52 in 52: Week 12 and 13

Question 12 and 13 of 50 "Questions that Will Free Your Mind"

If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

Live with purpose, live for others, and be grateful.

 Would you break the law to save a loved one?

Depending on what type of law I would be breaking, yes. 

Hello Blogging World,

I apologize for the lack of posts recently, I was able to head back to good ol' Wisconsin for a family visit. I can't describe the feeling I get when I am amidst family and close friends. Here are some snapshots from the wonderful few days back at home.  

P.S.-The bottom right picture is where we will be getting married!! :)

So what were the challenges for the past few weeks? 

I would not nessessarily classify them as challenges, I would describe them more as experiences. 

Week 12: Have a meaningful conversation with a stranger

I definitely didn't intentionally set out to accomplish this goal this week. While at the nail salon, I had a wonderful conversation with the lovely lady doing my nails. For those of you who read my previous post about religion, know that I have recently been diversifying my faith experience by becoming more familiar with religions beside my own. This woman, Lori, was from Vietnam and is Buddhist. She is marrying an American man and is converting to Catholicism. This is not her choosing, but her love for her future husband expands far beyond a religious affiliation. I admired her love for him, her respect for a family that does not seem to be very supportive, and lastly her ability to see the potential and good in any person regardless of his/her religious affiliation. She explained the importance of one concept: Religion doesn't create a good person, but instead good people can make a religion. Now, I do believe that having a faith base can enlighten a person's life and provide perspective on the meaning and purpose within a person's life. However, I know plenty of generous, loving people who do not affiliate with any religion. I also know plenty of religious people who are not as loving, generious, or moral as you would expect a person of faith to be. 

We all have the choice to live for something larger than ourselves. Identifying with a group of people or preaching your beliefs does not make you a good person, your actions do. I felt inspired and enlightened after talking to Lori, a complete stranger. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I talked to someone I love about some of the things we talked about. When was the last time you talked to someone about your religion or fatih, relationships, family, or culture? 

Week 13: Run a 5K

Cross it off the bucket list! I had high hopes for training for this fun 5K called The Glow Run. Unfortunately, I only ran about 5 times in the few months leading up to the big day. My only goal was to run the whole thing, and I DID IT! It was at about the pace of a walker, but I still count it. I now understand why runners run; the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a race is pretty awesome. This run was pretty unique, we ran with about 9,000 other people decked out in glow sticks and neon. Black lights and blaring music accompanied our running. If you are a beginner running, looking for a fun/different race to do, this run comes highly recommended. 

My advice for those of you who aren't runners/dislike running, like myself, run in at least one race, it's worth it. And if you think positively and set a good pace, you can definitely run a 5K (with very little training)!  I liked it so much I'm thinking about signing up for another one! :)

Get ready for some DIY projects to be uploaded soon! :) 

52 in 52: Week 9

Question 9 of "50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind"

To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

I believe that everything happens for a reason and that I do indeed have a very specific purpose in life. I don't know what that is yet or what the reasoning is behind everything that happens in life, but I know that over time and by living an authetic life I will get there.  I believe that we do have control over our lives and the choices we  make, and are ultimately responsible for that. With the help and  guidance from my family, friends, and God I believe I have learned to appreciate the appreciate the good and bad-seemingly less controlled-times in my life. These have helped me live a more purposeful life. 

Week 9 of 52: Read a self-improvement book in a week

Well, unfortunatly I didn't achieve this, but I DID start one. It is called "Redisover Catholicism" by Matthew Kelly.  I was given this book by the priest at my local church about 9 months ago. I scheduled an appointment to talk some difficulties I was having.  I appreciated his kind words and guidance, and he left me with a book, "Rediscover Catholicism". I read the excerpt on the back of the book, which read:

At a time when many Catholics are disillusioned, questioning their faith, and filled with doubts about the relevance of catholicism in the modern world, the voice of one man crist out to the world's largest faith community with a clarity that is rare and inspiring. 

I didn't understand what this book had to do with my situation at the time, and therefore placed the book on my bookshelf. I didn't look at it again until this past week. I am at a time in my life in which I question aspects of my life. Is this what I believe? Is this what I want to raise my future children to believe?  What is it that I actually believe? Is this what I'm supposed to believe? I recently began feeling this way as a practicing Catholic. I wanted to learn more about Catholicism, and if it is truly the religion that I was meant to follow. I was lead back to the book, "Rediscover Catholicism". I have really enjoyed reading it;  it has provided guidance in my faith pursuits. Although I am still uncertain of where it is I stand, I do know that God is the route to living a purposeful and authentic life.  I decided to highlight important excerpts as I read, and here are the ones that I have found most valuable.

When are you most fully alive? When you are changing and growing and exploring all you are capable of becoming. 

In every situation in my life, in every problem, in every difficulty, I know that if I allow the values and principles of the Gospel to guide me, it will turn out for the best. It will not always turn out as I wish, but I will be a better person for having lived the Gospel in that situation, and because of that, my future will be richer. 

The adventure of salvation begins when we stop asking, "What's in it for me?" and turn humbly to God in our hearts and ask, "How may I serve? What work do you wish for me to do with my life? What is your will for my life?"

The attitude with which we approach our work is crucial. 

Superficiality is the curse of the modern world. 

"If you are what you should be you will set the world on fire." Catherine of Sienna. 

Each moment, she [Mother Teresa] looked only for the next opportunity to love. 

He [Thomas Moore] was a man who found the grace necessary to live with integrity when it would have been convenient not to. 

Every moment of life is an opportunity to become a better version of yourself.