Redland Catholic

Whatcha Readin' ? and other miscellany

I forgot to "feature" my confession post this weekend.  I'm going out of town next weekend but I'll try to remember to take care of it before I leave for the weekend.

I finished "A Right to Be Merry" by Mother Mary Francis.  I will try to take some time to review it and "Listening at Prayer" by Fr. Benedict Groeschel next week.  I highly recommend both.  I am now beginning "Orthodoxy" by G.K. Chesterton.  So far so good!  After that, I may pick a less religious-themed book to read.  I have a book by Terry Pratchett that I'd like to delve into, and I've been wanting to re-read the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I've got lots of books on my shelves I haven't read yet.  So much to read and so little time!

I am considering taking my blog off Typepad and moving it to a free host like blogger.  Not that I don't like Typepad, I do - but since I don't get a lot of visitors and I don't blog as often as some others, I'm not sure it's right for me, since it isn't a free service.  We'll see.  Until my next post, God Bless You, and happy surfing!

Guidelines for Comments

As of September 1, 2006, I don't get a whole lot of traffic on my blog, but in case I do there are a few things for readers to keep in mind when making comments here.

I know I have been guilty of getting into some heated discussions in the comments section on other blogs.  I realize that people can get emotional about Church teaching regarding faith and morals, among other things.  It is easy to misinterpret or misunderstand messages posted on the Internet, because the reader cannot see the facial expressions or body language or hear the tone of voice of the writer.  People react emotionally to what they read and war ensues.  This can happen even on a lightly visited blog like mine (fortunately it hasn't happened here yet).  Because I want to keep the tone of my blog friendly and faithful to the Magisterium, I am laying down some "ground rules."

Comments are moderated and will not appear until I have had a chance to view and approve them (probably around 6:30 pm Central on weekdays), according to the following Rules and Guidelines...

Identity revealed!

My first name is Amy, my middle name is Marie.  I'll keep it at that for safety reasons, and for the privacy of any friends or family I might mention here.  I don't have a lot of readers, but I hope my visitors enjoy reading!

Design update

Just updated site to a 3 column format with 2 sidebars.  We'll see how it goes.  Don't be surprised, dear reader, to see these kinds of changes every so often.

Notes

Hey readers, I will plan on posting Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from now on if I have time or anything worthwhile to write about.  This won't be a strict rule by any means, just my overall "plan" so I can manage my time wisely.  There may be times when I'll prepare a post in advance.  Don't be surprised to see minor corrections in my writing, every once in a while I catch a grammar mistake or awkward phrase which needs to be corrected.  If I ever make a significant change to a post, I will make a note to explain. 

Although I intend to focus on life as a Catholic in Oklahoma, I won't limit my posts to that topic.  I do not intend to get too deep into apologetics or heated debates (there are others out there who can do that better than I can), but that doesn't mean I won't write about Church teaching or speak up on issues I feel strongly about, especially pro-life.  I will make my best effort to do so with charity.  I haven't gotten very many "comments" so far, but I welcome them, even if they express disagreement with my views.  However, I will continue to moderate comments, so don't expect to see yours right away (until sometime shortly after 6:30 pm Central).  Comments with foul language or which are uncharitable in tone will be deleted. 

On Saturdays, I will "feature" my confession post as a reminder to Catholics to avail themselves of the Sacrament, especially if they are in a state of mortal sin.

As time goes on, I hope to improve my writing and my thought process.  I hope my readers (few though they may be) enjoy it!

*UPDATE* Added my "about" picture to this post and a note about the confession reminder.

New look?

I thought I would try a softer, more "girl-y" look for my site.  It may or may not work, I'll leave it for now and see how it goes.  I am going to try and clean up some of my links, too.

*Update* I'm finished now.

Here we go!

I have just chosen the option to "publicize" my blog.  I hope everyone enjoys it!  I am not sure how frequently I will post but we'll see how it goes.  I plan on moderating comments at first to see what I get.  That means if you post a comment, you may not see it until I have had a chance to review it after I get home from work (after 6:30 Central time).

About the Picture

St. Joseph's Old Cathedral is across the street from (to the West) what was once the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, and is now the Oklahoma City National Memorial.  I took the picture while standing under the "Survivor Tree" - the tree that somehow survived the blast on April 19, 1995.  St. Joseph's was the first Catholic Church in Oklahoma City, dedicated on the 4th Sunday of Advent, 1904.  Ninety years later, it suffered great damage in the April 19th bombing but was completely restored.  I decided to use this picture for my blog, because it is Oklahoma City's first Cathedral (our Cathedral is now Our Lady of Perpetual Help), and to me it stands as a symbol of the perseverance of good in the face of evil. 

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it"(Jn 1:5). 

Welcome to my Blog!

About me: I am a 33 year old native Oklahoman and cradle Catholic.  My middle name is Marie, but I am keeping the rest of my identity anonymous for now.  I was educated in Catholic Schools through my sophomore year in college, earned a Bachelor's of Science in elementary education, and recently earned my MCIS degree.  Right now I am working as a Systems Administrator, maintaining and backing up servers and managing user accounts for my employer. 

About this Blog: The word Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw words “Red (humma) People (okla).”  My home state is often called the “Red Land,” hence the first part of my Blog’s title.  The “Catholic” part should be self-explanatory.  I love the Church and what She teaches, and I pray that my love for her and for Christ will continue to grow.  That is why I started this Blog. 

Seeking the Kingdom:   How does a person find the “pearl of great price,” for which he would sell everything he owns?  Each of us has a vocation, a state in life to which God calls us.  Most people who have answered their call would say that true joy is found once you are doing what God wants you to do.  The past ten years of my life have been spent in a “spiritual limbo.”  I have a good job, good (though perhaps not deep enough) relationship with family and friends.  I pray daily, attend Mass regularly and recently began going to confession regularly, and I am quite content with my life.  But I know God wants more from me.  I feel like my life has been a little too easy.  So, I started this Blog to chronicle my journey as I “seek the kingdom” and figure out how God wants me to live my life.  I also want to consider how to go about knowing, loving, and serving God every day as a single woman in today's secular world, with a special focus on living the faith here in Oklahoma.  This is the primary purpose of my Blog, but I may post other thoughts or tidbits that I think are worth sharing - especially if it relates to Oklahoma or technology.  While I might talk about some "hot topics" from time to time, I am no apologist or a champion debater, so I do not intend to get too deep into debates or “heated discussions” about this or that - there are many Bloggers out there who are more eloquent and capable than I so I will leave it to them.

So...welcome!