"Male and Female He Created them..."

 

"There is something genuinely beautiful about a wedding. People fly in from all over just to see someone they love swear before God and before their family that the person in front of them is the one they want to be with for the rest of their life.

There is something angelic about seeing a woman dressed in white and feeling like a princess walk down the aisle with her father by her side as she walks toward a man all dressed up in an uncomfortable tuxedo with tears of joy in her eyes. 

There is something bewitching about that exchange of vows in which they swear to each other that
for “richer or for poorer, in sickness and health until death do us part” they will remain faithful that brings everyone to tears.

There is something dazzling about the smile on her face after that first kiss as man and wife.
There is something captivating about the way he looks at her that makes every little girl dream of her wedding day.

And there is something glorious about the love between a man and a woman who now desire to live together as one and create the future.

We support marriage. We support the love between one man and one woman so that together they may create the future. A future based on the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

 

 ~ Monica Marie

 

---
 

When I was in 7th grade, the topic of gay marriage came up at my lunch table. I wasn't really in the conversation at first; I was just listening to what some of my friends were saying. Then they paused, and looked at me. And I said, "I don't believe in that sort of stuff."

 

The girl who was sitting across from me is someday going to be a politician, or a lawyer, I'm telling ya. She had a very opinionated mind, which I admire about her. But with an opinionated mind, comes an opinionated mouth, and we got into a debate of sorts.

 

She, of course, was on the side of "love is love" and "everyone deserves to be happy" and things like that. In 7th grade, I didn't really know how to defend myself! I tried my best by saying it was not God's plan and things like that, but on the inside I was screaming for answers. Situations like this didn't come up often, especially because I attended a Catholic school. The normal lunch conversations were about how immature boys can be and how much homework we had that day. :)

 

Soon after that debate, the whole grade knew I was against gay marriage. People would stop me in the hallways and ask me "So you don't like gay people?" or make fun of me and talking about their gay uncles or what not in front of my face.

 

It was hard, especially since I was young and in a sense, defenseless.

 

Now that I am a older (hey, a year can do a lot :D) and I have educated myself... and it couldn't have been at a better timing.

 

As most of you may know, a few days ago the Supreme Court made it official. Gay "marriage" is now legal in all 50 states.

 

How very, very sad.

 

The sacrament of marriage is now being redefined by people who think that the Bible verse "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two shall become one." means something totally different. This beautiful sacrament is now being torn apart, ripped by the seams. The pages of marriage are being ripped out, and instead being stuffed in by "morals" that some believe they can just make up.

 

God never planned this for us.

 

In the beginning, God created man and woman. Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. God created the man for the woman, and the woman for the man. That is why only a man and woman together can create life. Because marriage has both love, and life in the union.

 

Think about it this way, even animals do not do it! Every animal "couple" if you will, is a male and a female. What's the difference with humans? Two words: free will.

 

What is next, marrying your pet? Having two wives, or three husbands? It sounds crazy now, but only a few hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea of same sex marriage.

 

But let's get this straight. Many people have the stereotype of pro-traditional marriage people, especially Catholic pro-traditional marriage believers, that they hate gays.

 

One couldn't be more wrong in fact.

 

We do not support gay/lesbians if they choose to act upon their homosexual feelings. However, we  will support them if they try hard to go against this temptation. Ever heard the quote of "hate the sin, love the sinner?" It's pretty much the same thing.

 

WHAT CAN WE DO?

 

My favorite part of this video is towards the beginning. I will rephrase it here just in case you didn't watch it. :)

 Imagine God lining up every person that will ever live. He goes down this line and goes "You sir, you will live during the time of the Crusades." And to the next person, "You will live during the Holocaust." And another person, "You will live during the American Revolution." Then He comes up to you. "You will live during 9/11, a time where killing babies is legal and a time where traditional marriage is falsely redefined."

 

God purposely put us in this position. God knows we can do something about it. It was no mistake that you are alive today, on June 28th 2015. Because God makes no mistakes, especially when it comes to the people He loves, and the plan He has for them.

 

It's going to be hard. We are going to be faced with tough decisions, laughing people, and terrible names. We are going to have to really think about what we believe and why. But Jesus promises to us: "...those persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." The most used phrase in the Bible is "Do not fear."

 

So do not fear. I am here for you, and God is here for you. :)

Don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in.

 

All through Christ,

 

Maddie

 

(I encourage you to also check this post by Fire of the Spirit Blog out, they have more information and resources than I do.And it was written way better, and way less confusingly. :) )

 



 

 

 

 



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

 

 

 







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

God's not Dead~Upcoming Movie

I am actually very excited for this movie! I saw the trailer when my uncle told my family about it. It looks like a family friendly movie that will really teach us a lot about standing up for your faith, no matter what the circumstances. It has a wonderful cast, as well as plot. Even some special guests from Duck Dynasty are in it!

The website, www.godsnotdeadthemovie.com wonderfully explains the summary of the film.

"Present-day college freshman and devout Christian, Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), finds his faith challenged on his first day of Philosophy class by the dogmatic and argumentative Professor Radisson (Kevin Sorbo). Radisson begins class by informing students that they will need to disavow, in writing, the existence of God on that first day, or face a failing grade. As other students in the class begin scribbling the words “God Is Dead” on pieces of paper as instructed, Josh find himself at a crossroads, having to choose between his faith and his future. Josh offers a nervous refusal, provoking an irate reaction from his smug professor. Radisson assigns him a daunting task: if Josh will not admit that “God Is Dead,” he must prove God’s existence by presenting well-researched, intellectual arguments and evidence over the course of the semester, and engage Radisson in a head-to-head debate in front of the class. If Josh fails to convince his classmates of God’s existence, he will fail the course and hinder his lofty academic goals. With almost no one in his corner, Josh wonders if he can really fight for what he believes. Can he actually prove the existence of God? Wouldn’t it just be easier just to write “God Is Dead” and put the whole incident behind him? GOD’S NOT DEAD weaves together multiple stories of faith, doubt and disbelief, culminating in a dramatic call to action. The film will educate, entertain, and inspire moviegoers to explore what they really believe about God, igniting important conversations and life-changing decisions."

The movie comes out on March 21st, 2014 to select theaters. For more information, look on the website that I listed above.

Anyone else excited for any upcoming movies? I can't wait for Captain America: The Winter Soldier to be truthful. The first one was amazing and I bet the second one is even better. Oh, and there is also the new Spiderman! As you can probably already tell, I like Marvel a little. :) Okay, maybe a little more than 'a little.'

Amidst all the other exciting movies, keep your eyes peeled for God's Not Dead!

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? :)

Answering those Hard Questions | Explaining your Beliefs to Protestants

The other day I had a couple of my friends over. It was a really big event for me since I don’t have friends over that often. (you could tell that it was a big deal because my room was sparkling clean. :) ) I had the whole night planned out: one of my friends Sally* would come first, then my two other friends Rachel* and Grace* would come over an hour or two after. So when my friend came we immediately escaped into my room to talk. (I could really talk all day! J) Any who, we got to the topic of religion. I knew that Sally was a Mormon. Some of my friends were also of other denominations. I am pretty comfortable talking about my religion… but sometimes you know you feel a bit… awkward. They ask you questions that you would never think about in real life since they are so second nature to you. Like, “What is your belief about Heaven?” my friend asked me. That was one of the questions that kind of caught me off guard. So I told her that I, as well as other Catholics, believe Heaven is a place for the ones who’s soul is pure (either right when they die or after Purgatory) and where we meet Jesus face to face and spend the rest of eternity in. I told her that Hell was a place for the people who were aware of God, but openly decided to go against Him and His mercy. They chose to not follow God. Lastly, I told her Purgatory was a place that people stop after death to purify their souls so they can be pure to see our Lord.

After I finished I pretty much assumed that Sally would have the same opinion, but I was proved wrong. She drew this pretty cool diagram and told me how she was taught there were three levels of Heaven. Celestial (the highest), Terrestrial (the middle) and Telestial (the lower). A certain group of people would go to either depending on their lives, if I heard her right. She also said that she believed that only fallen angels went to Hell, not humans.

Although I didn’t agree with her, I found it interesting. What we agreed upon is that all denominations believe in the same main thing: Jesus is our Savior and He died for us so that we may have eternal life. The other details, (Heaven, Communion, saints, etc.) are a little different depending on the denomination. Each one has a different opinion of those details, therefore separating each branch of Christianity.  

That night, I learned a lot about the Mormon religion and about my beliefs as well. That night prepared me for questions that other people might have about the Catholic religion in the future. It can be awkward when people ask you question, especially when it is asked with a tone. But what I love about Sally is that we both talked so openly about our faiths and we didn’t criticize each other. But I can’t say that everyone is like that. Some people will make fun of you, or say “That is totally wrong. It goes like this…” But you have to stand strong in your faith, and try to educate your friends the best you can on your faith. And if you aren’t a hundred percent sure on a topic, make sure you tell them that! For example, the Eucharist. When you in Mass, we don’t second guess our beliefs in the Eucharist or not understand what it means. But when you are confronted about it with another fellow Christian, it gets kind of hard. How do you explain?

For starters, we belief that the bread and wine is Jesus’ real Body and Blood. We do not see it as a symbol, a gesture, or just something pretty to look at. We believe that it is really and truly the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. We go to Mass every week to receive the Eucharist. The Eucharist is considered a sacrament. A sacrament is a gift given from God through Jesus to give us a share of His grace.

Whenever you are asked a hard question, start out simple. If even you don’t know what you are talking about, stop! Just tell your friend that you aren’t for sure.

If you really aren’t sure, make sure you know for future reference! The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) is the place to go if you have any questions about our faith. All the questions and answers to anything about our faith are in there. If you don’t have the CCC at home, here is the link to the online version. http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm (I might actually do a guide to reading the CCC, and maybe the Bible. Hey, we all need a refresher once and awhile! J If you want a guide, just let me know through comments!)

You can always talk to your parish priests. Confession is a good time to ask any questions that might confuse you about your faith.

Also, please remember that I am not a Catholic scholar or priest. I may not be 100 percent correct, but I have answered the questions to the best of my ability. J

So if you ever have that really curious friend, you will be prepared! It is a great time to evangelize, and you are also preparing yourself for the future.

All through Christ,

Maddie

*= All names are changed for privacy purposes.

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? :)

October: National 'We Better Get Going' Month

It kind of dawned on me one day that October is a really big month for different topics. It's pro-life month, Rosary month, appreciate your priest month, breast cancer awareness month, diabetes month, and even cookie month (that's on my top list) so I pretty much re-named October National Better Get Going month because there are so many things we could do this month! Technically, we could do them all year round but might as well start now, right?

Here's a list of things that you could be doing this month and feel proud of yourself in doing it. (and not as lazy, that's for sure. :))

1. Pro-life Month:
- Go to a pro-life rally
-Adopt a baby "spiritually" and pray for them every day.
- Go to an abortion center and pray for a few minutes on the side walk.

2. Rosary Month:
-Pray the Rosary! (bet you never saw that one coming)
-Learn how to make a Rosary and give them to a younger kid.
-Find different prayers to pray on the Rosary.

3. Appreciate your Priest/Pastor Month:
-Write 'em a card!
-Pray for them every day.
-Greet them after Mass.
-Invite them over for dinner .

4. Breast Cancer Awareness Month:
-Wear pink! (or make a pink ribbon and pin it to your shirt)
-Make cards for someone you know with Breast Cancer (or any cancer)
-Donate money to breast cancer research.

5. Diabetes Awareness Month:
-Go to a diabetes walk
-Donate money to a research center for diabetes

6. Cookie Month:
-Make homemade cookies (I can smell them already...)
-Give some cookies to your neighbors.
-Find some great recipes and put 'em in a fancy notebook.

 These are just some ideas, and don't be afraid to reach out for more! I think the easiest one is to pray. You can pray for all of these people, actions, etc.. So this is my encouragement to you, pick one of these things (praying and one other thing) to do this month. Get off the couch! (I know, it's really hard to do) Trust me. You will feel soooo much better afterward.

I don't know about you, but I better get going on all of this stuff! :)

All through Christ,
Maddie