The Blessing Exchange

For just living in a state where it is colder more months than it is warm (Minneapolis, MN), the #1 topic of conversation is the weather, and allowed me to experience -20 degree weather...I feel like I am being thoroughly spoiled in Cincinnati. Currently it is 60 and rainy. Wearing my Nike Frees with cropped workout pants and a WINDBREAKER to the movies tonight at one point seemed inconceivable unless I was in the South, or California. But lucky for me, I am traveling home (Chicago burbs) on Monday and will happily embrace a White Christmas. 

Speaking of Christmas, something that has been on my mind a lot for the past couple of weeks has been the idea of giving during the holiday season. As some of you know, my monthly stipend through my program equals what I know most of my friends spend solely on drinks and food over a long weekend. Demar, Rob and I are spending our year living on the same level as our neighbors who we serve at St Vincent de Paul. The clients we serve who have kids likely came to us or another organization to buy presents for their kids.

Picking up donated Toys at the Kenwood Country Club. 
There had to have been about 1000 toys for all ages there!

As I think forward into the next couple of weeks and how many people I love who I want to buy something for, will likely only get a handwritten card and an IOU for my cooking or baking skills. As much as that is wonderful, and I am sure will be appreciated, something in me still wishes I could give so much more. I was inspired by my program director, who now has a 22 month old and a 4 week old. She and her husband are vowing to mirror the 3 wisemen bringing gifts to baby Jesus, and only give 3 presents to each of their sons. I found this to be not only counter-cultural (which is their general lifestyle), but such an interesting thought. I have received maybe a couple hundred of gifts for Christmas over my 22 years of life and there are few that I remember so dearly. My outdoor play house when I was 6, my American Girl Doll when I was 8, and my first iPod when I was 14. I reminisce more warmly about the hours spent watching reruns of A Christmas Story on TBS, going to candle-light Christmas church services, and waking up to my brother shaking me telling me to get up because its Christmas and Santa visited our house. I'm not sure if when I have a family I will adopt the 3 present rule, but I think there is a lot of spiritual wealth in switching from American materialism to true meaning-the meaning of the season and the love of family around you. So for my family, I am giving you the gift of me so expect lots of help cooking and plenty of desserts on the way!

The 3rd floor of SVDP all set up for our Angel Toy program. Kids get a picture with Santa and get to make crafts on the 2nd floor, while the parents come up to the 3rd and shop for their kids. We served about 175 families.

"Power to the SHE"

Also the tagline to one of my favorite brands, Athleta, but also a good transitioning statement. NOTE: It is one of the only female fitness attire companies that make up to a 2X in workout clothes! Lulu Lemon stops at a size L (more like a shmedium) and a 10. What if we want to look good while working out so we can GET into those sizes?!  Thus why I prefer Athleta because they are inclusive to everyone and have better sales. Enough ranting.... 

The same day that Beyonce dropped her album and made a good majority of the world turn upside down, I found a pretty stellar article that you should read and share. I strongly believe anyone in the world can be an ally for women. I'm not asking you to be a feminist, just an ally. For the fellas - John Legend is a self titled feminist. If he can be one, so can you, dammit!

 http://policymic.com/articles/76145/27-most-iconic-feminist-moments-of-2013

Some of my favorites (all are amazing and important, these just made me extra happy):

• 6. International Outrage After Gang Rape in India Sparked Historic Change in Laws
• 12. Kerry Washington Became the First Black Female Emmy Nominee for Lead Since 1995
• 13. Ellen Took Down Abercombie and Fitch's CEO for Shaming Plus-Size Women (hilarious video)**
• 25. Tampons Went Viral (also hilarious)
• 27. "Orange is The New Black" Premiered, Featuring the Amazing Laverne Cox (first Trans woman of color featured as a star role in a show!)

I think I am going to make it a personal goal to be more proactive in the fight for gender equality this next year. It is pretty incredible that 10 states JUST THIS YEAR passed laws allowing for same-sex marriage. In the clients that I see, so many are troubled from past or current issues with abusive relationships, resulting in lack of confidence. I plan to stand in solidarity more with the ladies in my community to fight for better rights for us, our daughters, and our granddaughters.

For 2014 I am also going to share with you special people that I know who are also documenting their hearts songs via blogs. This week is a relative of mine! 

FEATURED BLOGGER: 

>> http://gretchenthinks.blogspot.com/  <<

Authored by my second cousin, Gretchen (pictured above with my Godmother-her grandmother, Barb). Smart and sassy for a soon-to-be high school graduate. 
A future Hoosier, she is sure to change the world with her awesome sense of humor, intelligence, and killer blue eyes :) 
Please read and share!

But of course my posts will never be whole without some delish pics of what I have been consuming. All paleo friendly, too! Feel free to WOW family members with any of these scrumptious and easy recipes. I am so RELIEVED to know that all of our office treats are gone. If I had a quarter for every extra cookie....

http://paleomg.com/simple-chorizo-butternut-squash-hash/

http://paleomg.com/crockpot-pulled-pork-chili/

http://paleomg.com/buffalo-chicken-sweet-potato-meatza/

http://paleomg.com/thai-coconut-lime-shrimp/

http://balancedbites.com/2012/01/easy-recipe-bacon-wrapped-smoky-chicken-thighs.html
P.S. recipe calls for bone in/skinless - we did boneLESS skinless and liked it better. easier to eat! Recipe also does not include the crab leg side that happened to be on sale at Kroger the week we made this :)

As I set out to travel in a couple days, I will be praying for all of the neighbors and SVDP clients who have lost family members, and whose children were not able to get gifts from us this season. I will pray for those who cannot see their family or if they are alone during this season, and hope that they remember there is at least one higher being smiling down and keeping them company. Please send your good vibes to all these people as well.

I have a holiday challenge for you

(I'm going to try it as well)

 I'm calling it: The Blessing Exchange

When someone asks you for a dollar or any change you have over the next two weeks, if you truly have nothing to give- instead of rushing past and ignoring their request, why not slow down, give them a hug (ask first) and tell them they are loved? 

YES this is going to be uncomfortable. YES it will be weird in all sorts of ways.  

But what if it was you in that situation? What if it was you who is treated like you are non-existent? This might be the craziest idea I have ever had, but it also might be the most powerful. Often we hear that when we give of ourselves to others, we often get more back in return that we expected. Thus why it is an exchange - both parties benefit! All I am asking is that you take a moment to love your neighbor as the actual human being they are - not the homeless or poor person. 

 Recently one of my clients shared with me:

"The only time I look down on someone is when I am reaching my hand down to help them up. Even though I may not have a job right now, I know I will have one helping other people. I am praying to God to bless me to be a blessing to others."

This is me sending blessings to all my readers to be blessings for everyone in their lives. The people there currently, the ones to come, and the individuals who will get your hugs soon :)

(but really, if you participate in this - please share stories of how it went for you! You can look forward to hearing about my Blessing Exchange Adventures in 2014!)

I will likely not post again til January, so here's a big CHEERS and Happy New Year to you! I hope that everyone has a very special Holiday season, as well as a restful and plentiful New Year.

With Peace, Love and Joy,
Mary Kathleen

What the hell is PALEO?! A type of kangaroo? An insect?! What is it?!

One of the many wonderful things about doing a year of service is that I can make it what I want it to be. 

I could just go to work and choose to not be involved or active after 5pm, or I could choose to engage and explore the community and be social with new people as I go into new places and spaces. Over the past month, my lack of blog posts has been a result of the latter. I have been busier with work, but have also been busy on weekends with Program work, throwing parties, having co-workers over for happy hours; I've been reading, going to underground hip-hop shows, and - I admit it - watching Scandal. I've found awesome places in the community like World Peace Yoga - an urban "village" that contains a fair trade shop, a vegan cafe, and of course a zen-filled yoga house. 

If that sounds awesome to you, please come visit me! A very cheap megabus trip for many of my readers, you are always welcome. I think that being a transplant here, Cincinnati is a place that everyone should see at one point. Its one of those cities that infuriates you because of its many issues, but is also mind-boggling-ly beautiful.  Cincinnati is a place that needs more people to give it a chance, and give it just a bit more love. 

I would like to add how incredibly grateful and thankful I am for the overwhelming support family, friends, and random readers have shown me for my adventures of doing a year of service, and with sharing and supporting my writing here on Vice Versa. Although I do miss all of my family in Minneapolis, Elgin, and other friends scattered across the globe, hearing from any one reminds me of the incredible relationships I have, and the network of love and encouragement that I can fall back on. So for that, I love yall too :) 

As always, a good amount of activities and experiences have passed since my last post earlier in the month. See my previous post for pictures from all my adventures!

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Prior to this year, I constructed a few goals that I wanted to accomplish while in my year of service. These included: working out 5 days/week, losing like 30 lbs, being so inspired by my program and experiences that I would have a very clear idea about what I want to do after July 2014. Note that "just live" was not on the list (it is now). Well, I think that I might have had not very realistic goals, and that I figured when I moved to Cincy I would turn into Super Woman and be able to accomplish all of my hearts desires in 11 months. Throughout my life I've tried to put an 'S' on my chest and accomplish  many things at once, this always turns out to be life-depleting in more ways than one. As a result I sought comfort in food (that of course I knew was bad for me): hot cheetos, easy mac, cake, sweets -you name it. Leaving me with migraines, empty tank of energy, zero desire to get out of bed and socialize, and absolutely negative self-esteem.

It is because of all of this, and the gift of time that comes after undergrad, I decided I was ready to change my life by starting with the things I am putting in my body.  I've suffered from headaches (mild to severe) and migraines since the 4th grade. I've figured out that they are diet related, and the MSG in foods triggers them. Even with not eating artificial food it was still happening (suggested to me at this point that I could have a gluten or dairy intolerance). I've also struggled with maintaining a healthy weight for most of my early years of life- it leveled out when I was active in high school, but in college my time was too quickly consumed by my position in AKA, school and work that I did not make my health a priority. My last year, I was burnt out emotionally and mentally, and fell into a mild depression. By the time I graduated in May 2013, I had gained a cool 40 lbs over 2.5 years. YIKES.  I am an open book yall! I will share my struggles easily. It was because of ALL of this that I decided to re-commit to my well being - my mind, body and spirit, simply because I needed to! 

As of November 18, 2013 myself and 2 friends that I live with have committed ourselves to the Paleo diet. Along the same lines of my year of service here and learning to live simply - this is a very simple diet. Basically, its whole foods diet, that rids your body of things that it doesn't need a lot of (but we are used to eating in WAY too large amounts). Meaning, that it is gluten-free, dairy-free, legume-free.  Because I don't feel like writing it, please read >>> THIS ARTICLE <<< which details Paleo more easily than I can, in a hilarious way.  It is also pronounced Pey-lee-Oh.




If you know me, I used to be a CARB-O-HOLIC. I started converting to a wheat-less and dairy-free diet about a month ago when a friend challenged me to only eat a food containing those ingredients once a day. As someone who can shovel down pasta, always picks the bread bowl at Panera, and loves cheese sometimes more than wine - I thought this was going to be impossible. Similar to many, embracing the idea that you have to 'cut something out' to make a diet work was not easy. Easing myself into cutting gluten and dairy out was the best challenge I have ever accepted.

HOW I FEEL AFTER JUST 2 WEEKS:

Lighter, more energetic, less desire to run to coffee or tea for a caffeine fix - and my digestive system is happy because non-toxic things are going inside of it. I've been on Weight Watchers multiple times, and found success in their programs, but I wanted to try something different. I had a couple pieces of cheese-less pizza after our Thanksgiving food basket give -away this past Tuesday at work and I felt awful afterward because of the wheat-filled crust. 

 This may sound like a very drastic and unrealistic diet to some, but it is actually very easy. It helps that I like to cook because I am making all of my meals, and I there is a lot of space for creativity between all of the different foods I can eat. Demar was given a Paleo book from his dad- "Practical Paleo" and when mentioning to me what it was about a year or so ago I was NOT open to it. Little did I know it would be our go-to guide for all things Paleo. Recipes, why our poop looks like it does, why mushrooms and other vegetables make your joints hurt, etc etc etc.  Here is the authors blog and book info. 

My last point is this: Paleo is not a "cookie-cutter" diet. If you can tolerate dairy, you can have it more than others. Whatever makes your body feel AMAZING, and your digestive system happy - try that!  This is what is working for me - but I commend ANYONE who has made a commitment to their health and is sticking to it! GO YOU! Lets connect so we can empower and support each other when that piece of Chicago Deep-dish is calling, or the new Cake-pop flavor at Starbucks looks too good to not try.   There are a couple pictures of a couple Paleo-friendly dishes we have made in my Photo Reel Post.  We also had a gluten free, dairy-free Thanksgiving dinner. Most recipes taken from the Practical Paleo book I mentioned above. My mom brought the dessert recipes and I'm not sure where those are from. 

I hope it won't take me 2 months to write again! There are plenty of holiday adventures coming up in the next few weeks and I can't wait to share about those.

Wishing everyone a restful Thanksgiving weekend, and let us all remember how blessed we truly are.

Sending Love and peace,

Mary Kathleen

CATCH-UP PHOTO BLOG

OCTOBER 10

We had our annual fundraiser, Retrofittings (see cheesy pictures below) which was a blast. I was a raffle teller and I do believe I beat out my male co-workers in selling the most money :)
More pictures: (you don't need Facebook to access)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.696000110429933.1073741847.129148057115144&type=1

OCTOBER 25-27

Enjoying Indianapolis the last weekend of October with a few other 20 somethings from our Vincentian Family Gathering who are also doing, or did a year of service with a Vincentian-related group.

OCTOBER 29- National Cat Day

This is the cat house around the corner! Its an abandoned home that is frequented by this herd of kitties.  Any one who knows me knows that I absolutely HAD to stop and capture this moment! Check out the mixed one in the middle who is black with a white spot. Clearly the ONE White kitty procreated with one of the black kitties! I should have taken the spotted one one home. We could have bonded about our parents being black and white ;) 

OCTOBER 24&31

My Public Allies Peeps!  Together we represent all of the client advocates in the social services department at Society of St Vincent de Paul. This lovely picture was captured during a break at a training we went to about how to give financial guidance and support to our clients. Eventhough it will help me help my clients tremendously,

NOVEMBER 1st - HALLOWEEN PARTY

In order to get our house to have creepy lighting where ever our guests went, we took out lightbulbs and replaced them with red bulbs and blacklights. In some rooms we just left one in to make it darker, or in our main hallway (pictured above) we have a florescent light, so we put layers of red tissue paper over it to get the glowing red effect. Professionals, I think so!

Not exactly a Pinterest fail - but these lil guys were harder to wrap than I thought they would be! Some coworkers who came to the party early also helped. They were gone within 15 minutes of being put on the table. Find recipe here: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/crescent-mummy-dogs/d52a57d7-ab8a-4a1c-8dae-f9f90d03b912

I was the black whole in the dryer that steals the other match to your socks, and Demar was 50 Shades of Grey :) FREE DIY COSTUMES, woo hoo!

NOVEMBER 9th - FINDLAY MARKET 

I DONT KNOW ANY OTHER DATES! HAHAH






The Non-denominational church that sits right behind our house. A place full of love, warmth and welcome.







Positive acoustic hip hop on a Sunday?! Hosted by out co-worker, I was reminded once again why I fell in love with hip-hop.

My love. Gluten free, wheat free pasta with pesto, asparagus and cherry tomatoes and Tilapia.

This was our version of a stuffed pepper. Baked chicken on the side with a yellow squch, onion, celery filling. Sauteed in our bourbon peppercorn marinade.

Swirly Crustless Quiche! Pre-made the night before Thanksgiving, popped in the oven morning of and we ate through most of it while preparing for the big meal! 12 eggs, shredded carrots and zucchini,  sage/rosemary spice mixture with S&P. Bake for 30 min at 375 and VOILA! Simple and delicious. 

Stand By Me.

It feels good to be connected again with the rest of the world! My laptop finally died, so I went a couple weeks unplugged from a personal computer. In that time I went to the Cincinnati Main Public Library, received a library card for the first time in about 16 years and checkout 3 books: one about love, one about Jesus, and the last about food. I'm a sucker for an old library book - love the smell! (Any Carrie Bradshaw fans who can cite my quote? ;D)

I have had a busy past couple of weeks, though. I have just adopted the Mattress Program Coordination from a lady who worked the interim before my hire and when I felt ready to take on the workload. One of the great things St. Vincent  de Paul does, among many, is to use the fund donated by the late sponsors Bob & Sylvia Rahe toward new mattresses for families who desperately need them. For those who don't know, bed bugs are real, will definitely bite you, and will basically wreak havoc and hell on your life if they snuggle into your mattress. If found, all of the furniture needs to be thrown away, and clothes need to be blasted in the drier on high heat. In our first week of living here we got to experience it first hand. Because of this city-wide infestation, too many people are left sleeping on couches, floors, plywood pallets, etc. Our office can give away 10 beds per month, and each of the 57 St. Vincent de Paul conferences can get 4 per month. I am in charge of coordinating all of those requests, and mailing out vouchers to the individuals requesting a new resting pad. Its a wonderful but very busy part of my job! Still trying to find the line between busy and productive, to overwhelmed. 

  

This post will be shorter as I have a long week ahead, including being a "Raffle Teller" at SVDP's biggest fundraiser of the year, RetroFittings, on Thursday. Look out for pictures of my fabulous outfit next post!  - http://www.svdpcincinnati.org/News_and_Events/RetroFittings/

But I thought I would share my lack of words this week in images, with a poem in the middle of it all. 

Last Saturday I participated in a free yoga event with 1200 other aspiring yogis! Lululemon sponsored their event, RumOmCincy, where individuals ran from 3 different destinations around the city and ended up at the Great American Ball Park at 8:30am for some solace on a mat. It was such a beautiful experience! A lovely morning saluting the sun and downward dogging with other Cincy-livers.
Talk about an amazing sense of community! 

The first lady, Rosie Red at the RunOmCincy event

I was so inspired by the vast array of skills around me. They even broke the record for amount of people doing a handstand at once - over 250! Maybe one day, Mary- maybe one day.

And yet....

3 days of thunderstorms will bring in a leak!

And someone trying to punch out all of our security cameras.....

ha yeah right - just a little wind damage that is easily fixable.

This past weekend, we saw one of our coworker's bands perform at  Sandbar. And let me tell you, the people watching was on point lol I should've taken this cozy with me but I left it there.

When chefs call for an order for Tomato soup and grilled cheese in restaurants, they shout out Tom and Chee. Thus the brilliant name of this delicious restaurant. This Newport KY location is the original, and was featured on Man vs Food. Check out my pesto, tomato, mozzarella and goat cheese sammie...so yummy. They also have grilled cheese donuts (mostly marscapone cheese) if your cholesterol wants to take a beating!

We made homemade salsa with some canned goodies and fresh items, and I made a very delicious quesadilla using it after adding pepperjack cheese and jalapenos.

Let's take a walk down Bank Street

where broken glass grows faster than grass 

                                                                             and

a "good afternoon" could be the last thing someone hears.

where children's laughter in abandoned school yards from past recesses should be heard louder than 

                                                                 police sirens.

If walls could tell a story, the homes in the West End could fill volumes of a time that "once was"

where prostitution wasn't a norm, and food benefits weren't being cut like the last plate at a food kitchen.

Where a robbery is only a crime, not a means for survival

 and strength to make it to the next day 

                         comes 

                                     from 

                                                 faith

                                                             and 

                                                                        hope.

I HOPE that even though we may have a different past

I am who I am because of you [ubuntu] andlifeisa 

                                                                                        g i f t

that is not opened by everyone everyday.

So let us walk down Bank Street where birthdays are celebrated at memorials on the places of deaths on every block- 

                           where bottles of grey goose, cigarettes, candles, wilted flowers

                           commemorate the soul that enjoyed them.

Where prayers like "If the sky that we look upon, should tumble and fall

                                      All the mountains should crumble to the sea...

                  I won't cry, I won't cry

                   No, I won't shed a tear

                                                       Just as long as you stand, stand by me"

                should be expressed loud and clear.

This is Bank Street. 

"I see trees of green, 
red roses too. 
I see them bloom, 
for me and you. 
And I think to myself,
what a wonderful world." 

"I see skies of blue,  And clouds of white.  The bright blessed day, The dark sacred night. 
And I think to myself,  What a wonderful world."

"The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky; are also on the faces, of people goin by. I see friends shaking hands sayin' how do ya do? they're really saying I love you"

"I hear babies cry,  I watch them grow,  They'll learn much more, Than I'll ever know.  And I think to myself,  What a wonderful world."

"Yes I think to myself, what a wonderful world."

All of these photos were taken within  a couple blocks of my house. We get lots of comments like, "you know you live in the hood right?" yeah to you. But there's perseverance, resilience, faith,  here. I am inspired by my neighbors, and am holding the relationships I am making with my clients close and dear to my heart. This is my home now too, and I plan on defending and cherishing it as long as I am here. 

The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captive and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. Luke 4:18.

The scripture from Luke above popped on my computers lock screen via my Windows app that shares scriptures daily. I thought it was too fitting to not share.

As I say goodnight for a week or so, I want to ask - who do you Stand by? Who might need you to stand by them? Solidarity is a deeply powerful tool that can move mountains.

Peace and Blessings to everybody!

With love,

Mary

***Quotes under pictures are lyrics to Louis E. Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World"***

Use your mind, not your behind!

Good evening wonderful world! I suppose I am so happy because I am writing this enjoying a lovely glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. In my quest for wellness and health, I am dedicating a couple days of the week to be focused on an aspect of my diet. For example, Meat-less Mondays, and now Wine Wednesdays. Yes - thats all I have as of now. Gotta get the most important thing scheduled first, right? I suppose I get that from my mother who enjoys a glass of red wine - for good heart health- every so often. I also have my toughest work day on Thursdays anyway so I guess this is fitting :) 

Anywho- I think that as I start to get more settled here in Cincinnati, I am realizing how truly different it is from any other place I have ever lived. To start, alluding to my first post, we are living in a dilapidated, abandoned, run down side of town. I am seemingly getting more defensive of the West End and our neighbors here because per our discussion in reflection today the poor are often seen as being invisible, and without a voice. I say they are screaming but the peeps up in Washington are wearing ear plugs. I'm really referring to the ridiculous billion dollar cuts that are being made to the SNAP food benefit program nationwide. This is causing families to go from getting 400 in food stamps for 4 people, to getting $50. To make it personal, I will be going from getting 200 to 140- approximately, which is still decent, but still. 

The other part that has been increasingly difficult for me has been living in a place where 95% of population in the city are dedicated Catholics. Which I think is awesome that so many around me are what  I am seeking to be- a person with a strong faith life. But why has this been difficult? Well I feel kind of like people don't understand where I am coming from sometimes because everyone they know, understands life similar to the way they do. Also, growing up in a place where there was only one Catholic co-Ed high school in the area, to trying to understand the culture of an area where you ask someone where they went to school and they say their Catholic private school first--- it has been quite the culture shock. I am in no means out to offend anyone- just sharing how a bit of what my reality is like. Growing up I had lots of friends of Mexican heritage in Elgin who were Catholic, but I never saw it in the way that I do for the folks in Cincinnati. I have been to mass more times this month than I have ever in my whole life. If you are reading this and go to mass regularly, I hope you can understand what it would be like for someone to be completely immersed in Catholic culture after not being around it my whole life. 

So maybe your asking then why did I chose to work for a Catholic organization if I am not Catholic? Well, a few reasons. One- You don't have to be Catholic to work there. A sense of spirituality and calling to our mission would work just fine. And Two- during my senior year there I realized there was just something missing in my life. I had gone to a church service in Minneapolis maybe 3 times over my 4 years of school there. I missed God and praying regularly. I had no regular practice and needed some Jesus back in my life. I figured an intentional year of re-finding my spirituality would be a grand idea.

Small side note: my paternal grandfather (who I never met) was a minister at St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Skokie, IL. That's where my parents were married, my brother and I were baptized, and where we participated in countless (and most times embarrassing) church plays. When it was time for me to get confirmed, driving 45 minutes every Sunday and multiple times of the week to basically Chicago became too much. So we moved out to the amazing and historic First Congregational Church sitting in downtown Elgin on "church hill" - an area where there are a handful of churches in a few blocks radius. St Peter's was is definitely more formal and traditional Protestant style - yet wise and always feels like home and my childhood. FCC is young, lively, progressive and I would also include fun. They are both very different, but equally significant as places of worship and teaching in the timeline of my faith journey. 

Making the conscious decision to do a year of service (one of the best decisions I have made in a long time), and also a year of being intentional about deepening my relationship with God is not an easy feat- but I feel safe and supported, with many ears to go to when I have questions. Like, (as silly as it may sound-and shows how little I knew about the Catholic faith) what is the Eucharist and how is it different than communion? My program director is overly accommodating in making sure I feel included in any group faith setting which I appreciate tons. I am learning different rules of the church like why I am not supposed to accept the Eucharist at mass, and other similar questions. From coming from a history of churches who are all welcoming to anyone who walks through the door - to hearing the things that are not socially acceptable to do as a non-Catholic at mass made me wiggle in my seat a bit (to say the least).  But I can't say I'm a student and lover of inter-cultural communication and one of high-tolerance for people of all walks of life, yet be closed off to understanding the other side of Christianity, right? 

As faith is a deeply personal subject, I decided a few things. I started this blog to be transparent about this year and every part of it- so here it goes: (feel free to challenge anything I say, I am open to any conversation and comment you may throw at me)  

- I am a Child of God. Maybe you believe in a different God than me, or no God at all. Whatever floats your boat. I'm not trying to sway anyone to any one religion at all- but I am learning that faith and hope in SOMETHING is so critical for a balanced and joy filled life. I have chosen to take this year to challenge what I grew up learning about religion and the church, and to question and learn more about the faith that now, literally everyone around me is grounded in. If I do this, and if I am open to being vulnerable, crying when I feel overwhelmed (has happened often), being uncomfortable sometimes, and looking for answers (and being okay with not finding them) - then this year will be worth more than gold to me. For me, just that purpose and intention is enough. 

So there it is. That got deep quick, right?? Time for a wine refill! ;) I have a couple pictures from past fun community nights that I forgot to share before.

This is from the Cubs v Reds game earlier in the month. Demar was able to score us cheap tickets so of any game, this is one we needed to get to. Final score: Cubbies 9, Reds 1. For not being a huge baseball fan, I really did enjoy cheering on my city. 

So Cincinnati has the 3rd largest Oktoberfest IN THE WORLD (other than Germany) with more than 450,000 visitors per year. We had to experience it! Rob was a regular, but this was a first for Demar and I. My beer was gone before we took the picture (oops) but I got cinnamon sugar almonds as a souvenir. 

Now for some food!!

We were given fresh eggs from a coworker, which helped me create this Sunday brunch. Eggs two ways: fried egg with cream cheese and toast (stole from my roommates last year). And scrambled with onion green peppers and fresh parsley (also from a coworker). 

 I've been trying to stay away from pasta. I went a couple weeks away from my carbohydrate-filled lover but went running back to it with a vengeance. This is whole wheat organic spaghetti, sautéed chicken, peppers and onions with a balsamic dressing, asiago cheese and fresh basil. YUMMMMM!

On the subject of health, Demar has taken up training at a boxing gym nearby to get back in shape. He has to run at 1-2 miles per day, and do 100 push-ups and sit-ups per day. Me being a runner, and loving friends to run with, I will tag along when I can, which means I also have to do this crazy push up and sit up routine. I only do 50 a day- but needless to say I am soooore! I'm waiting to get my YMCA membership in so I can get back into a fitness routine.

 

One last thing to share (the story behind the title of this post) one of my clients this week was making me laugh hysterically during our meeting. I will never forget him, and I always smile when I remember our 30 minutes shared together. In my position I serve others, but they serve me just as much. Yes I helped - lets call him "Bob" - with a financial need, but he kept a smile on my face. When working for his nephew, Bob shared that one day he was pausing work for a moment, and his nephew said to him, "use your mind, not your behind!" Bob exclaimed that he didn't understand, and his nephew replied- "what's that you sittin on?------your behind! Use your mind, not your behind!" 

Now I thought this was equally insightful as it was hilarious. So this week, I encourage you to find a place where you may be uncomfortable- and revel in that feeling. Maybe it's trying a new workout, learning a new language, celebrating worship with a friend from a different faith- whatever it is. Be proactive about something you don't understand, go on an adventure and be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Even though this year is challenging spiritually, I am learning so much and growing as a woman, friend, daughter,  person of faith, etc because I welcomed vulnerability and faith back into my life. 

"Bob" inspired me this week, who will you inspire?

With Love,

Mary