Reminders

The thought that has taken shape in my brain from today's spiritual direction:


Is my prayer life an appearance? Or is it my identity?


And, I believe now that I need to order more of these: Pope Leo XIII Prayer.

Steubenville Atlanta 2010

The youth conferences that Franciscan University of Steubenville does every day keep getting better every year. The speakers and worship leaders are spot on and you can tell they have a DAILY prayer life.

So, from my notes, here is what I've gleamed.

God said "Let there be light" (the Word became flesh)
What is the word that is becoming flesh in my life?
We can see the damage & destruction that words can be
World religions did not become flesh

How many retreats did I go on for my ministry? For myself?

How are You calling me in my prayer life? Where do I need to be?

Jesus, I'm going to fight tooth and nail for you.

Exodus 14:14

Sometimes we just give something a title to excuse a sin

Live the kind of life that mirrors Jesus & they are going to pursue you

I will be held to a higher standard

Do not let dating become your identity.

Share your values.

Set physical boundaries.

Communicate physical boundaries.

Avoid temptation - listen to your soul.

Learn how to show healthy affection.

Do whatever it takes to protect chastity.

Keep the Bar high.

Purity seeks purity, sin seeks sin.

There are no shortcuts.

You have to know you. Stepping out of yourself & pursuing holiness.

Words have power. Words begin something new.

To the guys: You can be right or you can be happy.

You can be ducking the collar or habit, but He can run faster.

We should base our thoughts on God.

St Paul loved people enough to speak TRUTH.

You are more than flesh. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

Reconciliation gives you a new heart. A Sacred Heart and an Immaculate Heart.

Chastity is not abstinence.

CCC 2337

Profanity = outside of the temple.

If you are old enough to date, you are old enough to discern religious life or you are not a wo(man).

Charis = grace in greek

Eucharist means literally a blood transfusion

not lil' Jesus, DIVE deeper

Lukewarmness = devil

Lean In and Encounter JESUS

Not "lil' Jesus in my life" but "Here's my life, where do I fit in?"

This Temple is Safeguarded.

If you're not a man after His heart, you're not going to get mine

Don't walk, RUN back to grace.

If you think God can't rebuilld your temple in 3 days, your God is too small.

Isaiah 42:13

Isaiah 43: 1b-3a

You don't know who you are until you know Whose you are.

A woman's identity comes from her father.

What does a woman's heart look like?

- tender yet strong

- has feelings but not emotional

- receives heart and gives love

- beauty

When a woman's heart fades, a society fails.

Doesn't matter what kind of alligator has you by the legs; your DAD has you by the arms and WILL NOT LET GO!

God's pursuance of me is bigger than my refusal of Him.

Physical Chastity

Spiritual Chastity

Mental Chastity

Emotional Chastity

Saying NO to this has bigger Yes later.

We settle in our relationships.

- friendships or dating

- respect your dignity.

Each of our beauty has different wrapping paper.

Isaiah 62

Its hard to see through situations. To see through the veil to reality.

You can sit at the feet of Jesus & still be anxious and worried about many things. (Luke 10:38-42)

You can be at peace in your busy life.

Word becomes flesh in your daily life.

You were born in Christ & that is who you are.

PRAY in every situation.

Be a people of Prayer.

The only way to pray is to start.

Scripture destroys destructive words.

Stay in community.

Confession once a month and go to Mass!

Lastly, I leave one of the many videos captured at Steubenville Atlanta. This one was on Sunday morning before Mass. Paul George our emcee called all the speakers and worship leaders onstage and asked them to share one thought to summarize all that had taken place in the weekend.

Let me be me

Some people don't really understand what I mean when I go on vacation.

So, I'm going to try and explain myself.

I go go go all day long pretty much every day. In my ministry I am around other people ALL the time. Thinking of their needs over mine pretty much 95% of the time.

So, when I go on vacation or take time off, I do things for me. And, I rest. I rest in Him.

I lounge around. I sleep without any alarms. I kick it with the computer and play FarmVille.

My idea of fun on vacation is peace and quiet. Sometimes that means staring at a blank wall. Because. I. Can.

I get to do all the 'fun stuff' that people do on vacation, but I do those things with my teens. When, I'm off, I just want silence.

People just don't get it. And, that's fine. But, please, just let me be me.

2010 CLI Talent Show

These are the talented teens from this year's CLI Talent Show. Enjoy. Oh, and the first act is what the team drummed up in two hours.

Monastery Staples

Amazing things pop up when one's on vacation. I am about to begin my third day of vacation. I've already washed and folded all my laundry; unpacked all of my bags; and just now organized my closet and dresser.

Last year I did all this plus organized our pantry and kitchen cabinets. Along with rearranging my room. Its amazing what you can accomplish when you have oodles of free time on your hands. So, I've decided I probably will go stir crazy by the middle of next week. Someone invite me over, please. Just fill up my days so I don't rearrange mom's vegetable garden.

So, what popped up in my cleaning: a monastery staples list. This list I made when I was in the monastery as a postulant. Its' a list of what the nuns use on a weekly basis. They are COMPLETELY dependent upon the Generosity of others. And, I am completely aware (by the way of my stats) that a lot of my readers read their blog: MonialesOP.

So, since I'm down on funds, and can't send a care package at the moment, I thought I'd try to drum up some benefactors for them. The economy is in the pits, but our professional prayer warriors still need to survive.

I'm pretty sure they probably still get their groceries from Shop Rite.

And, so, here's the list:

Laundry

Bounce dryer sheets

Clorox 2 Liquid

Ajax and Tide Liquid

Downey Softener

Tide-To-Go pens

Pantry

Heavy Duty foil

Plastic Wrap

Zip-Lock bags -> all sizes

30 gallon bags, heavy duty

Waste basket bags

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Dish detergent -- ex. Palmolive

Shampoo

Conditioner

Deodorant

Windex

All-purpose cleaners

AA Batteries

AAA Batteries

Medicine Cabinet

Neosporin

Band-Aids

Q-tips

Tampons

Always Ultra-thin with wings

Cough medicine (DM and CF)

Cough Drops

DayQuil

Delsym

Mucinex

Benadryl

Tylenol

Advil

Women's Multi-vitamin

Non-Perishable Food

Pasta - all shapes

Rice - white or brown

Beans - all kinds

Peanut Butter

Jelly or Jam

Sugar

Salad Dressing

Cereal - hot or cold

Vanilla Ensure

Tuna

Olives

Canned Fruit

Canned Vegetables

Applesauce

Hot Cocoa mix

Honey

Nuts

Chocolate chips

Cake mixes

Oil - ex. Canola, Vegetable, Olive

Confectioner's Sugar

Flavor Extracts

Food Coloring

Frozen Foods

Hot Dogs

Ground Beef

Pork Chops

Frozen Vegetables

Frozen Fruit

Perishable Food Items

Fresh fruit

Sliced Bread

Cottage Cheese

Whole Milk

Skim Milk

Butter

Orange Juice

Romaine Lettuce

Eggs

Lactaid

Deli Meat

Cheese - all kinds

Yogurt

oh what a blessing

Home finally from my many travels with the teens.

Trying to stay awake til 8 pm where I will crash unto my pillow and hopefully sleep for at least 15 hours. Some people would call that abnormal. I call it 'catching up'. When you've been on a team for CLI and then go to a Steubenville Conference thereafter, 15 hours of sleep is nothing.

I'm really hoping to do that two days in a row. I'm seriously debating showering tomorrow.

This past week and weekend have been utterly amazing. The growth I've seen in my teens and in myself surpasses all my understanding. He has utterly blessed me beyond everything I've ever known to be true.

And, I just bask in His mercy and in His glory. His face shines upon me. His face!

At some point during vacation, I'll be breaking out the sewing machine and quilting supplies to make another one. So excited! And, yes, I already have a plan!!!

God is good. Amen? AMEN!

Today when I arrived home. I unpacked my Snowball (aka nickname for my minivan. don't hate). I started the washer and then I attacked my mail.

There was an envelope that resembled a wedding invitation. I wondered who was getting married and who was inviting me. It turned out to be a former teen of mine from the parish I started out at St Mary Magdalene in Newnan, GA. Wow! How times flies. I remember meeting her then-boyfriend, now fiance for the first time. And, I remember how proud I was of her for choosing to date such a faith-filled strong Catholic man. One who upholds her dignity as a child of the Most High God!

I am one proud youth minister. I am excited to go to this wedding where I might know only a few people, but yet be able to share in her and her parent's total JOY!

June 2010 in pictures

Privilege of seeing Zack AND Sr John Mark Marie in AZ before the Life Teen Convention

Anastasia, Me, and Linda on the last day of LT Convention

ALL the snacks and water we took down to FL for our mission trip

Shows you how much my teens got into their work projects

Worshipping the Lord during praise and worship

Will the sun come up?

when I'm on vacation, I tend NOT to do anything.

this week has been just that. I have a pile of clean laundry that still needs folding. It was finally removed from the dryer today. (of course it helps that the parents are away on vacation). I guess I should fold them 2mrw. But, then, I'm packing Friday night for house-sitting next week.

And, July has begun. That means 3 days in the office registering teens for Confirmation and sending out "you have two weeks left to register for Confirmation" postcards. And, then CLI with my mini's and then Steubenville Atlanta.

After that, 3 weeks of paid time off. I've worked so much. I'm afraid I'm going to get really sick the next time around. I have to be careful and eat my chewy vitamin C tablets. And drink lots of water.

Looking forward to girls only weekend at the end of July.

Off to bed I guess. I want to be asleep before the sun comes up.