The perfect shopping partner

I like to shop. Who doesn’t? That delightful feeling of finding the perfect dress, shoes, jewelry, or purse is hard to beat. Still, after about two hours of intense shopping my feet get sore, a headache kicks in, and I’m ready to quit. When I start to feel like this the only person that can re-energize me is my mom.

I LOVE to shop with my mom! This surprises some people, but it’s only because they haven’t met this lovely lady. Her hip style and fun personality bring so much to a shopping experience and there’s no doubt that she has an eye for fashion. Even with six daughters, she can still find clothes that reflect each of our unique body styles and personalities.

Recently my dad took Mom shopping for her birthday. I wondered what she would buy (and if it would fit me…). When she came home she gave my sisters and I a personal fashion show. Every outfit she put on looked as if she had walked straight out of a Ralph Lauren ad. “Mom”, I said in awe, “you look amazing!!” She was wearing the cutest black dress I have ever seen. I was so jealous but also so happy for her.

The two of us are actually planning to take a little mall excursion very soon. I can’t wait!!

-Tess

Megan’s Song

My topic today isn’t one that I am always eager to talk about, but I do want you to know about my sister Megan, who was diagnosed with leukemia last November.

Before Megan’s illness, my overly simple perception of cancer was that of a very sick person with no hair. But through her ordeal, I learned that there is much more to cancer than illness and baldness. You may be thinking, “Well of course there’s more to it. What about sadness, worry, and crying”. Yes, my family has experienced all of that. We’ve been through a lot of pain, but somehow in the midst of all the suffering we also found laughter, hope, and even joy.

As Megan’s time in the hospital went on, my family and I fell in love with the other patients, their families, the doctors, the nurses, and everyone else who was part of our difficult journey. I can see now that our joy came from this love. I’m not saying that I would volunteer to go through the whole ordeal again, but I can say that I (and many others) were deeply touched by Megan and the other children in the hospital.

I made the following video to give everyone a chance to be blessed by Megan like I’ve been these last 8 months. The accompanying song was written and sung by my sister Marie.

-Tess

My quest for papal coffee

The day was clear and cool. The sky shone in honor of our wonderful Pope Benedict, who was about to celebrate mass for a stadium full of eager attendees. I was blessed to win a ticket to the Papal mass and actually happy to wake up at 4:15 AM to meet with about fifty other students from my college to begin our 70 mile journey from Front Royal, VA to Washington D.C.

I’ve written previously about my love for coffee and this morning I was in particular need of a cup of the heavenly brew. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to make any before running out the door, so I had to wait until we got to the stadium for my coffee.

So there I was at around 7:30 am. The stadium was booming with people. Long lines of caffeine deprived customers formed at each concession stand. My friend and I waited in line for about twenty minutes before I heard whispers of the unthinkable.

“I think they are out of coffee.” I heard a frustrated woman say.

“Wait, what?” I thought. I had to ask her myself.

“I’m sorry, did you say they’re out of coffee”?

“Yeah, I think they are,” she replied.

“Do you know if there is anywhere else where they are serving coffee?” I asked, trying not to sound desperate.

“I think this is it. Every place is already out,” she answered with a consoling smile.

Well, she was right. The whole place was out of coffee, and I was out of luck. I started back to my seat and on my way noticed a room full of priests busily preparing for mass. In the back of the room there was a table full of breakfast foods and bottled water. I then noticed a very large thermos. Could it be? Yes! Hot coffee was only about twenty feet away but, I really wasn’t supposed to be in that room and that coffee certainly wasn’t for me.

Still, I didn’t give up. I decided just to be brave and simply ask for a cup. I saw a young priest who had noticed me peering in through the door, and I walked over to him.

“Excuse me Father…err..this might sound a little weird, but all the concession stands are out of coffee and I see that you have some coffee over there.”

“Say no more,” he said, smiling. “Just a moment.”

He came back with a wonderful cup of steamy black coffee! I was immediately touched by his warmth and decided that I would always pray for this priest in return for his kindness. I do not know his name and perhaps he was an angel, so I am not sure if we will meet again in this life.

The whole day was wonderful. The mass was amazing of course! I felt God’s presence all around me; in our Pope, in God’s people, and in the kind young priest who did not hesitate to help someone in need.

Desperately seeking happiness in Virginia

We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same. -Anne Frank

Have you ever dreamed that you were desperately searching for something? When I have dreams like this, the longing to find the lost object lingers long after I wake up. The sense of loss remains even though I tell myself that I’m not actually missing anything. It was just a dream – wasn’t it? Real life can be a lot like that. I think that all of us have this inexplicable desire to keep searching for something better, something more. I’m not saying that I spend every waking moment thinking about this, because most of the time my mind is preoccupied with whatever I happen to be doing at the moment. No this desire seems to exist primarily in my soul, just below my conscious thoughts, but always ready to surface, whether I summon it or not. What is this desire that haunts me? What am I looking for?

Thomas Aquinas, the great medieval Theologian and Philosopher, had much to say on this subject. First, he explained that by our nature we desire happiness. In other words, the longing for happiness is built into us by our Creator. It’s part of being human. We don’t choose to seek happiness; we seek it out of necessity. Thomas also had a theory regarding what would satisfy our craving for happiness. He called it the Supreme Good and described it “as the one good that contains all others”. According to Thomas, you and I were created to possess this Supreme Good and nothing else will ever make us happy. The current culture disagrees with Thomas. It tells me that if I have lots of goods – a slim figure, clear skin, straight teeth, nice wardrobe, good friends, rewarding job, interesting hobbies, leisure time, health, and so on – then I will be truly happy. But you and I both know that we’ll never have all these things and that in a finite world they actually compete with one another for our time and attention. Personally, I think that Thomas’ theory makes a lot more sense and besides we have the rich, famous, beautiful, but very unhappy people that grace the cover of magazines (and Yahoo’s home page) as evidence against the current idea.

As a believer (Thomas was too; he’s known by us Catholics as St. Thomas) it’s easy for me to make the leap of Faith from the abstract concept of a Supreme Good to a personal Supreme Being. The Supreme Good can only be found in the One who is the source of all goodness. We attain the Supreme Good (and thus happiness!) when we choose God and God alone. Now to me that sounds really hard to do. It might be remotely possible while I’m on a retreat or doing mission work. But what about when I return home and real life happens again? How will I focus on God through all the distractions and amidst the influence of a culture that’s constantly telling me that happiness can be found everywhere but in Him?

A while back I was listening to a sermon on this topic and the priest said, “Bring God to the grocery store with you”. All of a sudden the light bulb went on! So that’s what I need to do. I need to bring God with me to the movies, to sleep-overs, to babysitting jobs, to school, to work, to everywhere I go. When I allow Him to come with me, everything changes. I want to be the best I can be, because He is with me. I don’t want to gossip about that girl who gets on my nerves, because I know He is beside me, and when I’m afraid, I know He is with me, and I survive on His strength not my own. So here’s the bottom line. I need to keep reminding myself that He is with me. Not just while I’m engaged in “holy things” but throughout the day. With His grace to help me, I’ll do my best.

I still have an open question about the dream that I described earlier. The feelings of need and desire resulting from the dream were due to loss. Did we once have God and happiness and somehow manage to lose both? Food for thought (and maybe a future post)…

In defense of musicals

I am a huge fan of musicals! Yes, It’s true! Despite my self conscious, got-to-be-cool, college student attitude, the musical is one of my favorite movie styles and I am not afraid (well maybe just a little) to shout it out. I recognize that not everyone is as much of a musical junkie as I am, so let me explain my position:

Imagine a place where you can burst into song and/or dance to your heart’s desire whenever the mood strikes you. In the world of The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers you can do just that! I dream of living life as a musical! Wouldn’t it be amazing to be sweeping your kitchen floor while singing My Own Little Corner with a full orchestra behind you?

Historically, people have been bursting into song for a very long time. The ancient Greeks added song to their comic and tragic performances, and in the middle ages traveling minstrels entertained the nobles with music and comedy.

Another great thing about musicals is that the majority of them are positive and family friendly, which sets them apart from most other current entertainment forms. Although scripts for musicals don’t typically emphasize realism or character development, not all musicals are light and fluffy. West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, and Carousal are all examples of musicals with important lessons to teach.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers were pioneers of musical comedy films. They acted together in many award winning movies during the 1930’s and 1940’s. If you are interested in amazing songs, top rate dancing, and endearing story lines, watch these films! My favorites are Swing Time (it showcased the great song The Way You Look Tonight) and Top Hat.

I know that musicals aren’t for everyone, but if you haven’t watched one in a while, give musicals another try. There is hardly anything as timeless and dreamlike as Judy Garland singing, Somewhere Over the Rainbow in the opening scene of The Wizard of Oz.

“If pretty little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can’t I?” – now that timeless…

-Marie

An adventure story

After spending a year at school without much (or rather any) time for pleasure reading, it’s summer and I’m reading for fun again! This is one of the many things that I love about summer. It is the perfect time to learn and explore without mid-terms and finals haunting you.

The first book I picked up was Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Each time I opened this novel I was transported to 19th century Russia – a place very different from 21st century America. But even more striking than the difference in time and location was the fact that every character’s life was so much more dramatic, eventful, and captivating than mine! Now don’t misunderstand me, I definitely would not want to change places with any of Tolstoy mostly melancholy and often tragic characters. But reading the book did make me long for adventure and excitement.

This adventurous spirit seems to dictate most of my day dreams, and I often fall into the, “my life is so boring!” state. One day I was particularly distraught over my seemingly dull life and I decided to talk to God about it. I opened up my bible to John and read John 10:10, “I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly.” Wow! I finally realized a simple and beautiful truth – It doesn’t matter if I am watching my little siblings, sitting on my front porch, or traveling the world, if I’m doing it with Jesus, it’s an adventure!

He’s the one that fills my days with richness and meaning. Without him I’m just busy. Have you ever heard the old saying, “It’s not what you do but who you do it with that really matters?” Well that definitely applies here. I could live in a castle and have lots of drama in my life, but without Jesus, it would be a mundane and empty existence. He is richness, depth, fullness, and abundance, because He is all that truly IS. I just need to unite myself to Him and I can share in that fullness. The next time that boredom tries to steal away my happiness, I am going to remind myself of John 10:10. And after all, it’s great to be the daughter of a King. It’s quite the adventure!

-Marie

Bella – Definitely see this movie

I must admit that I did not go to see Bella while it was in theaters, and even after my family purchased the DVD, I did not watch it for awhile. Finally my sister Tess said to me, “You are going to love this movie! And besides, the guy in this movie is super cute.”

Well, what can I say? I decided to give it a try. It was a cloudy afternoon, and we were planning to watch an hour of the movie and finish it later. Ten minutes into the movie I knew I would have to watch the whole thing. AMAZING! If you haven’t seen Bella yet, I strongly encourage you to watch it. It’s artistic and cool but at the same time it’s really down to earth. This movie celebrates life and I think that it will reach your heart the way it reached mine. Oh and Teresa was so right, Eduardo Verástegui (main character Jose) is “super cute”. But even more impressive than his good looks is his fire for God. Check out Bella and see for yourself why I’m such a big fan.

-Marie

The Miller Sisters highly recommend FOCUS

FOCUS – The Fellowship of Catholic University Students

When college students make the heroic decision to give their lives to Jesus Christ, they gain true Vision for Life: for leadership in college, and for making an impact after graduation. FOCUS helps college students to allow Jesus Christ to be the Lord of their lives – including their studies, social life, dating relationships, and major life decisions.

Our sister Tina benefited so much from her involvement at  FOCUS while attending George Mason University that she is now serving as a FOCUS missionary at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Her work on campus includes leading Bible studies and other group events, and one-on-one personal discipleship with female students.

Learn more about FOCUS at www.focusonline.org .

Elinor Dashwood – I just love her

One of my favorite fictional characters is Elinor Dashwood from Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility. She is strong and sensible but also kind. In the beginning of the novel, Elinor’s father dies and she takes responsibility for the care of her Mother and her two younger sisters. One of the most inspiring things about Elinor is her emotional strength. Even in difficult situations she is able to control her feelings. This trait makes other characters occasionally accuse her of being cold hearted. The way that she endures this criticism without striking back is a real testament to her inner strength.

Elinor presents an ideal to aspire to, but she is still approachable. She is human and makes mistakes, but her heart is always in the right place and she uses her strength to achieve good things.
If you’ve read Sense and Sensibility, I’d love to get your thoughts about Elinor (or any of the other characters). If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend it.

-Carol Lynn

Coffee…

I must admit that I am into the whole coffee scene. For me coffee shop visits often include meeting up with a friend. So a typical Marie Miller experience goes as follows: First I take it all in – fresh coffee brewing behind the counter, chill music playing on the stereo, friends relaxing together, and people reading their newspapers. Next, I order a drip coffee (hopefully something bold like a French roast) and then my friend and I engage in a nice long conversation. What amazes me about this seemingly normal experience is that each time I walk in and soak up all the sights, sounds, and smells of a coffee shop, I get that “God is good” feeling. (Especially if the coffee is really good)

I started drinking coffee when I was pretty young (eleven I think), and I must admit that in the beginning I enjoyed the Mochas and all the other extremely sweet drinks more than straight coffee. But by the ripe old age of thirteen, quality coffee with a bit of cream was my cafe drink of choice. I especially love rich, full-flavored coffees and discovered while traveling in Europe that people in Italy and Spain know and enjoy good coffee. But my favorite cup of java is the one that my Dad makes for me in the morning. Quite often I wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee (courtesy of Dad) and make my way to the kitchen to enjoy an eye-opening, taste-satisfying, perfect start to the day. I will leave you with some coffee quotes. Enjoy!

I have measured out my life with coffee spoons. – T. S. Elliot

Thank you for your coffee, seignor. I shall miss that when we leave Casablanca. – Ingrid Bergman

“You did it! Congratulations! World’s best cup of coffee! Great job, everybody! It’s great to be here.” ~ Buddy
The movie ‘Elf’

Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter than muscatel wine! I must have my coffee…” – Johann Sebastian Bach

-Marie

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