Creation or Bust!

       We are coming up on one of my favorite weeks of the year! CreationFest time!  Every year my friend Holly, her mom, some friends, and I head out to Mt. Union, PA for a week of fellowship and worship.  Creation Festival is a huge outdoor Christian music festival that brings together some of the most noted artists and speakers in the Christian genre. 

Clockwise: The whole gang from '12, it gets HOT
the year of 100 hats '09, Candle lighting ceremony
a view of some of the campsites from the mountaintop lookout 

       So why is it that I love this week?  My reasoning has certainly evolved over the years.  It all started as a fun way to spend time with my best friend Holly.  I enjoyed the music but I was mostly there for the socializing and pretty much failed to retain anything the speakers said.  In past years, as my faith has grown, so has my genuine appreciation for all that is said and done at Creation Festival.  This year I am more excited than ever to go and join in this “tribute to the Creator” and represent Catholicism to all of our Christian brothers and sisters.

       It has been my experience that other Christian denominations (and even some Catholics) have the preconceived notion that Catholics are not as “Christian” as Protestants.  It seems to many that we are robotic and based in mindless tradition.  I hate to say it but many Catholics are.  That is why I am so pumped to head out this week and show that Catholics do in fact value personal relationship with God.  We want to sing, dance, pray, worship, grow, and praise just as much as Protestants do.  I want to learn and share and evangelize.

      I am excited to go to concerts with my friends who aren't necessarily Catholic.  I am excited to see the artists I love who aren't necessarily Catholic.  I am excited to listen to Godly speakers who aren't necessarily Catholic.  I am excited to engage in conversations about Christ with people who aren't necessarily Catholic.  I am excited to explore differences, celebrate similarities, and strengthen my convictions. 

       What I am most looking forward to about this week is the unity.  Every year, I look around in awe at the masses of people there, united in Christ.  There is nothing quite like looking around yourself and seeing that you are not alone.  I encourage all of you to break your routine and try something new to reinvigorate your faith life.  Whether it be a festival, a retreat, a mission, or a trip to your local food pantry. 

       Because I will be in the mountains camping (that's right, Creation is so wonderful it is worth camping) for the next week I will be unable to post again until next Sunday (maybe Tuesday).  I hope that you don’t give up on me in that time and that you return when I do! Enjoy your week, step out of your comfort zone, and experience Christ.

       

       Do you have any fun plans this Summer?  Have you ever been to a Christian music festival?  Will you be at Creation?!  Comments? Questions? Suggestions?

Geeking Out Over Jesus

            After some much needed one on one time with my amazing disciple, Biz, I have decided to just let a Jesus loving cheese explosion happen all over this post.  Guys, I don’t know if you have picked up on this yet, but I LOVE Jesus.  I mean I love LOVE Jesus.  What is even more amazing than my love for Jesus is his love for me; his love for all of us!

picture via royal priesthood revolution

            Biz and I had a lovely conversation while driving to and from mass and Wednesday night dinner at the Catholic Student Center this week.  What it mostly consisted of was how incredible Jesus is.  Here are some of our musings.

Jesus was both fully human and fully divine.  This combo sounds like a dream come true, right?  Well, I was thinking about it and really it is the most challenging position any creature could be put in.  Jesus was fully human meaning that he had all the same temptations as us, yet he always chose obedience.  So on top of the fact that Jesus had to face temptation like the rest of us humans, he also had to face the temptation of using his divine power for his own benefit. He had the power to do literally anything he wanted. Still, he chose obedience.  How amazing is that!?  His love and respect for the Father and his love and mercy towards us outweighed his own pride (and let’s face it, if anyone ever had a right to be proud it would be Jesus).

Jesus had a real life average human job, he wasn't just the Messiah.  How cool would it be to have a table built by Jesus, and then later learn that he is God!  Also, why was Jesus not famous before is ministry?  I am sure that he was the best carpenter that ever existed, so he should have been widely known as a talented craftsman.  I wonder if somewhere deep in the ground there is buried an artifact of something that Jesus built. 

Finally, we geeked out over just how much God loves us.  Every breath we breathe is a gift from God.  This means that if God stopped thinking about us for a single second, we would die.  Our very existence relies on God paying attention to us.  How incredible is it that the creator and ruler of the universe cares about you!?  God loves us, he wants us to live, he wants us to enjoy life, and he wants us to have a relationship with him!  WOW!

Thank you so much for allowing me to indulge in my favorite pastime, freaking out about how great God is.  What are some of the things that really get you excited about God, or your faith? What are some of the random thoughts you have about God (in all/any of his forms) that you want to share?  Comments? Questions? Suggestions?  Please, drop me a line in the comments below!

           

Failing to Launch

       Today was the first day of a Bible study I am trying to launch with hopes to encourage faith formation in my home parish.  The other leaders and I arrived about half an hour early with a case of water and dozens of cookies and brownies.  We were all excited and anxious for some students to arrive and get started!  Thirty minutes after the study was to begin we were still alone.  Not one single highschooler showed up.

Picture via The Barn

       The easy thing to do would be for us to quit.  We could call the study a failure and let it go.  However, the easy thing isn't always the right thing to do.  In fact, I am persuaded to say that the easy thing is rarely the right thing to do. 

       I was tempted to get down on myself as a person who had failed, but I realized I had not failed at all.  I had seen a need for Christ in the community and tried to share him with others.  I want to teach teenagers about the glory of God’s love and forgiveness.  So, if I look at myself through the eyes of God I am no failure.  I am a daughter to be proud of.

       I will not allow this one instance to discourage me from my purpose.  I will e-mail and post on Facebook all this week, and next Tuesday I will be right back at the parish Hall waiting for students. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” So, no, I will not give up because God deserves my perseverance.  If God gave up on me every time I decided not to show up to one of his teaching moments I would be doomed.

       I hope that the students of my parish have a change of heart and decide to show up next week.  Even if they don’t I know in my heart that am not a failure.  I am just a Catholic girl on a learning curve.

       

       Have you ever felt discouraged?  How did you overcome it?  What do you think I could do to attract high school students to a Bible Study?  Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Drop me a line in the comments below?

You Complete Me

       Fun fact about me, there is a song playing in my head just about 24/7.  Recently my life’s soundtrack has consisted too frequently of Justin Timberlake’s new hit “Mirrors”.  This song is really catchy and the Boyce Avenue version is beautiful (as are all of their covers).  The one line that keeps playing in my mind is, “I’m looking right at the other half of me, the vacancy that sat in my heart is a space that now you hold.”  After about the zillionth time this ran through my head I thought about how lame it is to wait for someone to “complete” you. 

picture via orkugifs 

       It is a common dream of young (and not so young) men and women to find that special someone who “completes” them, their other half.  On the surface this seems like a beautiful and romantic notion, but if we look deeper it truly becomes distressing.  I don’t want to spend an unknown portion of my life feeling incomplete waiting for my life to begin.  This is a mistake that I have certainly made and still sometimes have trouble with.  It is so tempting to allow ourselves to put life on the back burner until we get a boyfriend (or girlfriend if you are a fella). 

       If we choose to live in this state of waiting then we choose to waste so much time that the LORD has given us as a gift.  It is a daily struggle for me to see my season of singlehood as a blessing but I made the decision to try.  There are so many things a single person has the opportunity to accomplish that is made much more difficult once a person is in a committed relationship.  We are given the freedom and flexibility to truly commit ourselves to God and his will for our lives without having to consider the effects it will have on a person whose life is so closely linked with our own. 

       So no, I am no longer waiting for someone to come into my life and complete me. I am living my life and praying for God to fulfill his will in my life. It is still a struggle for me to not obsess over my future husband but it is a struggle I can handle.  I have found who completes me.  I find wholeness in the LORD who created me and sustains me. 

       Do you believe in a person “completing” you?  How are you spending your season of singlehood?  What do you think of Justin’s song? (I personally find it narcissistic but super catchy)  Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Drop me a line in the comments below!

Hello, This is Your Father Calling

       Today at mass my parish welcomed a new member through Baptism.  I always loved baptisms because I love babies.  Today however, I wasn't just thinking about how cute the baby was (although, he was adorable) I was actually thinking about what was taking place.  A beautiful Sacrament was witnessed by so many people but my guess is that not very many were changed or inspired by it.  Well, I certainly was.

picture via rightfit 

       The beauty I was reminded of today was that we are all called to be priest, prophet, and king.  What I love about our baptismal callings is that I know what they are, no guessing is involved.  Usually when I hear the word “calling” my mind goes to “Vocation”, and I start to stress about my life’s purpose and the fact that it is still basically a mystery to me.  Not so with my baptismal callings, I know what they are and so I need to step up to the plate and fulfill them.  If you have been baptized than you are also called to be a priest, a prophet, and a king.  So what does that mean?

       When we as Catholics hear the word priest we immediately think of a man in a collar who celebrates mass.  We are not all called to be that type of priest (I mean I am a lady, soooo definitely not my calling).  We are however, all called to minister.  As Catholics we are called care for the needy, lonely, and depressed.  We are given the light of Christ and asked to shine it forth to the world.  God made humans for relationship; we all crave acceptance and love.  It is our calling and our responsibility to share the love of Christ with all people, especially those who do not have a healthy relationship with him or have no relationship with him at all.

       Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, these men were prophets.  They went up on mountains and into desserts and heard God speaking to them.  I generally try to avoid the outdoors (unless it’s the beach) and I have yet to hear a loud booming voice coming from the sky or a bush, but I am still called to be a prophet.  What is it that made these men prophets?  They listened, they obeyed, and they shared.  In our lives we spend so much energy constantly moving and changing that we have lost the art of being still in the LORD.  We all need to take time and just listen for God.  This is something that I personally have a lot of trouble with.  Even listening isn’t enough, we need to obey.  If you intently listened to your parents tell you to do your chores and then watched TV all day instead, they would not be happy with you would they?  God wants us to not only listen and hear what he has to say, he wants us to put his words into action!  Finally, we need to share the Good News of the Gospel with others.  Be not afraid!

       Our last baptismal calling is our calling to kingship.  Our call to be kings is our call to be leaders.  So what makes a good king and a good leader?  A good king is compassionate, fearless, strong, selfless, responsible, generous, and kind. A good king is constantly looking for ways to help those he leads and elevate them to their full potential.  These are the traits and qualities that God wants us to take on.  He has called each of us to lead non-Catholics to the faith and lead current Catholics closer to him (this includes ourselves).

       Personally, I think it is flattering that God has called me to these things because he doesn’t call us to anything that we can’t accomplish with his help.  One of my favorite quotes is, “God doesn’t call the equipped he equips the called.”  The most important thing to consider when we look at our baptismal callings is that we are never called to do anything alone.  God is with us, rooting for us, and helping us along the way.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”- Phil 4:13

       In what ways do you live out your callings?  Do you see our callings in a different light?  Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Drop me a line in the comments below! 

Made in His Image

           This week in the readings we were told the story of Jesus being tested by the Pharisees (well, one such story).  The scribes and Pharisees tried to trap Jesus by asking him whether they (the Jews) should pay taxes to Caesar.  If Jesus responded yes, he would be viewed as a friend of Caesar (not good in the eyes of the Jews).  If he said no, he would be a political rebel (the Pharisees could turn him into the police).  They set him up for a lose- lose situation.

Picture via religious forums 

            Jesus, being the boss that he is knew what they were up to and outsmarted them.  He responded, “Whose head is this, and whose title?”  They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (MT 22:21)    In this time rulers would put their image on coins showing their ownership of the money and dominion over those using it.  If something was emblazoned with a ruler’s image that meant it belonged to them and was owed back to them (taxes). 

            Jesus’ response not only answers the question asked but provides us insights into how we are meant to live.  First, he avoided being labeled a political rebel by giving the OK to pay taxes.  Secondly, he called the people to return to God things emblazoned with his image.  We are all made in the image of God, we are God’s property and we owe ourselves to him.  It is answers like this that make me think, “Oh that Jesus, he is so clever!”  He uses the cultural customs of the time to teach and add complexity to his answers.   Obviously, it is more than being clever but still I love being reminded how much cooler and smarter Jesus is than I am. 

            Basically, Jesus has called all of us out.  He has called us to forfeit our worldly possessions.  We are not of this world and therefore should not be dependent on “stuff”.  I am not saying that we are all supposed to live in poverty and give away all of our possessions; I am saying that we need to not feel like our world is ending if we have to go without the latest and greatest.   He has also called us out to pay God back what belongs to him (namely ourselves).  We have been called to live the life mapped out for us by Christ, a life of service; service of God and service of others. We have been called out to give ourselves to God.

            So, what are we going to do? Are we going to just think it is a nice story and ignore it? Will we try to radically change our lives?  Honestly, I am always a little scared to change my life too much, but Jesus tells us BE NOT AFRAID!

           What have you learned from this week's readings?  Do you go to daily mass or read the readings at home?  how can we give ourselves back to God?  Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Drop me a line in the comments below!

           

            

Confessions of a Twenty-Something Drama Queen

        Guys, my first confession, this has been the hardest post for me to write.  I have so many things I want to say to you about the sacrament of Confession; it is hard to organize it into one concise and coherent post.  So many things have contributed to my current relationship with Reconciliation that I don’t know how to present them all to you, or which are most important to share.

picture via St.Thomas Aquinas Church
Charlotte, NC

       Basically I want to tell you all why I turned from a person who had made up her mind to never go back to Confession into a person who tries to go once a month.  Honestly, the first time I went to Confession since my required trip before Confirmation was motivated my fear and guilt.  Now, I am completely motivated by love and honest to goodness contrition. 

       Have you ever noticed that when you say or hear something out loud makes it more real?  When I am forced to look at myself as if it is judgment day and then utter aloud all the ways in which I have chosen myself over God it makes my sins real to me.  I can no longer justify to myself all of the times I have allowed my pride to take hold of me. I can’t tell myself that I am awesome because I am doing better than the other girls I see at college (which I don’t actually know for sure).  The beauty is that the forgiveness also becomes real.  When the priest says, “you are absolved of your sins, go and sin no more.”  I feel the weight of my sin lifted.

       I am sorry that I have had such a block tonight, I promise to touch on this SUPER important topic again(once I can gather and organize my thoughts better)! But I want to leave you with this:  the sacraments are not for God, they are for us.  Confession is not a punishment it is a gift.

       

Why do you go to Confession? Or not go?  Any cures for writer’s block?  Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Drop me a line in the comments below!