Waiting for Patience

After Training for over 3 months - today was the day!!!  We started at 9am and ran, ran, ran away! (and walked just a little bit) Lisa, Me, & MG before the race MG & Me 42 minutes later! My teens came to cheer us on - super SURPRISING!!! 2 core team members + 5 teens = AWESOME!  Erica ran in honor of a friend (they had a team of 5) who is suffering right now from TTS - many, many prayers for Amy, her husband, and the two babies!  She's 28 weeks as of yesterday and would love  to make it to 33 weeks, if possible!  Many, many prayers going up for them as she sits on bed-rest in the Hospital! Check out their team! Team Andrade Squared  In honor of: Amy, J, Jack & Will Our 2nd Run over the Finish Line! Running... Running... Finishing!!! It was such a great event!  Running was definitely difficult, but with some walking in between we definitely ran a majority (almost all).  It was so...

Well, that's an odd compliment if I ever saw one!

--- 1 --- Quote For Today: The essence of perfection is to embrace the will of God in all things, prosperous or adverse. In prosperity, even sinners find it easy to unite themselves to the divine will; but it takes saints to unite themselves to God's will when things go wrong and are painful to self-love. - Saint Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) --- 2 --- The Color Run!   A while ago, I had committed myself to run this race ; however , I was too late to sign-up and picked a different run (see #3 below).  But a parishioner asked if we could volunteer to throw the color at each of the kilometer markers - UM, yes - best part!  Also found out that one of my teens and another one of my great friends are both running - so a great choice! that'll be us on November 17th! --- 3 --- My 5K is coming up  in just 36 hours!  I can't believe it's finally here.  I'm excited and nervous - hoping it goes well.  Running along the way! --- ...

A long time ago I told myself I wasn't going to compare my program with other people's youth ministry programs or my life with friends of my own age.  I can hear you saying, "That's great, Katie - you don't compare yourself with anyone? I wish I could be as holy as you - and by the way I'm going to stop reading your blog because it's become unrelateable."  WELL, I can assure you, that even thought I don't want to compare myself, I am constantly finding it happening.  And sometimes when I don't compare I feel like I'm falling into the sin of pride because I think 'I'm all that.'  Which I know it's true - I mean, I may in fact be 'all that' but not comparing and being prideful are two completely different things. First, the subject of pride.  We are prideful when we think we are the 'be all end all' (only the Lord is - since He's the beginning and the end and everything in between).  We are prideful whe...

--- 1 --- This week at work  we are having an "Annual Planning Meeting."  What's that you ask?  Well, to summarize - no one really knows.  However, we have someone who is an efficiency expert with us to help identify the problems of our staff and provide us with action items to help correct these so we can work effectively together. --- 2 --- What are our problems you ask?  Well, you didn't, but I'm going to presume you did - they are twofold.  Lack of Communion and Confusion of Roles...I will expand, never fear. First to tackle the second, Confusion of Roles.   This seems like the bigger issue, but I think it is caused by the first - so I explain now...  No one truly knows what their job is in its entirety.  How is this you ask?  Even if they understand their job descriptions, they do not see how they fit into the whole.  Additionally, no one understands what everyone else is supposed to do and therefore doesn't know ...

A couple of months ago a friend of mine was telling me that her youth minister (she's the DRE) organized the most terrible Holy Hour.  Now, I know - Jesus was there, fully present so it was at least a partial success.  However, the purpose of a Holy Hour is to draw teens closer to Christ through silence, music, reflections, etc...  When Pandora commercials come up in the music, I think we can say it was kind of a terrible hour!  I mean, Pandora ? seriously - you can sing accapella better than commercials in a Holy Hour!!! So, I decided I would provide some tips on this - not that I'm an expert in any way, but I have done this before.  Hopefully others will provide their insights as well so there can be a better 'google search' for this than what I just found .  A lot of ways to attract teens to a Holy Hour, some info on music to pick, but no real tool...so I hope to provide at least one (that probably won't come up in a google search anyway, but I digres...

In honor of today's first reading: Reading 1  Gal 5:18-25 Brothers and sisters: If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. I present you one of my favorite videos! got the fruits of the spirit stuck in your head? you are welcome!!!

Some great insight on patience today from the Bible Geek, Mark Hart. Trying to be patient and let The Lord work in His own time.

--- 1 --- Humility  has kicked me in the butt these past few days!  For our small group on Tuesday evenings I was facilitating our group on a discussion about vice of pride and the virtue of humility.  And then, I got a swift kick to help with my own humility.  It's something I shouldn't be frustrated about, but I am.  It's this idea that I had one time that NO ONE wanted to do - and now that someone else suggested it, they are all super excited.  What's up with that?! --- 2 --- IT  has become the newest hat that I have to wear at work.  I was asked to set up someone's new computer with their email in Outlook and the Parish Data System (where I have to call PDS to get it all set up).  When did this start falling under the category of Youth Minister?  Not that these tasks are in some way beneath  me just that they are in no way  my job.  It's almost like someone doesn't think I have enough work to do! --- 3 -...

that's all ... now back to work, getting ready for those crazy middle school youth!

I've been watching David Tutera's show "My Fair Wedding" on Netflix. His ideas amaze me. He takes these really ridiculous concepts and turns them into these beautiful weddings for the women. It creates a dream world for the women, the guests, and the story that they will share with their families forever. He comes in 3 weeks before the wedding and changes everything I can't imagine how much these experiences cost and who even pays for it! A fairy tale for all to see. Dear David, How do I get you to show up at my house 3 weeks before my wedding? Oh, wait I need to find a groom first? Okay, I'm on it! Your Bride in Waiting

--- 1 --- I had an amazing workout this morning  at the gym!  After getting Ashelyn to school, I went off to Mass and was dragging my feet about going to the gym because I was exhausted!  However, when I got there I decided to do the circuit with 3 sets of 15, added a few abductor, adductor and a 2 sets of 4 ab machines.  AND THEN, I had a burst of energy and did the treadmill for 18 minutes with a 12 minute mile!!!  Feeling great about this accomplishment today!  Thanks Planet Fitness - here's a Pat on the Back for myself! --- 2 --- Now that I've so gracefully boasted and bragged  about my fitness accomplishment - I'll talk about humility and pride (cause that's just how I roll).  I'm in a small faith community where we are studying this book... and I'm facilitating the discussion next week (Week #3) on the vice of Pride and the virtue of Humility.  Not sure exactly what I'm going to talk about specifically, but I'm going ...

Couldn't have written it better myself - SO I'm just copying (with credit) what Mark Hart wrote over at lifeteen.com today!!! TO PROTECT AND SERVE: THE TRUTH ABOUT GUARDIAN ANGELS By  Mark Hart   |  OCTOBER 2, 2011 I had a conversation recently with a teenager who told me that they believe in angels but not in “guardian angels.” I was intrigued by the distinction. She said it was because she believed that God used angels to carry out His work, but that she didn’t think God would “waste an angel on her.” It was a sad beginning to a conversation that ended very joyfully. Sometimes it’s hard to believe God could be that active or that loving in our life. Truth is – He is. God is awesome like that. We need to remind ourselves of just what an  awesome  gift from God our guardian angel is – a gift that, too often, goes untapped. Yes, guardian angels really do exist! In fact, every year on October 2nd the Church celebrates a Feast Day in honor of G...