Spring Flower Photo Shoot

Giving God Every Day

Summer is here!  That means beautiful weather, long days, gorgeous sunsets out on the porch and open windows at night when you fall asleep.  For some, summer means care free timelessness.  For others, it may mean busy schedules with sports, general activities, vacation or work.

Regardless of your summer plans, you can always focus on giving each day to God.  This is a dedication that is quiet simple, but boundless in grace considering its simplicity.  When you start your day off by dedicating everything you do that day to God, you will be amazed at the gifts brought into your life.

1 Timothy 4: 4-5 captures this dedication mentality. "For everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."  

You may think your day means nothing.  Maybe you are going to work for eight hours while every one else in your home is frolicking in the beautiful weather and you will be stuck inside.  Never underestimate God's ability to transform what you give him.  You have the ability to touch so many lives during one day at work.  By giving your entire day to God, you say "All right, Lord.  I'm not sure what you have in store for me, but I'm willing to be you to others, whatever that entails."

Give God your everything.....give, and it will be given back to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:38).  Measure out your day to God with generous helpings....He won't disappoint you!

Si vis amari, ama.
Chloe

Dear Emily,

Tonight I watched your YouTube video and I had to write to you. 

I wanted to let you know that your abortion procedure affected many more than just you.  It affected many more than just your child.  In fact, abortion really affects everybody.  Men, women, Caucasians, Asians, African Americans, Christians, Jews, Atheists and Agnostics.  We are all connected by the fact that, when in our mother's womb, the constant presence of a mother's choice hung over our very existence, threatened by being punished for the supposed crime of being conceived at an inconvenient time. 

Twenty-five years ago, your mother made the beautiful decision not to have an abortion when she found out she was pregnant with you.  I'm glad she made that decision.  You are a beautiful woman, made in the image and likeness of a God who loved you into existence, and God has such an incredible plan for your life.

And now you share a bond with your mother - that you now are a mother too.  Despite the fact that your child was not able to bless this world with his or her presence, he or she very still much exists.

During your video, you said you were in awe over the fact that you were able to create a life.  What a beautiful truth - indeed, there was a fully human being, created in the image and likeness of God, in your womb.  Maybe she had your eyes.  Perhaps he would have smiled the way you did when you heard a good song come on the radio.  She could have snuggled with you under a blanket during one of your favorite movies.  He may have slid into home base during the first Little League game of the season.  Maybe she would have twirled in heels at the prom of her dreams.  Maybe he would have asked you to straighten his tie before he married the girl of his dreams.  She could have smiled with uncontrollable joy when telling you that you were going to be a grandmother. 

You were right.  You did create a life.  Yet your perceived right to choose what was best for you won out over the beautiful way of recognizing that little person in side of you.  For the sake of convenience, you bought a supposed ticket to freedom.  Freedom from the supposed burden of a child who ran to you and called you "Mom."  Freedom from the sound of sweet snoring from your child as you watched her sleep.  Freedom from the responsibilities of a human being who you very much helped create. 

And it can't be undone.  No matter how much you choose to not regret or regret your abortion, it is what it is.  We can't rewind time, although some day, you'll want to.  One day, your little baby's father will also regret his lost little one, the product of a choice, extinguished by a choice. 

You are right.  I do not know what it is like to feel my heart drop as I look down at a pregnancy test and see positive results.  I don't the heartbreak of realizing that everyone will know now...and I'm not ready. 

Beautifully, there is a God who loves you, and your child.  Who forgives you and wants for all the life of Him to welcome you into His arms and let you know that it's okay. 

Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”

There is no sin unforgivable.  No burden too heavy. 

There is a place when, after you leave this world, you have the opportunity to enter into eternal joy with the maker and lover of your soul....and be greeted by the sound of little feet and a tiny voice that calls to you, "Mommy!"

Dearest Emily, you are in my prayers.

Love,
Your sister in Christ.

Bringing Classic Back

Have you heard the MKTO hit, "Classic"?  If you haven't, I have conveniently placed it above.  Listen to it.  Even if you have before.  (It's that good).

Okay, we're back.  On to the post.  Have you noticed the incredible power that a classic lady has on a culture that is, in the words of said song, "plastic"?   Audrey Hepburn's 85th birthday is today, and looking back, it is easy to sigh and say "Ah, the world was so great back then.  I wish I'd been born back then." Or, at least I do.  Maybe I'm crazy.

But seriously, Fulton Sheen agrees with me when he says "When a man loves a woman, he has to become worthy of her. The higher her virtue, the more noble her character, the more devoted she is to truth, justice, goodness, the more a man has to aspire to be worthy of her. The history of civilization could actually be written in terms of the level of its women.”

It is possible, even in this era, to be classy.  And, ladies, guys will rise to the occasion.  On the other hand, if you desire to be noticed, and only rely on immodesty or brash language, you will be treated as you project yourself.

Want to be treated like a lady? Act classy.  Not stuck-up and snotty, but confident in who you are as a daughter of God.  Some quick tips are below - and notice, these are not labeled "instant lady-like qualities for you to pick up in one day."  Being classy requires practice and upkeep, but anything worth while is worth working for.

Tip One:  Be a Friend   Friends - true blue friends - are sometimes hard to come by anymore.  Yet who you keep company with says a lot about who you are.  If you hang out with those whose entertainment is gossiping, then you are projecting that you yourself enjoy said activities.  Pick your friends carefully - W. Somerset Maugham once said that "When choosing friends, don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character." 


                     Tip Two: Modesty
   Okay, going to be honest here.  The catchphrase "Modest is Hottest" is offensive to me - since it connotes that even if you are dressing with modesty and femininity, you can still be referred to as "Hot."  You need to referred to as "Beautiful"  - not "Hot."  You are a child made in the image of God, not an object.  Now that that is out of the way, be classy and respect yourself.  When you wear a low cut top and short shorts, the last thing on a guy's mind is "Wonder what her favorite color is?"  To be frank, guy's are visual.  Unless you prefer them imagining what you look like without the little clothes you have on, respect yourself and your brother in Christ by wearing modest clothing.  Not because you are ugly and need to be covered up, but because you are beautiful and leaving a little to the imagination is attractive.

Tip Three: Watch Your Mouth

   If your personal preference is to use expletives as adjectives, do not necessarily be surprised if you are not treated like a lady.  Don't have your conversations revolve around crude sexual topics or other similar trash.  It would behoove you to have conversations on topics that are more intellectual of nature.  Not saying don't have fun, I'm saying have some clean fun.  Conversations that you wouldn't blush at if Christ was there.

Tip Four: Smile.
   I cannot tell you how nice it is when walking across campus to have someone smile at you.  Or to say "Hi" in class, ask someone how their weekend was.  It doesn't require a lot of effort, but it makes a difference.  A simple smile could sincerely make someone's day.  Also, how you treat people is a huge indicator to people.  If you are snarky to waiters, grocery store clerks, or bank tellers, it reflects badly on the fact that you claim to be a Christian, but do not let your belief in Christ interact with your daily life.  

Any tips on being classy in a world gone plastic?  Comment below!

God bless,

Chloe M.  

Steps to Evangelizing - be an Honest Christian instead of a Lying Hypocrite 

The world is an interesting place.  It is filled with souls that yearn for God, yet constantly stuff finite objects into an infinite hole in their heart.  They subconsciously yearn for God's love, yet don't know where to find it.  It will even seem that when you suggest the possibility of God, they shut down.

How do we lead others to Christ without burning down our friendships with non believers?  There are many countless ways, but this post will focus on two.

Point number one: Befriend them.  You cannot suggest fixes to problems you don't understand all aspects of.  If you have a classmate who is constantly bashing the Catholic faith, don't go Rambo on them and demand they respect the Church.  Get to know them.  More than likely, you have some form of concern for this person's soul, or else you just wouldn't care, frankly.  So, if you get to know this person as a child of God.  There is something broken in every soul that is the cause of a hatred or lashing out or general life of dependency of sin.  But you cannot pass judgement on a person at all.  You can judge their sins as harmful to the life of their soul and to their relationship with God, though.  Yet it is easier to understand the behavior when you understand the environment.

The blatantly homosexual guy at work?  Could have been abused by his dad as a child.  The girl who constantly snaps at you everyday in your grocery line?  Maybe her boyfriend recently broke up with her and she just feels like a pile of trash.  Each of these people is loved by their divine creator, who just wants them to choose Heaven and Him.  They won't choose Heaven and Christ if the only example of a Christian just constantly tells them how much they are sinning.

Point number two:  Make sure you have what you're trying to give away.  If you walked up to your classmates and said, "Hey guys!  Doughnut day!  Doughnuts for everyone!" then they would probably get pretty excited.  I mean, it's free food, it's college, it's common sense.  But if you then said, "But I don't have the doughnuts!  Don't look at me!  Go get them yourself!"  they would probably sigh, shake their heads, and, depending on if it's finals week or not, chase you out of the classroom with torches and pitch forks

But if that's the reactions to food, imagine what the reaction is to the claim that you know the Bread of Life.  If you preach Christianity to people in your life, but your life says the opposite, don't expect to win souls.

To claim solidarity with the Christian life, but then act hypocritical turns SO many people away.  If you say Catholics should act like Catholics, but use contraception in your sexual activity, your life is a contradiction.  And people see that.  And then they don't listen to your defense of the faith because you're already justifying your own sins.  

So, basically, be a good friend and be a holy Christian.  It's the Easter season.  It's time for a fresh start.  It's time to turn our whole lives over to the Lord.  Not just the parts we want to give Him....give Him your all.  I've heard He runs a pretty decent return rate.

God bless,

Chloe M.