Natural Beauty

“I don’t need makeup. I’m naturally beautiful.”

For a moment, these words gave me pause. I was standing in my dressing room before a performance, touching up my makeup before going on stage when my friend, Ashley,* made this statement. A very introverted individual, she is not one to brag, and when she said this she spoke quietly, yet with complete confidence. Her words sounded innocent and sure, said in the same way that a child will proclaim that their parents love them. It was an atypical statement for a high school sophomore.

I was incredibly impressed by my friend. Her humble confidence was something that I wished for all girls, myself included. I, unfortunately, did not have a self-image so untouched by the media.

The truth of the matter is that we can all say the same as Ashley! And more than that, we can work towards believing it. As beings created in the image and likeness of God, we are absolutely beautiful and perfect the way God made us.

I mean it. You. Are. Beautiful.

It’s true all the time; whether you are dressed up for a formal, or when you’re dripping with sweat after coming from the gym. In every moment spent criticizing our perceived “imperfections,” God was looking down at the beautiful person He made.

Working on believing this myself is an ongoing process, as I am extremely self-critical. But I have become better at catching myself in the midst of this criticism. I am working to gain a different perspective and trying to see myself as God sees me. Ashley’s words were a welcome reminder of what I strive for—a sense of confidence in knowing that all things created by God are naturally beautiful.

“I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; 

wonderful are your works!” –Psalm 139:14

Blessings,

A Friend of GWA

*Not her real name

Fortitude

And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. Philippians 1:9-10

Dear friends,

In this past year, this verse has been in the back of my mind. Sophomore year in a lot of ways is about discerning what is of value and increasing your love. Friendships become deeper, you become more involved in activities, your classes are more challenging and to my surprise what I thought would be an easy adjustment (after all, since I was no longer a freshmen I knew everything there was to know about college!) ended up being quite a rocky beginning. At the same time, as life got crazier and my schedule got busier, God crept in in quite unexpected ways: often beginning with conversations late into the night with some good friends. I think the trouble is, it can be very easy when life gets busy to go into hypermode: once I get this done, I can relax. However, what I learned was, this will never be done, at least not entirely. Sure, there are moments when you need to work extra hard and can’t give up. That paper is so close to being done and it’s midnight and you want to quit – don’t give up! Less sleep for one night can be dealt with. No, what I’m talking about is pushing yourself so far that one night becomes every night. That is a moment of discernment.

It’s very tempting to think you should be doing more, because at the heart of that thought is the virtue of fortitude or courage. Fortitude is very importance: sometimes you need the strength to keep going when something has to be done and you feel like giving up. In leading a club this year, there were many moments when I felt like giving up, yet was blessed with friends that gave me the strength to go on. That’s the key: you think fortitude means you have to find the strength all on your own, when really your strength needs to come from a deep love for God and for others.

Sometimes you need to discern when fortitude has become warped in your mind to become prideful. I reached that point one late night in April, when I had a presentation and two papers that needed to be finished for the next day. I had been working for hours and reached a mental block. I went for a walk, at midnight, and for the first time in college, really couldn’t finish. I was on the verge of tears after what had been a very taxing week, where I felt I had let my club down, I had no plan for what to do next, and was struggling in a class that was related to my major. I needed fortitude at that moment; what I really needed was the humility to ask for help.

Now I usually cringe when people say that because it sounds so washy and weak. I want to be strong on my own, I want to handle things, I want to be the heroine! The heroine doesn’t need help!

Yet, I had reached a low I had never reached before and I didn’t know where to turn, except to the love of a friend that I knew could show me God’s love when I couldn’t see it myself. Granted, I didn’t just ask anyone for help: I asked someone I trusted deeply and knew had my best interest at heart and a deep prayer life. And he helped me make a plan of baby steps for the path forward: not a big overarching plan, but a: “email professors to ask for an extension, go to office hours to do better in class, and ask for help from club-members to get back on track” kind of plan. There was no lightning-striking kind of moment, but God spoke in the quiet wind, so to speak, and I humbly accepted a plan which was quite wise and ended up being a solution that brought about a very good end of the year.

So I guess really fortitude needs to be balanced with humility. The humility to say: my strength comes from God. The humility to say: discernment of what is of value and what to do is not easy, but can be aided by prayer, by quiet listening to baby steps, and by acknowledgement of the dire necessity of help from others who you know mimic God’s love.

In gratitude for good friends and grace,
GWA

Finding Peace in the Chaos

 

Hello lovely viewers, if I don’t sound like GWA…it’s because I’m not her.  If I do…that just shows I’m a loyal reader!

I promised to guest write a post for GWA because I was blessed enough to attend World Youth Day this past July in beautiful Rio de Janeiro!

Sadly, I didn’t learn much Portuguese besides Obrigada (thank you when said by a woman) and bom dia (good day/morning)!  Thankfully, I did learn more about the Church, the youth, and myself.

 —

Two weeks before the commencement of World Youth Day, I attended a pre-WYD program called Magis, which is run by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).  This program brought together over 1,800 pilgrims from about 50 countries all around the world.  We were broken up into small groups of 30 and sent forth across Brazil to engage in “experiences”.  My experience group went to Rio to work in a school in one of the favelas.  This school was built to service the deaf children of Rio, but since has expanded to educate all children: hearing, deaf, and those with special needs.

Each day, we were given a Bible passage to read along with some of St. Ignatius’s “Spiritual Exercises”.  I don’t know why I am still surprised when God hits me with exactly what I need to hear.  The theme for July 17^th was “Internal Willingness” and our phrase to focus on was “Look at the life that is given”.

A little background on me:

I am a planner.  I am constantly trying to prepare myself for what’s ahead.  Even in the group I travelled to WYD with, I was given the title “Most Prepared”.  My 30 pound Boy Scout approved backpack had everything I could have thought of needing in Brazil; including, but not limited to: antibiotics, a camera, an extra camera, batteries galore in case my charger broke, a random drinking cup, emergency toilet paper, etc.  Did I mention we were staying in the local university’s gym?  Geesh, I wonder why my bag was so heavy?

In my various sports teams of past, I was always the “Team Mom” because I had my first aid kit (obviously), sunscreen and bug spray (of course), and my self powered generator (okay, not really).  But it’s just always been part of my compulsive nature.

I feel that if I’m ready, then whatever lies ahead will be easier.  The road will be smoother.  But life can’t be scheduled and prioritized and put on a to-do list.  Life must be lived.  It is inconsistent and messy and wild and beautiful.  Besides, God has His plan for us all figured out; the hard work is done.  It’s our job to let go and let Jesus Take the Wheel (Thanks, Carrie Underwood!). :)

So my task at the school was to paint the outdoor sports courts.  It was a lot of work, but a simple enough job.  Or so I thought…I would soon learn that my real task was to learn patience, patience, patience…did I mention patience?

(Not something my planning and only child self has much of.  Although, it has gotten a lot better after teaching a gaggle of elementary school kids tennis and arming them with weapons, aka tennis racquets.  Don’t let me fool you, it was a great job. But I digress…)

When I was working on the courts we had planned everything beautifully.  The language barrier within my group of Americans, French, and Brazilians was still a struggle, but we were chugging along.  Then…the middle-schoolers came.  Cue dramatic music…dunh, dunh, duuuunnnh.  After a lunch break, we came back to find about 10 kids at work on the courts.  At first, it was a relief because they had painted so much and we had been worrying about finishing on schedule.  But when I inspected the situation closer, I was less assured.  The kids were, well, kids.  They weren’t being careful and were fighting over supplies.  They were painting themselves into corners and walking around with paint on their feet.  MY COURTS! THIS IS A DISASTER! I screamed in my head.  I imagine a cartoon me with steam blowing out of my ears.

I felt all my control over the situation being snatched away.  When my teacher side came out and I wanted to use my authoritative voice and tell the kids what they should do, I couldn’t get it across.  CURSE YOU LANGUAGE BARRIER! I was anxious. I was tested.

But then I thought of my “internal willingness” or lack there-of, and I opened my eyes, and saw God on that court.  I intentionally calmed myself down and tried to embrace the situation.

With a calmer heart, I saw what was important.  The kids were having a blast, working together, and bettering their school.  I got to interact with them and we were all working as one.

Is the court perfect? Not at all.  But it is something those kids will use everyday and they will remember how they helped paint it.  I think they’ll be proud.

What I learned from this instance: I want to take all the experiences as they come and for what they are, not try to force them into my own mold.  I think when we are anxious and uncomfortable, it is because we are fighting against God’s plan.  Don’t get me wrong, God isn’t always the “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” God (Matthew, 11:30), but He knows where we are and where we’re going.  He’s guiding us every step of the way.  But sometimes He whispers, that’s why we have to discern. 

From this experience, I have realized so much.  I started out praying for patience and acceptance, but by the end I realized what I needed and what I received was openness.  Openness to experiences, to imperfections, to love, to loving and accepting others and myself, to God.

God answered my unasked prayers.

As I closed all my journal entries:

AMDG (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam — For the Greater Glory of God)

What Ryan Gosling Has Taught Me About Life…

That all you need are a pair of hipster glasses and a weird instrument to look really attractive…

But seriously though, I know what you are probably thinking right now: “I’m switching to another blog because why would I listen to some random person tell me to dress modestly…”

Well, I’ll give you 3 good reasons:

-above…

-you are not a piece of meat to be drooled over and viewed as if you’re a compilation of “good”/”attractive” parts — you are a person

-do you want someone’s first impression of you to be: wow, she has nice legs or wow, she’s beautiful

*As just a side-note, even if a woman was dressed completely immodestly that’s no excuse for a man’s bad-behavior. I’m NOT of the opinion that “boys will be boys” (that’s just crap).  But I still think dressing with dignity and class is important*

—

Now that we’ve established that point, I will show you some ways I’ve adapted my old clothes to jazz them up and make them a bit classier.

*In other words,

pull out your needles and thread, get your scissors, and take notes —

it’s about to get crafty in GWA*

1. Adjust the straps of a dress or shirt so that it fits you better and you are not *falling out of it* Very easy to do this — pull the straps down, make a fold, and sew a couple stitches (even if you’ve never sewed before, you can do this)

 

2. Fix your hemline — In this instance, I actually made the dress shorter so that it fit better (definitely built for a much taller person). I included this, because if you are struggling with skirts, dresses, pants that are too big, you can try to fix the hemline yourself (unless it’s a tricky fabric, it shouldn’t be too hard — just make sure you sew straight)

 

3. Get yourself some fabric and go crazy — Ever had the experience of getting a cute dress or skirt and wishing that it was just an inch or two longer. Well, it can be! I experimented with adding hems to a dress and skirt that I had and surprisingly it was pretty easy to do and looked cute! Look below and be inspired.

The hem on the right has big scalloped edges, while the hem on the left is just plain white fabric

                         …and…

4. Save money and revamp old clothes — Not sure what to do with that unfortunately shaped button-down — cut off the sleeves and make a cute new shirt or cut off the collar and make a tunic!

  …or…

  

 

5. GET CRAFTY!! If you have a brain (which you all do–phew!) you have the ability to be creative. REPEAT THIS TO YOURSELF — I CAN BE CRAFTY! For example…

This dress was too short, had one of those awful elastic waist-bands, and was a simple shift. In other words, not only was it so short I felt uncomfortable sitting at the front of class, but it also had a not so attractive pouch right where the waist-band was. So, I sewed in the white waist-band, added the bright pink zipper, and went crazy with a gold button in the back. It added some length and excitement to an old plain dress.

 * * *

The point of this post is that I’ve gone through style phases in my 19 years of life…

Phase 1: I don’t think I’m all that pretty, so I don’t really care what I wear

Phase 2: I notice I get guys’ attentions when I “take advantage of” how I look and wear clothes that don’t look that classy. A.K.A. I thought being attractive was my only asset (where do girls get that warped mentality from…)

Phase 3: I reverted back to a version of phase 1 in which I wear clothes that show no curves and could in no way be construed as revealing (GASP! I’m a woman and have curves! That’s shameful! — that was my inner monologue)

Phase 4: Now — I am trying to find clothes (or adjust clothes that I find) that show how beautiful I am. 

Whatever you do, don’t settle for clothes that make you feel less than beautiful.

And bring a needle and thread with you to college — you’ll never be without a cute outfit.

Yours truly,

GWA

Who am I?

Who are we and where are we going?

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that? Who are you really? What would happen if you weren’t the head of that club, if you became paralyzed, if you could no longer remember as much as you used to…essentially, if all of the things that made you feel important and worthy of people’s time, just went away?

Your life would still have dignity and meaning.

Because you were created in the image and likeness of God.

This summer, I’ve been singing at a nursing home near my house and being around the elderly, many of whom at this nursing home, have dementia or Alzheimer’s, need assistance going to the bathroom and taking a bath, and no longer receive prizes, awards, or much in the way of praise from society. And yet, each and every one of them still has dignity and you can see it in the smiles of the ladies that sing along to “Fly Me to the Moon”, that there is still joy and grace when all cause for earthly praise is gone. As my mom put it, you’re slowly stripped of all that can give you pride in yourself, so that when you meet God, you are just you. As beautiful as truly you are, when you are truly just yourself. For God sees beyond what we see as important, and sees a greater importance and a greater purpose.

—

I picked out my top 5 quotes from this section, on a variety of different topics, but I think that the idea above is the main theme for this section and for the whole of the Christian faith. We are in a constant struggle because of original sin to discover who God truly calls us to be, but that does not mean that in that struggle we won’t have incredible moments of grace. At each moment of the struggle, wherever we are at, we are created with dignity, surrounded with love, and are called again to come to God.

1. “For God grants his creatures not only their existence, but also the dignity of acting on their own, of being causes and principles for each other, and thus of cooperating in the accomplishment of his plan” 306

2. “God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil. He permits it, however, because he respects the freedom of his creatures and, mysteriously, knows how to derive good from it…But for all that, evil never becomes a good” 311

3. “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God” 336

4. “Man and woman were made “for each other” – not that God left them half-made and incomplete: he created them to be a communion of persons, in which each can be “helpmate” to the other, for they are equal as persons (“bone of my bones…”) and complementary as masculine and feminine. In marriage God unites them in such a way that, by forming “one flesh”, they can transmit human life: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” By transmitting human life to their descendants, man and woman as spouses and parents cooperate in a unique way in the Creator’s work” 372

5. “After his fall, man was not abandoned by God. On the contrary, God calls him and in a mysterious way heralds the coming victory over evil and his restoration from his fall. This passage in Genesis is called the Protoevangelium (“first gospel”): the first announcement of the Messiah and Redeemer, of a battle between the serpent and the Woman, and of the final victory of a descendant of hers” 410

And I’ll end with this little quote from this section:

no creature is self-sufficient 340

In my prayers as I hope I am in yours,

GWA

Week 5 — CCC pg. 74-105, Part 1: Profession of Faith

Let the Count-Down Begin!!! AND The Cooking Chronicles

*for my (insert college name) friends*

*you’re welcome*

15 DAYYYSSSSSSSSS!

In case you are not aware, I move in to start a second year of college in 15 days!!!!

I’m just a little excited :D

The only down-side about moving in, is that I won’t be able to see my friends from back home, who I was able to see this summer (but don’t worry, I’ll make them come visit…I’ll lure them in with my nerdy memes and delicious recipes).

But I’m SOO excited to move-in and dedicate this post to my friends across the country and around the world!

—

Now, on Friday I saw some of my friends from home and my dear-friend and awesome next-door neighbor Rachel mentioned that she is going to be doing a lot of cooking in her apartment this year and needs some easy recipes. So this post is dedicated to her and all other college cooks out there. :)

My goal for this coming year is to cook a real meal at least once a week. I got the lowest possible meal plan (10 meals a week) so I’m hoping to find some easy recipes. Here are my requirements:

-ingredients that are cheap and easy to find

-using as little cooking utensils as possible

-cheap spices

-something healthy and exciting to make

So I’ll be posting my successful recipes and little tips on how to make them during the year when the cooking adventure begins, but I wanted to list some blogs that sound very promising for finding good, easy, healthy recipes. I scoured the interweb for you, so enjoy!

Yours truly,

GWA

EXCITING RECIPES

*gluten-free pizza — for my gluten-free friend Kelly

http://thecollegiatecook.blogspot.com/2012/05/asparagus-socca-pizza.html#more

*morning muffins — healthy muffins made of oatmeal…this might replace my morning oatmeal ritual

http://thecollegiatecook.blogspot.com/2010/02/whole-wheat-oatmeal-muffin.html

*delicious soup — seems perfect for cold weather

http://thecollegiatecook.blogspot.com/2012/02/roasted-butternut-squash-soup.html#more

*bagels — I LOVE BAGELS so if this is a fun recipe, I could make some on the weekends and refrigerate them for throughout the week!

http://cooking-in-college.com/2012/07/12/homemade-bagels/

*meatballs — hmm, in pasta, as a snack, make of turkey…interesting…

http://cooking-in-college.com/2011/10/12/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-turkey-meatballs/

*sauteed spinach — anytime I eat spinach, I feel like a super-hero…enough said

http://cooking-in-college.com/2011/07/01/veggie-week-part-iii-spinach/

*mug foods — this is just plain ol’ magical

http://www.buzzfeed.com/arielknutson/delicious-snacks-in-a-mug

Quiet

Perhaps the hardest thing to find in college. And yet, the most important.

I came into college not exactly knowing what I wanted to do and I have had to think about things I had never seriously thought about before. Things like, what it is I believed about God, life after death, my opinion on topics like abortion and gay marriage, and how I wanted to spend my life and my time. I have more freedom now to choose a major, pick clubs, apply to jobs and internships, go where I want when I want than I ever had before.

To be honest that was terrifying.

Because of that, instead of approaching situations calmly, I went blazing ahead without any real direction. God had a way of creeping back into my life and calming things down.

When I first came to college, I applied to and tried out for many groups and opportunities, many of which fell through. In a weird way, it was one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given. With my free time, I turned to opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise pursued. I joined a choir that sings at a mass in which there is a lot of emphasis on quiet reflection. I joined a prayer group, which has taught me to balance listening and talking. I began to go to weekly mass. And when I had a bad day, when I felt lost, or overwhelmed, or anxious for whatever reason, I would just sit in this chapel at my university that was open all of the time and pray.

This has made a tremendous difference in my life, and I’d encourage you to seek out ways in which you can find time for quiet. There’s a lot of pressure in college and frankly everyone will have a different opinion on how you should live your life. What is most important is that you listen to the advice of people you respect…then pray. When I was busy and crazed (a continual struggle for me) I was frustrated because I felt like God wasn’t making Himself clear. The truth was, God was there, I just wasn’t allowing Him to speak.

Even if it’s just taking a walk during the day–spend some time in quiet.

Yours truly,

GWA

How to Survive Awkward Situations

*Before the Awkward Turtle, There Was the Awkward Llama*

Life is full of them. And it’s high time we all faced and embraced “the awkward moment.” Let me tell you a few examples from my own life. 

1. At my first ever sleep-away camp, I made friends by knocking on people’s doors and asking if they wanted to play apples-to-apples — this actually worked pretty well!

2. I thought a fish-printed (BIG-BRIGHT-COLORFUL-FISHIFIED) skirt was cool at my eighth grade dance — to be honest, I’m pretty proud of it, actually 

3. I have experienced sneeze-attacks before, in which (I know, this gets graphic here) literally snot has gotten on clothing — the joys of having a cold while in the library quiet section studying (note: this was a couple months ago). 

4. I have run into a set of lockers, a parked car, and tripped on my feet while walking on a flat surface before–actually, these things have all happened multiple times

5. I accidentally ate a friend’s hair while giving her a hug — the hair just went into my mouth, I must have been trying to talk or something — thankfully, it was a friend

6. When I had to wear my retainer all of the time (do orthodontists take pleasure in their patients’ social pain?) it fell out of my mouth right after exiting a roller-coaster (and not just gently and quietly falling to the ground, this thing exploded out of my mouth) 

Looking back these things are kinda hilarious and I hope I made you laugh too, because what’s so funny about everyone’s awkward moments is that everyone understands these moments. However, when I first came to college I felt like I didn’t belong, because I was awkward while everyone else was sophisticated and cool. 

As a result, I had a hard time making friends right away and it seemed like everyone else was way smarter, more put together, and more sophisticated than I was. I felt like that poor llama — the only one with that awkward hair cut, while everyone else is nicely fluffy and normal. 

And then I went on a retreat!

The Catholic student organization at my university coordinated a retreat for freshmen as a way for them to get to know other Catholic freshmen, in a no-stress environment away from school in which they can learn about themselves and face whatever might be terrifying them about college. It was at this retreat that I made a really close group of friends, was finally able to find people who were honest about how stressful the transition to college was, and to deal with my own insecurities. It was at this retreat that I was able to realize how I had left high school in a bad place — don’t get me wrong, there was nothing about my high school to make it worse than other high schools, but I felt as if I had been forced into a strict stereotype that I hated. And I had been holding on to frustrations and a lot of anger that I really needed to let go of. 

Now it wasn’t as if after that retreat everything had changed, but slowly I began a series of close friendships with people who I had met from the retreat. Friendships that have lasted and that I know will last because they are with people that continually inspire me to be authentically myself. 

Now getting back to the awkward-llama-me. I’m still that same awkward person. I still love board games (I’m not too old to admit it), I still sneeze really loudly (and at times violently), I still run into things frequently, I still like wearing colorful clothing in a world that seems to be continually favoring black and gray (sadly I got rid of the fish skirt, when I was going through a “cool” phase in 9th grade), and I still find myself saying goofy things that I at times regret and being in situations that make me feel awkward. Rather than “fixing” that awkwardness, I have learned to embrace it. For it truly is in taking ourselves a little less seriously and being grateful for what we have that we can find good friends. I think part of the problem with when I began college was that I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin, which people could recognize. When I was more honest and embraced that I was in fact human I found myself having more fun and making friends more easily. 

Moral of the story — embrace the awkward llama. And don’t think that it’s too late to find a good group of friends in college, or wherever you might be in your life. It took me months to find good friends in college and I’m still making good friends and I know I will be.

Yours truly, 

GWA

 

Week 3 — Nothing Is Impossible (Catechism pgs. 39-73)

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1

Now during the school year I don’t get a ton of time to be outdoors, but I love going hiking and I took this picture on my first outdoor adventure of the summer (YAY!) to a canal near my house. What I loved about the picture is that even though I couldn’t capture the crazy wind that was happening at the time, you can see the effects of the wind on the water really clearly. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

This section of the Catechism really grapples with all of our preconceived notions of what faith is. To some faith is hoping in something completely ridiculous, unknown, unscientific, and illogical. However, I’d like to offer a separate viewpoint.

First of all, yes. Do some research on any saint and you will find that almost every single saint had moments when he or she struggled with his or her faith–wondering about the things unseen and feeling abandoned by God. Yet, they continued to believe because there is a need in humans for some greater beauty, meaning, love, and truth and some being that encompasses all of those things. Even though you cannot see the wind in the picture, it does not mean it is not there; even the water can’t help but reflect the power of the wind, just as all sorts of things here on Earth reflect God’s grace.

Now that we’ve established that baseline, I picked some parts of this section that I felt were most important to my faith and that I hope will help you in whatever you might be struggling with. And that helped me in realizing that faith is not illogical, not unscientific, and not hopeless day-dreaming.

1st) “I believe in order to understand and I understand the better to believe” — St. Augustine

Faith and reason, logic, science work together because “Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth” (Catechism, Part 1, Chapter 3, 159) Just as the ism goes, God created the dirt, dirt don’t hurt. Well, maybe don’t go about swallowing tons of dirt, but the point is God created the Earth and the human mind and so naturally (no pun intended, although I’m pretty proud of myself for that one) science and logic reflect and point to God’s existence.

2nd) Faith is a human act — “Even in human relations it is not contrary to our dignity to believe what other persons tell us about themselves and their intentions or to trust their promises (for example, when a man and a woman marry) to share a communion of life with one another. If this is so, still less is it contrary to our dignity to “yield by faith the full submission of…intellect and will to God who reveals” and to share in an interior communion with him.” (C, 154) Our whole being reflects God and a desire for relationship with God. In just this manner, to truly be in relationship with God, we have to offer up all of ourself, rather than separating our “religious” life to times when we are at mass. “Jesus himself affirms that God is “the one Lord” whom you must love “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (C, 202)

3rd) God is mysterious, above all that we can readily see and understand, and is infinitely faithful. This is shown in the name He gives to Moses “I am who am” — His love is without end throughout all time as He always is. And He makes Himself present to all people at all times:”To disclose one’s name is to make oneself known to others; in a way it is to hand oneself over by becoming accessible, capable of being known more intimately and addressed personally.” (C, 203)

Lastly, God is all powerful and nothing is impossible with God. We see this in the mystery of the Trinity that we profess each time we make the sign of the cross and in the mystery of the incarnation. Mary’s faith in God points to this as she trusted that nothing would be impossible with God. This section ends with a thought-provoking question, which challenges you to really think about what are the words we say every mass or every time we make the sign of the cross:

If we do not believe that God’s love is almighty, how can we believe that the Father could create us, the Son redeem us, and the Holy Spirit sanctify us? (C, 278) 

All of the time, friends and family members ask me for prayers and at times I’ve felt discouraged about what the role of prayer even is. Yet, if I truly believe in the existence of God, if I truly believe in Christ, the existence of both of which are incredibly miraculous and mysterious, then I know and can trust that prayers are powerful. And I can know not to lose hope even in difficult situations, when it seems all hope is lost.

Yours truly,

GWA

The Super-Hero Major

*Captain America, my favorite super-hero*

Abraham Erskine: Yeah, but…there were other…effects. The serum was not ready. But more important, the man. The serum amplifies everything that is inside, so good becomes great; bad becomes worse. This is why you were chosen. Because the strong man who has known power all his life, may lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows… compassion.

Steve Rogers (a.k.a. Captain America): Thanks. I think.

Abraham Erskine: [Gesturing toward the wine] Get it, get it. Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are, not a perfect soldier, but a good man.

—

If I had a penny for how many times I have been asked “What’s your major?”, I’d be so rich I could buy a million posters of Captain America. It’s the most frequently asked question of college students and if you’re someone like me who is still trying to figure out where your interests and talents lie, let alone what career you’d like to have, not only does this question seem daunting, but it’s somewhat limiting. Or at least it feels that way to me because I have this preconceived notion of what a major must mean.

In my mind, when I say my potential major people are sizing me up based on a stereotype — government majors are power-hungry, business majors just want money, English majors are delusional and won’t find a job, and psychology and education majors aren’t that bright. Now of course, NONE of those stereotypes are true, and I know that because I know whole groups of people who bash each one of those stereotypes and yet…I find myself thinking that ridiculous thought.

And then I inevitably panic because I think that declaring a major will mean I cannot take classes in any other area, must solely focus on that major, and that I’m stuck doing something related to that major for the rest of my life. Another lie.

The reality is that one’s major doesn’t determine one’s entire future and by no means determines your holiness. People can and should change and grow throughout their lives and use their gifts and there are as many paths to holiness as there are saints (which is a whole lot, because we’re all called to be saints after all). Take my mom for instance who graduated from college with an accounting degree, then became a successful lawyer after realizing she disliked being an accountant, then decided she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, and now is in school to become a psychologist. I’m not saying that you should just pick a major right away and be done with the whole business or that you should remain on the sidelines and avoid the process. Merely, I’m reminding myself be patient, trusting, and approach the whole process with 1) prayer, 2) reflection, and 3) a super-hero-in-training mentality.

First, in regard to prayer, I love this quote from Jeremiah 29: 11-14:

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call me, when you go to pray for me, I will listen to you. When you look for me you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you, says the Lord, and I will change your lot

This passage gives me a lot of hope as I consider (1st) how blessed I am to even have the dilemma of deciding between careers and the freedom to do so, but also (2nd) that God has a plan much greater and more mysterious than I can ever know. He’s got me covered. And prayers have a funny way of working themselves out, so I’m going to pray about it.

Second, in the manner of reflection, I want to pick a major (or an area of study) that will reflect my gifts and that will use them to allow me to grow into a better person. Every person’s experiences in life are unique and I don’t believe that is an accident. I believe that God can create really amazing things out of what you offer — whether it’s your experience caring for a sick relative that has given you a unique insight into treating patients with dignity as a doctor, or helping a parent or family friend navigate the complicated immigration system that has allowed you to understand ways in which immigration reform should proceed. Reflect on your experiences and see how you can offer your life to God, using what you already know. I’m in the process of doing that right now–I’ll let you know how it goes!

Lastly, in regard to the “super-hero in training” mentality, I’ve joked around with my friends saying that I want the Super-Hero major because I’ve changed my potential major more times than I’ve shared. Even though the Super-Hero major isn’t a reality, I would like my college experience to reflect the Super-Hero way of life because a super-hero can’t just be strong, he or she also has to be intelligent, kind, and have a motivation to keep on even when there seems to be no cause for hope. I want to be a well-rounded person in the sense that in college I will learn more about my faith, challenge my intellect in areas unfamiliar, treat those around me with kindness, and expand my community to help those from places unfamiliar, whether nearby or far-away.

So, if anyone else out there is concerned about determining a major, don’t lose hope! You are all called to be super-heroes after all, and hope is a super-hero’s greatest weapon. You’ll be in my prayers as I hope I’ll be in yours (see what I did there?).

Yours truly,

GWA

*If anyone has advice on determining a major or career, please share! :)