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

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? :)

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

Science Proving Religion...That's a Fact!

So I was in science class the other day, which I enjoy. I really like the teacher and the content so it's a pretty good class for me. But I learned something the other day that actually proved our religion and you know, having a blog you kind of have to share it. :)

We were learning about cells and the cell theory and how all living things are made up of cells and how there were one celled organisms and multi-celled organisms. (did I lose you there? It sure lost me before but then I re-read the chapter. :))

So after my science teacher went over the stuff with us, he said something along the lines of "Now this is cool because it proves some of our religion."

And so we all kind of nodded and listened like good students.

Then he said, "When does life begin?"

One student said, "Birth."

Another said, "Baptism."

I was kind of surprised at the answers, and so was my teacher apparently. The thing is, I know a lot about life since my whole family is pro-life and my parents so happen to be the pro-life coordinators at our church. So let's just say I get dragged to a lot of pro-life rallies and hear about a lot of stuff that are relevant to life.


So I raised my hand and said, "Conception."

I guess I got that right and my teacher nodded. "Life starts at conception. You know why?"

We all shook our heads. So my teacher drew 1/2 +1/2 =1 on the board and said, "One half cell from mom, one from dad. And 1/2 +1/2 equals?"

"One!" We all yelled. It made total sense! I kind of had a "duh me" moment there.

"So if the cell theory states all living things have cells and one half of a cell plus another half of a  cell equals one cell, is this "thing" alive?"

"Yes!"

If you aren't a fast learner in science (like me, don't worry) all living things are made up of cells. Even if it has one cell, it is living. (like some bacteria, or in this case a new growing baby.)

So as the baby grows, it's cells multiply to form your cousin, brother or friend that you see today.
So cool!

Tell your parents (mine weren't that surprised but I told them anyway. :)) that science proves our religion!

Life starts at conception, and that's  a fact!

All through Christ,
Maddie