New year, same goal

Happy New Year everyone!

I cannot believe it's 2012 already.  It seems like just yesterday I was ringing in 2011 and making resolutions for the new year.  I've thought about the resolutions that I could make for 2012 and what I think needs to be changed in order for me to become the woman God wants me to be.

Over the past years I have fallen short of my resolutions before the week was even out.  This led to discouragement and eventually giving up on my goals.  This is especially true for spiritual matters, I would vow to say certain prayers daily spend a certain amount of time in adoration and of course regular reception of the Eucharist.

I think after all of these years I have learned a little bit about making resolutions.  They aren't bad in and of themselves, however I have found that when I focus on my resolutions I tend to forget the reason I make those silly resolutions, it's to grow close to Jesus and to become a better Christian.

This year I am making one resolution, to continue to make every effort to live my faith from minute to minute and from day to day.  I am finally learning not to focus too much on my fall but to wake up the next morning determined to live my faith anew.

As you ring in the new year and think of ways that you may grow in your faith, I am keeping you in my prayers and ask you to keep me in yours.

Happy New Year!!!
Hopeful

Trying something new

Happy Sunday (and sorry for the big lag)

OK so I'm getting ready to go teach Religious Ed and I realize that it's been weeks since I updated on my fundraising progress.  I am still waiting to hear from Father G about the committee's decision on helping me with my student loans.

I thought that in the meantime, I would try something new as far as my fundraising.  I am sure you see the cute little donate button on the sidebar, I am calling on everyone (followers and non-followers) to please consider donating 1, 5, 10, 20 dollars or whatever you can afford.

Our Lady of Lourdes rosary with water from Lourdes

For anyone who makes a donation of 50 dollars or more, I will make a custom rosary.  If you cannot make a donation would you please commit to share my story with 5 others in the hopes of helping with getting donations?

If you are thinking of making a donation and are in need of a rosary, chaplet or rosary bracelet consider going through my website and purchasing one of my items (that way you get more than my gratitude and prayers :) )

Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.

United in Christ,
Hopeful

Fundraising News

I posted this in a post on Phatmass but I realize some of my readers may not be on there and might not be able to give some feedback so I'm posting here as well.

Today at about 11:30 I will be getting on the road to drive four hours to Orlando (where my parents live) to meet with the pastor from my old parish to discuss possible financial assistance.  This meeting has been in the making for about 3 months now and I cannot wait. I am anxious and nervous and scared and excited and everything you can possibly think of.

My dear sweet mother spoke to Fr briefly about him helping me and he was open to the idea and asked to meet with me and talk to me.  I am hoping that at the very least father is able to help me get in touch with some donors who are able and open to assist young vocations in the church.  

I have realized that it takes complete and utter trust in the Lord in order to truly lay it all out and rely on others' kindness and open heart.   Please pray that the Lord continues to guide me and that I continue to grow in humility and trust in Him.  I am thinking that I might also speak to father about organizing a dinner down there or even some kind of pledge drive to work with donors who might want to pledge some monthly contributions to my loans.  I found out that I would be able to enter even if my loans were not completely paid off, as long as they were pledged for (so let us pray for that)

I meet with father at 5pm so I hope it all goes well and that I have a safe drive (I have to drive back to Tally after the meeting because I teach tomorrow)  This is going to mean missing my standing meeting with my Spiritual Director today but I am trusting that it is all for the best.

I have never had such an important meeting in my life.  This is my plan

• Arrive by about 4:00 (go home, change real quickly and eat something)
• Go visit Christ in chapel (the church is litterally down the street from me so.... - and they have adoration till evening mass!!   )
• meet with father and discuss the following
  
  
  • Getting financial assistance from parish if possible
  • Working with Serra Club and K of C to put together a dinner of some sorts or get some kind of sponsorship
  • Work with them to do a pledge drive or a fundraising drive.

Do you guys have any other ideas of what I should talk about or how to say these things?  I am sooo afraid that I will get too nervous to remember anything.  I am getting really nervous now just thinking about it. (maybe I should bring my notebook)

In other news.........

(drum roll please)

I have managed to get my loans to under $50,000.00  Actually with fundraising from rosaries, my dinner and other in kind donations, it is almost at $46,000  (which is a HUGE deal - I mean I didn't think it would ever get below $50,000 so soon and now it might be possible to get it below $40,000 before the year is out) Thank you all so very much for your prayers, your contributions and your words of encouragement.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I continue to keep you in mine.  I will be sure to give as detailed of an update as I can when I return.

Pax,

Hopeful

Please pray

Right now it seems that there is a lot happening all at once.  Good things, frustrating things, things I'm unsure about, just everything.  I am trying all that I can to not be overwhelmed and to remain rooted in prayer and continue to trust in Christ.

Please pray that I am able to weather this and be attentive to God's voice in my heart.

Enjoy your long weekend!
Hopeful

No more, no more. My plate is full

I have wanted to do the 54-day Rosary Novena for about forever and a day now and I just realized that I was supposed to start it yesterday to have it end on a Marian Feast day.  Well Phooey!  I now have to wait to do it so that the Novena ends on the feast of the Annunciation.  Sigh, I guess I will just have to wait until the right time. 


I think this is a sign that I am way too busy and I have too many emails to check.  I chickened out and did not get to tell the DRE that I will not be able to teach for the fall.  I mean what was I supposed to say when she brought this adorable little boy to me so he could "meet his teacher"?  A part of me just feels like this was totally planned on her part to make sure I don't drop out, lol.  I must say that I am looking forward to teaching again this coming year because every year the kids are different and it is just wonderful to see them grow in just an academic year.


So it looks like it is not part of God's will for me to scale back from teaching this year.  Man sometimes I wish I could just stop being so involved with parish ministries but I can't seem to help myself.  Well scratch that, my friend and I were going to join this group and today we both decided that we didn't need to get any more involved than we are right now so it would appear that I am learning to say no and am becoming more aware of my limits.


I am working on finishing my course (Introduction to Scripture I) before the fall term begins because I will be teaching a course at the college where I work and will be enrolled in a philosophy course; this is all on top of being involved with Youth group and Religious Education.  Please keep me in your prayers that I may survive it all without falling down from exhaustion.


p.s.  Please Keep my friends J and L in your prayers.  They are expecting (J lost her first baby about 3 years ago when the baby stopped growing after the first trimester) L was severely sick the 6th week due to very bad food poisoning.


Pax,
Hopeful

Prayers please

Hi All,

I have been seriously neglecting my blog!  Things have been a bit busy on my end with the end of the semester which automatically means things are super busy at work and on top of that I am trying to plan VBS and launching my rosaries website (I will be sure to share it when it is fully finished)

About three months ago I was asked to prayerfully consider being a speaker at the next Magnificat meeting that the ladies in my town were having and I thought about it and said yes.  Well the dreaded... I mean long-awaited date is tomorrow, May 7th and I am getting sooooo nervous.  I have gone over my speech fifteen thousand times (exaggerating here) and I can't seem to be satisfied enough with my topic!  So I am asking for prayers.  

On top of it all I decided that I would make a Franciscan Rosary for the ladies to raffle off.  Another problem, my perfectionist self has redesigned this sucker like 20 times (not kidding) and I have started and undone it even more times.  I finally decided on the beads (pictures later) and I am halfway through with it.  I will finish it this afternoon so that I can critique it some more and have some time for my neurosis to take over.    I must say that I am loving how it is turning out, the Ave beads are this flat light pink heart shaped and the Pater are squarish.  I guess you guys can decide the shape when you see the pictures.  I also have to make a pamphlet for the Seraphic Rosary because not a lot of people are familiar with it.  I've done some research on materials and I didn't quite like what I saw so I figure I will make my own pamphlet to go with it.  Hey who knows, maybe I can start distributing it with the ones I sell :)

Anyways, Just wanted to ask for prayers and wish you all a happy Friday.

In Christ, our Hope

Hopeful

The power of Novenas

I probably should have two separate posts (one for the MEFV) and another for the Novenas but I am being lazy. So the application to the MEFV Grant was due yesterday (had to be postmarked by then) and though I had intended to do my hours novena to the infant of Prague in front of the Blessed Sacrament, I ended up doing half of it at work and the other half in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

For those of you who may not know, the infant of Prague was perfect for this situation (patron of vocations, finances, students among others) I think I may want to do a days novena in another few weeks. The thing is, this was my first time saying a full novena. I have always ended up missing a day or something would deter me from completing a novena. For a reason that I cannot explain, I felt such a peace and confidence as I started to near the end of my novena. I must confess that when it came to novenas although I would join with others in saying them, I never fully trusted (might be because I never had the chance to complete one) or it could be because I was never inspired by the Holy Spirit to do one.

I have been feeling this urging to do a 54-day Rosary novena (the rosary is very dear to my heart) and I started it yesterday with the goal of finishing on the day of my Consecration to the Blessed Mother. Back to the point here, what I mean by pointing out the power of novenas is that it reinforces our Trust in the Lord and our confidence in Him to provide for us, whether the Lord provides on our time or not. In my case for example, I was very anxious about the MEFV application and almost didn't turn it in. However, I decided that I would turn it in as well as say a novena that would end on the due date. After completing the 7th hour I knew and trusted that the Lord will provide and if it is His design for me to enter next year, He will remove any obstacle. However, if His will is for me to wait I must trust in that and I do, (this was the source of my anxiety before)

I have learned that Novenas are not for everyone and we must trust the Holy Spirit's guidance when it comes to saying a novena. However, if you allow yourself to be guided in carefully choosing a novena, the fruits can be astounding. Perhaps something is weighing down your spirit and you feel that you need help, I invite you to bring your troubles to Him through the intercession of one or a couple of your favorite saints.

Pax

Am I being judgemental?

I know you are probably thinking no :) but hear this out.  I have noticed over the years that somehow I can't help myself when I see things I deem to be offenses against the Church or the Lord.  Like for example someone going to mass wearing shorts they wouldn't even wear to hang out with friends or watch someone eat something right before mass and then taking communion or folks picking up their purses, go to communion and run right out of the door afterwards.  You say these are little things and perhaps they are, after all we are not dressing to impress are we? and God doesn't care what you wear does he?  But I beg to differ!

Let's talk about the attire, nothing offends me more than watching someone (mostly young women) dress in a way that shows disregard for our Lord, I mean you would dress nice to meet the Queen of England or some other dignitary so why is the Lord not worth the same attention and care?  And why should I care? because it seems everywhere else I look (the Baptists, Anglicans, Lutherans) they seem to dress with reverence and care while it appears as if us Catholics do not care, but we do!

And then there's the leaving right after communion.  Now I know some of us are busy and must sometimes rush back somewhere (Home to a sick child/parent or to work) but my answer to that is go to a different mass.  Ether one where you can find someone to sit with your sick loved one or one where you have enough time not to have to rush to work.  I don't know about you but if I were to throw a dinner party and my guests ate and just left before everything could even be put away I would be upset.  Again I'm sure there are folks thinking that God doesn't care but I really think He does.

Y'all excuse my ramblings but this kind of stuff hurts and upsets me to the core.  Most especially when I see some of it done by religious, now that is the last group I expected to see this kind of stuff from.

Your thoughts on this, have you ever encountered these things?  Do you also see them as offenses or do you think they are minor?  Am I overreacting by thinking this is offensive to our Lord?  feel free to comment.