five things (vol. 1)

1. A Schedule for Blogging
I always want to put more into this blog, but find myself overwhelmed with "the blank page." So, following the example of ideas from Adam's Ale and other blogs, I'm going to try sticking to a schedule - having a certain kind of post for each day of the week (minus the weekends). This is what I'm thinking:

• Monday: will be dedicated to music.
• Tuesday: I'll do one of my "snapshot" posts (like this, for example).
• Wednesday: I'll talk about some priestly experience - sharing something interesting or insightful I experienced in my ministry.
• Thursday: Random thoughts, hopefully some longer writing.
• Friday: A list of five things (or five links) inspired by this sort of thing. This is the first edition of that.

Now, this doesn't exclude the random post about whatever I want, but it will, ideally, help me be a more regular blogger.


2. Speaking of Conversion Diary, I am really enjoying Jennifer Fulwiler's writing. She covers a wide range of topics from simple life lessons to using social media in the Church.


3. I recently read Frank Herbert's sic-fi epic Dune. At it's best it creates a deep, believable world and presents some interesting ideas about the way humans would think and act far in the future. My only real complaint was that I found that parts of it moved way too fast.
Unfortunately, I caught the movie version on BBC America while I was reading the book and I think it affected my perception. The movie is awful. Just plain horrible. Don't waste your time.
I considered picking up the sequel (the first of several) at a used bookstore, but just didn't find myself attracted to spending more time in that world. It was a little of a downer.


4. I'm always interested in reading about ways to be more productive. Lifehacker is a great site with endlessly interesting articles, like this one on more realistic to-do lists. I'm a big list maker, but I can identify with the danger of becoming overwhelmed with never-ending task lists.


Another helpful tip comes from zenhabits:

Identify the most important thing you have to do today.

Decide to do just the first little part of it — just the first minute, or even 30 seconds of it. Getting started is the only thing in the world that matters.

Clear away distractions. Turn everything off. Close all programs. There should just be you, and your task.

Sit there, and focus on getting started. Not doing the whole task, just starting.

5. Fr. Dwight on monks:

Now the thing I have always loved about the monastic founders--whether it was St Anthony of Egypt or Pachomius or Benedict--is that they didn't set out to start a 'movement'. They just did what they had to do. They were faithful to their vocation and calling. That others joined them, and that a movement developed was not only an unexpected growth, but often an unwelcome one at that.

Furthermore, they changed history, and that is also something they didn't set out to do. Anthony and Pachomius and Benedict went out to mind their own business, work hard, pray hard and study and be true to themselves and their God. They ended up preserving classical learning, laid the foundation for a new christendom, and established a refuge for what was left for civilization, thus planting a seed for a new civilization.