[00:00:02] Speaker A: Welcome to Faith Break.
Finding God moments in your everyday.
Each week on Faith Break, hosts Karen Luke and Ann Gallagher bring spiritual refreshment to your daily life.
In our new season of Faith Break, Karen and Anne will be exploring the different seasons of life, the many ages and stages, the flow of the liturgical year, and the ups and downs of living faith.
What season are you living through today?
And what do you want to remember?
[00:00:45] Speaker B: Hi, everybody. Welcome back to Faith Break. I am Ann Gallagher.
[00:00:48] Speaker C: And I'm Karen Luke.
[00:00:50] Speaker B: And we are co workers, friends, ministers, moms, wives, all things. And we are here to help you find your God moments in your everyday life.
[00:01:01] Speaker C: Yes.
And it's a new season.
[00:01:03] Speaker B: We are so excited to be back after a bit of a hiatus for season two.
Yeah, it feels like it's been a long time, but it also feels like it's time to get back into this.
[00:01:13] Speaker C: Yeah, it is definitely time to get back into this. I've actually had a bunch of people ask, oh, good. If we were gonna be doing it anymore, and I was like, oh, yeah, why wouldn't we?
[00:01:23] Speaker B: We just had a couple of life things that came up and kept pushing our start date back, but that's okay.
[00:01:28] Speaker C: And a positive note, we got an email from the diocese who actually wants to use our podcast for their Advent calendar.
[00:01:38] Speaker B: Yeah. So look forward to an upcoming Advent episode. Will be publicized as part of the diocesan Advent stuff, which is very cool.
All right, Karen, let's talk about God moments, because we always like to start off each episode.
[00:01:53] Speaker C: Do you wanna start.
[00:01:55] Speaker B: You start your God moment today.
[00:01:56] Speaker C: So this week, I guess we are filming early, remember? But yesterday we did a team building fun day together as a staff.
And my God moment was. It was the whole day just hanging out.
[00:02:14] Speaker B: It was a really nice day just to be together with our team and not do any work.
[00:02:19] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:02:19] Speaker B: Very relaxed.
[00:02:20] Speaker C: Yes.
But we carved pumpk and we had, like a little pumpkin contest, but we don't really know who won.
[00:02:28] Speaker B: It wasn't a contest.
[00:02:29] Speaker C: It wasn't really a contest.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: But we didn't vote on anything.
[00:02:31] Speaker C: No, but my pumpkin is sad. So it already, like, it's already limped. I had to, like, put all these popsicles, like, not popsicle toothpicks in it.
But my God moment was just before lunch. We played Balderdash.
[00:02:47] Speaker B: In my family, we just called it the dictionary game.
We had a dictionary game.
[00:02:52] Speaker C: There's an actual game, right?
Well, yeah, there is. Is a board, I think.
But for those that don't know, Balderdash is a game where there are Real words, right. That are, like, super weird, crazy that you wouldn't ever think about.
And then you come up with a definition, and somebody writes the real definition. And then you try to pick to see who has the real definition.
And it was just fun because there wasn't anything but laughter and joking around and figuring it all out.
And Father Rob was hysterical. He just wanted points.
[00:03:32] Speaker B: So he kept voting for himself.
[00:03:34] Speaker C: Voting for himself, which totally defeats the purpose.
[00:03:37] Speaker B: And then other people started just voting for themselves, too.
[00:03:40] Speaker C: Yeah. And I was like, that's not the point of the game, guys.
[00:03:43] Speaker B: But we had so much food. It was so much fun.
[00:03:45] Speaker C: The food was great.
It was just. That was just. My God moment. Cause we're so used to just being in staff meetings together or at Mass and just doing all these different things that. Just hanging out together.
[00:03:58] Speaker B: It was a real gift.
[00:03:59] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:04:00] Speaker B: Actually, my God moment is connected to our staff day yesterday as well. Because, like, Halloween, I don't know, it's not one of our favorite holidays in our family. I mean, we always do trick or treating with the kids and stuff, but I've personally never been a big get a costume person, like, as an adult or whatever. And I missed the meeting where. The staff meeting where we planned the day. So I had read the minutes and stuff, but they were like, costumes optional or something. And I was like, oh, I am not wearing a costume.
It's too much work. It's too much. But we. Well, one of the things I'm sure I'll be talking about in our season this year is that I recently lost my mom over the summer. She was in a car accident. And then after about two months, she died as a result of her injuries.
But we're gonna talk about that later today. My God moment is that my mom was a second grade teacher for, I don't know, 30 years, and then a kindergarten teacher for the last few years of her career. And so she had all these, like, truly awful, like, sweatshirts and sweaters for all of the holidays. Like, you know how.
[00:05:14] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:05:15] Speaker B: She was a teacher through elementary school.
[00:05:16] Speaker C: Teachers, 80s and 90s.
[00:05:17] Speaker B: Yes, exactly. So they're like. I mean, worst things I've ever seen. And when we were cleaning out her clothes, I was with Bridget, my daughter, and I'm like, oh, my God. I mean, she had, like, bins of them. And Bridget's like, we're keeping them. And so like, a couple of weeks ago at Bridget's school, they had, like, Spirit Day. And the day was like, pick whether you want to be a little kid or like an old person. And she's like, I got the perfect thing. It covers both. And she wore this, like, Halloween sweatshirt that had, like. I mean, like, glitter and pumpkins and a lot of collar. Yeah, it was a lot. It was a lot. And I was like, okay, I'm gonna do it. I'm not gonna wear this in public. And I'm not gonna give Jeff a picture to put on.
Why? It looked. Because I said, I'm only gonna wear this in front of my staff.
But it was cool. Cause I showed up and everybody was like, this is not.
[00:06:07] Speaker C: What are you.
[00:06:08] Speaker B: Yeah, this isn't. I was like, it was my mom's. And then everybody, like, hugged me, and it was just a very sweet. Yeah, it was just a good day. And I'm never wearing it again. But it served its purpose. And I felt very close to my mom, and because I was wearing it. And I felt very close to my team because they were supporting me, have been supporting me through everything that we've gone through in the last few months. So it's been a lot. It was a good day.
[00:06:33] Speaker C: I love those.
[00:06:34] Speaker B: So, yeah. Okay. So we are heading into November. When all of these first few episodes air. We're gonna be right in the middle of November, which is an interesting month, really. In the year we got in the.
[00:06:47] Speaker C: Beginning, we have All Saints, All Souls. So we're remembering about our family and other people and our saints. And then we get into Thanksgiving, and it's like, gratitude.
[00:07:01] Speaker B: And then we're like, adventure. And then it goes to Adventists.
And this year, we have the National Catholic Youth Conference is right before Thanksgiving. And Karen and I and Jeff are all going as chaperones.
So I'm sure we're gonna have lots of stories in upcoming weeks about all of these awesome things that are going on.
[00:07:21] Speaker C: I was actually thinking about that as I was getting ready this morning. I was like, I wonder if Jeff could bring something that we could do. A podcast at ncy.
[00:07:29] Speaker B: Yes. Okay. Jeff giving us a thumbs up.
[00:07:31] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh, I am so excited.
[00:07:33] Speaker B: We should do a special, like, live. Not live, but, like, with footage from our time there.
[00:07:37] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, the. That are going. Your daughter. My daughter. Jeff's daughter.
[00:07:41] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:07:41] Speaker C: And oh, my gosh, I'm just so excited.
[00:07:44] Speaker B: It's gonna be so great. And I so need and see what I see right now. Cause it's my favorite thing I ever did.
[00:07:49] Speaker C: And I'm gonna be exhausted for Thanksgiving because we drive to Indianapolis.
[00:07:55] Speaker B: Right. 10 hours overnight.
[00:07:57] Speaker C: Yep. But we get home Sunday morning, and Then Tuesday night, I leave with my family to drive to Illinois.
[00:08:04] Speaker B: Yes, but at least you won't be on a bus.
[00:08:07] Speaker C: No, I won't be on a bus, and I'll be in the front seat, so. Or Dr. Driving, but. But it's all great.
[00:08:13] Speaker B: It's a great time of year. It's a great time of year. We have good things going on.
[00:08:16] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:08:16] Speaker B: All right, so this is Faith Break, season two, episode one. And we decided for this second season of our podcast, we might think a little bit about a theme for this season. So we thought, you know, we're in a certain season of life.
[00:08:34] Speaker C: I think I'm in eight different seasons, depending on the day.
[00:08:36] Speaker B: Yeah. And so is everybody else.
So our theme for season two to be, like, seasons of life. And we're hoping to get some fun guests on who are experiencing different. Maybe chronological seasons would be part of it, but also other things that could happen at any age. But it's just like a season in your life when you're dealing with a certain set of gifts or challenges. Right.
And I got this idea, I was reading a week or two ago, an article that was written by a man who was in his 80s, and the article was all about how the things he loved about being in his 80s. Okay. And he made the comment. He's like, the 80s are, like the October of your life.
[00:09:19] Speaker A: Huh?
[00:09:20] Speaker B: And I was like. And he's like, and Octobers are beautiful, right? Because. Not that, you know, I mean, October.
[00:09:27] Speaker C: I'm partial to October because my birthday month.
[00:09:32] Speaker B: And I was like, what a lovely way to think about your life that, you know, like, when you're. When you're rounding the bend on the last stages, that you can just appreciate the beauty that's around you. And then I thought a little more deeply about the math, and I sort of questioned it because I was like, well, if the 80s are October, like, I'm not sure what the 90s and the hundreds are gonna. How old are you in December then? If you're in your 80s in October. But the general idea, I thought was really beautiful.
And then I got thinking, well, okay, if that's true, what season are. Are we in? In our 40s, right? Like, so high summer, isn't it?
[00:10:10] Speaker C: Like, probably.
But I was talking. Shauna, our. Our admin was telling me yesterday or a couple days ago, whatever, it doesn't matter. That midlife crisis is now, like, 35 to 45. Because the age of living is.
The age expectancy is, like, now 72, 73. Okay, so we're Technically, midlife crisis age, where that usually was in the 60s.
[00:10:45] Speaker B: Interesting. And I heard of the quarter life crisis that happened. I thought the quarter life crisis happened when you were 25 and the midlife crisis happened when you were 50. That's what I mean.
[00:10:55] Speaker C: I guess I never had a quarter crisis. I mean, my 20s were great.
[00:11:01] Speaker B: Yeah. You were working in the church for all your 20s.
[00:11:03] Speaker C: I mean, I've been working in the church all my 20s, my 30s, every decade.
[00:11:09] Speaker B: I know.
[00:11:10] Speaker C: It's like, yeah, I got married in my 20s, I had my kids.
Yeah. I don't. I can't think of a reason why I would have a crisis.
I was also listening to the radio the other day, and they were talking about looking at different age groups of how much you have to make to feel successful.
[00:11:34] Speaker B: Oh, boy.
And like, I think I want to know.
I don't want to know.
[00:11:39] Speaker C: Well, I mean, this kind of makes sense because the younger kids have no con. No conception of time.
[00:11:45] Speaker B: Right.
[00:11:46] Speaker C: And no conception of money or anything.
[00:11:48] Speaker B: Or like, what a normal salary is for different jobs.
[00:11:51] Speaker C: Gen Alpha.
[00:11:52] Speaker B: Who are like, the ones who are kids.
[00:11:53] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:11:53] Speaker B: Little kids now.
[00:11:54] Speaker C: Yeah. Or maybe it was Gen Z. Okay. It was either Gen Alpha or Gen Z. But they said like $550,000 and the. And the boomers were like 100,000. And I was like, where is that $400,000 gap?
[00:12:16] Speaker B: What did the Gen Xers say?
[00:12:18] Speaker C: The Gen xers were like 81,000.
So. But it was just so funny. It's like these kids have no concept of what things cost. But maybe by the time they're old enough, things might be.
[00:12:32] Speaker B: Maybe that's just because they're a kid.
[00:12:34] Speaker C: It might be their kids.
[00:12:35] Speaker B: Good Lord. We can hope. All right.
Yeah. Okay.
[00:12:38] Speaker C: I love living in the 80s and 90s. I mean, I have a.
[00:12:41] Speaker B: Haven't grown up in the 80s and 90s. Have you grown up in the. Yes. Yeah. No, I think we got the best of a lot of work.
[00:12:46] Speaker C: I think so, too. No offense to any of the other ones.
[00:12:48] Speaker B: We're in that kind of, like, micro generation that had, like, kind of an analog childhood.
[00:12:53] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:12:53] Speaker B: You know, like, so we didn't have, like, phones and we had computers, but it was like Oregon Trail.
We got dysentery and like, Karen broke.
[00:13:04] Speaker C: A leg and died.
[00:13:05] Speaker B: That's what happened to us on the computer.
But, like, there's no record. There's no digital record.
[00:13:11] Speaker C: No.
[00:13:12] Speaker B: On the Internet of our childhood or our adolescence. Right. So that's a blessing.
But by the time we got to our young adult Years we did have that, you know, so we kind of. We can flow with the technology stuff, but it's not. It didn't impact our childhood.
[00:13:27] Speaker C: Right. Do your kids ever look at, like, when do you have an actual camera that has film?
So. We do.
[00:13:37] Speaker B: Yes, we do.
[00:13:38] Speaker C: But my kids always were like, let.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: Me see the picture.
[00:13:40] Speaker C: It's like, there is no image on there. It is not digital.
The only time we can look at this is after the film is, you know, is produced or whatever. Like, there is nothing you can see before that. Well, let's open it up. Don't open it up.
[00:13:55] Speaker B: Yeah, no, no, no. Everything else. Right.
[00:13:57] Speaker C: But it's like, there's no concept of. Of what I think that's why, like.
[00:14:03] Speaker B: My kids are really into, like, Stranger Things and, like. But there's a bunch of shows that are popular right now that are very, like, kind of nostalgic for, like, the 80s and 90s. Cause they. We had so much freedom growing up as kids.
[00:14:14] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:14:15] Speaker B: And teens, but all right, okay. I know. So, okay. Seasons of life. We're in the same.
We're in. Yeah. I don't know what month it would be according to our lives, but I'm very.
[00:14:24] Speaker C: Feel like it would be hot. Summer.
[00:14:25] Speaker B: There's a lot to do, man. There is a lot. Like, think about it, like, farmers. Right. The summer is when they do, like, spring, summer, harvest time, all their work.
[00:14:34] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:14:36] Speaker B: Long days are long. Days are long, days are long. So much sunlight, so much to do.
Everything kind of crammed in. Right.
[00:14:44] Speaker C: But I don't feel like summer vacation.
[00:14:46] Speaker B: It is not summer vacation mode in your 40s. No.
[00:14:49] Speaker C: There's no lounging at the beach in your 40s.
[00:14:53] Speaker B: No. And I think that's part of the other blessing of this time of life, too, is that I think you have to kind of set priorities and boundaries in a way that if you don't, your life will be consumed by other people's expectations. And all of the things you have to do, you have to learn to say no to things.
[00:15:14] Speaker C: So, yes.
I told Jeremy a couple months ago, I was like, I can't wait to be in my 70s and 80s, where I can just be miserable and people accept it. Because.
[00:15:26] Speaker B: Grumpy old lady.
[00:15:27] Speaker C: I could just say whatever I want because it's accepted, you know, like, now it's not accepted. I couldn't. Not that I would be grumpy anyway. I don't think I would be able to be grumpy, but.
[00:15:36] Speaker B: No, you're not grumpy.
[00:15:37] Speaker C: It was just funny. It's like, you know, there's the certain people that you're like, oh, they're just. That's just them, so. And we love them. We love them for who they are.
[00:15:46] Speaker B: But the expectations are totally different, though. When you.
Did you ever see, like, on social media? Have you heard of the We Do Not Care club?
[00:15:54] Speaker C: Possibly.
[00:15:55] Speaker B: It's this lady and she.
It's for women in, like, perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause. And she does these posts on social media where she reads announcements with a highlighter. And they're all the. She just lists the things we don't care about anymore.
And it's just. It's like that kind of like that moment that, like, there are things that are important and we're gonna focus on the things that are important. Yeah. And then there's this whole list of crap that is, like, people tell us we have to pay attention to, but we're realizing we don't have to, that those are not things that we have spent time.
[00:16:27] Speaker C: I'm beginning to realize that, like, social expectations and social norms are not my friend right now. Like, yeah, no, I am so good with a cup of tea and a book sitting on my couch.
[00:16:41] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:16:42] Speaker C: And that is.
I'm so a perfect Friday night. Yeah.
[00:16:47] Speaker B: Unless it happens to be your birthday, in which case we're gonna go ahead. Yes.
[00:16:52] Speaker C: My birthday was last Friday.
I know. How good.
[00:16:57] Speaker B: That's the only thing I came out of the house for, though, recently, on a weekend night to show you how much I love you.
[00:17:03] Speaker C: I feel honored. I think it's the only time my dad would come up.
[00:17:07] Speaker B: Right.
Oh, man. I don't know. But yeah. Because I think, like, this season of life that we happen to be in, it's really exhausting, like, the level of care we have to give to our kids, to our parents, to our jobs, like, to our kids. I know you're big into, like, the extracurricular activities that your kids do and organizing things for that.
It's just a lot. It's just.
And it was intensified even more for me this summer when my mom was in the hospital for so long and we were basically in crisis, doing, like, every day, going to visit her, handling the paperwork, handling the bills and the like. And the unknown. Right. Yeah. I mean, you have to. At this point of life, to survive. I think you have to kind of, like, re.
I don't know, just take a real good look at, like.
[00:18:02] Speaker C: What you're really.
[00:18:02] Speaker B: Spending your time and energy on and where God is calling you through all of the people that you have to take care of.
[00:18:08] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:18:09] Speaker B: And that can be a real challenge.
[00:18:11] Speaker C: I was talking to a family at our parish, and he was like, I have this meeting with you, and then I have to take my son to basketball, pick up my daughter from Dan's, take her to soccer, and they have three kids, and I'm like, oh, wow, I'm busy with one sport right now. I can't imagine adding all the other ones.
But when we had our kids, we made that decision that we weren't going to do.
[00:18:44] Speaker B: You're gonna do one activity.
[00:18:45] Speaker C: One activity. We weren't gonna do, like, travel all year.
And, I mean, it works for us, you know, and.
[00:18:53] Speaker B: Good.
[00:18:53] Speaker C: I'm glad that, you know, other people can handle it and do it, but I was like, I'm exhausted just looking at how some of the families are and.
But they're still, like, connected in church, you know, So, I mean, it's not like their priority is everything, but.
And that's what I find really exciting about all the families that are coming in. We have so many families that are either coming for the first time after being away for a while or just reconnecting and want to make it a priority. And it's just so, like, wonderful to meet them where they are. And I wish that my parents had that when I was growing up, because I don't think when we were growing up, faith was so different. It was like this. It was an expectation.
There was no.
[00:19:51] Speaker B: Like, you were following the rules. You were just following the rules.
[00:19:53] Speaker C: We were just going. Yeah, but now I'm not saying that there's not rules and guidelines and things like that, but I think one of the things about us being ministers is that each person we meet at their point in their life, it's not a cookie cutter.
[00:20:13] Speaker B: And the gift that community, Faith. Community can be.
Oh, my goodness. Like, when we were going through everything this summer and fall with my mom, and we just, like, were overwhelmed. We were overwhelmed by the trauma and the emergency and trying to take care of our kids who are watching their grandma suffer and, you know, me watching my mom suffer and, like, to have a faith community to fall back on at this time of my life in this season where things were so, so difficult. Like, I personally, I don't know how people get through crises without a faith community.
I mean, like, our people showed up at my house with meals with, I mean, prayers, with cards, with just so much support.
[00:20:56] Speaker C: And.
[00:20:58] Speaker B: I think one of the things that our particular generation right now in our 40s, might be dealing with is that so many of our peers don't. Aren't connected to a faith community in any way. And so it's like I'm just where is it, where is it coming for you? Yeah. When, when your parents get sick, when your parents die, while you're still dealing with teenagers in a full time job. And like where, like, where do you pull your strength from? Like having a faith community has just been so comforting and life giving and life really life saving for us. I mean, yeah, there's such a blessing in being able to rely on other people like that, you know, whereas sometimes.
[00:21:41] Speaker C: People, you know, and I can see where people move away their faith in crisis.
But similar, you know, we had a family event where my cousin was murdered and it just was like again the faith community, my family together. And there was nothing that swayed me from my faith even though I was really upset and frustrated and everything like that. But, but yeah, I just.
We are your faith family.
[00:22:15] Speaker B: Yeah, I know.
[00:22:17] Speaker C: I don't know how we got on that, you know, but they were talking.
[00:22:19] Speaker B: About like the blessings and challenges. Yes, the blessings and challenges of being at this, in this season of life when there's so much work to do.
I mean, yeah, one of the hard things about our culture is I think like the nuclear family is so isolated in ways that previous generations weren't when they, you know, when you had a village, you had a village. When you had a big extended family, you had a big extended family. And when you had a church, you had a church.
And you know, for some of us now it's just not right.
Like I'm, I'm so. Well, the other thing that really helped us with through my mom's illness lately is that my aunts and uncles showed up. You know, my parents are boomers and they had a lot of siblings and I was very touched by how my aunts and uncles showed up to take care of us. I wasn't really expecting it, but that like extended family, you know, like your cousins aren't your cousins, like some of the best relatives ever, like. Cause they know, they know everything you grew up with, but they don't have the baggage of you're like your siblings too all the time, you know.
[00:23:25] Speaker C: And we say that like when my cousins and I do, we used to get together for Christmas like when we were younger. I mean it was like.
And I've mentioned Sunday dinners at my grandparents house and I don't think I've, you know, I'm the youngest on my mom's side of the cousins, and I'm one of the oldest, like, in the middle of my dad's side. But whenever we do get together, it's either for some crisis or somebody's funeral, like, somebody's wedding. And I'm like, why aren't we getting together in between?
Because when we are together, it's so much fun.
[00:23:58] Speaker B: It's weird. Like, there's a season where everybody gets married, and then there's a season where everybody has babies, and then, like, you don't have another season until the funerals start happening. It's sad.
[00:24:08] Speaker C: I know. I know. Now I'm watching my cousin's kids, who I babysat, get married. It's like, oh, my gosh. Like, it's just crazy. It's crazy.
So a question that we were talking about is, like, looking back on this time of your life, like, from a distance. From a distance, yeah. What is something that you wanna remember about this craziness of where we are in our season?
[00:24:37] Speaker B: I just hope I don't miss.
I hope I don't race through it so much that I don't remember it.
[00:24:46] Speaker C: Yes, I can see that. Yeah.
[00:24:47] Speaker B: Like, I feel like. I don't know. I did this a little bit when my kids were babies. Cause I was so tired, especially. Cause Liam never slept. But, like, we love you, Liam, but never slept. And, like, you know, you look like you're just trying to get through the days. Like, I know I. And I do. Like, I cherish. I did cherish those times when my kids were babies. I did. But, like, it's all. It's a little bit of a blur.
And I don't want to look back five years from now, 10 years from now, and, like, when I have an empty nest and, like, feel like I didn't land in my own family enough for these precious years that our kids are still in the house for, you know?
Yeah. That's what I hope I. That's what I hope I have is. I hope I have, like, time to look back on. That's just, like, small family moments of these years, I guess.
[00:25:45] Speaker C: Yeah.
So speaking of that, Jer and I were cleaning out our crawl space and cleaning, and we have so much stuff, and I can't believe we've been in our house for 19 years already. That's crazy how.
But I found boxes of, like, Emma and Connor stuff that I was keeping and their. Their baby things, their baptism candle, and the stuff in their room that we used to decorate with. And I'm like, oh, that's so cute. And then Emma Like, I can remember Emma's first word. I can remember when she started walking and crawling. And Connor's like, well, what was my first word? I'm like, second child.
Let's call grandma.
[00:26:27] Speaker B: I was like.
[00:26:29] Speaker C: And I like, the same thing. I feel horrible that I can't remember. Like, I can't recall it in my brain that I have to actually look up things for him.
So I'm hoping the same thing. I'm hoping that I can, like, make those memories with him.
Okay, here's my thing. Now that the kids are older, I do have a different relationship with both of them.
[00:26:56] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:26:57] Speaker C: And so we make sure Jer and I make sure that we have date nights for ourselves. But we started doing date days with the kids.
[00:27:04] Speaker B: So fun.
[00:27:05] Speaker C: So, like, one on one things. And I think that that's really important because if it's both of them, it's too much for my brain to, like, pinpoint.
[00:27:14] Speaker B: Your kids have very different personalities.
[00:27:16] Speaker C: Oh, they are so different.
[00:27:17] Speaker B: Yeah. So they would probably want to do, like, different things to have special time with mom and dad. But it's so funny you said that, because when we were cleaning out my mom's soap, we found. I didn't even know these existed, but we found that she made baby books for me and my sister.
I had no idea they existed. They were, like, at the bottom of a box in a closet with things.
[00:27:35] Speaker C: You never saw them before?
[00:27:36] Speaker B: No, I didn't know. I never knew she had made them. And mine as the oldest child is like, it's meticulously filled out.
Everything is. I didn't even have time to read it because we were just, like, cleaning things out.
[00:27:49] Speaker C: And then I found Jeannie's the first page.
[00:27:53] Speaker B: She had a couple pages that were filled in, but she's like, this is so typical. And I was like, jeannie, do you want your baby book? And she's like, why? There's nothing in it.
I'm like, listen. It was like, my mom went back to school, too, when we were like. I mean, like, it was just so.
[00:28:11] Speaker C: Like, there's so many pictures of my brother because he was the first born, the old.
[00:28:15] Speaker B: The firstborn.
[00:28:15] Speaker C: He was boy first in our family. The first grandchild on my dad's side. And it was like, ha.
And then my sister came 18 months later.
[00:28:26] Speaker B: Oh, geez. They didn't have that.
[00:28:27] Speaker C: And there's like, hardly any. And then I came 10 years later, and there was, like, all these pictures of me in color and everything.
[00:28:32] Speaker B: So it was like a second. A second first child. Almost.
[00:28:35] Speaker C: Yeah. And my sister's like, not only did you have lots of pictures, but yours were all in color. I'm like, they didn't have colored cameras.
[00:28:41] Speaker B: Back when you were little, so that's awesome.
[00:28:46] Speaker C: Yeah. So oldest, youngest, two totally different. Yeah.
[00:28:50] Speaker B: That's awesome.
Yeah. But right. So it's like you want to look back and have. Even if you don't have a book, a photo book or whatever, like, to have.
Have spent the time well. And I think that's some of the challenges. Well, this is a challenge for me in my work, but also in my family life is. Sometimes I can get. I can get discouraged because I feel like the love that I spend isn't appreciated or is. Or that it doesn't matter whether it's working with young people at church or, like, wanting your, you know, the dreams you have for your own kids. And, like, everything you. You know, like, sometimes it just doesn't.
It doesn't feel like it matters. Like, somebody I even saw a friend of old friend of mine from high school posted something on social media lately. It was, like, texted their kid, I love you so much. And the kid texted back, okay, okay.
And I'm like, I have totally been there. I've been there. But, like, that's just a funny example of, like, sometimes it's. It's a lot harder than that. And you. Like, when you're.
Oh. It can feel like all the things you're doing are not seen and that they don't make a difference in the end.
But we know that, like, no love is ever wasted. Right. Even if it doesn't bear a particular fruit you're hoping it will bear. So I think that's another hope I have when I look back at this period of that, I can look back and I can feel like the love mattered, even if certain things didn't pan out the ways you had hoped or expected them to. Yeah.
Yeah.
[00:30:18] Speaker C: What was that one? I don't even remember where it came from, but it was a saying, like, do everything in love and make your meals in love and do laundry in love and gratitude. And I'm like, okay, I'm doing my laundry.
[00:30:38] Speaker B: I know.
[00:30:38] Speaker C: I know.
I love you. I love you for having so many clothes.
[00:30:45] Speaker B: I was thinking about the, like, scripture passages because we. And. And the one where. It's one of my favorites when.
Well, in some gospels, it's an unnamed woman. And at least one. It's Mary of Bethany when she washes Jesus feet with her hair or the expensive perfume. And Judas is like, that money should have. That was. That's a waste.
That's a. That gesture is a waste. That money should have been spent on the poor. Right. And Jesus comes to her defense, and it's like, she's got. She's done a good thing for me. Right. Her love, her action matters. And her love is not waste. This is not a waste.
[00:31:17] Speaker C: Right.
[00:31:19] Speaker B: So I don't know. I think that that's something that gives me hope and encouragement, is like picturing Jesus looking at what we're doing with our lives right now and being like, you're doing a good thing.
This isn't a waste.
[00:31:33] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:31:34] Speaker B: Because there's a lot. It's like I said, high summer, plowing and planting and reaping and watering and feeding and all the things we're doing every day. The list is so long.
[00:31:45] Speaker C: Right.
[00:31:46] Speaker B: FAFSA forms for college and swimming fundraisers.
[00:31:53] Speaker C: I know.
It's funny, because my mom said something to me the other day, and she's like, are you taking care of yourself?
And I was like, yeah. She goes, I'm worried about you. And I was like, why do I not look like I have it all together?
[00:32:09] Speaker B: I have to tell you something.
When my mom was in the hospital, your mom sent me a card and told me to take care of myself. That's so sweet. You're the nicest mom.
[00:32:19] Speaker C: I love that.
But it was like, Even though I'm 45, my mom still worries about me, you know? Like, it's so sweet. And I was like, yes, I'm fine.
But, I mean, we're always worried about something, right? And I always laugh because I was like. When I said that to my mom, I'm like, what? I don't look like I have it put together. You know, it's like. But we never know what somebody is going through, right?
[00:32:48] Speaker B: Right. You never know what someone else is carrying.
[00:32:50] Speaker C: No. And so just being there and listening and being present, I think is the best thing that you can do for somebody in that time. And one of my scripture passages that I was thinking about in this time of my life, where I was like, am I confused? Am I having a crisis? And I was like, I don't feel like I'm having a crisis. I would say, like, a midlife crisis. But I'm definitely. I feel like I'm in chaos.
[00:33:25] Speaker B: There's so many balls in the air. There's so many balls in the air. So Philippians, it's very chaotic.
[00:33:31] Speaker C: Yeah. So Philippians chapter 4, verse 6 was one of mine. And it was, do not be anxious. About anything. But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
[00:33:45] Speaker B: Cause this is more than we can handle.
[00:33:47] Speaker C: Just.
[00:33:48] Speaker B: Here, just take it.
[00:33:50] Speaker C: But you know what's funny is make it known to God. Doesn't God already know that?
[00:33:55] Speaker B: I'm like, he knows, but you can still, like. But I think, let it go.
[00:34:01] Speaker C: Right? But I think, like, even though God knows, it's acknowledging it myself that I am in that.
And I like how it's like, do not be anxious. Okay, thanks. That's easy to.
Whenever I'm frustrated, the last thing I want my husband to say is, don't worry about it.
[00:34:21] Speaker B: Calm down, Karen.
[00:34:22] Speaker C: Calm down. You're overreacting.
[00:34:24] Speaker B: What?
[00:34:26] Speaker C: That's what I feel like God is telling me of this.
Don't be anxious.
[00:34:30] Speaker B: You're fine.
[00:34:31] Speaker C: You got it.
[00:34:32] Speaker B: Well, maybe one would be. And this is another one we've talked about. Remember, like, Peter in the storm, trying to walk on water. And, like, I was like, I'm coming. I'm coming out. I'm walking to you.
[00:34:42] Speaker C: Doing it.
[00:34:43] Speaker B: Sinking.
[00:34:44] Speaker C: Sinking, Right? Yeah. That's how I feel.
[00:34:45] Speaker B: Eyes on Jesus, everybody.
[00:34:47] Speaker C: Right?
[00:34:47] Speaker B: He's extending a hand.
[00:34:49] Speaker C: Like.
[00:34:51] Speaker B: Just let him pull you back up.
[00:34:53] Speaker C: Because, like, that one image, I don't know if you've seen, it's the painting, but it's Jesus extending his hand through the water. So, like, you're already done.
[00:35:05] Speaker B: You are already underwater.
[00:35:07] Speaker C: You're already done.
Just give it up and reach out your hand.
[00:35:13] Speaker B: That's where we are.
[00:35:14] Speaker C: That's where I am.
[00:35:15] Speaker B: I think that's the season we're at.
[00:35:17] Speaker C: I'm not even a duck anymore. That looks like I have everything on the water.
[00:35:20] Speaker B: But underneath your leg.
[00:35:21] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm just under, completely submerged.
[00:35:26] Speaker B: Well, that's your baptism moment, right? Yeah, that's your.
Yeah, okay. Yeah, yeah, that. Okay. That's a really good description of the season that we're in right now. I think. I think that's a good note to end on. Did you have anything else you wanted to say?
[00:35:38] Speaker C: No, I think we're good. I think we definitely went over our allotted time. So thanks for staying with us. If you listened to it all the way through.
[00:35:47] Speaker B: We haven't been at this for a few months, so we had a lot to say.
But for the remainder of the season, we'll be talking about all the different seasons of life, stages of life, and the different, you know, blessings and challenges and faith questions that come up with each of those seasons. So if you have any ideas about seasons that you would like us to talk about or ideas for guests.
[00:36:11] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:36:12] Speaker B: Brian is like, I want to come on.
[00:36:14] Speaker C: Or if you're in a season that we didn't mention, we would love to talk to you. And I think it's really good to figure this out together as a community and you're not alone.
You know, like, I love the fact that Ann and I are together in this and it's like, okay, it makes it easier. I would say so.
[00:36:38] Speaker B: So be in touch and pay attention to your God moments and we will see you next week.
[00:36:44] Speaker C: Bye.
[00:36:44] Speaker B: Bye, everybody.
[00:36:47] Speaker A: Thanks for taking a Faith break with us today.
Karen Luke and Anne Gallagher are lay ministers with the parishes of St. Catherine of Siena in Menden, New York, and Church of the Transfiguration in Pittsford, New York.
More about our parishes, including weekly live streamed Sunday Mass, can be
[email protected] or transfigurationpittsford.org Engineering Today is by Jeff Beckett. Join us for new episodes of Faith Break each week in Studio on YouTube or on your favorite audio podcast or music.
