the true meaning of lent – totally worth it.

Lent started today! I have always been bad about preparing for it. I usually don’t wait until the last minute to get things done, unless it’s figuring out what my lenten fast is going to consist of. So I read up on some of the meanings of lent, and I can now officially say that my heart is now officially in it! I am going to jot out some reasons why this forty day prepartion for death and resurrection will bring us nothing but happiness.

 The cross is coming. It takes the sorrow of the cross to experience the joy of the resurrection. For the next forty days, it’s our privilege to grow closer to Christ on the cross. To wake up each morning, asking ourselves where He is, where the cross is. On Good Friday we should be the ones at the foot of the Cross. How can we get there though, if we do not have the strength? The strength of those who stood at the foot of the cross was only a result of their immense love for Jesus Christ. In these next forty days, fall more in love with Him. Love him enough to follow Him to the cross. Love Him enough to follow Him to the resurrection.

I hope that you didn’t do what I did and waited until the last minute to figure out what your lenten fast will be. If so, that’s okay! I am starting a little late. We can be late together! After all, Christ is still waiting for us. Let’s not keep Him waiting any longer.

The gift of our individuality

People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea,
at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular
motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering… Now, let us
acknowledge the wonder of our physical incarnation— that we are here, in these
particular bodies, at this particular time, in these particular circumstances.
May we never take for granted the gift of our individuality.

                                        -St. Augustine

How often do we not cherish and appreciate each individual person? How beautiful it is to know that each person we meet carries their own unique aspect of our Divine Creator. How beautiful it is to know that God has given each and everyone of us the gift of life. How beautiful is each life. How beautiful it is to be alive. How beautiful it is to love and be loved. How beautiful it is to give thanks. How beautiful it is to share in likeness with one another, yet to delight in our differences. How beautiful it is to speak with others. How beautiful it is to meet a new person. How beautiful is a person!

Taking part in the healing of the Haiti Earthquake

I’ve been reading up on the earthquake in Haiti. I hate learning of a huge tragedy and then feeling like there’s no way I can help in the healing of it. I’m in no position to donate anything or to go to Haiti as a doctor or to do anything! Is there really nothing I can do? Tell me, Why does God give us a longing to help, but no way to achieve a position to help?

But when we really think about it, we see what great part God has given us. He’s given us the position of the praying. It’s a very important position. We must live up to it and pray frequently for those in Haiti, and all other souls who need healing in any way.

“Pray with great confidence, with confidence based on the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promise of Jesus Christ.” – St. Louis de Montfort

I thought this interview with a missionary from Haiti was really interesting.

The princess, the pauper or…my mom?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

We’ve all been asked this question. It’s a fun one. But one that rarely ever has a definite answer. Until you actually are grown up, there’s a lot of discernment going on. Should I be the princess or the pauper? (oh and by the way, I’m being creative here and changing the prince and the pauper to the princess and the pauper! So pretty much, the pauper gets the prince.) These are totally important questions! Questions that concern who we want to be one day, who we want to become.

So who will I choose? The princess or the pauper? Here’s my answer: neither. So then what do I want to be when I grow up? Here’s my answer: My Mom.

Actually just a few minutes ago I was reading blogs from a blogspot made for moms. And a lot of mothers were writing about how they are running their homes just like their mothers had. And quite a few wrote that they are trying to prevent it but just can’t, like it’s all natural. Well I’m glad to hear that imitation of one’s mother comes naturally! That will make my job a whole lot easier. Because there is nothing I want more then to be my loving, giving, and fun mother.

When I was about thirteen, I was mom junior. I went with her everywhere. I remember the time when she was pregnant with my youngest sister, Megan. Could there possibly be anything in life that is more fun then baby girl clothes shopping with my Mom?

Times are too busy. My Mom goes to Costco about once a week. Today was the first time in months I wasn’t too busy to go along with her. That’s why I’m here now, writing about my Mom. Getting to spend time with her renewed my admiration for my mother’s love, for a mother’s love in general. Mothers give and give and give. We children are so blessed and lucky to get to receive what they give. What they give isn’t just something simple. It’s a profound love of protection, comfort, and peace.

Now I don’t know why God has done this but He’s blessed me with one of the best moms ever. She teaches me so much about everything from faith, love, and even style. My sisters and I have been so gifted with the perfect mother-daughter relationship. So we must never argue with her, huh? No we totally do! But we always get through it and once again look up to the women that our mother is. And then hope and pray that our transformation from girlhood to womanhood is twins with hers.

Now please don’t get me started on the love between a mother and son. There’s something very unique and significant about this relationship. It will have to wait for another entry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our neighbors, Barry and Webb.

A Cinderella type Christmas

Confession: I have a great/semi-silly way to prepare for Christmas. Be Cinderella! Why do you think she left a shoe behind? The prince kind of needed a way to find her. The shoe was pretty helpful =). When the prince finds Cinderella, he frees her from her miserable state. He grants her a new life. He brings her happiness. So instead of your shoe, leave your heart behind for Christ this advent. Allow Him to make it new. Allow him to bring the happiness that you know you yearn for. Allow Him to make your Christmas end with happily ever after. But it starts now. It starts with advent. Once upon a time…

my winter wonderland

It’s happened. There’s snow on the ground. The snow took me by surprise, but a good kind of surprise. There’s nothing more enchanting then waking up to our countryside blanketed in snow. My brothers were out playing all day. And they managed to pile up a enough snow to make well…a rather unique snowman.

    Yes, I do believe they used grape tomatoes for the eyes.

 

For me, when I see snow, I don’t think about trying to build the best Jack Frost. Rather I like to use snow as an attribution in creating a cozy atmosphere. So there’s really only three things I need to create the perfect snow day:

1)  a reading chair

2) a book

3) a cup of tea

 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -C. S. Lewis

 

 

So Christmas break really is the time for a good book. Right now I’m immersing myself once again into the Christian classic, Hinds Feet on High Places. If your not familiar with this story, it’s an allegory. It tales the tale of a young girl, Much-Afraid, who makes the brave decision to travel to the High Places, and leave her Valley of Humiliation. Throughout her journey, Much- Afraid is led by the Great Shepherd, who transforms Much-Afraid from her weak and feeble state to a brave and beautiful being. I like to read this book in preparation for Christmas because it has a theme of transformation. And when Christ is born on Christmas Day, the world is gifted with a transforming love. We just have to be like Much-Afraid and allow Christ to transform us. “He comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.” (Isaiah 35:4-6)

 

 

On a side note, I’ve fallen in love with the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack. It’s soothing and romantic and everything else music can be =). I recommend it for you.

Modern day shepherds

When you think of the Nativity Scene, do you ever think of the Shepherds? I rarely ever did… until I read these passages:

And in that reign there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were all filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”. (Luke 2:8-11)

And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child. (Luke 2:16-17)

After reading the first passage, I came up with an assertive conclusion: you and me, we are the modern day shepherds. We are the ones that have been invited to witness the birth of Jesus Christ. But our invitation is not like Mary’s, nor Joseph’s, or even the Wise Men’s. Our invitation to meet Jesus  is like that of the shepherds, who probably thought themselves too unworthy to be so close to the Savior of the World. But still they were called. And so am I. And so are you. So this advent season, listen to the calling of the angel. Find Christ. Be the Shepherd.

After reading the second passage, I know now what we aught to do. We read that the Shepherds made known the joy of the birth of Christ. So this Christmas, let’s make known this same joy to the people in our lives. Spread the joy. Be the Shepherd.

Prayer

Giving our life entirely to God -  Not so easy is it? Giving our life partially to God – seems easy enough, doesn’t it? We all know that it’s easy to love God when things are going our way. But even the smallest thing of annoyance comes to play within our lives, and God is completely out of the picture.  What will it take for us to turn to God through it all? I’m young. I haven’t experienced too much. But even in my little everyday trials, I still turn away from God, determined to find healing in other places. I only give to the Lord what I’m in the mood to give Him. What will it take for me to give God everything; my sorrows, my joys, my weaknesses, my gifts, my relationships, my all? I desire to give God my everything but desire never remains enough. Through some personal experiences, I’ve discovered what it will take to bring us beyond desire and into a practice; prayer. Prayer brings us into a friendship/relationship with Christ. And when we deepen our relationship with Him, we know Him more and more. The more we know Christ, the more we love Him. And the more we love Him, the more we want to give Him.  Mother Teresa says, “ Prayer opens the heart, till it is capable of containing God himself. Ask and seek and your heart will be big enough to receive Him and keep Him as Your Own.”

The Unchanging Truth

Can we really know someone? It feels like everyone isn’t who they really are. They try to be something their not, just to get attention from others. When someone is really close to someone, do they really know each other? Or do they just really know who the other person pretends to be? I don’t think I really know anybody. I don’t even know if I know myself. I change all the time. My change just comes. Even when I don’t want to change, I do. It’s as if my feelings are me. And my feelings always change!  It’s crazy. I am sure that has something to do with being a teenage girl =). But I don’t think that’s fair! I want to have a stable feeling. I want to choose between chocolate or vanilla. I don’t want to change my favorites with how I feel… But I do. Naturally, I always do. So if my feelings are always changing, then everyone elses feelings must be changing too. So who or what can I cling to that will give me stability?

I am begining to think I have no unchanging truth to hold on to. So I opened up my bible, hoping to find an answer or someway to discover how to ground myself in something that won’t alter. This is what I found: “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change”. (James 1:16-18)

Something became clear to me after I read this passage. Every good thing is from God and God is unchanging. Maybe I feel like there is nothing stable in my life because I am not clinging to the good things. And that’s probably because  sin’s attraction is more upfront then the attraction of goodness. But the beautiful thing is that God has placed people in my life who are good. I want to acknowledge their wrong, but I want to never cease to see their good. After all, wouldn’t I then know someone for who they truly are?

country or city? …Does it matter?

This past week I spent in Nashville, Tennessee. My sister, Tina, is working as a FOCUS missionary at Vanderbilt University and my other sister, Marie, is down there pursuing her musical career. It was great to witness the difference between these two lives! Actually I thought it would help me make my decision for what I should do with my life next year. I only have a year of high school left and I am trying to decide which road to take. Music or school? I really can’t choice. I would love to take a year and just work solely on music. But then there’s that glamour of college life. College. Getting away. Leaving! I’ve lived in the small, country town of Front Royal since I can remember. Why wouldn’t I want to leave? When I was in Nashville it was like a breath of fresh air. I got to take in “the life I don’t have”. Nashville is amazing. My sister’s apartment is right next to everything! It was great getting to wake up to Starbucks right outside the front door. Here in Front Royal it takes about 45 mins to get to our nearest mall, which doesn’t even include a Macy’s. Cold Stone, my favorite place in the whole wide world, is also about a 45 min drive. Don’t get me wrong, there are things I love about the country. But what if I was really made to be a city girl? ….Am I not living the life I was made for? Was I made to wear a flannel or a blouse? haha, does it even matter? What does matter? This past week I figured it out: relationships. It’s in relationships that I discover the power of love. And in love, I discover the power of what I was made to do, and the power of what I was made to receive. I always want to leave home and “start my life”. But my life was made so that I can love and be loved. I can do that anywhere! A relationship with God can be achieved anywhere. Relationships are ready to be unfolded in every small town and in every large city.

So being home isn’t as unattractive as it used to be. In fact, it’s the one place I want to be right now. Now that I know how cool it is to be in relationships, I see that my home is where I have some really strong relationships. The relationship I absolutely love is the relationship between me and my sister, Megan, who is also my god-daugher. How cool is that? My Mom told me that when she told Megan that Teesa (that’s what Megan calls me!) was coming home, Megan blew a kiss. That totally made my day. I am so happy that I get to see Megan grow up. In those times, when I want to leave home and experience freedom, Megan always shows me what life’s about…love. Love is amazing!  It is easy to experience too! It all starts with relationships.

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