Modesty is annoying. That’s right, I said it.
And not just little brother level of annoying. It’s like stand-still traffic, spilled hot coffee, only AM radio, and little brother in the back seat level of annoying.
I really, truly, feel this way. Dressing modestly is not easy. You have to search longer when you’re at the mall. You can’t always embrace the new fashions without a little (or a lot) of modification.
Now that it’s well into summer you’re starting to pass from the “Yes! I don’t have to go to school!” phase into the “Wow, I’m really bored” phase. It’s a great time to start digging a bit deeper into the Catholic faith, to start growing more in your knowledge and love of God. So here’s a list of some awesome books to get you started.
One of my favorite things about high school was the last week of school. Sure there were finals, but I knew the school year was about to end, and it was almost time for summer break. Ah… summer break. Oh how I would look forward to it. Oh how I would long for it. Oh how I would plan out all the exciting things I was going to do, only to get trapped in a cycle of boredom within a week. You probably know the drill and have been there before. There’s nothing to do. It’s too hot, and theme parks are too expensive. So, what can you do? Well, if you’re not already going to Life Teen Summer Camp, here are 10 fun things you can do with your summer vacation.
Bad weather, theft, sickness – no matter how well planned a vacation is, it will never turn out perfect.
It was the shoes that did me in. The cheap fashion sneakers that were good enough for mall hopping but not for traipsing four days across the cobblestone streets of Rome, Italy. By the second day of my vacation my feet were throbbing and blisters were forming. Every vacation will go wrong somehow, but what are you supposed to do when it does?
If you’re on the interweb, you’ve seen #YOLO unfold in a series of tweets or status updates of shenanigans involving late nights, red bull, and impulsive hair dye. I don’t find the choices in these updates all that inspiring.
When I think of life-changing choices that inspire, I think of my friends Cathleen, Mark, JD and Kate.
Cathleen, Father Mark, Kate and JD made decisions based not on the idea that you only live once, but that their lives are eternal and their actions have eternal consequences for themselves and those they encounter. To put aside the luxuries, rewards or the “easy path” on earth may seem crazy or ill-advised, but following Christ has always been about faith in Christ’s promise that “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
This week I found myself scavenging for loose change under the seats in my car so I could to afford a long anticipated vanilla double-shot latte. It cost me like $5! When did coffee get so expensive? (Okay, that’s another story.)
It seems like everything fun or delicious costs money. You might feel like when money is tight or non-existent the only option on a friday night is to sit and stare at the wall.
One thing that still really irks me, though, is when I hear someone say that Christians can’t have any fun. That’s just idiotic. It makes about as much sense as an inflatable dartboard . . . just stupid.
Christians can absolutely have fun. If Christians don’t have fun that’s nobody’s fault but their own . . . it has nothing to do with living out their faith. The people who claim that without alcohol, drugs, or premarital sex that there can be no fun, have NO conception of or true relationship with Jesus Christ.
But I do care about my brothers’ purity, and want to help them out by not wearing what is basically a bra and underwear to the beach and inviting them to lust over all that is, ahem, “hanging out.”
Also, I want to be the type of woman who inspires men to holiness and beauty and not lures men to lust and my booty. See what I did there?
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.
Camp video from the 4th week of summer camp at Life Teen Camp Covecrest in Tiger, Georgia. This week Edge middle schoolers experience “Extreme Adventures” while going on ropes courses, messy games, games, and river rafting. Their Catholic faith was also engaged through daily Mass, Sacrament of Reconciliation, prayer times, Stations of the Cross, and talks and skits that spoke to their faith.
You know what I love? Remembering summers from grade school; I had no idea what the fashion was, or what was popular on TV. To my friends and I, nothing mattered except who could make the best tree fort or who got the red Popsicle. I still can’t believe my dad would let us loose with a box of nails and a couple hammers. And then somehow, somewhere, friendship changed.
The staff at Life Teen picked out some of their favorite things to share with you! Whether it’s a video or photo that’s inspiring, creative or just plain hilarious, or a song that’s stuck in someone’s head. You might even find a book recommendation or your new favorite quote – you never know.
Camp video from week 3 of summer camp at Life Teen Camp Covecrest in Tiger, Georgia. This week Life Teen high schoolers experienced “Epic” while going on ropes courses, messy games, games, and white water river rafting. Their Catholic faith was also engaged through daily Mass, Sacrament of Reconciliation, prayer times, Stations of the Cross, and talks and skits that spoke to their faith.
Camp video from week 2 of summer camp at Life Teen Camp Covecrest in Tiger, Georgia. This week Life Teen high schoolers experienced “Epic” while going on ropes courses, messy games, games, and white water river rafting. Their Catholic faith was also engaged through daily Mass, Sacrament of Reconciliation, prayer times, Stations of the Cross, and talks and skits that spoke to their faith.
An interview with a missionary, a talk from Lisa Epperson on abundance, and a few moments of meditation.
