Cleaning out your office

I said I was going to write a book about how to leave your office when you leave a job, but not sure I would have enough material.  Of course if I told all the horror stories of all my past move in's to new offices, I could fill many pages. These tips are in no particular order, but all are necessary and important, no joking.
-All personal items should be removed.  Not sure what I mean by personal, try this, anything you use to groom yourself or that you would not share with others need to go.
-Books that belong to you, especially any with notes and/or answers in them that you would not want anyone else to read or take out of context.
-Take all the pictures, presents, cute sticky notes on your computer and either toss them or take them. 
- Go through your paper files and purge extra copies; old, outdated handouts; anything that was typed or printed on a dot matrix printer; fax receipts; if you want to be really nice put the items in the file in date order, newest on top. Take with you anything pertaining to you personally such as employment records, pension and health benefit info.
-Go through computer files and delete personal folders, document drafts, old letters and memos that are useless.  I like to organize things by year and then put items in the year file once the year is over.  This way there is a record of what was done.  I did not need to keep all the versions of a doc or publication, so I keep only a final copy.
-Make a folder of current open projects and give it to your boss. Also give him/her a list of passwords for work related websites.  I was responsible for quite a few and whoever takes over my job will need to access the same info.
-Cancel and/or turn in any company credit cards, keys and email accounts.
-Throw away junk! It isn't fair to expect the new person to clean up after you. 
-Return borrowed items to rightful owners.
-Leave new contact info for yourself.
- When you leave your office, let it be as blank a slate as possible so the next person can make it her/his own.
-Don't take things which don't belong to you! If you bought things with company money so you could do your job, they belong to the company, not you. 
So, now you have done all of this and are ready to go.  You show up at your new office and much to your surprise you find....
    EXACTLY, someone who thought cleaning out her office meant taking her purse with her when she left for the last time!

25 Years Old

Today is our son's 25th birthday.  The day we became parents and were forever humbled.  First of all, he was late, very late.  And it was hot, very hot and very humid as only September is in South Florida.  My feet could only get into these awful flip flops which my mom threw in the garbage when we got into the hospital.  I had to be induced and when the nurses eyed my very pregnant belly, they were surprised I was there to be induced as the baby hadn't even dropped yet.  As I was being hooked up to IVs and monitors and who knows what else, one said ever so sweetly, "Well, this will probably take two days.  We'll give you meds to get you going, then stop so you can rest and sleep and then tomorrow you'll have the baby."  "No, I am having this baby today."  And I did, at 5 pm Peter came into this world with a little cone head and blue eyes.  There are lots of details which I will spare you, though I will say that if my mother had not been there watching Peter's exit and not yelled at the doctor that the baby was coming, there may have been a different ending to this story. 
I find it amazing that he is 25, it seems like such a short time ago I walked into that hospital willing myself to give birth. 
I am so proud of the man he has become.  And still, all these years later, when his blue eyes look into mine, there is such joy and happiness.  Just like 25 years ago!

Book Review: Becoming

I am very excited that I have chosen this book to review.  Best case scenario it arrives while I have time off so I can read it right away.  Whenever it gets here, I'll be happy.

Thinking about the changes

So, in 2 weeks I will have a new job, Director of Faith Formation.  There will be lots and lots of changes.  I've been making a list in my mind:
1. I will have a much bigger office with windows and a door
2.  I will probably lose my Spanish speaking skills as there will be no one with whom to speak Spanish
3.  the office is quiet, which is nice
4.  no one will make espresso at 3 in the afternoon anymore, bummer
5.  smaller parish, maybe close to 3,000 families less
6.  longer commute
7.  I can walk 2 blocks east to the ocean or 3 west to the intercostal from my new office
8. I am going back to my first love, people and helping to lead them to a close, meaningful, personal relationship with Jesus and our Church
9.  I will plan retreats again, very exciting
10. I will miss knowing who to call when I need some help in the parish

In some ways I am getting the best of two parishes.  I will work in one where there is much to do,  learn about and grow professionally in a new direction.  Then I will worship in one where I know the people and priests and feel very much at home. Big changes, all for the good!

7 Quick Takes

More Quick Takes are right here!

1.  I have been off from work this week.  I haven't done very much at all around the house, just a few things I wanted to do.  I spent time with friends, rested, went to Adoration, read, and let my mind wander wherever it wanted to go.  Today I am meeting a friend for lunch and will prepare my husband's birthday dinner for tomorrow.
2.  Tomorrow will be a busy day.  Seven men are being ordained to the permanent diaconate for our diocese.  I never tire of going to celebrate an ordination.  This is the first group since my husband has been in formation that I spent time with and got to know, so I am looking forward to it very much.
3.  It is also my husband's birthday tomorrow.  He decided on lasagna and meatballs for his dinner, so I started cooking last night.  I made the sauce already and today I'll prepare the lasagna and meatballs.  I haven't made sauce in forever but his taste test last night says it just needs more salt, so that's good.
4.  I have a new job!  I am going back to faith formation in a different parish.  The good thing is that I am not leaving our parish so I will still be a part of a great community. I am also going to be working again with my former pastor.  Selfishly, this is all looks just about perfect for me.  I hope a replacement can be found for me quickly and the transition goes smoothly.  I keep praying and looking to God's guidance.
5.  Monday we are going back to our Hcg diet.  It is a homeopathic drop, rather than injections.  The diet is very simple to follow and very low in calories.  It makes grocery shopping and meal planning easy, but going out difficult.  It is easier with both my husband and I doing it together.  Best of all, it works and I am not seeing weight gain when I go off of it.  I look at it as short term discomfort for long time gain, no loss, well, you get what I am saying.
6.  The parish ministry fair last weekend went very well.  The Family Feud game was a big hit, staff won over the clergy and I could see the game show being the main reason to get together.  A parishioner found an on line version of the game that allowed you to input your own questions and answers and that really made a difference.  It was very realistic, sound effects and all. 
7.  Some major changes are going on in my external and internal life.  I am in awe as always of God's hand leading and guiding me.  I feel I am working with myself instead of against myself.  And I keep praying for the grace to walk the walk.

Book Review: Francis: The Journey and the Dream

I love St. Francis.  I was raised in a Franciscan parish in New York and went to St. Frances Prep high school which was run by Franciscan brothers.  One of my favorite movies is Brother Sun, Sister Moon and we played the music from that movie in the folk group.  This book was actaully written with the intention of it being published at the same time as the moive was released.  So, with great anticipation I choose this book from the Catholic Company reviewer program.  I was not disappointed.
This is the fortieth anniversary edition of the original written by Murray Bodo, O.F.M., a Franciscan priest.  It is a wonderful little book, powerfully yet simply written with so much to think about on every page.  I read it from cover to cover, but you could pick it up and read any one of the seventy-seven short chapters as part of your daily prayer time. 
The book is not overtly biographical, but you will learn about St. Francis as you read.  The book opens as Francis lays dying, pains "beginning to dull his senses, and he slowly slipped back into his memories of the past..." (pg 3).  Through the words of Fr. Bodo we follow Francis as he tells about his dream, his desire to live out the Gospel by embracing Lady Poverty and leading others to do the same. 
I know I will be going back to this book again and again for the truth it contains and how it shines light onto my thoughts.  One of the chapters  that struck me is titled The Journey and The Dream.  In it, Francis recalls how Jesus had sent him the Dream and made the Journey possible and sustained him with the Eucharist.  "The Bread of Life had sustained him on his Journey and the presence of Jesus kept the Dream alive" (pg 180).  There are other images from that chapter which have stayed with me, but instead of telling you, I encourage you to get a copy of this book.  It would also make a great gift for everyone!

 Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Francis - The Journey and the Dream. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

Change - it's time now

Courage
Hope
Adventure
New
Growth
Excellent

Family Feud

Next weekend we are having a big ministry fair at church.  The theme is "Holywood Studios" and to get people excited we are going to play Family Feud.  So, this weekend we handed out survey questions before each Mass and asked people to fill them out. 
I learned some very interesting things and thought I'd make a list so you could have a little chuckle as well.
1.  Name a mystery of the Rosary - the mysterious one.
2.  Most popular Sunday Mass time at St. Peter - Christmas
3.  Favorite Old Testament book is Revelation, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
4.  Name one of the seven deadly sins - murder.
I suggested to our religious education director that we use some of the answer as the basis for what to focus on for catechises.
There's more funny stuff, but I can't give it all away since some players may read this and get inside info to help them win.  Not that we are giving away money or anything of value, except maybe some indulgences. 
First game is clergy vs staff.  I wonder who will win?