I'm letting go of myself

The song below pretty much sums up my life at this moment.  As my teens would say, this is my theme song at the moment.



I rejoice in the fact that I am God's adopted daughter.  I rejoice in the fact that my name is written in His heart.   I rejoice that He knows me.  Better than anyone else.

I stand in awe of You
And everything You've done for me
You speak Your words into my life
And where You are is where I wanna be

I stand before You, Lord
Humbled by the love You give away
A widow's mite, my will and pride
It's all I have to offer anyway

I'm holding onto Your love
I'm letting go of myself
I'll say so long to everything else

I stand in awe of You
And everything You've done for me
You speak Your words into my life
And where You are is where I wanna be

I stand before You, Lord
Humbled by the love You give away
A widow's mite, my will and pride
It's all I have to offer anyway

I'm holding onto Your love
I'm letting go of myself
I'm holding onto Your love
I'm letting go of myself
I'll say so long to everything else

I just wanna be in Your arms
I just wanna be in Your arms
Moving ever closer to Your heart
To Your heart

I just wanna be in Your arms
I just wanna be in Your arms
Moving ever closer to Your heart
To Your heart

I just wanna be in Your arms
I just wanna be in Your arms
Moving ever closer to Your heart
To Your heart

When my heart is overwhelmed, I'm led to the Cross.

When my heart is overwhelmed, and I can hardly stand, lead me to the cross.

Jesus surpasses my understanding of LOVE.


I’ve been in the process of getting it together to live in the monastery once again. Changes to my diet and lifestyle, which included losing weight and gaining muscle weight. Which so far, is 22 pounds.


God surprised me with an incredible GIFT this week! Acceptance into postulancy.


There were lots of hugs and whooping and hollering last night at LF's.  :)  I was so happy, I cried in JOY all the way home last night.


Today, it hit me around noon, that as soon as my debt is paid off, I can enter.  Nothing's holding me back except my debt.  To which I am feverishly paying off. 


There are still two hurdles to overcome:

1. Acceptance into the Mater Ecclesiae grant program. I think I find out somewhere near the 1st of March. So, please continue to pray for that.
2. And paying off my $11K debt and selling my van.

To God be the Glory for the things HE has Done!


I would not be writing these posts if He had not beckoned me back to Him.
My rent has been cut in half. So, that is a blessing. And, I’ve paid off (with the help of many) $10,169! Which is a lot. Considering that I took the advice of my spiritual director and began to ask people to help me only back in June 2011, in only 7 months. 


If, God willing, I receive the Mater Ecclesiae grant, and none unforeseeable expenses pop up, my budget has me entering sometime in June 2012. I have to be okay with whatever God’s timetable is for me.


If you have the means, and are able, please help me get to the monastery sooner rather than later. And pray for God’s will to be done. I need prayer partners just as much as I need financial help.
Prayer is what gets things done.  Exodus 17:8-13.


I am beginning my nine novena on Sunday, Feb 5, in Thanksgiving for ALL that He has done in my life, and to beg for a financial miracle to erase my debt. Join in with me and the communion of saints. It will end on April 25, the Feast day of St. Mark, Evangelist! 


1st novena: St. Catherine of Siena. February 5th through February 13th.

O marvelous wonder of the Church, seraphic virgin, Saint Catharine, because of your extraordinary virtue and the immense good which you accomplished for the Church and society, you are acclaimed and blessed by all people. Oh, turn your benign countenance to me who, confident of your powerful patronage, calls upon you with all the ardor of affection and begs you to obtain, by your prayer, the favors I so ardently desire.
You, who were a victim of charity, who in order to benefits your neighbor obtained from God the most stupendous miracles and became the joy and the hope of all, you cannot help but hear the prayers of those who fly into your heart - that heart which you received from the Divine Redeemer in a celestial ecstasy.

Yes, O seraphic virgin, demonstrate once again proof of you power and of your flaming charity, so that your name will be ever more blessed and exalted; grant that we, having experienced your most efficacious intercession here on earth, may come one day to thank you in heaven and enjoy eternal happiness with you. Amen.

It's Official

It's OFFICIAL, I've been Accepted as a Postulant!!!!! :0) #Dominican #nuns #getridofthedebt #donations

A longer post later.

Sent from my iPhone

~~ Jesus Is Constant ~~

Government tells us "To Hell With You"

This has come as a shock to me.  I am appalled.  What does this mean for the future of religious freedom?


The article below was written by the bishop of the Catholic diocese of Pittsburgh - Bishop David A. Zubik - on the HHS mandate telling us as Catholics, and Christians, we will be forced to give our money for abortions and contraception, and in not doing so, we will be penalized.
Contact your representatives, senators, and our president to get this mandate abolished.






It is really hard to believe that it happened. It comes like a slap in the face. The Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, “To Hell with you!” There is no other way to put it.


In early August, the Department for Health and Human Services in the Obama administration released guidelines as part of the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The guidelines mandated that by Summer 2012 all individual and group health insurance plans, including self-insured plans, cover all FDA-approved contraception, sterilization procedures and pharmaceuticals that even result in abortion.


Read More here.


All State Representatives.


All State Senators.


Address for the White House: President Barack Obama, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20500 (202-456-1111

When I Became A Man

When I Became A Man is a video I post regularly on FB walls of the teens I minister to.

I'm boycotting Girl Scouts

Enough is enough. I cannot be silent anymore. I've posted links to various new articles supporting my decision to boycott Girl Scouts.


I was a Girl Scout - brownie, junior, and senior. I served at Day Camp 2 years in a row. I even was a troop leader in college.


As a Catholic-Christian, I want to be called out if my behavior is unbecoming of a Christian or if I support something that goes against my beliefs.


Example: a couple of years ago, I was running a fundraiser that was kind-of-like a block party.  People could sign up for a booth.  A woman wanted to register for a booth to get pledges for the Susan G Komen 3-day run. Two friends posted on my facebook that Susan G Komen gives money to Planned Parenthood.  I of course went and researched the accusation.  And, it's true.  Susan G Komen DOES GIVE  $$ to Planned Parenthood.


Coming back to now.  Girl Scout cookie season.  I got all excited because one of the cookies is like the Nabisco Lemon Cooler.  And, again, my friends told me Girl Scouts partners with PP.  




Jesus asks us to love.  His greatest commandment is to LOVE.  Matthew 22:37-29 ~"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and the first commandment.  The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."


You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  




Now, as a Catholic-Christian, scripture tells us that Jesus was not afraid to speak his mind.  And, he was persecuted for it.  Stephen, the first martyr, wasn't afraid to stand up for his faith either.  And, neither am I.  I'll pray for those who persecute me when I speak the TRUTH.  I'm not afraid of a little suffering, it draws me closer to Him.


Girl Scouts DO support Planned Parenthood.  So what if you're a troop leader who doesn't see the PP material or talk with her girls about abortion?  You are still SUPPORTING even if you're not in the thick of things.  The mere fact that you belong to Girl Scouts is SUPPORTING Girl Scouts.  


That's like saying its okay to stand-by and watch someone get beaten up without doing anything.  You are there.  DO SOMETHING.  You are just as much at fault as the bully.


And, this is what really gets me.  When someone finds out the truth and doesn't care.  That they just go about what they were doing before.  That's careless. It's a copout.  It's wimpy.  It makes me pray even harder for them.  What are they afraid of?
  
God never gives us something we can't handle.  He Always Provides Us a Way Out.  1 Corinthians 10:13.


A wise friend once said, "Stand Up for something or you'll Fall for anything."


I'm boycotting Girl Scouts.  And, I'm praying for those who turn a blind eye to the DEATH that is Planned Parenthood.


Resources:


http://www.girlscoutswhynot.com/
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/denver-bishop-girl-scouts-could-make-girls-more-open-to-pro-abortion-agenda
http://www.fightpp.org/
http://www.girlscoutswhynot.com/images/GIrl%20Scouts%20of%20Greater%20Atlanta%20and%20Planned%20Parenthood.pdf
http://www.girlscoutswhynot.com/news/news.html
http://www.ippf.org/NR/rdonlyres/B4462DDE-487D-4194-B0E0-193A04095819/0/HappyHealthyHot.pdf 

Nearing the $10K mark

God has gifted me with so much.  I am so blessed.

Health Update :
I've lost 3 inches on my waist!  Hallelujah!  And, muscle and abs are beginning to form.
I feel really different. So, different, that the new jeans I purchased in November don't really fit me.  Aiyeeee.
Guess, I have to go buy a belt. :)  That TJMaxx gift card will finally be used.

Blood work this week.  Yay.  I hope my numbers have decreased, and I can finally see results to all these lifestyle changes.

I've also been blessed enough to hire a Life Teen intern, who, God-willing, when I depart for Summit, God-willing, will slide into the role of assistant youth minister.  We are so lucky to have JG.

Jesus is pulling me closer to Him day by day.  And, my longing for Summit turns into dreams, and me waking up saying, "You mean I'm not in the choir chanting the office. Boo!"

God is so good to remind us of what's really important - Him.