Surviving Law School 101

I talked to my mom yesterday and she informed that family members have been asking about me...
Wondering if I am surviving law school, the "big city", and if law school is hard. So, I thought I would answer a few of those questions and put my grandma's mind at ease.

Am I surviving law school? 

Why, yes, I am. Don't get me wrong, there are moments where I'm scratching my head and am confused or frustrated by what is being taught but I am surviving. I've made a friend or two (or three), I have a pretty consistent schedule, and I'm not pulling my hair out with frustration.

Am I surviving the "big city"?

Yes. The only thing that really frustrates me is the traffic. "But wait!" scream the native KC-ers, "The traffic is not that bad!" Maybe not for you, but to me this is crazy. Word to the wise, if you are from a smaller town, like Monett, traffic is going to frustrate you. That it takes 10+ minutes to drive two and half miles is infuriating. The fact that grocery stores are NO WHERE near me is also frustrating, but hey, next time I'm looking for rentals, I'll remember to look for nearby grocery stores...

Is law school hard?

In the words of a dear friend of mine, is the Pope Catholic? Yes. Law school is hard. Reading 50 pages for one class is hard. Applying rules to convoluted fact patterns can be hard. But man, it is so worth it. If you do the reading, if you take clear notes, if you put forth the necessary effort, law school is not unbearably hard.

We were warned throughout orientation that law school, especially our first year, is a "transformative period in our lives". Yeah, okay, whatever...

No, really, it is. I think the biggest change I have seen so far is patience. I'm stuck in traffic, I'm anxious about getting to school, and as the weeks have gone by, I've learned to relax, I will get there eventually. There's no need to get upset. Maybe it is because we are moving slowly through material, maybe it's just the move to a new place, but I am definitely changing. I mean, for goodness sake, I bought Brussels sprouts at the farmer's market this weekend- I am on the cusp of adulthood.

With that being said, pray for the Pope on his tour through the United States this week, pray for me that I keep "surviving" law school.

Tota tua,

LeAnn

Happy Anniversary!

Two years this past Saturday, Oct. 18th was when I started this blog. You may have noticed that link, title, and website name for the blog has changed.

That's because I have changed.

Two years, Pope Benedict XVI announced a Year of Faith, and I got to work. I was not a person I was proud of two years- my freshman year at Pitt State had been hard, and I need to do better. My grades weren't the best, my faith was not as strong as it had been in the past, and I knew I could do better.

Then why start a blog if I wasn't the best Catholic I could be?

Because I needed something to help hold myself accountable, and because I loved writing.

A blog seemed to fit all of those things- it gave me something to do, to work towards, and to aspire to fulfill. The blog also pushed me to learn more about the faith I claimed. It pushed me to constantly look for the Light in everything around me, and add a dash of Catholicism to everything I did.

Two years later, I feel like an adult in my faith. I feel more confident in my abilities to lead and guide, as a secular female who works with youth in her diocese, and has her own "crew".

Safe to say, I feel good about myself and my ability to lead. I've gone from unconfident, isolated, and disappointed to confident, successful, and loved. So, to culminate these past two years, here are the top five things that have happened to me and this blog!

1. Hands down, getting the job as the Camp Re-NEW-All Director has been the best thing to happen to me and this blog, pushing me to a new level of Christian-Catholic leadership
2. Our most popular post was the one written this summer on servant leadership, which makes sense considering it was about Camp!
3. The third most exciting thing could arguably be first, but because it's more broad, I put Pope Benedict's retirement and Pope Francis's arrival third. That entire event was historic for our Church and amazing to witness.
4. Friends! I've made so many amazing friends in the last two years, and maintained great, healthy friendships with others including Myka, Cearrah, and Josh.
5. Sigma Alpha Iota leadership, I have joined this amazing sisterhood and served as Secretary last year, and this year as president, pushing my leadership skills and making great connections with wonderful, talented young women who all share my interest in music and community!

Alright, I'm done bragging! Be sure to note that the website name has changed, and share this with all your friends, let's beat "Servant Leaderships" 230 page views record in the weeks to come.

Thank you to all who read and support me, and as always,

Totus tuus,

LeAnn 

Pope Francis's Statement - cont.

So, after the Synod the media world has exploded, my morning newsletter, Skimm even had a segment about it. Remember while reading these article that the Catholic Church is not suddenly exploding into a liberal church- they are just restating what we have always stated:

LOVE.

and

TOLERANCE.

Here are some more links for you all, from Catholic news sites and secular sites like what I gave you last night again.


This is a little long, but it's very good:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/synod-relatio-document-only-a-working-document/ 

And this one gives you both sides, because like everything else, there are different opinions about the synod:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/serious-reservations-expressed-about-content-of-synod-report/

Totus tuus dears,

LeAnn

Pope Francis's Latest

Goodness, I love this man. He is such a kind, humble, loving man of God and of Faith.

In a meeting with 200 bishops at the Vatican today, he discussed many family-related issues facing the Church in our modern age. He did not argue for a change of doctrine or taking leave of core Catholic beliefs, but he did ask for acceptance of gay, single, and unmarried people. He asked for the Church to be loving of those who are divorced, and kind to children who come from unconventional families. Our Holy Father promises that the holy institution of marriage will always remain part of our Catholic faith, but that does not mean we cannot recognize the that there are "positive aspects of civil unions and cohabitation", stepping away from the idea of condemning those who would have formally known as living in sin.

The Church will still not condone gay marriage or union, said one of the bishops present, but it will "respect the dignity of every person", an idea that relies heavily on focusing on the individual, rather than just the sexual orientation.

As young Catholics, we often struggle with our Church's traditions. We are surrounded by a media that has given a face and name to various types of non-traditional families and relationships. We go to school with, live near, and befriend people who are different than us because we recognize that differences are not reason for personal condemnation, and even more importantly, we know that it is not our place to do so.

Please this week, take some time in your daily prayer to pray for more tolerance, more acceptance, and more love for those who need just a little bit more from our Church. Be their Brother or Sister in Christ, not their enemy.

Totus tuus,

LeAnn

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/world/europe/vatican-signals-more-tolerance-toward-gays-and-remarriage.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=LedeSum&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 

http://world.time.com/2013/09/19/pope-francis-expresses-tolerance-of-gays-support-for-women/