Oh, it's Friday and I'm in love... I'm joining up with Jen & the Gang over at Conversion Diary for another 7 Quick Takes!
Angelina Jolie: So, did you hear about the time Angelina opted for a double mastectomy so she wouldn't get breast cancer? On the one hand, she is thinking of the devastation the disease can cause (and did cause for her) for a family. On the other hand...really? I guess it is a bit like today's reading (Thursday) with the whole "if your hand causes you to sin..." except that it isn't. I'm not in her shoes. I do not carry this gene as far as I know, and have not lost a parent to cancer - my mother is in remission from lymphoma. I suppose what I am really questioning is the high profile this is getting and the temptation it will cause to normalize that behavior. What she did is not normal, even if it is in some circles laudable. It is not the recommended course of action medically. It is not even possible for people with less means. I have many issues with it from a vantage point of private affairs gone public (why all the secrecy around the act if you were just going to go public with it?) that shape the way women feel they then need to act. Here's a great article that summarizes my thoughts better than I can even formulate them.

Missing in Action: Over the past couple of weeks I've had a few instances where I have been less present on the interwebs than normal. Some of it was due to technical issues like needing to clear my phone of photos so I can take more and get to Gramming Instantly. Some of it was due to a bout of the blues and feeling less than up to writing. I can sometimes fall prey to the thoughts of insignificance and God has chosen the most obscure ways of showing me that those thoughts are most certainly seeds of the enemy. Two women, one ~4000 miles away and another not 4 miles away, neither of whom I know in person, have shown me that my absence is noticed, which is a direct answer to my emo phase of questioning whether anyone would notice if I were gone. Clearly the answer is yes. God is a sneaky minx! This also just goes to prove what I tried to explain to people so often while working in young adult ministry - virtual relationships are in so many ways just as powerful and real as those relationships in person. The Holy Spirit is not limited by flesh.
Games...I've not really ever been one for playing games on my iDevices, but a couple weeks ago I was a little overwhelmed and thought maybe it would be a nice escape, especially when I'm up whilst the baby is sleeping. I enjoy brain games, and have downloaded a few. It has been fun, but may have been a bad decision. They are both stimulating and mind numbing, and they are dangerously addictive. Instead of praying or reading or writing, I have found myself intently playing games trying desperately to get to the next level while ignoring whatever human or animal tries to get in my face. I'm giving myself one more week to see if I can play in moderation. If not...deleted they are!
Pope Francis Goes Viral: Did you hear that the Pope said everyone on earth was redeemed, even atheists? WE.ARE.ALL.SAVED!!! Ohhhh....that's NOT quite what he said? The HuffPo's bad. Ever since his remarks came out...or an interpretation of his remarks, my Facebook has been going viral with reposts of the Huffington Post article, which is flawed in so many ways. They'd like very badly for us to believe that everyone is saved, and that Pope Francis, the great liberal Jesuit pope, has finally brought new light to salvation. Except that this isn't the case. The Catholic Church has always taught that the whole of humanity is redeemed by the blood of Christ. The door has been opened. They have not, however, taught that everyone will receive this redemption and accept salvation. There is a gift and there is a recipient. To deny the gift is to deny your salvation. Just because Jesus opened the door doesn't mean everyone will walk through it. That said, Pope Francis makes a critical point that we must seek common ground with people to build relationship and open the door for us to share the Gospel, and that door is often acknowledgment of their goodness and good works. Not that their good works have saved them, because only the blood of Jesus did that. Ralph Martin must be shaking his head (his most recent book, Will Many Be Saved, addresses this topic of salvation for all).
So You Think You Can Dance: I do love this show, but I feel like this year the auditions have shown less dancing and more interest stories and a heck of a lot more of the contortionist dancing versus traditional dance. I'm all for new movements, but back in the olden days, some of this would have been more circus act than dancing. Oh.dear.me.oh.my! I think I just sounded like my mother there. Sigh. Oh well. Be warned, this show always makes me think I can dance again. Sometimes Li'l G approves. Sometimes she doesn't. I'm thankful that I'm the one with the functional camera and sneaky hand. I will be monitoring YouTube closely, dear Hubbers.
For more quick takes, visit Jennifer...and be sure to congratulate her on selecting a publisher for her upcoming book!
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Rakhi - I love your blog and would be very sad if you stopped sharing your life with the rest of us. It's not the elegance of the writing that matters in a blog, it's the sharing of a life. We all learn from each other and encourage one another. I especially appreciate your comments about Memorial Day and work being your service to God. Dios the bendiga!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anna! I truly believe this is our community well these days, especially living in a culture where community is getting so difficult to find. I truly appreciate your kindness and enjoy reading about your life as well.
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