In the Quiet

+ J.M.J. Believe it or not, people actually pay attention to your handbag. I found an article on Stitch Fix  as inspiration for knowing what is current. I'm not a huge fan of the tote. It just looks too big, and like something you're supposed to bring to the beach. As far as colors go, blue, pink, and turquoise are on trend. I personally think it's classy to mimic nature's colors at this time of year. Think about a vibrant green, a soft pink, and a sky blue. I don't like the concept of saddlebags. I don't ride a horse. Crossbody is a nice idea, but I never wear my purses like that. I'm not used to it. I wanted a clutch one year for a ball I was going to. I don't have much of a desire for one anymore. I feel like it would be annoying to hold. What do I like?  God bless you! Stephanie

+ J.M.J. Music has always been a huge part of my life. That's why I want to share some of my favorite songs with you and why I like them. The soundtrack from You've Got Mail ~ This is pretty much the cutest movie I've ever seen. I tried online dating once and it obviously didn't result in a marriage, but it's kind of exciting (and yes, sort of dangerous,) because you don't know exactly who's on the other side of the screen! State of Grace by Taylor Swift ~ Does she know that Catholics call the state of grace the condition of not having serious sin on your soul?  Casablanca soundtrack ~ this is the greatest movie with Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. Classic doesn't even begin to describe it. It's iconic.  She's Got a Way by Billy Joel ~ I like this song for personal, wonderful reasons. Ask me about it sometime. ;) Anything by Josh Groban ~ that man has the voice of an angel.  My Soul Rejoices by Jackie Francois ~ if you...

+ J.M.J. Lyrics When I was younger I saw my daddy cry And curse at the wind He broke his own heart And I watched As he tried to reassemble it I'm not sure why her dad was cursing at the wind. Maybe he hated it. (I don't condone cursing). How do you break your own heart? By living selfishly maybe? We cannot put our hearts back together by ourselves. And my momma swore That she would never let herself forget And that was the day that I promised I'd never sing of love If it does not exist, but darlin' So their was a mom in the picture too. Did she break the dad's heart? I can relate to the artist in the next part; I would feel like a hypocrite singing about love if it wasn't real. My heart wouldn't be in it. You are, the only exception You are, the only exception You are, the only exception You are, the only exception Obviously, this girl has found someone (or he has found her) that loves her. Maybe...

+ J.M.J. I have too many scarves. You can still wear them in springtime (I can feel, it's almost here!) The thing I love about scarves is that they cover more of you. It's a great layering technique and, when done right, looks tasteful. It's time to start transitioning to the lighter fabrics. The dead of winter is over! Thank you God! God bless you! Stephanie

+ J.M.J. Being Catholic, I've always been taught the importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints, the angels, God...and then there's Jesus. This Man. This Son of God made Man. Can you believe how incredible He is? Who is Jesus to you? I've been watching the daily videos that Dynamic Catholic has been emailing and these have made me wonder who Jesus is to me, etc.  The above is a Russian painting. In it, to me, Jesus looks worn and tired, yet determined and persevering. I think that sometimes we see images of Jesus that are beautiful but nonetheless we find them hard to relate to when life gets hard. We're in Lent, right? How is it going? Jesus wants to help you on your journey, oh so badly. Let Him in a little more. You can pray, fast, and give alms, all without Him. But that is missing the point.  He did the first Lent for you . Think about the enormity of that. For your sins, Jesus spent forty days in the desert without food or drin...

+ J.M.J. Music has always been a huge part of my life. From the time I was three years old, I took piano lessons because my aunt is a piano teacher. I didn't keep up with it consistently at all times, but I spent years of my life until the time I was eighteen practicing, practicing, practicing, practicing...well, you get the idea. I had some great experiences as a piano player. I played at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington twice in three-piano recitals. I took part in a lot of smaller recitals as well. I earned a few trophies along the way. These now collect dust but also remind me of the hard work I spent touching piano keys and pushing pedals with my feet.  This all required a great deal of discipline. If my mother had not insisted that I keep up with it until I was eighteen, I certainly would have dropped it a lot sooner. As soon as I was allowed, I abandoned piano more or less, only returning to it when I felt the urge.  Last year, at my last jo...

+ J.M.J. blog.stitchfix.com Sometimes, you don't feel like wearing a dress by itself. How can you make it less dressy? Add a jacket my friends! Great option for work. Dresses by themselves are fine. Pairing one with a jacket just dresses it down a notch, which is more comfortable at times. My personal favorite in the photo above is the one in the middle. I'm going to try the jean jacket pairing. Actually I have in the past and I liked it a lot. God bless you! Stephanie

+ J.M.J. The Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son...

+ J.M.J. I don't often write about the mundane details of my life. I think that no one cares. I mean, I don't even care. The truth is, though, that every single small detail of your life matters. It means something. It is propelling you towards your goal. What is your goal? Have you considered what that is? Let's take a look at what I'm doing right now, and where it's directing me (or not directing me): Listening to coffee house music (I'm not at a coffee house, it's a Spotify playlist) Drinking water Wearing my pajamas and robe, unbrushed hair and all Writing this blog post before nine on a Saturday morning Sitting in a slouched position (so bad) I have my space heater on My peach-scented wallflower is plugged in I'm thinking pretty hard about all the things I normally don't pay any attention to I'm starting to feel more awake. Okay. Looking at all this stuff, it doesn't say much, except, she needs to get a life...

+ J.M.J. So we went from this on Fat Tuesday: To this yesterday: So where do we go from here? I'll tell you where I'm going: Daily Mass twice a week Spiritual reading Cleaning and purging my belongings and space! No sweets No Facebook No television or movies I've been watching Matthew Kelly's Best Lent Ever videos. Sign up  here. Praying a 54-day-Rosary novena for my future spouse. This will obviously extend beyond Lent. No Pinterest (seeing those notifications are driving me crazy. I unsubscribed from the notification e-mails at least. Considering deleting the app, but I do have self-control. I do have self-control. Just have to repeat that a hundred times a day.) Sheesh, I clearly have a Pinterest addiction! I think I should really say fewer of my opinions. Enough said. Those of you who know me, you're welcome. ;) God bless you in your Lenten journey and always! Stephanie

+ J.M.J. Image:  www.edenhamregionalhouse.org That's right folks. Lent is nearly upon us. In just three short days, Ash Wednesday will arrive in all its penitential rituals. I'm not here to tell you about the specific rules of Lent, though you can find the requirements  here. I'm just going to tell you what I'm doing for Lent, and then also tell you what I've done in past years (the memorable ones). This year I will: Take part in  40 days for Life Give up sweets Give up Facebook Give up Television/movies When you take something out of your life, you should replace it with something good. In this case, spiritually healthy things are appropriate. To replace the things I'll be depriving myself of, I can: Eat more vegetables (our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit) Use my  Laudate app Read spiritual books. I just purchased Sacraments in Scripture and The Hidden Power of Kindness . *****************************************...