Day-Maker #48

As a group of trick-or-treaters came to our door, I realized we were running low on candy.  I dropped a few pieces in every child's bag.  One small child looked at me worriedly, which confused me.  I'm not used to being a grown-up -- had I messed up on some part of Halloween etiquette?  All the other children ran back to the street, but not this tiny boy.  Instead, he said to me, as if this were the gravest problem in the world: "You're almost out of candy."

He left content when I told him I would refill my bowl.

Unplanned

This weekend is Fall Break or All Saints Break or Four-Day, depending upon who is speaking.  Either way, we have no classes today or tomorrow and most of the undergrads (along with a good chunk of grads) are gone away.  Due to the lack of undergrads, the GNT (graduate and non-traditional) community  decided to hold down fort at the abortion facility in Pittsburgh.

There was no 6am Mass on campus, so we went to the Franciscan Third Order Religious motherhouse at 7:15.  By the time we got out of Mass, got a blessing, and hit up McDonalds for coffee (an anonymous donor covered breakfast for us!) we were way behind the normal time of arrival.  In fact, we arrived at the abortion facility not long before, on normal weekends, we'd be leaving.

I wasn't very happy about this.  I get frustrated when things move slowly and tend to judge myself for not being a more intense person.  God tends to teach me lessons in these moments, but I forget them with unfortunate speed.

We settled into our prayer pod and commenced praying.  Our sidewalk counselors kept their more lonely vigil in the frigid weather.  After we had been there a couple hours, we decided to recite rather than sing a final chaplet, so we could head back in a timely manner.

As we started the chaplet, an ambulance pulled up to the front of the abortion facility.

We switched to singing the chaplet, which lasted us as the paramedics went inside.  As they came back out and pulled out a stretcher.  As they went back in and helped a woman out of the door and onto the stretcher and whisked her away in the ambulance.  And as the ambulance pulled off down the street, our chaplet ended.

I tell this story here for two reasons.  One: I (obviously) have no idea what went wrong for the woman, but please keep her in your prayers this week.  Two: God has funny timing, in that it always works for His perfect will.  More often than not, I don't realize this, but this Saturday was an affirmation of His faithfulness in the when of His plans.

Every Little Miracle

At the gym the past couple days, someone has left the TV on TLC's "A Baby Story."  Unsurprisingly, a Pampers commercial came on.  The content of the commercial surprised and delighted me.  Take a look-see:




I thought I was watching a pro-life ad at first!  I've been tearing up at the littlest thing lately, but still, it's not every day a commercial nearly makes me cry!

Hark Upon the Gale

I promised a blog on homecoming and, a week after the fact, here it is!  There's so much that can be said and (to be perfectly honest) so much that can't be said about that weekend, but I will do my best to crystallize most of the former here.

I left Steubie well before the sun arose, parked at the airport, and left my suitcase in my car.  I realized this promptly upon getting onto the airport shuttle.  The very kind shuttle driver backed up to my car, I hopped off, grabbed my suitcase, and hopped back on, thoroughly embarrassed.

My first plane ride was gorgeous.  We took off in dark, cloudy Pittsburgh... and rose above the clouds into the most stunning sunrise I have ever seen.  The sky shone in shades of pink, red, and salmon to the east and pink and blue-grey to the west.  Below us, the clouds formed an expanse of unending grey and white, shot through with reflections of light.  It reminded me of descriptions of creation, just after the fiat lux: the earth was without form and empty, but pure light shone over it.  Then the sun rose -- at first the tiniest silver of piercing salmon light, then too bright to look at, gleaming off cloud waves.  Right before we began descent, the sheet of clouds ended, so it looked as if we were about to fly off the edge of the world.

We stopped at BWI; my layover and second flight were uneventful.  Percy met me at Norfolk and we headed toward the 'burg.  There began my whirlwind tour of people and places I sorely miss.

Some highlights include:
 * Brigit's daughter marched in the colonial fife and drum!  I saw her in training all last year, so it was wonderful to watch her march!  We followed the fife and drum down DoG street like crazed colonial paparazzi.
* Hot cider in free-cider mugs.  I gave mine away to a dear friend when I left (seeing her was a highlight too!) so I stole Percy's for the day.
* Visiting the ladies' Lodge (seven-person on-campus house).  I colored a picture for their coloring wall to leave my mark on the place.  People kept dropping by, so I got to see amazing people and get lots of hugs.
* Seeing a group of friends I've known since freshmen year.  I love those people and don't see them enough!
* The CCM Alumni Wine and Cheese.  I got to see Marianne again as well as a ton of alum and current students.
* Staying with Julia.  I miss that girl like madness and it makes me sad that she is not constantly on my couch this year.
* Dinner at Sal's, breakfast and coffee at Aroma's, dinner at the Baker's Crust, and an afternoon at the Green Leafe.  All with awesome people of course.
*Chatting with Ariel, the current YACM.  It's good to know my desk is in good hands.
*Mass with CCM.  I can't begin to describe it, but I think it was (literally) a foretaste of heaven.  The Folk Group was approximately 8 times its normal size and complete with trumpet, violins, mandolin, and a ton of guitars.  And it was followed by a delicious reception.

These are only some highlights -- if I describe the whole weekend this post will be so long that no one will read it.  Leaving Julia's apartment to hop into Percy's car at an hour that was more late night than early morning was so hard.

I had a bonding moment with the TSA on my way through security in Norfolk.  He recognized my NoVA town on my license and commented that not many people from there fly through Norkfolk.  After I explained homecoming, he told me that his sister teaches at a school right up the road from me.

I arrived back in Steubie, safe and sound, and mysteriously unable to nap.

The Laugh Track

Homecoming happened this weekend and will make it up here soon, but for now, it's easier to quote Dr. Bergsma.  He was on a role tonight:

[Bonus points if you know the Biblical book we were reading without clicking any of the links.  Extra bonus points if you know what decision Peter made in the 4th quote.]

"Christ says, 'Go to the ends of the earth.'  Are we supposed to go to Tierra del Fuego?  'Repent ... penguins!' "

Reading about Stephen's martyrdom: "Now Stephen has obviously not studies the principles of Dale Carnegie.  A persuasive speech should not end in a rounding condemnation of your listeners."

On a Biblical woman: " 'Tabitha, which means Dorcas, or Gazelle'... If I were her, I'd stick with Tabitha."

On a decision of Peter's: "This is the decision.  If you have an issue with it, you can line up behind Ananias and Sapphira."

"If you can raise all the casualties of your homilies, you can preach as long as you want."

Friend of a Friend

My Facebook world just got strange: in one (very short) week, I received friend requests from both a former teacher (my first grade teacher!) and a former student.  My mind is blown and I no longer know how I fit in to the universe.

Shout-Out

This is a shout-out to the three law students I know who took the bar in July.  Two are friends from W&M Law and one is my cousin.  All three can now add "Esquire" after their names!  Congrats, guys!

To those of you still in law school -- hang in there!  You can do it!