St Leo Retreat Center

The Imp left last night for a week's retreat at St. Leo Abbey. That she has been impatiently waiting for this and thinks it's the best way to spend a week out of her summer warms my heart. She's been talking about going for weeks. In fact, a week BEFORE we went to the beach she asked if she could start packing for St. Leo's. This from a girl who normally flies by the seat of her pants and is not known for her plan-ahead personality. Hubby drove her up to the Abbey last evening. I had to send her outside more than once yesterday as she was literally bouncing off the walls and the excited energy radiating from her was distracting. I was trying to finish the dress she wanted. Unfortunately, I got everything but the zipper and hem complete before she had to leave. But I worked on it from after church until the moment she left, trying to get it done. She had cut out all the pieces for me earlier in the week. But...she didn't read all directions thoroughly and I had to recut some pieces and figure out how to make others work after we'd used up all the extra material. I had made some alterations on the bodice for more appropriate coverage, so the final product should look very good on her. The Singer is making a similar dress (same pattern, different view) and I've altered the bodice for her, as well. The benefit of home-sewing...you can make the slight adjustments you talk about in the dressing room ('This would be perfect if only this were a little smaller/larger'). The Singer wants to sew her dress today and Wednesday.

Saturday night we had our Teams couple group over. It really is so refreshing to spend time with these people. And for as single-minded as we are (all conservative Catholic) it is amazing at how different we live out our shared beliefs. The stimulating conversation from Saturday plus a part of the movie, "New in Town" had me mulling over how to witness a Christain life. The Singer's favorite quote is from St. Francis "Preach the gospel constantly. Use words if you have to." And for the most part I agree with that. However, if I never attribute my actions to my belief in Jesus, then I'm not really preaching Christainity, but simply a life of love and consideration. There is a large following of Humanism and with the belief in "the common moral decencies: altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility." You can see where not specifying what motivates your behavior you may not be preaching the gospel of Jesus. In the movie, set in Minnesota, a woman says something to the effect that her small-town ways, her long a's and her mentioning Jesus in everyday conversation bothers you. And it's true, bring up Jesus/God too frequently and you make others uncomfortable and they tend to judge you as Bible-thumping, etc. But if they are truly tolerant, why not tolerant that it is, indeed, my belief in Jesus that prompts me to altruism, integrity, honesty and responsibility? [Being interrupted by the phone and my daughter, I've lost my train of thought}