"I am very much in need of great consolation and especially of your Son's grace, because I am utterly unable to help myself. But if you, most merciful Mother, condescend to look upon my littleness, you can in many ways help and strengthen me with abundant consolations. Therefore, as soon as I feel burdened with difficulties and temptations, I shall have immediate recourse to you, for where grace abounds, mercy is more at hand."

- The Imitation of Mary, Thomas A Kempis

My Jesus, You are my Hope, my Joy, my Comfort. No matter where I am You'll always be there for me & I can always find a moment of quite in You :)

A post from my other blog:

The Life You've Given Me.: We Are Free!!: We are free! We are free! My God, You died to make us free. I abuse that gift so often by slipping into self-pity and giving up. I have no...

"Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. 

Neither intelligence nor talents. 

He cherishes simplicity." 

~ St. Therese of Lisieux

''O my dear Mother, could I but love thee as thou lovest me! I will not, however, cease to do all that I can to honor and love thee. My most sweet Lady, do thou obtain for me grace to be faithful to thee.''

-St. Alphonsus de Liguori, The Glories of Mary

my Mother :]

So a yesterday I was praying after Mass and this nice elderly gentleman came up to me, handed me a sheet of paper and asked me to read it. It was a sheet explaining the Hour of Grace ( Read more about it here!! ) I loved it. Even just reading the hand out really helped me with a personal matter I've been struggling with. When I got back to school I showed it to a few of my friends..and I'm so glad I did :) My one friend announced it to the school today and invited people to do it with her. It was amazing how many people came! We all said Psalm 51 together three times and then it was just a wonderful hour of adoration. We ended by singing Salve Regina and I just felt so overwhelmed with gratitude... our Mother is so good to us! She led us here to spend a special hour with her Son. She does so much to help us reach Christ. I know God really used my friend today and I just loved seeing so many of us in the tiny little adoration chapel out of obedience to our Mother and love of our Lord.

=)

Holy Mother Mary, pray for us!

"I know that I am under Your special gaze, O Lord. I do not examine with fear Your plans for me; my task is to accept everything from Your hand. I do not fear anything, although the storm is raging, and frightful bolts strike all around me, and I then feel quite alone. Yet, my heart senses You, and my trust grows, and I see all Your omnipotence which upholds me. With You, Jesus, I go through life amid storms and rainbows, with a cry of joy, singing the song of Your mercy. I will not stop singing my song of love until the choir of Angels picks it up. There is no power that can stop me in my flight toward God."

- St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul

Happy St.Nicholas' Day!

 

St.Nicholas, pray for us!

I love this photo :)

 

The Marriage of Mary and Joseph

Yet another I am so happy to have the Faith....

I'm never alone. No matter where I am or what I've done I will always have Someone to talk to. Someone Who will just listen to me pour out my worries,my fears. Someone I can ask help from at any time when I'm struggling. That Someone is our glorious Lord. He is perfection. Far greater than we could ever imagine yet so very humble. He is Comforter, Friend, Guide and Healer. He is our Savior and our Hope. ...whom then shall I fear?

Aww :)

Watch this :) it's funny. and sweet :

http://player.vimeo.com/video/15366067?autoplay=1

My Jesus,

When life gets hard and temptation is everywhere I will not give up Hope because You, my Lord, are completely worth fighting for. Eternal life with You is worth the fight. i love You.

:)

"Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you - for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart...don't listen to the demon, laugh at him, and go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love..." 

-- St. Therese of Lisieux

It is so easy to get discouraged by thoughts and feelings. Thoughts enter the mind when say "You are not worthy of God's help!You are the one who failed - it's your responsibility. Fix yourself! Then you may have His help." But that makes no sense! Jesus is the Savior.He came to save us. He knows how weak we are and He knows that the power and strength we so desperately need can only come from Him and so He makes Himself ever present and available to us.. We are complete in Him. He knows we cannot fix ourselves. This is how the priest at confession put it "Think of who He is. He is the Savior.. let Him do His job." All these thoughts that make us shy away from God cannot be from Him.. He cannot contradict Himself. He is Truth and He is Love. How lucky we are that we can call Him our Lord and Savior.

"I've worked for so long
With the weakest of hands
On the coldest of shores
The wind and the rain
Fill me with doubt
But You've never been wrong before.

I prayed for the sun

Some guidance some truth

Some glimpse of the things to come

With only Your song

Your love made me strong

When all hope was gone



All through the night I was fallin'

Straining to hear Your voice callin'

You never gave out

You never gave in

You never quite gave up on me

You are my constant."
- House of Heroes

Such a Love...

"(736) This evening I saw the Lord Jesus just as He was during His Passion. 

His eyes were raised to His Father, and He was praying for us."

- Divine Mercy in My Soul, Sr.Faustina

O my Jesus..such incredible Love. We could never imagine the pain You endured for us. Yet in the midst of most terrible agony You begged Your Father to forgive us.

To Jesus My Friend by St. Claude de la Colombiere

"Jesus! You are my true Friend, my only Friend. You take a part in all my misfortunes; You take them on Yourself; You know how to change them into blessings; You listen to me with the greatest kindness when I relate my troubles to You, and You have always balm to pour on my wounds.

I find You at all times; I find You everywhere, You never go away: if I have to change my dwelling, I find You there wherever I go. You are never weary of listening to me, You are never tired of doing me good. I am certain of being beloved by You, if I love You; my goods are nothing to You, and by bestowing Yours on me, You never grow poor; however miserable I may be, no one nobler or cleverer or even holier can come between You and me, and deprive me of Your friendship;and death, which tears us away from all other friends, will unite me forever to You. All the humiliations attached to old age, or to the loss of honor, will never detach You from me; on the contrary, I shall never enjoy You more fully, and You will never be closer to me than when everything seems to conspire against me to overwhelm me and to cast me down. You bear with all my faults with extreme patience, and even my want of fidelity and my ingratitude do not wound You to such a degree as to make You unwilling to receive me when I return to You. O Jesus, grant that I may die praising You, that I may die loving You, that I may die for the love of you."

_____________________

I am so very grateful for the Saints! Not only does Our Lord give us constant access to Him - even physically on Earth - but He also gives us these beautiful prayers He's inspired His saints to write. His love is so great :) all the help He gives us is awesome.

O so merciful...

"What are you dreaming of to fear Our Lord has abandoned you! Will he, who has never abandoned you when you appeared to leave him, abandon you now that you seek him. Drive away the devil who suggests such things to you, it is a thought which outrages God's mercy, and do Our Lord the justice of believing him to be infinitely good, after all the proofs you have had of his infinite mercy." 

-St. Claude de la Columbiere

 

God is so incredible! I really needed this quote. Lately I've just been struggling with this lately. Yesterday I was in adoration and for the first 2 decades of the rosary I was just really really angry at myself for always messing up and never doing what I'm supposed to do for God. For me the way I eat controls how I feel about myself. So when I get upset and eat alot it makes me feel worse and it's almost impossible at those times to do anything to improve myself because I feel like such a lost cause (hence my lack of posts on here). But I've been working on it...

ANYWAY!

Any of you who are on Facebook should check out my friend's page where I found this quote. It's named "In Te Confido" http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Te-Confido/165164173570776

ALRIGHTY.

So today we heard a talk by Dale Ahlquist and one thing he said just really struck me. He was talking about how G.K Chesterton talks about the importance of wonder. He said something along the lines of "even the smallest bit of dust can not be wondered at enough." I am the type of person who gets easily frustrated with a situation and just keeps looking forward towards the future because I'm not satisfied with what I have now. But if I take the time to wonder at all of God's wonderful creations I think I could better show gratitude to God for what He's given me and live a better life.

So many gifts...

It makes me so very happy to think that not only do we have an amazing,incredible Lord and God who gives Himself to us in the Mass..but we also have so many saints to ask help from and also Mary! I don't know :) He is so merciful & wonderful!

"The sum of man's days is great if it reaches a hundred years: 

Like a drop of sea water, like a grain of sand,

so are these few years among the days of eternity. 

That is why the Lord is patient with men and showers upon them His mercy. 

He sees and understands that their death is grievous, 

and so He forgives them all the more."

-Sirach 18:7-10

"You were wondering how to use those moments when you wake up in the night. Speak to Me of love, ardently desiring you next Communion... Call Me by the gentlest names, even when you are half asleep..."

- Our Lord to Gabrielle Bossis

Great Humility

The King of Glory gives Himself

Every single day.

'Though He in heaven, we below

Not alone remain.

He comes by Love in hidden form

(Most great humility!)

So we, by Faith, must choose to come

Unseen though He may be.

Such Joy is found in Christ our Lord

He who is our end.

We the beloved, foolish flock

He'll ne'r cease to tend.

Security

The other day (when I was sick on the couch) I was trying to say a rosary. As I was saying the 'Glory Be' I just had this wonderful sense of security. "All glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as is was in the beginning, now and ever shall be..." The same God I pray to today was always there and He will always be there. He's never going to leave, never going to change, never going to be anything other than who He is! I mean, people worry so much about investing their time in 'worthwhile' things. Well, my God isn't going anywhere and He will never change and become somebody I didn't expect. He'll always be there just the same. We have such security in Him :)

:)

The Catholic Young Woman: Teresa of Avila

Mercy

I wrote this poem after being really dumb last night. It has less form than my other ones...



O Jesus, Thy poor, wounded heart

It is I who's pierced it so!

All the pain I've caused Thee

Lord, I shall never fully know.

With my acts so selfish

My human heart so weak.

Not satisfied with Perfection

Wanting something more "concrete".

What a fool am I, wretched self!

Who so often reject Thy gifts

But only they are capable

To free me, from the deep to lift

And bring me to Thy glorious Light

The true desire of my hardened heart.

O Love, Thy mercy ever saves me.

It alone redeems my unworthy soul.

"For the spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty keeps me alive."

- Job 33:4

I was stressing out during physics because I had no idea what was going on but I ended up writing this little poem on the side of the page and it helped :

Holy Mother Mary,

I pray you, help me be

All that God desires

From sin my soul set free. 

 

I'm starting to turn it into a longer poem but I just wanted to share this for now :)

 This is amazing! please watch :) How lucky am I that this person is my friend in real life?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWDlcmVXeXQ

Some worship lyrics

 Today I wasn't feeling too well and was tempted with things I hadn't been in awhile. During one of my class I started writing a depressing poem but stopped and started writing out lyrics from worship songs..it really helped :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are my strength when I am weak.

You are the treasure that I keep. 

You are my all in all.

..and all of You is more than enough for

all of me, for every thirst and

every need You satisfy me with Your love

and all I have in You is more than enough.

 Over the mountains and the seas

Your river runs with love for me

And I will open up my heart and let the Healer

set me free. I'm happy to be in the Truth...

I could sing of Your love forever.

Hallelujah

Holy holy

God Almighty. The great I Am!

Who is worthy? 

None besides Thee.

God almighty. The great I Am.

Beautiful One I love!

Beautiful One I adore!

Beautiful One my soul does sing.

And if our God is for us

The who will ever stop us?

And is our God is with us

Then who can stand against?

Our God is greater. Our God is stronger

God, You are higher than any other.

Light of the world You stepped down into darkness. 

Opened my eyes, let me see. 

Beauty that made this heart adore You.

Hope of a life spent with You.

Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. 

Here I am to say that You're my God!

You're altogether lovely.

Altogether worthy.

Altogether wonderful to me!

Come To Me

Come to Me, My weary one,

And I shall give you rest.

I love  you so, my precious son,

For you I want the best.

O my child, it saddens Me

To see you hide away.

I love you so, despite your deeds,

The cross for you I payed.

Do not let your shame consume

Nor let the devil win.

I ache to cleanse you, sin remove,

To purify within.

Come to Me, My little one,

In Me you are complete.

To My arms I beg you come,

Be safe from all deceit.

Beloved child, I am yours.

Protector and great Friend.

On you always My mercy pours.

I'll guide you till the end.

From My Prayer Journal (Again)

You are insulted so often, Jesus. People are so horrible to You. You've only ever been all loving and Self-giving, sweet Lord. Why do they say they hate You? You are so good to us, sweet Jesus. You died because of love for us. You are ever-present in the Eucharist out of love for us. God the Father created us out of His love and by that same wondrous gift we are in existence still. How can I complain about "injustices" in my life when such a terrible one is committed against You? O ever humble Jesus, Your mercy is astounding. I love You. Not as You deserve but I shall keep trying with Your help to love You more and more. Most merciful Lord, there are no words to describe Your goodness.

“Mental prayer is nothing else than an intimate friendship, a frequent heart-to-heart conversation with Him by whom we know ourselves to be loved.”

-Saint Teresa of Avila

"O Jesus, here present in the Holy Eucharist, Thy Heart is all aglow with love for me! 

Thou dost call me, Thou dost urge me to come to Thee, yea, more: Thou dost descend from Thy throne, Thou dost leave Thy tabernacle to enter my poor heart.

Thou dost crave to dwell in my heart. Ah, that I could prepare Thee a fitting abode! Send forth the fire of Thy love and in Thy mercy make my cold,tepid heart burn for Thee. Amen."

-St. Ildephons

I was sitting in a room at school,reading this prayer book at it was just perfect :] It was really dreary and rainy outside and it made this prayer even more incredible to me

"Dearest Lord! Make us remember, when the world is cold and dreary and we know not where to turn for comfort, that there is always one spot bright and cheerful - the Sanctuary. When we are in desolation of spirit; when all who are dear to us have passed away, like summer flowers, and none are left to love and care for us, whisper to our troubled souls that there is one friend who dies not - one whose love never changes - Jesus on the altar.

When sorrows thicken and crush us with their burden, when we look in vain for comfort, let Thy dear words come forth with full force from the tabernacle: "Come to Me all ye who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will refresh ye." Thy friendship, dearest Lord, henceforth shall be the dearest treasure we possess. It shall compensate for the treachery and ingratitude of creatures.

It shall be our consolation when the wild flowers are growing over the best-loved ones, and when all who hold a dear place in our hearts are withered and gone. With Thy friendship the world shall never be dreary, and life never without a charm. Would that we could realize the pure happiness of possessing Thy sympathy. Would that we could feel - when we are crushed and humbled - when the hope we have lived for has withered - when sorrows and trials that we dare not reveal to any, make our souls sick well nigh unto death - when we look in vain for someone to understand us, one who will enter into our miseries, make us remember that there is One on the altar who knows every fiber of our hearts, every sorrow, every pain special to our peculiar natures, and who deeply sympathizes with us, and to suffer seems nothing to the bitterness of suffering alone."

-Fr. Augustine

Seven Great Blessings

 "The Rosary recited with meditation on the mysteries brings about the following marvelous results:

1. It gradually gives us a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ;

2. It purifies our souls, washing away sin;

3. It gives us victory over all our enemies;

4. It makes it easy for us to practice virtue;

5. It sets us on fire with love of  Our Blessed Lord;

6. It enriches us with graces and merits;

7. It supplies us with what is needed to pay all our debts to God and to our fellow men, and finally, it obtains all kinds of graces for us from Almighty God."

- The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis De Montford

I just loved this so much and it's helped me to remember these things while I'm praying a rosary. I just wanted to share :)

From "An Open Letter To 'Diognetus'"

These are excerpts from my history reading for tonight and it was a nice surprise! (The author is anonymous.)

"The Almighty Himself, the Creator of the universe, the God whom no eye can discern, has sent down His very own Truth from heaven, His own holy and incomprehensible Word, to plant it among men and ground it in their hearts. To this end He has not, as one might imagine, sent to mankind some servant of His, some angel or prince; it is none of the great ones of earth, nor even one of the vice-gerents of heaven. It is no other than the universal Artificer and Constructor Himself, by whose agency God made the heavens and set the seas their bounds; whose mystic word the elements of creation submissively obey; by whom the sun is assigned the limits of his course by day, and at whose command by night the obedient moon unveils her beams, and each compliant star follows circling in her train. Ordainer, Disposer, and Ruler of all things is he; of heaven and all that heaven holds, of earth and all that is in earth, of sea and every creature therein; of fires, ether, and bottomless pit; of things above, and things below, and things in the midst. Such was the Messenger God sent to men.

And was his coming, as a man might suppose, in power, in terror, and in dread? Not so;  it was in gentleness and humility. As a king sending his royal son, so sent He him; as God He sent him; as Man to men He sent him; and that because He was fain to save us by persuasion, and not by compulsion - for there is no compulsion found with God. His mission was no pursuit or hounding of us, it was an invitation to us; it was in love, not in judgement that He sent him (though one day He will indeed send him to judge us, and then who shall abide the day of him coming?)"

"How surpassing is the love and tenderness of God! In that hour, instead of hating us and rejecting us and remembering our wickedness against us, He showed how long-suffering He is. He bore with us, and in pity took our sins upon Himself and gave His own Son as a ransom for us - the Holy for the wicked, the Sinless for the sinners, the Just for the unjust, the Incorrupt for the corrupt, the Immortal for the mortal. For was there, indeed, anything except His righteousness that could have availed to cover our sins? In whom could we, in our lawlessness and ungodliness, have been made holy, but in the Son of God alone? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable working! O benefits unhoped for! - that the wickedness of multitudes should thus be hidden in the One holy, and the holiness of One sanctify the countless wicked!"

Ramblerambleramble =)

Today I brought my (prayer) journal to work. During my break I just sat,prayed and wrote. It was really nice :) I was thinking about how amazing it is that God wants a personal relationship with us. I mean He is everything. He is the Lord of all. He is more than I could ever imagine. He is glorious, majestic, beautiful,powerful and absolutely remarkable and He wants a personal,intimate relationship with me. I think that's just amazing. 

I was also just thinking how little and silly my daily worries are in comparison to the promise of eternal life. I mean, it really struck me to think that I (sitting on a milk crate in a basement surrounded by supplies) am promised incomprehensible eternal bliss.. I don't know. It's something I hear all the time but at that moment while praying I just found it all so mind blowing! And I felt bad for all those people who don't know Him.

This one lady knew came into the store and when she recognize me she said "Jesus Christ! It's you!" and I was just thinking, you know, He loves this woman so much. He wants her to know Him and let Him make His love more apparent in her life...and she just yells out His name without a second thought.

I've been thinking alot lately about the value of each day. It's mostly because I was talking to one of my friends and she said how she wants to live each moment of everyday well and try to help others because she has such a clear understanding of how much our lives our God's and they are a gift. She says she doesn't know if she'll be around the next day or even the next 5 mins so she wants to try her best to bring Joy in other people's lives. I just found that so inspiring! And I was thinking about it.. It's so true! God doesn't owe us anything. The gift of a new day is not owed to us. God gives it as a gift and every single day has meaning and purpose or else He wouldn't have granted it. I mean, He doesn't just do things for the heck of it. I don't know - this is something I need to do way more of in my life. I'm the type of person who often thinks "Oh,in a year/month/week things will be better and I'll be happy. Then I can really start living." But, I cannot just waste the precious time God has given me. I am so grateful He put this friend in my life to show me this.

After Mass musings

When I go to Mass and I'm praying after receiving the Eucharist I always think of so many great things I want to remember but I'm never able to after Mass. So I decided to bring my prayer journal to daily Masses and take time to write what I feel. This is what I wrote after Mass today. It's more in the form of a prayer but I thought it would be best to leave it this way.

"Holy Spirit, please set my heart on Fire with committed, faithful love of God. Help me to always be mindful of what I do and how I reflect Him. 
My God, all that I do should be in accordance with Your will. You are more that a Lord. You are my Lord. My Comforter. Friend. Shelter. Protector. =)  You are my Joy. You give me life and are always there to hold my hand and lead me through the rough times. You won't let me fall. You fought for me till death. I love You."

Amazing YouTube Channel...

http://www.youtube.com/user/RebornPureAdmin

For You I Wait

I am always there for you,

But you choose not to see.

You live your life, trying to gain,

But what you need is Me.

All these earthly pleasures here

Can never hope to match

What I have for you, My dear,

The treasures that will last.

Much to you I want to give,

But you won't turn to Me.

I gave My Son just for you,

But this you won't believe.

Regardless of your feelings,

Never are you too late.

Forever I am faithful.

My child, for you I wait.

Kutless - Amazed

I just LOVE this song.

Love III - George Herbert

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,

Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack

From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning

If I lack'd any thing.

"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";

Love said, "You shall be he."

"I, the unkind, ungrateful? ah my dear,

I cannot look on thee."

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame

Go where it doth deserve."

"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"

"My dear, then I will serve."

"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."

So I did sit and eat.

"The Lord is compassionate towards His works." or something to that effect. That was the responsorial at today's Mass. I loved it. Too often I think of God as simply a judge. When I don't pray well or enough all I think of is His disappointment or anger with me. I feel grateful that He hasn't given up on me but I also feel it wouldn't matter if I just gave up on myself. This is why I loved this psalm - it reminded me that He wants us to succeed. He wants us to do well and be close to Him. We are His works. He made us with plan,purpose and love. He loves us. He has a plan for each one of us and often we'll have no idea what it could be, but by staying close to God we're sure to find it. When we fail He doesn't want us to punish ourselves and give up. He wants us to succeed! He won't get fed up with us. He truly cares and wants the best life possible for us. And that is a life close to Him.

So I went to 5pm Mass with my mom today and was going to my job training right after. I was really nervous because although I didn't mess up last time I was just scared of making mistakes. During most of the Mass I was praying it would go well and just was preoccupied with that. 

The lyrics to the communion hymn were "I receive the living God and my heart is full of Joy." It just made me stop&think. I have received GOD...And I'm worried about something as small as job training? hmm. 

This happened once at a noon Mass during the school day,too. When I receive the Eucharist it always makes all my worries seem so insignificant. Just trying to imagine all His glory and power...and just the greatness of what I have right then makes everything else seem not important :]

A great verse refound..

"At Horab they fashioned a calf, worshiped a metal statue. They exchanged their God for the image of  a grass-eating bull." 

- Psalms 106:19-20

I love that verse. It really puts things in perspective for me. It makes it seem so ridiculous that anybody would choose a metal cow over God. But that's what our sin is, right? We choose sin over God. We may not realize it at the time but when we step back and look at it, it's shocking. To see the temporary, silly things we choose over our God and all the wonderful things that He is. It's as ridiculous as worshiping a statue of a cow.

We have been given so much. Nothing is better or more satisfying than God. And He loves us! Our sin doesn't love us or make us better people. That power is God's.

Lamb of God.

O gentle Lamb, our glorious King,

Who made the sound of freedom ring.

O Lamb of God, who for our sake

Came down to earth, us new to make.

O tender, pure, most selfless Lamb,

You died to save beloved man.

I've always loved the the image of the Lamb of God. I was really thinking about it last night, wrote it down and just ended up writing this short poem. I always feel like I need to keep going and write longer things but I think I like it the way it is. I might add to it later but for now I like it :)

This morning I read this blog : http://catholicyoungwoman.blogspot.com/2011/08/where-has-beauty-gone.html and I really loved the phrase the writer used - "soul-refreshing". That's exactly how I feel when I go on walks in beautiful wooded areas,around lakes,beautiful churches,adoration..etc. Today I was walking on a wooded path around a lake. The wind was gently blowing and everything was just so peaceful. Everything was just so beautiful. I think "soul-refreshing" is the perfect way to describe it. It's a time I can rest and no matter what my worries are it always refocuses my mind on God.

My other blog:

www.thelifeyouvegivenme.blogspot.com

After reading this blog post The Catholic Young Woman: Dressing Like Mary .. I came up with this.

MARY INSPIRED by shortandsweet featuring navy flat shoes

I'm not too sure why the white shirt over the skirt is messed up tho :/

A wonderful testimony.

 

I thought this was really awesome. I had been watching this fashion/make-up guru on YouTube for awhile with no idea she had any belief in God. I came across this video of hers and I thought it was really awesome she'd give such a strong,powerful testimony on YouTube and wanted to share it.

Matthew Mayfield - Now You're Free

"Don’t give up now
Don’t give up now cuz we’re already here…

Sing til you mean it
And love til you feel it
Cuz I still believe in your heart
Don’t let the waves push and pull you away
Now you’re free and it sets you apart
Now you’re free and it sets you apart."

Love and Prayer

"This is the only way to get to know Jesus: speak to Him! You will always find in Him a Father, a Friend, an Adviser, a Helper in all the noble deeds of your everyday life. And getting to know Him will give rise to Love."  
- St.Josemaria Escriva (The Furrow,662)

So often I go about prayer the wrong way. I turn it into an obligation. I feel like I have to do certain things to prove my love for Him. When I try it this way my prayer usually sounds emotionless like I'm just rattling off compliments or things I know to be true but not taking the time to understand and full mean them.

It's so much better when I just take to time to really talk to Him. Let it all out. I have lots of times where I just feel lonely. I think God allows me to have these feelings so I will turn to Him and pour it all out.

I often think of needing to earn things from God...His love,"time",mercy. But nobody can earn these things. When I feel so completely unworthy of His love and think He couldn't possibly want me to approach Him because I don't deserve it I have to just stop and trust. I know He wants me to come to Him - I mean,look at the book of psalms! God is called our refuge,shelter and strength countless times. He loves us so much...

Just a thought.

I went to confession at the Fest yesterday and it was the first time I've ever had a priest talk to me for a long time during confession. He was talking about how it's good to have a quote or saying to repeat to yourself when you're feeling down. He said his was a short prayer thanking God for the wondrous creation of himself. When he said that it really surprised me. At first I thought it sounded really prideful. But when I was thinking about it, it obviously isn't. Each and every person is a creation of God's and therefore is wonderfully made. To say otherwise would imply that God carelessly created a person or just created at random which be an insult to God. Today I found this verse and thought it went along really well:

"I praise You, so wonderfully You made me; wonderful are Your works!" - Psalm 139:14. 

If every time I felt bad about myself I thought of that I think it would help me do something constructive (like praying) to better myself rather than giving up and doing something destructive.

On Humility

"The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it."
--Saint Vincent de Paul

 

"Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance. "
--Saint Augustine

"Humility is to the various virtues what the chain is in a Rosary. Take away the chain and the beads are scattered; remove humility, and all virtues vanish."  

-- St. John Vianney

"Don't permit your misery or defeats to depress you. Rather let them be steps by which you descend the deep mine where we find the precious gem of holy humility". 

-- St. Paola Frassinetti

note to self..

Today was just one of those days I needed to take it slow & concentrate on what I know is true no matter what I'm feeling.

He loves me.

He doesn't think I'm a waste of time.

He wants more for me..He made me for a reason.

The only reason I'm existing now is His will.

He wants me to come to Him.

He will never be too busy for me. 

I will never ever be "too much" for Him.

He will always protect,love&help me if I just let Him.

He will always be there.

from "The Way to Christ. (spiritual exercises)"

"Let us consider what God says and what He wants to give me. He wants to draw me into His love and enfold me in Himself - and He is love itself. He wants to give Himself to me. This is very wonderful." 

 - Pope John Paul II

"Maxims for Attaining Perfection" by St. Alphonsus Liguori

1. To desire ardently to increase in the love of Jesus Christ

2. Often to make acts of love towards Jesus Christ. Immediately on waking,and before going to sleep, to make an act of love, seeking always to unite your own will to the will of Jesus Christ.

3. Often to meditate on His Passion.

4. Always to ask Jesus Christ for His love.

5. To communicate often, and many times in the day to make spiritual communions.

6. Often to visit the Most Holy Sacrament.

7. Every morning to receive from the hands of Jesus Christ Himself your own cross.

8. To desire Paradise and death, in order to be able to love Jesus Christ perfectly and formall eternity.

9. Often to speak of the love of Jesus Christ.

10. To accept contradictions for the sake of Jesus Christ.

11. To rejoice in the happiness of God.

12. To do that which is most pleasing to Jesus Christ, and not to refuse Him anything that is agreeable to Him.

13. To desire and to endeavor that all should love Jesus Christ.

14. To pray always for sinners and for the souls in purgatory.

15. To drive from your heart every affection that does not belong to Jesus Christ.

16. Always to have recourse to the most holy Mary, that she may obtain for us the love of Jesus Christ.

17. To honor Mary in order to please Jesus Christ.

18. To seek to please Jesus Christ in all your actions.

19. To offer yourself to Jesus Christ to suffer any pain for His love.

20. To be always determined to die rather than commit a willful venial sin.

21. To suffer crosses patiently, saying, "Thus it pleases Jesus Christ."

22. To renounce your own pleasure for the love of Jesus Christ.

23. To pray as much as possible.

24. To practice all the mortifications that obedience permits.

25. To do all your spiritual exercises as if it were for the last time.

26. To persevere in good works in the time of aridity.

 27. Not to do nor yet to leave undone anything through human respect.

28. Not to complain in sickness.

29. To love solitude, to be able to converse alone with Jesus Christ.

30. To drive away melancholy [gloom]

31. Often to recommend yourself  to those persons who love Jesus Christ.

32. In temptation, to have recourse to Jesus crucified, and to Mary in her sorrows.

33. To trust entirely in the Passion of Jesus Christ.

34. After committing a fault, not to be discouraged, but to repent and resolve to amend.

35. To do good to those who do evil.

36. To speak well of all, and to excuse the intention when you cannot defend the action.

37. To help your neighbor as much as you can.

38. Neither to say nor to do anything that might vex him. And if you have been waiting in charity, to ask his pardon and speak kindly to him.

39. Always to speak with mildness and a low tone.

40. To offer to Jesus Christ all the contempt and persecution that you have met with.

41. To look upon religious Superiors as the representatives of Jesus Christ.

42. To obey without answering and without repugnance, and not to seek your own satisfaction in anything.

43. To like the lowest employment.

44. To like the poorest things.

45. Not to speak either good or evil of yourself.

46. To humble yourself even towards inferiors.

47. Not to excuse yourself when you are reproved.

48. Not to defend yourself when found fault with.

49. To be silent when you are disquieted.

50. Always to renew your determination of becoming a saint,saying, "My Jesus, I desire to be all Yours, and You must be all mine."

so comforting...

"In peace I shall both lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me secure." - Psalm 4:9

"Then call on Me in time of distress; I will rescue you, and you shall honor Me." - Psalm 50:15

"He set me free in the open; He rescued me because He loves me." -Psalm 18:20

amazing song!

Falling Even more in love with You...

"Desperate for changing Starving for truth 

I'm closer to where I started 

Chasing after You 

I'm falling even more in love with You 

Letting go of all I've held onto 

I'm standing here until You make me move 

I'm hanging by a moment here with You 

Forgetting all I'm lacking 

Completely incomplete 

I'll take Your invitation 

You take all of me now... 

I'm falling even more in love with You 

Letting go of all I've held onto 

I'm standing here until You make me move 

I'm hanging by a moment here with You 

I'm living for the only thing I know 

I'm running and not quite sure where to go 

And I don't know what I'm diving into 

Just hanging by a moment here with You."


-Lifehouse

"By the anxieties and worries of this life Satan tries to dull man's heart and make a dwelling for himself there." - St. Francis of Assisi 

"Nothing is far from God."

- St. Monica

To pray...

"To pray is to talk to God, but about what? About Him, about yourself; joys, sorrows, successes, and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love and reparation. In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know yourself: to get acquainted." 
-Saint Josemaria Escriva