Child-like

Sitting in church before Mass last evening, I started reflecting on how very adult my life is becoming.  Up to this point there have been baby steps to adulthood:  cosigning on my car and student loans, getting engaged, having a full time job.  In about a month, there will be a sudden rush of adulthood:  switching my last name on everything, really actually truly moving out...the marital act.  There was a rush of feeling as though I was losing a lot of my innocence of life.  Earlier in the day I had had some music on in the car from a Steubenville trip in high school.  I remember at the time how still so very excited and young I was in faith, and how much my heart would soar with the music when I would hear it and leap into God's arms.  It doesn't quite have the same effect anymore, and I again felt a certain disconnect, as though I was losing touch with that part of me that was much simpler, innocent, and child-like.

At the same time, I started thinking on the connection to this beautiful feast of Divine Mercy.  The misericordia of God...recognizing my lowliness, reaching up to God as a little child trusts in its mother, nuzzling close to the breast and feeding on the milk of God which is life-giving...the food of God in the Eucharist.  Divine Mercy reminds me that I can still be as a trusting, innocent child.  I need to snuggle close and hide myself in the heart of Jesus, knowing He is my only shelter from the changes and whims of the world. 

From http://pilgrimsprogresspddm.blogspot.com/2012/12/resting-on-heart-of-jesus-feast-of-st.html

There's a quote that floats around on the internet, attributed to a Kimberly Jones, that says, "Don't let people pull you into their storms.  Pull them into your peace."  In a certain sense that's the attitude that I want to have for the next month, except that it's really more that I don't want to be pulled into the world's sense of accomplishment, but instead I want to wrap the world into the Sacred, Merciful Heart and keep an attitude of trust in how God is moving in the changes happening in my life.

Saint Anselm

 

1. St. Anselm had a streak of rebellious years in his youth after his mother passed away.

2.  He is (probably) the originator of the ontological argument for the existence of God.

3.  St. Anselm got himself into hot water more than a few times, facing two exiles and having disagreements with the royalty.

Read more at Catholic Online!

As Is

I haven't written in a while.  I usually try to write within 9 days, but I just haven't had the motivation or the "material" (ha!).  Life is work, wedding planning, and the occasional work-out and PSR class.  There have been no major prayer or faith thoughts.  If there's such a thing as a pre-wedding rut before the crazy sets in, I'm in it.

It's good to remember at times like this when my life doesn't seem good enough to blog about compared to anyone else, it's ok.  This began as a creative outlet for me to get outside the confines of Facebook, and it still is my creative outlet. 

Here's been a few of my more exciting moments lately:

• I bought my own CCC, along with CCC tabs and Bible tabs for my everyday study Bible.  Possibly one of my best purchase decisions of all times.  Although incredibly time consuming, especially on the Bible.
• This past weekend I drove out of GP at 5:30am on Sunday, spent the day knocking out a couple of pre-wedding projects with Matt, along with taking up a carload of bridal shower gifts and my first tote of my stuff to leave up there (one of those oh-my-gosh-this-wedding-is-actually-happening things), and drove back at 7:00pm.  It was a long day, but I'm getting a little burnt out on switching from one friend's house to another for spending the night up there.  Reason #97 to be excited for being married...one place to stay in KC all. the. time.  
• Bridal shower!  Beautiful, lovely bridal shower, that my maid of honor/cousin, her mom, and another couple of aunts put a lot of time, love and lovely decorations into.  And it was such a blessing that some friends traveled quite a way to come.  I really hope everyone enjoyed themselves.  And, this is one project I *am* proud of, I wrote all my thank-you's in a week.  It was my morning project for a few mornings before I went to work.  Here's to having the same motivation post-wedding.
• After Easter I'm covering the topic of Purgatory with our high school PSR class.  And I'm nerdily excited about it.  I've spent mornings mentally going over what I learned in my Virtue and Character class when reading Dante's Purgatorio from his Divine Comedy, and things that St. Faustina said about souls suffering and God's mercy.  And I just realized this isn't something that's happened lately, but it just goes to show how excited I am for it to happen.