Still Blogging

Almost a year ago, I decided I was done with this whole blogging thing. Someone had commented and tore apart what I had written, something that I had really believed in. I was mad and done. And (obviously) I got over it because there's more to life than how people respond to what you believe in. There's more to life than what social media has to say about you. And there's more to life than what those around you think of you. At some point, you have to decide who and what truly matters.

And what matters to me is that I love my family. I am beyond amazed by the love and marriage I have just entered. And God, who gave me all of this, matters. Matters more than the perception of my peers, more than the perception of my friends. My life, my family, my marriage, none of it would be possible without God. Which is why Timothy's letter rings so true to me today.

Remind people of these things
and charge them before God to stop disputing about words.
This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen.
Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God,
a workman who causes no disgrace,
imparting the word of truth without deviation. (2 TM 2: 8-15)

I'm not perfect. My words are not perfect and that's not what matters. What matters is when we present ourselves before our God, we have no shame, no disgrace. We imparted the Words of Truth to the best of our ability, and did our best to share the Love we have for our God without any deviation. And that's what matters. That we did our best to share what we truly believe, irregardless of how others react. And as Timothy reminds us earlier in his letter, we were not made to be timid.

Tota tua.

But why Sacrifice?

In an effort to better understand the need for the Final Sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb, we need to understand the call for sacrifices prior. And while God no longer calls for a physical offering, there is something to be considered about the worship centered on offering to the Lord. 

Have you ever attempted to read Leviticus for your own personal spiritual journey? It can be one of the most dry, tedious reads-a bunch of rules, to-dos, not-to-dos, handed down to the Israelite people that we don't even follow anymore, so why is it important to have in our Bible? Leviticus teaches us plenty about our God. Firstly, it is a reminder that this God that we worship is not just our God or our Bible. This it truly the God of Jacob, Isaac, and of today's Jewish descendants. Leviticus taught the young nation of Israel how their God wanted to be worshiped and solidified God's desire for sacrifices as atonement and promises to do better.

Sacrifice is not new to Leviticus. Even Cain and Abel prepared offerings to the Lord as the children of Adam and Eve. Jacob was prepared to offer Isaac. Leviticus provided specific instruction as to what could or should be sacrificed to God.

 “Now this is what you shall offer upon the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening..." Exodus 29:38-42. 

Lambs, goats, birds, and even grain was all acceptable to God as a sacrifice in atonement of sin or celebration of the Lord.  But why sacrifice? What did it mean or provide to God and God's people?

God did not "need" the blood of His own creations nor did God need the grain of His people. But sacrifice is more than just what is being offered, the sacrifice offered a strong symbolism of dying for his or her own sins through the animal, recognizing that their sins deserved death. Sacrifice also acknowledged the sovereignty of God over all creation and made a gift of the people's very selves. By giving up the perfect lamb of their flock or the first fruits of their cultivated earth, it was an ultimate labor of love that was being given to the Lord.

The sacrifices that were given to God then help us to better understand what to offer to God now. The
Final Sacrifice, the last blood that God has asked for from us was given by God's own Son, a perfect and living sacrifice. And while that does eliminate a need for sacrifice to atone for our sins and humanity, that does not completely eliminate the need for sacrifice in our worship. We recall the ultimate sacrifice with praise and thanksgiving each Sunday in the Eucharist (translated to Greek to Hebrew, meaning thanksgiving), thus sacrifice remains an integral part of our worship of God.

While God doesn't still ask for a lamb from us or the first part of our harvest, God still wishes for us to make sacrifices, to recognize that our sin is detestable, to see God as sovereign, and to give God our very selves. This is where the idea of Lenten abstention shows up most often, but Lent is not the only season we can make sacrifices for our faith. Try to reflect on your life and ask God what you can give to help better feel God's love and sovereign nature over us.

Tota tua.

What A Gal!

What a compliment! Intelligent and attractive, says the Lord. Or Samuel. Or whoever actually wrote the book of Samuel those thousands of years ago. But Abigail was so impressive to the writers that they remembered her name, and that she was not only attractive, but intelligent! When her husband insults soon-to-be King David, David swears a vengeance of sorts against the entire household. But Abigail intervenes. She overrides her husband's poor decision making and brings David food and wine, and then apologizes to him, although none of this is her fault.

Historically, Abigail disobeying her husband is a big deal. Even now, it would be a big deal that a wife went out and deliberately did what her husband wanted no business with, because married couples are supposed to work together and respect one another's wishes. So what can we learn from this disobedient, defiant woman?

Abigail's story struck me as anti-peer-pressure tale. She was intelligent enough to know that in this moment, right now, it would be better for her to not go with the crowd. But more than that, she also knew when to put aside her personal pride and admit wrong-doing in her presence. Even though she had not been the one to actually hurt or insult anyone, she was willing to humble herself before David and truly apologize, because it was best for everyone. David describes her as having "good judgement" and as "blessed".

It's a rare day in the Bible that a woman's name is remembered, let alone given an entire chapter to herself. Abigail's story is one that we can all learn from; patience, humbleness, wisdom, good judgement. All of which came from one woman's actions. Proverbs 31's description of the ideal woman is tossed around a lot, and she is difficult to picture, let alone be. But I think Abigail provides us with a more steadfast image. A Daughter of the Lord (or son) should not be afraid to admit they are wrong, to know when they are right, and to act for the good of many.

Tota tua,

LeAnn

Fresh, New Pages

I love starting a new prayer journal. I love writing on page one, and the being able to see the progression as you go through, page by page, filling it up with thoughts, prayers, hopes, and letters to God. With each new journal, I try to do it a little differently, add some pizzazz to my otherwise consistent prayer life. I've used guided devotionals, like Jesus Calling, I have followed along with the daily readings of the Catholic Church too, but lately a new type of journaling has caught my eye

Aren't these just amazing! I love the idea of illustrating your faith and using colors, stamps, and stickers to help do it. Now, the pictures use journaling bibles, which are designed with margins that give the user room to draw, paint, etc. I didn't buy a journaling bible, because my favorite part of this how people dive into using these journaling bibles, and in a way that is all too obvious (and I'm kicking myself for not thinking of sooner). They just kind of fickle pen of fate it, and choose a random book of the Bible and start there, and my pen landed on the book of Ezekial, so that's where I am going to start at. 

Obviously, my blog and my journal are two separate things. I don't write everything that pops into my head here, because trust me, no one would want to read that. 

What are your daily prayer techniques? How do you find inspiration for your prayer life? What new things have you tried to help keep your prayer life on its toes?

These things are important. Just reciting the Rosary or the five basic prayers every day are not enough if that's what you have done since you were three years old. Your relationship with God, like any relationship, has to involving doing something new every now and again. You can't have the same conversation with a friend everyday and expect things to come from that relationship, and you cannot do that with God either. You have to include God, make an effort to spend time with God, and try new ways to spend time with God! There are so many different ways to pray and spend time with Lord, but if you're doing the same thing every day, it is easy to stagnate, which is never a good thing. If you aren't moving forward in your relationship with God, you're moving backwards. That distasteful, unworthy of being swallowed, lukewarm. 

Just something to think about. Average isn't what we strive for. Good enough isn't what we want. Lukewarm is not the goal. 

Tota tua,

LeAnn 

P.S. here's my new journal! Not as exciting as the others, I know

I Missed That Memo...

Sunday's Gospel, the one about the young man who wanted to know what more to do and was then dismayed at the idea is one of the most disheartening Gospels to me. The last half, about how it would be easier for a camel to fit into the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Well. Shoot. I don't know about you- but to me that is just a downer. If it's this difficult then what can I possibly do to earn my place in the Kingdom?

The Gospel goes on and Jesus warns the Disciples that no one can enter the Kingdom, ."..it is impossible..."

Darn.

"But all is possible through God."

Until yesterday, I had never noticed that this line was paired with the lines above it, and suddenly that Gospel became one of the most hopeful stories I have heard in a long time. The point of this tale is not to tell us how impossible things are, but how possible they are with God!

I don't know how in many years of Mass that I missed this key part of the Gospel, or how I had just put this last piece of the puzzle together, but suddenly Christ's message made infinitely more sense in the context of the Gospel. He was telling his men, and reminding us, that we cannot do it alone. You can anyone or anything, but without God, you will not accomplish your final and most important task; to join Him in Heaven.

We all have vocations, callings, and dreams, but when it is all said and done, we have one goal in life, because this is not our final place, this is not our home.

Ask God for help; become closer to Christ. Reach out the Holy Spirit and let it wrap itself around you. Make one small change, you don't have to give away all of your possessions, just make a little more room for God in your life.

Tota tua,

LeAnn

Sisters, Wives, Best Friends

Sometimes we just need to give thanks for the people in our lives, for those who have been around for years and stuck by us in the good times and bad, you did the same for them. True friendship, the deep friendship that changes as the two of you change  is a lasting one. My high school years weren't the best (whose are?), but I truly struggled in the friend-department, the people I considered my friends were not true friends, the person who I could have been the closest to I pushed away because of petty differences. I was entirely tunnel-visioned on what I needed as a friend, and not what my friends needed from me. But in college, like for most people, friendship became a choice rather than a demand. Instead of being trapped with the same people, you could truly choose your friends wisely. Which is what led me to the friendships I have today.

I mentioned on Saturday that I was having difficulties within the law school to find a lot of people who I felt connected to, who understood and respected me, but honestly, I'm not too terribly worried about it after some reflection, because for the first time, I live in the same city as two out of my three closest friends (besides Josh of course!). And these ladies I would do anything for, and have taught me so much about life and friendship. 

My "sister", Cearrah taught me early on the friendship does not requires constant communication or an identical set of values, although similar is nice. We met freshman year and grew together, the Cearrah I met five years ago is not the Cearrah today, and I love her for it. As I emboldened her, she evened me out. A dangerously introverted pair, who can sit on the couch and do nothing with great pleasure. Cearrah was the first friend who understood the introversion that I was learning about, and without her, I would not have survived freshman year. 

Myka, my bestie, we grew up ten minutes apart from one another, dated the same boy in high school, and somehow did not meet until college and even then, did not become close until sophomore year, when I was single actively seeking applications for second female best friend. She is so driven and focused, and those two qualities made me feel better about my own drive and focus. We held an internship together, planned one and now two weddings together, and have held each other up when things seemed impossibly big.

My wifey, my sweet Sharon who is my camp friend from many years gone by. As reform directors who finished each other's sentences after the first day to now, finally living in the same city- only ten minutes from one another too! Sharon saw me through so many dark spots, and she was such a light to me, her faith is the most beautiful thing about her, although she's not too hard on the eyes either. Sharon inspired me to live my faith more fully and deeply, she encouraged me to go for the camp director's position, and has given me her faith and support more times than I count.

You're probably rolling your eyes by now at this post, "we get it, you have good friends..." but wait there's a message here. All three of these women respect me for me, they cheer me on, and love me even when I don't. Surrounding yourself with people you admire and want to be like is a real thing- those three helped shape me in more ways than I even know. They are all blessings, and I wouldn't want to confront this world without them. Sisterhood is a very real relationship, and a necessary one to survive the burdens of life. Consider Ruth and Naomi, and how Ruth committed to her when she needed her, and how Naomi loved and protected Ruth because of this. There sisterhood and faith is what blessed them and allowed them to survive despite everything they were confronted with. Build yourself a community of sisterhood, to help support you in your faith and in your trials. There is more to friendship than hanging out, there is a real reason humanity is not meant to be solitary at all times.

So here is my challenge for all of you, make a list of your sisters, your best friends, your wifeys, and tell them thank you. And after that read the book of Ruth (it's short, don't worry), and consider what you can take away from this in regards to love, friendships, and commitments to those friendships. Those wonderful women were put in your life for a reason, what is it? What can you learn from them?

Tota tua,

LeAnn

P.S., feel free to share, send, and subscribe by clicking the buttons below, the more the merrier on this journey of faith! 

Soul-Food Routines

I think one of the hardest things about actively pursing Christ in your daily life is finding a prayer routine that fits your spiritual needs. The way I like to look at is by asking, "What feeds your soul?". This is also the way I like to explain different types of Christianity to people too, explaining that while we believe in fundamentally the same things (God, Jesus, Heaven, etc.) our soul-food is different from person to person, and that's okay! We weren't all created to be the same person, and so it makes sense that we would all praise and seek God different. 

So, what feeds your soul?

• Do you like the routine and tradition of Mass?

• Do you enjoy the solitude of silent Adoration?

• Do you feel God's presence the most at a praise and worship meeting?

• Do you like to just talk to God while in the car or taking a walk?

• Do you connect well to God's word in the Bible on your own?

• Do you keep a prayer journal?

• Or do you connect better when you have a priest, pastor, or other leader guiding you

Obviously, there are many more ways to feed your soul then just this, but it is a good example of how different people bring themselves closer to God. 

Once you have decided on what works for you, try to create a routine around it. Personally, journaling is the one the best ways for me to stay connected with God. For some reason writing, whether it is to God or to all you helps keep me focused on the spiritual path I want to take. 

My mornings start off with walking Lily at 6:00 am, which is followed by a shower and making breakfast. After I have made breakfast, I start by reading from a daily devotional called Jesus Calling, which is nondenominational and I recommend it. After the words written by the author, Sarah Young, I read the suggested Bible passages and then think about them and write about them in my journal, reflecting on what they mean to me today and what they mean in regards to the habits and person I want to be. I always conclude with a little bless/protect/help particular people in my life, starting with Josh and ending with my camp family. As I sip my coffee my coffee, I immerse myself in God's words and support, trying to truly hand everything I have to do today to Him, asking Him to make me His hands and His feet. 

Obviously, I'm not perfect. I want to sleep in or take extra time on my hair instead of pray, but little by little, this effort becomes as a routine as eating breakfast. You don't just need physical nourishment, you also need spiritual sustenance. So start off by figuring out what actually nourishes your soul and go from there, find something that works for you and start mixing bits of it into your day. It's never too late to start a new habit. 

Tota tua,

LeAnn