Lent

"Even now, says the Lord,    

return to me with your whole heart,

with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;

Rend your hearts, not your garments,

and return to the Lord, your God.

For gracious and merciful is he, 

slow to anger, rich in kindness, 

and relenting in punishment."

~Joel 2:12-13

"Often we stray from the center of our being, getting caught up in distractions that divide our hearts and our souls. Like the lost sheep in the gospel, we drift from the fold and, in our loneliness, hear the call to come home." 

This has happened to me more times than I would like to admit. I love being involved, but often times I immerse myself in my work with school and student organizations that I lose sight of what is important: my relationship with God. 

This Lenten season, along with giving up sweets and pop (which will hopefully, in turn, make me healthier!), I vow to make a change in my lifestyle. A change that will bring me closer to God and hopefully help me do everything I do wholeheartedly, with the help of God. I will devote more time each day to reflecting; not only on the book I have and the Bible verses in it, but on my every day actions and how they affect people. 

I think spending time at St. Stephen's will really help me in this journey. There are so many people there that have such strong relationships with God and I admire each and every one of them. 

What will you do this Lenten season? 

Reminiscing..

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday.

Let's take  a moment to reminisce how Ash Wednesday went for me last year...

The whole detailed story is here, but here's a quick recap in photos:

Long story short: plasma donation gone wrong. 

The worst part was that I had to go to work at Hudson and play the piano..with my arm twice the size it normally is. Obviously I survived, but I am certainly never donating plasma again. 

The Daily Struggles: Part 2

So, I'm sort of an accident waiting to happen. 

I FINALLY received my Frank Sinatra poster in the mail (after waiting over a month). After Prime Time I came back to the room to hang it up: 

As you can see, I'm standing on my desk. I asked Peter if he would help me down. He grabbed my legs and lifted me off the desk. When he went to put me down, however, I lost my balance and fell backwards--landing right on my tail bone. I'm not sure I've ever been in so much pain. Yes, folks, I realize I'm a hypochondriac. But this really did hurt! (and still does)

I iced it for a while and then struggled up to my loft. The next day I decided not to go to classes because 1) I could barely walk and when I did I looked ridiculous and 2) I didn't think I could sit in one place for that long. So I stayed in my room and watched Netflix/napped all day. All things considered, that part wasn't so bad.

It feels a little better today. Walking is a little easier/less painful, but I still look ridiculous. Sitting down is fine once I get there. I will definitely be taking it easy for a few days, and my ice pack is my new best friend..

The Daily Struggles

Ever noticed how much of a "right-handed" world we live in? Me either. Until I became left-handed. Here's the story. 

I don't really know the story. 

I've had wrist pain for a while now (like, 2 years or so). I didn't do anything about it because I sort of have a history of being a hypochondriac. In November it got to the point where it hurt to play the piano. Which is not okay in my book. 

I made an appointment with the Student Health Center on campus, where I saw a doctor who told me my wrist pain was stemming from my neck and back pain from a car accident 5 years ago. That didn't really seem logical, but I went with it. I went in a couple weeks later and did something called Spinal Reflex Analysis. This process gave me temporary relief. Less than a week later I was having pain again. I made an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon back home. She didn't really give me many answers. She gave me a brace to wear for 2 months and put me on anti-inflammatory pills to "chemically fix the problem." That was the beginning of January and the pain is not getting better. 

Now I'm at the point where it hurts to do simple things with my right hand. Things like push buttons on a microwave, open a door, eat and, oh yeah-write! 

I'm currently teaching myself to be ambidextrous. I write almost everything with my left hand, unless I need to write something down quickly. The handwriting is legible, and has improved since I first started. 

I quickly realized in this endeavor that most things in this world are more made for right-handed people--which was fine with me when I was right-handed. Now it's just frustrates me. 

Also, it's really awkward to go in for a handshake with your left hand. 

So now I impatiently await spring break when I get to make another lovely trip to the doctor. Hopefully I can get some answers and get back to playing the piano for pleasure! Until then, I will continue the suffer the daily struggles of being a lefty. 

Peace

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." ~John 14:27

As a busy college student, I have often struggled to embrace the peace that God has graced us with. At this point in my life I find that the place I find the most peace is St. Stephen's (the Catholic student center on campus.) I find peace in knowing that the people there will always welcome me with open arms and will always make time for me if I'm struggling with something. The individuals at St. Stephen's all have a level of faith that is inspiring. The students are there because they WANT to be there, not because their parents are MAKING them be there. I think that in itself says quite a bit about them. 

It's not just the people, though. I find the building itself peaceful, no matter if it's Sunday morning and filled with students and community members, or a Thursday evening when there's just a few souls around. The spot I cherish the most, however, is the chapel: the front corner where the piano is located. Whether it be bright on a Sunday morning or dimly lit on a weekday, it's where I can let myself go. Unfortunately, I have been playing the piano less for pleasure lately, as I have had wrist pain. Still, on days where things are just not going my way, I will take five minutes-enduring the pain-and play my heart out. Occasionally I will sing as I play, and often times my friend Peter (who is MUCH better at playing piano than me) will play as I sing. 

This front corner of the chapel is also where I stand when I cantor for mass every so often. 

“For he who sings praise, does not only praise, but also praises joyfully; he who sings praise, not only sings, but also loves Him whom he is singing about/to/for. There is a praise-filled public proclamation (praedicatio) in the praise of someone who is confessing/acknowledging (God), in the song of the lover (there is) love."

Where do you find peace?