Selfless or Selfish??

This might seem like a weird topic, but who are we living for ourselves? As in not caring about anyone else, and doing stuff for us, or are we doing stuff for others, and helping them and treating them right? We were all taught the golden rule when we were children, "Do as to others as you would have them do unto you." Yes I actually have it memorized. And sometimes it easier to be selfish because we might be having a bad day, and we need to think of ourselves and make us feel better before we can even think about anyone else. In reality helping others even if we are having a bad day will make us feel better, and put a smile on our face and someone else's face. We weren't put in this world to make a bunch of money, and have a bunch of material goods, and not do anything for anyone else. We were put here to help one another to be friends to care, and especially to comfort others. I mean really if we are just selfish our whole lives what is it going to do for us, nothing. If we are selfless and help everyone that comes into our lives what will it do for us, make us better people, and help us make lasting friendships and relationships. So why don't we give it a try maybe even just for a day, what do we have to lose? Sure we might be disappointed by some, but overall we can help others, and become a better person.

God Bless,

Sarah

PROMOTING GOD

Let me tell you about someone who will help you out immensely. This is something like a deal essentially. Now usually when you get sold on a deal, there are almost always negatives. For example, if I offer you a cookie, what are the pros to accepting and eating this cookie? Well, it tastes good, and you're probably hungry right? But what are the negatives to this cookie, overall it's not good for you. The person I want to sell you comes with guarantees and absolutely no negatives. This person is God. He is loving, forgiving, caring, and he loves each and everyone on this earth. You might ask what the price is; but there is no price, only believing in him, humbling ourselves to accepting his will, and loving one another. Our reward is eternal life with him as opposed to eternal life without him. With God anything is possible, and whatever we ask we will receive. There are no limitations to the happiness that a relationship with him can bring. He wants to be our friend. Think about it this way, we all have the one friend who goes out of their way for us, and in every way (and more) that's what God is. He wants us to be happy, he wants us to be surrounded by people who build us up, not those who tear us down. Overall, he wants the absolute best for us because that's how much he loves us. We have all felt like no one cares at times, but with God he cares all the time. Sometimes we hide things from others, although we can never hide anything from God even if we try to. We have nothing to fear, and nothing to lose with God, only gaining an amazing friend.


God Bless,

Sarah and MaryGrace

Be an Overcomer

You know we all get that feeling of sadness in our lives at one point or another. Whether we were rejected by someone, or whether we were made fun of for doing the right thing. Whatever it is that has made us sad all that is is the devil trying to get to us. He is always trying to hinder us from doing what God needs us to do, and from what God wants us to do. But why give him that kind of power of over. Why give him the ability to make us feel horrible. God doesn't want this for us. He wants us to be happy, and to be able to live out the life he has for us in the best possible way. Every time I feel sad or overwhelmed I run to God (well to the best of my ability anyway) I'll go to adoration or just sit in the chapel. I will also write in my journal because I've found that it is the best way to get everything that has happened out of my head.

In the past week I've gotten some bad news, and of course the first thing I did when I heard the bad news was I looked at the bright side of it. God gave me the ability to do that with his grace. But later on that day the reality of this news finally hit me, and I started to let the devil take over. But once I wrote it down talked about it to someone I felt so much better.

Things happen in our lives good and bad, but there is always a reason. Whether its to show us another way, or to show us who someone truly is, or even to show us God's plan vs ours. We all go through this stuff and we may think that bad things that happen are horrible, but if we asked God to show it to us from his eyes we would see the good side of it. God has made us Overcomers and with his help we can overcome anything in our path.

Here is: Overcomer by Mandisa

Real vs Fake

There are so many fake things in the world begging for attention, trying to take our focus off God, and the real important people in our life. Trying to put us in a whole we think we could never get out of. Yet the truth is all the fake in the world is the devil just doing what he does. He tries so hard to get us off task to get us to surround ourselves with fake instead of true. There's too much stuff taking our attention from what's important what's true and what's moral. God needs us for his plan, which we are all part of whether we accept it or not and whether we believe it or not. We are all connected in some way or another. Ever wonder why you feel so close to certain people? That's why because we are connected in our lives physically and yes spiritually too.

We all want attention and we all want to be popular, but being popular shouldn't be more important than having real friends. A friend of mine once said, "I'm not popular I just have good friends." And ever since she said that I have never forgotten it. Our flesh body may want material goods, and a bunch of followers on instagram or Facebook, but what does our soul want? The soul is the only thing that matters because our body our material goods decay, and go away. So why surround ourselves with fake things and fake people that will eventually not matter anymore? Why be popular when we are already loved by God? Everyone has there own answer to these questions but the important thing is that we pray to God, that he will fill us with him and his love instead of us letting ourselves be filled with the fake material things of the world.

Everyone's been asked, "how are you." And yet do we ever think that the person on the other side of the question really means it? No to most people it's just a conversation starter, or just a kind gesture to make someone think they care about them. But for certain people asking this question they really do care. But either it's just dismissed or they're to shy to say it. There is a shy person in everyone's life, and most of time they are the people who care, they are the people who are there for you. Have you ever asked someone why they care or why they're so nice to you? If you do you'll get an honest answer because they would rather tell the truth than lie to someone they care about. The devil tries to put doubts in our minds about the people who are real in our lives, and aren't just our friends for the popularity or the money. In reality God put these people in our lives to help us. He uses them to build us up. Today think of one person in your life who you believe truly cares about you and is your real friend. Then thank God for that person. And pray for that person as well, because they've probably been praying for you since the day you two met.

God Bless

Sarah

March For Life Reflection

Have you ever gone to a pilgrimage or retreat and come home just to pick up where you left off?? Sometimes it can be hard to apply what we've learned from a pilgrimage or retreat to our daily lives. But just because its hard doesn't mean its impossible. I went to Washington D.C. about a week ago and it was the time of my life. I reunited with amazing poeple, I met amazing people, but most of all I grew I grew in my faith and by doing that my faith and trust in God increased. There were half a million people standing up and fighting for those who don't have a voice yet. Even when we were confronted by protesters we stood our ground. And that's what being a part of a faith community is all about; standing up for something you believe in and having others whether strangers or friends stand by your side. In a world that isn't so great right now God wants us to trust him to be there for each other and to stand up for what is right what is moral and what is true. God doesn't want us to keep our voices hidden, but he wants in to keep our voices heard. We've all heard it in the bible a lamp isn't ment to be under a basket its ment to be on a lamp stand. Our thoughts and beliefs aren't ment to be kept inside our heads, when faced and challenged. So by shining our light and facing the evil in the world we can renew our faith in God, and the world's faith in us christians.

You know people say oh today's teenagers don't care, and they aren't strong in any kind of faith in God. And yes this may be true for a lot of teens, but what I saw in those 4 days in D.C. showed me that there is still hope in the teenagers who are the next generation. There is hope that we will be the generation to end abortion.


God Bless

-Sarah

The Real Meaning of Christmas

Ok so we have about a week till Christmas, and everyone is rushing to plan, and buy presents and we are all super busy..I mean it's the holidays who isn't busy. But what if we all stopped for a second, forgot about presents, and planning and just thought about the real reason we celebrate Christmas? On Christmas Day Jesus was born! Now just think about that for a moment how much do we acknowledge the real meaning of Christmas? I mean planning dinner, and having people over, and giving others presents that's all important but the Christmas season is a time of waiting and preparing ourselves for the coming of the Savior. In this last week before Christmas take a moment and stop to look at all the joy Christmas brings people, and thank God because he is the reason for all the joy in the world.

This time of year is probably the best time of year for everyone because we get a bunch of presents just because it's Christmas. It's great to get presents and everything but I think it's even better to give presents. On Thursday a friend of mine reminded me that the real joy of Christmas is found in giving to others. So, I got this really good friend of mine a gift and I also gave her a card, and when she opened her present she was so happy. The look on her face and the excitement in her voice just melted my heart, it made me realize why giving is such a good thing. When we give we make someone else happy, and we sacrifice for them, but in turn we also get something which is the joy of seeing how happy they are, and their excitement. We shouldn't be giving to get recognition back, but we should be giving to make them happy, and in turn giving ourselves the joy of seeing them happy.

God Bless,

Sarah

Why?

Why? This is probably the most frequent question we ask God right? Why are bad things happening, why did this happen, and so on. I've been through enough deaths of family members, but for me it is worse to watch a close friend morn over their relative. We don't know God's plan, but what we can have faith and trust in is that everything that happens is for our own good. When someone close to us dies it just means that God has called them home, but it doesn't mean God is mad at us or that he wants to take them away from us. Too often we think God is always out there trying to get us to mess up, or become depressed, but that in reality is the devil doing that. God is doing the exact opposite he wants us to be happy to know our relatives are with him, he loves us so much, that he makes sure his plan for us fits our personal needs. Sometimes we meet people for certain reasons either to help them or for them to help us and this is all part of his plan for us! God loves us and he doesn't want us to be depressed because an event has happened in our life, he wants us to trust him to trust his love, and to know him personally. Recently my grandma died and let's just say we didn't really have the closest relationship towards the end of her life, but by trusting God I got peace that she was with him, and that she loved me and was watching over me. All I had to do was trust the God of the universe, who loves me, and when I did that my life changed I stopped worrying I stopped becoming depressed, and I started to become happy, and people began to notice.

God, I pray for everyone who has died during this 2016 year, for my grandma, for my friend's grandfather, for my friend's great grandfather, for my friend's father, and for anyone else who has died this year. Please give all those who are morning peace.

Here is "I Need You" by OBB.

God Bless,

Sarah