Motivation - Luke 1:45

Luke 1:45

Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. 

When Mary was a young girl she was asked to complete a near impossible task. An angel came to her and said that she would have a child by the Holy Spirit, out of wedlock, as a young girl, and *cherry on the top* that he would save the world. However frightening, Mary believed in this angel's words, and she believe in God and His plan for her life. 

After that day, Mary's life changed forever. She married a chaste man named Joseph and he protected her and her son, Jesus, for his entire life. Mary had to trust in God every second of everyday to keep her and her baby safe. Then, Mary had to endure the crucifix of her only child. She had to watch Him suffer for the world's sins. Mary gave her life, her son, to God. 

Mary's strength and trust in God is my true motivation. Everyday. I wake up in the morning and sometimes I go straight into my daily routine of getting ready for work, checking my email, feeding my pup, and finding something to wear. It's days like today when I need extra motivation to work and even love myself. I walked into a popular athletic wear store today and looked at myself in the mirror, then I glanced around at the other young and old women shopping for leggings, shorts, and crop tops. I began to hate myself. I hid in a corner while I waited for my sister to finish looking around. 

As I reflect on my afternoon, I wonder about where these thoughts of hatred and discomfort come from. Yes the devil, of course, but do I let him come into my mind like that? Do I give him an opportunity to invade my mind with negative thoughts because I am not taking care of body as well as I could be? 

Today I need motivation to change. To stop hating myself, and move on from my old ways of thinking so negatively about myself. Mary will motivate me. Mary's trust in God will help me trust that God has a plan for me to be healthy, and one day I will believe that I am Blessed like Mary herself. 

Asking for Patience - 1 Peter 5:6-7

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the

proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.

A couple of days ago I was searching for a verse to help me with my anxiety about graduate school. I knew about verse 7 in First Peter (one of my favorite Letters), and I even have it on many pieces of art throughout my room, but I never took a closer look at the context of this verse. I opened my Journaling Bible to this page and saw the mostly empty page and knew this was going to be my next project, and I thought it was going to be about anxiety. When I started to read the whole chapter and pray, I realized that God was telling me something completely different than what I had thought I sat down to hear. 

In this letter Peter is reminding the Christian exiles that they (us) need to spread the gospel. This, in my opinion, is Peter's main purpose in writing. However, Peter also reminds us to stay humble and respectful of our elders in chapter 5. He tells us to shepherd God's flock, and to not do it for shameful gain, but for God's glory. Then, he continues by telling us that once we humble ourselves God will exalt us at the proper time. This is what caught my attention. I already knew I could fall into God's arms and beg to get into the graduate school that I hope to get into, but what I needed to realize is that I need to be patient and wait for God to tell me that I did or did not get in. Maybe I am not ready to know, and maybe that is what God is trying to tell me. I still sought Jesus' mercy and comforting arms in this situation, but instead of just asking to get a response from a school I asked Him to teach me patience because I knew I would need it again for something else in my life.

From this realization I was able to fully understand that I was in desperate need of some patience. I needed to fully understand that at the proper time God would show me the plan He has mapped out for me and my future. It's still hard for me to just sit back and wait (I'm a stickler for planning and organization), but I have to trust God and His plan for me. Also, God does not want us to just stop worrying about life and let whatever happen happen. He does want to know our worries and our stresses, and He wants us to talk to Him about them. In verse 7, Peter reminds us that we have to cast our anxieties (and fears, and doubts, and worries, etc) onto God because He truly does care for us. He cares about us more than any human being and soul ever could.

I've asked god for patience before. I've God for many things before and I have been lucky enough to be blessed with many of those things I asked for. I believe that this verse is telling me that I need to be more humble, and I think this verse can help so many people remember that God has a plan and that we have to wait for God's plan to be revealed to us. Now I pray that God shows me how to have patience and how to trust in His plan for me.

Thought Questions:

How can we, as sons and daughters of God, help our fellow neighbors and remind them to trust in Gods plan?

In your prayers think about something you have been very anxious about (a new job, acceptance into grad school, graduation, etc)  and ask God how you can become more patient in your waiting.

How can you humble yourself more this year, and how can you trust in God's plan more?

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God - Galatians 4:7

Galatians 4:7 English Standard Version

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

So my Christmas break was way crazier (and greater) than I had expected. It was so great that I almost forgot the real reason for the season. Luckily, I had many daily reminders of why I was not in school and why I was buying presents for my family and friends. Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year and it always makes me so happy. This year, I was able to visit a lot of different churches, grottos, and shrines over my break and I went to daily mass a lot and just had a much deeper Christmas experience than I ever thought I could.

This past Sunday was the Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. I love Mary so much and have had a strong attachment to her ever since I was a freshman in high school. I went to mass this past weekend by myself and was very interested in the second reading, Saint Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. To honor Mary, we have to remember that she is the Mother of God. In God’s Kingdom, she stands as Queen. In Paul’s letter, God shows us that we are no longer slaves (to sin or to anyone) but we are children of God, and if children then we are heirs to His Kingdom.

I love this verse because it truly reminds me of why Jesus was born. With Mary’s strength and courage, Jesus was born in order to ransom us, and save us from sin. Because of Christ, we are heirs to his throne, and just thinking about that is so wonderful! I love remembering that I can go to heaven and that I am an heir through God. Hearing this message in church made me realize how lucky we all are for the magnificent baby Jesus.

In this upcoming year, I hope to enhance my relationship with God even more than I have already and lead new people Christ. I hope to remember everyday that I am an heir through God and that I am worthy of His love and forgiveness. I want God to know how much I love Him, and I want to show the world that I love him, and that I am not afraid to love Him.

Thought Questions:

How can you help others realize that they are heirs to God’s kingdom?

What can you do in this new year to help increase your relationship with God?

How can you show God your appreciation for His love and forgiveness?