God: The Master Painter

I apologize for the huge gap between posts. There is never a dull moment in my crazy life!

I’d like to talk about how awesome our God is. Seriously. Do you ever just stop what you’re doing and stand there, amazed by God? I did! My family and I went on a vacation in the beginning of May and I literally had one of those moments. Our vacation was in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. It was incredible. Most people have probably never hear of Canaan Valley, I hadn’t! It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere. But, in a way, that made our vacation that much better!

One of the catch phrases that I like to say is that God is the master painter. I love to paint, so it’s a great metaphor for me. While I was on vacation, that phrase too on a whole new meaning to me. It was just so incredibly beautiful that words cannot even begin to describe it. I was speechless at the thought that God had “painted” the beautiful mountains, trees, bushes, sky, waterfall, animals, and so much more. It was one of those “Aha” moments that I will never forget. Since I can’t quite describe just how beautiful it was, let me show you. Even though in person is even better than the pictures!

This picture was taken while we were on a train ride on the Durbin Rocket

Black Water Falls

This is a picture from Lindy Point overlooking the Blackwater Canyon and it was 3,047 feet up!

And of course I took a selfie with Blackwater Falls!

Here is the sunset picture I took from the resort

Here is a picture from inside Seneca Caverns

I could just keep going and going with all the incredible and beautiful pictures, but this post is not meant to be "show and tell."  There is a point to this post.  We take beauty for granted and sometimes we even forget about the beauty in our world.  It's important to step back from our everyday lives and see what beauty God has put before us.  

While we were on vacation I was completely cut off from internet and cell phone service.  No joke.  We were that far out in the middle of nowhere that my phone didn't have a signal and there wasn't any wifi.  Haha at first it was weird not texting my friends and checking my facebook every hour, but as the week went on, I didn't really care.  It was kind of nice not being attached to my phone and I was able to just be there and in that moment.  I didn't have any outside "interference" to pull me out of the state of wonder that I had found myself in.  It was really cool.  

It's been a long time since I was able to just look around me and just think "Wow, God!"  I loved that feeling and it made me want to reach for that at home too.  You don't need to go on vacation to see God's beauty surrounding you.  He's always there, whether we see him or not.  Sometimes we just need to open our eyes a little wider.  That is my challenge to you, when life's got you down or you are struggling to see God's beauty, just open your eyes and your mind to the possibilities.  God can work wonders in your life if you just give him a chance.

God Bless all of you!

Thank you for reading!

My Brother is off to the Navy!

Yesterday I said goodbye to someone I've known my whole life.  It wasn't a permanent goodbye; I'll see him again in 2 months, but it still feels like a long time that he won't be here.  Some people may find it really odd how much his leaving has impacted me.  We weren't exactly best friends most of the time.  Patrick and I could fight about pretty much everything.  Occasionally we could play nice together, but we never had that whole "loving brother and sister" relationship.  We usually did our own thing and "occasionally," well, maybe more than occasionally, try to get each other in trouble.

Even last year we were still arguing and complete opposites of each other.  We couldn't agree on anything!  He thought church was dumb; I loved going to church.  I didn't like the school we were at; he absolutely loved it there.  He'd pick on me for being short; I'd pick on him for his big feet.  We had a lot of silly little arguments and we'd both make snide comments that didn't really mean.  It seemed like all we could do was tear each other down.  We also had big fights to the point that I wanted him to leave home.

Throughout his senior year, he spent a lot of his time trying to get all his paperwork and stuff sorted out so that he could join the navy after graduation.  But, there were things he had to do before he could enlist and it took forever!  For those not familiar with the way the military works, everything has to be absolutely perfect and if one thing is not "perfect" then it takes months and months to "correct it."  That was the case with my brother.  He went up to Columbus to get his military physical and all that stuff and there was a spot on his back.  So they sent him home and said he had to get rid of the spot before he could enlist.  Seems reasonable, right?  Not exactly, the military likes paperwork and there wasn't any official paperwork for what the doctor did to get rid of the spot.  So that caused issues that took forever to get sorted out.  Also, when he was up in Columbus somehow his birth certificate was misplaced and he couldn't do anything until either he found his original birth certificate or sent for a new one from Virginia.  So as you can probably guess, Patrick was extremely stressed out during this time.  The more frustrated he got the more we argued and the worse our relationship became.

Eventually everything was sorted out and he was told what month he would be shipping out for boot camp.  It was summer, so April felt like forever away.  At first we kind of just went on like we had been.  But, as Patrick's ship date got closer and closer we became closer and closer.  About 2 months ago we became pretty good friends as well as good siblings to each other.  That's probably when it started hitting home for me.  This kid that I grew up with, who had always been there (even when he was the last person I wanted to see) was going to leave and he wouldn't be coming back to stay.  I really couldn't imagine home without him.

This is the last picture we took before he left for boot camp.
This could probably explain why he picked on me for being short! haha

Now that I look back on our relationship over the years, I see how silly our arguments really were.  I don't understand why we argued, we just did.  There's a million "what if's."  What if we had been closer?  What if we had been nicer to each other?  The list goes on and on, but it doesn't change anything.  I do wish that Patrick and I could have had a better relationship, but I am glad that we were able to bond before he left.  There was a point in my life where I would be more likely to say "who? No, I don't know that kid.  We're not related."  But now I am proud to say "Look! That's my big brother!"

I understand that saying of "you don't know what you have until it's gone."  I had an awesome big brother and I didn't realize it.  (He also had a pretty awesome little sister!)  Now he's gone and I miss him more than I ever thought I would.  Guess the important thing is that he is doing what he's wanted to do since we were little.  He's always wanted to join the Navy like my dad and now he's done it!

Please keep my brother in your prayers!  He's going to need it!

Also, please keep my family and Patrick's girlfriend in your prayers!  We all miss him and it is going to be a long two months.

God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can and wisdom to know the difference.  Amen.


God Bless!  Thank you!

Struggling with your lenten promise?

So, we're about halfway through lent, now and it's about that time that either the lenten promise starts to get easier and become routine or you realize that you're not doing so great on you lenten promise.  I'll have to say I'm both.  I chose to give up nutella for lent (I could literally live off of that stuff!) haha It seems like a funny thing to give up but I knew it would be hard for me personally.  I also chose to DO something.  Lent is not just about giving something up.  You can also do something.  Last year every morning I woke up and first thing I did was kiss the floor and say a prayer for humility (kind of the same idea as Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.)  This year I felt like I wanted to do that again, but it's been hard for me.  I have a hard time remembering to do it!  So, as soon as I remember I just drop to the ground.

It seems silly to me personally that I'm having such a hard time this year!  Lent was a very special time for me last year and I grew in my devotion to God.  Guess I should have kept kissing the floor even after lent, though!  I'm am sad to say that I have been lazy.  When we are in consolation it is so easy to say "yes, Lord! I will thank You for everything!"  But when we are in desolation and we don't feel Him it is so much more difficult.  It that state of consolation we see God in the beauty of everything.  He is in the person holding the door for us or He is the rain that waters the plants; He is in the sunshine that brightens our day or we see him in a teacher or peer.  Consolation helps us to be inspired by our surroundings and we are able to look outward.  In desolation it is much more difficult to see things that way.  Even though God is still there, we look negatively inward and we feel like giving up.  We know deep down that God is with us, but He is not flashing in front of our nose like a billboard sign.  We may feel drained and lonely.

So what do we do when it is so hard to pray and we really don't feel like getting out of bed to kiss the floor?  Be honest.  Tell God that you're struggling.  It doesn't have to be in the form of a novena or some formal prayer.  Just talk to him.  When you find yourself struggling, reach for His hand and ask for his guidance.  You may feel like you're talking to yourself, but I can promise you the He is listening.  Also, seek guidance in those around you.  Talk things out with a friend or just spend time with them instead of being alone.  Spending a bunch of time alone is when most people are at their worst.  It is easy to think about the past and say "well I should have done ____" or "why didn't he/she do ___" or even "Why, God, didn't you help me?"  It is so easy to place blame or focus on regret.  It is important to not dwell on those things.  They happened, but they are in the past: time to move on.

Yet, we're all human, we make mistakes.  I forget to pray sometimes, but I can't let that stop me.  Admit it and say "oops" and then fix it.  I can't tell you how many times I've said "oops!  Forgot to kiss the floor!  Guess now is better than never."  God understands.  Don't beat yourself up over it.  Whatever you are struggling with, give it to God.

God's got you covered!

God bless!

Me!? A Role-Model!?

I apologize for not posting in a while.  Everything has been crazy between school, coaching, and a couple clubs I'm in.

I'd like to talk about being an assistant coach.  I'm still in highschool, so I don't have a child and I'm not old enough to be a head coach.  I love volleyball and I would spend 24/7 playing and practicing drills if I could.  So I asked if I could help out at the catholic grade school I went to.  So, since November, I have been assistant coaching the 3rd grade and 4th grade teams.  It's amazing!  I love being able to help them learn the sport (the 3rd graders are just now starting to learn the skills.  It's their first year.  And for the fourth graders, they started playing games against other teams and are improving on their previous skills.)

It really is an incredible experience to be able to be someone these kids can look up to and who can relate with them in a different way than an adult can.  The one little girl on the 3rd grade team likes to wave at me whenever she sees me at church and she is glued to my side at practice.  Another girl on the 4th grade team likes for me to help her on her serve rather than her mom (who is one of the other coaches.)  It's fun being someone they can talk to.  It makes me feel like I'm making a difference.  

I'm sure every one of us has heard the whole "I'm not your friend. I'm your [coach, mom, dad, teacher, etc.]."  Well, where I'm standing, I can almost do both.  With the 3rd graders I am their friend more than I am their coach.  If they don't understand something, or they aren't doing something correctly, I am able to show them and it doesn't embarrass them as much as if their parent or a coach called them out.  It is a unique position and I love it!  With the fourth grade I typically have to be a little more stern because they're at the age of "I know better than you," but they tend to listen to me because I'm closer to their level.  I'm only 6-8 years older than them, depending on the kid.  Our one coach is more than 7 times their age and the other two coaches are parents of kids.  So we each have a different perspective.  I am in a position to be able to help them in a different way than the two coaches that are parent who are able to help coach in a different way than the other coach who is able to help them in yet another way.

When I signed up to be a coach, I didn't realize how much I would be a role-model to these girls on and off the court.  On the court I have authority, yet I can be a friend to them.  But I'm still a role-model.  They look to me for advice and I show them the correct way to do something.  For example, one key thing in volleyball is to stay low and keep your knees bent.  I've lost count of how many times I say "down" or "bend your knees" or "down and ready, girls" in just one practice.  But if I'm telling them to get down and STAY down then when I scrimmage against them or when I demonstrate for them, then I have to be down too, even when it's not necessary, because it gets the point across and I am being an example.  Do as I say, not as I do? NO!  Do as I say and as I do.  THAT is how they will learn.

I also didn't realize how much of a role-model I would be off the court.  Most of the girls I had never met before I started coaching.  Well, now it's like I see them everywhere I go!  I see a lot of them in church and they'll wave at me or give me that look like "whoa! you're hair isn't permanently in a braid!?"  haha  So they see me dressed up, but still being modest.  I've also seen them at the store or at their school (I occasionally go in and say hi to my past teachers or help out in the library).  It's fun seeing them and seeing their faces light up with that "hey! I know you!" look on their faces.  

I guess where I'm going with this blog post is that anyone can be a role-model.  I'm still in high school and I can be a role model.  The two women that I'm coaching with are parents and they're role-models.  The man that I'm also coaching with is much much older than them and he is a role-model to them.  EVERYONE is a role-model.  You don't have to be a coach, parent,  teacher, etc. to be a role-model.  Look at Jesus, he was born in a barn, in a manger that they put the animals' food in, he was the son of a wood carver.  Yet look at what a role-model he was.  Yes, I realize Jesus was God, but He was also human.  Fully God and fully human.  I'm sure he got nervous too, standing in front of all those people eagerly listening to him.  But I'm not saying that you should go stand up in front of your whole church and give your whole life story.  No.  I'm just saying to be a good example to those around you and be someone they can look up to.

Thank you for reading!

God Bless!

look for toothpicks, not billboards

Recently, I started watching Doctor Who. There was a quote on an episode that I find extremely funny, but also thought provoking.

"Ricky, let me show you something about the human race. You put a mysterious blue box slap-bang in the middle of town, what do they do? Walk past it."

Now, as amusing as that quote is, it's got a point. People can be extremely oblivious to important details. I had seen a show on Tv about how mind tricks work and why they work. In the one example, a man went into store and he talked to a random guy he met. During the conversation the man that was randomly selected was purposely distracted maybe 6 or so times and each time he was distracted the other man would change something about his appearance. He started out with a neck brace, a red shirt, a hat, an eye patch, and a jacket. In the end he had a black shirt, no neck brace, a different hat, the eye patch was moved to the other eye, and no jacket. Sadly, the random guy that was picked to do this didn't even notice. Now what does that say about how oblivious humans can be?

As humans we tend to not notice little things, yet we seek out the big things. But that's not how God works. God doesn't just come down from heaven and say to me "ok, Rachel, here's what I want you to do: you're going to marry this guy, you're going to go to this college for this career and you will never have a struggle ever again." Ha! Wouldn't that be nice? Too bad

As a friend of mine once said, signs from God are like getting toothpicks thrown at you, they may not seem big and important at the time, but later on, when you look down at the toothpicks, they'll spell out what God was trying to show/tell you.

Look for God in the small things that you might normally take for granted. For me, nature is a huge reminder of God's presence. To know that He created everything and that it is all so beautiful.  Have you ever heard the quote "what if you woke up and all you had left was what you remembered to thank God for"? How many of us would be left without anything?

Remember, God doesn't want us seeking out miracles to base our faith on. "Blessed are those who have not seen and still believe."

During a struggle it is easy to be upset with God and to feel like He left you, but looking back on those struggles, we realize that He was there the whole time. Look for the toothpicks! Don't get all down because God doesn't come down to earth and resolve your problem! Look for Him in the little things, He's there, you just have to keep your eyes open!

Are you a Catholic or a Christian?

I hate when people ask me that! I hope to clear up any confusion with this post.

This past Sunday, I was at youth group and it was our first one for the school year and we were playing trainwreck as a "get to know you" game. Trainwreck is a game where everyone sits in a circle and there are enough chairs for everyone except for one person. That person that ends up without a chair stands in the middle of the circle and says something like, "If you go to highschool" or "If you have brown hair," something like that, and whoever has that, does that, or has done that gets up and has to change seats. Or if someone says, "Trainwreck!" then everybody has to get up and move.

Well, while we were playing, the siblings were trying to get each other in the middle of the circle. One sibling's brother was named Christian so he said "If your name is Christian" so Christian had to get up. Well, Christian's response was "If you ARE a Christian" (Now remember this is a Catholic youth group--Everyone should have gotten up). Some people did not get up and their response was "well, I wasn't sure if being Catholic we weren't Christians"...

Let me clear some thing up for you.

->Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
If you answered yes, the you are a Christian
If you answered no, then you are not a Christian

Do you believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth?
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary: suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell: on the third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? Do you believe in the Holy Catholic Church: the communion of saints: the forgiveness of sins: the resurrection of the body: and the life everlasting?


Then You are Catholic! AND Christian! Catholics believe in Jesus!


Thank you for listening, this has been a rant from Yours Truly! If there is still any confusion, please comment or message me.
Thank you again and God Bless!

What Does That Make Me?

While I was on our mission trip, we would have worship every morning and night. There would be music and prayer. One song we sang was Everything Glorious, by David Crowder. This song has been stuck in my head ever since mission trip! Haha which, I'm not complaining. It's a good song! :)

There is one part in the song where he is singing to God and says "You make everything glorious and I am yours. What does that make me?"

It really got me thinking. In the creation story God made the earth and the trees and everything and He said it was good but when He made man and woman He said it was very good. A lot of times it is easy to get caught up in what we think are flaws and what other people tell us are flaws. Good doesn't make mistakes! He made you exactly how He wanted you to be.

My youth minister described it as Good walking around a room with file cabinets labeled hair color, height, eye color, skin tone, personality, etc. and God would go to each drawer and piece by piece design us in His image and when He is done he will smile and say "my child, you are very good."

I know that when you are being made fun of it is a lot harder to remember that. Believe me, I know. As Bob and Larry would say "God made you special and He loves you very much!" (VeggieTales) Whenever someone says something that is hurtful or points out something they consider to be a flaw, remember that God made you exactly how He wanted you to be. Think of good things. Things that make you feel good about yourself. For me, I love my eyes, I think they're really pretty. So when someone says they don't like the way I look, I remember that God blessed me with pretty eyes. Sounds silly, but it helps to me go on. Remember to thank God for everything, even your flaws.

Good bless you :) thank you for reading