resources

Advent Resources

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Waiting, waiting, waiting. I hate waiting. When I go to the doctor, I bring my Kindle with a book to read on it. When I’m at church waiting for Mass to begin (assuming I’m not running in the door at the last minute), I glance through the hymn sheet or the Missal for that day. Waiting for a television program to begin I can be found on the sofa reading the mail and checking my email. No one likes waiting.

Unfortunately, that is all that Advent is about: waiting for the birth of Christ.

It is not the fun, elf-driven, rah, rah, rah countdown to Santa Claus, but in some ways it’s better than that.

While we’re waiting, what is there to do? For me, it is reading, and soaking up more and more about the man and the Son of G-d. It fills me with such joy and leaves me wanting more that I can’t get enough. At the end of this, I will give you links to my resources, some I’m doing and others that I’ve found along the way this first week that I will keep in a folder for next year.

Father James Martin also describes Advent as a time for us to recognize our desires. This link will help explain what he means by that (and this related video). In this culture, we’ve grown accustomed to desire having a sexual connotation that we need to break out our open minds and our thesauruses. What do we truly desire in our relationship with Jesus?

While we are followers of Christ, we are also called to walk beside him. Not that we’re equal, but He is always by our sides, opening our eyes and our hearts to see and feel His love for us.

Two things that I keep reading this Advent season is mercy and forgiveness. Ironically, the two ideas that I struggle with the most. Certainly, their inclusion has a lot to do with the Jubilee Year of Mercy that begins next week. When Pope Francis first announced the Jubilee year, he offered the pilgrimage to those who couldn’t travel for one. The idea of a Pilgrimage is not something I can remotely entertain but then he did what he has done since his election as Pope – he made it accessible to all. He not only opened a door but he provided an opportunity that might want to go on pilgrimage but can’t leave their home area. I’m still discerning what it is I want out of a pilgrimage and my godmother gave me some questions to ponder, in addition to my own. That is my first step on whatever my quest might be.

It is also a time to slow down and really appreciate this time of the year. Chorus concerts, family dinners, baking cookies. We bustle through and complain about the amount of work and money and in the end we’re exhausted but happy but the slowing down of Advent is something we should all strive to reward ourselves with.

It’s the beginning of a new year. We’ve survived and thrived through so much. It’s time to celebrate and rejoice that and think of the beauty and spirit that’s coming.

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Local Mass and Daily Readings

Advent Moments of Mercy (Online Retreat from Loyola Press)

Loyola Press Interactive Advent Calendars

America Magazine Readings for Advent

Bishop Robert Barron’s Daily Email for Advent

Unto us a Child is Born – Henri J.M. Nouwen– my parish’s Advent Reflection Booklet

The LIttle Blue Book for Advent and Christmas Seasons, 2015-2016

The Living Gospel: Daily Devotions for Advent by Theresa Rickard

Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar

Acts of Kindness Christmas Countdown Calendar

Open These Doors for Refuge Advent Calendar

Link: Wil Wheaton: You Can’t Pay Your Rent with the Unique Platform and Reach our Site Provides

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Link: Wil Wheaton: You Can’t Pay Your Rent with the Unique Platform and Reach our Site Provides

I have actually learned more about writing professionally from Wil Wheaton than from any other individual source. He speaks on my level and he speaks honestly. He introduced me to POD (print on demand), and being my own best marketer. He’s led the way in new media and I’ve watched him traverse the new social media and show how to benefit from it, and is as close to a mentor as I could find in someone I’ve never met. I am full of respect for him, especially when he tells new writers how to be better writers and business people.

If you’re a writer and you’re not following him, you should.

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month – Resources

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This is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Here are some important numbers that you may need or find helpful if you have suicidal thoughts. While I am available to be an ear to listen through email or message, I am not a professional. It is always best to contact on of the professional helplines. That is what they are there for.

Suicide Prevention Help Line: 1-800-273-8255

The Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

IMAlive: (an online crisis network): https://www.imalive.org/

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, Press 1. Text to 838255. There is also a confidential online chat.

Recs – Organization Helpers

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Some of my favorite organization helpers, both on and offline:

Unfuck Your Habitat – obvious language warning. Great hints, tips, and motivation

The January issues of pretty much any and every women’s magazine on the newsstand, especially Real Simple, Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, and Martha Stewart Living. Those for will probably have a special organizing issue for the first two months of the year.

Day Planners/Schedule Keepers: I prefer Mead, which can be found at Target and Franklin Covey. Check online (Pinterest) for specialty downloadable ones.

List Apps: 2Do is what I’m currently using and I am very happy with it.

Note Apps: Notes and Sticky Notes are both very good.

Save/Read Later: Pocket(Read it Later)

Organizing your Notes/Note-taking: Evernote is the best there is, and can be synched between mobile devices, tablets, computers, and anyone’s computer through an internet browser. Don’t forget to sign out when you’re finished. Evernote also does what Pocket does and can be used for checklists.

Recs – Ambient Noise

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I was privileged to attend Evening Prayer with my friend, Fran who was offering the evening’s reflection. She wrote about it here.

In listening to her talk about Gordon Hempton, the acoustic ecologist, it reminded me of one of my favorite “quiet” spaces: lunch rush at the Cracker Barrel. I know it doesn’t sound much like a quiet space, but the background noise of conversations you can’t really understand the words of, clattering of forks on plates, glasses sliding on wet tabletops, the occasional laugh; is noisy to keep unnecessary things out of my head and keep the concentration in. I actually get my best writing done at these times.

Right then, about the second paragraph of her reflection, I knew what my Thursday Rec would be: those noisy/quiet spaces that help us center ourselves, whether we’re trying to write or think or pray our way, these are some of the places that have been recommended. I had most of these resources, but this Tumblr compiled a list for their readers. (Descriptions for 1 through 10 were done by the Tumblr user, belt. I’ve also added a couple more:

  1. Rainymood – Allows you to play rain, with suggestions of ambient music to play at the same time.
  2. Calm – A visually beautiful website. Provides moving backgrounds and an option for guided calm which allows you to immerse yourself in the music and to relax.
  3. Showertime – The experience of taking a shower without the water. Allows you to control features such as length of shower, size of room, water pressure, etc.
  4. Coffitivity – The background noise of a coffee shop. Allows you to choose between different locations such as lunchtime lounge, morning murmur etc.
  5. Soundrown – A website with a sleek minimalist design, allows you to choose between rain, coffee shop, ocean, fire, bird noises, or a combination of the five.
  6. Relaxing Snow – Visually beautiful falling snow, the website gives you the opinion to play music with the scenery, or to choose your own.
  7. Raining.Fm – This website gives you the ability to adjust the rain to exactly how you’d like it, with options to tweak thunder, rain and storm noises.
  8. Rain For Me – Simple rain effects with the option to download the audio files for offline listening.
  9. Snowy Mood – Inspired by Rainy Mood, this website really makes you feel like it’s winter.
  10. Rainy Cafe – Combines the sounds of a bustling cafe setting with the sounds of drizzling rain. Allows you to select the volume of each setting, or turn one off completely.

Others I’ve found:

  1. SoundTracker
  2. http://www.simplynoise.com/
  3. http://www.naturesoundplayer.com/
  4. http://www.calmsound.com/
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-qnBxzUv4g (thunderstorms)
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJCpgVc-8n8 (waterfalls)
  7. http://mynoise.net/

Of these, I’ve used Coffitivity and the YouTube videos. I’ve also recorded my own sounds at Starbucks, Cracker Barrel and the Cohoes Falls.

Enjoy whatever level of quiet that you like.

Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. I do not know how any of these will affect your computer, so please research or use you anti-virus to check them out before downloading any of them.

Rec – Mental Health Resources

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First and foremost, if you are in immediate danger to yourself or others, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

After my best friend, this was the second number in my speed dial directly after my diagnosis. My doctor told me that the medicine would help, but first, I would feel better about suicide and to be sure to have that number handy. Depression is a scary place, but it is much less scary in the light, and diagnosed and treated than hidden away or hiding from it.

Second, I think that these resources can be used successfully by all varieties of mental illness and mental health issues. We are all individuals and react differently to different stimulus. Try it, and if you don’t like it, try something else. You will find the support you need.

Some of the other resources/strategies I’ve found helpful:

1. I found wandering into church a good place to sit and contemplate. You don’t have to be a Christian to do this by the way. I knew, but it was confirmed the first several times I went during an off-hour that no one will bother you. No one will interrupt your contemplation, meditation, prayer. No one will ask you to leave and no one will ask you why you are there. It gave me a place to go when I had nowhere to go just to be, and to think.

2. Be alone in a crowd. I’ve recommended Starbucks before, and for a $2 cup of coffee you can sit and sip as long as you like in most places.

3. My Resource List (link here and on the left). There are phone numbers for depression hotlines, suicide prevention, grief support, and I hope to add more websites. Please comment with those that have helped you, and I can add them to my list. Currently, it’s exclusive to the US, but if my readers are from elsewhere in the world and want to share their resources, I will be glad to add them.

4. I get a lot out of writing therapy. It’s not necessarily a diary or journal, but all kinds of writing makes me feel alive. Is there something that you love to do? Try it again.

5. Later on this afternoon, I’ll be posting a Coping Skills Toolbox that I found online. This is an excellent resource and a positive thing you can do to help for those rough patches.

 

Good luck and my best to all of you.