In choosing what you do to commemorate these final days of school, whether after graduation, prom or band practice, at the forefront of our mind and hearts should be this reality that all is a gift from God, to be used for His glory. This doesn’t require walking around yelling, “hallelujah,” but it demands that our actions be a reflection of who we belong to. We are not our own.
Last week I ran in a race and a couple times I was reduced to the “I feel hot and nauseous; I’m so over this” jog that is very slow (if you’ve never experienced it for yourself). And you know who did NOT motivate me? The 70 year old next to me who was speed walking at the same (if not a faster) pace than me. Come on. Really?
It’s in moments like this, and other times when I feel like I’m not good enough, that I ask myself, “Why can’t I be more like that person? They must be so much better than I am.”
In this particular relationship after my parent’s divorce, the girl I was dating became everything to me. I drew my worth from her compliments and her attention. I drew my joy from her company. I wasn’t simply finding joy in her and recognizing Christ in her, I was putting her first in my life before Christ.
She was the one I would go to with all my problems. I went to church to see her, not Jesus. And Jesus loved me through it all. When that relationship fell apart, so did I . . .
Although there may be times when we face loneliness, whether by choice or by circumstance, as Catholics we’re not asked to walk every aspect of our faith journey alone. This can be difficult for those of us who don’t have support at home or for someone like me who likes to do a lot of things by himself. I’ve discovered though, that as I strive for heaven everyday I need as much help as I can get. It’s your community that cheers you on in this life, encouraging you with their words and actions in the good times and the bad (Proverbs 12:25).
“Great news! I got a promotion . . . and I’m ENGAGED!”
My friend went on and on sharing the romantic story of how her tall, handsome, Catholic man proposed. Everything in her life seemed to be the stuff of her dreams . . . and mine. As she was oozing with excitement, I smiled and was happy for her, but inside I had this strange, silent but sickly feeling of envy. There was this small part of me that wanted her to gain 10 lbs, break out with acne, or just stop talking. (Ok, not my finest moment).
When this video started I quickly labeled Leila Hurst as “cool” and “popular” and “happy.” I saw a gorgeous, blond, teen surfer who was getting lots of money and fame for doing what she loved. What could be better? As the video went on I saw her close relationship with her sister who has spinal bifida, and how strong the bond of siblings can be if we don’t let our struggles or resentment get in the way. Then I listened more closely to what Leila was saying. This is what I heard: “When I started going forward in my surfing [...]
It’s such an honor to be able to write just for you girls this time. I love being able to share with you some of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the past couple years about being a woman and being a Catholic. It took me a long time to learn these things! I hope you can put this advice to good use in your own life.
Whether single or in a relationship, dating can be a wonderful, exciting, intimidating, and sometimes bizarre event. The stress of just figuring out what to wear can send you over the edge. Then there are all the other details. Who is paying? Where do we go? Do we show affection? How do I flirt? Or more importantly, how do we just survive those crippling embarrassing moments. Maybe you are like me and awkward moments never seem to end. If so, here are some fun tips to help your dates go a little smoother than mine: Dance. Dating is like a [...]
Also, eye contact is important. How many times does the person you’re speaking to feel they have your undivided attention? Turn off screens – get away from them. Eye contact is the quickest and simplest way to acknowledge Christ in the other.
Now, if you’re having a “conversation” through a screen, ask yourself if that’s the best medium to be using to have that conversation. Words can be misread and mistaken. Do you ever text just “because you don’t want to get into a long conversation?” Go the extra mile. Don’t text when you can call. Don’t call when you can sit face to face. Don’t sit face to face and have your mind in another area code. A huge part of authentic communication is emotional presence, not only physical presence.
One night in high school, my ex-boyfriend’s best friend called me up. He told me that he and his girlfriend, and my ex-boyfriend, were all hanging out, and that I should come over. From the tone in his voice and slight innuendo in his words, I knew what this meant.
My ex-boyfriend and I had played the “friends with benefits” game before. Thus I wasn’t surprised and actually felt a bit flattered that this popular, talented, good-looking guy would beckon me to him, even if we weren’t still dating.
I excitedly rushed over to the best friend’s house, greeted everyone, and proceeded to “hang out” exclusively with my ex-boyfriend. I didn’t see anything wrong with making-out with my ex-boyfriend, because after all, I wasn’t having sex.
It seemed like in one moment, our sophomore year, (our whole life) was changed forever. Two minutes ago we only had to think about cute boys, classes, and our plans for spring break. Now I had to think about baby diapers, stretch marks, and helping Jessica face the possible ridicule and judgment of our peers.
How was I supposed to love and support her? The selfish part of me didn’t want to face this. But the only thing I knew was that my Catholic faith asked me to take courage and stand beside my friend, to believe that God would work it out, and to hope in His promises . . . But sometimes things don’t end as you think it should.
One of the biggest stresses of the Christmas season is gift giving. It can be difficult to find the right gift for a person. Or the stores you shop in are incredibly busy or your wallet isn’t keeping up with your heart (especially for students and others on tight budgets). Gift-giving should be joyful though!
To help you out we have a list of a few meaningful, inexpensive and homemade presents you can give to your friends and family. You can easily put your own spin on each of these ideas. Some of them might take longer to make than others but it’s still a great way to show someone how much you appreciate the gift of their life!
You have a responsibility. A responsibility for the souls of your friends according to 1 Peter 1:9. What would you do for them? Will you make sure they know the Lord? Check out this video of Mark Hart! He’s teaching about what we can learn about friendship from the Bible.
When I ask you, “How many friends do you have?” what pops into your mind? Is it …
How many “true” friends?
How many Facebook friends?
How many friends in my whole lifetime? Actually, it’s far more than any of those numbers. In truth you have more friends than you can count. The saints in heaven are the best friends you could ask for – and they’re pulling for you.
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.
Check out this video about friendship! Did you go to Steubenville West? You might be in it! You didn’t go Steubenville West? You still might be in it! Actually you won’t … but you’ll like it anyway.
It was a Saturday night and I was completely alone. I had cash in my pocket and gas in my truck but I had no friends … anymore. The phone was not ringing. The silence was a deafening reminder to how “sad” my social life had become in a very short amount of time. This had never happened to me in my previous three years of high school. My senior year was supposed to be epic! Instead it was growing increasingly lonely and there was only one person to blame: Jesus.
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.
How does Jesus tell us to call our friends out? Find out in this great article. Bradly Opitz shares the four steps from the gospel that you should follow when you have that gut feeling you should call someone out and you’re not sure how to do it!
The flirt. Are you thinking of someone who’s like Flirty Fiona? Are you Flirty Fiona? Read about her here!
