We've Merged

http://andthechildrendranklemonade.blogspot.com

(new guevara family blog)

Packed Day

I want to have a little reminder as to the life
I am leaving behind ... full time work, base line
to base line, just in case I get 'bored' someday:

Gary's schedule for Sunday, Apr 27, 2008
(as it actually happened)

7AM - alarm clock; snooze until 7:20. Handled a couple fires on e-mail.
9AM - leave for the church - ran into a few ppl & chatted upcoming events;
picked up communion and altar pack
10AM - celebrate televised Mass @ nursing home; around 15 residents.
11AM - to the grocery store to pick up lunch and youth group items for tonight
11:30 - back to the office to prep for tonight's talk: Theology of the Body for Teens
Review using the new TOB DVD ... my angle: 'personal testimonies.'
12:30 - Holiday Bowling Lanes with Special Needs Families. Met an engaging young
man with autism who knew everything about guitars. He also rolled 4 strikes. Also
met a family who just moved here from Fairfax, VA, our initial destination. Reason for the
move: pace of life. Bingo.
2PM - back to the office to prep more of tonight's talk. Picked 2 new praise songs: Freedom
Reigns and Enough. Keyed out songs and practiced on newly strung guitar. New angle for tonight: 'the questions we have.'
3PM - listened to 8 Confirmation Candidate 'Homilies' as part of their prep. So inspired about how a young lady tied in her scripture passage on perseverance with her own time in a Russian orphanage. Another young man spoke like a seasoned pastor. I'm a better Catholic now because of those 13 year-olds.
5PM - back to the office for the finishing touches on tonight's talk. new angle: 'reasons for our hope.' Combining personal testimonies and the questions we have. Cleaned up youth room, ordered the pizza and practiced the main points/video cues/flow of the evening. Reminded Father to join us @ 8:30. I think I'm ready.
6:30PM - joined a rather evangelical Catholic youth and his 'searching' friend for Mass. The friend was able to follow along with our hymnal. I wanted to say so much. I let the Spirit do the talking. She sang the songs so well that I thought she was raised Catholic. Turns out she can read music. Yet another 'brilliant' move by the Church: write out the music.
7:30PM - back down to the youth room for our evening gathering. So many faces I haven't seen in a while; some I had never seen before. Gotta make them feel welcomed. Testimonies. Songs. Prayer. Questions. Videos. Father. More questions. Basketball tournament announcement. Eating Cracker Jacks & Pizza. Closing prayer. Meeting with more teens and adults. Showing the ultrasound of the new Guevara 'peanut.' Short meeting with adult team.
Called home on the way: Mad's asleep, but her parents are holding down the fort. Money.
10PM - finally home and for some reason my legs are exhausted. Luci just hugs me for a while.
Lijah wants me to read a book. I pretend to be sleeping. He hits me. I read the book. Mad and Lij are asleep first. I fall asleep trying to get highlights of the Piston's game. But the NFL draft and baseball dominate. It's a little past 11.

Just in case I ever get 'bored.'

Non-Negotiables

I was previewing a short vocations film on the priesthood
just recently made by the diocese of Chicago.
A priest, who also served as a seminary lecturer,
national speaker and spiritual director, was describing his day.

"I always begin with prayer and Mass. These are non-negotiables."

I think most people think of their own non-negotiables as
that Starbuck's brew on the way to the office
or the anal retentive way some set the dinner table
or the terms of selling your home.

But, in reality, non-negotiables should really matter.
Thus, non-negotiable under all circumstances.
Something one truly requires to fulfill all that the day brings forth.

Although barely a teen, the beauty of St. Agnes
made many a man fall over in adoration.
In fact, the son of a powerful governor even wanted her hand in marriage.
To this, and all other propositions, she said:

"Jesus Christ is my only spouse. I would offend my spouse if I were to
try to please you. He chose me first and He shall save me!"

Age 12 and change. Non-negotiable.

Gird Up and Go

With a new year comes a new motto: Gird Up and Go.
This year will bring much change to the Guevara household:

finishing a residency
finishing a period of full time parish work
moving to northern Michigan
starting a new school (Kindergarten!)
living much closer to family (39 miles)
starting anew

In my life the Lord has called me with a familiar song.
Like that song I hear on the radio
that I've never heard before
and yet I know it.
Discerning this change for our family was no different.
A song that was similar to leaving Pfizer,
leaving Ann Arbor,
leaving Lakeside,
and now, leaving St. Thomas.

It has never been about jumping from one sturdy branch
to another that I can see, touch and test.
It has always been about jumping from one sturdy branch
to that in which, rather in Whom, I have faith.

In fact, the song title has also been the same:
Gird Up and Go.

A Quarter of a Year

Wow. How can 1/4 of the year go by before I post a new blog?
Here's how ...

Sat, Oct 20 - Go Alvin & Jenny!
Sat, Oct 27 - Go Corey (boyhood pal) and Nikki!
Sun, Nov 4 - Leading praise & worship for 1,000 teens @ Diocesan Jamboree
Sat, Nov 10 - Tepeyac Gala in D.C.
Sat, Nov 17 - Go Rox & Scott (in ME)
Thanksgiving, Nov 22 in K'zoo w/ the Guevaras
Thu-Fri, Nov 29-30 - Visiting Cheboygan
Sat, Dec 8 - Mom & Dad's 40 Anniv. in Rogers City
Weekend of Dec 14-16 - High School Retreat
Christmas weekend - Rogers City

10 straight weekends away from home.
So many blessings ... time well spent.
Plan for this weekend: staying home and building
couch forts with the fam.

Things I "love"

Not in a storge (family), phileo (friend), eros (wife) or agape (God) kind of way ... just stuff that really "floats my boat": * When the bottle return machine works properly and they offer you hand sanitizer * When you go to check out and realize the item is cheaper than advertised * When both kids fall asleep in the car and you have a book to read and time to do it * When your computer issue is solved by a reboot * When your clothes fit the way you want * How your donated junk fills someone else's need * How someone else's junk fills my need * The fact that I can get my family food, ice cream, groceries, a pony ride and Starbucks at Meijer. * When you pull up to a gas station in the rain only to find out it's a full service station * When you realize you actually brought the thing you thought you forgot * When you realize the thing you stressed about forgetting is actually not needed at all * How recycling actually makes a huge dent in the amount of trash you send to a landfill * Bonfires with s'mores * Choosing between dogs and brats ... then going back and getting what you didn't choose the first time * When all the food in the fridge gets eaten * That one day a week when all the laundry, dishes and food prep is done (or maybe one hour a week) * When the guy that was tailing you on the road gets pulled over a few miles ahead * When you realize something you've been searching for has always been right in front of you

Why We Do What We Do

Luci and Lijah taking a park break before the Ponce wedding, Kankakee, IL.

He just loves her so much.
And she tolerates his love so well.