Summer Blessings

This summer has been an absolute blessing.

I've had time to read multiple books...from an actual library. I now have the chance to go walking or jogging at times of the day other than before 6 a.m., and to (usually) sleep in until at least 7. It's my time of year to manage the greenhouse,time to start getting fair projects ready,and I only have a little over a month left before I move up to Manhattan. I still manage to be out of town long enough or be busy enough to avoid boredom, and I'm still "the renter who doesn't pay rent" to my dad. Basically.....God is good. Oh come on, that paragraph made you happy-you know you're a big nerd, too.

Along with all the things I've gotten to do (or not do) this summer, my favorite one has been listening. I've gotten to actually spend time with those around me by choice, and not just because we were in the same class or involved with the same activities. We spend time together because we enjoy being around each other; it's as simple as that. This past year, my schedule was so packed that it overshadowed the people in my life. I wasn't ever present when I was at one thing, but was just focused on making it through so I could get to the next commitment in one piece.

Listening is something I've always loved doing, and something that I think we all need to do a little more of. A lot of the people I've been able to spend time with this summer are going through some pretty crazy stuff. Just listening to them tell stories, rant, or ask for advice has been a learning experience for me-sometimes even more than it is for them. I admire those people who are confident and honest enough to open up and let others in when they need to. I look up to so many in my life who have shown undying strength this past year, when things seemed to be literally falling apart around them. I ask myself what I would have done, and I really don't like the honest answer. Hmmm......maybe that's why I didn't have to climb that mountain. That God guy knows what he's doing.

May you continually strive to grow in truth and love. Here are a couple of sentences that pretty much sum up my summer up to this point.

You are living a story written just for you, and no one else. 

Let God surprise you with the amount he can write in a single day.

Angry Fighting

I am not an angry person. I like to listen more than talk, stay in the background whenever possible, and usually try to avoid conflict at all costs. My life is insanely, ridiculously (and sometimes annoyingly) painless compared to those around me. But I am ANGRY.

I'm sick of lies. I'm sick of watching those around me suffer, and of feeling like I can't do anything to help them. I'm angry at the devil for playing his hand so cunningly, and at being trapped by my "freedoms." I'm angry at myself for believing every lie I see, hear, or somehow manage to maneuver into my own brain. Now I know it probably seems like I'm an absolutely crazy lady ranting on and on about how horrible her life is. Take it as you like; I prefer to think of it as an absolutely crazy lady beginning to fight for something bigger. In my opinion, anger is a useful tool when aimed at the right target.

As I drove home earlier today I was thinking about all the spiritual and physical battles being fought, and I thought of something: Don't we prepare before we send troops off to war? Do we not make sure that the men and women leaving everything to fight for our cause have some sort of training? Preparation is useful for just about everything. Want to write a great paper? Prepare by researching. To win a court case, lawyers have to make sure they have a solid argument. How do you win an Olympic gold medal? Endlessly train. How do we triumph over evil in this world? We prepare. 

We've been blessed with the sacraments and opportunities to receive God's grace. Christ fills the tabernacles of this world 24 hours a day, waiting for us to begin training. We've got to spend time with him before our battles begin, learning who we are and who we've been created to be. Preparation is key.

The ruler of this world is out there, picking his fights. He wants you to believe his lies, and to be honest, sometimes those lies seem pretty dang convincing. The one who created this world died for a greater one, and he dies every second of every day in an attempt to show us truth. 

The Evil One says we are made for less; Christ shows we are made for more. Which ruler do you want to fight for?