Happy Advent!

You’ll be pleased to know I don’t have a single bit of real-life drama to explain why I suddenly dropped off the internet.  Just, you know, real life.  Errands.  Christmas presents.  Educating children.  Imprisoning chickens.  A little bit of teaching (fun), a lot of laundry (relaxing), and a dinner guest (seriously awesome, but of course we had to make the house 90% less disgusting in advance, plus cook half-decent food).

But here’s what happened at Mass the other week, before I ever disappeared:

I had this thought.

Now 98% of the things I think about during Mass have one very easy-to-interpret deeper meaning:

You need to quit daydreaming and pay attention to the Mass.  Hello?  King of the Universe visiting your neighborhood, right now?  Say hello, eh?  And He knows what you’re thinking, so just staring in the right general direction doesn’t cut it.

That’s the usual.

Here’s the unusual one: I should quit blogging for December, so that I can get the manuscript on the homeschooling book done.

For various reasons, I’m inclined to take that one seriously.

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By “quit” blogging, I don’t of course actually mean “quit blogging”.  My December CatholicMom.com column is up now, and fits right with the theme for the book.  Still on the horizon for this month:

• A textbook review at Amazing Catechists, of the new “parish edition” of Midwest Theological Forums’s excellent high school series.
• A review here of Forming Intentional Disciples.  (Go ahead and buy it.)
• My December column at New Evangelizers, which I think (this could change) is going to be about, “How do I evangelize when my parish stinks?”  Because someone asked me that.  I’m sure there’s more than one guy who has that question.

I think that’s about it.  Maybe some Catholic Writer’s Guild odds and ends, and I have fantasies of doing the long-awaited blog maintenance here, and tending to the SuperHusband’s photoblogs, but let’s just admit it, I have a rich fantasy life.  We’ll see.

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I adjusted the sidebar to reflect the reality that I’m not going to be reading much of anywhere either.   It’s just way too easy for me to get on the computer to start writing, quick go check just that one awesome blog I love so much (yours), and next thing I know I’ve spent an hour reading, and funny the family thinks I shouldn’t be glued to the computer all day (see: chicken prison, dinner guests, educating children, etc.).

***

But just because I’m not reading, doesn’t mean my many fine readers here are going to give it up. So in lieu of Tuesday Link Day, we’ll just have link month here in this post.  As always, 100% optional, just a little outlet for the people who like to e-mail cool links.

Have a lovely Advent, and beautifully Christ-filled Christmas, and I’ll see you in January. I’m thinking mid-January, let’s go ahead an give me the whole season, okay?  I’ll be back with a manuscript.  Ready to be passed around for evisceration.  If you’ve ever been edited by me, you know you want a chance to wield the Pen of Death.  That’ll be your chance.