sailing through this world

Jesus, I trust in You. I have said this prayer countless times in my life. Yet, it was not until recently that something hit me. Not only should I trust Jesus, but I should recognize that He trusts me. Jesus wants us to trust in Him just as He trusts in us. I never before considered how much Jesus trusted me. He trusts me to love Him and never give up on Him. He trusts me to serve Him. He believes in my ability to do good. He believes in me when I do not think I am strong enough. St. Peter denied Jesus. He was scared and lacked faith. Yet, Peter was the one Jesus chose to lead His church. Jesus made Peter the first bishop, the rock on which the church was built. Jesus trusted Peter in spite of his failure. In times of worry, fear, doubt, and anxiety, remember this: Christ chose you. He trusts you. In Christ, Mary Grace

Sometimes, when I find myself in a public place like a busy mall or an airport, I look to the people around me and wonder about their lives. Who are they? What are their struggles? Their joys?  Each person we meet has a unique story. This concept was re-impressed upon me when I was assigned to read C.S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory for one of my classes. Lewis says that, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and there is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.”  Each person we meet will one day experience “immortal horrors” or “everlasting splendours.” Yet, it is not black and white—we cannot clearly split people into those who will become saints and those who are doomed to suffer in hell. For only God can know His people’s hearts. It is our duty, as Christians, to treat every s...

Every new year brings new expectations, new hopes and desires. Many, when faced with a new year, believe it is time to make a list of things to accomplish. There is nothing wrong with coming up with a list of goals--the problem occurs when people make wild lists of goals because they feel they are expected to do so. If a person tends to set the same goal each year, there is obviously a problem with the mindset behind the goal. Is there a significant intention behind the goal? Are you wanting to make changes to your life because society is telling you to? Or are you convinced that in order to become a better person you need to make a few changes? There is a significant difference between goals which stem from true intention and desire to grow and goals which are the result of societal pressure. This year, I hope to continue to to grow in my trust of God. I am reading the diary of St. Faustina and her dedication and trust in God astounds me. She says to God, "I walk th...

I fear nothing for God is with me. --St. Joan of Arc Strength. A word that can be used a variety of contexts. Strength of body, strength of mind and intellect, strength of character, strength of heart...  I've felt a significant call to be strong these past few months. On my 20th birthday this past September, as I turned the page on my teenage years, I decided that my goal for this new part of my life was to become stronger. I wanted to grow in strength. Physically, mentally, emotionally, but especially spiritually. At the time, I wasn't sure why I felt so certain I needed to work on growing stronger. I just felt like that was the thing I should focus on. It's clear now, however, that God was preparing me for the challenges that were ahead. I want to be strong in my faith. I want to be strong in my beliefs. In essence, I want to be strong enough to let go of my fears. I want to be strong enough to trust in God.  Trust. Seems like a simple concept but unfortu...

source Current book: I've been soaking up the last few weeks of freedom where I have time to read whatever I want. I've still been into historical fiction and I recently finished Nella Last's War and The Girls of Ennismore. Nella Last's War is the actual diary of Nella Last, a housewife in England during World War II. It is fascinating to read about her day to day life during the war. I loved it! The Girls of Ennismore was very enjoyable, reminiscent of Downton Abbey, The Girls of Ennismore is set in Ireland and explores very fascinating themes regarding class and birthright. Another enjoyable read! Current music: I haven't actually been listening to much. When I do listen to music, lately it's been musicals like Hamilton. Current guilty (or non-guilty) pleasure: Hmmm...can't think of anything... Current food: MANGO. And cookie butter from Trader Joes. Not together of course... Current obsession: Morning walks with Molly (our dog). It ...

Alas it is Monday. I'm feeling the effects of this weekend, as I arrived home from Austin yesterday evening after a two day Irish dance competition. The competition went fairly well, it was my first time competing in a year and I was mostly happy with how I danced. My competition is insanely difficult so I wasn't expecting to place very high. But now it's back to real life. I have three weeks before Nationals in New Orleans! Anyway, in case you too and in need of a little motivation this week, enjoy these quotes!

The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day. -- St. Gianna Molla This quote by my patron, St. Gianna, strikes a chord with me right now. Recently, I've been contemplating the nature of our society (warning: contemplation can be dangerous). I've started to feel that it's really hard to enjoy life in the moment because for as long as I can remember, I've been taught to focus on attaining our next goal. The goal in high school is to get into college, the goal in college is to graduate so you can get a job, and then the goal will be to get a better job and so on.  I don't think setting goals is bad. On the contrary, goal-setting is great, it's motivation to work hard. However, don't forget to enjoy the present. Savor life as it is now. Don't obsess about what's to come. Thank God for today and worry less about tomorrow. As St. Gianna says, live moment by mome...