Caution: You are about to get in my head.... : )

So Part 2, as promised! And only because I couldn't go to freaking sleep. Aw man, it was a good morning!

So after mass and getting all registered......I went to the hike/bike trail. I got out there later than planned about 9:45ish. It was already starting to get hot but it was a great drive to Ark City. Btw I took green's farm road, perfection on the radio and a great destination!

The trail was nice but it went kind of close to the highway and I didn't really like that part. I love the rest of the trails because unless I run into people (which isn't all that often) I feel like I am in my own little world. Great song by the way. : )

However, I have officially gone on every path out at the hike/bike trail....on foot. I need to go and bike it sometime. : )

Nothing too spectacular happen. I didn't run into anything but a red bird....and a crap ton of grasshoppers. Everywhere. If I brought my niece Brynley out here she would flip a lid! I guarantee she'd be crying within the first 5 minutes. : ) But she is cute, so I will keep her. : )

I guess the most significant thing that happened, was the conversation in my head. I know, scary. I was just thinking and pondering. A lot of the thoughts were about daily mass and just a lot of what I wrote about in the last post.

So thoughts/conversation about daily mass:

"Do I want to be a person that goes to daily mass?"

"Well, Self, what kind of question is that?"

"You know, that'd be kind of weird don't you think? I mean some people would think that is weird....."

"But don't you like how going to mass makes you feel?"

"I do. But what if I get so used to going to daily mass that when school starts up again and I can't go to daily mass that I fall into a rut."

"What? That is stupid. You can't think that way. First of all, quit thinking about being labeled weird. Big freaking deal. Secondly, yeah when school starts it might be an adjustment. But you need this. This will help you grow in your faith and in life.

"Okay. I will quit trying to come up with excuses. Because they are like buttholes...."

Just kidding about that last line...... hahaha. But really I was debating about mass in my head.....not a huge issue by any means. But still we all have these discussion with our self. Over big things. Over small things. In fact, we probably listen to the voice inside our heads more than any other voice. Sometimes that can be a problem. But I like to think, even when the voice inside your head is being kind of dumb (green writing) that you pull through (yellow writing). Yes, both thoughts were mine but I could choose to believe either.

TANGENT: I am good at these. So the above-ness, just reminded me of a very good book I read on my flights home from DC a couple of weeks ago. It was actually one of the books I bought in the Worlds-Greatest-Bookstore-Ever at the National Shrine in DC. So pick up The Screwtape Letters if you haven't read it yet. I would let ya borrow my copy but I have already passed it on it's merry way. It's about a devil that writes to his nephew devil with advice on how to bring followers to "Our Father Below". Could definitely relate to the suggestions that form in my head and certain situations in the book. Loved the stuff in Chapter 3 and in Chapter 8.

Okay. So walk is over and I decided to go check out the new pool my Mom and sister, Kaitie got a couple of weeks ago. It is small but it was still fun. I put my phone on Pandora....love it. I actually haven't used Pandora since school got out....I use it in class all the time....but it was good to me. First song, was Sweat...the reggae one....I know, I know, I know. But I still like it. Then came my all time favorite Rent song, Take Me, or Leave Me. But then later, might I add this was on the "Rent" station, on came "The Call" by Regina Spektor. On Rent Station!! It made me immensely happy because it is just a good, good song and you should just listen to it. In fact, I am now. : )

"Hail Mary Pool"

So anyway, good times in the pool. Mostly just swam to the side and then back again. All the while saying Hail Marys in my head. hahaha Definitely wouldn't have done that a few months ago. : ) I actually think I may have found a good thing to do while working out or exercising, especially since my dang iPod was stolen by a dirty little thief! I hope they enjoy my Jesus music.

Anyway, so an altogether great morning. I showered up, then Kaitie and I went to the Grinder Man for some grub. Then I went to school, got a bunch of work done. Saw that my pineapple plant had grown a bunch....I'll post pictures later. It was amazing!! Talked to these construction guys at the school. Got asked out by one of them. Politely turned him down. Sorry buddy, just isn't gonna work. lol

I finally came back home and then my creative juices were flowing! Designed a new project to do for my next stained glass project. It was a good day!

Oh and check out this last photo, I was in my Mom's kitchen and I saw this magnet on the fridge. I asked Kaitie where she got it from and she said she didn't know. But it made me happy!

And, no, I don't mean the cat magnet.....

The start of an idea.....

Today I got kicked out of church. I traveled all of 55 minutes to the good ol' town of Wichita, Kansas and got kicked out of church. : ) Can't say that has ever happened before.

Well you see, I got this idea into my head that I needed to go to daily mass this summer. And this week I have been.....oh well maybe twice. And both times in Wichita. Dang 8 o'clock mass times at Holy Name and me just haven't mixed well this week. But anyway, I can see the tangents a coming!

First tangent, confessions......well I suppose I have sort of a phobia. First of all, I just converted to Catholicism this Easter. So if you count them up; all of almost 9 weeks I have been Catholic. Might I add, that I love it! For too many reasons to even mention and for so many reasons that might seem weird. But I am cool with that, even if I do have a confessions phobia.

I have a confession....hahaha...I have only been to confessions- twice. Both completely different experiences. Nothing in this world will ever compare to my first confession. Honestly, it was so amazing. I will probably blog (if only a bit) about it at some point. Just know....awesomeness.

So one might think, at least from the people I have talked to about converting, that people have these huge hurdles to get over when converting to Catholicism. For example people always ask me what about this, or what about that? You name it, I have been asked about it. Yes, it is usually something about confessions, Mama Mary, or inevitably sex. For the most part, I feel comfortable answering their questions intelligently and thoroughly. And for me, I never had a huge red flag about anything with Catholicism. To me, it always felt right and true. Maybe a little hard to believe for the skeptics out there but it truly was like finding what I had been looking for years and years and years. So the whole point of this paragraph was to say.....I have no problem with the idea of going to Confessions. It never has bothered me. But I do sort of have this unfamiliarity that makes me nervous before going. Mostly, this fear that I am going to screw it up majorly. (Even tho I am pretty sure I can't) Irrational, I know. : ) Plus, I have this other thing about not being able to go to my priest, Fr. Mike.

Anyway, so this week I really wanted to go to confessions again. Mostly, because for the first time since January 9th, I had missed mass because of traveling with students. Ugh. It felt so weird. It definitely wasn't like I could have went to mass because of schedule conflicts we had with this conference. However, I still felt bad missing and wanted to cover all my bases. And because of my phobia, I couldn't possibly go to my church. : ) Although after this week, I am starting to reconsider this decision. haha I am thinking Fr. Mike might be just the guy to go to. Regardless, my want for a good confession started an inkling of an idea and lead me to Wichita twice this week.

So Tuesday. I went to All Saints Catholic Church in Wichita. That's another blog too. : ) I am trying not to make this one too terribly long. So long story short- went to confessions, mass, sister, adoration, goodness. : ) And they all lived happily ever after.

Was a complete slacker on Wednesday but got kicked in the butt with my novena I am doing........lead me daily mass again. But even if the novena hadn't have made me feel bad, I =ask ed myself seriously, why should I not go to daily mass? It's summer and I am a teacher. So on Thursday, I did my masstimes.org magicalness and found me some options.

And St. Anthony's 12:05 mass was looking pretty dang good. Although, I did notice it was sometimes in Vietnamese....Aww what the heck, I will take my chances. I am so very glad I went to St. Anthony's. First off, it was in English. And it was an old church! Like actually the oldest Catholic Church in Wichita. It said so on the front of the church. : ) Coolness. Then onto the inside....pews really creaky. I had to sit very, very still. hahaha But it was very ornately done-up. Every imaginable statue and a plethora of colors. Beautiful in it's own way. It most certaintly did not leave me at a want for something to look upon.

Tangent 2: Holy Name is very beautiful too. But in a completely different way. I think Holy Name has a max of three colors: white, blue, and gold. However, it's simplicity and brightness make it very beautiful to me.

So I did mention earlier that I got kicked out of this church.....well that comes later. Because before we can get to that we have got to talk about the nuances of this church. Yes there was the obvious decor, which I have alrady mentioned. Next, comes the little old lady at the front of the church, who sang at odd times. Shoot, it prolly is completely normal but not for me. : ) Then I experienced the world's shortest homily. I believe it was a total of 4 sentences. And we stood for the whole thing.

I understand that for any cradle Catholics reading this, you are prolly like....oh yeah, no biggee. However, I find these subtle differences in churches, masses, and just Catholics pretty stinking interesting. I love finding out new things and of course learning something new.

Go in peace, the mass has ended. Feeling pretty good at this point, I decided I wanted to stay longer. But I left my novena in my car, and I wanted to do today's portion at St. Anthony's. So I hurried back out, grabbed my lil book and came back in. The priest was up by the altar talking to some people and then the lights go out. I slide into the very back pew. I am thinking all I need is like 10, 15 minutes max!! They are still talking but then they start walking my way. I am reading and trying to avoid eye contact. Because dang it, I just want to do my novena. But before I know it, Fr. Hung is beside me and asks "Do you need to stay here?" I am thinking, "Yes!" but feel bad, so say, "I can leave if you need me to." So I get barely into my novena and have to leave so he can lock the doors. He kicked me out. : ) lol But I really did think that all Catholic churches stayed open all the time. Well at least morning-evening. Guess not....at least in Wichita. But overall, I enjoyed the oldness of St. Anthony's and just the fact of sharing a mass with strangers but brothers and sisters in Christ. It gets me everytime. : )

And so continues this inkling of an idea.....lets go to all the different masses of the Wichita and Wichita area churches this summer. Why, what a grand idea!

I'll let you know what I thought about All Saints next time and I think for next week....I am gonna hit up St. Judes. It's fairly close to my sisters. : )