest keeping a food journal. When you write down everything you eat – and I mean everything – it really makes you aware of your habits and it allows you to see patterns and begin to understand why you might eating if you’re not really hungry. It’s really what makes programs like Weight Watchers work – you track every single bite, not to be obsessive about calories but to be aware. It’s not about counting fat grams or carbs but about understanding the reasons behind the food habits. When I keep a food journal, I’m much more accountable. And I’ll jot down whether I exercised that day or if I have any particular aches or pains or discomforts, even my moods. As a result, I can actually go back and notice where I was last year and whether I repeat certain patterns at certain times.
Q. You are a prolific author. Can you share any upcoming projects?
Right now I’m focusing on spreading the word about “Cravings” and about my other new book, “Everyday Divine: A Catholic Guide to Active Spirituality,” which focuses on finding the divine in the mundane moments of our lives. So I’m hoping to do some retreats and workshops related to both books. I’d also like to have time focus on my blog, Not Strictly Spiritual. This past year I was so busy writing two books that I didn’t have a lot of time to blog, which I really love because it allows me to connect directly with readers and explore the spiritual journey day by day.
Mary, thanks again for answering all my questions about your book and letting me be the "grand finale" of the blog tour. Readers can visit this link to the blog tour to see all the prior stops, and don't forget to enter to win the $100 Williams-Sonoma gift card. Remember, if you leave a comment on this post, you can have an extra entry to win a copy of Cravings, that I will be giving away at the First Saturday gathering on Saturday, February 2.
Q. Mary, tell Reading Catholic readers more about yourself, your work and your family.
I’ve been a writer focusing on Catholic issues for almost 30 years. These days my passion is my blog, Not Strictly Spiritual, and my books. As I get older, I find myself focusing more on the spiritual side of Church and less on the “business” side of things, such as issues and news and events, which I covered for many years as a Catholic newspaper reporter. When I’m not writing, I’m usually driving my kids around or cooking or doing yoga. We have three children, ages 7, 12, and 16, so our home life is pretty busy. The dual vocation – Catholic writer and mom – can be a bit of a challenge, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Q. As I wrote in my review of Cravings, I thought you saved the best for last, and that the last two chapters were the most compelling. Did you have a favorite chapter or concept from the book?
It would probably depend on the day. Different chapters suit different situations, moods, seasons, struggles. I think as I was writing, whatever chapter I was working on was my favorite.
Q. Over the years, I’ve seen plenty of people I know maintain health with various and contradictory food plans that have been popular in the last decade (vegan, paleo, low-carb). It strikes me that one’s diet (meaning general food choices, not a “diet”) is as individual as a fingerprint, and finding what works to maintain health is important for each individual to work out. Your thoughts on this, and how you’ve come to embrace a vegetarian diet as best for you?
When it comes to diet plans and food choices, I’m a bit of a rebel. I don’t like to stick to any one plan, and I tend to go against whatever the latest fad might be. Mainly I choose what feels right for me and what I know tends to work long-term. Yes, I’m a vegetarian, something I chose after my mother died of colon cancer at age 47, but I am not rigid about it. I think balance is the most important thing. We see, as you mention, all of these extremes – no carbs, mostly carbs, no meat, all meat. From one week to the next diet recommendations change drastically. Eat eggs. Don’t eat eggs. Drink wine. Don’t drink wine. So I think we have to stop listening to everyone else and listen to our own bodies and hearts and minds. We ultimately know what’s good for us, even when we don’t always do it. When we find a balance, enjoying what we love in moderation, we find we don’t need all these crazy diet plans. We just need to bring some common sense and some mindfulness to our meals.
Q. I am a (mostly) healthy eater, but I am not at all a mindful eater. Reading your exploration of that makes me want to give it another try, not just for myself but for the whole family. For those new to mindful eating, can you describe how that might look, especially in a family setting?
Well, mindful eating isn’t necessarily something you can do on a full-time basis, at least not if you have a houseful of kids. Try it on your own at first to get a feel for it. In our house there are certain things we never do during dinner: No TV, no phone calls, no texting, no computers. Dinner is dinner, with no outside interruptions allowed. So that sets the stage. Even when the dinner table feels more like a something out of a three-ring circus there are certain elements of mindfulness built in. The next step is to try to keep the mealtime calm – no fighting, no tension. This is not the time to start talking about things that will lead to arguments. That may not always be easy, but it’s the ideal. And last but certainly not least: prayer. We always start our meal with a blessing. Sometimes when we’re out at a restaurant, the kids will be the ones who remind us that we should pray. So something’s sinking in even when it feels like we are totally off course. Little steps. Don’t expect to turn your kitchen into a monastery if you’ve got kids. Again we need to be realistic and gentle with ourselves and aware of what we can and cant’ do. It’s when we hold ourselves to unrealistic expectations that the healthy food plans and diets often go out the window.
Q. What do you mean by a food ritual? How can it be beneficial?
Try to develop something that brings a sense of the sacred to a meal or snack. In Cravings I talk about my “mindful oatmeal” practice, where I clear the kitchen table, light a candle, pray before I dig into my regular oatmeal breakfast, and then eat in silence and with total mindfulness. It can really transform a meal into a meditation. Even something as simple as making a pot of tea with attention and intention can become a ritual. When you slow down the meal or snack or whatever you’re doing and bring some awareness to it, it becomes more satisfying. You really taste your food as opposed to eating without thinking or while you’re doing something else, and that makes you less likely to go looking for more food a few minutes later – because you’re feeding yourself on a deeper level.
Q. What is the one thing a person who is struggling with their relationship to food could do to make the new year healthier?
First, I’d recommend bringing even five minutes of prayer into everyday life. It’s amazing what that can do for your heart and head. Then I’d suggest keeping a food journal. When you write down everything you eat – and I mean everything – it really makes you aware of your habits and it allows you to see patterns and begin to understand why you might eating if you’re not really hungry. It’s really what makes programs like Weight Watchers work – you track every single bite, not to be obsessive about calories but to be aware. It’s not about counting fat grams or carbs but about understanding the reasons behind the food habits. When I keep a food journal, I’m much more accountable. And I’ll jot down whether I exercised that day or if I have any particular aches or pains or discomforts, even my moods. As a result, I can actually go back and notice where I was last year and whether I repeat certain patterns at certain times.
Q. You are a prolific author. Can you share any upcoming projects?
Right now I’m focusing on spreading the word about “Cravings” and about my other new book, “Everyday Divine: A Catholic Guide to Active Spirituality,” which focuses on finding the divine in the mundane moments of our lives. So I’m hoping to do some retreats and workshops related to both books. I’d also like to have time focus on my blog, Not Strictly Spiritual. This past year I was so busy writing two books that I didn’t have a lot of time to blog, which I really love because it allows me to connect directly with readers and explore the spiritual journey day by day.
Mary, thanks again for answering all my questions about your book and letting me be the "grand finale" of the blog tour. Readers can visit this link to the blog tour to see all the prior stops, and don't forget to enter to win the $100 Williams-Sonoma gift card. Remember, if you leave a comment on this post, you can have an extra entry to win a copy of Cravings, that I will be giving away at the First Saturday gathering on Saturday, February 2.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Reading Catholic on the "Cravings" Blog Tour
Tomorrow, my column that appears in this weekend's edition of The Catholic Post will post here on the blog.
This year, for my traditional "new year, new you" column, I review one book about food and one book about running. --covering both those who resolve to eat healthier and those who resolve to get in shape. Most of my resolutions this year have to do with organization, so I'm sure I will try to share books along those lines as well.
The exciting news is that one of my reviewed books, and I will be part of the blog tour for Mary DeTurris Poust's latest book, Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image, and God. I'm on the schedule for January 20th, which means I get to finish the blog tour. Pretty exciting! I'll be doing a Q&A with Mary on my date, and I look forward to reading all the other tour stops as well.
If you click on the link, (here it is again if the image doesn't work), you can see all the stops on Mary's blog tour, as well as enter to win a Williams-Sonoma gift card.
What are some of your New Year's resolutions?
This year, for my traditional "new year, new you" column, I review one book about food and one book about running. --covering both those who resolve to eat healthier and those who resolve to get in shape. Most of my resolutions this year have to do with organization, so I'm sure I will try to share books along those lines as well.
The exciting news is that one of my reviewed books, and I will be part of the blog tour for Mary DeTurris Poust's latest book, Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image, and God. I'm on the schedule for January 20th, which means I get to finish the blog tour. Pretty exciting! I'll be doing a Q&A with Mary on my date, and I look forward to reading all the other tour stops as well.
What are some of your New Year's resolutions?
Thursday, December 20, 2012
"Minor Revisions" for the Advent-Stressed
For the love of Christmas, I just cannot seem to keep up with Advent and Christmas. Am I the only one? I feel completely behind on everything this year.
Blog-wise, I will spare you just how many half-started posts I have in progress right now. Here are just a few: 1. gift books for Christmas for adults, 2. gift books for children, 3. Christmas-themed books we love at our house, and many, many more. It's December 20 and there are just a few days left for those posts to have any meaning, so I fervently hope to get at least a few of them finished.
What have I been doing with my online time since I was able to sit down here about half an hour ago? Watching Episode 1 of "Minor Revisions," the online reality show about atheist to Catholic convert Jen Fulwiler. Local readers will remember that Jen spoke at Behold 2011, the Catholic women's conference, and she also was a featured blogger at Behold 2012. This was thanks to Bonnie Engstrom of A Knotted Life (who is doing such an excellent Advent series on her blog) reminding me about the second episode online tonight.
I was traveling last Thursday night, so unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the first episode, only available online live. Fortunately, there was such a demand for watching it online that the producers posted it on YouTube for a short time. So I'm taking the opportunity to watch it now. It is super well-done and enjoyable. Here it is, in case you haven't seen it.
I can't tell you how eager I am to read Jen's memoir when it is released, and I trust it will be just as great as reading her blog and seeing her on "Minor Revisions."
Blog-wise, I will spare you just how many half-started posts I have in progress right now. Here are just a few: 1. gift books for Christmas for adults, 2. gift books for children, 3. Christmas-themed books we love at our house, and many, many more. It's December 20 and there are just a few days left for those posts to have any meaning, so I fervently hope to get at least a few of them finished.
What have I been doing with my online time since I was able to sit down here about half an hour ago? Watching Episode 1 of "Minor Revisions," the online reality show about atheist to Catholic convert Jen Fulwiler. Local readers will remember that Jen spoke at Behold 2011, the Catholic women's conference, and she also was a featured blogger at Behold 2012. This was thanks to Bonnie Engstrom of A Knotted Life (who is doing such an excellent Advent series on her blog) reminding me about the second episode online tonight.
I was traveling last Thursday night, so unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the first episode, only available online live. Fortunately, there was such a demand for watching it online that the producers posted it on YouTube for a short time. So I'm taking the opportunity to watch it now. It is super well-done and enjoyable. Here it is, in case you haven't seen it.
I can't tell you how eager I am to read Jen's memoir when it is released, and I trust it will be just as great as reading her blog and seeing her on "Minor Revisions."
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