Bucket List of Faith: Twelve Down {{Mister's Perspective}}

Greetings from the mister and soon-to-be-mrs., as we recount some of our favorite experiences on the Bucket List of Faith thus far. (For more information on what the BLoF is, see this blog post.) 

Today I've asked the mister to step in with me as we talk about some of the things we've seen and experienced so far. Basically, I emailed this to him and he filled in his parts, picking his favorite photo for each visit. He has a love for history and an astonishing gift for finding and remembering facts, which you will see in his reflections as opposed to my more emotional views. (For more information on my perspective, see this post.) The rest of this was written by him. Enjoy!

[Mister's thoughts begin here]

Background on the MisterI was baptized as an infant (only about a month old) into the Roman Catholic Church, but my family left the Church when I was a child. From that point on we would go to different Protestant and Non-denominational churches, and some periods of time just not go to church at all but still hold Christian beliefs. It was mid-way through my sophomore year of college (around the time I started dating the Miss) that I wanted to become more active and deep in my faith, and to do that I needed to actually go to church. I told myself I was going to visit a variety of churches to feel which one is best for me, and planned to do so. But after a Christmas Eve Vigil (with a very unenthusiastic family) and a daily mass by myself at my university’s Catholic Center I fell in-love with the Catholic Church. When the Miss wanted to do this bucket list I was more than happy and willing, because I felt like this would be the exploration I wanted to do, and through doing this I have really solidified my beliefs and have come to realize I have made the right personal choice for me in my faith.

Bucket List of Faith: Twelve Down {{Miss' Perspective}}

Greetings from the mister and soon-to-be-mrs., as we recount some of our favorite experiences on the Bucket List of Faith thus far. (For more information on what the BLoF is, see this blog post.) 

Today, I share with you my experiences thus far on the road. I have certainly grown in and cemented a majority of my personal beliefs, as well as gained a great appreciation for other beliefs and cultures. While I have attempted to speak fairly and justly on most churches,  I cannot discount what made me uncomfortable or just plain angry. But I am okay with sharing that; it was inside those experiences that I found my peace.

I've asked the mister to step in with me as we talk about some of the things we've seen and experienced so far. Basically, I emailed this to him and he filled in his parts. I've also included a photo of each location; I scrapbook the photos and all paraphernalia we receive as a marker of where we've been and a chart of how we've grown. His responses are featured here; enjoy!

Background on the Miss

I converted from a non-denomination Protestant church where I was active, a Sunday school teacher, and considered myself well-read; I was confirmed in the RCC this past Easter vigil. Since converting I've sought out as much information as possible on the RCC and thus consider myself fairly well-catechized. The BLoF was started when I decided that I wanted to learn more about other faiths for the sake of knowing and understanding. Through this journey I have grown leaps and bounds in strengthening my own personal beliefs. When I walk into a church I ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit that I may learn and be receptive to what He would like me to learn about others and myself, and attempt to clear my mind from any and all pre- and mis-conceptions.

The Organizer: iOrganize

part two in a series on organization

see part one: pencil and paper here

Earlier, I mentioned electronic calendars. Again, I firmly believe in paper planners for primary usage, but there are perks of using a phone or computer’s calendar. I have a beautiful iPhone 5C, a glorious upgrade from phones prior, and I use the Calendar app religiously when I’m on the go—though everything is transferred to my Lilly agenda when I get home!

One of my favorite features with an iOS device is creating multiple calendars.

As you can see, I abuse use this feature like CRAZY! (This is about half of them....) It allows me to color-coordinate events and link them in groups.

Most events and appointments in my Calendar are also in my agendas, but I do have to concede this point to the phone: classes.

As soon as possible, I put my class schedule into my phone. Start/end time, location, all that. It has been a lifesaver on my crazy days and helps me to gauge commitments. For example, when scheduling dentist appointments I can whip out my handy-dandy iOS calendar and wham-BAM I have to delay it by a couple of months because there's literally no way I can schedule that right now sorry will my teeth be okay or.

Also, if your friends are like mine and have events out the wazoo, the Google calendar app is fantastic for seeing when folks are free. Our group has added classes, work schedules, and sorority/fraternity events.

Electronic Tips and Tricks

Watch out for the Y2K. Also Skynet. ;)

Resist the urge to add every little thing; you’ll get overloaded when you open your device

You can send invites—helpful for that dinner date reminder!

Adjust your “alert” time so it actually reminds you on time

On the iPhone, you can add birthdays to contacts

Use the “notes” section at the bottom for contact info, etc.

Stay up-to-date!!!

I hope this gives some MORE insight into a method of organizing that works for me!

How do you stay organized in your everyday life? What do you excel at in this field? What are you still working on?

Much love,

Maria 

Bucket List of Faith: The Journey Begins

Hello all!

Today I write to you from mostly-cloudy San Marcos, as always. However, the Mister and I have been spending quite some time in Austin working on...

the Bucket List of Faith!

*crickets*

Ah yes, I should explain. See, one day we discovered quite by accident that we enjoy day trips to see cool churches. And by that, I mean we somehow one evening ended up at the painted churches in Fredricksburg, caught the discovery bug, and never looked back.

After, before, and during the undergoing of the journey to confirmation in the Roman Catholic church, we've had many a discussion about religions, faiths, differences, and similarities between beliefs. We've both a background of mostly Protestant churches and only recently have seriously dove into the beauty of the Church. However, while we are firmly rooted in the traditions of the Roman Catholic church, being amateur sleuths and historians the idea of exploring--like, really exploring--other faiths appeals. So we made a Bucket List of Faith!

The Bucket List of Faith is simple:

1.  list off every denomination and belief we could think of
2.  find the address of a local center of worship
3. visit it
4. collect literature
5. take a picture
6. and scrapbook it!

 Today alone we knocked off three officially! I challenge everyone of every faith--including none at all--to give it a shot. At the very least, you'll have expanded your horizons and visited somewhere new. For inspiration, see our list below. I'll update periodically with dates upon visiting!

Have you ever done something like this? Tell me about it in the comments below!

-Maria

Bucket List of Faith

(current as of December 28, 2015)
**We do have addresses for all of these locations--no worries! :)**

• Roman Catholic* August 12, 2015
• Lutheran (ECLA)
• Lutheran (LCMS)
• Lutheran (WELS)
• Episcopalian/Anglican November 29, 2015
• Presbyterian (PCUSA)
• Methodist December 20, 2015
• Baptist(non-SBC)
• Baptist (SBC)
• Church of Christ
• Latter-day Saints (Mormon) December 12, 2015 (no service)
• Unitarian Universalists December 12, 2015 (no service)
• Orthodox (Greek) August 15, 2015
• Orthodox (Russian) December 12, 2015 (no service)
• Orthodox (Antiochian)
• Eastern Catholic (Maronite) October 11, 2015
• American Catholic Church
• African Methodist Episcopal
• Pentecostal (Assemblies of God)
• Disciples of Christ
• Non-denominational Protestant  December 24, 2015
• Nazarene
• Seventh-day Adventist
• Quakers
• Christian Scientists
• Salvation Army December 22, 2015
• Judaism (Reform)
• Judaism (Conservative)
• Islam
• Hinduism December 22, 2015
• Buddhism August 15, 2015
• Sikhism
• Baha’i

If you are a practicing member of a church here and wouldn't mind us tagging along one day, let us know!

*As we are both practicing Roman Catholics, I used the date we visited the cathedral of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

The Agenda Keeper: Pencil and Paper

part one in a series on organization
see part two: iOrganize here

The first great secret to success is be super bossy stay well-organized. I like to think I do this well, and I'd like to think that someone's life will get more organized by me sharing this. Or not, I don't really know.

 updated 12/25/2015 for pictures, added content

First off, the big agenda that runs my life.

Some folks like to use an electronic calendar, but I prefer the beauty of pen and paper, as well as the sheer beauty of my Jumbo "Wild Confetti" Lilly Pulitzer agenda. I highly recommend having some sort of physical planner; you will remember dates better and let's face it, technology can and will fail you when you need it the most. 

Washi Tape and Me

I picked up some rolls of washi tape a while back on sale at Hobby Lobby and never looked back. I like to color-coordinate my life and washi tape makes it easy to connect notebooks, papers, and my agenda to a specific class or organization.

Monthly View

When I open my monthly calendar, I can easily see what class has a major assignment due when, and schedule my time accordingly. I am proud to say I have never pulled a true "all nighter" to complete an assignment; sleep is important, y'all.

Next Week

For my week-by-week, I include what the syllabus says we're doing that day, time frames of things that aren't classes, and any and all social events. Balancing work and play is vital to a healthy mind. I've found the washi tape is a handy place to either put what we're doing that day (chapter, et cetera) or the classroom if we move around often. Is it large? Yes. But that's a reminder to me that each class needs that much time.

Pro-tip: use highlighters sparingly on the weekly view to denote major due dates. I use yellow for minor assignments (short papers, et cetera) and pink for major assignments (tests, performances). I also use orange to mark when I work!

As you can (or maybe can't) see, each color/pattern has a specific meaning behind it. It makes the agenda, in my opinion, look significantly more exciting and quite honestly the colors make me relax just a bit. It also makes it easy to look for a specific class without having to read every little thing on the page!

Liturgical Calendar

The challenge to live according more to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar has been resting on my heart lately in an effort to live authentically and fully in my faith. Jesus is not someone we meet on Sundays only, He is someone that we constantly seek to meet and Whose glorious expectations we seek to fulfill. I read a blog post recently chatting about how the church has always lived by the liturgical calendar, enough that it influenced and directed how Catholics lived their lives. 

Thus, it's in my agenda. If I can pencil in social events, I can marker in Jesus ("marker" is totally a verb, right?)

I began with the calendar from the USCCB, detailing what happens each day. Using some markers, I outlined each day in my calendar ("Sunday 25") with the liturgical color, which would be important if you read the post on my home shrine I suppose. I then marked at the top of each day if something special was happening. This includes words like "feast," "Holyday," "fast," "no meat," and so forth. As a student and teacher, having that reminder to live my faith at the top of each day is invaluable. It serves as a way to mark obligations, opportunities to learn from the saints, and a reminder to breathe.

Agenda Tips and Tricks

Stay up to date on dates

There are more pen colors than black; use them

Write down times and places

Small sticky notes are beautiful places to attach contact information without taking up precious space

Mark down times you are letting yourself have fun
Make sure to actually write down things like assignments, papers, due dates....
Washi tape likes Sharpie, but not Sharpie pens or regular pens

I hope this gives some insight into a method of organizing that works for me!

How do you stay organized in your everyday life? What do you excel at in this field? What are you still working on?

Much love,
Maria 

Bible Study: Summer 2015 Plan

Hello friends!

As I entered this summer of crazy-busy schedules and difficult-yet-rewarding experiences, I decided that there was no better time to start reading--I mean REALLY reading--the Bible. On April 4th, at the Easter Vigil in my university parish, I officially became a full and confirmed member of the Catholic Church under the name St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. A few weeks later, on May 16th, I stood beside my sweet boyfriend as he too was confirmed, as St. Ignatius of Loyola. (Might I note that out of probably close to one hundred folks he was the only St. Ignatius!)

As I watched these beautiful ceremonies, attended mass, and researched like a madwoman, a little voice kept sneaking into my head with a single phrase: remember why you joined. When I heard that--really heard that--I paused my Pinterest scrolling. What? What was God trying to tell me?

Then I realized it.

Whenever someone asked with, with more than a dash of incredulous inflection, why I decided to join the Catholic faith, I have the same base answer: because I see the Scriptures reflected everywhere. In every tradition, every mass, everything we do there is Scripture.
*note: no, that does not mean perfection in everything we do. We are, after all, haunted by concupiscence. :)

And at that moment I was convicted. Here I was, a neophyte and a sponsor--was I spending nearly as much time with the Word as I should? Not at all. So with a chapter count for each book on my screen, my color-coded and over-loaded Lilly planner on the desk, and a pen in hand, I created my own reading plan with the goal of getting through "the books less traveled." These are books that I only heard the "M&M's" from when growing up by reading one chapter every day. Personally, I like to make my Bible the last thing I touch before bed, phone included. I set my alarms, say my goodnights, set it on the charger across my room, and get to work studying that Scripture.


I challenge each and every one of you to join my Bible study with taking a look-see--let me know how it goes!

JUNE
1-6: Galatians (6 chapters)
7-12: Ephesians (6 chapters)
13-16: Philippians (4 chapters)
17-20: Colossians (4 chapters)
21-26: First Timothy (6 chapters)
27-30: Second Timothy (4 chapters)

JULY
1-31: Proverbs (31 chapters)

AUGUST
1-22: Revelation (22 chapters)
23-27: First John (5 chapters)
28: Second John (1 chapter)
29: Third John (1 chapter)
30: Jude (1 chapter)
31: Philemon (1 chapter)

**Reading tips**
-Put technology away
-Put on the Hymns Pandora station if you're like me and can't stand a silent room
-Begin in prayer
-Use a journal
-Apply pen and highlighter as prescribed
-Close in prayer
-Find an accountability buddy (or six) to discuss with


Much love,
Maria