Our Holy Father has spread joy & hope all around the world leading up to his World Meeting of Families | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
¡Biénvenidos, Padre!
“Don’t walk alone, always be encouraged. Walk with courage. Courage gives you joy, and joy gives you hope. Always move with courage, and always move with hope. Ask GOD for these.” ~ Pope Francis tells young girl in Spanish (this translated message transcends to all of us) … Similarly, Bishop Mike advised me to always look at the †cross† to refresh my soul with new hope, ♥love♥ and trust. | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
As Pope Francis journeys on his well-anticipated trip to America (Philly to D.C. to NYC)
Pope Francis has addressed the *U.S. Congress* | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
Pope Francis has connected with my previous home: el Valle | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
We also must consider how we take care of ourselves, in terms of our own †spiritual† health.
Pope Francis lifted up this young man’s spirits for taking care of his family | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
Lately, I’ve reflected on my self-centered tendencies and been praying to be relieved of them in order to put my life in GOD’s hands. This hasn’t been easy. Fortunately, more messages have reminded me to get more †spiritually-fit.
Has this already been part of our genetic disposition* or is this something that we can learn**?
CourtesyUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Maryknoll‘s Father Finch uses a molecule metaphor about our spirituality already being part of our †souls, from the Holy Spirit to uncover GOD’s mysteries. By following these “spiritual† genetic instructions,” we serve and leadfaithfully.
en español | CourtesyUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops
**Spiri†ual Bootcamp
First, we must make sure that we maintain our religious practices for the mind:
Bearing in mind and ♥heart♥ all of the above advice plus last week’s scripture, I realize now more than ever that I’m no better than anyone else in the way that I treat others and ought to be treated; after all, as said every Ash Wednesday:
For you are dust, and to dust you shall return. ~ Genesis 3:19
That being said, let’s follow the Pontiff‘s solid guidance to seek from GOD: courage –> joy –> hope ~ as I’ve studied this leadership practice for several years:
Encourage the ♥Heart♥
CourtesyMaryknoll
Spiritual Sources
ABC. (2015, Sept. 4). “Pope Francis and the People.” [TV special].
EWTN. (2014). Women of Grace “Marian Devotion: For Such a Time As This.”*
Finch, Fr. Raymond J. (2015, Sept. 20). Reflections from Maryknoll.** [Email].
double-duty edibles ~ such as coconut oil to substitute fatty oils in recipes plus is my favorite hair conditioner and also moisturizes skin, as well as removes makeup (according to The Sweet Life)
handy healthy snacks (not fast food) ~ such as apples, grapes (I dig mine fresh or frozen), pears ~ the pear or apple crisp can trigger brain juice flow, don’t ya know #DISPObustAFlow
chill your coffee ~ since I don’t drink as much for heartburn prevention, I store the rest in the fridge until the next day
tote reusable containers ~ mine from Starbucks saves me 10-cents per use and conserves resources (great for my next craving, this flavor-of-the-day: the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino to redeem my latest Gold Card Reward*)
My everything store is Target because it offers decent prices on clothing ~ including my designer collablimited editions ~ as well as home goods, some groceries, and is my personal fave place for gift registries
You too can check out these Target en Vogue** photos by scoring a copy and scanning with your Shazam app
Lately, my pleasure reading getaways have been simpler to prevent brain burnout (i.e., pictures for eye candy) ~ so no information overload in this rotation
stay fit as you suds up ~ stretch (with caution) as you reach for body parts to clean, and if you’re seated during a bath, I strongly suggest doing water pilates (think table top position with head and feet raised for resistance as you move)
No believer is ever too busy to †pray† ~ even if we can’t take a ½ hour or full hour to meditate, at least devote a few to several minutes or even †pray† before, during and/or after your activities (my Rosary begins my days, and playing the ♪song♫ jump-starts it!)
* Rewards = another way to $ave (discount$ & FREEbie$)
These guidelines will save you in the long one ~ not only for the aforementioned reasons, but also from embarrassment (i.e., killer breath, B.O.) if you run into someone later… We don’t want to be Finch from the American Pie movies who had to go home from school every time he had to release his macchiato! You’re welcome. ✌
With my smaller home office space during my sabbatical, I make the most of my workstation with eye candy ~ so *ASIA* adorns the side of this desk! 💺😻📷💻📇
💡Scholar⚡️ 📓Mode: revise my working document for as many as 12h/day
Shower: taking a cold one on these hot dog days of summer can energize me between my workout and study session or I’ll relax in the bath between my scholarshift and bed time to snuggle in clean sheets
🌈Pleasure🌟👓Reading: I haven’t read as much non-scholarly material as I used to love to before college & grad school, but I’ve found that a little bit helps to ease my mind & unwind lately ~ my current reads are relevant to my research in an unconventional way (stay tuned this Study Saturday)
💭Choose😴 to 💤Snooze: as a chronic insomniac, I must make a conscientious effort to hit the sack ~ while I tend to stay up late reviewing and proofing my paper, I find that I’m more effective when I work on it earlier in the day with energy!
Just like Vince Carter had discipline with the Dallas Mavericks a couple of seasons ago, I also didn’t take break days! Yes, it’s essential to have some R&R, but at this point, I’m
The fifth type means to simply be with GOD. Our Bishop also reminded us that the Eucharist and Perpetual Adoration both our important, yet taking the Body and Blood of CHRIST is the top priority of our faith.
Reverence Reference
* Sis, Bishop M. (2015, July 1). Homily: Eucharistic Adoration Chapel Anniversary Mass. Holy Family Catholic Church.
Have you ever felt that way when you had something important to face?
I most recently experienced this anxiety this morning, as I planned to close my doctoral survey this weekend to run my statistics and start analyzing my results for my dissertation. When I was about to pray the Rosary (Joyful Mysteries on which to meditate today on Saturday), I tried to calm my overwhelming sense of a ton of bricks falling on me and my sudden urge to purge those aforementioned bricks…
Then Angelic Annie approached me and snuggled up against my right side!
Face of an Angel: To the ♫tune♪ of Hinder’s Lips of an Angel♫
Therefore, she most certainly is my Right-Hand Cat!
Although Annie‘s not verbal, she’s most definitely vocal!
As I prayed, she purred!
During times like these, I’ve previously turned to other people who I’ve trusted or terminal degree grads, but I don’t want to burden anyone, even if they’ve joined #TeamDrDISPO … This time, I’ve reflected back on similar situations when I’ve overcome this apprehension:
Angelic Annie is the prayerful† pet ~ reverent with our Rosary!
This glow-in-the-dark Rosary goes well with reverent Angelic Annie‘s green eyes ^_^
Last Memorial Day🇺🇸 weekend, I longed to stay home🏡 and relax with my Double A😻 ~ to play andpray✌ ~ before teaching this summer☼ and my work trips🚘 slated for next month!
To kick it off, my bestie‘s family held Mass💒 at their new blessed 🏠home! Her always generous mom was sweet🍭 enough not just for the food🍛 that she cooked🍗 and baked🎂 for their guests, but also for sending me home with plenty of leftovers🍱 and one of the beautiful flower💐 center pieces!
Before I followed in my mom’s lead by bringing them to the 🙏Virgin …
… My 🐱girls🐯 and I enjoyed 🌺them, and I made the most out of my QT with my ♥cuties! K&K‘s💪 FFF book📖 (2015) cited research🔬 from 📙Journal of Evolutionary Psychology that revealed how fresh flowers🌷 provoke 🌻joy!
FYI: Due to my the heavy load ahead for my remaining dissertation🎓 work ahead, I may not post📓 on here as much. Best wishes of blessings† to all who stay in my loop📳 as I deliver the scoop🍦 … and I seek y’all to please send good vibes☺️ and lift yours truly in ☝prayer, thank y’all! ✌
🌞Everyday, I greet👋 GOD☝️ as soon as I 😵awake😲 and right before I go to 😴sleep💤 plus any moment in between. As I welcome His presence by opening my window 🌅shades🌇 to bring in the 🌈sunlight☀️, I simply pray🙏
This is the day the LORD has made
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
I love to wake up to Sweet Annie from slumber and cat naps! 😻
Then throughout the day, I’ll pray before 💻working🎤, 🍕eating🍧 and 🚘traveling✈️. Prior to 🍱meals🍮, I have series of prayer💒 cards, yet I have a couple that are short and sweet…
I packed this picnic real quick for after my Holy Hour. 💝
With all of the abundant activities that have called for my attention lately, I’ve been mustering up every extra waking moment away to work on my dissertation ~ which is why I’ve actually appreciated these recent snow days.
Some of my colleagues have considered their own hours per day of dedication on their doctoral research as shift work
Others have only been able to devote even just a few minutes per day to their study
Lately, I’ve fallen under the latter category, rather than the former. Once upon a time, I was able to spend a whole work day’s worth, but with countless demands, I’m fortunate to invest up to an hour or so; for instance, with the additional studies that my department requires for us to review for our doctoral degrees, I’ve included at least one more per day. Regardless of how much time I’ve been able to write and research, the process is paying off as I keep making progress
Welcome/Mabuhay/¡Biénvenidos! I am a USAF brat who was born in Germany and grew up State-side while celebrating my Catholic and Filipino heritage. ☼Sunny☼ DISPOsition Elaine’s Eye Candy/DISPhotos ~ I love GOD & His creations, so I take photos @ any given opportunity. Elaine DISPOrts ~ I am passionate about sports, which is my research focus on my ... Continue reading →