7 Quick Takes Volume 20
Holy cow, this week has flown by! It's already Friday, but I'm not complaining. Joseph and I are looking forward to a relaxing weekend with friends here in Kansas City. But before we jump into the week ahead, here are my seven quick takes from this past week.
1. You can always learn something new about the faith
City on a Hill young adult ministry here in Kansas City is hosting a year-long class about Catholicism that Joseph and I were able to go to last Sunday and learned about the Bible and revelation. I learned, laughed, and quickly realized how rusty my Latin is as we sang night pray to finish the evening. We also went to the social hour that starts before the class - complete with a cereal bar. I mean, does it get any better than that? If you're in the Kansas City area over the weekend, the class is highly recommended.
2. Mass and a glass of beer - the perfect Catholic combination
Every other month, City on a Hill hosts "Tuesdays at the Boulevard," where about 250 Catholic young adults from the Kansas City area gather for Mass and then drinks and dinner over at the Boulevard Brewery. We've gone to quite a few of these events, and it's gotten to the point where it feels like spending time with good friends and family - instead of just small talk with a couple hundred people about the weather. Kansas is known for her crazy weather, and having all four seasons in one day is common this time of year. But small talk gets old fast. It was such a fun evening
3. Minimalism and the great closet purge
A fellow blogger recently wrote a book on minimalism and inspired me to clean out the closet. I thought it would be an easy task. HA. Nope. Piles of clothing are littered about our room and I'm also selling quite a few pieces though a Facebook sale. Needless to say, it didn't take too long for me to realize how many clothes I have that I both don't wear and don't need. Remind me of that when next week I complain about how I have nothing to wear. And wish me luck as I venture into the closet again this afternoon.
4. Accountability - it's not just for guys
An accountability group with other women is something that's been on my heart ever since Joseph and I moved to Kansas City. Now, thanks to the Holy Spirit nudging me along, the first meeting of a brand new women's accountability group is starting soon! Please keep us in your prayers as we strive to grow closer to each other and to Christ!
5. Here's the podcast I've been binge-listening to
I logged on to Google Play this week and was BLOWN AWAY by how many podcasts there are that I want to listen to. After wondering how I would ever pick which one to start, I chose "What Should I Read Next?" with Anne Bogel. Man, oh man, it's amazing.
Each episode, Anne interviews a friend of hers and asks three questions: What are your three favorite books? What is one book you couldn't stand? What are you reading right now? Then, after listening to their thoughts, she recommends books that she'll think they'll like based on their taste in books. She's basically a book match-maker. Talk about a dream job. You can check her podcast out here (episode two is my favorite so far).
6. Brene Brown is my spirit animal
Although Brene Brown has been writing on vulnerability and shame since 2007, but I came across her work just this past month thanks to a friend's recommendation. I read her book "Daring Greatly" and loved it, but it wasn't until I borrowed "The Power of Vulnerability" from the library that I came to realize how wonderful Brene's research is. So in-between episodes of "What Should I Read Next," I've been devouring Brene's lectures on CD.
Ah, I love her work so much. I told Joseph that approximately 60% of my sentences this week would start with "So I was listening to Brene Brown and she said . . . ". She has had so many beautiful pieces of advice, all of which have been a great reminder as I prepare for the accountability group meetings. If you haven't read Brene, walk (no, run. Seriously. She's so good) to the library/bookstore and pick up a copy for some weekend reading.
7. Speaking of animals . . . here's Wilson!
Growing more and more confident every day, Wilson now comes up to his cage door and lets me pet him for a while when I feed him the morning. He's also been helping us finish a big bag of spinach we got from ALDI this week. This little guy is off to get his nails trimmed tomorrow morning, so wish him luck!