Just a simple blog of a Secular Franciscan trying to live with a Franciscan focus. (And one of these days I'll fix the template and add a Search feature. :-P)
"As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ." (Article 13, SFO Rule)
"Messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance,* [Secular Franciscans] should strive to bring joy and hope to others." (Article 19, SFO Rule)
Have you noticed how downright argumentative, cranky, pissy, sanctimonious, and snarky folks can be -- this includes Catholics -- online (and off)? And over the dumbest, slightest things as well as the big stuff? Doesn't seem to me that behaving that way will foster "a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively." (Art. 14) Before you start wavin' and hollerin', I'm totally including myself in in this indictment -- as an Über-Emotional Mushball,** I am way too easily prone to that kind of crapulence. So, I've got to work extra-hard to overcome it.
Enter Articles 13 & 19.
I figure if I can consistently treat others gently and courteously, and bring folks joy and hope, I can 1) however smallishly, offset the above snarky milieu, and 2) fight it in myself, which -- bonus! -- leads to 3) more effectively living out the other 24 articles of the Rule.***
I figure that's a win all 'round.
So, what about you? How do you bring joy and hope to others?
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* Every circumstance? Every? O_o No wiggle room there. But then, there's no wiggle room in the Gospel, so I really shouldn't expect any in our Rule.
** Just ask Husband Mike. Poor, poor Husband Mike. (He does have the presence of mind to offer it up, so at least the Holy Souls in Purgatory get a win out of my Emotional Mushballitude.)
When I started playing around with social networking sites/services in 2007, I asked myself: 1) what exactly I hoped to accomplish, and 2) what my rules of conduct were. I never really formalized those beyond the nebulous "share and grow in the faith" and "be yourself".
But, after reading post after discussion after tweet from others about How To Behave Online, Things You Must And Mustn't Do Online, and Why Did I Put That Snarky Person In My G+ Circle, Anyway?, I thought it might be a good exercise to spell out my answers ... and it might be helpful to others who come across me in the social networking playground to better figure out if a) I'm someone they'd like to chat with, or b) these aren't the droids they're looking for; move along.
So, here's my Social Networking Mission Statement and my Personal Code o' Conduct. (Keep to the code!)
My Social Networking Mission Statement*
My purpose in playing around with my blog and on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, et cetera is to share with and support other joyful, faithful Catholics** on our pilgrimage. This means:
I WILL also share whatever else tickles my funny bone, deserves attention, catches my eye, demands action, or makes me all a-swoonified. So, expect to see LOLcats, music clips, pro-life and -family action alerts, and coffee paeans in the mix. (We're Catholic after all, and that covers everything.)
I WILL NOT engage in pissing contests with non-Catholics or atheists/agnostics/whatever. I'm a Franciscan -- that's what Dominicans are for. ;-P (Just kidding!)
I WILL NOT do the same with Catholics who have issues with or dissent from the Church's Magisterium/hierarchy/liturgical practices/hairstyles/whatever. ("I'm Catholic, but ...") Think the Chair of Peter has been empty since Vatican II and that Real Catholic Women™ Wear Veils And Skirts, Even While Swimming, But Real Real Catholic Women™ Wouldn't Even Contemplate Swimming? Or think Vatican II "brought a new church into being!!" and we should reconsider the sacraments (and hey, let's add a few more while we're at it)? Not my jam.
My Personal Code of Conduct
I AM the same Lisa online that I am offline, and vice versa. What you see is what you get. (And yes, I do talk the same way in person as I do online.) While I know some folks use the Internet as an escape from reality and pretend to be someone else, that ain't me. (It's also a sin.)
I USE my online interactions as a way to grow in charity, kindness, optimism, and patience, and seek out those who do likewise. Of course, I occasionally dork things up and get cranky or toss out a snark or speak curtly. My goal is to be mindful so that I can keep that crapulence to a minimum.
I AVOID others who more often than not snark, snipe, crab, rain on parades, mock or belittle others, or conduct themselves with arrogance. (It's especially sad when fellow Catholics do that.) As the cowboys say, "If you sit in a pile of manure long enough, you're gonna start smellin' like it." I've trouble enough shoveling out my self-made manure pile, thanks -- I don't need more piled on from others.
So, that's my mission statement and code o' conduct. What are yours?
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* I know, "mission statement" is an overused catchphrase that's a millimeter above "synergy" on the Bleargh-O-Meter, but, well ... it worked.
** While my primary goal is to hang out with other Catholics, if you're a kind, respectful non-Catholic, I'll happily chat with you, too! :-D
I hadn't played around in Blogger since they switched to their fancy new interface/settings until today, when I attempted to update an older post*. Once I did that, my whole custom blog template went blooey! It's displaying something I never selected, and it's not letting me revert to my original template! So, please bear with me while I attempt to get things back in order. This could take awhile ...
UPDATE: I was able to revert back to my custom template (w00t!) after much poking around. The only thing I can't figure out is why my favicon isn't showing up (in Chrome, at least). Will have to keep looking into that'un.
Also, while I was poking around, Blogger kept crabbing at me that I wasn't using properly-formed code in my old template, which has got me stumped. I've always made an effort to do so, and my HTML editor didn't catch anything.
So, this whole ordeal has made me consider chuckin' it all and switching to a new look/template in the future ... Hmmm.
Reading Marco's post, Blogging is a desert experience, triggered a bit of reflection on my own part (which is a darn spiffy aspect of the new media, don't ya think?) ... What's my overall goal of noodling around with this dinky blog o' mine? Why take the time to convert the stuff in my head into pixels that, in all likelihood, will hardly ever hit others' eyeballs?
Marco speaks of trying to write for writing's sake, and that's what I'm trying to do here, too -- what I've been trying to do here from the start, though not with consistent success. And I certainly don't want to limit myself only to that kind of posting, because c'mon, this is me we're talking about. :-P I've gotta include the occasional goofy bits and other things here (and gratuitous The B =^..^= pictures!), but I appreciate the reminder that my overall goal is to use this as a tool to reflect on my Franciscan/Catholic journey.
And if my scribblings spark a little something in others, bonus. If not, no big ... it's the process of organizing and writing out my thoughts that's the point, not page hits. Of course, that requires Structure And Discipline, which -- as evidenced by my small post count over 5 years -- I'm not quite known for. But it's a worthwhile goal, and one I'm trying to attain, continually beginning again. As St. Francis said, "Brothers, let us begin again because until now, we have done nothing."
So, it's been since March (!) since I last posted here, partly due to laziness (what a shock) and partly because of Blogger discontinuing support for FTP publishing, which is how I had my blog set up. And after reading their instructions (and subsequent reader comments) on how to get things working again, I suffered from a serious case of intimidation. So, laziness + intimidation = Way The Heck Long Delay In Doing Anything With My Blog.
But, I finally forced myself to tackle the technical bits (along with some great help from tech support at my web host), and if this publishes, I'll know it worked. If it does ::fingers crossed:: I hope to be a mite more regular in my postin'. :-D
OK, so when I jumped on the Twitter bandwagon last August, I was skeptical -- looked like a lot of boring chatter. And who would possibly be interested in anything I had to "tweet" about, anyway? But after nearly 9 months of twittering, I've changed my tune.
First, Twitter is an excellent way to follow trends and listen in on topics of popular conversation (rather like hanging out at a virtual water cooler), and I now use Twitter more than site feeds to see what's shakin' on the Intertubes.
I've also found that, while it can be hard for me to hammer out a whole blog post here, it's way easy -- and a heckuva' lot less daunting -- to dash off bitty 140-character updates. Plus, it's a quick way for me to remember articles, videos, and music for my own future reference. For example, when I hear a piece by a composer I'm not familiar with, I'll post a quick tweet like this one:
Then before I head out to the library to check out CDs, I'll look through my Twitter archive for ideas.
Even better than all the above, though, is that, thanks to Twitter, I've had the opportunity to meet and get to know lots of wonderful folks I otherwise wouldn't have. And for folks I already knew, it helped me learn more about them. It's great for following their daily routines, seeing when they're sick, stressed-out, happy, excited, struggling with pokey technology, figuring out what to cook for dinner ... all the little details that go into making up their lives but that you normally wouldn't hear about.
So, if you're on the fence about giving Twitter a spin, I encourage you to give it a try! (And give a holler if ya do.) :-D
If ya still need more convincing on just what in heck Twitter is all about and why it's of value, see the following:
"Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) it to make more disciples. I'd like to take the opportunity to award five other bloggers with this award and badge for acting in the role of a disciple of Christ. These five all share the message in their own creative ways, and I admire them all for what they do."
Winnership rules: Winners must pick five other 'disciples' to pass it on to, so here are my five picks in alphabetical order:
Causa Nostrae Laetitiae. I appreciate the effort Leticia Velasquez puts into sharing timely news stories and resources. I always learn something when I read her posts. You rock, Leticia!
Domine, da mihi hanc aquam! Philip N. Powell, OP is a shining example of Dominican Splendiferousness. Thanks for taking the time to share your solid homilies and insightful comments with us, Father!
Young Fogeys. Right there, ya gotta love a blog with a title like that. And Fr. Jay Toborowsky's postings run the gamut from serious to silly; always a good read.
So, I was boppin' around the blogosphere and just came across NaBloPoMo: National Blog Posting Month. The premise: You simply post something to your blog every day during November, which is a handy kick in the creative pants. And a lot less intimidating than what inspired it, NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month. (Which I also think is Most Cool, btw.)
Unfortunately, as you can see by this post date, I'm joinin' the party a bit late, but what the heck. Speaking of joining, the only thing I'm not thrilled 'bout with NaBloPoMo is that you have to first create an account with Ning, and then you can officially join NaBloPoMo. I've nothing against Ning, mind you, it's just signing up there will result in Yet Another Username And Password I Have To Remember. :::sigh:::
Oh, in case you're wondering what's up with the bad grammar in the NaBloPoMo badge, it's an homage to the inspired hilarity of I Can Has Cheezburger? ;-)
Blog Day -- what a nifty event. The purpose: On 31 August, bloggers 'round the world introduce others to 5 new blogs they may not have heard of. While the 5 blogs I'm sharing aren't necessarily new -- they've been around for awhile -- they could be new to anyone who stumbles 'cross this post.
So, in alphabetical order, here are my entries ...
The Creative Tech Writer. I, too, work as a tech writer, and you've probably no idea what in heck that is. S'okay, nobody else does, either. I appreciate Jenny's musings on the industry.
Funfurde. Tagline: "Funky. Furniture. And. Design." This blog always uncovers stuff with the quirkiest, coolest, or just plain weird designs. Never a boring read.
HamsterTracker. Mathijs A. van der Paauw's site does just what the name says, it tracks his hamster, Lucy 3.0. See how far Lucy ran each day. Examine her stats, like max speed and total distance covered. Swoon over adorable pictures!
Holy Cards for your Inspiration, in which Micki shares a new holy card every day, along with a prayer or quote. I'm a total holy card junkie, so this site feeds my addiction nicely. There's a big variety of artistic styles among the cards, which I also love. Thanks for sharing all those lovely cards, Micki!
Melissa Rambles On, my pal Missie's blog. There's a huge amount of variety in her posts -- everything from knitting and sewing projects to cool Halloween-related links and musings on the nature of blogging. Good stuff.
CFotD #1: A huuuuuuge thanks to Fr. Jay Toborowsky for finding the following cool video, "A Day in the Life of Pope Benedict"! (It's in German, but really, who cares? It's the Papa!)
Well, what a dandy-fine surprise! Barb, sfo of SFO Mom tagged me, so of course I have to play along! An' awaaay we go!
"Wish You Were Here" Meme
Who are the five Catholic (or Christian) bloggers whom you would most like to meet in person, but have not (yet)?
:::putting on thinking cap and stroking imaginary beard:::
Lesse ... soooooooo many splendiferous faithful Catholic bloggers out there! OK, I'll see if I can mash 'em down into 5 ...
Barb, sfo of SFO Mom (Hey, Barb, if we both attend a Quinquennial, we could actually meet in person! Not sure if I can go to the one this summer -- you goin'?)
And I'm again shamelessly borrowing Barb's tagging method -- if you're named above, consider yourself "tagged"! Tho', it's not like I expect any of the above-mentioned folks (excluding Barb an' Maria) to actually read my lil' B-list blog. :-P
Updated: Well, I couldn't just do 5; I snuck in another one. :-P
Lured by the siren song of Blogger Beta's tagging feature (which they stubbornly insist on calling "labels", even though everyone else says "tags"), I switched over to give it a spin. I went through all my posts and tagged 'em, republished my blog to make 'em active, aaannnd ...
... kept getting the following error message:
org.apache.commons.net.ftp.FTPConnectionClosedException: FTP response 421 received. Server closed connection.
And not all of my posts got tagged -- some did, some didn't. (At least, that was the deal the last time I checked.)
I started searchin' through Blogger's help -- no luck. Looked through the Blogger Help Group -- lots of techno-gobbledygook that was beyond me. Did a general web search -- again with the technobabble.
:::stream of verybadwords:::
Yeah, yeah, I know it's a beta version and therefore has bugs. But still, I'm grumpy.
Back in August, Blogger added the ability to tag posts in their new beta version, and they've finally let us existing users play with it now.
So, I've been going through old posts and tagging them (handy!), but annoyingly, Blogger is republishing stuff to my site feed. (Gaah!) I'm also trying to figger out a way to get a list of my tags (or "labels" as Blogger insists on calling 'em) to display in my template's sidebar. What a headache! I've been spelunking for code samples through their Help section to no avail. (Can anyone point me in the right direction?)
As I flail around getting all that put together, I apologize for any code weirdness that may pop up. And the gosh-darned webfeed republishing with gobs of entries. :::grumble:::
I've long wanted to incorporate a way to tag and categorize my posts, but alas, Blogger doesn't support that feature. Happily, lots of smart folks have come up with work-arounds, and I think I may give FreshTags a spin. (A downside: It uses JavaScript, and not everyone has JavaScript enabled in their browsers.)
So, while I'm flailing around with that, the site and my posts may look wiggy for a bit. Hopefully, I'll understand everything perfectly and nobody'll ever see anything goofy. Realistically, there'll most likely be code goofs popping up everywhere until I figger it all out.
Anyhoo, ye be warned.
Update: Well, what d'ya know? As soon as I posted this, I read Blogger's notice about their new beta features, one of which is the ability to tag and categorize posts. Looks like you have to create a new account in order to play with the beta stuff, though. :::grumble:::
One thing I absolutely love about this ginourmous tool called The Internet is the way it leads me into nifty things -- be they widgets or thoughts -- from folks I'd never have discovered otherwise. The latest instance happened just a few minutes ago when reading this RealTechNews post.
I hadn't paid much attention 'afore to all the chiclets that display at the bottom of every post there, but for whatever reason, I did today. So much color! So many icons among 'em that were new to me. Must ... click ... pretty ... squares ...
Clicking the co.mments one led me to Cool Find of the Day #1: "Use co.mments to bookmark posts you want to follow. It tracks new comments for you, so you don't miss out. You can see all the new comments from your tracking page, or subscribe to the feed." Well, ain't that a dandy-fine idea! Gotta poke 'round there some more, and also see if there are other comment-trackin' doodads out there to compare it to.
Reading through the site's blog lead to CFotD #2: This great article on the walls comin' down in the blogosphere, and how some established bloggers get antsy over what they see as new voices "encroaching on their land and their fortunes", and their resultant attempts to "circle the wagons against the newcomers". A most fascinating read that I never would've encountered otherwise.
Anyhoo, that be it for now. 'Scuse me while I click more purty chiclets ...
Spiffyness! I recently stumbled 'pon Amateur Catholic and was charmed by their aim:
"... Home of the Amateur Catholic® bloggers -- or as we like to refer to ourselves, the B-team. We don't write books or do speaking tours. In fact, we barely do our jobs. That's not to say we're unambitious though... You see, this coalition is just the second phase our blogosphere conquest. We suppose you could think of us as amateur crusaders too.
"... If you are Catholic and a blogger, but you don't make any money off your Catholicism, you're automatically an Amateur Catholic®."
Of course, I had to apply for membership, and I've been accepted! Thanks, guys! :-) Will be adding a sidebar link for 'em in a bit.
Oooh, ooooh! I mentioned earlier about lookin' for other Secular Franciscans in the blogosphere, and lo! I found SFO Mom, and I'm likin' what I see so far ...
Just came across CatholicBlogs.com, where you can "Search for articles from Catholic blogs, or browse the directory of Catholic blogs and RSS/Atom feeds. Hundreds of articles added daily." I have no clue how ya can get a site added to their search and just sent 'em an email asking about that. (I did poke around first!) Hope they'll send a reply, since I'd obviously like to add mine. ;-)
So, anyhoo, I played around there a bit and did a search for "secular franciscan" -- am clickin' through some of the results now. While I do like that you can save your search as an RSS feed, it doesn't seem to actually work, 'cause when I tried to view the feed itself -- no entries were in it.
Update: Spiffy! I got a quick and friendly reply from Tim at CatholicBlogs.com yesterday, and while I still don't know how sites get added to their search, he said they added mine! w00t! He also noted that the problem I had with saving searches to RSS feeds has been fixed, and it looks like it's workin'! :-)
When I started playing around with social networking sites/services in 2007, I asked myself: 1) what exactly I hoped to accomplish, and 2) what my rules of conduct were. I never really formalized those beyond the nebulous "share and grow in the faith" and "be yourself".
