because my heart is in Rome...

Let's just say I'm a little bit tired of "Ordinary Time"--that is, the time between Easter and Advent/Christmas.

It's been SEVEN MONTHS since Easter! SEVEN! (Well, technically, *almost* seven)
I've watched the seasons go by--spring, summer, fall--and still no Christmas.

Is it quite obvious yet? I have Christmas fever.

And I'm homesick for Easter.

But yesterday was the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran in Rome (the mother church). I found myself researching it when I *should* have been doing school; this basilica has been around since the Emperor Constantine (I know--I thought I was done with this guy), and it's *gorgeous*!

I'm not sure when this was drawn, but isn't it so cool to think of this basilica standing there through all the ages, for thousands of years? Although I believe it had to be rebuilt around the 1600's, it's the same church.

Time for a field trip? I think yes.

Guess what? My birthday this year (the 20th) falls on the Feast of Christ the King--the feast in which we celebrate Christ's royalty. It's the last Sunday of the liturgical year....which meeeeans....that the Sunday right after is the 1st Sunday of Advent!

I'm hangin' onto that thought right now 'cause I'm practically *starving* for the smell of incense, the Advent candles, the beautiful music, the purple vestments...

I'm counting on the Christmas Midnight Mass to keep me alive until the Easter Vigil next April.
But I have a friend who, of course, has to torture me by sending me videos of songs we'll be singing before the midnight mass.
"Sing lullaby! Lullaby, is the babe awaking?
Sing lullaby! Hush, do not stir the Infant King, dreaming of Easter, gladsome morning; conquering death, its bondage breaking...
sing lullaby."

My school workload is really starting to get heavy, but it's hard to keep my mind on school...

...when my heart is in Rome.

I heard a rumor...

*life of a sophomore in high school* = SCHOOL like never before

Every day of the week, I have more classes (wonder why I haven't been posting?). On Mon./Wed./Fri. I have classes at our local community college; on Tuesdays there's our homeschool co-op; on Thursdays, my online classes; and on Friday (again), I have a looong biology lab at the CC.

Not to mention...our writing teacher just assigned a huge technical research paper....


But I heard a rumor that today's gonna be a great day.

...'cause we just took down my little bro's crib and set up his toddler bed.

...'cause this afternoon we're gonna watch a "feetball" game on TV.

...'cause tomorrow's Sunday. :)

...'cause Christmas is coming.

...and 'cause yesterday I went with a group of college students from our church to pray by Planned Parenthood.

See, September 28 - November 6 is called the "40 days for Life" where Christians literally around the world keep vigil outside of Planned Parenthood--fasting and praying and singing ('cause when you sing, you pray twice, right?).

Yesterday from 5-6pm marked the exact midpoint of the 40 days for life. I got there at 4:30, and half an hour later, there were people lined up all the way down the road. There was hardly room on the sidewalk for all of them--from little boys wearing blue capes to high school teens to old men singing off-key. What a beautiful sight.

Say a quick prayer now, if you would, for babies and for mothers considering abortion and for the souls of those babies who were killed in abortions.
And say a prayer for this one man who had to be led away by the police because he had gotten out of his car and started cursing at us. He said that prayer doesn't work. And he's wrong. Because prayer is our greatest weapon against Satan.

O Death, where is your sting? 

O Hell, where is your victory?

sometimes i write notes to my sweatshirt

Sometimes I think aloud, but it's Saturday--you don't care, do you?

Dear Charlemagne,

You were a great guy; sure, it's impressive that the pope crowned you "Holy Roman Emperor." But don't you think it's going a bit far when we have to know every single person who was related to you and is related to you or is named after you or who admires you--ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating. But still.

Dear Chlorine,

You are my perfume all day long. Somehow I can't escape you (*I wonder why*). But please, please, please...don't dry out my skin till I'm all scaly and wrinkled like, ummmmmm, a dead snake--I know, kind of extreme, but it gets my point across.

Dear Wooly Worms,

Hope you had fun in our lab yesterday. Who ever knew that orange strands of yarn could asexually reproduce? It was fascinating to watch as 6 generations of you came and went, although I do sort of feel sorry that your lives are so short. But look on the bright side! You'll be unpacked again next semester for another bio 106 class!

Dear Coffee,

Thanks for keeping me awake.

Dear Sweatshirt,

You're the best. Thank you for not complaining when you're soaked in chlorine. Thank you for keeping me warm at 5 in the morning when I'm headed to CYAC.

Dear Flute,

Take care of yourself so we don't have to send you to get your cork replaced again. I apologize for not practicing yet today, but I promise that I will.

*****

(...and the start of the school year inevitably finds me talking to my stuff...)

memory eternal

" O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths 

and traditions, 

who gather today at this site, 

the scene of incredible violence and pain. 

We ask you in your goodness 

to give eternal light and peace to all who died here— 

the heroic first-responders: 

our fire fighters, police officers, 

emergency service workers, and 

Port Authority personnel, 

along with all the innocent men and women 

who were victims of this tragedy 

simply because their work or service 

brought them here on September 11, 2001. 

We ask you, in your compassion 

to bring healing to those 

who, because of their presence here that day, 

suffer from injuries and illness. 

Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families 

and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy. 

Give them strength to continue their lives 

with courage and hope. 

We are mindful as well 

of those who suffered death, injury, and loss 

on the same day at the Pentagon and in 

Shanksville, Pennsylvania. 

Our hearts are one with theirs 

as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering. 

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world: 

peace in the hearts of all men and women 

and peace among the nations of the earth. 

Turn to your way of love 

those whose hearts and minds 

are consumed with hatred. 

God of understanding, 

overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, 

we seek your light and guidance 

as we confront such terrible events. 

Grant that those whose lives were spared 

may live so that the lives lost here 

may not have been lost in vain. 

Comfort and console us, 

strengthen us in hope, 

and give us the wisdom and courage 

to work tirelessly for a world 

where true peace and love reign 

among nations and in the hearts of all. "

-Pope Benedict XVI

God Bless America.

it's that time of year...

Once again, 

it's the last weekend of July;

the summer's nearly over;

the six summer meets have flown by;

and there are 16 tents lined up at the UVA aquatic center,

...and 2,800 swimmers eager and ready for the JSL Championships.

There are four sessions, two on Friday and two on Saturday. Vivi and I will be swimming in the second session (this afternoon and evening) and coaching all day tomorrow, and Josie and Annette will be swimming in the fourth session (tomorrow afternoon/evening).

Already, God's answered countless prayers about keeping us healthy (since A's had a fever) and all. Pray that we'll do our best and have a great time!

what I'd do with a bottle of neon green spray paint...

Last week of "Radiance"! Hop on over to By The Way, and join!

Nana's first question is...

Simply what you believe and what you base those beliefs on?

Four years ago in front of our whole church, I stated, "I believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church teaches, believes and proclaims to be revealed by God."

And I still believe that.

Here is our creed, plain and simple:

We believe in one God, the Father the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. 

We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, He came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

And the thing is, I already know what my sister Vivi's answer will be and what lovely Trini's was because all of us Catholics believe the the same thing.

Like Nana said, I'm not trying to start a debate here. I'm not even trying to argue my case. I'm just stating what I believe in.

For the second question...

If you could tell every person in the world one thing, what would it be?

Oh, Nana....really, I have no idea. I guess I could go around shouting at the top of my lungs, "JESUS LOVES YOUUU!!!!", but that might not go over well. 

Or I could be a modern-day John the Baptist; I could hack the computer system and make it so that right this very minute, every single person in the world who is on a computer, will receive a little pop-up message that says, "REPENT."

Or maybe I'll spray paint a neon green message on the Great Wall of China, explaining that when, in a sentence, there are two clauses separated by a conjunction, a COMMA goes in between them. *Gasp* Who'd have thought?

Or maybe I'll parade into the White House with a banner, stating "SWIMMING IS NOT A WIMP SPORT."

Or maybe I'll sneak up and engrave on the moon, "ABORTION IS MURDER".

I could go on.

(Tell me if your'e not satisfied with the above answers)

and the final score....

FLST - 468, FSBC - 419.

GO HURRICANES!!!!!!

I'll put pictures up later....