Waiting for Patience

The church where I work can be a little crazy - what usually happens is a great idea from myself & the DRE followed by lots of work promoting on my part concluded by either knowledge that it was promoted incorrectly (ie: there was no pastor approval) OR that it was already promoted and I spent the last 2 hours doing something ENTIRELY UNNECESSARY! Yesterday was a day that ended with the second conclusion.  I asked if she wanted our Totus Tuus flyer AND our VBS flyer on one sheet of paper in all of the boxes - she said yes.  So I spent an hour copying it on both sides and cutting it in half and stuffing in into the boxes.  After my afternoon walk (ie: stress relief time) and evening prayer, I came back only to be asked by the secretary why I did that?  She already put VBS flyers in the box last week per the DRE's request.  So WHY did I spend all of that time doing it twice, ripping my hair out, and inwardly screaming mean things to myself? Because she's a...

Today's theme - videos to use with youth group!  Or just for you on a good day ... it promises to be inspiring if you make it all the way to the bottom! --- 1 --- Long, but AMAZING - definitely worth the time!!! --- 2 --- What we should really show our volunteers before they sign up! --- 3 --- Are we for real?  Or are we Robots?  Do we even know what we are saying?  Do we care to know? --- 4 --- Can we attack our prayer life the same way we attack our physical fitness problems? --- 5 --- PERFECT for middle school students, they LOVE it!!!  And it's pretty catchy! (gotta watch on youtube, but worth it! --- 6 --- Come back to me and I will give you rest, says the Lord. --- 7 --- Be INSPIRED!!! This one deserved two :) For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Today I enjoyed a visit from my High School Youth Minister!  It was such a great day.  Introduced him to a bit of my new life down here, saw the raptors at Carolina Raptor Center, and drove around Charlotte to see a city that I can't really describe! He is the reason why I am a Youth Minister.  It's so interesting to think back all those years and see how I got from being a crazy teen to a 'professional' youth minister in less than a decade.  In the daily-ness of my life, I don't see this as any accomplishment of any sorts.  Then sometimes, I think about how I am doing what I set out to do with the degree I paid thousands of dollars for just 5 years out of school.  I'm so blessed! It makes me think about the qualities that make up a person who inspires others.  What exactly do they do that makes people want to emulate them? Authenticity.  Be who you are at all times, to all people. Know your identity.  It is directed by who you were c...

A day of inspiring quotes from the week... --- 1 --- Ah! The Lord is so good to me that it is quite impossible for me to fear Him. He has always given me what I desire or rather He has made me desire what He wants to give me.  -  Saint Therese of Lisieux --- 2 --- Be who God created you to be and you will set the world on FIRE. - St. Catherine of Siena --- 3 --- Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry.   -St. 'Padre' Pio --- 4 --- The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort.  You were made for GREATNESS.   -Pope Benedict XVI --- 5 --- It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness.   -Blessed John Paul II --- 6 --- "somewhere there is someone that dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life is worthwhile, so when you are lonely remember it's true, someone somewhere is thinking of you" - anonymous --- 7 --- Remember that line in the gospel where Jesus says, "Hey, forget what ...

They who want to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come into conflict with it.           - Blessed Titus Brandsma (1881-1942) martyr Today's Blessing was the above quote.  It got me thinking about a conversation I had earlier in a youth ministry meeting regarding a Diocesan-Wide survey we did.  We were discussing Apologetics, whether teens have been in conversations with Protestants (that ended well or not), and what they can do in the future to have more fruitful discussions. We also want to ask if they begin these conversations or if their interaction has been to only respond with the other person is clearly on the offensive.  And it got me thinking about my own life.  Do I purposefully spread the message of the Gospel and invite others into the Catholic faith or am I more of the "keep quiet and maybe no one will notice and leave you alone"? Honestly - I'm more the later, not sure I proud of that - but it's definit...

An interesting party idea for youth ministry - have a birthday party for the Pope!  Although he didn't join us, we did have an awesome cake especially themed for Ben! What a great group of teens! A mitre shaped cake!!!

The old adage - you can't live with 'em, and you can't live without 'em ... applies perfectly to volunteers in youth ministry programs.  This weekend we're selling car wash cards to fund our mission trip - so I'll be the holiest gal around with every Sunday Mass under my belt both this weekend and next. So, after the 5:30 tonight, I was talking with the teens, we reached our goal for sales.  I was the last one out of the Church (well, almost), locked up my money, the building, and was traveling to my car - hobbling along.  I'd be awake since 6:20am (less than 6 hours of sleep last night), had chopped tons of fruit, set up a party for 100 people, and sat in the sun-receiving the standard sunburn.  Then here comes the bug - literally - containing the volunteer who is the most enthusiastic person I've ever met!  That sentence may have sounded like a compliment to you - but I hope that the build-up portrayed my real emotions. Then I had to stand and...

So , this is my first 'take' at 7 Quick Takes.  I've been reading Jennifer's over at Conversion Diary for a while - and am beginning my quest to become a blogger.  Not sure how much I really have to say, but I have a few good ideas every other day - so here goes nothing! --- 1 --- New Found Pinterest Love! I didn't think I could be taken up into the cloud that is known as pinterest!  But, I was very, very wrong :(  I love seeing the extra-ordinary things ordinary people have done!  Some awesome recipes, super cute DIY stuff for the house, and SO much more!!!   Follow me! --- 2 --- Finally - a real reason to "keep calm" !!! and to STAY calm!!! --- 3 --- Favorite long lost song ... that I just found again! There are definitely some days when I feel like praying like this ... not that I do, but I kinda want to.  It's like a scene from this week's Last Many Standing  when they were praying for the one daughter to lose h...

I spent last night at a play entitled, "You Can't Take It With You" where one of my youth was a minor character.  In the last few weeks this is the 2nd High School play (the first one had a girl playing a plant for a few minutes).  I also went to a JV baseball game where the kid wasn't going to play (he hasn't all season), but ended up in the outfield for 2 innings and batting once! These times are the reason I love my job - and how Christ is using me to change lives.  If only I could remember them when the 'funk' sets in.  Or when I don't see any fruit from my efforts on the Lord's work. Praise the Lord!

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone- To have a deep soul relationship with another- Be loved thoroughly, and exclusively. But God, to a Christian, says: I want you to be satisfied, fulfilled, and content With being loved by Me alone- With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me- With having an intensely personal and unique relationship With Me alone. Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, Will you be capable of the best human relationship That I have planned for you. I want you to be united with another after you are united with Me- Exclusive of anyone or anything else, Exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, And allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing- One that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best- Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me, trusting Me- Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am. Keep listening and learning the things I t...

I've been hearing about The Hunger Games  for a while now - and I'm definitely not the first nor the last to jump on the bandwagon.  After hearing all of my middle schoolers talk about how they went to see it as a class field trip I felt compelled to read it.  At the very least I wanted to know the references when they said something about it.  So I borrowed the first book from one of the ym families and read it in one day! I loved the story - was captured by Katniss and her narration of the story.  She's detached from her emotions, has no idea how to really love, and is so confused about the direction of her life.  One of the most interesting things is how much hatred she has for The Capitol and how they want to put the Districts in their place. She is so fearful of being chosen in the reaping that she's decided she will never have children.  The Capitol will never control her future. Katniss & Gale - the closest thing she has ever ex...

This afternoon I was walking back to my office (up in the corner of the building in the back of the property) from the main office building.  I was still in my 'funk' and was trying to scare the devil away by intensely praying the St. Michael prayer and walking with purpose (ie: fast and determined looking).  THEN, I was startled half to death - my short, well-lived life almost ended - by my pastor.  He asked what I was so intently thinking ... and we chatted about my 'spiritual funk'.  Then he gave me a beautiful blessing commanding the spirits to leave.   Since then,  I've felt so much joy.  Removed completely from the funk.  Tomorrow will be a new day!

It's so hard to be faithful to what God wants for us to do.  I've been told many times that if you're doing the Lord's work and good things are happening, you'd better prepare to be attacked.  And this is not just to be persecuted by the people of the world.  It's not really other people who persecute anyway - it's always Satan using them to persecute us. Imagine spending your life's energy on something (ie: getting as many people as possible into Hell with you) and then you've got someone working against you - wouldn't you want to do everything possible to keep them from  succeeding?!  Of course - that's what the devil is doing now. I started a few prayer quests over the last couple of days ... and by a few, I mean probably 4 too many! Seeking religious communities to pray for the success of parish mission centering on the Enthronement of our homes and parish to the Sacred Heart.  I literally emailed 120 communities asking them to pra...