An unfathomable body of wisdom

Here is an interview with the writer of one of my favorite blogs that she posted the other day: http://www.conversiondiary.com/2011/07/2995.html

I took the liberty to repost her video and write my favorite quotes underneath:

Conversion of an Atheist - Jennifer Fulwiler from Renewal Ministries on Vimeo. 

• As a scientific-minded person...I have a very logical mind and I'm very distrustful of emotional experiences and nobody could speak to me on my level and give me evidence and reason.
• I had this shift where I no longer thought atheism was for the intelligent, because I'd always associated atheism with intelligence.
• In the spirit of intellectual honesty, this child was not that valuable... but I knew differently.
• I knew in that moment that love exists as a reality external to the material world.
• 8 months went on: nothing. It's easy to glance over that now but when you have 8 months when you get up everyday and you think, well I said that prayer and didn't get an answer, you know, it got really disheartening.
• What that book did was it got me to a place where I could really ask, what if?... for the first time I had the humility to ask what if.
• The analogy that really appealed to my husband who's an attourney, is like the Supreme Court and the Constitution. If you just gave every individual a copy of the Constitution and said, "make of this what you will" that wouldn't work. And so I saw the need for a divinely guided Supreme Court. But we both thought, oh no not the Catholic Church. I mean, we disagreed with it on everything.
• Have you gone on the internet and looked for a book about that? Because I bet not only is there a book about that, I bet there are volumes of books on that. I always tell people, look, the Holy Spirit has been guiding the Church for 2,000 years, its philosophers have had 2,000 years to think about this: your question has been asked. So don't forget to seek those answers because there's such an unfathomable body of wisdom in the Church.
• My soul was suffocating. I couldn't live a full life because I couldn't embrace concepts like beauty, and love and truth and goodness because, you know, it's all relative in the atheistic worldview.
• It was just in asking tough questions I found that the Church has the answers. Read Pope Benedict, he speaks to atheists in such a wonderful way. He has that very rational mentality.
• There is one thing you can do: just become a saint.

Reason #999 to visit/live in the Azores: hiking

I went hiking today with my mom and the most adorable dog in the world... ever... named Spice. I've been on this trail before with other people, but never with my mom. It was great.

What's better than fresh air, great views and shady trees?

Come on Spice... we're almost there! Keep putting one paw in front of the other...

I heart Jamie Oliver

"Over the last 30 years, what's happened that's ripped the heart out of this country? Let's be frank and honest. Well, modern-day life. (...) The biggest problem of the home is that used to be the heart of passing all food, food culture, what made our society. That ain't happening anymore."

When you think you have nothing, then you have everything

My mom today, talking about the Bible story where a rich man stores up grain for years and then dies (Lk 12:13-21), said, "when you think you have everything, then you have nothing". Which got me thinking that I think the opposite is also true: when you think you have nothing, then you have everything. I've been sad about not having money, thinking about all the things I'd like to buy and the financial stability I'd like to have, and not knowing what I'll do this year in terms of jobs, but the truth is I have everything.

As a wise person recently told me when I complained about taking a hard fall right now, "but you seem better than ever. And learning how to fall is important: learning to protect your head, how to get up, etc." So I don't have any grain stored up, but I am grateful for:

• knowing my insufficiency and learning how to depend on God
• a great boyfriend and discerning my vocation
• a routine of waking up at the same time every morning and walking with my mom and dog
• time for reading
• my cousin lending me his guitar and time for practicing it
• family and close relationships, even when it's tough
• my own youth and health, being fit
• knowing what's important in life
• the sacraments of healing and nourishment, confession and Eucharist
• learning how to cook and having that opportunity
• fruit, tea and food that makes you feel good
• the birds that sing outside my window
• the ocean, it's beauty, and swimming in it

Me and my parents, hiking in the Azores a few years ago

What Portugal has taught me

After my initial infatuation with Portugal, I started missing the States like crazy. And, like many people who live abroad do, I started "idealizing" life there: for some reason I could only remember the good things in America and not the bad things. I've realized for a while that God has me in Portugal for a reason (or many), but I used to think it was to bring all that is good in America over to Portugal. Somehow be Portugal's savior.

Well, whenever you think you are going to save someone/the world, it seems like God manages to give you a dose of humility and you find out you are the one that most needs to be saved. At least that's how it works with me. I went back to the States last summer, after not having gone for five years, and had the chance to go back this summer too (even though I didn't quite make it home :/), and both times were a culture shock. My idealized view of "everything is better in the States" came crashing down when I saw the bad parts of American culture, contrasting with the good parts of Portuguese culture. Which always lead me to conclude that there is good and bad everywhere, no country is better than another, we can be happy anywhere, it's completely not related to our circumstances and has only to do with our relationship with God and others. As they say in Portuguese, "ponto final, paragrafo" (period, paragraph = end of story). So here is a little list I made from my last trip in the States:

1. What I thought I'd teach Portugal: optimism, smiling, openness

    What Portugal taught me: realness, genuineness, authenticity

2. What I thought I'd teach Portugal: Christ's power, enthusiasm and passion for God

    What Portugal taught me: my sin, the importance of vulnerability and honesty

3. What I thought I'd teach Portugal: ranch dressing, Starbucks, Chili's

    What Portugal taught me: meias de leite and torradas (few ingredients and simplicity)

4. What I thought I'd teach Portugal: get married quickly (commitment), make friends quickly and have fun right away

    What Portugal taught me: the value of TIME, God's time, the value of conversations and developing relationships

5. What I thought I'd teach Portugal: ambition, hard work

    What Portugal taught me: receptivity, acceptance

Veggie pizza

The ingredients (for three pizzas):

Pizza base and sauce (or 2 cans of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs)

2 bags of shredded mozzarella cheese

goat cheese (or feta or another strong-flavored cheese)

2 green bell peppers, sliced in the thinnest strips possible

A package of fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 large tomato, chopped

1 small onion, sliced in thin strips

1 jar of chopped black olives

1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, 1 tblsp dried basil, 1 tblsp dried parsely, 1 tblsp oregano (or other seasoning of choice)

The recipe:

1. Coat a glass dish with olive oil and add the tomato, mushrooms, peppers and onion, tossing with olive oil and with salt, pepper and herbs. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes and let cool.
2. Dividing all ingredients in three parts (if you're making three pizzas), top the pizza base and sauce with the shredded cheese, goat cheese, vegetables and olives and put in a hot oven (220ºC) for about 12 minutes, or until toasted underneath and cheese is melted.

Yuuuummy. Rodrigues-family-approved. :) And that is hard, considering my dad and sister are practically professional food critics. ;) I think any vegetables will do as long as you roast them first and think a strong cheese really adds the extra flavor.

Portuguese man-of-war

Have you ever gone swimming with deadly jellyfish? I can cross that one off of my to-do-before-I-die list along with skydiving and cooking classes in Mexico.

Well... technically they aren't deadly nor are they jellyfish. It's a Portuguese Man of War (Caravela)... but it's still pretty dangerous and scary. Funny how I did a report about them in junior high and now I saw one! Technically I didn't swim with them either, but hey they were in the water and I was too, until we found out they were there and evacuated our booties asap. Apparently there are more jellyfish in the Azores because the water is warmer. The colder the water, the less probability of jellyfish. You win some, you lose some.

There it is: the deadly Portuguese man-of-war! dum dum... dum dum...

So that's what I'm doing. Swimming with deadly jellyfish on the BEAUTIFUL Azores islands.

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to

At the beginning of this school year, my youth group had just gotten back from Taizé, France and we were totally united and motivated. We were doing monthly prayers with Taizé songs and a potluck dinner afterwards. For the first one, I was expecting less than ten people to come, but instead around twenty came and after dinner stayed for hours playing games and having lots of spontaneous fun.

I thought to myself, this year for my birthday I'm going to have a prayer with Taizé songs and a potluck dinner afterwards here at the parish and invite my family and friends. It will be the first birthday party in which I'll be really, really happy and have everyone united since I've been in Portugal (I used to really love my birthday parties when I lived in the States).

But things turned out differently and I was in the States for my birthday. At first I was really sad about the whole situation and I explained that to my parish priest with tears in my eyes (what a BABY, I know). Then I accepted it and felt loved anyway in the States.

But that sweet parish priest and sweet youth group of mine planned a surprise party for me anyway... better than I could've imagined. And it was so much more special being a suprise. I have never felt so loved. As soon as I set off to the States, they started emailing each other and my parents for pictures (for the nicest video ever). When I got back, I had an email (sent to the whole youth group), saying the end-of-the-year dinner would be the next friday. I thought, oh how convenient that it's the day before I leave for the Azores.

So I went unsuspecting to the end-of-activities dinner and was greeted by darkness and a little group of the most wonderful people IN THE WORLD singing me happy birthday around a cake. Oh you bet I cried.



The cake they sang happy birthday around

Me walking in

A cutout of ME they carefully and artfully made
so that people could pretend it was their party

And the best part of the party: the people
I really love EVERY SINGLE one of them



After dinner we sang Taizé songs and had some readings from a little booklet they had made with my favorite Taizé songs! Aw. Like El alma que anda en amor. I felt like I was living the Prodigal Son story. Even though I had left them, they loved me unconditionally. Even though I didn't deserve any of this, they welcomed me back with a huge banquet fit for a king and really did treat me like a king, slaughtering the finest cow. Love is beautiful. And finally, here is the BEAUTIFUL, THOUGHTFUL video they made for me:

US of A

Last week I got back from Young Life camp in the big US of A. I was there for my birthday and for the greatest day in world history: the fourth of July. I loved listening to country music all day long, eating delicious food and ranch dressing and especially, talking to my American family, the Harrisons. Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Representing Portugal at a volleyball tournament... and pretty much everywhere.

Hanging out at a rodeo, of course also complete with country music.

Stuffing my face with delicious food, biscuit pictured here. If you've ever been to a Young Life camp, you'll know they are famous for serving you the best food of your life. And when people ask me what I miss most about the States, I usually reply right away "the food".

Funny cowboys and guns. Apparently it's legal to carry a gun, you just need a license if it's concealed. (?) The Portuguese girls will come back and their parents will ask "what'd you do at camp?" "oh, you know, just watched people play with guns"

Horseback riding, by far my favorite activity EVER

Being serenaded by funny cowboys at a gourmet breakfast

Playing dress-up

Atop the Rocky Mountains in Colorado... 14,000 ft! (that's 4 267.2 meters!)

Conference

I am back in the sunny and sea-level country of Portugal. Unfortunately I lost my camera... actually, a camera a super-nice friend let me borrow... in the States with all my pictures on it. So I'll have to wait for pictures from other people that went on the trip to post any here.

Meanwhile, I went to the 3rd International Theology of the Body Congress at St. Mary's University in June and one of the speakers put up his talk on his site:

Theology of the Body and Dignitas Personae

You can see flashes of me at the following minutes:

26:01 - drinking water

47:45 - behind the woman asking the question

50:21 - talking

In a couple of days, I'll be off to the most beautiful place in the world... the Azores!

On being known and loved

Two days ago was my birthday. I'm a quarter century old and boy do I feel it. Not like my joints ache or anything. More like... how did time fly so fast? Why am I not doing all the things I want to be doing with my youth? 

I'm in Colorado, getting ready to go to a Young Life camp with a few Portuguese teens.

 

At first I was sad to be so far away from everyone I love, feeling a little trapped by lack of money and uncertainty of a future job. My birthday came around and I didn't want to tell anyone or celebrate. Then I realized it's better to be far away from people that really know and love me then to have no one that knows or loves me at all. Or at least to feel that way. So even though distance is OH SO PAINFUL, I am grateful to be known and loved. 

Grateful for all the messages I got. Especially one from a family from a bad neighborhood by my church. Grateful for having a family that loves me. For having a mom that cares so much about me she cries when hanging up. Makes me cry too. Grateful for having a second family in California that loves me totally unconditionally. Even when I am so bad at keeping in touch, they still say I'm like another daughter. Also makes me cry. Grateful for two bouquets of flowers sent to me by the most amazing man ever and by the most amazing community and church ever. 

So it was a good birthday after all. I will be at camp this next week so sorry if I'm not able to update as much as I'd like! 

Me at the batting cages. SO fun. Had no idea!!!