pour me some kool aid...

In addition to the day that apparently, the entire  country is shut down due to serious and not so serious threats of snow, is is also the day that *eyebrows up with anticipation* verizon announces it will be getting the iPhone.  I find this exciting.  If you know me, you know that I have a love-hate relationship with the iPhone--  totally in awe of it's powers yet disgusted with AT&T's dismal coverage in my town.  So bad, in fact, that when my friend LD comes to visit we've actually missed entire evenings of socializing because I haven't been able to track her down via phone.  AT&T just doesn't work.  Bryan Murdaugh can offer similar stories of being on Hilton Head and getting schooled in a google contest by my blackberry when the 3G failed.  Constantly.

To clarify, I have never hated the iPhone.  I have hated AT&T for monopolizing it.  I've hated Verizon for firing Chad and keeping their creepy network guy.  (I have explained this to the Verizon employees who have patiently listened to me share how I felt like I could trust Chad, and this new guy is creepy...  They have humored me, agreeing, "yeah, he looks like he drives a van.")  I am sure that Chad,were he still around, would've gotten the iPhone a long time ago.  But that's another story.

Verizon, despite their superior coverage in SC, constantly disappoints.  Their plans stink.  They didn't get the Blackberry Torch.  They got rid of Chad...  I honestly liken Verizon to an abusive relationship that I can just not afford to loose because despite taking my money and rewarding me with an inferior phone, it is a phone that works in every pocket of the state.  That's why I'm not holding my breath that in 82 minutes they will, literally, fulfill all of my hopes and dreams (when it comes to phones, anyways) of being able to play angry birds, words with friends and log my non-existent runs on #runkeeper.

But, if they do...  I'm eligible for an upgrade in March...  and I feel as though I should be waiting with a glass of kool-aid at 11:00 a.m., ready to toast to the end of my days as a blackberry outcast and join your cult.

catch up on your reading...

Praise the Lord, there appears to not be any snow on the ground here on HHI.  As I sit here, downing coffee, nursing a bake-sale hangover, I am somewhat saddened that I don't have an excuse to say inside all day.  For those of you who do, however, here's some columns from the last two weeks:

From the Bluffton Packet: how I finally beat the flower ladies.
From the Bluffton Packet: Spiritual Anorexia
And, from The Catholic Miscellany: that one time I almost died.


Happy Monday!

excessive?

This morning I tweeted:  "teen wants to make a sign for the #marchforlife: "abortionists: whacking babies since 1973". while true, excessive? thoughts? #youthministry"

There have been lots of good responses.  Here’s what I’ve been thinking about all day.

While teens can be apathetic (I once had a girl ask why we bother to help the third world attain clean drinking water when, “they’re used to walking miles to get it anyways”…  Yeah…) the March for Life has served as a catalyst for some passionate discussions and opinionated statements.  As an adult, I'm used to the idea of abortion.  I’m not ok with it by any means, but I’ve grown up with it being legal, know very good people who are in favor of its legalization and have friends who have decided to have abortions.  It’s a part of the world I'm in whether I like it or not.

Kids, on the other hand, are learning the reality of where babies come from, how laws are made and just what is and isn’t legal and for many of them talking about the March for Life and abortion brings about a sort of “ah-ha” moment and their minds—unaffected by the years of trying to say things diplomatically and inch our point across-- recoil when they learn what abortion is.  They are “totally grossed out” that doctors actually cooperate to end human life.  Doctors, in their minds, are like policeman, firemen or Taylor Swift—people who would never intentionally hurt you.  In their minds, it’s black and white.  Doctors are supposed to save lives, not end them.  

Like any issue, the issue of abortion must be handled with love.  Love for babies but also love for mothers and doctors and maybe even Nancy Pelosi…  Our actions and words must first reflect charity and love.  Bombing clinics and hurling insults is no way to win people over. It’s sick and wrong and a total distortion of being pro-life.

However, in a world that is growing more and more apathetic, this teen’s proposed sign made me think.  Would it have been uncharitable to hold up a sign outside of Auschwitz that read, “Nazis Gas Prisoners Here”?  Would it have been uncharitable to hold up a sign at a slave market that read “Owning Slaves is Wrong”?  Did Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Corrie TenBoom and St. Maximilian Kolbe make people uncomfortable?  You bet.  They were excessive, thank God.  They pricked the consciences of those in society who desperately needed it. 

I would never allow a teen to carry a sign condemning women who have had abortions, promoting violence against those who are pro-choice or with a message that’s obscene or profane.  However, when I look at what she proposed, while blunt, it’s not uncharitable or obscene.  It’s stating a fact that makes us all really uncomfortable.  And the group that she is calling out are doctors—  not young couples who are making decisions under the duress of an unplanned pregnancy or even the well-intentioned activists who believe legalized abortion makes the world a better place.  She’s calling out the people who hold the scalpels…  Who know full well that abortion stops a beating heart—and do it anyways.

Excessive?  Maybe.  But her sign—and my resulting discomfort—has pricked my conscience and made me think.  Above all, we love.  But there are many moments in scripture where Christ spoke the truth and made people uncomfortable.  

This makes me wonder… What sign would Jesus carry at the March for Life?

  

Confessions of a March for Lifer

I admit it.  I never would've brought the kiddos to the March for Life if Sister Mary Joseph hadn't done it first.  Back in 2009—my first year full-time at St. Francis, she blusters into my room right around this time in January with a scrap of paper she's been taking notes on and says, "hey.  Alison.  Will you be a chaperone for the march for Life?" 

"uh, you mean next year?"  The March was in two weeks.  There was no way she was pulling this off.

"no.  We spent all of math class planning it.  The kids have it all figured out."  She explained.

"You planned a trip to the March for Life, in two weeks, in one 8^th grade Math class?"…  This was gonna be good.  And, sure enough, they had.  They had found drivers, chaperones and basically mapped out the whole trip.  That was how I found myself, two weeks later, in a Honda Odyssey with three middle school boys, a Dad and a Dominican (There were girls too…  But I got put in the boys van?) speeding to Washington, DC at 4:00 a.m.

I would never have attempted this trip.  Frankly, the March for Life scared me.  I had gone when I was in college but the thought of bringing kids from Hilton Head to a huge crowd, in a city, in the middle of winter just seemed potentially catastrophic.  Plus, I thought it was one of those things that people would be all like, "oh, yeah, sounds great" and then not actually go.

What initially seemed to be a moment of insanity on the part of Sister Mary Joseph was actually a great trip.  The kids loved the Catholic Youth Rally, seeing the National Basillica and marching with hundreds of thousands through the capitol.  One of the kids, absolutely agog at the crowds asked me, said to me, "this happens every year?"

"yep.  Every year"  I replied.

"then HOW is there still abortion?"  He marveled.

That first group of six kids came home so fired up about the march for life that last year I conceded that maybe we could attempt an organized trip last year.  It was epic.  We had 35 kids and 15 adults sign up to drive all night, sleep on a floor and be freezing.  Plus, the parish supported us in a huge way—everyone told the kids how proud they were that St. Francis would be representing them.  I couldn't believe it.

The thing about the March is that it gives teens—who are very passionate about their beliefs—a forum to express them.  They love the idea of suffering for a cause that they feel strongly about.  They've written great essays and defenses of life, explained to teachers, coaches, bosses and friends where they're going and even recruited friends to come. 

This year we're bringing 38 teens and 12 adults.  I've started having nightmares about busses showing up on the wrong day and kids getting lost in DC, but as much sleep as I loose in the weeks leading up to the March for Life, I think I'd lose more if we didn't do anything.  Seeing the kids get so indignant about abortion reminds me that this law of our land is just not right.  They're enthusiastic and young and many don't understand everything that has to happen for the law of the land to change but watching them I am actually inspired by this naiveté…  ready to chant in the streets of DC, "hey, ho, hey, ho, Roe v. Wade has got to go!", ask "what the FOCA?" and, basically, remind the world that life is very good.

what I liked in 2010

It may be pretentious of me to think you care, but in the spirit of New Years, I made a list of some people/places/things and apostolates that I've discovered or come to love more in 2010...  In case you haven't heard.  (By the way, I discovered Glee in the fall of 2009...  I didn't forget).  

Here ya go:

5thousand.  Two guys from SC who have put together a great retreat ministry.  They got my too-cool-for-school kiddos singing, praying and into the sacraments.  Plus they played well with others (in this case it was APeX Ministies).  All solid.  But if you haven’t heard of 5thousand (cause they're new-er-ish) check them out.

Seraphic Singles Blog.  (NOT a catholic match making service).  This blog is Ben and Jerry’s for your heart, mind and soul.  She's snarky.  And she’ll help you be holy. 

Stuff Christians Like.  Cause Christians are funny and we need to laugh at ourselves.  John Acuff is a genius.

The Middle.  I got my mom the first season of this series and it’s pro-family, pro-marriage, pro-laugh-at-how-awkward-family-life-can-be.  I don't know when Reverend  Tom Tom, the youth minister shows up, but that makes it even better.

Snuggies.  A blanket with sleeves.  I converted when Hilton Head froze over last January and I’ve never looked back.  Do I do the macarena in it?  You'll never know.

This American Life.  The stories this NPR series tells will make you laugh, cry and sit in a parking lot on the edge of your seat cause you have to know how it ends.  There's also a podcast.  I highly recomend it.  Coming in close second is The Moth.

Martha Fernandez-Sardina. This evangelist gave a talk at the St. John Bosco conference this summer that had everyone on the edge of their seat.  She’ll be coming to Fire at the Beach on Hilton Head in September of 2011.  Save the date.

The Pioneer Woman.  She makes me want to cook.  And homeschool.  And she makes them both seem cool.

Catholic Youth Ministry's Teen Girl Squad/Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants...  or something like that:  Ann Marie Cribbin, Tammy Evevard,  Joia Farmer and  Judy McDonald.  I’m always inspired when I see women leading in youth ministry... it happens less than you think.  I was really excited find these women on twitter and hear youth ministry with a distinctly feminine voice.  Often youth ministry has a very “I play fantasy football and Halo 3” flavor and it’s cool to hear from the perspective of bedazzled True Religions and glitter.  

Cornhole.  I don’t know if it’s the complex scoring system, the Midwest flavor or the fact that it’s replaced conversation at bars.  But I love it.  We got the youth group's set from Bluffton Cornhole.  They look awesome.

NCCYM.  While it had it’s share of cheese, I’m glad I went.  Part workshop, part conference, part reunion, part...  well, there were lots of parts...  but the Saturday Night Comedy was especially epic.

Family Honor.  An organization in South Carolina that’s teaching the virtue of Chastity to Families.  They’re accomplishing what Pope John Paul II challenged us to do in The Truth and meaning of Human Sexuality and it’s awesome.  

The Catholic Drinkie  is filling an interesting role in showing the lighter side of Catholicism...  I realized this when some of my friends on twitter who are very much not Catholic started following her...  and talking to her about the faith.  She's capturing an essential aspect of Catholic culture and reaching out to non-Catholics in the process.  Snaps.

our latest favorite thing...

I scored this Christmas.

I had a feeling it would go over well, but my mom is loving Season One of The Middle.  Sadly, it's one of the few shows not streaming on Hulu right now but you can netflix the first season or just pick up in the middle of the second.

It's awesome because it's hilarious and portrays the essence of family in a really positive way.  The parents-Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn-- aren't infallible but unlike most shows on TV these days they're not clueless and give their kids good advice and set a good example.  And did I mention it's just really really funny? 

Watch now.  Thank me later.

Jesus is coming. Let's make Room at the Inn.

The Island Packet shared this today.

My good friend Anne went to visit the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa's community) and ended up volunteering in the kitchen.  She was under the direction of a Sister who kept urging her, "Jesus is coming!  Jesus is coming!  We must prepare the soup!  We must cut the onions!"  Anne began cutting onions and the Sister told her, "NOT THAT WAY!  Go get the tomatoes!"  Flustered, Anne went to get the tomatoes and continued to help prepare lunch.  After lunch had been served the Sister realized she had overwhelmed Anne a bit.  She assured my friend, "If you are called to join our Community, God will give you the grace to cut onions correctly". 

She requested Anne everyday after that.

The Missionaries of Charity have got it right.  They don't say "the poor, the needy, the people with poor judgment, the people that didn't plan ahead, etc. are coming".  No.  To them, it's Jesus.  Jesus is coming.

It's December 23.  Jesus is coming.  We need to make some Room at the Inn.  I'm a youth minister on a budget, but I clicked on their pay-pal link and gave what I could.  I challenge you to do the same. 

Amidst all your preparations for Christmas, remember that Jesus is coming.