Local Friends

Local friends, If you or anybody you know would like some of these school books or sports stuff, contact me. Most items are for $20 except for APChem and the Genesis set (I'll take $80 for them). Let me know. And thanks.

 

Meets, Movies, and Music

How convenient! The three or four things I wanted to write about all start with an M. I have a fondness for alliteration. I'm finally caught up for a little while ... until the next deadline and it feels wonderful.

It's been busy with track season in full swing. Here's my girl! I'm so proud of her. I can no longer run so I take pleasure in the kids who do. This is what we do Wed. evenings. We miss Stations, soup, and choir practice, but we are able to pray and practice at home. We'll be singing Byrd's Mass for 3 voices again for Laetare Sunday.

 

Max is finished with robotics and they did so well in their competition, placing 20th out of 70+ teams. Each year they have improved. Right after, he participated in the intergenerational forum/debate. I was so impressed with the young men and women who competed and was very pleased with Max's points even though he did not win first place. Later he had a chance to speak with Senator Grooms and he complimented Max highly.

 

 



This Sat. we all slept in with robotics behind us. Rugby is still in session but we had a bye week. So Michael announced he'd like to take me out on a date! We went to see La La Land. The kids had already seen it and assured me I would love it and I wouldn't get a migraine. I've been doing so much better in Feb. so was game. It's been a couple of years that I've stepped into a theatre. La La Land is a modern love story but with the timeless theme of chasing our dreams and what it costs. It could be our story. It's a musical and reminded me of older movies of the 1940s. I may get sheet music for this. The theme song was beautiful but the song I choked up on was when Mia goes for an audition and has to make up a story. She talks about her aunt who inspired her. At first, her voice falters but then it turns into a song, strong and confident: "here's to the dreamers, here's to the heartache, here's to the mess we make." Indeed.

Coincidentally I read a few thoughts by Christopher West in the Catholic Miscellany. He said, "We’re often afraid to feel that deep “ache” of our hearts because we intuit that to feel it is to lose control of our nice, orderly lives. Yes, that is correct. In Christian terms, it’s called surrender or abandonment to God. Those who have the courage to feel the abyss of longing in their souls and in their bodies and open it up in complete abandonment to the One who put it there will, indeed, have “messy” lives … but messy in a beautifully hopeful way." 

I have always believed that our deepest regrets come from not pursuing the dreams God has placed upon our hearts. Falling in love complicates things. I've always believed that people are more important than things but to follow a person, you should have lifelong commitment, like marriage. For when it comes to dreams, it is far better to chase them together than apart. I think this is why my writing dreams are so sweet, because I am doing them with my family. As the children predicted, I did not get a migraine. Thanks be to God! Later we went out for Vietnamese Pho. Heaven!!! I've missed this so much. 

This is how I usually watch a movie: at home with a kitten purring on my lap :) I have to  entice them with their favorite toy because that's what they love best. We've watched many good movies but the big screen is a thrill, especially when there's beautiful choreography.

I've also been reading a lot of good books but I think this is enough for one post. But I must mention TEN EASTER EGGS. It's Lent, but if you wait until Easter, the books will be gone, even though the Easter season lasts 50 days. So if you have little ones in your lives, might I suggest it for their Easter basket? Happy Pi day :)
 

Football

About a month ago, fathers and sons gathered for a meal. They each shared letters with one another. Yesterday evening, mothers and sons shared dinner catered by Iacofanos.

I am so proud of Max for sticking with football. I still remember the year he began, when he was nine, how worried I was given the football injuries I'd read about. I told him: protect your head. A year later after our conversion, I quit worrying and placed him under Mary's protection. I am so thankful to the wonderful coaches and teammates he's had throughout the years.

Many of my friends are surprised to learn he plays because he's more known for his brains. But he loves the game and has grown so much, both in stature and character. I love you Max and I hope you will always use your strength, both moral and physical, to care for the ones who are weaker.

Tonight: Homecoming. Bishops are undefeated. Pray they are victorious!

 

Greater than Gold

GREATER THAN GOLD: From Olympic Heartbreak toUltimate Redemption by David Boudia and Tim Ellsworth was such a joy to read, especially since we watched some of the 2016 Olympics, including diving. It is astonishing to me that someone would choose to hurtle towards the water from 10 meters (3-story building). Yikes! David recounts his life in an easy and engaging manner. I enjoyed learning about his family, how much his parents sacrificed for him so that he could pursue his passion (he switched from gymnastics to diving). Ultimately though, it was a story about spiritual awakening. Until he had a personal relationship with Christ, David was pursuing Olympic gold for his own glory. He doesn’t shy away from telling us the kind of person he was: self-serving. But all the material things, praise from others, left him hollow. In fact, so empty, that he even considered ending his life. But a call to his coach changed it all. They introduced him to Jesus and for the first time David was praying to God, not just going through the motions. Of course, it’s not all hunky-dory once you meet Jesus. Every day is a battle. And David wrote about those too, how to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus when all he wanted was to keep his focus on himself. It really showed me the importance of having a spiritual director, of surrounding yourself with friends who also know Jesus, who can pray with you and for you when you are weak. You all know the results. He won GOLD. But what he possesses is something greater than gold, and that is Jesus! I highly recommend this book to any teenager who is interested in sports and the Olympics (it gives an insider’s view of what it’s like being a star athlete). Thanks to BookLook for a review copy. I've also crossposted this on Amazon.  

Bishops Rugby Undefeated

Saturday's rugby match was a nail-biter. The Bishop boys played against Lexington and it was almost a replay from earlier in the season. Bishops had to fight hard to win. And although sports isn't all about winning, I am so grateful Bishops won 12 to 10. It would've been very difficult to take a loss at the championship game since they've been undefeated this entire season. I still remember that Coach was worried at the beginning of the season that we mightn't have enough boys to play. He's taken them far these past three years and I've especially enjoyed watching these boys transforming into men.

Take a look at South Carolina's Division II winning team!