I'm Only Human!

Well Jenni B and I have a fond liking to Michael Jackson song, Will You Be There. We often tend to dance and sing to it. So on her birthday, we had an evening of enjoying the first fire of the year, eating a hearty meal of meatloaf, then dancing and singing to Will You Be There for our friend Sasha. The night concluding with the birthday song and blowing out of candles. Last time we performed, our outfits were much more professional, so please excuse our make shift attempt of looking like MJ!

Collaborator Meditation

I know I have mentioned the Collaborators several times, but have not really explained it. The Collaborators is a laity movement associated with a religious order based out of Italy. The religous order, known as the Apostles of the Interior life, consists of men and women who have consecrated their lives to Christ. Their apostolate/charism is evangelization and spiritual direction. The Apostles serve several priests, laity, and college students. The order now has a couple houses in the US, Kansas being one of them. These sisters have influenced my life, particularly in regards to my faith and spirituality. I receive spiritual direction from one of them and I have always felt a call to serve others in some form of direction.

Just recently the order decided to form a group of laity that want to carry out the same apostolate. So I decided to join in. I am currently on the path to take promises with this group. This means I will make a life commitment to daily prayer and to apostolate of caring for souls. Currently I carry out this apostolate through spiritual mentorship with a handful of college students and women. I can share more on this later.

This past month at our meeting, I gave a meditation on Meditation. I have posted it below. I wanted to recognize that it is difficult to make time for God in our hectic and worldly lives, but stressing its necessity. This is a prayer asking for an increased desire to better my daily devotion. If you are interested please read!

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A Prayer for an Increased Dedication to Meditation

“Spirit of Light, imprint upon [our] minds, in characters that can never be erased, this truth: that [our] apostolate will be successful only in the measure that [we, ourselves] live that supernatural inner life of which Thou art the sovereign Principle and Jesus Christ the SOURCE.”[1] You have called us each here to grow in your love, particularly through the means of meditation. Though you have intimately called us each to form an interior life, we struggle as a result of the Fall and the world of which we live. Father, please help us to recognize your presence in each moment of our lives. Grant us the courage to be intimate with you so that we may place our trust and entire lives into your hands; and furthermore so that we may care for the souls that you have entrusted to us.

Father many of us struggle to set time aside for you each day. We live busy and hectic lifestyles and though we may think we are doing good as Martha did, you would rather us follow the docility of Mary. Help us to see how we can change our daily routines, just in small measures, so that we can always rest in your presence.

Lord, we recognize that our ultimate goal is happiness and we can only seek this through a personal relationship with you. We also know that the foundation of this relationship must be built upon a rock of prayer...a time of meditation. Help us to change our ways, ultimately striving for a half hour a day. Help us heed the advice of a French bishop who said, “To all [our] occupations,…add a half hour of meditation every morning. Not only will you get through all of your business, but you will find time for still more.”[2] We know your desire for us to have time of meditative prayer, but please grant us the grace to truly deem it necessary. For if we do not have meditation, we shall ask little or nothing of You. Therefore, each day and several times in the day, we must ask You to give us the grace to love You with our whole heart.[3]

Help us to make small progressions towards constant awareness of your presence by helping us open our day with a morning offering, blessing our food, praying for our families and friends, offering sacrifices through the undesirable duties of the day, participating in the Sacraments, and closing our day with an examination of conscience. Lord, help us to make our meditation fruitful by inspiring us with resolutions that will help us grow in virtue. Help us to recognize You in the people we meet in our careers, vocations, and current states of life. Help us each to see that we are striving to set aside a time in our day where we will give you our undivided attention. Help us to remember, that if we are determined “to acquire an interior life, we must take for an ideal, unremitting domination of self and complete control over [our] environment, in order to act in all things solely for the glory of [You].[4]

Jesus, we are constantly reminded by your cross, just how much you love us. May we reciprocate this love through time of meditation. The Catechism teaches us that "Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the converstion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow [You]. [5]Thus, our Love for you is increased and we will more willingly permit ourselves to be loved by you.

Father, we come before you, each with a unique and personal spirituality. “No matter what [our] condition[s] may be, if [we are] only willing to pray and become faithful to grace, [You] offer [us] every means of returning to an inner life that will restore to [us our] intimacy with [You], and will enable [us] to develop [Your] life in [ourselves].”[6] My we set aside our spiritual wretchedness as we draw closer to you through a renewed dedication to meditation. For we only begin to thoroughly know and feel our own spiritual wretchedness, once we start to leave it behind.[7]

Lord you have granted us a simple means to holiness--simply the means of reflecting on scripture and spiritual writings. As we attempt to better our meditative prayer, may we bear in mind that “Prayer is not another part for us to act, another skill for us to master, another subject to study for an examination: [rather] it is a relationship with [You][8]. Increase our desire to converse with you through scripture and meditation. Help us to push through the dry droughts of prayer in order to always acknowledge your presence.

As we close this prayer this evening, may we call upon the intercession of the Holy Spirit and the saints who have inspired us to experience the fruit of daily and persistent meditation:

Come Holy Spirit, teach us to pray well.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us!
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us!
St. John of the Cross, pray for us!
St. Alphonsus Ligouri, pray for us!

Finally, may we learn by heart the words of St. Margaret Mary: “I ever possess, and take with me everywhere, the God of my heart and the Heart of my God.”

Amen.

[1] Soul of the Apostolate, p.3
[2] Soul of the Apostolate, p.33
[3] St. Alphonsus Ligouri
[4] Soul of the Apostolate, p.28
[5] CCC 2708
[6] Soul of the Apostolate, p. 19
[7] Magnificat, September ’07, p. 134, Fr. Jean-Pierre Caussade
[8] Magnificat, November ’07, p.251, Fr. Simon Tugwell

Michelle's Birthday

Last Saturday night we had another Collaborator meeting. My friends Michelle and Maria hosted us. Following the evening some of the girls stayed overnight at Michelle's to celebrate her birthday. The next morning we all went to Mass together and then went to First Watch for her birthday brunch. Yet another great birthday celebration!

Jenni's Surprise Birthday Party!

Sheena was in town for a wedding, and Jenni's birthday just happened to be about a week away, so we decided to surprise Jenni with Sheena's presence and a party for her! So here are some of the pictures. The best part of the evening was not the initial shock Jenni had when she saw everyone there, but the second scream when she realized Sheena was in the crowd! I love surprising people! Happy Birthday Jenni!

Weekend Leisure

Since Friday was the end of the quarter, things at school seemed to wrap themselves up and I did not have to bring much to do this week! Yeehaw!

This weekend was like none other I have experienced in a long time. When I got to school on Friday morning, one of my colleagues said, "Happy hour after school?" And I thought sure why not...we put in a full week and a full quarter of the school year! So three of us went out to O'Dowd's an Irish pub in Zona Rosa (Parkville). Then the excitement of the weekend began...One of the teachers owns a horse named Glory. So she took us out to the farm for an evening of horseback riding...It was a low key affair since there was only one horse and the horse had to take her time getting used to us strangers. But regardless, it was a great evening with the nice breeze, watching the sunset, and riding a horse out on the farm! Following that I headed to an adoration chapel for some time to pray, rest and just be.

Saturday was another unique day. I got up and went to Mass. There were thunderstorms all morning, so what better to do, then to go back home and crawl up and read a book....So I read for awhile, took a nap, watched a movie with my roommate (mom can you believe it? I watched a movie!), then I got ready for the evening. I think it was the first day in a long time that I didn't do anything truly productive! That night I went to a Catholic young adult event titled the Hee-Haw Hoedown. We had some country fixin's, a caller for square dancing, bobbing for apples, and a bonfire...We had a good time.

Sunday, I slept in, went to Mass, worked on a meditation I am going to be giving at the Collaborator meeting, spent a few hours at Loose Park, went running, and now I am home for the evening cleaning, doing laundry, and to do a bit of school work!

I guess I am sharing this to encourage all of you to have a weekend of four "R"s.....resting, recuperating, and retreating! It is certainly rejuvenating!

I hope you all have a great week!
Love, Lauren

A glimpse of October...

Weekend with Missy and Tim...

On the Plaza with Jenni (and Aunt Missy and Uncle Tim)...note the unintended matching outfits with the coincidental pink fountain water...

Fall Festivities....After work I went to Jenni's house to join Sasha and Jenni for homemade pumpkin pie, peach cobbler, and applesauce they made that afternoon from supplies they picked up at the farmer's market. It was the perfect way to welcome the fall season!

Michelle and I at the Divine Wine Fest...

Waxing by Missy

Last weekend, Aunt Missy and Uncle Tim came to visit! I felt quite honored since they took the weekend away from the kiddos and wanted to come see me! Needless to say, we had a great 24 hours together filled with laughter. The laughter began as I shared some stories about my students...especially the stories related to flatulence...then I realized that I had at my place a container of Flarp...a putty that makes farting noises...so we had lots of fun playing tricks with that....this comes into play later...

My time with Missy and Tim included a tour of the city including Downtown, the Plaza area, Brookside, Parkville, my school, and my condo...then we attended Mass together, followed by a trip to the Plaza for dinner at P.F. Chang's.

On our way back from dinner, we reminisced some memories from family vacations in Michigan. We then recalled the evening of facials with all the girls in the family. Missy was once again inspired to wax my eyebrows. I was up for the fun...there is really not much more to say other than she did a great job and I have not laughed as hard as I did in a long time...the video should explain more....

I believe the laughter stems from Aunt Missy thinking she may have accidentally waxed my entire eyebrow and from her need to go quickly go to the bathroom.

So please, watch the video for a good laugh.

Thanks Aunt Missy and Uncle Tim for a great weekend. It was my pleasure to have you!

One-fourth of the way...

As of 2:38 Friday afternoon, I will have survived my first quarter of the school year. It is truly amazing how quickly time is flying. Please stay tuned to the blog, for tomorrow I intend to share with you some entertaining stories from school and life. Love ya all

Glamorous...A Red Carpet Affair

The weekend of September 20, I went to the homecoming football game Friday night, then participated in the homecoming parade with the freshman executive council Saturday morning, and then chaparoned the homecoming dance Saturday evening. So needless to say it was a full weekend. I enjoyed my time getting to see students outside of the classroom. Here are a few pics from the weekend...

Who needs a convertible when you have a dump truck and trailer?

The crew of students....

oh yeah, we won the game!

Confiscation...

So today, my day off, I have had the opportunity to diminish a lengthy list of things to do...including laundry! But what I anticipated to be a $4 load of laundry became $54!

Yesterday, I confiscated a student's cell phone because he was receiving text messages. Since he was not texting when I caught him, I offered to give it back. However we both forgot to return it...so after school I thought, I need to turn this into the office. But with conferences on my mind and needing to change my clothes after dancing, I forgot. So today, when I pulled my laundry out of the dryer I found a very clean cell phone, that was not my own...

The way I see it:

Clean Laundry: $4

Replacing a cell phone: $50

The ability to realize you made a mistake and not be upset: PRICELESS!

Moral of the story: Confiscate technology, but turn it into the office!

Soulja Boy...Teacher Rendition

Well being one of the new teachers has its benefits....no one really knows you! So you can do crazy things that are either outside of your comfort zone or just be who you have become and be somewhat outgoing! With that said, I volunteered to be in the pep assembly with four other teachers...

PHS is not known for its spirit, however I think things may be changing this year. There is a new stu-co teacher who has great visions and really made the assembly great this year. Of course the students deserve the credit for organizing, planning, and designing the assembly, however they were influenced with some new ideas....so this year it was encouraged that the teachers did a skit or something...

I don't know about you, but I have been out of the loop. Have you ever heard of the artist Soulja Boy and his song Crank That? Well once I volunteered, I realized this is a new craze in high schools at least. This song has its own dance...so for the assembly there was a staged dance off between the teachers and the football players to this song. We, the teachers, had the privilege of starting the dance off. The football players put us to shame, but I think the students really enjoyed it!

I hope you do too...check out the video below! I am in the back row, it may be a bit hard to see me, but you get the point!

If you want to see how it's really done...

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1034149&fr=yfp-t-101

I hope you had a good laugh out of my craziness...

Phew...

Hello Family...it's been quite a full week and there is still more to come. This week was filled but it went quickly! As I mentioned before this was Parent Teacher Conferences and Homecoming week. So there was/is lots to do. On Monday, the freshman exec members, the other sponsor, and I assembled the pieces for our homecoming float. The theme is...Glamorous, A Red Carpet Affair. Tuesday night I went to Mass and to the Boulevard with the KCMO Young Adult Group. This event happens once a month and is enjoyable as we take in the city skyline at night, listen to live music outside, and enjoy conversation. Wednesday and Thursday consisted of getting to school at 6:30am and leaving at 8:30pm after Parent Teacher Conferences. Those went really well in my opinion. The parents seemed supportive of what I have been doing, and for those students who were not doing well, the parents put the responsibility on their child, not me. So needless to say, I felt supported by the parents. Last night, after the second round of conferences, about 60 teachers went out for a few drinks...it was a nice way to end the school week, though after teaching all day, being in a loud cafeteria for 3 hours, and then to go to a loud bar, I was tired and overstimulated and ready for bed.

Today is Friday, and I have the day OFF! Whoohoo! It is nice to have a week day to accomplish all the errands that never get done...so today will also be full, but in an enjoyable, productive day.

Tonight I will be heading back to Parkville for the Homecoming Football Game. Tomorrow morning I will be in Parkville bright and early to assemble our float for the homecoming parade, participate in the parade, and then attend a homecoming luncheon. Saturday evening I have a meeting with the Collaborators, and then later that evening I will be chaparoning the Homecoming Dance. Why I volunteered I don't know, but it should be entertaining, an eyeopening experience, and a good opportunity to see my students outside of the classroom.

Sunday will consist of attending Mass, celebrating my friend's birthday, and school work!

Well that's all I got for now...be looking forward to updates from Homecoming weekend!

Love, Lauren

An 8th of the Way...

Hello Family and Friends,

As you can guess by the lack of postings, things have been extremely busy. This past week, we just finished the first half of the quarter, or if you will, the first 8th of the school year! Time is flying. I am really enjoying my place at Park Hill South. I have a great community of colleagues and support.

Typically, my schedule consists of getting to school by 6:45 and leaving close to 5:00, however with the exception of weekends, I do not bring work home.

I have plenty of funny stories to share about the students, but I will save those for another entry.

Other than school, I have been trying to find balance again in my life. I have been trying to run a few days of week, attend Mass almost daily, and try to make time for prayer. In terms of social events, the Kansas City Young Adult Group is thriving and they have at least one event every other week, so that has been enjoyable. Along with all of this activity, I have dinner gatherings with my friends and try to find down time...yeah right!

This next week will be the busiest yet. It will consist of homecoming events and parent teacher conferences. So this week will not only include preparing lessons for the week, but preparing information for the parents, creating a float for the homecoming parade, (oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I am now one of the sponsors of the Freshman Class Executive Council), preparing a little shindig for the school pep assembly (please check out my blog next week...I promise you won't want to miss it), attending a young adult event, attending parent-teacher conferences, going to the homecoming football game and parade, chaperoning the homecoming dance, and attending a Collaborator meeting.

Well if I survive this next week, which I will, I will have plenty more to write!

Until then, I hope you all have a great week! Soak in this beautiful fall weather! I miss you all that I do not get to see!

Love, Lauren

Teacher Applicant

Disclaimer: Though what is written below is very true...I would not trade my job! But if you want an honest picture of what is expected of public school teachers these days...here's a glimpse...

After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teacher prospect said, "Let me see if I've got this right. You want to to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning, and I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their t-shirt messages and dress habits. You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job. I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, make sure all students pass the state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments. Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.

All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile and on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps!

You want me to do all this and then you tell me...
I CAN'T PRAY?

(How much do I make? I make a difference!)

A glimpse of summer....part 2

a picture here, a picture there....

I finally hung up a few pieces of art around the condo...here's a few pics for those who were interested....

Here's a hand-made cross my friend Sasha gave to me on the night of her Confirmation.

In the kitchen are some small paintings of the Willow Tree Angels....

a little decor for the living room walls...

...and the bedroom and bathroom...