"Getting Into You"

"Getting Into You"
by Relient K

when i made up my mind
and my heart along with that
to live not for myself
but yet for God
somebody said
"do you know what you are getting yourself into?"

when i finally ironed out
all of my priorities
and asked God to remove the doubt
that makes me unsure of these
things i ask myself
i ask myself
"do you know what you are getting yourself into?"

i'm getting into you
because you got to me
in a way words can't describe
i'm getting into you
because i've got to be
you're essential to survive
i'm going to love you with my life

when he looked at me and said
"i kind of view you as a son"
and for a second our eyes met
and i met that with a question
"do you know what you are getting yourself into?"

i'm getting into you
because you got to me
in a way words can't describe
i'm getting into you
because i've got to be
you're essential to survive
i'm going to love you with my life

i've been a liar and i'll never amount to
the kind of person you deserve to worship you
you say you will not dwell on what i did but rather what i do you say
"i love you and that's what you are getting yourself into"

i'm getting into you (getting into you)
because you got to me (because you got to me)
in a way words can't describe
i'm getting into you (getting into you)
because i've got to be (because i've got to be)
you're essential to survive
i'm going to love you with my life


you said "i love you and that's what you're getting yourself into"

I was introduced to this song over my kairos retreat last week-end and totally got it. I really really really like how the lyrics are written to this song. How in the beginning it is about this guy who finally decides to totally live his life for God and then his friends are kind of trying to talk him out of it, but he won't let that happen. Then in the first chorus it is about the guy telling God how he is getting into Him. Then as the song goes on in the second verse it is about this same guy trying to understand how God can love him after all he's done, and then in the second chorus it is like God answering him in the same way he told God how he felt. I just think it is really a clever idea.

There is one line in particular that I like in the chorus. It is, "I'm getting into you
because i've got to be you're essential to survive." The fact of the matter is us as humans can't really survive without God in our lives, and God needs us to help spread the word about Him to help keep His survival here on earth. It is still very much a give and take relationship, and I think that the way the lyricist wrote that line was genius. The song is now on my blog play list, so if you want to here it you can find it there. :)

Better to be the Servant.

"We're so eager to be important, to be noticed, and to have prestige. Let Jesus be your example. Forget about your own self-importance and focus on the needs of others."

I have to keep this in mind a lot... so I thought I would put it on here as a reminder to myself.

I am so blessed to have the community of faith that I have. :)

Tonight was a refreshing kind of night spent with great fellowship. It was "holy" hour here in town, and tonight we broke a record of attendance. There were I think 26 of us that came. A large part of that had to do with the publicity given to it at the end of my kairos retreat, but I feel like I helped by kind of pushing my small group to come along. It was so much fun being with these people. St. Paul's on Wed. nights has quickly become a nice place to just fall after a week of craziness. The people that have come every week have become a nice community that prays and worships in Eucharistic adoration together and then during drop-in it is so nice to just catch up with everyone. Talk about the happenings that went on in our lives. I have come to really enjoy Wed. nights! I love my group there dearly.

"Holy" hour is not the only place I have a strong community of people who live out their faith. At St. Charles, my home parish, I have just as many dear friends. Every Sunday night we meet up and have a Bible study. The funny thing about this Bible study is that there is just as much catching up with each other and joking around and getting off topic as there is in studying the Bible. I have learned so much more about the Scripture than I knew before I went to this Bible study. I have found myself reading ahead of what we are supposed to just because I have really finally been interested in the stories... Right now I am in the middle of the book of Joshua. Go me!

Without these two groups of friends I think my life would have been so much more depressing for me. I have realized that having faith and trying to follow it is SO SO SO much easier when I surround myself with the people who are trying to do the same. So to all of my friends I have met while working on retreats and teaching Confirmation classes and praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and going to Mass together with, I just want to say I am eternally grateful to God that I met each and every one of you! You will always have a place in my heart.

We Are All Beloved

The song below happened to be one of the two that kind of teared me up, I guess you could say. I plan on putting this song up on my blog very soon... until then I hope you really listen to it... It is a beautiful song.

Some Moments Frozen in Time... :) The Best Small Group Ever!

Here are a few pictures of my small group from the Kairos Retreat. They are the best group of people to have in a small group. We got so close this week-end, and I am happy to say for the first time really we are all working on keeping our friendships alive outside of the retreat. A few of us are already making plans to meet this Friday evening for a little while. I love this group of people. :)

K-2-0, Refresh Your Soul!!!

I am back from my week-end, and what a week-end it was. I do not even know where to start. So much happened this week-end. I started it as one person, and then now finished it and feel like a totally new one. I did not realize the toll this year has taken emotionally on me. It has been full of so many ups and downs that I really did feel as though I was on a roller coaster ride. This retreat for me was like right after you are done with the ride and you are just catching your breath as you wait to get off and go on another one, if that makes sense. I was able to just breath and be and I did not realize how HOW much I needed to just breath.

The retreat started off on an interesting note. On the bus ride up there I ended up sitting next to the most energetic guy with an incredibly strong personality... I knew from that moment this was gonna be one eventful week-end that would take me somewhat out of my comfort zone, but in a good way.

It was interesting this year because I knew a 90% of the retreat leadership team. There were about four of us that had this "problem" not that I would consider it a problem, but we were for those trying to figure out how to place us. I ended up in a small group with a friend of mine who I have helped lead a retreat in the fall and also see pretty frequently. I was surprised they put us two in the same group, but the leader we had happened to be the only small group leader we never met before. Both he and I were still amused that we were placed in that small group, but now that the week-end is over I know that we were meant to be in that group for a reason. We were able to open up on a whole new level and I am now really able to call him a great close friend.

The talks I do not want to go to much into because they were so personal for the speakers to give... Let's just say there was something in each and every one of them that I could totally relate to. There was one particular that really touched me on a personal level. A friend who I have also come to know very well this year was talking about how his father had come down with a serious disease. He is doing ok now, but for awhile it was hard. There were about three months where he had to help his dad as he was recuperating from his illness. It made me remember how my dad was in a huge accident and it is a miracle he is ok. He was at work when he thought he would help out and cut the grass with a dixie chopper. He ended up flipping and the mower landed on him. Blessedly the biggest guy that works with my dad happened to look out and saw the accident. He was able to get the mower off of my dad. My dad ended up with a shattered pelvis bone and had to relearn how to walk. It was a hard Summer helping out with him... so his talk really did touch me.

Along with the talks we had Mass daily. We had time for Eucharistic Adoration and confession. After confession it was so cool because after we would sit down then different leadership member came and prayed for us. Friends of mine from the leadership team came and laid their hands on me and prayed silently. I started to cry a little bit because the people that did come and pray for me touched me. One of them happened to be the guy I mentioned above, but some were people I have come to care about a lot, and it was just nice to know that they wanted to do that for me.

The next day we also had affirmations in our small groups. It was interesting to hear how I impacted some of these people in such a short amount of time. They pointed out things about me that I never really thought that I did, but I apparently do. I almost started to cry, but I held it back. It was a good time.

Now I have probably written a book... there is so much that went on this retreat that it is hard to write it all out. Those were just the main highlights I enjoyed so much. Now I am going to go take a shower and relax a little before I REALLY go back to the real world... ha ha.

Kairos 20 Here I Come!

Hey Ya'll,

Just wanted to let you know that I am going away again this week-end, so my blog will not be updated for a few days... I am going off to a retreat for myself, which is something that I need to do I think after this past year. I need a little refreshing I guess you could say. The thing about this particular retreat that is driving me crazy is the fact that us retreatants have no idea where the retreat is going to be held. There is a bus that will be coming to pick us up and take us to our destination, but we will not know where that is until we get there. It is part of the fun I guess. Please keep us all in your prayers. I will have a lot to write about once I get back from this week-end. Retreats usually do that to a person. lol

Also this week-end as I am on my own retreat, my parish's youth group is having their own annual retreat this week-end. Please keep that group in your prayers as well. Thank-you!

"The Words We Pray"

This is a very interesting book to read. It goes through the history of all the popular prayers we have... The Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, so forth and so on. I highly recommend it. There are many interesting facts about these prayers I never knew until I read this book.... I have decided to use it as part of my lent promises....

Ashes: A Sign of Catholic Solidarity

I remember back when I was in high school how I dreaded getting ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday... I guess you could say I was a bit vain back then. I was so worried about how other people, especially the cute boys I would pass by, would think when they looked and saw a huge black spot on my forehead. I worried more about if people would point and laugh or just think I was totally weird for not caring if I had dirt on me as I walked around the day. I remember as soon as Mass was over the first thing I would do was look in a mirror and clean my face off. It was my pride I was wanting to protect, that and my looks. Even today, I can be a little vain at times with myself, but I no longer go and rub off the ashes as soon as Mass lets out. I now where them with pride.

Tonight at Mass Fr. Don talked about how he enjoyed to go out on Ash Wednesday and watch people watch other people. He enjoyed watching the ones with ashes on their foreheads as they looked for other people with that same sign on them, and when they saw the dirt on another person the look they gave each other was one of silent solidarity. They had the same understanding of the symbolism of wearing ashes....

Just today I went out to grab a small fish sandwich at Wendy's. It cracked me up because of the ten or so people in line for lunch a good half of them had ashes on their forehead. At one point the cashier would look for ashes and assume the ones with them were ordering a fish combo meal. When I got to the cash register and ordered a fish sandwich the cashier looked up towards my forehead, I assume, to see if I had ashes on mine too. I did not at the time, but would not have minded if I had them there or not. As some of us were waiting for our orders I joked saying that I would look more like them after I go to Mass tonight.

As I have grown older I have come to appreciate the tradition of putting ashes on my forehead. I do have to say that it cracks me up how many people come to Mass on Ash Wednesday even though it is not a Holy Day of Obligation. Tonight felt almost like Easter with every seat in the church taken and even more people standing in the back and by the pews in the church. It was very cool to be a part of the congregation this evening.

It's Mardi-Gras! :)

Today is a very well-known holiday around the world, but maybe even more in New Orleans. It is Mardi-Gras. I am not surprised at how I have noticed that everyone seems to indulge in the more fun traditions us Catholics seem to have... After all Mardi-Gras is a very fun Catholic tradition celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday; the first day of Lent. It is the last time we are able to enjoy whatever "luxury" we are going to be giving up for the next forty days in preparation for the Holy Week celebrations. It is not necessarily for us to gorge ourselves with tons and tons of food, and whatever other enjoyable things either... I mean, after all, gluttony is still considered a capitol sin and so we still need to be rational with how we celebrate any holiday....

I guess I just find it funny how so many people rag on Catholics and what we believe while at the same time they take advantage of things like Mardi-Gras down in New Orleans. I think that if people are fine with putting us down than they are somewhat hypocritical when they enjoy only the parts they like of Catholicism. As the years have gone by I think Mardi-gras has been one of those traditions which has been materialized into whatever people want to use it for....just another excuse to party hard and have the wrong kind of fun. I have noticed that is just how most christian religious holidays are these days....

With that being said... There are times when healthy celebrations are good for us spiritually as well...

“Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”
~Nehemiah 8:10~

So I hope everyone has a blessed and fun "Fat Tuesday" today! :) I will close with this little prayer I found....

Thank you, gracious God, for the goodness of your creation. Thank you for tasty foods and delicious drinks. Thank you for occasions of celebration. And thank you for pancakes!
Lord, help me to know when it’s time to celebrate, and when it’s time to be solemn. Teach me how to enjoy good times with you and your people. Keep me from excess that dishonors you and misuses your good gifts.
Remind me, Lord, to share my celebrations with others. May I never get so wrapped up in my enjoyment of life that I forget the poor or neglect your call to care for them.
O Lord, may your joy be my strength! In your name I pray, Amen.

Yes.... I do live in Indiana, thank-you very much. lol

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about Hoosiers…

If your local Dairy Queen is closed
from September through May,
you may live in Indiana .

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you
assistance and they don’t even work there,
you may live in Indiana .

If you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the
same time, you may live in Indiana .

If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation
with someone who dialed a wrong number,
you may live in Indiana .

If “vacation” means going anywhere south of
Muncie for the weekend,
you may live in Indiana .

If you measure distance in hours,
you may live in Indiana .

If you know several people who have hit a deer
more than once, you may live in Indiana .

If you have switched from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ in
the same day and back again, you may live in Indiana .

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow
during a raging blizzard without flinching,
you may live in Indiana .

If you install security lights on your house and garage,
but leave both doors unlocked,
you may live in Indiana .

If you carry jumpers in your car and
your wife knows how to use them,
you may live in Indiana .

If you design your kid’s Halloween costume
to fit over a snowsuit,
you may live in Indiana .

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -
you’re going 80 and everybody is passing you,
you may live in Indiana .

If driving is better in the winter because
the potholes are filled with snow,
you may live in Indiana .

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter,
winter, still winter and road construction,
you may live in Indiana ..

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car,
you may live in Indiana .

If you find 10 degrees “a little chilly”,
you may live in Indiana .

If you actually understand these jokes,
you definitely do live – or have lived - in Indiana .
(post this and tag your Indiana friends!)

History of Valentine's Day

Here is more about the history of Valentine's Day..... I found this the most interesting of all the different one's on the internet....

Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.

The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.

The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feaSt. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.

10 Ways to get out of those Valentine's Day Blues....

For someone who is a very romantic, mushy, person you would think today of all days would be one of my very favorite days of the year, but in all honesty it happens to be my very least favorite holiday.... Valentine's Day. I think it is very-overrated. I personally do not think that we need one "special" day of the year when everyone who is in a relationship with someone really has to go out and get all dressed up and be "romanced" for the night. I think that that should happen anytime.... and then for those people who do not really have someone, this day just makes that even more apparent....

I read somewhere that Valentine's Day is also nationally known as S.A.D. (single awareness day), and I could not agree with that more. It is so true. Apparently they say that one in ten younger adults feel really depressed, insecure, or inadequate on Valentine's Day. So how to get out of those Valentine's Day blues if you happen to be one of those one in ten.... well here are a few tips that might help ya'll out.... ;)

0. Remember that you are not alone in your depression at this or any time of the year. Many people become so wrapped up in themselves and their own depression that they forget about the millions that are worse off than them. Visit some folks that are less fortunate with the intention of raising there spirits and you will find that you raised your own as well.

9. Zero in on your depression and the thoughts that are causing it on Valentine's Day. Negative thinking is very common with people that are depressed and finding out the negative thoughts you are having is the key to reversing it. Ask yourself what thoughts are running through your mind and then challenge them. You will find that many of the thoughts are simply not valid, and realizing this can lift your mood.

8. Set aside some whine time. It sounds silly to be sure, but allowing yourself time to feel depressed can sometimes disarm the depression itself. By allowing it you are actually taking some control over it and therefore more likely to be able to break the chain.

7. Take yourself out for a Valentine's Day treat. Go to the spa, or the gym, or get a massage. Allow yourself something special on Valentine's Day that you normally would not. Sometimes loving yourself is better than being loved by someone else.

6. Force yourself to smile on Valentine's Day. You may not feel like it but the simple act of smiling can lift depression away more effectively than anything. Keep a smile on yourself throughout the day.

5. Give yourself a workout. Valentine's Day is a day to be doing things, and going for a jog or working out at the gym will certainly lift your mood. Depression really responds well to exercise, and you just might meet a Valentine at the gym.

4. Eliminate the Valentine's Day chocolate. Sugar rushes are the worst enemy of mood levels. Stay away from the candy hearts and chocolate bears.


3. Give yourself permission to cry. Crying is one of the most effective ways of lifting your spirits. Once you have let it all out, then you tend to feel a good bit better. Do not be afraid to let it out.

2. Stay away from the chick flicks on Valentine's Day. Many people wallow in these movies and then wallow in the fact that they are alone on Valentine's Day. Enlist a friend to go see the newest horror movie at the theater. Spend some quality time with someone who cares about you, regardless of your depression.

1.Take a trip to the mountains or coast. Sometimes putting yourself in nature is the quickest way to lift your moods. If you are not hip deep in the Valentine's Day festivities, then chances are you will not be thinking of how depressing it is to be alone.

There you have it. Ten quick and easy ways to lift your depression on Valentine's Day.

Take the chatter elsewhere, please. :)

Tonight after Mass a friend of mine needed to talk about something, so instead of staying in the church sanctuary, where people were praying, we decided to walk outside and have our conversation there.... Later while I was on facebook, one of my friends asked why I left after Mass so quickly, and I told him that I did not want to bother the people praying with the conversation I was having.... This is one thing that I find rather disturbing; people talking in a rather loud voice in the sanctuary after Mass when there are people trying to pray. I find it somewhat rude, myself. My friend jokingly said that he wished priests would talk about that type of thing in their homily.

I know that when I go on retreats, especially one in particular, "Consumed", they usually make time after Mass for everyone to kneel down and pray immediately after Mass for a short time to say thanks to God for the amazing gift of the Eucharist... Now, I will admit that for the longest time I only would do that on retreats, take the time to kneel down and thank God that is. In the past few weeks, however, I have been taking the time after Mass to kneel, and as I have done that I have noticed how hard it can be to concentrate when there are all sorts of different conversations and loud voices going on around you. I feel as though before and after Mass there needs to be an emphasis to be more respectful and quiet for those who are praying. I think that walking out to hold a conversation is not such a hard thing to do, and should be mentioned more often. Maybe doing this will help more people to think and reflect on what they just witnessed in the Mass and received into their own bodies....

I hear the buzzer on the washing machine downstairs signaling to me that it is time to switch the laundry, so that is what I am going to go do now....

They know how to have fun :)

If you click here you will get to see the local Franciscan Friars enjoying the winter weather here... The video is taken at the Mother of the Redeemer Farm here in Bloomington, In... I love it. Too cute. :)

Men, Think Before You Speak.... Seriously

Last night I was talking to a friend on the phone when he asked me what I think of when someone calls me "hot." After that it sparked into a conversation about how terms some men seem to think are supposed to make a girl feel special (sexy, hot etc.) do not actually make a girl feel special at all...

So when I hear a man say I am "hot" I do not nearly enjoy it as much as when they call me beautiful... or gorgeous. I personally feel the two terms, sexy and hot, are demeaning in a way to women. Usually when I hear those words they are coming from guys who I walk past... who do not know anything about me other then what I look like, which in turn makes me think that the only thing they are thinking about is my body when they say those things...

I happened to look up what the terms for each of these words meant and found them very interesting....

sexy - 1 : sexually suggestive or stimulating : erotic

hot - b (1) : sexually excited or receptive

adorable - 1 : worthy of being adored
2 : extremely charming

cute - 2 : attractive or pretty especially in a childish, youthful, or delicate way

gorgeous - splendidly or showily brilliant or magnificent

beautiful - 1. An adjective used to describe something pleasing to the eye.
2. An adjective used to describe someone that appears physically attractive, but when this opinion comes from a non-lustful state of mind.
3. An adjective used to describe someone that appears attractive because of their emotions, tendencies, personality, or other non-physical traits.

I think that terms beautiful, gorgeous, cute, adorable... all those words I find more flattering than "Damn she's HOT!" So to all those guys out there who think they are complimenting a girl when they say that....well you might want to rethink that before you say it...

I want to leave this particular blog with this last quote here.... I think it works with my topic....

Your smile makes you pretty
Your body makes you sexy
Only your mind makes you beautiful

"Gracious Goodness"

Recently I have enjoyed reading through the above book. It is about the gifts of the Holy Spirit... but not only those but also other things like attentiveness, beauty, patience, intimacy, leadership..... so forth and so on. Each of the chapters has a thought provoking quote and then a little meditation about that particular gift then at the very end there is an even more thought provoking question that is used to really make you think and reflect about that particular gift... I really enjoy it, so I thought I would write a little bit about it here on this blog... Maybe you will enjoy it too.....

"The Call"

Funny Church Signs

One of my favorite things to do on road trips is read the funny church signs that are put up... especially on the southern Baptist churches. They usually make me laugh... I did not see to many this time mainly because I fell asleep a lot of the way, but here are a few funny one's nonetheless...

"Staying in bed shouting 'Oh God!' does not constitute going to church."

"There are some questions that can't be answered by google."

"Free trip to heaven. Details inside."

"Sign broken. Message inside."

"Tired of being a loser? Turn to God."

"The most powerful position is on your knees."

"Give God what's right, not what's left."

"Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly. Leave the rest to God."

"Do not criticize your wife's judgment. See whom she married."

"Be kind to your enemies. After all, you made them."

"Do not be so open-minded. You're brains will fall out."

and my personal favorite.....

"Wal-mart is not the only saving place."

I'm back up and running :)

I finally have a computer at home again... It feels even more like a luxury to have one back after not having one for nearly two weeks now...

Life for me has been very crazy the past few weeks...As I mentioned in my last post I went to Tennessee for my cousin's wedding. It was a very nice trip that was spent with some family who I haven't seen for about five years or so and some for three years.... It was a good catch up time. My cousin's wedding was a very simple one. There was such a sense of teamwork and love in my cousin's little church community. The reception was held in their church, and the whole church group worked together for a pitch-in for the food. I have never seen so much food in my entire life, and it was all just so good! I have to say it was the good southern hospitality going on... After the reception we all worked together to clean up and put the church area back in order... there were kids of all ages running around and helping out. There was a groups that were singing worship songs as they were cleaning up. It was a nice place to be...

The drive down there was not a nice one. We left early in the morning while it was raining, and it rained the whole drive there which made it seem as if we were on the road forever.... the drive back was much better...

Sadly, I was not able to get to Mass on Sunday because I did not have a way to get to one.... when we got home it was too late to go to the 5:30 Mass, and they canceled the 9:00 p.m. Mass due to the superbowl... go figure. I felt totally off that whole day without Mass on Sunday. I was very sad to miss it... and my whole family knew how I felt because I kept mentioning how disappointed I was the entire day.

So we got home around six fifteen which was just in time for the superbowl kick-off... it was a hard game for me to watch this time, not only because my team lost, but as I mentioned before, I was just feeling off, and that feeling would not go away... Hopefully if the roads get cleared up here I will make it to Mass tonight.. I will see about that.... Turns out we have another snow day today... a five day week-end. I do not know when the next time that will happen for me, so I am relishing it today.

So that was a long update on my week-end. Now that my computer is back I will be able to blog a lot more again. I have been missing it. :)

Gone to Tennessee

Hey All,

Sorry for the lack of posts the past few days... My brother apparently has put another virus on our computer... My parents are making him pay to get it fixed this time, so hopefully he will think twice before looking at whatever he was looking at... I have been very busy with getting ready for my trip this week-end so I have not had as much time to go to the library and blog....

My little cousin is getting married on Saturday down south. A lot of family is flying in from out of town and so it will feel like a family reunion... Please pray that all goes well and we stay safe. I will make up for the lack of posting as soon as I get home. :)

Heart-to-Heart and Rainbows....

As I mentioned below this past week-end I was away for a retreat. During Eucharistic Adoration I spent a lot of time praying to God about a lot of different things in my life... things I am dealing with that I do not totally understand yet, but I will soon... things I am just getting tired of dealing with... things and people I am so grateful and lucky to have in my life... things I have messed up in my own life... just a good heart-to heart kind of talk...



One of those things that I really started to talk about was my little brother. I love him dearly. He is going to be sixteen this month, and he attended this Confirmation II retreat... I worry about him a lot. I know eventually he will turn out ok, but there are choices he has made that more often then not have really disappointed me... I know he is a kid, and he will make mistakes, but I look at the choices he makes and how they affect my parents and their relationship together that just break my heart. I try my best with him, but there is only so much I think he listens to. So anyway for some reason while talking to God, my other brother entered my mind. My big brother... who is now up in heaven with God. Anyway,... I asked my big brother to help keep an eye on Shane... not that he doesn't now... I would think he does,... and I felt peace with that...



Well in a previous post... which you can find if you click here, I mentioned about why rainbows and the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" have a special place in my family with my older brother and us. It is kind of our link between us and him. I believe it is his own way to let us know he is thinking about us... He got our message.... Well today at work I was able to get my kids outside to run and play. It was a grogeous and sunny day with not too many clouds in the sky, and it was not too cold. It was nice. One of my kids in the class was swinging on his swing when he pointed up to the sky and said "Look at the rainbow." In my head I thought he was joking because it was not at all the kind of day you would expect to see a rainbow, but me being me, I looked up anyway, and sure enough there was a rainbow up in the sky. It was not a huge rainbow, but it was a perfect one. You could see all the colors in it perfectly. After about ten minutes it vanished away... and I can tell you that I know without a doubt that it was my brother, David, saying that he heard me and got the message... It happened so fast. It was very cool. Only a little cihld would have really looked to point it out, which reminds me that it is important to work on having the heart of a child....

My Confirmation II Retreat week-end on the Hill

This past week-end was both spiriually fulfilling and fun-filled... there were a few bumps here and there, but all-in-all it was a great time... I went out of town to help chaperone the Confirmation II retreat. We all had to meet at the church by 7:15. a.m. to get on the bus... Luckily the kids showed up early so we were able to leave a little ahead of schedule. We drove down to "the Hill" a.k.a. St. Meinrad Arch Abbey, where the retreat was held... Once we put our things in our rooms and headed over to the conference room. That day the talks were about the gifs of the Holy Spirit, and Theology of the Body. They were both very good talks that kept the kids attention. We had Adoration and confession that night, and it was very touching to see how some of the kids reacted to the retreat that night. After that part of the retreat we had break time where some kids hung out at the coffee shop and others went to a room set up for guitar hero.

One of my closest friends happens to be studying at St. Meinrad as a seminarian, and so throughout the retreat, he came and hung out with us. It was nice to see him, and after the kids all headed up for bed some of us college chaperones headed to St. Meinrad's little pub to hang out and talk. It was one of my favorite parts of the week-end... but afterwords I was very tired and so my friends thought it would be fun to have a pick-on Teresa night... actually to be honest, I felt the majority of the retreat was a pick-on Teresa time... Luckily for the most part I am a good sport with those types of things...

The next morning I woke up bright and early for morning prayer, which was nice, but forty-five minutes long... and for a person like me who is NOT a morning person, I was actually happy I didn't have to talk and could just listen. Later after breakfast we had Mass, and then another talk. The last talk was about how to hear and respond to God calling us. We then had lunch and immediately after went to pack our things into the bus for the two hour or so drive back home... most of which I slept through.

I am pretty sure that most of the kids enjoyed it, and so I consider it a success. :)