Christine: Rambling Amateur Catholic

Okay, I can’t help it any more. (I am terrible at resisting temptation on the web for some reason.)

Hi, I’m Christine, and I am a blog addict.

I gave up computer games for Lent, but I didn’t include reading blogs, so I am now applying for membership on the B-Team. I’m an amateur Catholic because, despite being raised in the Faith, I only just read my first encyclical when Benedict put his out. I also did not know what an encyclical was until I was a married grown-up.

Other things that give me amateur status…I homeschool my children with Catholic curriculum and I find myself learning lots of neat stuff from my second-grader’s Religious Ed. Book. I had a scapular (two, actually) from my First Communion and didn’t know what they were about until about a year ago. Really. I didn’t know the mysteries of the Rosary until about three years ago, when I happened to watch enough EWTN to pick them up. I’d never learned the Hail, Holy Queen or the Fatima prayer until then, and I learned them by watching the International Rosary every day until I got them down. They say that really FAST on there. Too bad I didn’t think of just looking up the prayers online. My mother used to tell me that I’m book-smart, but didn’t have the common sense to come in out of the rain. I’m starting to think that it’s really true.

I’m also definitely not a pro because I fail every day to be the Christian I ought to be. I have messed-up priorities sometimes, I don’t always get through a whole Rosary in one day, I don’t remember to say grace half the time, and I definitely have a problem with pride. One day, I hope to get over all of these things, especially the pride thing. And I hope I won’t be proud of myself when I do. I spent a couple of years wondering why I was Catholic when I was exposed to Evangelical/Fundamental Christians (very good people, very sincere) until I heard a convert say that the reason she is Catholic is because of the Eucharist. And I knew I’d never, EVER leave the Catholic Church.

Things that threaten my pro status are few. I teach CCD, but naturally don’t get paid for that. I did apply to be youth director at my parish and I was not chosen, in spite of the fact that there were no other applicants at the time. (Wow…that really doesn’t threaten it, does it? Kind of affirms my amateur status…)

I’ve been running my blog, Ramblings of a GOP Soccer Mom, since the 2004 election cycle, and although it started out as a mostly-political blog, when John Paul the Great died, it began to morph into something with a LOT more Catholicism on it.

Hopefully, I’d be able to keep up with the amazing bloggers on this site, many of whom are on my Blogroll already, and quite a few of whom inspire me to read, learn, and link, link, link. (Do I get extra credit for brown-nosing?)

-Christine

http://ramblinggopsoccermom.blogspot.com

(oh, I hope I get to join the club…I hope, I hope, I hope…maybe they’ll let me sit at the Cool Kids Table!)

Haha Christine. After reading your last post in the comboxes I knew it was only a matter of time before you succumbed to the temptation of professed mediocrity. And yes...brown-nosing will get you anywhere. That's all part of our Amateur status, we don't have enough sophistication to dismiss the shameless and pathetic attempts of those trying to curry favor. We just like you all the more. See, here's a link just for being a sweetheart about it. Welcome!