Dwelling Among Us

"And the Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us." 

John 1:14

Does anyone else feel that strain in your neck when you are looking up at your church's crucifix? I know the one in my church is placed pretty high up. From certain vantage points, it feels super awkward to gaze upon the face of Jesus... and I feel bad but my neck is practically touching my back and I am sure I look stupid. 

It was during adoration one time that it hit me. I looked up at the crucifix, and then my gaze slowly dropped to the monstrance in front of me. And I realized, that Jesus doesn't want us to look so high- He doesn't want us to find Him in Heaven on our time on Earth. Because he is dwelling with us, eye to eye. That's why we can adore Him and consume Him in the Eucharist, because He is present with us on Earth. 

So not only did the kinks in my neck cease, but my kinks in the thoughts of Jesus being so far away released. Because He's not far away at all; He is waiting in our hearts! Pretty darn amazing, if you ask me. 

Trial and Triumph- Lenten Style

So far, this Lent has actually been going pretty well. And by pretty, I don't mean all sugar and rainbows, and by well I mean the-best-Lent-that-I-have-had-yet-in-my-short-time-on-Earth.

Day One of Lent, my promises consisted of giving up all sweets and writing in my journal. A week or so in, things were going well except I was complaining more about sweets than school (which you know is a big deal). My mom and I had a chat, and she told me how she heard numerous homilies about how giving up sweets won't necessarily get you closer to God. And as I thought about it, I was like..."yes, that makes sense, because I have been more focused on how miserable I am than how to get closer to God." Don't get me wrong, there may be people out there who use that torture as a sacrifice to God, and they feel like it is helping them with their relationship. If that is you, kudos, and keep going!

So now I am really focusing on my journal, and it is a-mazing. I may actually do a "journal tour" so you all can see the messy spiritual-ness of my diary.

I have never really been a journal person though. I am someone who if I have a routine, I need to stick with it and have a schedule, otherwise it will fall apart. So the idea of journaling every day about randomness made no sense to me, until I saw some journal-spiration on Pinterest.

The cool calligraphy and pictures, and just overall organized chaos of the simple journal really intrigued me. And I realized it's kind of like writing a mini-blog post every day.. minus the readers and it's not all advice. So I set out on a quest to find the perfect journal. I didn't want it to be cheap, I wanted a quality diary that would make me feel good to write in. I wanted it to be ringed so I could turn the pages easier. I wanted a quote to be on it, I wanted it to be in a certain color.

I want
I want
I want.

After a week or so of searching, I realized that once again, I was caught up in the "making it perfect"

than focusing on God. So I went to Walmart, got a small, simple 5-Star book and started using it.

The things you learn from overachieving- God doesn't want perfect. He wants you no matter what shape, color or form you come in. So my writing may not lie in a 20 dollar Kate Spade journal, it lies humbly in some college-ruled lines, but God doesn't care.

And to tell you the truth- I love it because I can make it my own! I have already put my own quotes in there, I even made a college of Papa Francis (boredom=Papa Francis, don't ask :D) and I love it more and more each day, and I actually look forward to writing in it!

Here's to one Lenten post, look forward to many more in the near future. :)

All through Christ,

Maddie

New Year's Resolutions | 5 Tips to Get You There

First off, Happy New Year everyone! I hope you enjoyed the last bits of 2014 as much as I did. I don't know about you, but I was really looking forward to a new year, and a new start!
New Years Resolutions. The easiest things to write down, but the hardest things to actually follow. I don't think I have even followed through with at least one resolution. Horrible, I know. Most of the time the resolutions are the same, like getting closer to God, or eating healthier, or being kind to people. But after a few trial and errors, I realized sketchy and vague resolutions aren't really going to get me anywhere.

1. The More Specific, the Better

What I like to do, is write down a really broad goal, and then write down more specific ways to achieve them underneath. For example-

Get Closer to God

-Pray for five minutes every morning and evening
 -write for my blog at least once a week
-Take an hour for God on the weekends

I feel like the more specific you are, the more you will work on it. If you have a really worked out and detailed plan for yourself, you feel like there is more to accomplish, rather than just "getting closer to God." 

 

2. Involve others

Who isn't inspired by other people cheering you along? Tell people your goals, and ask them to help you along the way. Even better, swap your resolutions and together you can inspire the other to keep up on their goal. You can make a routine- every week text, call or talk to each other about what you did good that week, and what you can work on.

 3. Get Inspired

I recently invested in a nice planner for 2015. Yes, it was a little pricey, but it is well worth the money! If you get a nice planner, it will inspire you to stay organized and in control of your events. I totally recommend using some money to buy yourself something that will keep track of your goals, events and thoughts during the year. My planner is great, it is kind of like a mashup of a journal, calendar, and activity tracker in one! (My planner is created by a brand called Mint Green and I got it at Walmart) So treat yourself in the beginning! If you invest in something bigger, you will feel more inspired.

This blog post is very simple, yet inspiring.

I love Inspiration walls. They are so great and well- inspiring! Just grab some magazines or print off some of your favorite quotes, and glue them to cardboard. Make it colorful, and make it yours. If it doesn't inspire you, don't put it up there! I recently renovated my room, and I have a whole wall dedicated to quotes. One of my favorites is, "If you feel like giving up, remember why you started." I think that quote will be my mantra for the year.

Another way of keeping inspired is kind of based on that quote. I have already started to work on exercising a little more so I'm not weak, and so I can be more fit for dance. I really pushed myself the first day, and then when I was being lazy the next day I was like "Do you really want all that hard work yesterday to go to waste?" Push your self more and more, and the finish line will become a little sweeter.

4. Have a mantra

I think that if you pick one main quote or Bible verse for the year that you can reflect on, it can really help you to keep inspired and keep going. You want to go deeper? Pick a virtue or quality that you admire for someone else, and stay focused on it. Every month you can choose a different virtue, while still staying true to your verse. Type it out, print it big and hang it up in a place where you will see it every day.

 

5. Make it reasonable, but make it worth it.

A lot of goals we make for ourselves sound swell the day that we make them, but then a week later we realize it is close to impossible. In some cases, it is just your brain and the Devil talking, but in some cases, it is true. Make sure that you can actually achieve the goals. However, you don't want to make some small, easily obtainable goal. The perfect goal is something that you can reach with hard work and dedication.

Want some ideas? Here are some of my New Years Resolutions (following #2 :) )

 

1. Be healthier

- look and feel healthy

-follow my routine every day (I wrote out a routine)

- judge by feeling, not by weight!

-eat the serving size

 

2. Prayer Routine

-Five minutes every day

    * Bible and Morning Offering

-Five minutes every night

    *Thanksgiving, Supplication, People to pray for, and Help

 

3. Stretch three days a week

 

4. Do something that scares me

    -big or small

    - every day

 

5. Post every week for Blog

     - hopefully every Sunday, but at least every week

 

6. Pray to and through others

-the Holy Spirit

-Confirmation saint (Teresa of Avila)

-Other saints

Also, one other helpful hint is make sure you check up on your goals again! Write them down and put them in a place where you can easily revisit them. Make sure you write down what you think you can achieve and don't change them!
Good luck to all, and have a great New Year!

All through Christ,

Maddie

Temptation- How to Beat it

Temptation is one of the most... well tempting things in our lives to just ignore. We all know what it means, and we all know that it's bad, but do we really think about it?


Now let's straighten out a few things. First off, temptation is not a sin. It is the desire to commit a sin. Secondly, temptation blocks off your inner conscience. Do you ever feel those voices battling in your head sometimes? That's your conscience (God) and temptation (the Devil). When you follow through with the action that the Devil is tempting your towards, then you have committed a sin.


Kapeesh? :)

There was this one time where I was feeling very tempted. (To do what? You might ask. My lips are sealed.) I was standing on the end of my stairs, and my head turned into a battle ground.

Do it. Do it now.

No!

Come on, no one will notice.

Don't do it, don't do it.

 Sound familiar? It happens all the time in our minds. Sometimes, we train ourselves to ignore the battle and just go along with what we want.

But most of the times, what we want isn't want God wants.

So there I was, standing at the top of the stairs, staring off into space and thinking about what I was going to do next.

And then I thought of something my religion teacher said.

"You can destroy your conscience."

What?! You can destroy your conscience? How!?

And the answer, my friends, is quite simple. You go against it over and over until you can't hear it anymore. Like I said above, we can train our conscience to just fade into nothingness.

Do you really want that to happen to you?

 

1. Listen to your conscience.



 " It also judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil. It bears witness to the authority of truth in reference to the supreme Good to which the human person is drawn, and it welcomes the commandments. When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking." ETWN

 

Our conscience is here for a reason. Although God did give us Free Will, that doesn't mean He's completely out of the picture. He gave us a voice to follow- specifically His voice. The whole entire purpose for our conscience is to listen and ponder about our upcoming decision.

 

2. Your conscience is a muscle. Strengthen it.

Like any other normal muscle, you need to work out to strengthen it. Although you can't physically feel the strain or soreness afterward, you do feel a little uncomfortable at first- especially if you haven't listened to your conscience in a long time. It might seem awkward at first, but after a few times you will feel like a pro.

 

3. Surround yourself with good temptations.

If you surround yourself with good temptations, logic says most of the time you will be fine. If you sit down reading a good, appropriate book rather than watch a sketchy movie, chances are you will be so wrapped up in the book you won't even think twice about the movie! Don't let yourself get in those tight situations where you are forced to make a hard choice. This is especially hard when you are with your friends. If your friends invite you to a movie, make sure you find out what it is first. If it's looking a little on the edge, then maybe suggest a different movie! If they don't respect your decisions, maybe you should question their morals and wonder if their influence is good around you.

 

-

 

 

If you follow these three steps, you will  most surely listen to your conscience and ignore the Devil! Remember, our souls is the treasure that is constantly being protected by God, and yourself. If you wield up the shield of your conscience, you will have no problem battling temptation.

 

All through Christ,

 

Maddie

 

 

 







5 Fast Ways to Add God Into Your Life

Sometimes we have those days where we feel like the holiest person on Earth. We got our morning and evening routine down, we participate fully and Mass and we preach the Gospel like tomorrow is the Second Coming. And then the next day.... it's back to square one.

Sometimes it's the small God Moments we add (and allow) in our lives that make our spiritual lives that much better. So here are five simple ways to add God to your life.

Persisting is hard, but it has so many amazing benefits. Think of the Grand Canyon. It didn’t use to be that huge, it probably started with a small river. Over time, the river eroded the rock to form the beautiful, vast Grand Canyon we know today. Or you can compare it to something as simple as school. If you study and keep participating in your class, your grades will go up!

All big things start with little actions. So start your beyond-big relationship with God with small acts of love!


1. Start the morning with prayer. Now you can take the word "prayer" any way you would like. For one person it might been an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. For another person it would be a quick "Please (insert petition here) and thank you (insert gratitude here). And then there's people who spend 20 minutes reflecting over a Bible passage. Whatever you feel is most comfortable, do it. It doesn't have to be lengthy, it just has to be meaningful.

2. Pray in public. When I say this, I don't mean get down on your knees and start yelling to God in the middle of the mall. I mean at the beginning of your baseball tournament or before a big test, shoot a small prayer to God. A little goes a long way!

3. Don't forget the Sign of the Cross. The Sign of the Cross really opens and starts any time your are hanging out with God. So make sure you begin and end with this amazing symbol to God. Anything you do will be in "the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,".

4. Bible Verses on Your Window. After you finish reading this post, take a couple of minutes to write down your favorite Bible verses (and quotes) and write them on some sticky notes. Then stick them anywhere where you will seem them often- such as a mirror in your room or bathroom, or in your locker at school. That way you can always be reminded of God throughout your day.

5. God Moments. Right before you go to bed, try to think of a few times where God was present throughout your day. Just thinking about it can help you start a meaningful and friendly conversation with God. Flip it around, and try to be someone else's God moment during the day! Even a small smile or compliment can totally change someone's life around.

I hope you learned something! I know I did by just writing this post! :) Have a great rest of your week!

All through Christ,

Maddie

Inspirational Words to Start Your Week

Tomorrow's a Monday. And most of us really despise Mondays. (or at least I do.) So here are some words, quotes and phrases to start your week on the right foot. :) If I don't list a name by it, it is because I found it on Pinterest and it didn't list the author.

Do something every day that scares you. -Eleanor Roosevelt

 

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. - Eleanor Roosevelt

 

You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep rereading the last one.

 

You can't buy happiness but you can buy MARSHMALLOWS and that's kind of the same thing.

 

 

 EVERYTHING has beauty.

 

Mistakes are proof that you are t r y i n g.

 

An attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. - Winston Churchill

Have a GREAT rest of your week! Find reasons to smile, okay?

All through Christ,

Maddie

{Mini-Post} Where Feet May Fail

NOTE: I will be on vacation for the next week or so, so I decided to do a little mini post before I left. Just so you all know. :)


Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) is one of the most popular songs written by Hillsong United. It truly is an amazing song and really makes you think. The lyrics are perfect for Adoration, or just some quiet time spent with Jesus. Anyone can relate to them, and anyone can feel for them.

I hope you enjoy the song as much as I do!

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

[6x]
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

Against the Current

"Have courage. Go forth. Make noise...Go forward. There will be people who will say things to you to slow you down, to block your path. Please, go against the current...Go against the current: and this means making noise. Go forward, remaining true to the values of beauty, goodness and truth.” -Pope Francis

Pope Francis made an excellent point when talking to 500 young people in Italy. For the full report, click here.

The overall message that our wonderful Pope is stating is "Go against the norm." In today's society, most of the "norm" goes against our religion and our morals in general. Sex before marriage, abortion, drugs... the list goes on and on. But most young people today have a comeback, "But everyone else is doing it!"

Yes, everyone else is doing it. But that doesn't mean  you have to. Go against the tide, be different. You will inspire others to come to the "light side".

For all you Star Wars geeks out there, there is that memorable moment in the series where Darth Vader asks his son, Luke Skywalker to join the Dark side. He tempts him with glory and power, but Luke stands strong and keeps to his side. And hey! Luke made the right decision. Spoilers ahead if you haven't finished the series... He eventually defeated his father and his father repented.

Let's be Luke Skywalkers' of the world and help the others who hide behind the darkness and hidden promises, and bring them to the light.

I was watching a TV program one time that had to do with mimes. There was a group of kids who were interviewing them. The mimes had them do an exercise where one of the kids started doing some crazy action such as waving his hands in the air like a mad man. The others looked at him very weird, like any normal person would in real life. The mimes told them to imagine they were in a park, and this "mad man" started doing an action. Slowly, the others started following this boy until there was only one person left. Eventually, that one person joined the other group.

Now think about this. At first, everyone else thought that the "mad man" was weird and they didn't want to join him because he was the only one doing it and they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. They didn't want to be "out of the norm."  Then when everyone else started doing the action, that one person suddenly had all the attention, even though he thought he was doing the "right" thing!

Imagine if we could change the world like that. If one person starts it, others will catch on and eventually, others will notice! That exercise shows that if one person goes against the tide, others will catch on.

Something that encourages us to swim with the rest of the generation is peer pressure. Peer pressure happens to the best of us, and it takes an open heart and mind to realize that people are pressuring you. Have you ever caught yourself agreeing with someone else's' opinions just because you didn't want to be different?

I was talking with my friend about 6 months ago about Les Miserables, a pretty new movie at that time. (It really is great, I highly recommended it). Since we are both theatre geeks, we both understand that the movie cast could never, ever reach the quality of Broadway. :) I did like the movie cast however, and my friend... not so much. I kind of found myself siding along with her opinions and then I thought Wait.. what are you doing? It has been my objective in the past month to stop and think before I change my opinions based on what other people said. And it's not like my friend was trying to make me change, it was just me.

I think the reason we all side along with other people is because we don't want to be that odd one out. We don't want people to look at us weird and judge us based on our choices. But you know what? I would rather someone look at me weird then me change my opinions just because of peer pressure.

No matter what society, your friends, or temptation says, the right way will always be common sense. Like my religion teacher said, "right is always right and will never change under pressure."  It will never change, never bend, never break. You just need the courage to go the right way, against the current. Pray to God to let you have an open mind and strong heart to let you take a stand, no matter how big or small.

So I challenge you, teenagers of today, the next generation, to go against the current, be different! Inspire others and get out of your comfort zone. Soon, you will realize that being different, is being better.

All through Christ,

Maddie

VBS Inspires Kids... and Teenagers?

Next week is Vacation Bible School (VBS) for my church. It is offered for incoming preschoolers to incoming 6th graders. I have helped teach the music aspect of VBS since I was an incoming 6th grader (yes I was a early bloomer XD) and ever since I have participated in it! The songs are cheesy, and the stuff they learn very simple, but even then I love it. It is a great way to see God through young kids! Since I work music, I can see all of the little ones (and of course, the bigger ones). Although they don't know it, the little ones really do inspire me!


Last year when I was working I had a group of incoming preschoolers and kindergarteners. They were so cute and very focused on learning the music and hand motions unlike the fifth graders. One little girl with cute pig tails was right in the front, watching my every move along with my leader. She had the biggest smile on her face and melted my heart! After they learned a few songs, she decided to come up and teach with me. So there was this cute little kindergartener standing right up there with me, a huge smile on her face and "teaching" her peers. Soon after, a few more kids joined us. By the end of the class, the whole group of preschoolers and kindergarteners were up there teaching their crew leaders. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. And of course, they thought it was the coolest thing that happened all day. (I thought it was too. :) )

Another thing that happens at VBS is the director offers for some of the kids to come up and say their "God moments." Most of them just want to go up and hear themselves talk so they say things like "Trees, my mom, milk," things like that. It is true! Sometimes I do see God in milk! :)

But then one day my leader for music comes up to me and tells me a story about a young boy whose dog of many years just died. Our theme for the camp was "Stand strong for God" that year. So this little boy goes up to his mom and says "Don't cry mommy! Stand strong for God!" Oh my heart just burst with joy. These little kids are really learning so much, and I have learned a lot from them !

The faith of a child is unshakeable. Their innocence and love for God is obvious through their actions and words. If you really take the time to talk to them, you can see that. But remember, you are the one(s) influencing them. Whether you help out with VBS, babysit, or just talk to them you are influencing them. So take that time to help them become closer to Jesus! They will grow up remembering what they have learned, and then they will share with others.

--
(UPDATE)

Wow, has the week gone by quickly! :) VBS was a great experience although very tiring. The kids were great and the music, although still cheesy had a great message.

Another powerful thing that occurred during VBS happened at the showcase. The showcase is where the kids sing all the songs they have learned throughout the week to their parents. It was a very fun time and cool to see them singing and dancing with a smile on their faces.

But anyway, at the end of the showcase, the VBS director came up and asked for a certain mom out there to come up on the stage. This wonderful mom will eventually have a big surgery on her spine. Last time she had this surgery, she had to stay in the hospital for  4- 6ish weeks. She has two daughters, both under the age of 10.

 Once she came up to the stage, we all prayed over her. It was a very cool moment to see all these hands (big and small) raised over her in prayer.

Power of prayer, people.

So that really shows you what a small week of VBS can do for people! If you have one coming up, don't be afraid to sign up to help. You're evangelizing and doing stewardship at the same time! (well, I guess that is the case for most volunteer work).

Have a great rest of your week!

All through Christ,

Maddie

Holy Week (Lenten Series Part Four)

Well, guess what week is sneaking up on us? Holy Week of course! Holy Week is the week before Easter, and very well the most important week of our Catholic faith. It starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday. There are many different days and traditions in between such has Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

I know as personal experience, this week is one of the most impacting-faith wise. It starts off so joyous since Christ the King is coming in on a donkey, and everyone is shouting "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!" but then it slows down a bit until we come to Holy Thursday, and then it really stops on Good Friday.  If you aren't for certain what we do on these days, be not afraid! I will show you the stepping stones. :)

Palm Sunday: Like I mentioned before, Palm Sunday starts out very joyous. There is very happy, exciting music as the priest processes in. I know sometimes our children's choir process in as well, singing the opening song. We all have palm branches in our hands... why? Well first off, that's what the people did thousands of years ago when Jesus was the one who processed on a donkey. They wanted something to lay down to "revere" him, so they grabbed palms off nearby trees and laid down coats, blankets, etc.

I have heard (and wondered) about this question many times. Why would the Jews turn on Jesus so quickly at his Passion when they just were worshipping Him? The answer I have received was the Jews expected Jesus to be a war general. They wanted a leader to lead them into battle against the harsh Romans! But, as we all know, Jesus did not come to the earth for that reason. He is a war general though...  a war general against sin. So as you can imagine, the people were greatly let down and decided to turn against Him.

So that's why Palm Sunday gets a little sadder as the Mass wears on because the joy wears off. We come to realize that Jesus' death is actually coming closer and closer, and we need to prepare ourselves for it.

For the actual scripture passage, click here.

Holy Thursday: I love this Mass. It is so cool to see the priests humble themselves and wash the feet of the parishioners! Although it is not a Holy Day of Obligation, it really is a "must see" I guess I could say. This tradition started out from the Bible story that we all know. On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus cleaned the disciples feet. The disciples were surprised because they thought they  should wash Jesus' feet! But no, Jesus did it as an example for the disciples. This was the last time he would enjoy a meal his disciples before his brutal death. What do you think Jesus was thinking? How would you feel if you knew this was the last meal you would ever have with your friends and family?

For the actual scripture passage, click here.

Good Friday- For my last installment in my Lenten Series, I will be going over Good Friday as well as Tre Ore. So for this post, I will just give you a quick summary. :)

Good Friday is one of the most reflective times of the year in the Catholic church. It is the only day where the candle that shows Jesus' presence is not lit (excluding part of Holy Saturday) and also communion is not consecrated on that day. Good Friday is a day of fasting, repentance and reflection.

Holy Saturday: Techinically, on Holy Saturday there also is no Mass since the Easter Vigil is apart of Easter Sunday. That it the "technical"reasoning. Right at dark, the Easter Vigil Mass starts. And let's just say, if you have never been to an Easter Vigil Mass, you better put it on your bucket list. :) Many people are a little wary of attending this Mass because of it's length. Yes, it may be about twice as long as a normal Sunday Mass, but it still is a beautiful service. There are numerous readings and pslams filled with symbolic thinking. At the beginning of the Mass, everyone is handed a candle (or this is how they do it at my church). There is this big candle that the priest lights at the beginning, and a few people light their individual candles from it. Then it becomes a train of passing on light from one candle to the next until the whole church is flooded with candle light. It is so cool! The only light source is from our candles, and you can see people's faces glowing.

That isn't the only cool part about Easter Vigil. New believers are baptized, confirmed and some even receive their First Communion! It is so cool to see humans older than newborns baptized into the faith.

This is a very very cool experience that you do not want to miss out on!


-
So how can you make this Holy Week a good one? First off, focus more on prayer. Prayer is the power source this week. Also, try going to Stations of the Cross! It is a beautiful, inspiring way to really feel what Jesus felt during the Passion. For a link to a wonderful post on the Stations of the Cross, click here.

I wish you all a blessed and wonderful Holy Week!

All through Christ,

Maddie

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Works Cited:
Hostetter, Aaron. "2013 Life Teen Annual Appeal: Expect Miracles." LifeTeencom for Catholic Youth. LifeTeen.com, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
Richert, Scott P. "Holy Saturday." About.com Catholicism. About.com, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
Richert, Scott P. "Palm Sunday- Solemnity of Palm Sunday." About.com Catholicism. About.com, n.d. Web.

Get Your Game on...It's Lent. (Lenten Series Part One)

Happy March! Before you start reading my awesome rant about the upcoming Lenten season, I have a pretty cool update for you! I am now apart of this amazing blog, Fire of the Spirit! Through a few weeks of me asking tons of questions and the editor being so nice to answer them patiently, I finally am starting to be apart of their blog! They also have a magazine (which has been going on for a few years,) and an upcoming YouTube channel. I am so very blessed to be apart of this amazing experience, and I am loving it so far! Please check out their website and blog: www.fireofthespirit.com. It is so cool to be working with people my age to evangelize to others around!

Now for the post...:)

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It's the most grueling, hard, peaceful, challenging, and faith boosting time of the year for Catholics. We are supposed to give up something meaningful, but it mostly ends up with us being selfish and brushing off the promise as quick as you can say "Easter."

I bet you know what I'm talking about, but incase you don't the answer is... Lent.

Yay, party! :)

When I was younger, Lent was probably on the bottom of my "Favorite Spiritual Times of the Year" list, probably because I had to give up candy, and some electronics, and stuff like that. I really didn't like how everything looked and felt sad. I just wanted some bright colors and the Easter bunny! :) But now since I'm older, I have really thought about Lent and what it means.

Lent literally means "spring" or "springtide". According to www.catholicism.about.com, Lent is a

"Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for Easter Sunday and one of the major liturgical seasons of the Catholic Church. A penitential season marked by prayer, fasting and abstinence, and almsgiving."

Lent is probably the most important Church season, despite many younger kids thoughts about Christmas. :) For me, now anyways, Lent is the period of time when people can look back on their wrongdoings, repent, and find a way to make it up.

And as you already now, we give something up. Whether it be an addiction, bad habit, or something that you do everyday, you choose a sacrifice to give up to Jesus. Sometimes it really makes me sad how people put this part of Lent on the backburner.

"Oh sure, yeah, I'll give up... chocolate. Yeah, chocolate." You didn't even think about it. The first thing that popped into your mind was chocolate and since it is already Ash Wednesday, you have to go with it. There's no turning back now...

Lie. The next day you're gorging on your mother's chocolate cake.

Lenten Tip #1:

Think about what you will give up. You need something that will really make you feel the pain. (Not literally :) ) You need something that you will actually miss. It needs to be hard, that's the purpose! Whenever you are needing a little push, just think about what Jesus had to go through. I bet you would rather be nice to your siblings for 40 days rather than be nailed to a cross. Be realistic though! You can always start small and go bigger.

Here are some cool (and crazy) ideas that will really get you thinking.

1. Give up your bed.
2. Give up your pillow.
3. Give up sweets/junk food.
4. Give up electronics (or just one electronic)
5. Give up certain TV shows that you are addicted to.
6. Give up certain apps.
7. Go to one extra Mass every week.
8. Go to confession one time more than you usually do.
9. Take 5-10 minutes each day to reflect on the scriptures.
10. Put a popcorn kernel in your shoe and walk on it all day. (crazy!)
11. Right when your alarm rings, get out of your bed instead of laying there for 10 minutes.
12. Leave encouraging sticky notes in the bathroom, lockers, or anywhere else where someone could see it. (Don't leave too much!)
13. Say the Hail Mary, and do a crunch (or any other excessive) to every separate word.
14. Get some of your peers and head on down to the church.
15. Go to Eucharistic Adoration or Stations of the Cross once a week.

Also, remember it is always good to take up as well as give up. I would suggest picking one thing to give up, and one thing to take up. Go to a private school with a church attached? (or in it?) What a better Lenten promise then to gather a few of your friends and have a little faith group during Lent! All you got to do is invited people, bring your Bible, and then pray with them. It is a good way to help your peers through Lent, and hey! You'll get help in return! (it's a win win :) )

Tonight, ponder about your Lenten promise. First off, think is it realistic? Can I actually go through with this? But also think is it big enough to serve as a challenge? You want it to be hard enough for it to be a challenge, but not too hard to be impossible.

I hope you have enjoyed the first installment in my Lenten series! :) If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to say hi, please don't be afraid to email me at randommusings13@gmail.com !
Have a wonderful Lent! :)

All through Christ,

Maddie

BeYOUtiful~ For all the people who don't know how wonderful they are.

There's a really important note at the bottom which is also in bold,  so make sure to not miss it! :)

Hey you.

Yes, you.

You hiding behind that screen.

If you're reading this, know that you're beautiful.

You're unique.

Kind.

Wonderful.

Loving.

Wanted.

Don't let society trip you up by making you think the people on the magazine covers are the beautiful ones.

Don't let that boy at school tell you that you aren't worth it.

Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't wanted.

Because you are.

More than you will ever know.

Everyone is beautiful in their own unique way.

Everyone from that girl on the bus to that guy at the homeless shelter.

They all matter.

You matter.

Don't trick yourself.

People love you for who you are, not what you look like.

Trudge through life with confidence, even if you feel like it's pulling you down.

I'm not saying life's going to be easy, but I'm saying you can handle it because God only challenges us with things that we can handle.

He pulls us into the deep waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us.

And he gave you this unique, wonderful, beautiful life for you. For you. So you can spread the word, and bring others to Heaven where there will be one big party. Yes, with cake and ice cream. ( I knew you were going to ask that :) )

So stop doubting.  Stop doubting yourself and your life. 'Cause God put you on this planet for that purpose, and it's up to you to discover it.

So go out, change the world. Make it beautiful.

---

Lately I have noticed a lot of people who feel really insecure about themselves. Whether it be because of their weight, looks, or just personality it makes me sad to think that these beautiful people don't see themselves as wonderful individuals. To all of you out there- you are so beautiful (or handsome) and so worth it. Never give up on yourself or life. So many people love you so much, and even when it feels like no one does, remember God always will.  I believe in you and so do so many others. If you ever need some inspiration or need to talk, email me at randommusings13@gmail.com .  Never, ever give up and stay strong. :)

All through Christ,
Maddie

Questions, comments, concerns or just want to leave me a note? Add a comment to this page, fill out the Contact Form to the right, or send me a quick email to randommusings13@gmail.com! I would be happy to reply! (Note: if you leave a comment, anyone could see, but if you send me an email by the form no one but you and me will. :) )Want to stay up to date with all of my posts? Just enter your email into the follow by email box to the right. It will update you whenever I have posted an update to my blog! Very handy, right? :)

8 Pictures to Brighten Up Your Week

(I am going to focus on doing smaller posts every week and then one big post every month. Hopefully it will work! :) )

Personally, I love quotes. They are just so... inspiring! :) It is really cool when you find those few quotes that really hit you hard, and make you think about life. (and some random other stuff too.) So here are my favorite quotes that I have stumbled on. (Most of them are on Pinterest. Man, that site is handy.) So enjoy these pictures and the new week!

All through Christ,
Maddie

Questions, comments, concerns or just want to leave me a note? Add a comment to this page, fill out the Contact Form to the right, or send me a quick email to randommusings13@gmail.com! I would be happy to reply! (Note: if you leave a comment, anyone could see, but if you send me an email by the form no one but you and me will. :) )Want to stay up to date with all of my posts? Just enter your email into the follow by email box to the right. It will update you whenever I have posted an update to my blog! Very handy, right? :)