Monthly Archives: February 2009

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Holidays

I certainly celebrated Valentine’s Day today! Just not in the “usual” fashion. As I currently do not have a “significant other,” I decided to re-think this holiday.

Outside of the Hallmark and pornography industry’s efforts to turn this into some sleazy, consumeristic day, I decided that the real intent of the holiday was to celebrate love. So, I endeavored to do just that. I was more consciously loving to my neighbors and more considerate of others. I bought presents for some friends. I went to Confession to reconcile myself to the one who is love. And in combination with carrying out my penance, I tried to act in a loving manner toward myself. I had some chocolate (in the form of an iced mocha) and some coffee-covered almonds (thank you, Starbucks). I rested from cooking duties and had a lovely dinner of Cheerios (see below post). I read 2 of my newly-acquired library books and made notes on one of them (as part of my penance). And I allowed myself to not feel pressured over what I did and did not get accomplished today. I even got to spend time with a good friend! 🙂

A pretty good Valentine’s day, as I see it. I hope that all of your Valentine’s days were also good and brought love into your life, in whatever form that took.

God bless you all!

Now, Don’t Cry, But…

Humor of the Day, Photography

DSCN5985

Apparently, the structural integrity of my milk carton became compromised sometime after my dinner of Cheerios, and milk spilled everywhere inside my refrigerator, and eventually, onto the floor where I noticed it. Graciously, Niki decided to help me with clean up efforts! 🙂 I transferred the remaining milk into a 2 liter bottle which had previously contained Squirt, trying not to sing the Lime and Coconut song…. 🙂

Yay! It Finally Arrived!

Photography, Tales of My Amazing Priests

Fr. John expressed interest after seeing my T-shirt I made for the Priests vs. Seminarians basketball game — so I ordered him his own shirt. I didn’t order the super-express shipping, so it took a while, but here it is!!!!:

DSCN5984
DSCN5983

Getting Closer…

Grad School/Seminary, Photography

SHMS Logo
SHMS Tower

Ooooh, I’m getting excited now! I just had my admissions interview last night — which I think went pretty well. Today, I turned in my registration form for Spring classes. All that is left is to write my essay and take my GRE on 3/14!! 🙂 YAY!!

If all goes well, the week of 5/4, I will be starting my first class, a prerequisite to the graduate program: Introduction to Sacred Scripture!!!!

Poem of the Day

Neat Things I Didn't Author

Submitted by Karen:

School Prayer

In the name of the day break
and the eyelids of morning,
and the wayfaring moon
and the night when it departs,

I swear I will not dishonor
my soul with hatred,
but offer myself humbly
as a guardian of nature,
as a healer of misery,
as a messenger of wonder,
as an architect of peace.

In the name of the sun and its mirrors
and the day that embraces it
and the cloud veils drawn over it
and the uttermost night
and the male and the female
and the plants bursting with seed
and the crowning seasons
of the firefly and the apple,

I will honor all life
–where ever and in whatever form
it may dwell– on Earth my home,
and in the mansions of the stars.

Diane Ackerman, I Praise My Destroyer, Random House, 1998

What **does** Jenn need?

Meme

This is one of those games from Facebook. You go to Google and type in “[Your name] needs” and list off the first 10 things that pop up. Here are my first 11:

1. Theological studies: what Jenn needs Amen!
2. Jenn needs to find a self-righteous, conspicuous “I’m better than you” charitable position so she can keep charming the sheep into thinking she matters. Just keep charming those sheep, Jennby!
3. Jenn needs a smack daddy. Hahahaha!
4. Jenn needs a new boyfriend. I do?
5. Jenn needs a hot rod…and a good insurance policy. Good thing they tossed in that bit about insurance there for me….
6. Jenn needs healing thoughts and prayers. True.
7. Jenn needs a vacation. See below! 🙂
8. Jenn needs a glass of wine. Also, amen!
9. Jenn needs help!
10. Jenn needs $$$. See below! 🙂
11. Jenn needs to go battle demons. Now, that’s just awesome! 🙂

Doctor’s Cave Beach

Uncategorized



Doctor’s Cave Beach

Originally uploaded by jamdowner

WE ARE GOING TO JAMAICA!!!!!!!

Bought the tickets this evening to Montego Bay!

I am so excited! We will be staying on this beach for 4 days and 3 nights at the end of March. I am so sick of all the cold weather here with the snow and the ice and the more snow and the lack of sun. I first started thinking about running away to somewhere warm when I saw tickets to Jamaica selling for $108 round-trip. That’s not something to pass up! But, I didn’t end up getting those tickets. 😦 We DID get a pretty sweet deal anyway.

I am so looking forward to planting myself on the beach with a good book and wiping away all traces of scurvy with tons of sunshine and lots of yummy fruit. Of course, our hotel is right in the middle of the so-called “Hip” district, so we’ll probably see tons of the nightlife, too! 🙂

And, of course, this will be during Lent…so we will just have to give up cold weather as our penance! 🙂 Okay, not really, but it is fun to say.

Yippee!

Daytime Prayer – A Short Reflection

Liturgy of the Hours/Christian Prayer

Today, during Daytime Prayer (assuming I’m not screwing it all up, not having my official training until the end of the month and all…), I was reading Psalm 13. There was this one line in it:

Give light to my eyes lest I fall asleep in death,

which I thought was rather significant. Christ being our light, our truth and our way; by giving us “light to our eyes,” He is showing us the way home to the Father — the path which we must all walk, “lest I fall asleep in death,” which of course is not mere death, but eternal estrangement from God.

We were just talking yesterday in Bible study how it is much better to pray for wisdom and “sight,” than for material possessions or money. Money and ease of financial concerns can affect some aspects of this life, but not those parts which truly matter. Why should I be so concerned about comfort here, when I should be concerned with the state of my eternity. Why concern myself with the type, quality and quantity of things which I possess. I would rather count myself rich in the people I had an opportunity to love.

Such a Good Prayer for a Monday

Liturgy of the Hours/Christian Prayer

God our Father,
work is your gift to us,
a call to reach new heights
by using our talents for the good of all.
Guide us as we work and teach us to live
in the spirit that has made us your sons and daughters,
in the love that has made us brothers and sisters.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen!