7 Quick Takes on G/Valentine's Day, Mary, and Roadtrips [16]

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SO MANY GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND.
1. Valentine's date with Jess
2. Ballet date with Carol
3. MOVING
4. Discipleship group
5. King David in Kindergarten

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I started a novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots on Tuesday. I learned about this bomb title of Mary at training this past summer, and really, really wanted to pray it. I probably should have because Jesus was showing all these different wounds and stuff, but I didn't feel like it was the time.

image via.

I wrote that post about my dating fast when I was on retreat with the Little Sisters of the Poor. So when I was the Greek Getaways on Friday, I suddenly knew it was time to pray that novena. So, obviously I waited until Tuesday to start...

It's been really great so far. It's amazing to me how as I do the meditation Mary reveals I different knot I need untied. I'm excited to keep going and see how it turns out.

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Guys, my blogger is set to central time zone and I have no idea how to fix it. Can anyone help a sista out!?

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Please enjoy this photo of me & my worst enemy/bff JohnMarc being reunited.

yes, this is a selfie.

It was good to see JMS & all the other mishes and catch up at the Getaway's this past weekend. This venue was much better and so much better to work with.

I did spill wax on my dress (what the heck!?). It is currently in the freezer so I can scrape it off. Wax is weird.

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Last night Carol & I celebrated Galentine's day with some wine, chocolate covered strawberries, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and some good old fashioned dance partying.

image via.

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THIS:

image via.

"Guess what day it is!?"
"ETERNITY."

hahahahahaha.

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One week from today I will be road tripping home to do some fundraising. I am looking forward to giving my parish talk and hopefully seeing some current mission partners to just catch up. It'll be nice to be home during a "normal" week - Joey has 3 basketball games and I'm going to try to pop up to KU to see Tommy for an afternoon. Then the big goal is to road trip back to CO through Lincoln to visit my old team and students. Hooray for road trips!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7QT on Podunk Mountain Towns [15]

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SURPRISE! I'm in North Carolina. It's time for Greek Getaway's, take two.

We're on the green half, people.

This one is a little smaller, and there is no skiing. But I am feeling really good about it. We have one Getaway under our belts, and I feel like I am getting better at being the official event executer. My play by play is gorgeous for this event. #spreadsheets.

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Something that is great about these Getaways is that it's a great chance to get to know other missionaries/see missionary friends. I was way too busy at SLS to actually spend time with anyone, so the downtime is nice. I don't know the missionaries on this Getaway as well, so this weekend I get to make new(ish) friends. Yippieeeeee!

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It is way fun being here in the Smoky Mountains. My parent's friends from college and their family's all come here every summer for a vacation. Except I haven't been since 2008 (whoops, camp...). I miss those people a lot, they're pretty much the 3rd side of our family. Yeah, that's how to explain it. When we come here, we rent out a giant house and take over it for 3 days. We hike and swim and explore and eat and just hang out together. I really, really hope I can come this summer. Actually, I hope everyone can come this summer! Let's go back to midnight hole.

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Also, being in a mountain town is so fun. We went to this microbrewery last night and there were total townies there. Along with a legit Podunk town band, equipped with an accordion, bass, fiddle, and over-the-washboard.

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This summer, I will have officially been friends with my summer 2009 camp friends for 5 years. And Drake friends for 6. Woah.

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I finally had some time to do some soul searching and big time goal setting and dreaming on the plane on Wednesday. It was cool, because it stemmed from me thinking about a financial goal I could set...a post to come on this!

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My plane ride was very productive - I had some really raw and honest prayer for the first time in awhile. I had a weird experience in adoration on that retreat a few weekends ago, and I think I actually was able to confront it and get to the bottom of a few things.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Putting Together the Pieces

This past weekend, Sister Colleen gave a talk on moments when God has come down and touched our lives. She asked us to reflect on eight key moments in our lives where this has happened and to carry them with us as we took time to figure out who we are now. 

1. Little Miss Christie Auditions 

In the 6th grade, I didn't get cast in the school play. I was pretty bummed. So about two months prior to auditions the next year, I started praying every single day. I would say my route prayers (mainly the rosary) and then ask Jesus to let me make the play. Precious. After I was cast, I keep praying almost every night, for a long time. 

Though I don't remember a specific moment, I know that this time in my life was graced. I saw the power of God and responded to it. Though it was for a silly petition, I saw that God desired my well being and began to lay foundations of prayer in my life. I really believe this response to His pursuit of me is what set me up to grow in my faith a few years down the road. 

2. Destination Jesus - Out of the Jungle

I was required to go on a retreat for confirmation.  This meant joining the ranks of DJ graduates. Though I could not tell you the specifics of what was talked about on this retreat, I can tell you exactly what happened that Saturday night in 2005. It was the first time I had experienced adoration and in that high school gym, Jesus came down and touched me. I was filled with His presence and His love and I was intensely overcome with joy. I knew, in that moment, that not only was Jesus truly God, but He was truly present in the Eucharist. This moment solidified my faith, and kept me Catholic when I was a sophomore in college. 

3. Camp Tecumseh 

Surprise, camp made the list. There are so many things I could list on how The Lord came down into my reality from campers sharing their hearts to friends to the beauty of nature to chapels. But what I want to focus on is the preparation Arielle and I put into bringing back the "10 Lepers" chapel. I think that was the first time I really sat with scripture and applied it to my life. I spent hours sitting and talking with Arielle and Tom, looking into how Jesus had worked in my life and how it had brought me to where I was today. We chose to focus on the one leper who had thanked Jesus for healing him. The humility of this leper showed me how to thank Jesus for the blessings in my own life and taught me how to listen to the voice of god in scripture. Arielle's willingness to share her heart through the experience brought us incredibly close as friends, and opened my heart to a deep friendship with Jesus. 

4. Delta Gamma - TDH

This is going to be a lame explanation, because I can't explain this one. TDH are some of Delta Gamma's secret values that correspond with who we are as a fraternity. All I can say is that when I really learned what these things meant, they launched me forward to a deepened relationship with Jesus. 

5.  Mission Trip to the Bronx

This trip opened my heart to receive Jesus' love in a new way. Here I saw how alive Jesus is today. I was blown away by how present He was in such a huge city, and how many young people across our country are fighting for Him. Here I opened my heart to what Jesus wants for my life, not just the plan I've created. That has made all the difference these last few years.

6. FOCUS 

Oh, FOCUS. As I reflect on the people Jesus has put in my life to draw me to Him through this organization, I am overcome with gratitude. FOCUS came into my life right as I started to respond to Jesus' pursuit of me. All of the missionaries and students that I have been blessed to know have challenged me to respond to Jesus' love for me, to go deeper, and to share my faith in a new and radical way. I have learned to pray, how to be present, how to love, and so many more things because of FOCUS. I am so grateful to this organization. I am who I am today because of FOCUS. I am so glad FOCUS is still a part of my life and I am excited to see how being an office missionary will continue to shape my life.

7. The Visitation

This summer, pregnant Mary started stalking me. And she hasn't left me alone. I'm pretty okay with it. Mary's journey to help her cousin Elizabeth is her response to being filled with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Mary says yes to God, is filled with the two other members of the trinity, and immediately, without hesitation, sets out to serve others. I want to be like this. I've stayed with Mary's Magnificat and this image for a few months now, and the more I reflect on it, the more I want to be like Mary. I want my yes to God to bring Jesus to other people, simply in being who I am.  

8. Moving to Colorado

This might have just happened, but these past two months have just been saturated with Jesus. I told a friend last week that I feel like I'm on the cusp of something big. Never has my faith been so consistently alive. I am learning to be more self aware, to trust the desires Jesus has given me, and to live in the physical presence of God. I know that this is graced time, and the deepening of my trust in Gods love will set me up for an ever deepening relationship with Jesus. 

The pieces of our lives come together, as signs of God's love for us. They may not fit where we thought they would, but they all play a critical role in shaping who we are.

Cheesey, yes. But I liked it. 

3rd Annual Greek Gala

Studying defense mechanisms such as denial seems to be quite the appropriate time to update my blog. I have had quite the busy week - I've been working hard to work ahead so next week isn't too crazy with all of my exams.

On Thursday, I attended the 3rd Annual Greek Gala. In 2010 Ryan, Leigh, and I planned the first gala in quite a long time.  Though it was weird not being in charge of the event in some capacity, it was fun to see how the event had evolved. I loved seeing a few members of my old council, friends I don't get to see much of any more.

The slide show showcased pictures of each chapter and their success throughout 2011. We mingled among leaders from each chapter as we ate from the chocolate fountain and celebrated how much we have grown in inter-fraternalism in three short years.

I got emotional as I was walking across campus towards Levitt Hall. Panhellenic has played a huge role in my college career and I have grown so much because of the people who I have met because of it.

This was the first realization that I am graduating in forty-three days. I do not have adequate words to express my gratitude for the opportunities these people have provided me with.

As DG's Greek Programming Representative, I learned that I have a knack for planning events and am passionate about positive programming.The support and encouragement from Peter and Tisleen gave me the courage I needed to run. This position launched every single thing I was able to do on campus and set up an incredible foundation for personal growth.

In 2010 I learned how to balance a ridiculous schedule, how to incorporate DG's values into my everyday life, how to lead with integrity, and how to pull off (seemingly) flawless events. I gained incredible best friends who I learned how to lead from and looked up to more than I could imagine. They were there for me when times got harder than I could have imagined and encouraged me in my pursuit of bettering the community. That year was filled with incredible hardships, and without the women on that council, my programming partner, and advisor, I'm not sure how I would have made it through.

As president I learned how to be a servant leader and how to support the tasks and goals of the women on my council. 

These women turned into wonderful, close friends who I learned so much about being fair and working for a common good from.

These friendships taught me what it means to be a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Phi, Alpha Delta Pi, and Kappa Alpha Theta. I know I more fully appreciate the diversity of the Panhellenic organizations because of these women.

While walking over to the Gala on Thursday, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for these relationships. I was excited to see the friends who would be there, but I wished Leigh, Amelia, Kari, and Ryan could have been there as well.

I was so proud of my sisters who won individual awards that evening, and was proud and emotional when receiving mine. I went through a lot of hard months striving to make our campus a better place, and it was so great to be recognized for those achievements alongside the other incredible leaders in our community.

Congratulations to all who won an award this past Thursday and to those who were nominated. I cannot thank those I have worked with these past three years enough for allowing me to grow alongside you. Thank you for putting up with my rantings, mistakes, inspirations, and long meetings (anyone up for thirty minute highs and lows?). Thank you for encouraging me to keep trying even when it seemed like no one else would ever understand the importance of our values. Thank you for letting me cry with you and thank you for letting me laugh with you.

Most importantly, thank you all for being my friend. I am so proud to be a member of the Drake Greek Community and will value these years and friendships for all my years to come.

A Journey.

My journey as a Futures Quest mentor ended today.

It's funny, really. We started off as strangers. Most of us knew no one. Yet in two and a half days, thirty fraternity men from around the country came together as more than friends; they came together as brothers. They do not wear the same letters. They hold different values closest to their hearts. Yet, they share a common bond. A bond of Ritual, a bond of brotherhood, and a bond of striving for excellence. They came to Futures Quest unsure of what to expect. They left better people, who are more committed to their values.

Never in my life have I been inspired by men my age. Yet these past few days, I have experienced more inspirational moments than ever before. These men came in, became vulnerable to each other, trusted the process, and grew. They made commitments to themselves, to their fraternity, and to each other. I am proud of each and every one of them.

They have truly given me hope for the future of the fraternal world. I am blessed to have known them.

Their journey at Futures Quest may have ended today. But their journey of changing the world has just begun. I was reminded that my journey has barley begun as well.

Delta Gamma is for hope. Delta Gamma is for strength. Delta Gamma is for life. My voice will not go silent, and I will continue to change the status quo. I will inspire Drake Greeks to become excellent men and women. Because being anything less is unacceptable.

I am excited to see what these men will do.

(PS - pictures will be added when i get my cord)