tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38539192613318649812024-03-14T03:39:11.898-04:00team catholicthe way is the goal.Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-90267195443069731972015-09-23T12:47:00.000-04:002015-09-23T12:49:16.181-04:00#PopeInTheUS: Youth Ministry Activities<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">
There are some great resources for this week’s visit at <a href="http://usccb.org/">usccb.org</a> (and live/ on-demand coverage), but thanks to ideas from the internet (especially the fantastic <a href="https://twitter.com/fayemccreedy" target="_blank">@fayemccready</a>), these are some activities we’re doing in youth ministry (adapting difficulty levels for middle and high school) to celebrate the Pope in the U.S. this week:</div>
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-To model Pope Francis’s love for the poor, instead of prizes for games, students have a choice. They can either take a piece of candy for themselves or a can of food to donate to our local Catholic Charities.</div>
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-We set up a “Papal Photo Booth” with our stand-up Pope and included props like the Vatican flag, the U.S. Flag, the YouCat, a Bible, Our Lady of Guadalupe, soccer balls, footballs, etc. I encourage the kids to take photos with Pope Francis and share it on social media!</div>
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-Using yellow sprinkles to make Papal “Sundays” with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream (pro tip: get the ice cream already in cups and just add the sundae toppings!)</div>
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Icebreakers/ Games from <a href="https://twitter.com/fayemccreedy" target="_blank">Faye McCreedy</a>: </div>
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-“Ex Cathedra Musical Chairs” musical chairs, but with a twist. When the music stops, the student still standing is able to win back a chair by telling the name of an apostle (who hasn’t been named yet) or of a book or encyclical a Pope has written. To speed it up (depending on the size of your group) you can take more than one chair out of the circle at a time.</div>
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-“Papal Flag Memory” give teens a few minutes to study the papal flag, then see which team can draw it best from memory (can use this as an opportunity to teach about the symbolism of the flag).</div>
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-“Pope Mobile Race” - teams of teens drag each other on a blanket through an obstacle course (we don’t have the space for this, but it sounds awesome!).</div>
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I’m sure there will be several great clips from the visit this week at <a href="http://usccb.org/">usccb.org</a>, but we’ve also been watching the first part of this video: </div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMsOvpPhGn0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMsOvpPhGn0</a>,</span> when the<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> Holy Father gives advice to a teen girl. Students of all ages have loved watching it!</span></div>
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I also created <a href="http://www.teamcatholic.blogspot.com/2015/09/popeintheus-because-sharing-is-caring.html" target="_blank">two power point/ keynote quizzes</a> to use with the kids that can be found below.</div>
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Feel free to comment with activities you’ve developed to celebrate this week! Sharing is caring!</div>
Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-86888773920085949352015-09-22T12:16:00.000-04:002015-09-22T12:22:51.646-04:00#PopeInTheUS: because sharing is caring...These are two keynote quiz games I've made about Pope Francis to use with my kiddos this week... <br />
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A quiz on Pope Francis:<br />
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<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/cm6yefex6azgovg/PopeFrancisQuiz.key?dl=0">https://www.dropbox.com/s/cm6yefex6azgovg/PopeFrancisQuiz.key?dl=0</a><br />
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"Pope or Nope" : How well do you know your Pope Francis quotes?<br />
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<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/wejyr3dgull0k9p/PopeorNope.key?dl=0">https://www.dropbox.com/s/wejyr3dgull0k9p/PopeorNope.key?dl=0</a><br />
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And if you're too cool for keynote and need them in power point, they're here:<br />
(aka, my work of mercy for the day ;-)<br />
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A Quiz on Pope Francis:<br />
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<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/zrwwpcb77nh563v/PopeFrancisQuizPPT.pptx?dl=0">https://www.dropbox.com/s/zrwwpcb77nh563v/PopeFrancisQuizPPT.pptx?dl=0</a><br />
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"Pope or Nope":<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_34066558"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/mff7yv5cc3kdrq4/PopeorNopePPT.pptx?dl=0">https://www.dropbox.com/s/mff7yv5cc3kdrq4/PopeorNopePPT.pptx?dl=0</a>Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-59307217851829731492015-04-10T23:43:00.001-04:002015-04-10T23:43:36.594-04:00M&M's, Easter and Remembering GrandmaOne of my earliest memories of my grandparents is when they were left to babysit me and my younger siblings. I was probably six or seven- the oldest- and I was aware that the evening's routine was far more relaxed than if my parent's had been there. I remember watching movies, playing cards and no clearly defined bedtime.<div>
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However, the most incredible moment of the night was when we were in the middle of a card game and my grandma turned to my grandpa and said, "Jack, I could really go for some chocolate right now." I may or may not have tried to find some cookies in the kitchen- but clearly that was not what Grandma wanted. Grandma wanted candy.</div>
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To my amazement, my grandfather <i>drove to the grocery store</i> and picked up both peanut AND chocolate m&m's. After dark. When we didn't need anything practical like milk or bread. "Your Grandfather, he's such a good man." Grandma explained. When he returned, they brought both bags into the living room, where we ate them on the floor. I wasn't even told how many I could have.</div>
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Tonight, when I was driving to the grocery store to get cream for my coffee, I thought about this moment with my grandparents. It's such a great memory- a memory of my Grandfather loving my Grandmother (and his grandkids) enough to go to the store after dark. A memory of breaking rules about bedtime and eating much candy as I wanted to- and not even having to sit at the kitchen table. A great memory.</div>
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Tomorrow will have been one year since my Grandma died. So it seemed only fitting that I pick up a bag of m&m's when I got to the store. Losing Grandma remains one of the most wrenching moments of my life. Losing Grandma before she had a chance to see the amazing wedding dress I found (on sale- as she had always taught me to shop) and sit in the front row (her space) when I (finally) walked down the aisle (after her many novenas that I would discern my vocation) was a devastating plot twist in a year that had started out like a fairytale.</div>
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But tonight- a year later- I'm sitting here, eating m&m's and thinking about how the resurrection of Christ that we celebrated last week means that I have hope. Hope that Grandma and Grandpa are together again. Hope that I'll see them one day, too. Hope that, united in the mystical body of Christ that transcends what I'm able to see with my eyes, Grandma is praying for me and my family even though we still miss her an awful lot.</div>
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"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55)</div>
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Don't get me wrong. The sting is there. It's so, so there sometimes. But it's less than it was a year ago, six months ago, six weeks ago. And today, as I'm sitting here eating m&m's, I'm realizing that the sting isn't less because I forget. It's less because I hope.</div>
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So Alleluia. He has risen, and that changes everything.</div>
Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-20387128984310579472015-02-08T10:47:00.000-05:002015-02-08T10:47:38.351-05:00Adult Swim<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night Jim and I were comparing childhood memories,
specifically summers at the swimming pool.
We realized that while we had grown up in different states, the traditions
of community pools didn’t vary much.
There was still a “lap lane” for the competitive types to actually swim laps-
away from the nuisance of kids playing “Marco Polo”. There were still rules about how many people
could be on a diving board. And there
was still the tremendous injustice of “Adult Swim”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This, especially, was news to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a child there was nothing we dreaded more
than the last ten minutes of every hour when the lifeguard would blow their
whistle and announce “Adult Swim!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dozens of kids would have to empty the pool and sit on the sidelines,
glaring, while one or two adults would wade around the shallow end, the pool
completely to themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We felt it was
a tremendous injustice- we only had so many hours and minutes left in our
summer vacations and to have to spend it on the sidelines, eating goldfish,
when we’d rather be diving for pennies was just so unfair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reflecting on this trauma of childhood, my husband the
safety expert pointed out, “well, it probably wasn’t for the adults to actually
swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was probably to force the kids
to take a break so they didn’t get tired out and drown.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This had never occurred to me, but it made perfect
sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most kids don’t have the
discipline to take a break when they’re tired and there are friends to race
across the pool, and most parents and babysitters don’t want to be the bad guys
who say “come sit for a minute”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
ten minutes of rest each hour was a way for everyone to save face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This annoyance of childhood may have actually been a safety precaution
(or perhaps an unintended one).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is rolling around my head as I approach Lent this
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like any over-confident
millennial, I don’t think there’s any room for improvement in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure I hit the snooze button a dozen times in
the morning and eat chocolate for my 10:00 a.m. snack, but Lent is for everyone
else who needs improvement- not me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, today’s gospel reminds me that even Christ “went
off to a deserted place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35) and I’m humbly reminded
that if Christ took concentrated time to reflect and pray, maybe I should too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lent—forty days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving—are like
that adult swim that I thought was totally unnecessary as a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A designated time for me to focus on where
I’ve grown lazy or complacent in my relationship with God, a time for me to be
brutally honest and realize that there are in fact many areas of my life that
sin, selfishness and laziness have settled in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Full disclosure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t like lent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t like
self-reflection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d rather keep going
full speed ahead, with no thought of where or how I need to change. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t like lent, but I need it.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-26723577811808891112013-12-08T15:38:00.000-05:002013-12-08T15:38:27.035-05:00#SheepWeek13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vUzvRz3KEYg/UqSmzNzGCyI/AAAAAAAAAIA/eYUev0sb4zo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-08+at+8.02.38+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vUzvRz3KEYg/UqSmzNzGCyI/AAAAAAAAAIA/eYUev0sb4zo/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-12-08+at+8.02.38+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#SheepWeek13</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s like shark week. But better. The brainchild of the amazing </span></span><a href="http://www.katieprejean.com/" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Katie Prejean</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, this year anyone can join in on this social-media meets </span>spirituality challenge to reflect on what it means to be a sheep. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-Psalm 23:1</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Here’s how it works:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Personalize your sheep (print out the graphic above and give it your own flair: bedazzle, duct tape, a stache</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">… whatever works for you). Carry your sheep with you for the week!</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Follow the hashtag #SheepWeek13 on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and share photos of you doing the challenges with your sheep. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Take the following challenges for each day of the week and share a picture of you doing them (with your sheep):</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><ul><ul>
<li>Tuesday, December 10: Spend some time with Jesus (adoration if you can)</li>
<li>Wednesday, December 11: Give something away to someone in need.</li>
<li>Thursday, December 12: Do something something nice for your parents (but don't tell them what it is ;-)</li>
<li>Friday, December 13: Pray for our shepherds. The Pope, our Priests, Bishops, Deacons and Seminarians. Write a note to your pastor (or another shepherd in your life) to say "thank you" for their leadership.</li>
<li>Saturday, December 14: Go to confession!</li>
<li>Sunday, December 15: Wear pink to mass and take a #SelfieSunday with you and your sheep swag! Share a moment of joy from the week.</li>
<li>Monday, December 15: Be a shepherd for others and pray with someone.</li>
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Learn from teens (and adults) across the country on how they share what it means to follow Christ, our Shepherd.</div>
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Don't Forget to use the hashtag #SheepWeek13 & #SheepWeek2013.</div>
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Follow @KatiePrejean, @alisongriz, @cribbs, @perpetualmin, @OLQHTeens, @StCelesTEENS to see what others are doing! Feel free to share your twitter handle in the comments so others can find you!</div>
</div>
Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-41248573611299993112013-07-08T23:05:00.003-04:002013-07-08T23:05:46.583-04:00figuring out how to be...
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Tonight was one of those nights with middle schoolers that I
actually brought on myself because I served them soda someone had donated (if
only they would donate caffeine free organic chamomile tea, right?) and allowed
them to eat the oreos they found at the end of the scavenger hunt. Then, inspired by the family dinners at
Covecrest, I put out some big paper for them to doodle on during dinner. In hindsight, the combination of caffeine +
frosting + magic markers was a bit much.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This resulted in no “discussion” time where deep thoughts
were shared and insights into the Christian life were gained. No, this was a night where I had to actually
say, “there is nothing funny about Hitler jokes” and assure a seventh grader
that Mark Hart—the guy on the video leading bible study-- was not one of the
guys in “Hangover 2”. One of those
nights when lots of words were being said but very little conversation actually
occurring. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It was during one of those monologues that a newer student
said quietly, “I’m just still trying to figure out how I’m supposed to be here”
and I snapped back, “a good way to do that is talk less and listen more”. Then I tried to, again, reign the
conversation back around to the point about keeping holy the Sabbath that I was
trying to make.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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It was only an hour later, when they had gone home and I was
scraping oreo frosting and frayed nerves off the floor that I realized I had
totally failed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See, middle school youth ministry will make you mental, but
it’s also truly a gifted moment to be present in these kid’s lives. They ARE figuring out how they’re supposed to
be. Not just at youth group but
everywhere. Church, school, family,
volleyball… You name it, in every area
they are in a state of becoming.
Tonight, I missed my opportunity and focused too much on trying to
control the chaos and too little on the doors the kiddos were opening with
their questions. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Should middle schoolers be allowed to interrupt or make
Hitler jokes? No. But do they know that yet? Maybe not.
I forget that for some kiddos, this is the first time they’ve sat at a
table of peers and adults and been invited to simply share what’s on their mind
and heart. It’s going to take them some
time to learn what’s appropriate and not appropriate to say and do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Meanwhile, I need to be patient while they figure out how
they’re supposed to be—correcting when necessary but encouraging in excess,
realizing that these small moments are a small part of the foundation of who
they will be as mature Catholics. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I also need to portion those oreos.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-52651936969282767072013-05-22T11:19:00.001-04:002013-05-22T11:19:22.068-04:00Leadership<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-20WdeSopYlA/UZzhwE8zvnI/AAAAAAAAAFk/tIvxT70iVlw/s1600/Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-20WdeSopYlA/UZzhwE8zvnI/AAAAAAAAAFk/tIvxT70iVlw/s320/Image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><div>
From <a href="http://leanin.org/book/">"Lean In" by Sheryl Sanderg</a></div>
Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-24786047960244878962013-05-22T11:12:00.000-04:002013-05-22T11:12:12.789-04:00Thoughts from the Gym: Divestment<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?-->
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;">Just listened to another podcast that mentioned "divestment". Why is this not something that the pro life and human trafficking movement look at? It was divestment that ended apartheid. Has this been discussed? It seems that this idea of touring college campuses and getting them to divest of industries that fund planned parenthood could be an pro-life strategy that could lead to real change. </span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-86399117666260412452013-05-21T10:38:00.004-04:002013-05-22T11:10:13.447-04:00Thoughts from the gym: Are we serving needs?<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?-->
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;">A woman I had chatted with last week called today. I had mentioned I was looking for chia seeds... We all complained how hard it was to find certain products in this area, where Trader Joes and Whole Foods was hours away. She called because she had seen them & found them for me yesterday. Amazing that someone would remember my request and look out. Do we do that with more dire issues? In ministry, are we just trying to do stuff, or actually address people's needs?</span>Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-11568677594721163502013-05-18T09:22:00.002-04:002013-05-22T11:10:00.406-04:00Thoughts from the gym: Saying No.<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?-->
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;">I'm at the gym by 5:15 today, which is pretty great for a Friday. I wouldn't have gotten here if I hadn't said no to something, though. Saying "no" is something I'm not good at, but it's truly a survival skill of those who work in ministry. It's the hardest thing to do but the reality is, there will always be more awesome things that need your help... But taking care of your soul... And body... And sanity... Are what will keep you in for the long run. </span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-53039440107714515772013-05-17T11:37:00.003-04:002013-05-17T11:37:55.919-04:00Recent articles...a few recent contributions I've made to the blogging and printed world:<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lifeteen.com/the-crying-chair/">The Crying Chair</a>, a blog on healthy friendships for LifeTeen.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.themiscellany.org/index.php/opinion/columnists/93-alison-griswold/4389-add-spiritual-regimens-to-your-list-of-resolutions">Add Spiritual Regimens to your list of Resolutions</a> in the Catholic Miscellany<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/05/06/2492813/prepare-your-future-college-student.html">Prepare your future college student...</a> in The Island Packet<br />
<br />
<a href="http://familyhonor.org/tips-for-parents">Prom Tips for Parents</a>, <a href="http://familyhonor.org/tips-for-teens">Prom Tips for Teens</a> at www.FamilyHonor.orgAlison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-47984973351850709852013-05-17T11:30:00.000-04:002013-05-22T11:10:29.577-04:00Mentors: thoughts from the gymAfter reading <a href="http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/start/">Start by John Acuff</a>, I'm inspired to try to post more thoughts on being Catholic, especially as a youth minister, here. I'm also trying to find more hours in the day by being productive with the ones I have. In an effort to combine those two things, here are some thoughts I had after reading Sheryl Sandberg's chapter on Mentors from <a href="http://leanin.org/book/">Lean In</a>:<br />
<br />
<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?-->
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;">Currently reading "lean in" by Sheryl Sandberg and just finished her chapter on mentors. Great advice about not awkwardly asking for someone to mentor you, but asking pointed questions to those you respect. I think, in youth ministry, we need more of this happening. I've been blessed to have people that have been tremendous help to me- especially those who are not close friends who I'd regularly have coffee with but those who are more my senior in experience who have given me necessary- and difficult- advice in a single call, e-mail or conversation. I think I thought a mentor was supposed to turn into a "BFF", and maybe I was doing it wrong, but Sandberg clarifies that not all relationships need to involve hours of sharing. Valuable perspective.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sandberg suggests in the next chapter that showing emotion in the work place is authenticity. Not sure ill ever be down with crying in the work place. </div>
Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-36245083628716471512012-12-09T10:59:00.000-05:002012-12-09T11:01:22.773-05:00be a reservoirYesterday, I attended an afternoon Advent retreat hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/adamubow">Adam</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/loriubow">Lori</a> Ubowski and the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/UR113?fref=ts">Catholic Young Adults from the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee</a>. I feel like I'm still recovering from Thanksgiving, NCCYM and trying to pull off a few new Advent traditions with<a href="https://twitter.com/stjyouthPC"> youth ministry at St. John's</a> and by the time 2:45 p.m. rolled around, I just wanted to crawl back into bed. <br />
<br />
Plus, between columns and programing, I felt like I had done nothing BUT write and think about Advent. The second candle hadn't even been lit, and I was advented-out. I crammed to come up with 172 more words for the<a href="http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/12/01/2295940/nobody-likes-to-be-ignored-least.html"> Island Packet</a> column due that afternoon and reluctantly trudged out the door.<br />
<br />
I sat down to hear <a href="https://twitter.com/frchrisleblanc">Father Chris LeBlanc</a> begin the retreat and realized that in all the rushing of the past few weeks, I hadn't thoughtfully prayed or listened for God yet in this season. Sitting there, without a pen or paper or laptop open for brainstorming and scheduling, I finally stopped thinking about how to explain or encourage others to engage Advent and actually think about the state of MY soul.<br />
<br />
Duh.<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Apostolate-Jean-Baptiste-Chautard/dp/0895550318">The Soul of the Apostolate</a> by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, OCSO, he states:<br />
<br />
"Is there anyone who does not know St. Bernard's saying, to apostles [apostles here is used to describe all in ministry, both lay and consecrated]: 'If you are wise, you will be reservoirs and not channels.'... The channels let the water flow away, and do not retain a drop. But the reservoir is first filled, and then, without emptying itself, pours out its overflow, which is ever renewed, over the fields which it waters. How many there are devoted to works, who are never anything but channels, and retain nothing for themselves, but remain dry while trying to pass on lifegiving grace to souls! 'We have many channels in the Church today,' St. Bernard added sadly, 'but very few reservoirs'." <br />
<br />
As I work through the "second first year" at my new parish, the temptation to be seen "doing" is very strong. I feel like it's important to be at the office for "regular office hours" and not be seen just sitting in Church when I should be working. However, the relief and peace that came from taking time sitting and listening to a talk about my own spiritual growth (NOT the growth of a ministry or program, which is not the same thing) reminded me, once again, of the importance of being a reservoir. <br />
<br />
For what good is it if you have the best ministry events calendar in the world, but in the process lose your soul? <br />
<br />Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-57648561221315553902012-11-19T11:32:00.003-05:002012-11-19T11:32:34.093-05:00Continue the Conversation...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4QGlp-HheAQ/UKpbpaPiuOI/AAAAAAAAADw/a6wi8W522Ac/s1600/154350_488037904549716_1481142568_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4QGlp-HheAQ/UKpbpaPiuOI/AAAAAAAAADw/a6wi8W522Ac/s320/154350_488037904549716_1481142568_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
raise your hand if you're excited about <a href="http://www.nccym.info/">NCCYM</a>! As much as we all love trips with the kiddos, this conference is such a great couple days of just geeking out with fellow youth ministers. <br />
<br />
Geeks that we are, we don't even stop for lunch. I'm excited to be joining a panel discussion sponsored by <a href="http://www.ecatholicwebsites.com/">eCatholic</a>, <a href="http://www.flocknote.com/">Flocknote</a> and <a href="http://outsidedabox.com/">outsideDAbox</a> (which I like to pronounce in a very self-aware hip-hop influenced accent) during lunch on Friday. These guys have put together a great set up-- they'll pick you up from the hotel, you get to have lunch and chat it up with fellow youth ministers and pose some questions to this panel of fabulously good-looking people-- AND you're back in time for the next session. The menu is distinctively not pizza and it's only $15.00 IF you use the discount code "GRIZ" (look, Mom. I have a discount code!). <br />
<br />
To learn more and sign up, <a href="http://blog.ecatholicwebsites.com/nccym/">visit this their registration site.</a> <br />
<br />
(and, if you have questions about youth ministry that you'd like answered, post them below so I have time to google some answers before the panel!)Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-38763960475528846112012-11-15T22:24:00.003-05:002012-11-15T22:24:29.492-05:00i wasn't aware there'd be math on this test...
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<br />
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If you’re in Youth Ministry—either as a Director,
Coordinator, CORE, Volunteer, Parent, Pastor, you name it—maybe you’ve logged
onto Facebook and have seen a status like, “loved having bible study with 356
of our High School Freshman Tonight!” or “can’t wait to bring our 476 high
schoolers to camp this week!” and you may think, “ay yi yi yi yi…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are they doing, iPad giveaways to get
that many kids in the door?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sheesh…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I mean mean,
maybe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, keep this in mind when you’re
reading “stats” from fellow laborers in the vineyard.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->How big is your parish?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a reality check I’m constantly taking
right now, having recently transitioned from a parish of 2500 to a parish of
about 450 families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I definitely
hope to reach out to those not in our parish, it’s just not realistic to expect
hundreds—or even dozens—of kids to attend at first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when I get 12 kids to a youth night, I’m
doing a jig, because that is realistic for where I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it is important to keep numbers, be
sure that you’re evaluating them in a realistic framework.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Kids are not numbers—they’re souls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We say it so often, but do we really take it
to heart?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Even if one person is
reached, this is all worth it” but when it’s the awkward kid walks through the
door with his friend—and you realize that might be your only attendees that
night—do you take that message to heart and adapt your plans, or phone it in,
running through the list of excuses for why the kiddos you expected are
no-shows?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be fully present to the kids
who are present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Be sure your pastor shares your vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This goes without saying, but especially in a
smaller parish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your pastor thinks
you’re going to form a group of 50 from a parish with 200 registered families,
you need to have a serious heart to heart about numbers…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, don’t be afraid to discuss
reasonable, concrete goals<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>such as,
“this summer, we are going to get seven kids to camp and this is how we’ll do
it! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, there’s just not enough
folks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lock-in with two kids would be
awkward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reschedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A service project with two kids could provide
some great time for relational ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My favorite example of this was the feisty Dominican Sister at my
previous parish who was undaunted at the thought of bringing almost as many
adults as teens to the March for Life (I think we had something like six kids
and five adults…)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next year, we had
a bus of 50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank goodness she wasn’t
afraid to just do something, rather than wait ‘til the next year “when there
was more interest”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully, kids encounter Christ when He reaches out to
them—not when enough of their peers show up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pray hard, dig in and stop stressing over your friend’s updates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They live in like, New York City, and there’s
300 kids within walking distance of their Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-64291234085696691792012-11-13T23:36:00.000-05:002012-11-13T23:36:01.492-05:00they grow up so fast...
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<br />
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This year has been interesting, because while I begin as a
youth minister in a brand new parish—learning the ins and outs how to not make
a lock-in conflict with volleyball and (this is a new one) trying to figure out
a “pastoral” response to illegal spear fishing stories—I’m also watching some
of my “first” kiddos experience their first year in the real world via the
Twitter and Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sixth graders
who came to youth group when I was 23 and part-time at my first parish are now
all grown up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in the midst of the
steady stream of humility that is life as a first year youth minister, I’m also
rejoicing in these moments: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The text message that my blog on chaste dating was helpful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The facebook status update about voting (pro-life) for the
first time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finding out they’ve applied (and been accepted) to
Franciscan University.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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A beautiful instagram photo with the caption, “The Lord is
everywhere”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re new to youth ministry and overwhelmed with just
how…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>young… the kiddos are and find
yourself wondering if getting pelted with dodgeballs and shouting a lesson over
the din of middle school giggles is EVER going to yield any fruit, know that
one day these gangly sixth graders are going to be adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while their parents are the most
influential, you may be able to look at their facebook statuses and imagine
that the retreats, conferences and conversations you dragged them through did
something positive to form them into the Catholic adults they have become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is an awesome feeling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So to all you 23 year olds who are surviving on cold pizza,
entry level youth minister salaries and sheer grace, dig in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first couple years are tough, but you’re
making a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish you’d
believe me when I say that, but I didn’t so you probably won’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, put prayer first and don’t lose your
soul, put yourself second so you don’t burn out—and you’ll be amazed that these
kiddos who you once caught playing “lemonade pong” on retreat are now mature,
Catholic, adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And once you see that
first round grow up, the dodge balls don’t feel quite so hard.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-69109453926179560122012-10-04T11:04:00.003-04:002012-10-04T11:04:43.482-04:00Happy Feast day!This morning I'm sitting at a desk in Panama City, Florida but my heart is in the Fieldhouse at <a href="http://www.franciscan.edu/">Franciscan University of Steubenville</a> where right about now almost everyone on campus is gathered for a mass celebrating the feastday of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi">St. Francis of Assisi</a>. <br />
<br />
I'm thinking about how I'm about to dive into the day-to-day tasks of youth ministry-- cleaning up from Confirmation class, making an XLT songsheet, filling out purchase orders and finding a vacuum to get the sparkles out of the carpet (don't ask)-- but I'm also thinking about how much joy this gives me. How much joy my Catholic faith gives me. And how much of this I owe to St. Francis and the many who modeled his way of life for me, especially during my time at Franciscan. <br />
<br />
The "yes" of St. Francis to the call of God to "Go and rebuild my Church" has been echoing in the Church through the lives of so many priests, religious and laity, and I was able to see it up close for four years through the Friars who said mass, heard our confessions, led us on mission trips and were simply always present on campus. The Sisters-- especially Sister M. Johanna-- who showed us the importance of preaching the gospel with both deeds AND words. <br />
<br />
This witness continues to inspire me, every day. St. Francis said "yes". They said "yes". <br />
<br />
For this I am profoundly grateful. Grateful and challenged to add my own "yes" to the story.Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-28277119601352085702012-09-29T17:47:00.002-04:002012-09-29T17:47:30.498-04:00friendship & all my single ladies...
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<br />
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In what was a mostly tongue in cheek
#catholicgrlprob tweet, last night @JackieFrancois tweeted about that “awkward
moment at Mass when you’re between your boyfriend and best friend and don’t
know who to give peace to first”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This prompted a range of responses--<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>@ATLenahan answered, “always the boyfriend
first!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she is a besty she’ll
understand”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I replied that I disagree, stating “bff before bf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unless there’s another friend, creating a row
of 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then normal laws of balance
apply”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>@CatholicDrinkie agreed with me,
and @LT_TheBiblegeek sided with @ATLenahan, saying he was correct, “bff ought
to support discernment, unless they are unhealthily codependent… ;)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This conversation was evidence of a lot of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, look at what happens on twitter when
it’s not retreat or conference season…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We spend Saturday mornings analyzing Catholic habits, presumably hyped
up on caffeine…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I also thought
@JackieFrancois’ tweet…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the
subsequent responses (and I only shared the highlights—there were more) brought
up something important: the importance of friendship-- especially among single Catholic ladies. As girls complain more and more about the "drama" among them, the gift that is friendship can be overlooked*. And it shouldn't be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know that each vocation holds it’s unique challenges, but
for a second I want to address single Catholic women in their late twenties /
thirties/ (and up) and the friendships that form, should you find yourself in
this state of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike our peers who
found their soulmates in college or soon thereafter, we have navigated the
“lawless post-apocalyptic wasteland” that is dating in the “real world”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve attended more wedding, bachelorette and
baby related functions and been privy to more conversations on NFP and children
than I believe men in “equivalent states of life” could possibly understand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is these friends—these fellow single Catholic ladies—that
you call or text when you have just come home from a long day of work where
co-workers have asked and told you you’re<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>still single because you were too picky to go out with their neighbor’s nephew
a second time—after he spent the first date asking you, “what, dude, you’re
Catholic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So like, you believe what that
guy in Rome says about like, condoms and stuff?” and you arrive home to find a
mailbox stuffed with wedding and shower and baby related communications and
you’re ready to settle and go out with whoever asks you next—if that even
happens-- or just join the convent already.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is these gals that you call to regain your sanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They remind you that you’re not crazy for
feeling overwhelmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or lonely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or frustrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or just really really tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, it’s these ladies that remind you not to
settle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To wait for the right guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To not settle for “almost”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and to wait for “God’s will”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, when you do think you’ve met Mr. Right, they’re the ones
that talk you into going on the second date (even though you’re worried about
being disappointed) and help you see how this person’s gifts complement
yours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The friend who can listen to you
talk on and on about how a date was just right—when their last one was
catastrophic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The friend who googles
temperaments and helps you understand that “those weird things he does” are
actually part of his God-given personality and what makes him just right for
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The friend who helps you realize
what’s best for you when—as we girls can sometimes be—you’re too spastic to
come to this conclusion on your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
do it with shoes, dresses, careers and dating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do guys do this too?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
know. But it's not dysfunctional-- it's that we girls are relational and the more complex our lives get, the more we need a good friend to help us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This isn’t co-dependence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These are friendships that are necessary for Catholic gals these
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are friendships that a
boyfriend needs to understand as an<i> ally </i>in your discernment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in a world where being a single Catholic
girl is pretty darn difficult, I’m going to honor these friendships every
chance I get. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know that this twitter thread was mostly tongue-in-cheek,
and I know that in the grand scheme of things, who you give the sign of peace
to is not a deal breaker for any party involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I needed to articulate why I give my
“bff” the sign of peace first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They know
I love them both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s the “bff”
that helped me stay sane enough to find the “bf” in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Plus, as my “bf” said, “we hug longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’d be rude to keep her waiting”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Chivalry for the win.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*a footnote…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ladies,
if you’re still a teenager or a young’un in college, understand that this is
why even though you may “like your guy friends more cause there’s less drama”,
it is SO important to have good girlfriends.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-31230735752872553282012-08-19T13:29:00.001-04:002012-08-19T13:29:55.411-04:00Transitions<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the past three months I led my first international
mission trip, finished the youth ministry job I had held full time on Hilton
Head since something like 2008, moved to Panama City, Florida and have begun my
second ever full-time youth ministry gig at <a href="http://www.saintjohnpc.com/">St. John the Evangelist</a> in the
Diocese of Pensacola Tallahassee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whew.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, as I sit here sipping coffee in a lovely little
apartment right on a bayou furnished far beyond my expectations due to the
generosity of friends here, I’ve reached that point where I feel grounded
enough in the present to be able to reflect on the last couple months and a
share a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Mission Trip</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/07/07/2126985/seeing-how-the-world-lives-critical.html">Click here to read my reasons for taking kids on an overseas trip.</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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20
youth and adults traveled to <a href="http://www.mustardseed.com/">Mustard Seed Communities</a> in Nicaragua this past
June.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From one youth minister to
another, let me recommend this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we’ve had great experiences with
domestic mission trips, the experience of traveling to another country really
challenged us all and made us more aware of just how universal our Church is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something
unique about our trip was that we had a lot of diversity:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our youngest participant was a rising 9<sup>th</sup>
grader, we had teens, young adults who were married, single, in seminary and
retirees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The variety of gifts and
perspectives was really enriching. While I didn't plan to have so many different ages present, if I could do it again I'd make it a point!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I'd really recomend <a href="http://www.mustardseed.com/">Mustard Seed Communities</a> as well—from a
logistics perspective, they are attentive to our “first world problems” and
take great care to provide meals and accommodations that kept us
comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For years I had been afraid
of an international trip, because I was all too familiar with the many things
that can go wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I never
worried with Mustard Seed and would encourage youth ministers on the fence to
take the plunge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition, their ministry is very special-- serving the most vulnerable of society. The home in which we stayed in Nicaragua housed teens and young adults with disabilities, and it was a real gift to interact with the kids and staff everyday. There is a innate respect for the dignity of the human person present in this community. Watching the staff care for the children was a powerful testimony to the reality that our worth doesn't lie in what we do but who we are. </div>
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In case you missed some of my reflections on this trip:</div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1037020690"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/07/21/2141107/dont-let-technology-ruin-a-good.html">The Island Packet: Don't Let Technology Ruin A Good Conversation</a></div>
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<a href="http://lifeteen.com/firstworldproblems/">Lifeteen.com: What Are Your #FirstWorldProblems?</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.themiscellany.org/index.php/opinion/columnists/93-alison-griswold/3968-the-poor-in-nicaraguan-community-are-witnesses-for-christ">The Catholic Miscellany: The Poor In Nicaragua...Witness to Christ</a></div>
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An Air-Mattress Free Summer</span></h3>
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It seems that youth ministry and busy summers are
inevitable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides the actual move,
this summer was the first July in years that I wasn’t spending most of it on
the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the timing of my
move, I didn’t attend Steubenville Atlanta or Bosco and while I missed the
community with my partners in catechesis, it was awfully refreshing to spend
two months without constant demands on my nights and weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I’m excited to plunge back into a
“normal” summer schedule next year, I’m also going to be a little more prudent
with how much I commit to and remember how great it was to actually see friends
and family (which is what I hear most people do in these lazy months). </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Transitioning Parishes</span></h3>
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">While I was sad to leave my hometown and a parish that had
been so good to me, I’ve felt abundantly blessed in this process.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">My parish hired a talented youth minister to
replace me and she spent three weeks shadowing me part-time and was able to
join us on our mission trip.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">While I’m
not sure how much I actually “taught” her in my scatter-brained pre-move,
pre-mission trip state of mind, seeing how well she bonded with the teens,
parents and staff left me confident that the youth ministry was in good
hands.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">As much as we try to not feel
possessive about ministry and keep reminding ourselves that it’s all God’s, the
reality of this cannot be escaped when the time comes to actually hand the keys
to the office over to someone else.</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Now, it's interesting to begin that "first year" in ministry again, this time with a bit more perspective. As I begin a second first year, I'm finding that my priorities are very different from my first first year. When I began as a young'un in my first parish, my priorities were to meet teens and fill a schedule. This time, my priorities are prayer and building a network of volunteers and a Core team. It's nice to approach ministry with the understanding that the Holy Spirit does this all a lot better than I do. It's also nice to be in the business of getting to see, first hand, just how God provides.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-7630118648047301392012-06-12T21:13:00.002-04:002012-06-12T21:13:27.792-04:00leaving town...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I just cleaned off most of the top of my desk, and the
surface was suddenly so inviting that it seemed like as good a time as any to
pen a “good bye”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That, and a chance to
procrastinate from wiping off the dust bunnies hat have apparently been
breeding in the corners that haven’t been touched since I moved into this lovely
office<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(For those who remember, the
water holding the Holy Water is still resting where it dropped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still not sure what to do about that one.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition to discarded sacramental containers, I’m encountering
permission slips, fliers and pictures from events that I can hardly even
remember the details of, because the memories of my time at St. Francis began
when I started part-time in the fall of 2006 and surpass the 18 month average life
span of a youth minister by quite a few years (I’d give you exact numbers…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’m a youth minister, not a mathmetician).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have loved every moment here—<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>every retreat, every dodgeball, every slice
of pizza discovered months later, wedged in the cushions of the couch…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>even the night at camp that my air mattress
was stolen and hidden in the ceiling of the boy’s sleeping quarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Disclaimer:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>it was found and returned in compliance with Diocesan safe environment
policies).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been blessed to work with a wonderful and holy pastor, and
priests who are a gift to the Church and a talented staff and parish community
that has always been incredibly supportive of both me as an individual and the
mission of youth ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From
volunteers who seem to work 80 hours a week to bake sales that net around $4000—
it’s clear everyone in this parish loves to serve, especially when it’s for the
kiddos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I say all this to assure everyone that my decision to move
away from so many wonderful people was not an easy decision to make, nor do I
think of it as even a “decision”, as much as God introducing new people and
places into my life, showing me that while I am certainly comfortable here and
it will always be my hometown, that it is when we leave the familiar that God
works in ways we never imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
excited to share with the my facebook/blogging/twitter & anyone else I
haven’t seen in a bit, that I will begin youth ministry at St. John the
Evangelist Parish in Panama City, Florida in mid-July.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as I loathe the cliché, it is can
only be described as bittersweet to be simultaneously saying “good bye” to
family and friends here and be so warmly welcomed to the Florida panhandle by
those I’ve begun to meet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Did I say that right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it “The Panhandle” or “The Emerald Coast”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it’s definitely not Disneyworld…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may need to get a map.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is, I’m very excited about where
God is leading.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although busy with packing and final transitions, the next
few weeks are going to be a blast—I am currently working with a very talented
youth minister who will be taking over as the director at St. Francis in July
and get to spend my last week as youth at St. Francis leading 20 youth and
adults on a mission trip to Mustard Seed Communities in Nicaragua from June
23-30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m excited to be able to attend
one more mass and fellowship Sunday when we get back into town on July 1 and,
God willing, I’ll be moving to Panama City the first week of July to begin at
St. John the Evangelist the next week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tell myself that this isn’t really a permanent departure
from Hilton Head (this is also what I tell my parents, as I stack boxes for
them to store as I transition) since I’ll obviously be back to visit my parents
and grandmothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve loathed saying
“good bye” to people, preferring instead to say, “I’ll be back to hang out”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But behind that pithy response is the very
real sadness to leave such wonderful family, Church and friends-- as evidenced
by the fact that I’ve even started hugging people. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I may selfishly ask for your prayers—for our new youth
minister, for safe travels and an enriching mission trip, that housing in
Panama City works out as I hope—but most of all that I, who much prefers
sarcasm to sentimentality, can actually give a heartfelt “good bye” to all who
have been so good to me for so many years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But seriously, I really will be back to visit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-20322461254944198042012-03-26T20:12:00.000-04:002012-03-26T20:12:22.003-04:00the last post from Starbucks...<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I’m sitting in “my spot” at “my Starbucks”. Hilton Head has a truly amazing Starbucks on the North End in Pineland Station. The layout is awesome with plenty of cushy seats and a “vault” room for those who want a more conferencey setting. The Baristas are some of the friendliest I’ve ever encountered. It’s a multi generational crew who include moms, retirees, the occasional hipster and a gal who upon taking my order tonight excitedly showed me her engagement ring. Another barista just gave me a free pastry. They’ve managed to to take a huge franchise and give it a truly hometown feel. I love it.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I also love coffee, and people know it. As a “gold card” holder, I receive gift cards all the time as tokens of appreciation, thanks and birthdays. It’s a go-to and much appreciated gift for everyone who knows me. And since I’m a brewed coffee fan-- I don’t need a latte, just a strong dark roast with a bit of cream so my gift cards stretch and I frequent this Starbucks several time a week.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is why it grieves me that before I get up from this cushy chair, I will be going to </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #1800af; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">www.dumpstarbucks.com</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and... well... dumping Starbucks. However, I wanted to blog my reasons because I have an inflated internet-ego and live under the illusion that people sit at home, reading my tweets, dying to know my motivation for doing things.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #3f3e3e; font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was recently announced that Starbucks has adopted “</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">a corporate-wide position that the definition of marriage between one man and one woman should be eliminated and that same-sex marriage should become equally 'normal'”. To clarify, they didn’t just take a passive, “I’m ok, you’re ok” position. They’ve stated that it’s one of their “core values” and followed with legal action. It’s this-- their political involvement-- that I find offensive.</span></span></div><div style="color: #3f3e3e; font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #3f3e3e; font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I believe that marriage was instituted by God when He created us as male and female, and I believe what the Church teaches-- that it is “ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring” (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Catechism of the Catholic Church, </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">#1601). Procreation between a man and a man or a woman and a woman is simply not possible. Therefore, marriage between a man and a man or a woman and a woman is simply not possible. Do I love my friends who are attracted to members of the same sex? you betcha... Just like I love my friends who choose to use contraception, have sex outside of marriage, etc, etc, etc. I don’t go around boycotting people just because I disagree with their sexual morality. Only befriending people we agree with is certainly not what Jesus would do. My annoyance with Starbucks in no way transfers to anyone living the lifestyle they are seeking to promote.</span></span></div><div style="color: #3f3e3e; font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #3f3e3e; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: 12.0px Arial; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It’s the audacity of Starbucks-- their attempt to re-define something that God did perfectly fine at creation-- that has me steamed (no pun intended). It’s their decision to use resources acquired from my purchases to “</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">participate in a legal case seeking to overturn a federal law declaring marriage as the union of one man and one woman.” It’s this brazen involvement in politics and morality that I simply cannot support. I realize there are other corporations that I should boycott and I invite you to point them out because these days, as a pro-life Catholic, it’m losing track. However, Starbucks goes first. They are simply too outspoken to ignore.</span></span></div><div style="color: #3f3e3e; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #3f3e3e; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But I am really going to miss these cushy chairs.</span></span></div>Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-48127924081142628532012-03-23T10:52:00.000-04:002012-03-23T10:52:38.590-04:00#StandUpRally<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When my friend Anne was teaching English to some spunky Creole girls in Belize, she admonished Sandy Jones, one of the feistiest students in her class. Sandy turned around and glared at mild-mannered Anne, an English Literature major from Boston who thought nothing of offering a bit of correction. Sandy's eyes narrowed and she growled (in a tone that would haunt Anne for the rest of the semester and her adult life) "Miss... You have ignited the wrong flame." </span><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Anne admitted that while she did not know what exactly that meant, it terrified her. She learned soon enough that Sandy and her friends would make her life miserable-- talking back, questioning assignments, trying her patience in every way and tormenting subs to the point that no one would cover her class. While she stood by her initial decision, she learned that she had, indeed "ignited the wrong flame".</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Today, in over 140 cities nationwide, there will be <a href="http://standupforreligiousfreedom.com/">rallies to stand up for religious freedom</a>. The hope is that our President and Congress will see that with the HHS Mandate-- <a href="http://www.teamcatholic.blogspot.com/2012/02/hhs-mandate-why-its-not-ok.html">forcing Catholics to violate their consciences and pay for contraception, sterilization and abortions</a>-- they have ignited the wrong flame. We will speak up, act up and-- if necessary-- resort to civil disobedience-- before we disobey our God. </div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We have a cloud of witnesses-- a tradition of over 2000 years of saints and martyrs who have risked their reputations and shed their blood -- and have led us to this moment by their example. Truth does not change, whether it's accepted and practiced by 100% or .01% of the population. </div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mr. President, you have ignited the wrong flame. </div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If you're like me and unable to attend the rallies due to distance or work, do the following:</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Pray! <a href="http://www.thegregorian.org/memorare-army">Join the Memorare Novena here.</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://standupforreligiousfreedom.com/docs/HHSMandateFactSheet.pdf">Share this fact sheet with your friends</a>, explain that this is not a birth control issue, it's a liberty issue.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Call your congress person at the Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121 and ask them to overturn the HHS Mandate.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Register to vote and vote for a president who will allow us to be Catholic.</div>Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-39549642228892610302012-02-29T11:05:00.000-05:002012-02-29T11:05:48.988-05:00#Fathers4Daughters, praying for @PPact<div class="MsoNormal">As much as I tell teens that it’s important not to say things on the internet you wouldn’t say in person, sometimes I forget this myself. Especially these last few weeks-- feelings about abortion, the HHS Mandate, Planned Parenthood, even Susan G. Komen and Nikki Minaj—have been very strong. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Like many, I follow Planned Parenthood’s twitter-- @PPact—to stay up to date on what they’re up to, and as a sort of evangelizing, I occasionally tag them in tweets when I want to respond to something they’ve said. It’s the beauty of social media, that everyone has a chance to speak up. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yesterday, as I was responding to yet another tweet that I disagreed with, it occurred to me that @PPact is one of the few accounts I frequently tag that I don’t actually know in person. And then, I began to think that it’s not Planned Parenthood tweeting, per se. It’s a person. Well, probably a team of people, but a person nonetheless. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I started thinking about this. Wondered about them. I’m friends with a lot of people—both on twitter and in real life—who I don’t agree with. I wondered if I met the @PPact tweeter, if we’d get along. If we could make small talk about shoes and movies, outside of this huge issue that is at the forefront of our disagreements on twitter. <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/cribbs">Anne Marie Cribbin</a> and I even invited them to meet up with us for happy hour. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After reading <a href="http://www.unplannedthebook.com/">Unplanned</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/AbbyJohnson">Abby Johnson</a>, we’re all more aware of the importance of prayer in bringing about a culture of life. In the middle of <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/40daysforlife">40 days for life</a>, let’s recognize the social media workers behind @PPact and pray for them, specifically. Not as a nameless organization, but the tweeters, specifically. They’re just as passionate as we are. They do their job with a great deal of tenacity. Their role in promoting Planned Parenthood is critical. They need our love and prayers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There is a great presence of priests and fathers in social media. <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/cribbs">Anne Marie Cribbin</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/joiafarmer">Joia Farmer</a> had the great idea to ask priests and fathers to specifically pray for the women behind @PPact. Priests, who have the special privilege of celebrating mass, are asked to offer masses for @PPact… and announce it on twitter! Use the hashtag #Fathers4Daughters—stating the truth in love—that God the Father has a plan for each and every life. That fathers matter. That spiritual and biological fatherhood changes lives in an earthly and heavenly way. That the women of @PPact are known, loved and awaited by God. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m praying, specifically, that the women of @PPact encounter the love of God the Father in a real way. I’m praying that as I continue to speak up in my own little way, protesting what Planned Parenthood does and says, that I do it in charity—with a desire not to win arguments but souls. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And, I’m praying that that happy hour happens. Why not? It’s Lent. Go big or go home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Will you commit to pray for @PPact? You don't have to follow them, but tweet them when you do. Remember, love wins.</div>Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-90094970692682189812012-02-15T11:05:00.000-05:002012-02-15T11:05:41.879-05:00First Serve God<div class="yiv934139740MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Originally published in The Bluffton Packet, February 15, 2012:</div><div class="yiv934139740MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv934139740MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">One of my favorite films is A Man for All Seasons. Released in 1966, it is an adaptation of the play by Robert Bolt and based on the life of St. Thomas More. If you haven’t seen it, the cliffnotes version is that <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1329321807_0" style="color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">King Henry VIII</span> wants to divorce the queen to marry Anne Boleyn. Furious that the Pope won’t grant a divorce, King Henry VIII demands that his subjects take an oath declaring him the head of the Church of England. St. Thomas More—a good friend of the King—refuses and is eventually beheaded for treason stating, “ I die his Majesty's good<br />
servant but God's first.”<br />
<br />
As everyone in England signs the oath, More’s colleagues see the danger in his refusal. The Duke of Norfolk beseeches: “Thomas, look at these names! Why can't you do as I did and come with us, for fellowship!” to which More replies, “And when we die, and you are sent to heaven for doing your conscience, and I am sent to hell for not doing mine, will you come with me, for fellowship?” <br />
<br />
What exactly is More talking about here, and with such strong language? For a simple explanation of conscience, let’s remember what we learned from Pinochio: it tells us what’s right and wrong. A more poetic description is found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, describing it as “a law…not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at<br />
the right moment… For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God” (paragraph #1776).<br />
<br />
Our nation has always valued our freedom to follow our conscience, making religious freedom the first in the Bill of Rights and historically <span style="font-size: 12pt;">respecting the individual’s right to practice their faith. Archbishop Timothy Dolan</span></div><div class="yiv934139740MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">explained just how broad a spectrum there is in the U.S. in his recent editorial in The Wall Street Journal, saying, “The Amish do not carry health insurance. The government respects their principles. Christian Scientists want to heal by prayer alone… Quakers and others object to killing even in wartime, and the<br />
government respects that principle for conscientious objectors”. </div><div class="yiv934139740MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </div><div class="yiv934139740MsoNormal" id="yui_3_2_0_1_1329321367886118" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">The topic of conscience and religious freedom has been in the news a lot these past few weeks, especially with regards to the Catholic Church’s teachings on contraception and the nationwide mandate for Contraception and sterilization coverage. While people may disagree with what the Catholic Church—or any faith—teaches, the right to follow one’s conscience is fundamental. James Madison, in defending the First Amendment, explained that “conscience is the most sacred of all property”. The concerns currently being raised by the Catholic Church are not about imposing their beliefs on others, but about being free to follow their own beliefs and be good servants of God.</div>Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853919261331864981.post-35734020685621286192012-02-01T00:08:00.002-05:002012-02-01T00:16:48.742-05:00the HHS mandate: why it's not ok.<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When King Henry VIII demanded that his friend St. Thomas More support his divorce and remarriage, the issue was not just the sanctity of marriage. It was that the king had broken away from the Catholic Church and founded his own system of beliefs that would accommodate him. Not content to merely violate the authority of God on his own, he demanded that the rest of England accompany him in his dissent. Given the choice to obey God and his conscience or be beheaded, St. Thomas more chose death.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It seems archaic that a government like the United States of America would dare intervene in the rights of citizens to practice their faith and follow their consciences on private matters. Lessons about Pilgrims on the Mayflower and freedom of religion come to mind and seem impossible to juxtapose with <a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-dolan-says-obama-administration-treats-pregnancy-as-disease/">the recent decision of President Obama to uphold the HHS Mandate</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It took me a while to wrap my brain around it—probably because I find insurance and law really complicated – but also the concept that someone could force a Church or individual to do what the government is proposing is so foreign to my liberated American brain. However, let me explain why I—as a Catholic and employee of the Church—am outraged. If I mess up the technicalities, please feel free to clarify.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As an employee of the Church I currently have benefits—like anyone else—as part of my compensation. I have never attempted, but apparently under our current plan I would be unable to obtain funding for contraception, sterilization or abortion, which is cool by me because as a Catholic, <a href="http://onemoresoul.com/">I'm not down with that.</a>. (I would add that, as the daughter of an insurance salesman, I know that this makes sense from a liability perspective as well. Multiple sexual partners place women at greater risk for medical issues arising from contracting STD’s and STI’s, so it would seem that insurance companies would not want to encourage any pharmaceuticals that in turn enable such behavior and cause more expenses. But I digress).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Under the HHS Mandate, my employer, the Catholic Church, will be required to provide benefits that cover contraception, sterilization and abortion. As in the money that they provide that goes to give me discounted penicillin and trips to the dentist (things that we are not morally opposed to) could be used to fund abortion, contraception and sterilization—things that we, as Catholics, believe to be ineherently wrong. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here’s the kicker—(and what I’m hoping I explain correctly)—when the HHS Mandate kicks in, the Church will be fined if they choose to uphold what we believe to be true and what God demands of us as Catholic Christians and refuses to provide these as “benefits”. And, I will be fined if I choose to opt out of these benefits. It’s a lose-lose. As <a href="http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/index.cfm">Archbishop Dolan, president of the USCCB, has said</a>, “<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights</span>”. </span><br />
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Snaps, Archbishop.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, at the heart of it all is the same issue that St. Thomas More was challenged with. That the government would mandate funding of abortion, contraception and sterilization is odious to us as Catholics, but more so is the fact that they would have the audacity to overstep our right to practice our faith. We are not talking about a cult in a compound arranging under-age marriages. We’re talking about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swKs2QQU4IA">The Catholic Church</a> and the government mandating that we violate our consciences or be punished. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is not a “Catholics and birth control” issue. This is an issue of the Government over-stepping their place and telling Churches what to do. This is an issue that should concern every citizen—Catholic, Christian—anyone who believes in natural law, religious liberty and the freedom to form their conscience and practice their faith.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">St. Thomas More stood up to King Henry VIII and was beheaded. I think we can all <a href="http://www.nchla.org/actiondisplay.asp?ID=292">call our congressmen</a>, <a href="https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/%21/petition/rescind-hhs-dept-mandate-requiring-catholic-employers-provide-contraceptivesabortifacients-their/lBxr7SdP">sign a petition</a> and <a href="http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=25775">stay informed.</a>. Most importantly, this Friday is a day of fasting and prayer for our Bishops. Do it. They are acting courageously and need our prayers.</span></div>Alison G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02352635830139333269noreply@blogger.com3