Stay Active

Adoration, youth group, reading the Bible, listening to Christian artists... All of these are great things to do and I do each routinely throughout my day. BUT there is so much more to be thought about. We are called to serve the Lord by serving others. Do this everyday. Do this without asking for anything in return. Do this to glorify God! Why else, right?... So, how do I serve and who do I serve? Look for people in need around you. Every person could use some help or love at some point. Just ask your friends, family, or strangers how they are doing. See what you can do for them.

Try to shine in other people's lives as Jesus shines for us. Be that light in the world.

May God bless you!

How have you gotten to where you are?

You didn't get to where you are alone. Everyone around you has helped shape who you are since the day you were born, whether it be parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers, youth group leaders, best friends, old friends, boyfriends, girlfriends and anyone else you've met in your life. God puts people into our lives in order to help us become the person He has meant for us to be.

I look back at my life before I've gotten to where I am now. Without my grandparents, my parents never would have been raised in a loving, God-filled home and I probably wouldn't have been baptized or sent to a Catholic grade school. Without my teachers who taught me even when I didn't care, I never would have learned the basics of Christian teachings. Without a welcoming youth group leader, I never would have gone to my church's youth group, which is where I found my faith in God. Without a friend's invitation, I never would have gone to Mass on Sundays. Without the CORE adults in my youth group pushing me to learn, I would have settled into complacency in my faith and never would have grown in it. Without God in my life, I wouldn't be even half as happy or fulfilled as I am today.

We all need to take a look back into our lives and know that we have been guided to where we are today. We have never been left alone, even in our darkest times. God and those who He works through have always been with us. Let us be thankful for all who have helped form the people we have become and always remember that we are also shaping the people around us.

God bless!!

New Year, New Self

The year of 2011 has ended today. For some, it's a relief. For others, it's sad to leave the good memories. But whether we enjoyed 2011 or not, we are now given a fresh start in 2012. This new year is going to be what we make it. We need to learn from our past mistakes and regrets, so that we can make 2012 a year to be remembered as enjoyable and positive. We need to take all of the blessings and good that came from 2011 and bring them to 2012.

The new year represents a second chance where we can make ourselves better versions of ourselves and who God truly wants us to be. This is the time of year when everyone makes resolutions and promises on what they'll do for the following year. "I'll work out twice a week," "I'll eat healthier," "I'll spend more time with family," etc. Of course, all of those are wonderful things to do, but why not try and make a new year's resolution about your faith life? Why not promise to pray every day, or go to Mass every Sunday, or spend more time with Jesus? Spiritual resolutions can allow us to fully embrace God and make 2012 an incredible year. We should commit less to physical and earthly things and more to our Creator and Savior and devoting our lives to Him.

God bless and Happy New Year!

The Winds of Change are Blowing

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

Change has always been hard on me. It was hard when I realized not all kids grew up with divorced parents, when I went to a new school, when my brother left home, and, most recently, when I found out my youth minister would be leaving our youth group in order to spend time with his family. I'm not one to share my feelings or emotions with everyone; I have a very select few that I will talk to about things that actually mean something to me, and even then I have trouble completely opening up. So when things change in my life, it becomes even harder to talk about how sad I feel or say how I'm afraid of what will happen next. Especially when it's the people I love who are changing or leaving, I find that I completely bottle myself up. In my mind, I think "why should I become close to anyone if they are going to leave in the end?" All I do is focus on the negatives of the situation I'm in, when, instead, I could be thankful for what I do have and the time I've spent with the people I love. And change doesn't have to be a bad thing. God has a plan, even though we can't always see that. If we can just allow ourselves to trust that He has a purpose for every event in our lives, then we can stop worrying about what's coming next. God knows what He's doing. And even though we go through all sorts of changes in our daily lives, God gives us one of the most comforting things we will ever hear: He will never change.

God bless you!

Never Forget

As I'm sure most of you know, today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11 where thousands were killed and even more suffered a great loss of a loved one. I just wanted to make a quick post acknowledging the great tragedy that occurred and honor those who lost their lives that day, those who died later because of the smoke and ash, and also the brave men and women who risked their lives in attempt to save others. I am praying for all the people who died because of 9/11 and their families who still suffer today. Thanks to all the police, soldiers, and firefighters who are protecting the people of our country.

God bless!

Thankful

Thank you God for my sisters.

For me, my sisters are the loved ones in my life that hold me up when I'm down, comfort me when I'm upset, instruct me when I'm uninformed, and love me for me. I appreciate them yet I know I do not thank God enough for them. I also do not always recognize the vital part they play in my life. I take my sisters for granted, people who I love the most and need the most. Recently I was a little lost without all of them home. When they finally had their first homecoming, I was overwhelmed with love and relief. At that moment, I realized the amount of importance and meaning they have in my life. They are irreplacable and precious. I pray that I will unceasingly thank God for bringing them into my life and changing me forever.

Thank you God!
Jennie

All of us have people in our lives, for me: my sisters, that make a huge impact. These people need to be appreciated and should be recognized. These people are the ones who will never leave you. Give God constant thanks for your loved ones and cherish every moment spent with them here on this earth.

God Bless you!

Why did (insert horrible event here) happen to me??

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Whenever something bad happens, we always seem to question why it had to happen to us. But our life isn't meant to be easy. God, of course, doesn't like to see us suffer but we weren't made for a comfortable life. Whether our troubles are faith-related or not, God has called us to see that He has a plan set for us and there is a reason for everything that happens in our life. We may not always be able to see any possible good outcome of a bad circumstance, but we must not blame God or ask, "why me?" but we have to trust that everything God does will always be better for us in the long run. And He doesn't leave us alone in our struggles; He is always wanting to help and guide us. God never promised us that there wouldn't be any troubles or hardships in our life; He promised that He will go through them with us.

God bless!

"Oh no, You never let go / Through the calm and through the storm. / Oh no, You never let go / In every high and every low. / Oh no, You never let go / Lord, You never let go of me."

Never Let Go by Matt Redman

What Love Really Means by JJ Heller

Hey everyone!! We just uploaded a video on youtube of us singing so let us know what you think! :)
Hope you enjoy! (link below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YIgKg8rxvE&feature=channel_video_title