Reminiscing on days past . . .

Today, I took a trip down memory lane . . . I walked past good times, bad times, the best times, and the worst times.













My first stop was remembering the summer I spent on summer staff at Life Teen camps. I remembered flying into Atlanta and meeting everyone for the first time, waiting for Andrew (our latest arrival) and freaking him out as we bombarded him asking if he was Andrew. I remember David playing a joke on me before I even knew his name. The drive to Tiger was beautiful, and I'll never forget my first view of Covecrest. We were all so excited as we entered the staff cabin and claimed our beds.

I thought of the first week of summer staff training and retreat. I remembered the letter I wrote to me from God. I remember sitting in the garden at Mike's Place allowing God to heal my heart as He helped me to forgive. I remember Doro yelling to turn off alarm clocks, Anna's alarm (It's a Great Day to be Alive), and the packed shower house each day. I remember sleeping until the last minute before walked the peaceful path to the lodge to sing the "Wake Up Song" each morning. I remember praying in the Chapel. I will never forget the first time we walked to the waterfall. It was, and remains, one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.

I remember becoming great friends with some of the most beautiful people I have met, learning from them, and growing with them. I remember girl bonding time in the staff cabin. I remember Sarah's strength, Jennifer's caring heart, Kimberly's determination and ability to get the job done. I remember breaking open Andrew's shy shell and making him dance. I remember Rosko's support and talking with her about life and love, Francis' crazy humor, and Lisa's beautiful pictures. I remember star gazing with Caleb and the girls, the beauty of Sara and Paul's relationship and the hope it brought to me, and Adam's passion for the ministry. I remember Jason's inspiring words, Tina's spunky-ness, and getting to know Anna more than I had at BC. I remember Dot and Nick's maturity. I remember the prayer Holly gave me and David's love for each person he encountered. I remember our Austrians, Ben, Ramund,and Sam, and learning their German phrases. I remember Julie's patience and Katie's joy. I remember doing low ropes with Karyn (and failing to stay straight enough to make it to the end) and her positive attitude. I remember Liz's ability to focus on the task at hand and Doro's carefree excitement. I remember Molly's silliness and Tara's gorgeous smile. I remember Ty being able to make friends with everyone, Bradley being great with the less interested or difficult kids, and Ryan's deep thinking. I remember an amazing summer staff full of wonderful people.

I remember the first day with campers, our crazy pirate rule skit, Ty singing about bears, and talking with David and the campers that came to the "I don't really want to be here" groups. I remembered long days, ropes courses, water games, and snaps. I thought about our staff meetings each night (that just simply couldn't stay focused . . . and progressively got worse), meeting with the Tepeyac staff each evening, Bradley and Francis' crazy tangents of . . . craziness! I remember going "all in", lives being changed, and friends being made. I remember white water rafting with Ryan and popping out of the raft to get an amazing bruise. I remember praying night prayer with Nick and Dot. I remember the mud pit and Andrew and I sacrificing for the kids and jumping in together.

I remember the Tepeyac crew's last night in Georgia, doing laundry with Andrew, talking with Nick and Dot outside the cabins when Nick gave me a passage that would speak to me, watching Ty and Bradley dance to "Carry on my Wayward Son". I remember our last day at Covecrest, Mass, "You'll Never Let Go", group pictures, crying so ridiculously hard, driving away.

I remember the person I was when I arrived not being the person I was when I left. I remember my relationship with God, how he comforted me and took great care of my heart as he nursed it back to health and pieced it back together. I remember letting go. I remember being able to move forward with great excitement for what God's plan was for me. I remember my joy, peace, and acceptance.

I will never forget the two weeks I spent at Covecrest. It was there that my heart was healed and my life was changed.



Words that describe this stop on memory lane: forgiveness, healing, growth, love, friendships, God, blessings, life changing, the best summer of my life

NFP

Yesterday, I started looking at natural family planning . . . I can't believe I'm old enough for this! I mean, i know my driver's license and birth certificate indicate that I'm almost 24 years old, but I still feel like I'm 17. I just can't get into my head that I will actually be married, living with my husband, and planning a family!

For all who don't know or understand what Natural Family Planning (NFP) is, I will briefly explain. According to nfpandmore.org, "NFP is a way of following God’s plan for achieving and/or avoiding pregnancy. It consists of ways to achieve or to avoid pregnancy using the physical means that God has built into human nature." In plain English, it is charting the wife's cycle and signs of fertility in order to know when to "do the marriage dance" (as Chika would say), whether you are trying to get pregnant or avoid getting pregnant. The website also explains that, "Couples seeking to avoid pregnancy practice chaste abstinence during the fertile time of her cycle."

It's mildly amusing to me to see people's reactions when this topic comes up. But it makes SO much sense to me, even without getting into the countless reasons contraception is bad for a woman's body and it's connections with breast cancer. God didn't ask us to live a chaste life until we get married. We are still supposed to be chaste inside of marriage. Marital chastity is just different from single chastity. Lust is a sin, whether it be inside or outside of marriage. The ring that will be on my finger in a little over a year is not my free ticket to as much sex as I want. It is not a free ticket to using my husband as "a means to an end". It is a promise to love and cherish him for the rest of my life. To respect his dignity as a human being. It makes so much sense for God to have planned things the way he did. That there would be times in our married lives that we have to live in abstinence if we are unable to have another child at that time. In that time is when I imagine we will learn the most about respecting and not misusing the gift of sex. It is in that time that the virtue of temperance (moderation) will be strengthened. It is in this marital chastity that I see the most respect for God, his gift of sex, and my husband. I am so excited to embark on this journey!

On that day I will make a covenant with my husband to give ourselves to each other in marriage, to honor each other as man and wife for the rest of our life, and to accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church. I cannot wait for the second gift that comes from sex (the first is bonding), Children! I'm a little terrified of the childbirth process, but I'm excited to start a family!

So, why am we already talking about NFP and babies? Because in order to understand and know my cycle, it takes many months to see the regularity. Ergo, I will soon be charting my cycle, temperature . . . and other stuff daily. :-\ Maybe this will make me feel old and like I am actually getting married! haha. :)

Wednesday's Wardrobe

It's been quite the week since my last post! I have miserably failed to continue my daily reflections . . . ugh. But I have good reason!

The day following my most recent post was very eventful! My boyfriend of 5 years (give or take a bit) proposed! The story is amusing, but rather long. But . . . I figured I'd use this as a perfect "wardrobe" change!














This is it! I am engaged to the man of my dreams! He's wonderful, dorky, sweet, and God's perfect match for me. And this wardrobe change symbolizes alot more than just a change in wardrobe. My whole life from this week on will be focused and planned around this one man.

What a beautiful and complex thought. I'm so eager and excited to start my life with him, the rest of my life! :) This is the best wardrobe change I could ask for! :D

Have a wonderful weekend bloggers! I'll be back again next Tuesday with a Tune!

Food-filled Friday

Fridays will almost certainly not continue to be "food-filled", or at least named as such, but just as Wednesday's wardrobe happened to work out, today being food-filled was fitting!

I love watching "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" on The Food Network. A few weeks ago, I saw a dive that was nearby. So today, on the first day of my boyfriend's visit, we ate there!

Fab Hot Dogs!

This is me with my Texas Burrito Dog! It was "Fabulous!" It was filled with 2 dogs, chili, cheese, and bacon (without the mustard and onions . . . because I'm picky) wrapped in a tortilla shell.

That's all for now! I know it was late and short, but it's been a busy day, and I'm getting up EARLY for a hike! :D Have a wonderful Saturday!

Thoughtful Thursday

I'm not sure Thursday's will stay "thoughtful", but right now, I don't have the time or energy to talk about "travels". So, thoughtful it is!

Thought of the Day:

"Every time that we do something we don't particularly "want" to do, out of our love for God or out of obedience, there is grace. Every time we put others' needs before our own, in humble acts of service, there is grace. Every time we endure hardship for the sake of our vocation, the gospel or Christ's Church, there is grace. ----------- Put simply, truly embracing your vocation means embracing what God wants you to do each day, not what you "feel like" doing. It means putting God first, not yourself."- Mark Hart (aka "The Bible Geek")

I remember the first time I read this. I had a great need to let go of my own desires and embrace The Father's plan. In reading this quote again today, I needed to hear it once again, but for completely different reasons. (and almost the opposite reason . . .)

The first time I read it, I was learning to let go of the future I had planned with someone. I learned to accept and embrace with joy God's plan for me to move wherever he needed me. Now, the lesson I'm constantly trying to allow God to teach me is to be patient and wait for the future I have planned with someone until it is God's time. I need to learn to accept that even though I am not where I want to be, I am where God wants me to be; and since it is where God wants me, I must make it my desire. I must learn to "embrace what God wants of me each day, not what I 'feel like' doing."

Ask anyone close to me and they'll tell you, I have not learned this lesson yet. Patience is my least favorite virtue to work on!

Wednesday's Wardrobe

I'm not sure how long Wednesday will stay a wardrobe day, but since I have actually made a dress recently, I thought I'd go with it! :)

I have had a great desire for new skirts and dresses lately, but since it is so difficult to find dresses that are modest, cute, and in my budget, I decided to put my sewing machine to good use. Sewing is such a theraputic and enjoyable activity for me. I always love the reaction when I say, "Thanks, I made it" when someone compliments my clothes. They are generally shocked that I even know how to sew!

So, this is the first of many dresses/skirts that I plan to make. The fabric is a satiny blue and white floral print. The pattern is fitted at the waist and has an A-line skirt. The process started off on a bumpy road. After pinning the pattern to the fabric, I began to cut. Only one piece into the process, I cut a pretty large chunk of my finger. I took care of this little problem and left the project for a day. The next evening, I got to work.

I started off making a size much larger than needed. It's not very easy to fit a pattern to yourself alone! I tried to make some alterations to make it fit, but it just wasn't working out. So, after sewing the whole dress, I had to rip out the whole thing and start all over. It took quite some time to rip out all of the seams, but thankfully the second round of sewing it went quickly. So, after quite a few hours, one bloody gash, and a few late nights later, the dress was finally finished! It is so comfortable, bright, and fun. It was definitely worth the work. :)

The next project will most likely be the black and white skirt. :)

A Tune for a Tuesday

Being that it is Tuesday, the project begins! :)

SLEEP SONG - Rich Dittus

May your maker grant you peace
Let all your worries disappear
I pray you sleep without tears in your eyes
If you have tears let them be joyful cause your one step closer to heaven
And when you wake a new day breaks
Rejoice and sing

Hold me, Hold me Close to your heart
Hold me, Hold me Close to your heart

All your life you lived to fight to reach heaven
Battles you lost give to the cross and plead forgiveness
But don’t give up, he love you too much

I pray He holds you, holds you close to His heart

The whisper of God contains the answer
If we are quiet enough to hear
You are chosen and I love you
Do not fear
©2005 Rich Dittus

Rich is not only a wonderful singer, songwriter, and musician. He is a man with a beautiful soul and heart for Our Lord. I was blessed to spend a week long staff retreat listening to and learning from this man's example. Though he may have been well known and semi-famous to those in the room, you would not have guessed it from his actions or attitude. It is so beautiful to see a strong model of a humble, holy man of God. After purchasing his CD, this song became my "bedtime song" (another one became my morning song). Thank you, Lord, for the gift you give us through Rich.
http://richdittus.com/