Catholic Drinkie

‘God’s Good Opinion of You’ – on the ‘Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious’ blog tour & Win

Vabs — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:42:21 +0000

I am honored today to serve as the Day 2 stop on a book tour for the new book Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood.

Written by Pat Gohn, one of my role models and also a dear friend, Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious illustrates to women of all ages the beauty in God’s gift of womanhood. You must read this book. And lucky for you, I’m giving one away!

Pat has graciously recorded an audio piece to go alongside this blog post. Take a few minutes, grab a cup of coffee/tea and let Pat lead you in prayer, deepening the Lord’s love for you as a woman.

This chapter on “God’s Good Opinion of You” brought me to tears as I read it. So many of us struggle with allowing ourselves to be loved, especially by God. Let Pat journey with you to see how much you are loved – no matter what. This particular segment talks about Psalm 139 and God’s knowledge of us in the moment of our creation.

Listen to ‘The Catholic Drinkie hosts the Blessed, Beautiful, & Bodacious Blog Tour’ on Audioboo

As you pray, think about this quote from Pat’s book and allow God to work on your heart:

Before leaving here, enter for your chance to win a copy of this amazing book! To enter to win, leave a comment below by April 26, 2013. One winner will be randomly selected to win a copy of Pat’s book, Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious. It might just change your life. I know it did mine.

Reflect and share on this quote from Benedict XVI …

“Each of us the result of a thought of God.” Homily, April 24. 2005.

You’re invited to continue following Pat on her blog tour, where you’ll have opportunities to learn more about the book through audio excerpts. See the entire schedule here.

Order Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood

Habemus Papam!

Vabs — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:34:12 +0000

Today the Cardinals elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina who took the name POPE FRANCIS I!!

So you’re probably wondering … how do we celebrate?

First. Pray. Pray for Pope Francis. Pray for Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus.

Second. Learn more about Pope Francis!

Third, eat some steak! Those Argentinians are known for delicious steaks! And if you’re looking for something to accompany it … Quilmes is the most popular beer in Argentina!

Habemus Papam!

The Potential to Be

Vabs — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:04:46 +0000

I was honored a few weeks ago when the USCCB reached out to me and invited me to write a blog post for them during the week of the March For Life. It’s called “The Potential to Be” and they posted it today. Please visit and share with your friends!

Cheers,

Vabs

Guest Post: Why I Homebrew

Vabs — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:23:22 +0000

Recently I was talking with a friend of mine who homebrews and also happens to be a fantastic priest. I thought it would be interesting to have Father Kyle Schnippel give us his take on the glory that is homebrewing. Father Kyle was ordained in 2004 and serves as the Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. You can find him on Twitter @fatherschnippel.

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Hello! Don’t change that channel, your regular host will be back shortly, but Sarah was kind enough to allow me to fill in a ‘guest post’ over here at Catholic Drinkie. I’m honored to be asked!

I am Fr. Kyle Schnippel and work as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and have done so since July of 2006. Shortly after I started in the Office, I began my own adventures into the wild world of St. Blogosphere’s with the publication of Called by Name, a blog for some thoughts on vocations, general Church life and a place for me to meander through quiet afternoons.

However, after a few years of blogging, I reluctantly joined the ‘New Wave’ of Web 2.0 and joined up to Facebook and Twitter. With the ease of use, I publish way more content there lately than Called by Name, so feel free to look me up and ‘give me a follow.’

So, I think I have covered the Catholic and Social Media aspects of this little foray to Catholic Drinkie, but what about that whole ‘drinkie’ part?

Well, it started when I needed a hobby and was getting upset that after Christmas of last year, I could not find any more of those strong, spiced, Christmas and Holiday ales. A buddy of mine was a homebrewer … (Can you see where this is going?) What finally set me over the edge was visiting a friend in New York City last spring, and lo and behold, in their tiny apartment, they homebrewed! As a gathering of priests was also present, a Vocation Director from a neighboring diocese mentioned that his aunt and uncle owned a home brew store, and well; let’s just say it was my ‘follow the star’ moment and I soon was driving home with a trunk stuffed with carboys, fermenters, jugs and bottles, ready to begin the wild adventure into homebrewing myself.

Off I went, starting with some simpler entries of a porter and a witbier, I soon found that my appetite loved these new creations I was making and wanted to get deeper and deeper into this little hobby. (Caveat: like any hobby, you can get as deep into things as you want, including costs!)

From that initial Porter and Witbier, I have produced Imperial Stout, Scottish Ale, Wee Heavy, Pumpkin, Red Ale, another Porter, among other things; and am shortly bottling an imperial stout that has been aging for a month in a small bourbon barrel, my mouth is already watering!

As word has gotten out about my little ‘hobby,’ I have had to answer a few questions as to why I am doing such a thing, I mean it does take time and I do not always have that in abundance, you know? A few answers readily present themselves:

As a priest in general and as Vocation Director in particular, it can sometimes be difficult to see the results of one’s labor. I can work with a guy for several years prior to his entering the seminary; or maybe he never enters, or enters and leaves; is that the path God wanted him to be on? If so, did I say and do the right things to help him? I scatter a lot of seeds, and see so few ripen before me, it can be frustrating. Having a hobby that takes some time, some brain power, and cooperates with God’s divine plan in a tangible way can break some of the frustration that naturally occurs with this position.
Wait, what, did you say ‘cooperates with God’s plan’ in the previous paragraph? Yes, I did. Beer is, after all, alive! (No, this isn’t just a clever slogan by Guinness, beer is actually alive!) The heart of what makes beer beer is a living thing: yeast. The art of homebrewing is creating an environment where the yeast can survive and thrive. But ultimately, when you pitch that yeast into a five gallon batch of wort (pre-fermented beer), a little prayer never hurts that the yeast will wake from their slumber and do what God intended: turn simple sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide!
I get to share! The best part of homebrewing is that I get to share my creation with others. I have invited friends over to brew with me, I have brought supplies to parties, doors have been opened at airports and other venues; and let’s face it, who doesn’t like to talk about beer????

Interestingly, so often in my work as Vocation Director, I talk about the initial call that God gives to each person; they way we answer His Divine Call, is by giving life; after all is not this one of the reasons that Jesus came? (I have come so that you may have life, and have it abundantly!) When we share something that we have toiled to create; when we share something that is a reflection of who we are; we share a bit of our life with others. And that makes it way more than just brewing a few batches of beer, it makes us one with the fellowship of the Saints.

Let us rejoice in God’s many gifts, that we might share them generously!

A Weekend in Baltimore: Bishops, Bloggers and Beers

Vabs — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:00:24 +0000

So I’m WAY late to the party on blogging about my amazing November weekend in Baltimore … but I spent most of the month of November on the road before undergoing a knee surgery that’s been a lot more paralyzing than I had planned for. So forgive me.

Wanna read about Cardinal Dolan? Keep going … it’s worth it.

During the summer via my good buddy Tom Pringle, I received an invitation to attend a meeting with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to talk with Bishops from across the United States about blogging (and social media). What an honor! As many of you may already know, I work in social media as a trainer and an account manager so my day to day life is filled with statistics and news on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, blogs, Reddit, etc etc. I was excited to hopefully share some of my knowledge with some of the leaders of the American church – and maybe have a run-in with Cardinal Dolan.

Okay, so confession: That wasn’t all I was excited for. As with any event where us Catholic social media geeks get together, I expected some merriment and “community building” (code for bar time!). As I always do wherever I go, I researched and found a couple great beer spots within walking distance of the hotel … then found out who else would be in attendance, sent some emails and put together a Catholic Drinkie Tweet-Up for the Saturday before the meeting. I think it’s fair to say we had more than a lot of fun (let’s put it this way: Some things are best left at the bar).

We had quite the crew in attendance at both the bars we patronized: Tom Pringle, Father Kyle Schnippel, a very good friend of mine who lives in Baltimore named Jakki, Father / Friar Matt Foley (another local), Steve Nelson, Lisa Hendey … and Rocco Palmo even showed up for a cameo nightcap.

We began with an afternoon libation at the Heavy Seas Alehouse. Heavy Seas makes some really solid beer so I was excited to see what was in store. They are known for making more cask-conditioned beer available than any other brewery in the United States – they certainly didn’t fail us! I think altogether we tried every beer on draft.

Notre Dame was playing that evening and I wanted to stake out a spot at our next bar to ensure we got a seat in front of a TV. We migrated to Max’s Taphouse where the beer list was tremendous and we could all find something to enjoy – by we, I mean I selected beers for everyone. It was such a wonderful day/night of community filled with laughter, theological discussions and generally getting to know each other face to face! I had met Fr. Kyle, Lisa Hendey and Steve Nelson before so it was great to see them again, but especially wonderful to finally meet Tom, Frather Matt and Rocco. I’m blessed to call each of them friend.

Beers at Max’s

Then it was Sunday. The big day! I was growing nervous in anticipation of what the meeting would hold for all of us. We learned a lot. They delivered the CARA report to us on the state of social media usage by Catholics across the United States. Some things shocked me; others didn’t. But what rang out for me the most was the real conversation the Bishops in attendance wanted to have with us about how we, as successful users of this medium, suggest they use it. There was a genuine interest, a sincerity, present and it was so refreshing to see.

My super sweet official nametag

I had the privilege of chatting with Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wis. in a small group setting. He is a joyful, gracious leader who is doing great things for the Church (he’s fighting the good fight to keep the non-profit status for the Church there post-election so pray for him!).

Following the small group break-out, Bishops asked bloggers questions and Bloggers asked Bishops questions. The Bishops posed many interesting questions. And me being me, I got up and gave a short speech on the importance of social in ministry and some basic learnings I typically throw out as best practices. Some would say I ranted … others would say I was teaching. Guess the world will never know.

Encourage your Bishops to embrace social … to make it a real priority. We must get ahead on this one!

It was a pleasure to meet so many powerhouses in Catholic social media that day in addition to my Tweet-Up buddies: Kathy Schiffer, Mark Shea, David Cheney, Mary DeTourris Poust, Brandon Vogt , Tom McDonald, Leah Libresco, Deacon Greg and anyone else I forgot! Keep it up, y’all. You inspire me daily.

Catholic News Service did a nice video recap of the meeting … I may have a cameo or two! Check it out here: http://youtu.be/PoWELOMCbjU

It was an epic weekend overall with the feel of a retreat and a vacation all rolled into one. It energized me in a big way for several reasons: I was able to spend time with peers, having real, true discussions about the future of the Catholic Church; it was FUN; I got to meet some amazing leaders in the U.S. Catholic Church; AND I had some tasty beer!

A few more pictures from the weekend for your enjoyment:

Mass with all the Bishops … it was amazing. TOTAL. CATHOLIC. GEEK. OUT. (Also, I received communion from Cardinal Dolan who celebrated this Mass. I thought I was going to explode with glee)

Bloggers with +Cantu of San Antonio (photo credit: Lisa Hendey)

Bloggers with +Chaput (Philly) & +Gomez (LA) (photo credit: Lisa Hendey) +Chaput and I shared a moment over our knee issues. We promised to pray for each other. What a humbling moment it was to talk with him.

Oh you thought I was done, didn’t you? I left out one important person from this weekend … so. It’s a well-known fact that one of my dreams is to have a beer with the Pope and/or Cardinal Dolan. While I didn’t get to buy him a beer, I did get to talk with Cardinal Dolan before Mass one morning! I stood there among the leaders of the U.S. Catholic Church in awe (just ask Fr. Kyle cause he was making fun of me for days following) … when I saw +Dolan walk in to prepare for Mass.

I did some light stalking before taking a deep breath and walking up to him to say hello. I introduced myself and told him why I was there (he didn’t attend the Saturday meeting). I talked with him about how I always make it a point to attend Mass at St. Patrick’s when he celebrates when I’m in NYC on a Sunday. I also told him about my passion for young adult ministry, especially through my blog. This piqued his interest.

Then I asked him the all-important question: Your Eminence, what is your favorite beer?
His reply: Well, I’m from St. Louis so it has to be Budweiser.
I looked at him very politely and said: What about a real beer, Cardinal? We can do better.
He took a second to think and said: Well, I also enjoy a Stella Artois (and something else to which he asked me not to tell the whole world – buy me a beer and I’ll tell you!).
I thanked him and asked for a photo (mad props to Tom Pringle for snapping the pic). He then invited me to contact him for coffee (or a Bloody Mary) next time I’m in NYC. You’ve got a deal, Cardinal.

I am so blessed to have been part of this weekend. I will cherish these memories forever. Thanks to all my friends. I hope to see you again very soon.

Cheers,

Vabs

Catholic Mother’s Companion to Pregnancy – Book Tour

Vabs — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:51:13 +0000

To celebrate the launch of her new book, A Catholic Mother’s Companion to Pregnancy: Walking with Mary from Conception to Baptism, Sarah Reinhard invites all of us to spend her blog book tour praying the rosary together. Today, she shares this reflection on the Ascension:

Did Mary’s heart break just a bit when her son ascended? It marked the end—the real end—of his time on earth, after all, and the last time she would see him here.

Change is exciting, and it’s terrifying too. Christ’s Ascension marked a change for the early Christians. They had the risen Christ after the horror of the crucifixion. Now he was returning to heaven. What next?

Jesus gives us all a lesson in the Ascension. He goes to where he’s supposed to be. Where are we supposed to be? For me, that changes depending on the day or time. Am I sup- posed to be on the floor with a preschooler reading a book, or am I supposed to be in the kitchen preparing dinner, or at my computer finishing a work project? I can’t bilocate (though I keep trying), so I have to choose.’

When I look to the Ascension, I see clearly that I’m supposed to be with Jesus. Jesus goes to where he’s supposed to be; he doesn’t hang around for an extra few years giving his followers extra instructions or backup plans. He’s in heaven and I’m not, so it’s a little harder to figure it out, but he has given me all sorts of instructions, if only I’ll listen. When I open myself to the Holy Spirit and the still, small voice of God, I know the peace of making the right choice.

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As we pray this decade of the rosary, let’s hold all those brave women who have said yes to difficult and challenging motherhood in our intentions in a special way. Don’t forget, too, that we are praying for an increase in all respect life intentions as part of our rosary together this month. (If you’re not familiar with how to pray the rosary, you can find great resources at Rosary Army.)

Our Father . . .

10 – Hail Mary . . .

Glory Be . . .

O My Jesus . . .

You can find a complete listing of the tour stops over at Snoring Scholar. Be sure to enter to win a Nook (and any number of other goodies) each day of the tour over at Ave Maria Press.

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When Sarah asked me to host her book tour, I leapt at the opportunity. Not only is she an AMAZING woman, but I’m proud to call her my friend!

Some of you may be thinking … uh, Drinkie, you’re single, right? And don’t have any kiddos? Why are YOU hosting this? Well, let me just say while I don’t know what it’s like to be pregnant (Yet! One day, God-willing), I’ve walked with quite a few friends now through their beautiful pregnancies. What a gift this book is! I will definitely be giving it to all my friends when they are blessed with a baby in their belly! I have a great fondness for Our Lady and Sarah’s book truly allows women to connect with Mary and the experience of getting to know the Lord better through the blessed gift of woman and pregnancy.

Besides, Sarah likes a good glass of wine and a virtual porch party … you can’t ask for better friends than that!

So pick up her book for yourself if you or your wife is pregnant … and give it to your friends! It’s a resource that will be treasured for years to come.

Cheers,

Vabs

Making Daily Mass a Part of Your Schedule

Vabs — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 20:06:01 +0000

I hope fall is treating you well. Those of us in Atlanta have woken up to weather in the 40s the a few mornings! Hoodie time!

I wanted to share with you my latest ramblings over at Integrated Catholic Life: “Making Daily Mass a Part of Your Schedule.” This has been an amazing addition to my life. To my friends who have encouraged me … thanks. I’m grateful.

I should write about beer again soon. Next time … can someone add more hours to the day so I can get more done? THANKS!

Cheers,

Vabs

Speaking: Faith on Tap Kick-Off

Vabs — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:26:45 +0000

Hey ATL friends! I’m giving my first talk on Wednesday, September 19th at 7pm. I’d love to have y’all come out and support me! I’m kicking off a Fall series called Faith on Tap. The name of my talk is: “ReTweeting the Gospel: Real Life Applications to The New Evangelization.” We’ll be at Manuel’s Tavern, 602 N Highland Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30307. Feel free to use the below graphic for any promotions! Thanks and see you there!

The Curse of Over-Commitment

Vabs — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:42:37 +0000

I’m always busy. Just ask any of my pals. It’s a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because they are (mostly) good commitments and often in service of the Church. They bring me great joy. A curse because it keeps me so busy that often times I feel run down or stressed or over-stimulated thanks to these commitments.

I often struggle with my commitments because I miss out on other fun, social things that come up last minute … or I’d rather be a lazy bum and sit on the couch, drinking a beer and watching mind-numbing TV. But a commitment is a commitment.

This week I found myself running around more than usual. I had two church meetings and many preparations to make for a weekend filled with some work, baseball, football and a party at my place. These are all good things: I get to hang out with friends and build the community my heart so desires and I get to be in service to the Church through the work that needs to be done.

After daily Mass this morning, I was talking to a couple friends about the upcoming weekend and what I was up to. After telling one of them what my next 36 hours looks like, she said, wow, you’re busy. I received a similar reaction from a friend earlier this week when I told him about the upcoming weekend. He said “You don’t like quiet weekends do you?” That really made me take pause when I realized really just how busy I keep myself.

Do I keep myself busy because it’s what I’m being called to or do I keep myself so busy because I’m avoiding the inevitable introspection that comes from the quiet? Part of me thinks it’s a mix, with a heavy dose of the latter. And I know exactly what I’m avoiding.

A few weeks ago, I watched the movie Hugo. It was truly heartwarming and I enjoyed it. While watching the movie, I had some thoughts about how it greatly correlated with the spiritual life.

There are two things we desire:

1) To be loved. Unconditionally.
2) To know our greater purpose in life.

The main characters in the movie discuss and ponder what their purpose in life is. Hugo believes his is to fix machines as he is saddened when they are broken and therefore can’t fulfill their reason for existence. The girl, who is an orphan, says “I wonder what my purpose is. Maybe if I had known my parents, I’d know what it is.”

The movie made me think that discerning your vocation is challenging no matter your age or family circumstances. I couldn’t help but think, though, that the reference to her parents could also mean God the Father when applied to the spiritual life. Perhaps if she got to know God the Father, she could find her reason for existence. Her vocation.

I often think I keep myself busy to avoid discerning what my greater purpose in life is. I struggle with where I am now: Single, turning 29 in a couple weeks and often feeling unfulfilled as I adventure through life. Despite my knowing it is truly one of the deepest desires of my heart, I avoid it by filling my time with things that are good … but things that are not always allowing me to see the BIGGER picture for what God is calling me to because I am BUSY and not PRAYING or listening.

We’re all on this quest. This search. To fulfill what God is calling us to. But what am I doing to discern this?

Well, I’ve heard the call of God to slow down. Seriously this time. I’ve said it time and time again and I’ll make an effort for a couple days before I fall back into my old ways. Heck, I even went on a 3-day silent retreat in July in an effort to be more open to God speaking to me.

But this weekend, I can do something about it again. I am going to take time on this long, holiday weekend to pray. To offer myself to the Lord in silence and peace in order to hear His call. I’m going to find an hour to put away my iPhone, turn off my computer, TV and all other distractions and spend time with the God of the Universe, the One who loves me more than anything. My life depends on it.

Name Catholic Drinkie’s Pumpkin Beer

Vabs — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:13:00 +0000

I brewed a pumpkin ale with some pals in Cincinnati over the weekend. Now to come up with a clever name for it and a logo for a label. Vote for your favorite here.