ForeverLOVEd

“True love causes pain. Jesus, in order to give us the proof of his love, died on the cross. A mother, in order to give birth to her baby, has to suffer. If you really love one another, you will not be able to avoid making sacrifices.” — Mother Teresa Throwing up is my biggest fear. Ever since I spewed in the trash can in the third grade, in front of my peers, the thought of vomit makes me squirm. I literally panic whenever I feel the slightest form of nausea. This is why I refuse to eat anything that has the potential to be food poisoning, overdose on airborne when the flu goes around my work, and run the opposite direction when someone so as mentions the word barf. It's safe to say that I will do literally anything to avoid throwing up, even when I'm certain it's the only thing that will make me feel better. So you can guess, as I texted my friend on Friday morning, I was panicked by her complaint of being nauseous. "Please don't puke," I thought as I...

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 The best birthday party I ever went to was one in the forth grade. I had, growing up, some of the best planned and most creative birthday parties thanks to my mom. I was a guest at a lot of pretty well thought out parties too. But this one in particular, my favorite birthday party, ended up going nothing like the ten year old's mom had planned it. A night that was meant to include a fancy dinner and movies ended with a power outage, ordered pizzas, and tent building in the living room. For that mom, the evening was probably a slight disaster, but to us pre-teens, it ended up being the funnest way to celebrate a birthday and a night I'll never forget, because instead of going with fussy plans we got to enjoy the discovering of a new and simpler journey! I think so often in our lives, the plans take president over the journey. We have goals and the stuff we need to g...

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith... Philippians 3:8-9 I assume the best of people. My first instinct is that all people are good. I believe their intentions are good and that they are truthful and kind. I trust that they will be for me the kind of person I hope and pray that I am to them. In some ways this is a gift, to be so willing to trust people. But the truth is, everyone is human and people mess up. Sometimes their intentions are selfish. Or their ways are shady. Alternative motives take over and I inevitably end up feeling disappointed. We hear time and time again, turn the other cheek. But trust me, when you...

"At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike." Matthew 11:25 The little girls had been making chocolate cakes and digging holes in the sand box for an hour. The cold wind slapped my cheeks and I was secretly wishing our time outside would be coming to an end soon! But I couldn't help but be enchanted by the giggles and sweet conversations going on amidst the buckets and shovels! The girls had dug little holes all over, before they moved to an open area right in front of the swings. It was an area that saw little play because the swings usually threaten feet in the face! But this particular day no one was swinging and the open space was quickly taken over by the pretty in pink and purple 3,4, and 5 year olds! The smooth surface was quickly overran by holes and piles of displaced sand. The girls were digging alon...

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 They always say, "Like father, like son" or "like mother, like daughter". And, for the most part over time we see these patterns play out in our lives. You inevitably grow up to say the same things your mother did or slowly pick up the habits of your father. And sometimes, these very similarities are pointed out. But I guess, in the midst of a busy world, we tend not to really dwell on them for too long. Today, for some odd reason, these similarities were popping our everywhere as I watched a congregation make their way up to communion during mass. There had to be something God was trying to show me as I sang along in worship and watched in awe as these parent/child duos were so ridiculously alike. It's not like I was not aware that parents usually pass on gene...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 If the two hundred dollar tickets weren't enough to turn you away, perhaps the hour wait to park or football length lines to get through the gate would be enough! And what's better than rushing inside to wait in more lines and plow your way through countless amounts of people? Yet, day after day this place, also known as the "happiest place on earth" brings in tons and tons of guests. The scenario above doesn't exactly sound happy. However, time and time again we find visitors from all over the world making their way to, the place where magic happens, Disneyl...

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. Exodus 14:14 If you checked the headlines from the past week, you'd see plenty of newsworthy stories. Breaking news hit Monday when our blessed Pope announced his resignation. Next, news reports covered a police shoot out in Big Bear. As the analysis of both those events continued, stories mentioned Ash Wednesday services and Valentine's Day happenings. Reports hit of a meteor in Russia and a double paraplegic and Olympic athlete was accused of murdering his girlfriend in South Africa. All over the world crazy things were happening and even as I reflected on my week I saw that I had kept busy and experienced many different and beautiful things. But, I couldn't pin point one message from the week that I was dying to share. There was not one moment that I thought to myself, "Wow, this is where God is moving." I thought and thought about what I needed to say, and came up with nothing. And at first I was...