Seven Quick Takes Friday – 3

1

If you’ve read my “about me” section, you know I’m a teacher on hiatus. I’m on hiatus by choice to be home with our teenaged kids during these critical years, but I’m also using it for educational purposes. I’m trying to add an endorsement to my teaching license so I can teach Algebra to middle school kids. Having a middle school math endorsement on your license apparently does not qualify you to teach Algebra to middle school kids.

2

Since I was an International Politics major in my undergrad years, this means I now have to complete all the coursework most people do to get a math major. No, I don’t get an extra degree after completing the 9 courses (7 required plus 2 prerequisites) I need for this endorsement. This means that with all the education courses I took just to get my teaching license, I will have 60+ credits of undergrad credit I’ve earned after getting my original degree. Lesson learned here? Choose your major wisely and with advanced thought and planning!

3

The good thing is that I can add the high school math endorsement with only 3 more courses beyond these 9 for middle school Algebra.

4

I’m blessed to be able to take most of these courses online through a local community college. The last two courses I have to take are only offered on campus, but I figure 2 out of 9 is pretty good average and worth it if I can spend most of my time at home.

5

What all this has been leading up to is that my latest course – Introduction to Computing – started last week. The first unit was very easy, and I finished all my work 4 days early. I already am not fond of the second unit's work. I don’t want to write five-paragraph footnoted essay or build a PowerPoint presentation on the topics of my choice – it’s my stubborn pride rearing its ugly head. I guess this is one of those humbling experiences where I have to accept that I’m in freshman level course and that the professor is assuming we know nothing. Why are humbling experiences so painful?

6

I watched the latest episode of “Downton Abbey” last night, and I’m so glad I only have to wait until Sunday to see the next one. I realized with guilty pleasure that it’s a bit like a soap opera with better writing, costumes, and drama. I am so wrapped up in the stories of Anna and Mr. Bates and of Mary and Matthew. I don’t have to be truly guilty though since it’s Masterpiece Theatre, right?

7

I finished week 2 of my secret workout project yesterday. Week 3 starts tomorrow. Right now, it’s easier than I expected, and I’m actually enjoying it. There must be some truth to those rumors about a “runner’s high”.

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Bless you this week!

Lisa

For more Quick Takes, stop by to visit Conversion Diary!

Seven Quick Takes Friday – 2

1

Last Saturday was the Feast of St. Raymond of Peñafort, our parish patron. Each year, the church hosts a dinner for the volunteers who contribute to the running of the parish. I was blessed enough to attend as an R.E. teacher, member of the wedding committee, and money counter. I had a wonderful time catching up with a few other members of the wedding committee whom I had not seen in a while. The evening also fed my ego a bit as a few members of the knitting ministry repeatedly commented on the shawl I chose to wear that night. It was a great opportunity for me to practice thanking people without then launching into a discussion of my mad knitting skills. It’s so much easier to just say thank you without trying to draw more attention to myself. This is a lesson that has been very hard for me to learn and with which I need much more practice. (Obviously, since I’m mentioning my knitting prowess…again.)

2

Sunday just dragged by because the dear husband was away on business all this week. Why does time move so much slower when you are not with the ones you love most?

3

We had some snow on Monday, and I was privileged enough to run around in it during the evening rush hour. Three trips out to ferry the children about on the (thankfully clear) roads in a snow shower ranks up there among my least favorite things to do. Remind me tell you about having to take them to piano lessons in last January’s sneak-attack blizzard.

4

I went to Bible study on Tuesday, and we reviewed Matthew 4. Here are some interesting things my teacher brought up in class:

• Jesus's trials in the desert during his 40-day trial are the opposite of Israel's sins in the desert during the 40-year Exodus.
• Israel whined about food, and God had to provide it - Jesus fasted.
• Israel tested God - Jesus refused to put God to the test.
• Israel worshiped false gods - Jesus refused to worship Satan.
• With each rebuke, Jesus quoted from the book of Deuteronomy. This would have meant much to a 1st century Jew, the intended audience of Matthew's gospel, and would have helped to point out Jesus as Messiah.

5

On Wednesday, I got to go on a search for flesh-colored tights for the girl who will be performing as “Little Cosette” in the school’s production of Les Mis. Thank goodness there is a well-stocked dance store not too far away that is able to cater to last-minute shopping drama mamas like me. Of course, I would not be a last-minute shopping drama mama if the directors would give me more than 5 days’ notice that she needs those tights before dress rehearsals begin…

6

I am re-addicted to “Downton Abbey” on PBS. I watched all of Season 1 by streaming them on Netflix this week, and I followed that up by watching the first episode of Season 2 online on Thursday.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

I positively loathe Vera Bates for returning and pulling Mr. Bates away from Anna. I’m disappointed to see Thomas has returned – I would have liked to believe he was gone for good – but I guess the show needs a villain-type character to keep things interesting. I did think it was typical of his weasel-like character to arrange to be shot just to get away from the fighting. I’m mourning for Matthew and Mary who appear to have lost their chance to be together. I do find it particularly delicious though that Edith who previously called Mary a slut for some untoward behavior has now kissed the married farmer on whose farm she was working. I will love to see what Mary does with that bit of information!

7

And last, but not least, I’ve started a secret workout project with which to surprise my family at a later date. Details may emerge as things progress, but I am trying to keep this latest goal of mine under wraps. Let’s just say that I have made it through the first week, and it is easier than I thought it would be. In 8 more weeks, I hopefully will have some interesting fitness news for them which I hope will inspire them to join in.

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Bless you this week!

Lisa

For more Quick Takes, stop by to visit Conversion Diary!

Seven Quick Takes Friday – 1

1

I don’t blog very often…or ever. Seriously, check out the last time I posted anything on here. I hope that Quick Takes will inspire me to say a few things a little more often.

2

This used to be my “knitting blog” – thus the title. I’m still knitting – mostly socks, scarves, and shawls of late – but I just don’t care enough to write about it anymore.

3

In an ideal world, this will turn into a blog that lets me reflect on what’s really important to me these days: my faith.

4

I’m a convert to the Catholic Church, and I’m in love, Love, LOVE with everything about my God, my Savior, and my Church. I think I make my family a little bit crazy with all my Catholic-ness.

5

Conversion story in 5 minutes or fewer?

I had to convert because I was looking for spiritual authority.

I was raised Episcopalian, but I had to leave that community in 2001 when they made some rather un-Scriptural decisions. We then started attending what is basically a non-denominational church in CA which gave me wonderful opportunities to study the Bible. When we moved home to VA in 2008, we started attending a Community Church whose worship was similar in style to what we had in CA.

I wanted to be involved with the middle school youth group there because of our daughter who was that age at the time. At some point in some discussion with the other leaders of the group, one of them casually mentioned off-hand that this particular community did not recognize infant baptism – which is how every member of our family was baptized. That sent me into a tailspin, because I have always confessed one baptism. I believed I had no choice but to start looking for a place where all my beliefs from the Nicene Creed – which I had always professed – would be accepted.

I started researching to find who had the authority to determine the validity of someone’s baptism, and in order to do that, I knew I had to find the historic church of Jesus and the apostles. The more I read, the more I knew I had to be in the Catholic Church. I also discovered that ALL my long-held beliefs from the Nicene Creed were already in line with Catholic teaching – makes sense since the Church wrote it!

This all started for me around Easter of 2009, and I was received into the Church at Easter 2010. The children started attending Mass with me in Advent 2009 when their dad had to work weekends and could no longer take them to the other community. They started RCIC in Summer 2010, and received their first Communion in Sept. 2010. Our daughter was confirmed at Easter 2011, and our son will be confirmed with his R.E. class in Spring 2013.

6

I have never been happier, more at peace, or more secure in my faith than now as a Catholic. Without even knowing it, I’ve been searching for the Sacraments all my life.

7

Today is the traditional Feast of the Epiphany - even though the U.S. Church won’t celebrate it until Sunday. Go have some King Cake, and if you have kids, help the Wise Men leave a treat for them! (We got our first King Cake of the season here - our next one will come from here. My mom got hers here.)

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Blessings and Happy Friday Three Kings Day!

Lisa

For more Quick Takes, stop by to visit Conversion Diary!