"1L of a Year," as They Say

In case anyone was curious, not only did I plan a pretty fantastic wedding, but I have officially passed my first year of law school. And man, was it quite the ride. They warned us at the beginning of the year that law school can be transformative, that we would change as the year progressed. 

I have slept, drank, and cried more in the last year than all four years in my undergraduate. I have also developed deeper friendships with the friends I arrived with and learned to make true friends in a competitive environment, something I could not have done a few years ago. I have learned how to think harder and study longer, how to sit still for hours upon hours. And through it all, I have been incredibly thankful for the uphill battle this has been. 

I think the most important thing I have learned in the last year though, is how to laugh at myself. Almost four weeks ago, sitting around a small fire, surround close friends and distance acquaintances, I laughed at myself for a simple, funny mistake about a person's name. And in the midst of my laughter, I marveled at the person I have become. That night, I made new friends, I played yard games and lost miserably without blinking an eye. I mentioned law school rarely, not flaunting my lucky position. 

Law school has humbled me. No longer am I a straight "A" student nor do I feel like the one of the smartest in the room, but this year gave me a better understanding of myself in time for my marriage. I'm more likely to ask for help when I need it and rejoice in the success of others as well as my own. My relationships, my work, my knowledge has grown thanks to the work I put into it, alongside those who loved and supported me along the way. 

Tota tua. 

Saturday Special: Camp Graduates

To all of my staffers who graduated high school this May,

I am so excited for you and so proud. You have graduated high school! And with that comes a time that is unlike any other, where for the first time you will soon not have to answer to the adults in your life in the same way you did, where large decisions will fall to you, and you alone, and learning curve is much steeper than you realize. Best of luck graduates, you'll do great.

I do have some advice for you though, about this last summer home before you move. Whether moving across country, state, or staying at home, this summer is a special one. Remember that.

1. A Summer of Adventures
Go have fun this summer, take a trip you've always wanted to take, spend time with friends that you will be separating from come August. This is just the beginning of being able to do things like this, so start small while you're still at home and can have help from parents if you need it.

2. Speaking of Mom and Dad...
Don't alienate them. This is one of my biggest regrets from my late teens. Instead of celebrating adulthood alongside my parents, I pushed them aside. Instead of saying thank you for all they had done, I acted as if I had done it all my own. They will continue to do so much for you as college begins and pushing them aside does no one any good. You will need them when you get into your first accident or have to drop your first class. Just knowing your parents will catch when you will inevitably fall makes all the change ahead seem less scary.

3. Work Hard
The value of the dollar is going to start to mean more to you as you begin to finance more and more of your own life. Boring, I know, but true. Budget, work hard, save up. Take all the handouts you can from family members and send thank you cards. College can be a bit expensive, and in unexpected ways, so plan ahead for that.

4. Get Up and Pray
You are now in charge of your sleep schedule. Make time for Christ. Make time for church. Be the adult who can pull their sleepy self out of bed and go to Mass, because mom isn't going to be giving you the wake up calls anymore.

5. Ask For Help
You are going to need it. At some point. Whether you ask me, your older sister, your RA, or your boss, you aren't alone in this. Just because you are a legal adult does not mean you have to do this alone! Ask for help when you need it.

6. Say Thank You
Remember those thank you cards I mentioned? Send them. There is nothing more polite telling people thank you for what they've done for you. And not just your guests, your friends, your teachers, your parents and grandparents. They helped you take the baby steps that contributed to your last few steps to take your diploma and throw your cap. Thank 'em for it.

7.  New and Old
You are about to start something very new to you, meet new people, and begin a new life of sorts. You don't have to remain the same. This is an opportunity to change and grow. My brother, to our surprise, went Greek his freshman year. Several years later, he told it was because he wanted to be a different person than he was in high school. He wanted an environment that would help him to become more social, that would help stay accountable to his academics, and give him leadership opportunities. This summer is a good chance to ask what you like about yourself, what you are proud of, and what you wouldn't mind changing. Figure out who you want to be a year from now, four years from now, and be open to the new that will make that happen.

Proud of you, graduates. Make the best of the summer.

Tota tua.

Sharing the Joy

A while back, I mentioned how evangelizing is one of the things that I really am bad at outside of writing this blog. I feel uncomfortable putting my beliefs out there, as if everyone needs to believe what I believe. I get frustrated when others do it to me, when they catch me off-guard in my home or at school wanting to talk. And I need to just get over it, because this is something I have been called to do as a child of God. I am supposed to tell people about wonderful God is, how good God is, and how blessed we all are to have such a loving God.

While providing a reference for someone last evening, I was overcome by the interviewer's very casual conversation about God. Sure, he knew that I ran a church camp, making me fair game for any kind of religious conversation, but his faith and testimony to it was as tangible as seeing him leading worship in a church-setting. This man was evangelizing in a way I wish I could, so naturally that it was just part of our conversations about his potential employee, our camps, and how he is a full-time camp director (jealous!!).

In the book of Acts, we see the joy that can come from evangelizing, as the Apostles are brought before the Sanhedrin despite warnings that they needed to stop teaching about Christ in Jerusalem. And instead of stopping or going elsewhere, the Apostles rejoiced that they were worthy of enough to be suffer in their Lord's name. (Acts 5 27:32) Can you imagine rejoicing because you've been arrested for talking about God? Probably not.

I think the more important thing here is how much they wanted to share about God and God's Son. That this was something they truly wanted to do, and did. Regardless of how people felt about it, or how they felt about it, they were answering God's call to share with their peers, to evangelize despite what they had been told by others in positions of power. And this doesn't have to be aggressive or rude, it can be as simple as a phone conversation mid-interview.

God is good all the time, but how would people know if we don't share that with them? This isn't about being #blessed on Instagram or Facebook. It's about authentic conversations that give God credit when God moves in your life, like finding you a job that allows you to law and camp this summer. Or that as the wedding draws closer, more and more offers to help keep coming up, just in time to save you frustration and struggle. And we should share that in our day-top-day lives.

Tota tua.

7 Habits of a Moderately Successful 20-somethings in Law School

Since getting back to KC after a spring break filled with wedding planning, the realization that finals are approximately four weeks away, that camp staffing is almost due, and that my wedding in almost fifty days lit a fire under my ass. I have this enormous sense of urgency and purpose, to accomplish what needs to be done in a timely manner, because as finals loom closer, the more tunnel-visioned I know I will become. 

I'm a busy person, we all tend to be. Juggling work, children, school, family, significant others, and whatever else we take onto our plate. It can be a lot. But there are certain habits that can help make each day-by-day a little easier. 

Seven habits of a moderately successfully 20-somethings in law school 

1.) I drink as much coffee as I think I need. It's an addiction, and I know it. But I also know that after 2 pm, it's time to switch to a nice green or herbal tea. Caffeine too late in the day makes sleep harder to come by that night, a vicious cycle that can really interfere with your success if it goes too far. 

2.) I listen to a Christian radio station in the mornings. Admittedly, I don't listen to K-LOVE all the time, I do quite a bit. In the mornings, the music tends to complete my morning prayer routine and help put me in a better mood for the upcoming day. The positive music is uplifting, and helps to start the day off better than other genres or silence. 

3.) Maintain my planner/to-do lists. While some weeks I do better than others about filling it in, my planner helps to keep it all straight. What's do, who to see, how much to bring, and what should I be doing right now? I don't adhere to it strictly, I can adjust my plans as needed for my day, but a general rule of thumb is that I do not turn on my TV until I've accomplished what I wanted for the day. 

4.) Speaking of accomplishing, I make myself accomplish at least three things on the less busy days. I started this in my undergrad, between my sophomore and junior years, living at my parents' house. I made myself accomplish three things each day, such as doing the laundry, taking a walk, and picking up an extra game at the ball fields. This way, I avoid falling into a rut of feeling unsuccessful - I am doing things, even if they feel small or insignificant. 

5.) I tell my people that I love them. Josh and I probably seem to say it excessively. I always say it to my parents when getting off of the phone. It's how I start my prayer journal most mornings, by telling God, "I love you". It's cheesy, it's said too much, but I think it is important and wonderful to hear and say. To know that you are valued and necessary to someone's daily life. 

6.) I leave my phone on silent. Which seems to irritate people when I lose my phone and "calling it" is not an option, but the constant beeping, buzzing, dinging, and ringing is distracting. It pulls away from the face-to-face interactions of daily life. I know I'm bad about my phone, but when it's on silent, I can put it out of sight and really ignore it. 

7.) I don't try to be something I am not. I am what God created me to be, blissfully imperfect. I don't try to be a person I am not, I don't pretend to be overly fashion-minded or hyper-focused on other people. I learned early on that I have no interest in being socially busy or academically perfect, and I am happy with that who I am. It is easiest for me to be happy and successful in my own niche if I am not faking in one I have no place in. 

Tota tua. 

Wow!

The most popular (overdone) reading about loooove was a part of the Mass yesterday. The over-quoted Corinthians verses, most commonly heard at weddings in correlation to this couple who now had to love each other as Paul tells us to.

"Faith, hope, love. And the greatest of these three is love"

I don't think this letter was meant to be the wedding-canon it is today. Although it is beautiful, reminding us to be patient, kind, and understanding, the claim and call that love should be the greatest of these three means more than just loving your spouse and family.

Paul is telling us that we should known for our love.
That we should be recognized as loving.
We are being told that our defining characteristics should be love.
Like St. Mother Teresa, our love should be what makes extraordinary people. Even if it's just little things that we're doing, if we do it love... Wow.

And this isn't just the easy love, the love you got to choose when you searched for your spouse. Or the love you were raised to have for your parents and siblings. This is a conscious choice to love those around us. To love our fellows and peers, to love those different than us, to love those who make anxious or uncomfortable.

"Come on," your brain (and mine) groans, "that's so difficult. Loving people you don't even know! How do I even start?" And that's when those characteristics pop back up. Are you patient? Kind? Understanding? Forgiving? Because that's how you love someone you hardly know. And believe me, it is a difficult task, and one that very few seem to completely accomplish. But we can do it, because were created for this very task. We were designed to love this deeply, and this strongly.



Tota Tua,


LeAnn

That Christian Privilege

"Privilege? What privilege? Religion is a minority..." I grumbled as I clicked the link to read a heavy dose of negativity. After all, Trump hadn't been in the news so I needed something to bring me down.

The article wasn't angry or accusatory, but the article was absolutely right- there is a prevalent Christian privilege in the United States. We get major holidays off, our symbols are not stigmatized, our people are not considered heretics for evangelizing on strangers' front porches. We are privileged. Mentally, I followed that up with arguments about modern-day martyrs, about how Christianity is discriminated against in other parts of the world, and then I stopped myself. We aren't talking about "other parts of the world", we are talking about right here in this country, and how people are experiencing religious discrimination because they are part of the minority. It can be hard to be a Christian today, but there are other, harder walks of faith to be on right now. Take time to pray for those who are being religiously discriminated against in the United States.

Now, this is not the time to get defensive; this is the time to consider what we can do as Christians to not take advantage of this...

1. Recognize that religious freedom is not something we are entitled to, it's something everyone deserves and needs. We each have our own faith or spiritually journey, and just because someone's is different does not make it wrong or them a "bad person". 
2. Educate yourself! Don't just assume you don't need to know about other religions, try and learn about them and their faith practices. There are some incredibly cool types of prayer and life philosophies that other religions use that could be useful to you.
3. Realize that just because someone doesn't say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Easter" does not mean people are "attacking" Christian religion. You don't wish people a joyful Diwali or Hanukkah, so don't expect everyone to give you best wishes for a holiday a person may not be participating in either. 
4. Our faith is not known for only the bad or scary parts. As Catholics, we've received some of this, between sexual abuse scandals, the Crusades, and other instances that we are less than proud of, but we also know that there is so much more to our faith than this. It's the same for others, use your empathy and be aware of this. 
5. Understand that we can check of privilege, respect other beliefs and values, and help others without losing integrity in our faith, God created us all, and loves us all. We don't all have the same path to God nor does God expect us to, so why do we? Different is not a bad thing. 

Conversations like these can be unsettling and uncomfortable, but they are no more difficult than what we hear today from the daily readings, in 1 Samuel, 18. Johnathan stands up to his father, Saul, who is seeking to kill his friend, David. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for Johnathan to face is bloody-thirsty father and stand up for his friend? Johnathan stood up to his own flesh and blood, his own community for a essentially a stranger to his family. 

Stay warm out there friend!

Tota tua, 

LeAnn 

2016 Spiritual Goal

January seems to be a time of an almost automatic, subconscious introspection. As Christians, this time of reflection gives us a chance to look inside and see what we can do better to draw ourselves closer to God. In the past, I have used this as a chance to start a new prayer style or add a new routine to my prayer life. Most times, these routines have stuck, such as journaling in the mornings, using devotionals, and adding the Rosary to my nightly prayers. But this year, I tried to take my reflections further, and look for something more personal that I could focus on, develop, or give up staring 2016. But it wasn't until yesterday that I settled on a spiritual goal for this year.

When Josh and I spend the weekend at his parents' home, we do our best to "double dip" and attend both a Catholic mass for me, and then a Sunday service at the Baptist church his family attends and mother works and leads worship at. The pastor was discussing January and the new year's tendency to seek ways for us to improve, and read from Ecclesiastics, and from there he listed some of the signs of leading a spiritual life, including patience, kindness, and gentleness.

And it was gentleness that stuck out to me, which before had sounded like a sign of weakness, suddenly being listed as a virtue. I was reminded of Mary, our Lady, and how we call her a "gentle woman, quiet dove", and the message my family heard on Friday celebrating the solemnity of Mary, and what made her so worthy of our veneration.

I would not consider myself a gentle person. I often speak sharply, I rarely soften my message. I would not describe myself as overly warm or nurturing. I joke about not wanting children. But in reality, I am sensitive and hyper-aware of what people do and say around me. I watch children at family gatherings or at camp carefully, keeping an eye out for trouble or concern. So then why do I present myself so firmly? Why do I assume these qualities are weakness and should be hidden?

But now, that word, that idea of being gentle eases my anxieties about appearing so firm and tough.  So this year, this particular leg of my spiritual journey's goal is to draw closer to our Blessed Mother, and find my own gentleness, and maybe by July the campers and staff are less intimidated by me this year!

Tota tua,

LeAnn

Ringin' in 2016

(Written while sitting in the back row of my parents' diesel Exursion, en route to St. Louis for my aunt's NYE wedding festivities)

A new year offers people an opportunity for a fresh slate. Something about the number changing indicates a chance for newness, a new change, a fix for the new year. This year's resolution trend seems to be choosing a word for their new year. I've seen trust, hope, adventure, love, and faith so far scattered across my various social medias, and I smile at it, at the optimism for this new year, and the opportunities it brings.

In less than 6 months, I will be married, with a new last name and a permanent roommate, and I couldn't be more excited. 2016 holds so much for me, but I am thankful for 2015's opportunities as well. We warned the first week of classes that law school would be transformative, and I can feel it. Between living alone for the first time, and undertaking a major educational mountain of sorts. 

So, I suppose my "word" for the upcoming year would be change. All the changes in the last year will culminate with this next year of major life changes; ones that I can hardly wait for.

Ring in your new year safely, and with enthusiasm friends. Tackle your new year head on and try to accomplish a thing or two. Read a new book, learn a new skill, take a plunge of sorts.

Tota tua,

LeAnn

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