In Which I Quote Christian Stuff at You

Chris and I have been reading some good things lately for our weekly Catholic chat via Skype.

The Problem of Pain

During the month of October, we read The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis.  I've always loved C.S. Lewis, from my childhood readings of the classic Chronicles of Narnia to my later explorations of his Christian writings such as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.  Lewis does such a wonderful job of presenting arguments with clear examples that shed light on difficult concepts.

In the first chapter, I enjoy Lewis's treatment of the question often raised--if God is good, then why doesn't he make everyone perfectly happy?  Either He isn't good, or he lacks the power to make everyone happy, or perhaps both.  Lewis makes a very elaborate argument about suffering being a necessary element of a world that also contains free will, which I will not attempt to summarize here.  But, I did want to share this quote:

Meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire meaning simply because we prefix them to the other words 'God can'.  It remains true that all things are possible with God: the intrinsic impossibilities are not things but nonentitites.  It is no more possible for God than for the weakest of His creatures to carry out both of two mutually exclusive alternatives; not because His power meets an obstacle, but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God.

Mm, logic.

I also loved this quote:

When we want to be something other than the thing God wants us to be, we must be wanting what, in fact, will not make us happy.

I was rather surprised that one of the chapters was on Animal Pain, which struck me as a bit incongruous with the flow of the book in general.  He argues that animals are sentient but lack selfhood in a way that supports immortal souls.  However, along the way, he rejects other, weaker arguments against the immortality of animals.  My favorite is this:

Nor am I greatly moved by jocular inquiries such as 'Where will you put all the mosquitoes?'--a question to be answered on its own level by pointing out that, if the worst came to the worst, a heaven for mosquitoes and a hell for men could very conveniently be combined.

Ha!  True that.

Pope Francis

Chris and I are about to start St. Bonaventure's The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi, followed by Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales.  However, we took a week off from our longer readings to explore the America Magazine interview with Pope Francis.  There were a number of wonderful things said during the interview, and I would encourage everyone to read it.  I particularly enjoyed his emphasis that he is a sinner, that he practices discernment in all things, that he sees holiness in patience, and that uncertainty in discernment is leaving room for the Lord.

There was one part of the interview that has been quoted repeatedly by the media, around the idea of focusing less on divisive issues such as gay marriage and abortion.  I was excited about this from the first moment I read it, but all the more so in reading it in the context of a discussion of the Church as a field hospital for the world:

We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time. 

 The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent. The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently. Proclamation in a missionary style focuses on the essentials, on the necessary things: this is also what fascinates and attracts more, what makes the heart burn, as it did for the disciples at Emmaus. We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel. The proposal of the Gospel must be more simple, profound, radiant. It is from this proposition that the moral consequences then flow.

I love this idea that we should focus on sharing a "simple, profound, radiant" Gospel, and everything else will fall into place. I have found Pope Francis's emphasis on simplicity and the preferential option for the poor to be extremely heartening, and cannot wait to see what his papacy holds for the world.

Have you read anything inspirational lately?

Uxorious

My office recently started up a book club, which is awesome, even if that means I'm somehow in three book clubs.  (Oops.)  We're currently reading Wolf Hall, which is about Thomas Cromwell. So far, I'm not a huge fan of the writing style--historical fiction in present tense is a bit silly--but, I'll withhold further judgment until I have finished the book.

In reading the book, I learned a new word: uxorious. It means excessive fondness for one's wife. Naturally, I turned to Google to find out what the comparable word is for excessive fondness for one's husband.

First, I learned that the top autocomplete when you type "excessive" is "burping," which is amusing. WebMD is very reassuring that burping, like flatulence, is natural, if a bit uncomfortable or embarrassing at times.  However, I've read Mary Roach's Gulp, so I am privy* to the many ways in which gas can go terribly wrong.

More to the point, however, I learned that while "uxorious" is a relatively common word, the equivalent for excessive fondness for one's husband, "maritorious," is exceedingly rare. That says to me that, at least historically, our society believes a wife's love is almost never "too much," whereas a husband can love his wife too much.  That's lame. I think we should stick to a gender- and relationship-neutral version of this word--"obsequious" comes to mind--because love for one's partner, by a man or a woman, should not be immediately implicated as a sign of weakness.

My diatribe is probably unnecessary, as "uxorious" seems to have fallen out of contemporary usage, likely for the same reasons as those I have raised.  That being said, my spell checker tells me that "uxorious" is a word, but "maritorious" is not.  Stop being so gender normative, spell check!

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* Pun intended, of course.

Summer Happenings

Drafts of four more posts about my trip to Japan sit in a folder, waiting patiently for me to finish them.  I want to post them, really I do, but I never seem to find the time.  And, meanwhile, lots of other things have been happening, with no posts!  So, here's a little summary of what's been going on...

Travel

Please, don't leave me!

I've had to travel for work quite a bit lately.  Four trips to Las Vegas in the past two months, along with trips to Fresno, Sacramento, and Omaha.  Indeed, I was traveling so much, that I had to give my poor cat back to my parents for a month!  The Las Vegas trips were all too packed with work to visit family or friends, let alone do many Vegas activities, but there was one night that my colleagues and I were able to sit at a cafe at Paris and watch the fountains at the Bellagio, which was beautiful.  And, one of our presentations was aired on local television, so I'm pretty much famous now.

There have also been a number of trips for fun with Alan.  We went to San Luis Obispo, Santa Catalina Island, and Paso Robles.  All three trips involved getting to know Alan's college friends better, which has been wonderful. I particularly enjoyed Catalina, which has an adorable golf cart parade for the 4th of July. And, I got to try snorkeling for the first time!

Hiking on Catalina.  No one was going to lose us, wearing those shirts.

At a wedding at the Mountain Winery.

Other Fun

In addition to traveling, the past couple of months has been full of hiking, parties, weddings, and good food.  Morgan threw a lovely Great Gatsby party, Alissa had an epic birthday party, and we threw a retro futurism themed Party of... THE FUTURE!  To paint a mental picture, because apparently I'm terrible at remembering to take real ones, think: silly tinfoil costumes, outer space tablecloths, and, of course, Tang.

Tasty, tasty oysters.

Robert and I went on a day trip to Santa Rosa that I really enjoyed. We grabbed oysters at Tamales Bay, ate them al fresco at a park, and then checked out the truly lovely Charles M. Schultz Museum. I definitely recommend checking it out if you're a Peanuts fan.

Mom came up to San Francisco a few weekends ago, which is always a treat.  We spent the day shopping, visiting my office and apartment, and eating a delicious lunch at the historic John's Grill.

Other fun lately included checking out the Maker Faire, learning how to make okonomiyaki, checking out the J-Pop summit in SF Japantown, playing Hobbit Scrabble, and attending an event with Mother Dolores Hart (the actress-turned-nun).

The Bar

No, this section isn't about all of the new drinking establishments I've checked out lately--although, I am rather impressed by the wine flights and lavender crème brûlée at First Crush, a little wine bar around the corner from my apartment.  Rather, I wanted to share that I was unsuccessful on the February administration of the California Bar Exam.  I did get the highest score I've gotten, only 12 points short of the passing score of 1440, which is rather frustrating.  I decided to take the summer off from studying, because, after four back-to-back attempts, I was starting to feel a little burned out.  I am really glad that I made that decision, and had my first real summer in years.  I'll be taking the exam again next February.  I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm grateful to have such wonderful friends and family to support me as I switch back into studying mode in the new year.

Reading

I've been doing a fair bit of reading lately.  I finally set up an account on GoodReads, and have been obsessive-compulsively documenting everything I've ever read.  Chris and I are still doing our wonderful weekly Catholic Skype chats; we recently finished The Autobiography of St. Therese, which wasn't nearly as insightful as I thought it was going to be, and certainly isn't as good as what we're now reading, City of God by St. Augustine.  I enjoyed Gulp by Mary Roach, disgusting though it was.  I joined a new book club, and we had a very interesting conversation about Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg--regardless of the critiques some may have of the book, I've found it to be a great launching off point for thoughtful conversations.  Alan and I have been discussing The Five Love Languages, which has been really interesting.  I love things like books and personality tests that help me to articulate the things I know about myself.  And, as has been the case for far too long now, I am still working my way through A Dance with Dragons.  There are so many more things that I want to read, but no time to read them!

Well, that's all for now.  Future posts to be shorter and more timely!

For My Money

Being unemployed, it is a fun little form of escapism to think about how I want to spend money when I have some.  I'm not all that wrapped up in consumerism, but I do have some desires.  Here are a few big-ticket items on my wish list, in no particular order:

• A car.  As I was just discussing with Shauna, as long as I remain in suburbia, I think this has to be my next big purchase.  It doesn't have to be big, or fast, or even all that pretty.  Decent fuel efficiency would be nice.  It cannot be red.
• A DSLR.  I have a lot of fun with my little Canon PowerShot SD1300IS, and even with my iPhone in a pinch, but I know my photography will never reach its full potential until I have a better camera.
• A KitchenAid stand mixer.  My mom has one, and it makes baking magical.  Perhaps some day she'll upgrade to the larger model, and I will inherit her old cobalt blue one?  If not, majestic yellow and boysenberry are happy colors.
• A kitty condo.  The kittens quickly outgrew their 2-foot tall scratching post/hammock.  I cannot wait to have the room for a 6-foot tall tower for them to climb (hopefully in lieu of my bookcases).
• An iMac and an iPad.  These will be my next major technology purchases.  I think I'd like to transition from a laptop to a desktop computer, because the big screen is so fantastic, and I don't need to lug a laptop all over the place now that I'm done with school.  Plus, by supplementing it with an iPad, I would still have the option of mobility for basic computing needs.

Actually, now that I look at this list, I realize that I forgot to mention travel.  Perhaps I'll do a different post about the places I want to visit.  In addition, here are some smaller splurges that I would enjoy on occasion:

• Things I don't need from Etsy.  Oh, there are so many things.  Stationery, art, decorations, jewelry, cat collars, bags...
• Cultural enrichment.  I miss D.C.'s free museums and $10 tickets to the National Symphony Orchestra a lot.  Alas, the San Francisco Symphony is far more expensive.  I'd also like to attend more plays, musicals, and museums.
• Random ingredients.  I would love to have a fully stocked pantry of obscure spices.  There are dozens of new recipes that I want to try.
• Throwing dinner parties.  I really enjoy having friends over for a home-cooked meal, some good wine, and hilarious conversations.
• Books for my Kindle.  There is so much reading that I want to do.

I also like to think about where my charitable contributions will go when I have an income.  My heart always sinks when I am not able to give very much to:

• The Paulist Fathers.  Newman Hall at Berkeley was a place of profound formation for me as a Catholic.  I would love to do more to support their ministries.
• The Leadership Award.  I received this scholarship from the Cal Alumni Association three times, and it was a huge help.  I have donated time by grading application essays and interviewing applicants, but I want to help out financially as well.
• The Alzheimer's Association.  My grandmother passed away last year after suffering from Alzheimer's for years.  I intend to fight this disease by supporting the research and programs of the Alzheimer's Association.
• The Equal Justice Foundation.  EJF funded all of my summer internships while at Georgetown Law.  I want to support the next generation of public interest law students.
• All of the non-profits where I've worked/volunteered.  It will be great to give back to HomeBase, the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, and the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies.

What is on your wish list?  Which charities do you like to support?

Resolute Reflection

Throughout law school, my list of New Year's Resolutions has been short and sweet:

• Keep in touch with friends
• Get to know D.C. like a local
• Read for pleasure
• Use my time wisely
• Pray without ceasing
• Make healthy choices

Overall, I have done pretty well with the list this year.  2011 has been a year of reconnecting with old friends, especially since moving back to California.  And, I am very pleased to be staying in touch with my D.C. friends, all of whom I miss so much.  Indeed, writing Christmas cards each year is always an exercise in counting my blessings.

I definitely got to know D.C. like a local these past three years, and this year wrapped up my D.C. to-do list.  Much was accomplished during Chris' visit on Presidents' Day Weekend.  We went to the top of the Old Post Office Tower, saw the Ghost Clock at the Renwick Gallery, watched money being made at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and went to the National Building Museum.  I also checked off some big to-do's during my family's visit for my graduation: a tour of the White House, and a visit to the Franciscan Monastery.  And, that's to say nothing of the recurring D.C. adventures I went on, including Mount Vernon, walking the monuments at night with Jess, many trips to the various Smithsonians, and quiet afternoons at the Basilica of the National Shrine.  I miss D.C., and hope that I'll have the opportunity to visit this spring.

I am happy to report that reading for pleasure has picked up this year.  Still Thinking, the virtual book club, has been a great source of accountability for reading.  This year, we read Machine of Death, Shakespeare's Kitchen, A Time to Kill, Across the Universe, Devil in the White City, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Hunger Games trilogy, and are currently reading The House of God.  I think my favorite was Machine of Death, which is an anthology of short stories inspired by this comic.  It was at once macabre, hilarious, and thought-provoking.  Plus, you can read the book online for free!  My reading also experienced a sharp uptick after I received a Kindle as a graduation present from my parents.  I was a bit hesitant about using an e-reader at first, but now I love it.  In addition to my book club books, I also read Bossypants by Tina Fey, Packing for Mars, The Pun also Rises, and am in the middle of the second book of A Song of Ice and Fire (the Game of Thrones series).  Still not nearly as many books as I used to read pre-law school, but a step in the right direction.

Using my time wisely is always a difficult resolution.  There are so many distractions in this world, and the Internet is the biggest temptation for me.  I can easily whittle away hours reading online.  However, especially in light of my upcoming bar exam at the end of February, maintaining this resolution will be of the utmost importance.

I would not go so far as to characterize my prayer life as "praying without ceasing," but there has been progress in this area of my life, most significantly this autumn as I began to meet up regularly with Monica, Ariana, and Shauna for conversations about The Holy Longing, by Ronald Rolheiser.  I am so blessed to have people in my life who challenge me to grow, and support me when I am struggling.

Making healthy choices waxes and wanes.  To be honest, it's been more difficult since I've moved home, because there is less walking in the suburbs, I don't have access to a gym, and I don't have as much control over food selection (and, keeping temptations out of reach).  However, I have been doing more cooking using healthy recipes, and my bicycle has gotten a lot of use.  Still, some room for improvement.

Accordingly, these are my resolutions for 2012:

• Keep in touch with friends
• Read for pleasure
• Use my time wisely
• Pray without ceasing
• Make healthy choices
• Try new recipes
• Do more photography
• Study Spanish

2011 was a momentous year for me in so many ways (a retrospective is forthcoming), and I cannot wait to see what 2012 will bring.  In the meantime, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Advent(ures)

Happy first Sunday of Advent! I love liturgical seasons, because they present opportunities to start anew. Advent, in particular, appeals to me because of the wonderful sense of anticipation. Everyone is looking forward to Christmas! Moving away from home has intensified this expectant feeling, as I am excited not only for Christmas, but also for the chance to go home. And, of course, all students eagerly await the conclusion of final exams. I pray that this season will be prayerful, productive, and joyful for all of us.

In the spirit of welcoming Christ into our lives and homes, Jess and I decorated our apartment! An impromptu visit to Target yielded wonderful results--stockings, lights, and even a little Christmas tree!

My favorite part is that we spelled out our names on the stockings using pipe cleaners. And, the lights look so gorgeous. Jess and I keep finding excuses to wander into the living room when we should be in our rooms, studying. The little tree is just right for us, too. (The tree skirt is one of Jess's scarves!) We are very pleased with the resulting atmosphere of our apartment.

The past couple of weeks, while fraught with another brand of anticipation in the form of final exams, have nonetheless been full of good moments. The weekend before last, of course, Cal kept the Axe! Jess and I had a good time watching the game at the Cal-Stanfurd D.C. alumni viewing party at Bar Louie in Chinatown. Go Bears!

I'm currently looking for a spring internship, to take advantage of all of the amazing opportunities for law students here in D.C., and last week was exciting because I had an interview with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless! We'll see what happens... I've applied to other places as well, and have an interview coming up with the Department of Health and Human Services Departmental Appeals Board this week. I am looking for an internship to complete my Pro Bono Pledge hours, which I think is a great idea. So, keep your fingers crossed that I find an internship that allows me to grow through service.

Jess and I both stayed in D.C. for the Thanksgiving holiday so that we could get work done, but that didn't stop us from having fun! We attended not one, but two Thanksgiving dinners. The first was on Wednesday, hosted by the President of Georgetown University in one of the dining halls on campus, and it was fantastic. We ate a ridiculous amount of food, including multiple desserts, and made some lovely new friends at our table. Oh, and there was live music! Very classy, Georgetown. There were lovely flowers as centerpieces that [Jess and I decided] were up for grabs, so now I even have some gorgeous chrysanthemums living in my room!

The second dinner was on the law school campus on Thanksgiving day, sponsored by our dean and organized by Sr. Dorinda, who led us in an interesting Native American prayer before the meal. This meal was even better than the one on main campus, in my opinion. I'm not usually a stuffing fan, but something about this stuffing made it delicious. And, the gravy was fantastic. The best part was that they provided plates and plastic wrap so that we could take home leftovers! Mm, still have a bit of turkey in the fridge.

Thanksgiving morning, Jess and I did some volunteer work with Food and Friends, an organization in D.C. that delivers food to home-bound cancer and AIDS patients. After a training session at their very organized facility, we were off, armed with three gigantic bags stuffed with full Thanksgiving dinners to feed families of four, including entire turkeys, multiple pies, and all of the fixings. We drove around Northwest D.C., dropping off the meals at our assigned locations. One old lady cracked us up by asking where our "menfolk" were, and seemed disappointed to learn that it was just us. Oh, goodness...

On Friday afternoon, Jess and I went to the Kennedy Center to see the National Symphony Orchestra perform The Music Man, conducted by Marvin Hamlisch! We weren't sure exactly how they were going to do it, and were very surprised and delighted to see it performed on stage, right in front of the orchestra, featuring Shirley Jones, her son Patrick Cassidy, and Rebecca Luker. It was very entertaining, and a great way to take a break from our studies. (Though, admittedly, this break was not as productive as I had planned.) The best part was that we had fantastic seats in the orchestra for only $15, thanks to the Kennedy Center's Attend program for 17- to 25-year-olds. For goodness sake, parking cost more!

Other than that, I've been focusing on my studies, what with my Tax Law exam only ten days away, yikes! Well, actually, I did do one other little fun thing over the Thanksgiving break--I read Dan Brown's new novel, The Lost Symbol. Jess bought it last week (and raced through the 500 pages in a day), so I couldn't help but do the same. Obviously, as an English major, I could critique the writing--I mean, no one needs to use the word "esoteric" that many times in one book--but I don't think that Brown is trying to write a meaningful masterpiece. No, he's trying to entertain, and he succeeded in that regard. I was especially interested in reading the book because it takes place in D.C., which made it a lot of fun to read his descriptions of the city and think, I know what he's talking about! He made a few minor errors (e.g., the seats on the Metro are not hard plastic), but I'll forgive him. I enjoyed the story, even if Jess and I both saw the big twist coming from a mile off. At any rate, I recommend it if you're looking for a quick, light read, and, if not, it'll make a for fun movie in a few years.