Encountering Truth

For our honeymoon, Scott and I traveled to Italy. It was Spring, 2013 and we celebrated Easter there. At this time, Pope Francis has just been elected and there was pictures of him everywhere. There was a certain energy in the air of it being Easter and it's hard to describe. I found out later that Pope Francis washed the feet of prisoners at a youth detention center in Rome for Holy Thursday Mass just before Easter. This completely endeared me to the Pope. I had never encountered the beautiful architecture of the cathedrals I saw around every corner and it was my first time going to the Vatican. Everything was covered in history and tradition and a sense of sacred faith.

Ever since my experience there I have been drawn to learn more about the Catholic faith and draw insight from Pope Francis. I decided to read Encountering Truth* a few months ago and have really enjoyed it. The book is a collection of Pope Francis's morning homilies he gives from St. Martha's Chapel. A little after seven in the morning, Pope Francis gives short little devotionals to a small audience of offices workers, priests, nuns and some journalists as well as gardeners. 

There are a total of 186 homilies in the book each with a date and a couple of Scripture references. The last one I read was spoked on November 7th and was about God's "weakness of love and joy of mercy". I have loved reading Pope Francis's inclusive language as he reminds everyone that we all belong and that we are all loved. He said, "He is a God who seeks, he seeks all those who are far from him. Like the shepherd, who goes to look for the lost sheep. The work of God is to go and seek, to invite all to the feast, good and bad. He does not tolerate losing one of his own" It gives me such great security knowing that we have a Shepherd who seeks and save and rescues the lost. And we are all lost from time to time. 

I like the rhythem of reading a homilie once a day or once a week. Each one is spoken with such warmth and kindness. It gives me a nugget of truth to ponder all day long. If you are looking for a different kind of devotional to read daily that refreshes the spirit, I would really recommend this one. 

*I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for this review

EIGHTEEN | Travel To Italy

Today's prompt: Tell a tale of traveling, a city or country you've been to or a favorite vacation.

I love traveling.

I am often trying to plan the next vacation or trip. There is something so exciting about researching new places, finding the cheapest ticket, learning a new culture, trying an exotic food. I have been on mission trips, family vacations and girls road trips but only one honeymoon so thought I would share about that.

For over a decade I dreamt of going to Italy. I read historical novels that were based in Rome and fell madly in love with the idea of traveling to Italy. Anyone read the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers? (yep…cheese head present) My sophomore year of high school our choir planned to go to Italy. I was so ecstatic about this potential trip despite my choir director being a bit of a challenging person to say the least… (I still have nightmares about her sometimes, she was neat. )

Anyway that year was when 9/11 struck. The 9/11 attacks reshaped so many facets of life in America and caused so much trauma on everyone involved. One of the more immediate changes that took place after the attacks was in U.S. airports. They passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act which in easy terms basically meant airports were not individually secured anymore (iffff I even understand this) Everything changed about traveling that year. All that to say, my parents were NOT comfortable with their 14 year old traveling that year.

Obviously there were much more traumatic things going on then a teenager not being able to go on her dream trip to Italy. However I was still sad and disappointed.

Fast forward 14 years and I am engaged and my fiancé is bound and determined to have us go on our honeymoon to Italy. 

I honestly don’t know how he did it. 

He was in graduate school full time and working at our local church and a coffee shop. I had just graduated with my masters and was now jobless after having spent thousands of dollars on higher education. 

This didn’t seem to take the wind out of Scott’s sails. He saved his every penny he earned in tips at the coffee shop he worked at (The Coffee Bean in San Diego) 

One time I came over to his apartment while we were engaged and he took me into his bedroom and showed me all the creative places he had hid his cash (Spiderman’s head…yes this is a bank, behind a…oh wait, I’m not going to give away this stuff!) I was blown away by all the cash stuffed in various places in his bedroom. He told me this was how he planned to take us to Italy. 

Literally we paid for our plane tickets with all the money he saved up. I didn’t contribute a cent much to my chagrin.

Italy was stunning. 

You know how you imagine something to be amazing and then you go and it’s not? Like your expectations are disappointed? It happens in life with conversations you hope to have, books you read, movies you watch and places you travel (ohhhh I didn’t see it in my head like this…) 

Italy was everything I had dreamt it would be. It was just as charming and romantic as I had hoped it would be. This alone was shocking to me. How could a place be this quaint and beautiful? 

We went to Rome and Lucca. 

Lucca is a city in Tuscany, next to the Serchio river, near the Tyrrhenian Sea and amidst old intact Renaissance walls. I fell head over heels for Lucca’s charm.

Scott and I booked through Air B&B and stayed in a spacious flat in the city. Every day we basically did the same thing. 

We slept in as long as wanted. 

We wondered outside, down the streets of Lucca in search of a pastry or croissant and a piping hot cappuccino. 

We explored the city, admiring Cathedrals, the Clock Tower, the city walls, and the Piazza. There were so many medieval churches with the most beautiful architecture and details, many as old as the 8^th century. 

At some point, we would stop for lunch. Scott would get pizza and I would get pasta. Everyone had always said that the pasta was amazing in Italy but I thought how could it be that good? It was that good. It was better. It was the best pasta I have ever had. I finished my plate every time and wanted more. 

After lunch we would poke around some shops or go rent bikes and bike up around the walls or within the cities. 

It rained every single day and I loved every moment of this welcomed change of weather for these San Diegans. I still have no idea how the people of Lucca had such astonishing balance to bike, carry their shopping bags and hold an umbrella??? 

In the evenings, Scott would make dinner of pasta and sausage in our little flat and we would have red wine and read. Later we would walk down to a local gelato place and try to use our best Italian.

I know when it comes to travel there is pressure to see and do everything. After planning a wedding, being in and out of school, working multiple jobs and many other life stressors Scott and I were so thrilled to get away and do nothing. We didn’t try to cram a million excursions in one day or put pressure on ourselves to do all things tourism. Instead I felt like the more I sat in the presence of this beautiful little place the more I could soak it up more effectively. I could soak up Scott’s presence and the fact that we were married now! My dreams came true. And it was okay to be happy and just let the joy wash over me.

Needless to say Scott and I tip generously at every coffee shop we encounter now. After all, we could be contributing to someone’s Italy fund!