in the last twelve months...

Hello dear friends and people I don't know. I'd like to start with a blanket apology for my lack of contribution to SisterBloggers... I really haven't lived up to the title of "contributor" at all!!

Since shutting down my personal blog (the nun thing) I haven't been around the blogosphere much although I am mindful of my friends ands sisters here and hold you in prayer from time to time.

I just thought I'd give a brief update on my life over the last year and invite you to do the same.

As you can see it's been close to a year since we've heard from anyone and I know I'd like a little update from whoever is out there and feels inclined. It doesn't have to be long or detailed, just the view from where you're at now.

In the last twelve months I've been living a much more geographically settled life as a novice sister. After six months of permanent transitition I landed in the Blue Mountains (west of Sydney) for a solid year of novitiate study and life. It's an incredibly beautiful place with plenty of bushwalks and stunning scenery around which I've loved exploring. Personally though the biggest gift of the year has been a deepening relationship with God and a more persoanl relationship with Jesus. That's been a challenging and at times painful journey but one of incredible gace and privelege.

My favourite realisation about God and me this year has been coming to the strong sense that

God wants to be for me what Spring is for a cherry tree

(which is apparently a thought of the Sufi mystic Rumi, though I haven't been able to find the quote!)

End of January Round Up

It's almost the end of January. What's going on in Sister Blogger Land?

A Nun's Life has great explanations of the differences between extern sisters, lay sisters and choir sisters.

Baya Thread shares a beautiful prayer for life.

Sister Sisters are the topic of the day at the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt Blog.

They're baking bread at the Monastery of St Gertrude.

OP Preach is celebrating the arrival of two candidates - a "Set".

Learn about the unique 83 year old Sister who got phone calls from Bono at The Life of a New Sister.


If I missed your blog and you'd like to tell us what's going on in your neck of the woods, feel free to use the comment box below!

It's a new year in Sister Blogger land ...

As the title of the post says, it's a new year in Sister Blogger Land. And I hope, in 2009, to actually update this page more than once in a blue moon! So, I give you my very belated Sister Blogger Roundup!

This is where I visit a random selection of our member blogs and give you a 2 second version of what's going on so you're inspired to visit them!

A Nun's Life is discussing the movie Doubt, with special guest stars, the Sisters of Charity!

Colwich Novitiate blog has had a change of personnel.

Light through Stained Glass Windows shares links to a variety of benedictine publications.

Monastics on a Journey is on an Elvis kick.

Seeking Sophie is looking forward to 2009 and hoping one highlight is her acceptance to the community! (February will be here before you know it!!!)

Ok, so that's not a complete round up, but it's a start!!!

Peace,
Susan Rose, CSJP

SisterBlogger Summer

It's summer .... what are the SisterBloggers (and discerningtobeSisterBloggers) up to??

Failte celebrated with some Sisters and is praying for patients on her discernment journey.

Baya Clare, CSJ is humming along and checking out beautiful scenery!

Susan, OSB shares her 4th of July thoughts

Edith, OSB wonders where all the buttons (and common fashion sense) have gone!

Vicky, OSB celebrates the day their first sisters arrived in 1852 (on July 4 no less!)

Susan, CSJP (yes that's me, but I also had to break the OSB theme!) was just accepted to profess first vows in October.

Sr. Anne is having a face-off with Facebook.

Sophie's Daughter is energized!

Sister Christer is preparing for a new ministry in the fall.

Sister Nicole is making up for lost time after her vows celebrations.

Happy Summer!

This Week In Sister Blogger Land

Yes .... it's a roundup. Hope I didn't shock you with this infrequent event!!!

This week in Sister Blogger Land ...

Ann is working on going to mass more often - and going to bed earlier so she's up early enough!

Newest SisterBlogger Failte had a run in with a bat. Eeek!

Contemplative woman is musing about the horarium and a dear friend of the monastery who has passed away. (Fr. George was also one of my teachers during my intercommunity novitiate program - he will be missed!)

Sister Vicki and her community are holding a vigil with one of their sisters who is on her final journey.

Susan at Musings of a Discerning Woman (hey that's me!) just sent her letter requesting to profess temporary vows.

Sr. Anne shares a bit about St. Barnabas.

Sandy is pondering the millennial generation.

Sarah is getting into the groove of novitiate.

And Nicole is on retreat preparing for vows!!!

Lot's happening in SisterBlogger land - that's for sure!

Peace.

G'day, g'day!

Hello!
Since Susan’s lovely welcome was such a long time ago I’m feeling a little sheepish about how long it’s taken me to pop in and post something. I’m sure all our SisterBloggers have been busy but here’s a little round-up to let you know what’s going on in the world of some (and apologies it can’t be all) Sisters-in-cyberspace.

• Abiding on the Fringes seems to have taken a decidedly anti-blogger approach by only letting wordpress registered people read the blog! Maybe it’s deliberate, but if it’s not “let us in! let us in!”
• Steph at An Unseen Hope is slowly getting back on the posting-wagon which is lovely to see. Although, if you faint at the sight of blood you might like to skip her most recent post – Steph’s been saving lives and has the photos’ to prove it!
• Cathy has been busy finding out about Worm Grunting. She’s been doing a whole lot of other stuff too but the worm grunting is a fascinating, and slightly disturbing thing!
• Anne is looking for a new job.
• At Flavour of the Month Claire Joy is reflecting on the nature of truth and balance, and the challenges of chasing either.
• From Where She Writes, Lisa is remembering Pope John Paul II and also Terri Schiavo
• Susan is sharing stories of Senator Hilary Clinton’s visit to Erie and making it to the print media in Faith Magazine
• Susan our SisterBloggers foundress is pondering being in the perfect place for her, now.
• Anne at Nunblog is considering who it was on the road to Emmaus
• Sandy at Nunsuch is celebrating the arrival of Spring as is our unnamed Sister at Peace Place. In Australia we’re just coming into Autumn so don’t be expecting anything like that from my end of the pool!
• After a beautiful first post Ashley at Pray.Seek.Live seems to have gone missing… hopefully to return soon!
• Seeking Something is building a fence (and knows so much about how it should be done I’m thinking she should fly over here to build mine!)
• At The Life of a New Sister, Nicole is excited about getting her approval to make first vows. Congratulations Nicole and may the preparation time be filled with many, many blessings!

What's up with the Sisters (and Sisters to be)?

I realized this morning that it's been almost FOUR MONTHS since I've updated folks on what's happening in SisterBloggerWorld. Of course if you're interested you can always click the individual blogs on the sidebar to visit our respective words, but the whole idea of this page was to offer periodic sneek peeks into life in the convent or discernment.

For example:

Ann is realizing that what people say is true ... she looks so much happier now that she's living with the Sisters. The hills are even alive with the Sound of Music!

Contemplative Woman shares about the importance of the Feast of the Transfiguration to her Redemptoristine Sisters ... so that's why they wear red habits!

Sister Nicole is counting down the days - but trying to stay present - until she begins her 2nd year of Novitiate and the world of active ministry. (Now that sounds familiar .... me too!)

Sister Anne saw In the Great Silence and is heading into silence herself.

Sarah is contemplating friends who are Sisters who might be her Sisters soon as she prepares to enter her community.

That Discerning Woman ... oh wait, that's me! Switching to first person, I share some reflections on my recent trip to visit one of my Sisters in El Salvador.

I've also got tips on how to use the Vision Vocation Magazine to discover the right community for you!

Now I've got to turn off the computer and get packing ... I'm heading on retreat in the morning.

What are the Sisters (and Sister-to-be) blogging about this week?

Yes, it's a (partial) round up. Miracles do happen!! If I missed your blog, feel free to let us know what's new in the comments!

• Anne's Sisters are going to meet her parents - a big step in any relationship, including religious life!
• Sr. Claire joy is musing about Thomas
• Sr. Steph has had 20,000 visitors to her spot in the blogosphere
• Sr. Anne wonders if you can have religion without spirituality
• Sarah shares what she'd do if she had all the time in the world
• Sr. Lorraine writes about the freedom of the gift
• Sister Christer shares some great quotes
• and Natty is raising some money via her new blog for a worthy cause - although your new blog needs to be added to the ring!