Deacon Formation
In Search of Holy Leisure

In between bouts of folding laundry, cleaning house, and preparing lunch one recent day, I spotted a family sitting on my next-door neighbor’s front lawn. After a second look, I realized the man was the construction worker who had been pouring concrete in the neighborhood all morning. He was taking a lunch break and his … [Read more…]
How Do I Know You’re a Man of God?

Editor’s Note: In honor of National Vocations Awareness Week, we will be sharing a handful of posts focusing on vocations. Our diocese poses the following: “Through our baptism, each of us receives a special vocational calling from God. What is God calling you to?†My husband Joel, who is in diaconate formation, provides today’s post and … [Read more…]
2011 In Pictures — 7 Quick Takes Style
2011 has been exciting here at Das Schmidt Haus. Here’s my year in review, 7 Quick Takes style. — 1 — I started 2011 as a new full-time at-home parent after resigning from what many called the “dream job.” Many people didn’t understand my decision to walk away from a job with a very promising … [Read more…]
It’s not what Martha was doing. It was her mode!

I’ve used and abused Martha so much in the past to justify my busyness. Someone has to step up, be the Martha, and get the work done, right?
Maybe this is common sense for you, but I had an “A-ha†moment a few months back. I had been complaining a lot about how busy Joel and I are required to be with his diaconate formation. Classes to attend, books to read, essays to write, spiritual direction to seek, etc. Sometimes I feel we are kept busy just for the sake that looking busy must mean we are really being formed spiritually.
But it was during one of the seminary classes that I gained a sense of peace about much of this. There is a very dynamic monk at Conception Seminary & Abbey in Missouri, and no matter what he says, it seems he’s always speaking just to me. And he made the point, “It wasn’t what Martha was doing that was her problem. It was her mode!â€
Seven Quick Takes Friday (vol. 4)

~1~ We are staring down a busy weekend at Das Schmidt Haus.First up is another deacon formation weekend at Conception Seminary that may shape up to be a defining moment for Joel’s continued diaconate discernment. Last month he was given a large assignment: to develop a ministry for a group of people in need. After … [Read more…]