January 22nd 1973

January 22nd 1973. The court ruled that a fetus does not have constitutional rights.  In other words, on that very day, abortion became legal.

It's been more than 40 years since this decision, and since then over 55 million babies have died. 55 million. That's 5 times more than people who died in the Holocaust, and 55 times the amount of American soldiers who have died in every war that the United States has fought. *

According to Bound 4 Life, a baby is aborted about every two seconds. In America, about 24% of all pregnancies end in abortion. 80% percent of women who have the abortion report belonging to a religion. A sad 27% percent of those women are Catholic. 

In a way, this is the new Holocaust. 

Webster-Merriam dictionary defines holocaust as 

"A thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life..."

At that time, Jews were not seen as people with rights. Today, unborn children aren't either. Millions upon millions died in the gas chambers, and millions more die in the womb before they have a chance to speak for themselves.

Many people argue that it is the woman's choice. Yes, woman do have choices, but they cannot choose to end another's life, no matter how young someone is. Yes, they have control of their body, but only theirs. How many people realize that that "lump of tissue" is actually a growing miracle? How many people know that a baby that they decided to kill could've grown up to do amazing things? They could've been the first woman president, or a doctor who cured cancer. They could've saved someone's life down the road, or become a model for everyone. Millions of children have never had the chance to play in the rain, or go to school. Some will never see the light of day, or the stars at night.

These children were robbed of their chance to live, all because many people cannot see that there is a life growing in the womb.

So, what can we do? 

Look out for a Pro-Life group at your church, youth group, or school. 

Wear a button, bracelet, or t-shirt promoting the Right to Life.

Pray at a local abortion facility.

Pray daily for lives of the unborn, and their mothers. 

Even though it may seem like we aren't getting anywhere, we are. I believe that if we keep our complete trust in God and ours hearts set on Him, we can win this. :) So put on your helmets and grab your shields. Are you ready to fight?

All through Christ,

Maddie

*This is a rough estimate. 

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

he was a king

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have had as great of a Christmas as I have!  I hope you have the merriest day ever, and a great New Year as well!
he could've been a powerful king

queen for a mother, a great leader for a father

celebrations with streamers and gifts

kings and queens and dukes would come from all around

just for a baby

for the heir for the kingdom

he could've been a powerful king

heir to great power

education worthy of a scholar

so much knowledge at his fingertips

he could've been a powerful king

born in a warm room

with medicine and doctors and nurses

with great care and ease


yes, he could've been a

rich
powerful

abundant

king

but he wasn't

he was something better

he was a king

he had a virgin for a mother

a young girl born without sin

a carpenter for a father

someone who loved his wife

even though the child wasn't his

people traveled from all around to see him

kings and shepherds

they too, brought gifts of

gold, frankincense and myrrh
just for a baby

for the heir for a kingdom

the kingdom of God

he was a king

heir to spiritual greatness

his knowledge was beyond any scholar

and he was just a simple boy

he was a king

born in a humble stable

love greater than anyone could ever give

ready for him as he entered the world

he was a king

he's our king

not of a earthly kingdom
but of our hearts

All through Christ,

Maddie

Ready or Not, He's Comin'

Christmas music fills the air as you carefully place the delicate ornament on your family tree. You munch on gingersnaps and sip sweet hot chocolate as you wrap all your Christmas presents. At the end of the day, you eat a chocolate from your Christmas countdown, and go to bed happy knowing that tomorrow is a day closer to Christmas.


What's wrong with this picture?


I don't know if you knew this or not, but Christmas is kind of named after someone who is a little important. I mean, he only humbled Himself to come into the world as a baby and then later died on the cross for our sins... and yet people today think it's okay to take Him out of the big picture.


Whether you like it or not, saying "Happy Holidays" is not going to make Jesus just disappear out of thin air. Ready or not, He's coming so we all should clean  up our houses.. and our hearts.


There's this great song called Christmas with a Capital C and it is by this band called Go Fish. It's a really fun song, and if you haven't heard it yet, definitely look it up. Here are some memorable lyrics from the song: 

"EVERYBODY said, 'Merry Christmas! Hey, Merry Christmas
to you, Mr. Lohenstein. Do you know why? Because it wasn't about a
religion, it was about something as a culture that we thought was so
valuable, even if I disagreed with the religion behind it, because it was
good for ALL of us instead of just me. "

"Oh, yes, we want to say, 'Happy Holidays' because we don't
leave anybody out. Really? How come there's a ton of holidays in
February - nobody says, 'Happy Holidays' in February, do they?"

"But nobody wants to say, 'Christmas'! Everything
else but 'Christmas'. Why? I know why. You do, too. It's because
it's got 'Christ' in it, and after 2,000 years He's still intimidating
people. "

"I say you gotta say, 'Merry Christmas' because it IS!
If you don't believe in it, fine. But I've got a flash for you:
Christianity happens to be the religious heritage of my
country whether you like it or not..."

 

 

I know Christmas is less than a week away, but that still is enough time to open up your heart and let God in.

 

Have a blessed Christmas!

All through Christ,

 

Maddie

be grateful

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow"-Melody Beattie

Happy Thanksgiving!

All through Christ,

Maddie

How can I Keep from Singing?

Everyone has their favorite way of  relaxing. For some it is to watch their favorite television show, and for others it is going on a run. (Bless you people who have the energy to get out of the house to sweat… I applaud your courage.) For me, it’s music. I either play my guitar and sing random songs or shove some earbuds in my ears and turn up my favorite tunes. Either way, it relaxes me.

Since this is a Catholic blog, I turned this into my favorite religious songs. If you would like to hear some of my favorite general songs, just let me know in the comment box below.

Also, my taste in music may vary from yours. I am a very musically emotional person, which pretty much means that I like music that makes me feel something deep. So most of these songs are slower than some of you may like, but I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

1.     You Raise Me Up- Josh Groan

This is such a classic song, you should be ashamed if you have never heard it. Haha, I’m just messing with you. But seriously, who hasn’t heard this song! It is one of those few songs who have an amazing tune, and the lyrics match the same level of amazingness. There are so many versions out there, but Josh Groban is my man in this case. That man’s voice is literally flawless.

2.     Draw Me Close to You- Michael W. Smith

This song has a very deep meaning to me. During my time in Tarzan, it was a very frequent worship song. When our beloved friend and fellow cast member passed away during that show, this was our go to song. Again, the lyrics are amazing. This song is an anthem of our  need and inner desire to love and know God. It is so powerful.

3.     Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)- Hillsong

This song has really climbed its way up the ladder of "Most Frequently Played on K-Love" in my standards. And it is for a perfectly good reason, because it is such an emotional and beautiful song. This song really talks about trusting in God and how we call upon Him in tough times while keeping an ocean symbolic theme, which is pretty great.

4.     Go Light your World- Chris Rice

If you are looking for a song of inspiration, this is

 totally it! This song never fails to inspire me when I want to do something big but I have some restraints. The whole song is a metaphor of candles, which makes the song very interesting and powerful. The image you get when you hear this song cannot be copied. Great song, great message.

5.     Even if I Fall- Mike Coward

(sorry, that's the best video I could find)

This is another frequent song that we sing during worship time during musicals. It is a 

very simple song (it does have some duet parts though, which I find amazing) but it is great. It talks about how even in the midst of hard times, we will always know that God is there.

6.     He Loves Us- David Crowder Band

And yet another worship song! There is nothing else to say but this song describes almost perfectly the amount of love God has for us. So beautiful.

7.     Completely- Among the Thirsty

This is a rather new song, and has because my second favorite worship song of all time, even though I don’t sing it at my theatre. This song talks about how we are compeletely giving our selves through Jesus. I cant really explain how beautiful and amazing and sooo powerful this song is. It is literally describing how we are stripping our selves down to our bare morals and saying “God, make me Yours.” It describes my faith life.

8.     Lord I Need You- Matt Maher

this is my all time favorite worship song of all time. I have a pretty amazing story that is behind it too. So when I first heard it on K-Love, I thought it was one of the most boring songs ever. I would change the channel whenever I heard it. Then when I attended my local Catholic summer camp, they played this song and I heard it in a totally new light. I felt like Matt Maher took my deep spiritual desires and morphed it into a simple, beautiful worship song. Like the title shows, this song just shows our need for God. Every time I hear it, I tear up. When I am having a bad day, I turn this song on. When I need help, I innerly sing this song. It is my Anthem for life.

Another cool story about this song comes from a local band. They always give concets at my school and the summer camp, and they always share this story.

So the guy who wrote this song, Matt Maher, was asked to sing this at World Youth Day. As you know, millions and millions of people travel across the globe to go to World Youth Day. Think of how nerve-racking that would be, to sing a song in front of millions of people! Matt Maher did it, but in the most humble way possible. He turned away from the audience toward the tabernacle, and knelt down directly in front of the Eucharist. It was just him, his guitar, and his love for God.

I hope you enjoyed this little summary of my favorite worship songs. Be sure to comment down below your favorites, and not forget to tell me why! :) Thanks and have a great week! 

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