Red Envelope Project Against Abortion

I did not come up with this idea, but my friend shared this event with me on facebook. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/551725081507644/?ref=2#!/events/551725081507644/

Here is the description:
Get a red envelope and address it to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington D.C. and send it between Christmas & Valentines Day! Put a small letter inside saying “In memory of an aborted baby.” Also send to your state Senators and Representatives! Invite all your friends!

Here is the link to find your congressman: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Here is the link to find your senator: http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/senators/f_two_sections_with_teasers/states.htm

Raising our White Flags

SURRENDER!

Lately that word is the one I run from. Let's admit it, this is probably one of the hardest parts of being a disciple of Christ. Surrender means giving everything to God, releasing all your worries, "letting go and letting God." IT'S HARD!

 

A lot of times, we as humans are too stubborn to admit that we actually need God, we try to do it aloneand eventually realize that doing it alone is impossible, "For without God, you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

 

Some people will raise their white flag and surrender to God during a very emotional moment, but later they turn around and go back to trying to be independent.

 

See, the thing about surrender is that it's not just the easy areas in your life or the part you are worried about. It's EVERYTHING!!! It's surrendering your family, friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, and random people you care about and that you don't get along with. It's surrendering the shame that you hide deep down in your heart. It's surrendering the lonliness you feel or the anger. It's surrendering your hopes and dreams. It's surrendering your feelings of not being good enough. It's surrendering the tears on your pillow at night. The list goes on and on, but in a sum, it's surrendering everything.

 

 

2 Timothy 4:18 says:

"The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

 

 Have you ever heard the saying "If God is all you have, you have everything you need" or "When it's too hard to stand, kneel" or "Don't tell God you have a big problem, tell your problem you have a big god."well, those are all true. They may not be easy, but they are very true. God is bigger than all of this. He will lift you up. He won't let you fall. All you have to do is offer it up. And maybe you are afraid, I know it's hard, but God will take care of it. Maybe you start by offering up something small, and then something bigger, and then something even bigger untill you are ready to give to God what is God's: your life. Surrender is a scary thing! We silly humans think we can handle everything on our own but we can't. There is no possible way we can face the devil alone. By trying to face Satan alone, he has already won. Don't give him that satasfaction! Jesus already beat the devil, and He's backing you up. So next time you face your biggest mountain, remember that Jesus is right beside you, walking with you, holding your hand. So offer it up and "let go and let God!"

 

"This is only a mountain, you don't have to find your way around it

Tell it to move, it'll move

Tell it to fall, it'll fall

This is only a moment you don't have to let your fear control it

Tell it to move, it'll move

Tell it to fall, it'll fall"

 

 

 

 

Quit Dancing in the Rain!

Have you ever noticed how the road to hell always seems easier, more fun, than the path to heaven? Well, I'm not saying choose the path to hell, but that's kinda true. The devil is tricky; he can make you feel all alone and make your life absolutely horrible, then he throws a temptation at you that will pull you even farther from God, but at that time it doesn't seem so bad. We've all had those days where you wake up and the last thing you want to do is leave your cozy bed, but it's Sunday... Maybe you're thinking, "I'll just go back to sleep, it's not that big of a deal to miss church just this once." It's so easy to give into Satan and all his temptations. But you don't have to fight Satan alone!

As Father Ezra put it, "God is like an umbrella sheltering us from the devil." We need a shelter and strongtower and that would be God. He is the great protector. Sin is so tempting and hard to say no to. Everyone of us has been at that point in our lives where it's sin vs. God.

My friend added to Father Ezra's quote by saying, "as soon as you let even a finger out from under the umbrella, next it will be your whole hand, and before you know it, you will be dancing in the rain of Satan."  Why do we do that? Why would we leave God's protection?
Well first of all, Satan's temptations may be "satisfying" for a little while. They are wrong, but he messes with your mind and makes you think that it's not really that bad. God's reward you have to keep working for, it's not an instant satisfaction, and yes, the road is long and difficult. But in the end it comes to: would you rather burn in hell? or be rewarded in heaven?

It's your choice. People try to blame God because temptation is so easy. But He says multiple times in the bible that times will be tough, but your eternal reward is in heaven.

God is ENOUGH!!!

Let nothing trouble you

Let nothing frighten you

Everything passes, but God never changes

Whoever has God, wants, for nothing

Patience obtains all

God is ENOUGH

 

 This prayer by Teresa of Avila is so beautiful when you listen to the words in detail.

 

“Let Nothing Trouble You,” don’t worry, God’s got your back! This is always a hard one. I’m one of those people who gets picked on and pushed around or sometimes flat out ignored like I’m not even there and it hurts. I’m not going to lie and tell you that it doesn’t hurt, because it does. But, that doesn’t give me a reason to be upset and “troubled” all the time. God has put each and everyone of us in the certain situation that we are in, we may not particularly like it, believe me, I hate it at my high school, but you know what God picked that specific high school, so there is a reason I am there. Remember that the next time you are shoved around in the hallway or are working on a project all by yourself because you are too shy to meet someone new, God could be using you, just listen for his voice, He will guide you on the right path. It may not be the easy path but it will get you where you need to go.

 

“Let Nothing Frighten You,” you never walk alone, be not afraid. I’ve always loved that bible verse about running and not growing weary because God is at our side. I don’t know the actual Bible citation, but there is a song we sing at church: “We will run and not grow weary, for our God will be our strength, and we will fly like and eagle, we will rise again.” you see, we never need to be afraid because God will never leave our side. I love thinking of God as the big papa bear. He’s lovable and always there for us and guiding us in our ways and our protector. So you never need to fear.

 

“Everything passes, but God never changes,” Now I particularly like this line because it’s pretty much saying: you know what, things change people move on, you may get hurt but you know what, God will be with you through it all and He will still love you no matter what you do. Now, how awesome is that!? J We have a loving God who loves us no matter what we do! J Now, we can disappoint Him, but He will always be ready to welcome us back when we turn back to Him. <3

 

“Whoever has God wants for nothing,” Can you believe it? All we need is God? How can that be? Remember, God is your Father, the Papa Bear, He will provide. Don’t cling too much to this world (money, popularity, society) cause God is not of this world.

 

“Patience obtains all,” ever heard the phrase, “Patience is a virtue?” well, yeah, but is it a virtue you obtain? I’m just going to say flat out: this is the only thing that bugs me about this prayer. I suck at patience! I’m the type of person who will have a count down going a whole year before something. But, God is big on patience. “Good things come to those who wait,” heard that one too? Think about it, we wait for just about everything in life: wait in line, wait for meals, wait for a tv show to come on, wait for a friend to text back, wait for school to start/end, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! But the thing we wait most for is for God to answer our prayers. And sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers in the way we want, or we don’t realize that He actually did answer that prayer. “Patience obtains all” really does encompass a lot of what offering ourselves to God in pray means. When we get to heaven, it will all be explained. God does everything with a purpose, you may have to wait for the result, but your reward lies in heaven.

 

“God is ENOUGH!” If God is for us who can stand against us!? Well, I will tell you one thing, not even the devil can take you away from God’s love. He can make you think that God has turned His back on you and make you feel like you’re all alone, but you know what? God’s got your back through it all, He will never leave you, He is ENOUGH, SUFFICIENT, ADEQUATE, etc. God can handle this life, heck; Jesus took the butt of it. Jesus knows and understands what you are going through, he suffered too. He understands, this life may throw you into anger, depression, feelings of worthlessness, pain, loneliness… but God will take care of you through it all, He will carry you.

 

GOD IS ENOUGH!

 

So that's why Jesus is the Lamb...

I want to take it back to the Old Testament to explain better. Let’s start with Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22) When God tested Abraham and tells him to sacrifice Isaac, Isaac asks where the lamb is and Abraham responds that God will provide the lamb.  (This is important!) And when the angel of God stops Abraham, God provides a Ram. So they are still waiting for the lamb.

Now let’s go to Exodus to the Passover (starting at Exodus 11)

The tenth plague was that the angel of death would pass over Egypt killing every firstborn. To be spared from the plague the Israelites were told to take an unblemished lamb, slaughter it at twilight, take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frame where they were to eat the lamb, that same night they were to eat the meat with no leftovers.  In Exodus 12:14 it says “and this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” The Church teaches that when Jesus established the New Covenant with His death and resurrection, He didn’t abandon the promises made to the Hebrew people but fulfilled them.

Now let’s look at how Jesus fulfilled the Passover. Jesus is the Lamb of God.

On Palm Sunday as Jesus is arriving in Jerusalem, so are the Passover lambs. This is showing that Jesus is taking the place of the Passover lamb. Also every year on Passover the unblemished lambs were inspected before being given to the families. Now, you are probably thinking what does this have to do with Jesus? A lot actually. Jesus is the lamb, and just as the unblemished lambs where inspected, so was Jesus, by Pilate, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. Also, during the Passover meal Jesus celebrated the Last Supper. During the Passover meal, Jesus takes the unleavened bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to the disciples saying, “This is My body,” showing that He is replacing the Passover lamb. And with the wine, blesses it, and gives it to the disciples saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many.” Now, the Passover lamb was to prevent pain and suffering of loss of a loved one for the Israelites. Jesus as the Lamb is to save the world from pain and suffering, to open the gates of heaven.

To Summarize: The Israelites had to eat the Passover lamb. It was not enough to that they simply sacrificed the lamb-- they were instructed to also eat it. When we have the Eucharist we also eat the lamb, Jesus the Lamb of God. So that is why recieving the Eucharist is not cannibalism-- we are not eating human flesh, Jesus, but the Lamb of God, Jesus. J

The Eucharist: Real or Not?

I remember in seventh grade, I was sitting in religion class watching my teacher jump up and down yelling, "Jesus IS the Eucharist!" Then looking around at all my classmates who had the same bewildered look on their faces. We all thought she had gone batty!


A week earlier we had taken a religion test and one of the short answer questions was: "What is the Eucharist?" So, being the typical seventh graders we were, this seemed like an easy question. Most of our answers were along the lines of, "The Eucharist is a symbol of Jesus," or "The Eucharist symbolizes the last supper and Jesus giving of himself."


So, when our teacher came in jumping up and down yelling, "Jesus IS the Eucharist!!! It's not a symbol!!! Jesus IS the Eucharist!!!" We seriously thought she had gone off the deep end.


See, the thing with catholics is that we see the Eucharist as a little wafer and think "symbol." that's because, well, let's be honest, it looks like cardboard, feels like cardboard, and tastes like cardboard, we think "how can this be Jesus?" It took me a long time before I believed that the Eucharist was really Jesus. In seventh grade, I couldn't figure out why my teacher was getting so worked up about a silly test. Yes, everyone in the class got that question wrong, but I couldn't see how she could really believe that little wafer was Jesus.

"When Our Lord said, "This is My body," the entire substance of the bread was changed into His body; and when He said, "This is My blood," the entire substance of the wine was changed into His blood." (Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism)

 

This is kinda a crazy concept for us to grasp. And why would Jesus want to be a piece of bread? Well, think about it, God became food that we eat, and people eat a lot. And when we eat, food litterally becomes a part of us. It  goes into blood stream, our skin, our cells, into our very being. God chose the best way to be consumed into our very person because He wanted to be as close to us as possible.

"In the Holy Eucharist we become one with God like food with the body"

 Saint Francis De Sales

 

When we recieve the Eucharist we recieve Jesus, as catholics we believe that Jesus is fully in the Eucharist. So, like my teacher said, "Jesus IS the Eucharist!" At Christ's words, "This is My body," all limitations are stripped away and we stand in the very presence of God It is at the Eucharist that we make Saint Paul's wish our own: "All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, in hope that I myself will be raised from death to life" (Philippians 3:10-11, Good News Bible)

"Not to go to Communion is like someone dying of thirst beside a spring."

St. John Vianney

Oh no! She's up!

"Be the woman that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says, 'Oh no! She's up!'"

That is my goal. This past week I was on a mission trip in South Carolina. I'm was so excited for a couple reasons: one, I love helping people, It's the best way to let Christ shine through us; two, the program is amazing, singing, jumping up and down, and praising God is such an amazing experience and it feels so great to give everything to God; three, I will be away from home, this probably doesn't seem like much, but I break out of my shell more when I'm away.

Throughout the week crews were working in nursing homes, ophanages, ranches, houses, etc.. This is one of the many opportunities God has given me to share His love and to use the gifts He gave me.


While we were there we were looking for God Sightings. A God Sighting is when you see God's love shine through someone, something, and action, etc. I had two God sightings that will really stick with me. The first God Sighting I had was when we were working at a Restore Habitat for Humanity store. I was hanging clothes on hangers and the lady who worked there was saying how it is really sad when people can't even afford clothes at Goodwill. She said that people come to their store when that happens. She said one day a woman came in and all she had was $2 and they were able to get her a whole outfit and send her away with a smile.

My second God Sighting during the week was on our last day working. That day we went to a pastor's house. He had been sick all week, was still sick, and needed someone to mow his lawn and weed wack for him. After we had finished we went in to tell him we were finished and the adult in my crew (who is also a pastor) went over to him and held his hand as he prayer over him. It was a very powerful experience for me and it was almost as if Jesus was right there with him, healing him. :)


My reason for adding my God Sightings into this blog post is tp show you that God Sightings can be anything. It can be as simple as picking up trash. Most people when they think of God Sightings they think of a burning bush. Yes, that would be a God Sighting, but it doesn't have to be something so obvious. usually God works through the simple things in life.

I pray most days. I've prayed with people before. I've prayed over people before. And I've been prayed over. Praying is one of those things that is reoccuring, something I'm use to. But, when I saw Dave pray over that man, it was so amazing. I can't even really explain it. I just knew Jesus was there, I could feel Dave's passion for Christ and feel the strength in his prayer.

"Be the woman that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says, 'Oh no! She's up!'"

That is my goal, and I challenge you to be someone's God sighting.

“Why is the Catholic Church making such a big deal about the HHS Mandate?”

Probably what you’ve heard when you ask this question is: “The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) regulation that would force employers, including Catholic institutions, to pay, directly or indirectly, for insurance for sterilization and contraceptives, including abortion-inducing drugs, stands as a religious liberty crisis.” [Quote from the USCCB website]

You might still be thinking “what’s the big deal? What does this have to do with me?” Let me tell you, it has a lot to do with you! The Catholic Church is strictly pro-life, so forcing us to provide insurance for sterilization and contraceptives, including abortion-inducing drugs, is flat out against our religion. It is a violation of our conscience. If you have ever done an examination of conscience before confession, you might have noticed that abortion, birth control, contraception, etc. might have been on that list. Now, I’m not saying that you have to be Catholic to be Pro-Life, but this blog is from a Catholic stand point. What I am trying to get across is that Abortion is wrong, and the HHS Mandate is wrong because it violates our religious freedom which the first amendment has protected us from since 1791.

Here are the results of the poll on abortion, remember these stats are mostly Christian/Catholic views. And this is a combination of the poll on this blog and on Facebook.

   9.09% said: “Abortion is perfectly fine. It's her body; she can do what she wants.” This is not the right answer. It may be her body, but it is also her child. And killing it by having an abortion is in violation of the 5^th commandment. Now, some people will say that it’s not a baby yet, that it is a fetus. Think again, a fetus is a baby that is still inside of its mother’s womb. God alone is Lord over life and death; you don’t get to decide who lives and who dies.

      6.06% said: “Abortion is only ok if the girl is raped.” I can see why people would think this, but it is still wrong. The girl may not have intended to have a child yet but, she has one now. If she can’t take care of the baby she could always give it up for adoption. I see where this one is hard and I know it would be hard to go through the pregnancy, but killing an innocent life doesn’t make you childless, it makes you the parent of a dead child. At least with adoption the child is able to live, even if they never meet their father.

     84.85% said: “Abortion is murder.”  Remember this is mostly a Christian and Catholic point of view, but this still makes me happy that almost 85% said that it is murder, because that is exactly what abortion is! Like I said before, only God has the right to decide who gets to live and who dies. God was loving enough to give us free will and there are consequences that come along with bad choices. If you decide to have sex out of marriage, then there are consequences that come with that. So, what gives you the right to decide if the baby lives or dies?

     0% said: “Abortion is ok if the baby has a defect/disease.” I am very happy that no one voted on this one! I’m still going to explain why this is wrong though. “Every person, from the moment of his life in the womb, has an inviolable (sacred) dignity, because from all eternity God willed, loved, created, and redeemed that person and destined him for eternal happiness.” (YOUCAT # 280) God made this child because He loves them. Killing a child with a disease/ medical defect because you think they won’t be happy would be like killing someone who has depression; you can’t decide before the child is even born if they will be happy or not!

God does not make mistakes; He knows each and every one of His children. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” God meant for that child to be born, not for it to be in heaven before it could even have a chance to make a difference in the world.

I’m fighting against abortion and for religious liberty, will you fight with me?

God's Healing Hand

I would like to tell you how God pulled me out of the hole I had dug myself into. I had never had a good relationship with my dad, we just didn't get along no matter what. At one point in my life everything seemed to keep piling up; my grandma was slowly dying of cancer, my relationship with my dad had gotten worse, I was sick of constantly getting picked on in school, and I had no relationship with God; I just wanted it all to be over. I started to fall into depression. I couldn't take it anymore. I started cutting myself and I thought about killing myself. Luckily I never got the strength to follow through. Eventually I was able to get help and I was able to stop cutting.

That anger never left me though; I was angry at what I had done. About a year later I had heard a voice in my head saying, "You deformed the body I gave you," as you can probably imagine, that made me feel awful!

This past week I was on LEAD, which is an amazing retreat at Franciscan University of Steubenville. On Tuesday night we were talking about past hurts, we were given a piece of paper and I started making my list. As I was kneeling, I put my hands in front of me and close my eyes and Jesus is there! I could feel my hands closing around His hands. He was there with me! In that moment I realized He had always been with me! He holds my hand everywhere I go;it's like the footprints prayer, He's been carrying me my whole life. I just never realized it! After that I was able to offer up my hurts and give God my life.

Ever since that night I have been on the road to healing. It wasn't easy to let go of something that has been hurting me for so long, but I know God is helping me through it. God pulled me out of everything that was weighing my down, I know He can do it for you too! Trust in God, great things will happen!

Do You Ever Feel Useless?

Lately that has been nagging me. I know God has a plan for me, I just feel like I am useless. I want to make a difference, to share God's love, be like Jesus, but how do I do that? I'm only 15, how am I supposed to make a difference in someone's life? Am I on the right path?


Earlier this year I could really feel why God had put me where I was. At first I really questioned my decision to leave private school and go to public, I didn't know anyone and I went from having 50 kids in my grade to 700ish kids in my grade (that's a little nerve wrecking!) And I'm shy, I really had no clue why I chose public school.


Then it happened.
I was sitting in science class and the kid next to me started talking to me, he was one of the first people to really talk to me, one of my first new friends. He knew I was Catholic because of my bracelet and my dog-tag. About a week later, he asked me about my view on Satan. Obviously, being a Christian I dislike Satan. (Actually, At Baptism and Confirmation I took a vow that says that "I renounce Satan and all his nasty deeds...") I asked him why he was asking me such a strange question and he told me that he was thinking about becoming a satanist. I didn't even know that satanists were real until he said that. I literally didn't know what to say. I was shocked! How could anyone want to worship Satan? Why would anyone want to? It scared me that he would even consider something like that.


That night I went home and cried and prayed to God to help me think of something to do. How am I supposed to deal with something like that? How could I convince him that he was making a HUGE mistake?


A week later he told me that he had made up his mind and he was now satanist. It breaks my heart to think that he could actually do that. But that night, I had a dream, I don't remember the dream but that morning I decided that everyday I was going to tell him that Jesus Loves Him! To me, that was God telling me that I can do something, even if it takes years, he will one day realize that Jesus loves him and is willing to forgive him and bring him back. That helped me to grow stronger in professing my faith. Anyone who knows him, knows that I am christian and that I care about him. And that is my goal in life, to share God's love and be Jesus to others.

Made in God's Image :D

You know what, I may not be the prettiest girl, or the tallest, or have the next new thing, but you know what, that is not what God made us for. We were made for so much more! God made each and every one of us in His image. (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 9:6, 2 Corinthians 4:4) So why is it that our society thinks that you have to have outer beauty to do anything? The sad thing is I know people who think that "ugly" people can't do anything--yet this person is the least coordinated person I've ever met. Why do looks make a difference in what you can or cannot do? Why should there be a line between "pretty" and "ugly"?

"There is not, never has been, and never will be a single person for whom Christ did not suffer."

We are all His children, why then is there separation? What is the difference? Jesus died for you, for me, and everyone on this earth. God puts people in our lives for a reason, but if you treat that person horrible, you may never find out why God put them there. He gives us blessings in everything. The girl you see walking down the hallway may be the one to change your life forever. Or maybe that guy you bumped into in the store needed your help. Or a kid in school that doesn't have many friends and needs someone like you to talk to.

You never know what God has in store for you. Always remember to keep an open mind and be ready for anything He throws at you. I wasn't ready when he threw a whole bundle of things at me and luckily God had put people in my life to help me through it. :)

 

 

 

 

 

"The true friend is the one who’s coming in the door while everyone else is going out. Friends are the ones who love you when you’re hard to love, stand by you when it’s not the popular thing to do and are there for you when you need it, even if it means they don’t get anything back."

No matter what, Jesus will always be there for you. He will always be standing there with open arms. He will never leave you!

Abortion: The American Holocaust

So many people don't realize how big of a deal Abortion is. It bothers me. A while ago I watched the "180" Movie. This is a 30 minute documentary comparing the Jewish Holocaust to the "American Holocaust." This is a very shocking and emotional thing to watch. The Holocaust of the Jews was horrible. Genocide is a disturbing subject. We talked about it in history class this year and it is awful.

 I don't see how people could just murder hundreds of innocent people! And that is exactly what abortion is. What if your mom had been pro-choice? What if she decided she didn't want a baby? You wouldn't be here.

The Fifth Commandment Says: Thou Shall Not Kill!

"God-given human life is God's own property: it is sacred from the first moment of it's existance and not under the control of any human being. 'before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you' (Jer. 1:5)" (YOUCAT 383 [CCC 2270-2274, 2322])

A really sad story about abortion from baby's point of view.... 
Baby’s Abortion Story

MONTH ONE
Mommy, I’m only 8 inches long but I have all my organs. I love the sound of your voice. Every time I hear it, I wave my arms and legs. The sound of your heart beat is my favorite lullaby.

MONTH TWO
Mommy, today I learned how to suck my thumb. If you could see me, you could definitely tell that I’m a baby. I'm not big enough to survive outside my home, though. It's so nice and warm in here.

MONTH THREE
you know what mommy, I'm a girl!!! I hope that makes you happy. I always want you to be happy. I don't like it when you cry. You sound so sad. It makes me sad too, and I cry with you even though you can’t hear me.

MONTH FOUR
Mommy, my hair is starting to grow. It's very short and fine, but I will have a lot of it. I spend a lot of my time exercising. I can turn my head and curl my toes and fingers, and stretch my arms and legs. I'm becoming quite good at it too.

MONTH FIVE
you went to the doctor today mommy. He lied to you. He said that I'm not a baby. I am a baby Mommy, your baby. I think and feel. Mommy, what's abortion?

MONTH SIX
I can hear that doctor again. I don’t like him. He seems cold and heartless. Something is intruding my home. The doctor called it a needle. Mommy, what is it? It burns!! Please make him stop! I can’t get away from it! Mommy!!! Help me! No.....

MONTH SEVEN
Mommy, I'm okay. I'm in Jesus' arms. He is holding me. He told me about abortion. Why didn’t you want me mommy?


Every abortion is just one more heart that was stopped. Two more eyes that will never see. Two more hands that will never touch. Two more legs that will never run. One more voice that will never speak.

I Want to Live Like That!

"Was I love?
When no one else would show up.
Was I Jesus to the least of those?
Was my worship more than just a song?"

This speaks to me because "I want to live like that!" I want to be Jesus with skin on. When I walk down the street I want people to see me and say, "Wow, She has Jesus in her heart," or, "I saw Jesus shine through her." I want people to know me as a child of God. I don't want to be just another person in this life. I want to make a difference.

"People pass,
And even if they don't know my name,
Is there evidence that I've been changed?
When they see me, do they see You?"

Prayer is a special time for me because it is when I fell God's presence the most. Listening to Christian Music is a special type of prayer for me and I hear this song on the radio, so that is a blessing. :)

The main problem I have is school. I got to a public school, which makes it a little more difficult, but, there are some people that no matter what you say they come up with something to tear you down.

"I want to show the world the love You gave for me
I'm longing for the world to know the glory of the King"

When people tell you that God's not real, that Jesus didn't really die for you, that the Bible is just stories that someone came up with; tell them that you know that Jesus loves you, and he loves them to.

There is a kid in one of my classes that I tell him everyday that Jesus loves him. He hates it (especially because he's santanist) but, it's true. Jesus loves him, even if he's crazy. And the more I tell him, the less come backs he thinks of. He has stopped denying me. He just accepts the fact that I truely believe it. :)

So If someone tells you that miracles aren't real, just simple say "Jesus Loves you!" And walk away. :)

Happy Memorial Day!

I want to say a special thank you to our armed forces today. My dad is retired navy so I know that it can be hard on everyone. I remember when I was little I was so proud of my dad. I didn't really understand why he was in the navy or what he was doing, I just knew that he had to give up a lot for a greater cause.

My brother is in NJROTC at our high school. He was all dressed up in his uniform for the awards ceremony and we went to apple bee's afterward. while we were sitting there, waiting to order, a man came up to us and asked my brother if he could shake his hand then he thanked my brother and bought him ice cream. Now, my brother isn't in the military, He plans to after college, but the point is that the man at apple bees wanted to show appreciation for the men and women that serve our country. That man inspired us to make a pledge that when we see a veteran or someone who is active service, we are going to by them ice cream or some kind of dessert. I hope this will inspire you too.

Lord, Hold these loved ones in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Give them courage, hope and strength. May they ever experience your firm support, gentle love and compassionate healing. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.  

Remember those who gave their all

Steubenville Promo 2011

This is the promo video for the Steubenville Youth Conference that changed my life. Every time I here this song I think about God. It was at a steubenville youth conference that I found my love for the one and only God. It was such an Amazing expierence! I had never seen anyone, especially teenagers, excited about faith. The sad thing was, I came from a Catholic school and you were considered a "nerd" if you went to mass every sunday. (I only went every sunday because my mom dragged me there every weekend) Truth is, I blamed God for everything bad that had ever happened to me. I had a bad relationship with my dad-God's fault. I was bullied for seven years-God's fault. My grandma had cancer three times, the third time it took her away from me-God's fault. I was depressed-God's fault. The list went on and on. I couldn't see how an all powerful God could leave us so helpless and miserable.

That night, during adoration, I felt His presence; He told me that He loves me. That night I beagan to understand John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that we might have life in Him." Before, I didn't really believe that some guy named Jesus really died for me, I didn't believe in the miracles, I didn't believe that he could preform miracles. I just thought it was some story that some crazy person wrote. I was so wrong! Jesus really did die for you and me! He really does Love You! It took me a long time to realize that I can't live with out Him. "For without God, you can do nothing"

I wish I could explain better, but, that was my Aha moment. It takes a long time for some people, others might never find that aha moment in their lives. My goal in life is to hel;p people find God and share His love. Please help me do that my sharing my blog.

Your Sister in Christ

Rachel

I wasn't actually a Crazy Catholic until this past summer. I went on a mission trip with my youth group to north carolina, during program one night we were talking about labeling ourselves. I used to tell myself that I was ugly, that I would never be good enough and that night I broke down in tears and decided that I am exactly the way God wants me to be. Later that summer I went to a Stuebenville Youth conference. At first I didn't want to be there. I wasn't a very good catholic, I didn't believe in most of the things that the Catholic Church believes. But, that night during adoration, it really hit me. I could feel God telling me that can trust Him, that everything will be ok. I can't explain why I decided to change my life but I can tell you that from that night on I decided that I want to live every moment for Him! :)

That is why I started this blog. I hope to inspire people to live life for Him! I want to share with the world that I am not afraid to say that I am a Jesus Freak!