Author Archives: Katie Heller

LifeTeen.com Blog

Where’s My Prince Charming?

By | October 17, 2012

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Eventually the topic of guys comes up, and, on occasion, girls begin to complain about how there aren’t any good guys left or that guys today aren’t respectful or they don’t open doors. Somehow as women we’ve created an expectation that guys, to be worthy of us, must look, act, and sing, like Prince Charming . . .

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Lazy Sundays

By | March 13, 2012

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My second favorite day is Sunday. Growing up, Sundays were lazy, watch TV or movies all day in my PJs, don’t brush my teeth until 3:30 pm kind of days. Then after Mass and Life Night, I started my two hours of homework because the rest of day I was clearly too wrapped up in more important things like watching Men in Black three times in a row. I always thought, “Surely this is what God meant when he gave us the 3rd Commandment – Laziness, bad hygiene, and procrastination.”

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"I Need You": Dealing With Needy Friends

By | August 24, 2011

Friends are awesome. But, what happens when one of your friends becomes needy? Remember Needy Nikki? You know, the friend who has an unhealthy attachment to you. How do you deal with this? This is what I’d like to shed some light on.

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To My Friend Laura

By | August 10, 2011

I don’t have a ton of friends. I never have. I’m the kind person who only needs a few friends whom I can share my heart with. For me, these few friends are some of the most important people in my life. As I was praying about few ways I can offer a few words of wisdom on the topic of friendship, one of the first ideas that came to mind was to simply honor one of my very good friends. This is something you can do too. Whether in a letter, over lunch or on the phone, take some time in the next few days to pray for and honor one of your friends.

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Desert Dwellers: Finding Life in Lent

By | March 8, 2011

Cool Breeze -or- Suffocating Heat Rain -or- Drought Rich color contrasts -or- Brown Lady Bugs -or- Scorpions Garden -or- Desert Given the choice, which one would you choose? I’ll go with the garden. In Scripture, the imagery of gardens and deserts provides for us a vast contrast of settings, themes and spiritual undertones. Many great moments in Scripture happen in gardens: creation, the fall, Jesus’ agony and arrest and the Resurrection. There are also great moments that happened Read more [...]

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Pornography: The Truth behind the Lie

By | February 22, 2011

Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry. Internet sales alone reach over $5 billion per year. More than half of its viewers online are men (72%), but in recent years more and more women are viewing pornography (28%). Pornography is everywhere and easily accessible to anyone of any age at any time. With a culture that has become obsessed with self-gratification and instantaneous satisfaction, it is no surprise that the pornography industry continues to make money. But, what are they really selling?

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How A Christmas Hymn Taught Me Humility

By | December 24, 2010

I love Christmas. Everything about it makes my heart happy – family, friends, food, and Christmas music. If it were socially acceptable, I would listen to Christmas music all year long. This year I have made it a point to not just let Christmas music be background filler while decorating my tree or making gifts. I’ve tried extra hard to listen to what Christmas songs are really all about. Some songs are full of warm fuzzy feelings of love while others are about what people hope to find under the tree on Christmas morning. All of these things have a part in the Christmas holiday, but how do they prepare us for Christ’s birth? After all, isn’t that what we are really preparing for?

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Scriptural Scuffs: How to Get Along With Your Siblings

By | November 8, 2010

I grew up in a family of five—my two parents, my older brother, my younger sister, and myself. Although my brother, sister, and I get along now that we are adults, growing up we fought A LOT. I can honestly say that I don’t remember a time when we weren’t yelling at each other about something.

Conflict resolution, especially with siblings, is a very important skill to have within your family. Fighting or arguing with your family members can have a lasting impact on your relationship.

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Holy Role Models: How To Choose a Confirmation Saint

By | October 22, 2010

St. Rose of Lima: A beautiful young woman who dedicated her life to the service of God. She lived with great humility and devoted herself to the Blessed Sacrament. The funny thing is, I had no idea who Rose was and how similar we were until two years after I picked her as my Confirmation saint.

Looking back, I wish I would have taken my saint choice more seriously. I thought I was simply honoring my godmother Rose Mary. Although it was a pure intention, I didn’t understand that I was picking a saint as a model of holiness and asking her to intercede for me on my faith journey.

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Surviving High School: Seniors

By | August 28, 2010

I distinctly remember my first day of senior year. I pulled into the school parking lot in my red 1994 Nissan Sentra (thanks Dad!) and walked into my homeroom like I had done everyday the three years before. Nothing around me was dramatically different. The people, the classrooms, and the schedule were all relatively familiar. However, there was one thing that was a little different – me. I held my head a little higher and my confidence was stronger. Why? Because I was a senior. Finally!

I anticipated my senior year to be full of memories and growth. It was the year I would take my first steps into adulthood, and the year that I would have to make big decisions about what I wanted to do next. Like many of you, I was excited and overwhelmed all at the same time.

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A Catholic Reading List: Seniors

By | August 20, 2010

I have never been a big reader. Whenever we were assigned books in school, I always waited until the last minute to read them. If we had an essay or research paper to write, I would normally use big words and craft and essay or paper that sounded like I knew what I was talking about. I have started plenty of books, but finished very few. I could never find anything that interested me. When I began to do more spiritual reading, however – reading that helped me in my faith journey – I found that I actually enjoy reading.

Here are a few books that have challenged me and given me something to reflect on and put into practice in my journey with God. Some of them are more challenging than others but I have faith and confidence that with God’s help you will be able to get through these books.

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If I Have Not Love…

By | February 8, 2010

I was eight years old the first time I felt the ‘love’ butterflies in my stomach. His name was Matt. I remember writing his name with hearts all over my spelling exercise papers. I would then quickly erase it as not to get caught by all those at my table. I knew that that skinny, blonde-haired boy was my one true love forever and ever. Since that first crush, I’ve experienced love in many different forms. I’ve seen it. I’ve given it and had it taken away. I’ve hated it and dreamed of it. I’ve Read more [...]

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