What to do with my life...

Lord Jesus,
Up unti now, You have been quietly preparing me to be your disciple.
Now the time of preparation is ending.
I seem to hear you say to me as once to Peter:
   "Will you also go away?"
You were saddened then by friends who failed You.
But Peter did not fail.
   "Lord" he said, "to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

I stand with Peter.
Through prayer and counsel, show me, Lord, where it is in Your vineyard that You want me to serve.
Then give me strength to be faithful.

Mary, mother and model, help me to respond in generous love to the call of your divine Son.

AMEN

Beauty

Since I'm a girl, and I don't live in a box... the worldly idea of beauty; what it means, how it looks, what it's worth, etc. is all around me!

It's bombarding... frustrating... confusing and downright depressing sometimes.
You don't look like that, so you can't have this, or do that or even be happy for that matter.
It may seem a little intense, but that is how it can be interpreted by girls.. I know, I am one after all!

But God has other thoughts...

"Do not let your adorning be external - the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry or the clothing you wear - but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." ~1 Peter 3:3-4

and...

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is in vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." ~Proverbs 31:30

See? God cares about all of us... our thoughts, dreams, desires, personality, heart and soul. Not just the shape of our body or length of our eyelashes!
But this isn't to say we should not care about outward appearance...

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20

We should be proud of the gift of our bodies. But not obsessed. Thankful, not critical.

This post by a loving mother sums it up best- so go check it out!

All God's Children. All Beautiful. All Unique.

Blessings!
~Kris

Dessert

Satisfied.
The Lord is the Only One who can truly fill us with His love and satisfy our deepest self. Only He can nourish us in the way we need to be nourished. This is why we must be fully complete in God before connecting ourself to another human (i.e. marriage).

We do not need any other individual to live-either in this world or the next. But-it can make the journey sweeter.

It is like dessert - no one needs dessert to survive - it cannot nourish you in a life-sustaining maner. That is what the main course is for.

Jesus is the meat and potatoes of our life.

He is the nourishment, the sustenance we need in order to survive. We must have Him fill us completely before we can enjoy dessert.
~"No cookies before dinner or you'll ruin your appetite" :P

Think of how you feel when you are hungry... starving even, before dinner. You think, "Oh, I'll have a cookie" so you do-but does it fill you? Sure, maybe for a little while, but soon you will be back to where you started-hungry and unsatisfied.
So you eat another... and another and another-maybe the candy bar that has been in your purse since last Halloween, and the rest of the Cheetos hiding in the back of your pantry... you just stuff face until you can't take another bite.

But now how do you feel? Chances are -SICK!
And that is exactly how life will feel if you try over and over again to be satisfied by the things of this world... money, fame, boyfriends, etc.
None of these things are bad - just like a cookie isn't bad
But when you try to live your life built upon these things... that is where the trouble starts. It's like trying to live a healthy life on nothing but peanut butter cup and jelly beans. You may live, for a little while at least... but it won't be as long (with Jesus=FOREVER!) or as high of quality of life as it could be.

So what does this mean? That no one should ever have a bowl of ice cream? (*gasp*)
Of course not!
God blessed us with these gifts - He wants us to enjoy them - NOT build our lives upon them.

~Luke 6:48
They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

So after you have had your sustenance and are completely nourished, go ahead and have some dessert!

p.s. - isn't dessert more enjoyable after you have been patiently waiting and anticipating it? ...we'll save that can of worms for another night!

God Bless!

Good Friday

It is a beautiful day where I'm at... which I am oh so grateful for... but 2013 years ago, at this very time, Jesus was nailed to the cross. For me. For you. For all of us.

It is heartbreaking and depressing that our best friend had to do this. But He knew it was necessary if we would ever be able to spend eternity with Him.

So while this day is not the most joyous, festive-filled day (that is coming in just a day and a half!) it is an amazing day that should not go unnoticed.

Here is a little prayer if you'd like a little remembrance about what today is really all about...

O Jesus, Who by reason of Thy burning love for us 
hast willed to be crucified 
and to shed Thy Most Precious Blood 
for the redemption and salvation of our souls, 
look down upon us here gathered together 
in remembrance of Thy most sorrowful Passion and Death, 
fully trusting in Thy mercy; 
cleanse us from sin by Thy grace, 
sanctify our toil, 
give unto us and unto all those who are dear to us our 
daily bread, 
sweeten our sufferings, 
bless our families, 
and to the nations so sorely afflicted, 
grant Thy peace, 
which is the only true peace, 
so that by obeying Thy commandments 
we may come at last to the glory of heaven.

Amen.

Whistle While You Work

That's good enough... 
But is it?

Giving your time is great, but is it the best you can do?

Doing a good deed is.. well... good, but is it really good enough?

Are you doing it in love? With joy? Accompanied by a smile?

These are the things that truly matter. This is what make the difference. Any human being with a heartbeat and hands can serve a homeless man a bowl of soup.

It is not the hot meal that comforts the soul, it is the smile and warm conversation. The smile is the lamp through which the light of Jesus can shine onto others. It is the glow in emitted from a true believer in their Savior that lights the darkness in your little corner of the world.

It's like one great Disney Princess said - 

Just whistle while you work! 

~Jesus, 
Help me today to joyfully shine Your light into the darkness I see each day.
Amen.

Self-ish/less

Where do you draw the line between being selfish and selfless?
I always thought it was best to be completely selfless and then I saw this...

Which makes a lot of sense....

So I'm back to the drawing board - where do you draw the line between helping others and taking care of yourself? Making others happy, but also enjoying the life God has placed before you and making yourself happy? 

It is something I know there is not a clear cut answer to, and I'm praying for divine guidance... 

Any thoughts out there?

Well while you're thinking... check out this story of a very selfless police officer! ...we need to hear more stories about the good in the world, and less about the depressing issues... 

God's House

God is building a house. A house for His love. A house of hope, faith, charity, trust, compassion, and forgiveness will live forever.

While this house may seem impossible, we must remember nothing is impossible for Him.
...After all - Jesus was a carpenter wasn't He? ;)

This house may seem to be at a standstill... not enough builders, enough wood, no nails. But it isn't. Everyday, in some way-shape-or form, it is coming together.

You can choose to be a part of it- A nail in the beams, cement in the foundation, window in the attic.

Or-
You can choose to be the storm, the driving winds and crashing rain that stall progress and frustrate the workers.

You can
a) be part of the progress
b) be an idle bystander watching from the house across the street
or
c) act as a backache in the chief carpenter

With, or without your help, this house will be built. It will be the most adorned, glorious mansion that ever was. It is your choice whether or not you want to be part of the crew that assists in the completion. While it may be difficult, strenuous labor - God can assure you, it is worth it. In the end, those that place their nail into the house will get to live there, forever, with the Master Carpenter Himself.

What do you say?
Will you pick up your hammer and join us?

1 Corinthians 4:12 ~ "We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; When we are persecuted, we endure it;"

hehe, I just LOVE this :)

Gold

Anyone else in absolute freakin' love with this song...



Ok good! Me too!!!

And it got me thinking... if we are all gold - which we are - don't believe me?
Isaiah 13:12 ~ "I will make a man more precious than fine gold"
Ok- so I lied, we are more precious than gold!

So, why do we tarnish ourselves?
You wouldn't dare ruin a fine piece of gold, so why de-value yourselves?

There are many different ways to tarnish, it's different for everyone...
self-hate
abuse
self-doubt
the list could go on and on... but let's not dwell on how to tarnish...

Let's focus on how to make ourselves SHINE!

Matthew 5:16 ~ "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven."

-So one way to shine ~ Doing good deeds. Shine your little light in the lives of others by making their day just a little bit better, I can guarantee you'll feel more like gold afterwards as well!

1 John 1:7 ~ "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin"
-Sin no more. Whatever is tarnishing you of your gold - get rid of it! Do what it takes to own up to that vice and begin the road to gold!

John 12:36 ~ "While you have the light, believe in the light that you may become sons of the light"
-Another way to shine? Believe. Believe in Jesus, His promises, His love, and your future in Him. How can you not shine when you live in Him?!
After all... He is the light of the world!

So what are you waiting for?!

SHINE ON!

First

The First...

Well - WE HAVE A POPE! #blessed&pumped!

But anywhose... let's talk about him k? K!

He has a lot of first's... Such as:
-first Jesuit
-first Francis (of Assisi)
-first Pope from the New World

And I'm hoping and praying these 'firsts' can be seen as a breath of fresh air - not that anything is wrong (I'm Catholic and PROUD!) ...I just think so much can be done to refresh the church and bring members back to the faith.
This is in all faith - not just the Catholic denomination. Wouldn't it be great, wouldn't it be exciting if we could start and new reform?! A country, or even world that loved, not fought. Believed in peace, not war? Smiling, not judging?

You can say I'm a dreamer, say it'll never happen - but I have hope. Hope that at least in my little corner of the world we can change for the better. Grow closer to our God and Savior. Live a little more like Him and a little less like our selfish nature. Hope.

So for today - the day our newest Pope is announced, can we first-all say a prayer he will do the great things God has planned for him? And second-dream, hope and be excited - because this world is ours to change for the better! Let's get to it.

Crafty Harlot

Proverbs 7 describes the Crafty Harlot 
This is a woman who helps men fall into temptation, pushes and encourages their sin, by "her enticing speech" and "flattering lips" She "cast down many wounded" even men who were not looking to sin! For "all who were slain by her were strong men"

See ladies? You have more power than you may think!

While, they may not even be looking to sin, men were created to fall for women - but by God's guidance, not our own seduction.

We need to be careful how we use this gift - yes gift - and responsibility God bestowed upon us. We have the power to start a revolution. We have the power to detract men away from sin and to their Heavenly Father.

Are you ready to start turning the world around?!

SuperGirl

"I'm super girl, and I'm here to save the world, but I wanna know-who's gonna save me?"
Ever heard this song? Even if you haven't (and you now think I'm completely insane), I'm hoping you can still relate to this little post here...

So... who's gonna save me?
*NEWSFLASH*
Jesus already did! :)

~Girl Power~
So I'm just a girl.. does that mean I'm suppose to be quiet? Softspoken? Reserved?
The Bible says we are to be submissive... but what does that really mean?
Is it a command to not make decisions, never take control, sit back and be walked on, never try to change anything?
NO!
According to the dictionary...

...humbly obedient. Not useless. Not unimportant. Ready to submit. Ready to do what GOD has made us to do. Ready to change the world for HIM!

We, as women, are not powerless. (We should not be consumed with power either though!)

God gave us soooo much to do for Him! To bring glory and praise to our God!
He has pretty much entrusted the future of His world to us (Yes-He is in complete control of course! But in regards to nature - we're bringing His babies here!) ...we as women have HUGE responsibilities!

It has been said that you can define a civilization by the status of it's womanhood. How women portray themselves, how they are treated, etc. ...hmmm-what does that say about our civilization at this point in time? :/

Defining an entire civilization though? Really? Yes.
Girls, let's face it - we have the key to furthering life on this planet (God willing). And how we chose to value ourselves, will be how we are asking others to value us as well. We can choose to abuse the rights and cause the downfall of humanity by helping taint morals and values of those around us...
Or - we can bring men (and other peers) up to our level. The level God calls all of us to be at, and be at a level closer to Him.
*Beginning a reform of culture!

Perfect...or not...

Why do we strive to be perfect?

"Sure there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and never sins." -Ecclesiastes 7:20

God knows we aren't perfect, so why do we keep trying, thinking we need to be?

We get frustrated with ourselves when we see our imperfections...
Angry with others when they display their imperfections...

But God loves us anyways. He tells us we don't need to be, aren't made to be perfect - That is His job. He is the perfect one. We are only called to be loved by Him and act out His love in this world to other imperfect creatures.
Let us then, love and He has loved. Let us accept our imperfections and those of others and see them as a sign of our dependence on Jesus.

Now and Forever.

Do everything in love

"To work, without love is slavery."

~Mother Teresa

Do what you love and you'll love what you do.

For our desires and gifts work perfectly together - if we allow them to.

How? Because the King of Kings made both. And He did this with perfect knowledge of us in mind, because He created us!

Don't feel like what you want to do is insignificant. It's not. God put those desires there for a reason - because in some way, shape or form, what He has called you to do - aka what you want and feel driven to do, is going to work perfectly in His Divine Will. ...if you are living a prayerful  God driven life that is.

So don't think that what you want doesn't matter - pray, listen and act! 

Pray for guidance that God will lead your life in His direction.

Listen to the call you hear in your heart.

Act out what you love and act it out in a joyful manner! 

...and do everything in love ~1 Corinthians 16:14

Not a Number.

"We cannot condemn, judge, or speak words that might hurt... By what right, then, can we condemn anyone?"

"Let us be very sincere in our dealing with each other and have the courage to accept each other as we are."

~Mother Teresa.

We all have faults.... but can they truly be called faults?

Merely differences that each human-being has from one another.

These differences are what God made us to have so that we may know we are not just another set of arms and legs to Him. He took the time to create us all differently and knows us all separately -  we are not just a number. 

How exciting this once fault now is as we see it as a symbol of God's unique and special love for us!

Lord,

please help me today to accept and respect the things that make me (and each of Your children) special in Your eyes. Thank You for these things that make me me.

Let it Be. 

Thirsty

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Rev. 3:20

Mother Teresa wrote this
(a little chunk from "I Thirst for You") ~

Don’t you realize that your thirst for love is a thirst for me, I who
am Love? I am myself the answer to your deepest desires.
I THIRST FOR YOU . . . Yes, that is the only way to describe my
love for you: I thirst to love you and to be loved by you, that is how
precious you are to me.

• Come to me, and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds.
I will make you a new creation, and give you peace in all your
trials.
• You must never doubt my mercy, my acceptance of you, my
desire to forgive, my longing to bless you and live my life in you.
• If you feel unimportant in the eyes of the world, that matters
not at all. For me, there is no one more important than you.
• Open to me, come to me, thirst for me, give me your life —
and I will prove to you how important you are to my heart.

Don’t you realize that my Father already has a perfect plan to
transform your life, beginning from this moment? Trust in me. Ask
me every day to enter and take charge of your life — and I will. I
promise you before my Father in heaven that I will work miracles in
your life. Why would I do this? Because I thirst for you. All I ask is
that you entrust yourself to me completely. I will do all the rest.

you can read the whole writing here
----------------------------------------
Don't really believe all this? Think it's too good to be true?

Take one look at the cross, know that Jesus thought of you before He took His last breath and still wanted to die for you

He saw your sin, your distrust, your imperfections and still wanted you.

Look at the sin and know - you are thirsted for. You are loved.

Call up the Pro

'In these time of development, everybody is in a hurry and everybody's in a rush, and on the way there are people falling down, who are not able to compete. These are the ones we want to love and serve and take care of.' -Mother Teresa.

Luke 9:23 ~ "If any man is to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me."

We are to carry our crosses each day - whatever burdens that may entail...
hmm... :/

How are we to do that?

After all, we are but human and are not strong enough to carry all these fears, doubts and temptations.
Who ya gonna call?
Ghost Busters! Jesus!

The one who has done it before!
He know the way, He has been there-done that, had to carry the cross for the whole world!

He is strong enough to carry the weight-no matter how heavy it is. All we have to do is ask for His help and guidance. Let Him know we aren't going to be able to do - that we need His help, and He will come rushing in.

He will be there to teach us how to carry it - and - in the time we aren't strong enough, carry it for us.

He's a pro!

Par - Tay!

Heaven is like the most private, V.I.P. party ever held - only one person was ever invited, Jesus Christ.

But don't you want to go?! I do.

The only way we can ever get in is if we're with the V.I.P. Himself. He gives us, each and every one of us, a piece of Himself. He pours out Himself to us in the Eucharist - this is our ticket! 

This ticket, if we choose to accept it, will get us past the bouncers of this world (i.e. sin and therefore death) and into the greatest party every thrown!

I'm going to go get my party dress on... who's with me?

Beach of Humility - Ocean of Mercy

~Only humility will lead us to unity, and unity to peace.


Humility... what does the Bible say about it?
Well...
"By humility and the fear of the Lord, are riches and honor and life." -Proverbs 22:4
and

hmmmm.. just a guess - but I'd say God is in favor of humility :)

Humility does not mean you have to be down on yourself, does not mean you don't have confidence, does not mean you don't love yourself.

Humility is defined as modesty, humbleness and submission. It is the knowing that we are not all there is - that there is a higher power, a GOD that is above, around and encompassing us every second of every day. A knowing of His all divine power and plan. And being in full submission and acceptance of that.

It is realizing that we are but a grain of salt on His beach, about to be drenched in His ocean of mercy.

Lord,
Please make me a road sign. A sign for people to see and follow as they journey along the path of life. And please help my sign lead them on the road to Heaven. AMEN

Psalm 48:14

"For this is God. Our God forever and ever. He will be our guide - even unto death" -Psalm 48:14

What better person is there to follow than the One who created the very path we walk upon?

Listen to Him and your path will be made straight.

Even though it may sometimes seem as though you are wandering in circles, God has a plan for each and every one of us. And asking Him to guide you, with a sincere heart, will always be heard. He is there every step of the way, even when times get tough, paths wide and curve, may seem like a dead end at some points... God is there.

Have faith. Have trust. Be strong. Be courageous.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him. And He will make your path straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6

~Happy Hump Day!~
-Kristen :)

Failure

"Do not allow yourself to be disheartened by any failure as long as you have done your best."
-Mother Teresa

...wow... Let's just say I really needed to hear those words. Chem Test + Kristen = :(
We can leave it at that.

Psalm 142:3 - "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path, in the way in which I walk."

Why worry about the future, if it is to be determined by God?

Why dwell upon the past?
God made it that way for a reason.

Why be anxious in the present moment?
It's all we have.

If you live for this moment and live it for God, your future will be taken care of and your past will make sense.

Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God."

Psalm 52:9 - "I will wait on Your name, for it is good."