Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

You've probably heard the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover," but have you ever thought about how that can apply to people? There are millions of people out there - each one different from the last. How do you know what each person is like if you don't know them? The simple answer is: you don't.

There are so many times when I've seen someone maybe across the room or even sitting near me in class and I automatically make a judgement about them. It may be a great judgement or observation, such as noticing their style of dressing or how nice their hair looks. But there have certainly been times when I look at someone and think, "I bet they don't work very hard on their homework" or "they don't seem very friendly." Yet in both of these examples, the person could easily just not understand the teacher and so they look confused all the time, but they spend hours and hours trying to understand the material. And in the second example, the person might just be shy.

Here is a great quote from Mother Teresa:

Rather than automatically judging people and making assumptions about them, we should love them and get to know them first before assuming anything. Maybe try smiling at those people who are shy - you might just get a new friend!

Words Have Power

Words have power. Have you ever thought about that? What you say, what you read, what you hear - all these things have an influence on your life. Sometimes for good and sometimes for bad.

Musical Notes

Music. There are soo many songs out there and different genres of music to listen to. Christian, pop, rap, hip-hop, country, etc. You can find just about any radio station suited to your taste. How many times have you heard a song but never realized what the words are in it? If you take time to really listen and find out what the lyrics are, you may be surprised by what you hear. And often in pop songs, those fun songs can have a tendency to be implying something bad. Not always, but often. Is there better music we can choose to listen to?

Movies!

How about movies? Movies are one of my favorite things to watch in my free time. I LOVE movies! There's so much creativity and great filming and wonderful characters. But just because I love movies doesn't mean I'll watch just anything. Unfortunately, there are countless movies filled with crude sexual humor and foul language. We need to take time to reevaluate what we're watching and decide if it's uplifting us or bringing us down. Is our speech improving or becoming more degrading? Don't get me wrong, sometimes language is in a movie because of historical reasons or to show a character's change/improvement, but these sort of movies should be watched with discretion and in a limited way. The words you hear over and over again can easily become engrained in your mind and just as easily come out of your mouth when you least expect it.

What are you listening to?

What we listen to impacts us more than we realize. So the next time you're listening to a song, pay attention to the lyrics and meaning of the song - and when you go to see the newest movie, double check what you'll be putting into your mind. As Christians, we want to listen to/hear things that will uplift and encourage us. We want to be pure of mind and heart (and speech!).

Our Deepest Fear

What are you afraid of? Spiders? Monsters? Horror Films? Meeting new people? We all have fears of some kind, which can be understandable, but what if our greatest fear was actually about how brilliant, talented, and fabulous we are? This quote from Marianne Williamson is one of the most powerful ones I have ever read - and probably one of my new favorites:

(In case you found the text difficult to read, here it is again)
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Are these things you're afraid of? Being talented and gorgeous because God made you that way? Rather than shrink back in fear, we must stop believing the lies out there that tell we're not great. We are great! And we have the power to change and influence the world for the better - so believe in yourself and believe that God made you great (because he did) and go out and let the light of Christ shine through you. :)

Advent: Preparing for Christ's Coming



        Advent. A word that means "coming." But what or who is coming? Jesus of course! But Jesus already came 2,000 years ago...so why are we celebrating it again? Advent is a time to prepare not so much for the first time Jesus came, but to prepare for his second coming. Each day we live should be as if it were our last. We should be loving those around us and trying to be as close to Jesus as possible. But we aren't perfect and everyone makes mistakes. So advent is yet another reminder of what life is really all about: Preparing for the coming of Jesus.

       As you begin celebrating this season, probably with Christmas shopping, baking, decorating and more, remember to prepare for the coming of Christ. In the end, he is all that matters anyway. Happy Advent!



Advent Wreath



Small Things With Great Love

Finals are coming up in a little over a week and the stress of tests, papers, and assignments is starting to set in more than ever. I find myself getting so caught up in trying to get everything done and finding no time for enjoying life or helping others with what they are doing. I want to do so much to encourage people and let them know I care, but I just don't have enough time!

Stress of Finals Setting In

But it's not about doing a lot or even doing big things. It's the small things in life that are important - especially when we're really busy. Taking time to smile at someone you pass, leaving a sticky note on a friend's dorm room door, hugging people hello, buying someone's drink for them, striking up a conversation with a random stranger while waiting in line......all these things are simple, yet thoughtful - and they just might make someone's day!

Cute Sticky Note

So as you're going through your day and craziness begins to set it, remember what Mother Teresa said:

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

Bumper Sticker Evangelization

Evangelizing is something that each of us is called to do as a baptized Christian. But not all of us are called to do foreign mission trips or give talks or other things along those lines. However, just because we may not be called to be a missionary in the traditional sense, we still have a mission to share Christ with those around us.  We are called to live a life that shows others Christ. We should be showing his love to those around us with our words and actions.

10 Simple, Easy, and Creative Ways to Evangelize

1. Pro-life, Catholic, Christian Bumper Stickers.

2. License Plate Frames

 

3. Post uplifting quotes on Facebook

4. Play Christian Music in your car with the windows open

5. Wear a necklace with a medal or cross on it


6. Wear T-shirts that preach the message


7. Say "God Bless You" when people sneeze


8. Go to the movies whenever good, moral, uplifiting movies come out to support the companies that made them


9. Make the background of your computer a religious image


10. Get a keychain for your keys with a postive message on it.


There are dozens of other ideas, but these are just a few to get you started. Go out and spread the good news! :)

p.s. check out Catholic To the Max for some great bumper stickers, keychains, license plates

Modesty is a Virtue

Modesty. A word that people both love and hate. How can one word cause such opposite feelings? Most of us, when we hear the word think immediately of brown paper sacks, or long skirts and nothing cute to wear. But modesty is not like this at all! 

Modesty, rather than imprisoning us in old-fashion views and styles of dressing, frees us to be the women God created us to be and wear cute, attractive outfits. The Bible says this about modesty: "I also want the women to be modest and sensible about their clothes and to dress properly; not with fancy hair styles or with gold ornaments or pearls or expensive dresses, but with good deeds, as is proper for women to claim to be religious." -1 Timothy 2:9-10.

No where in the Bible (look as hard as you want) does it say that women should wear floor length gowns or dress like nuns. Rather, it says to be modest and sensible about our clothes. But modesty is not just about our clothing; it starts in our hearts. St. Paul also says in the second verse that we are to be adorned with good deeds. Good deeds have nothing to do with clothing, yet they are a part of what modesty is. How can this be?

As I said earlier, modesty starts in our hearts. We need to be modest and pure in our thoughts, speech, and actions, as well as our dress. Even a promiscuous woman can dress modestly, but if she acts in a sexual, provocative way, is she truly being modest? When our hearts are centered on Christ and following his plan for our life, we will desire to act and dress in a way that reflects Christ and his love for us.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, there is not list of what to wear and what not to wear. This is why forming our hearts is so important. We can only know what is modest if we have a well-formed conscience, if we are filling our lives with holy things. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) does offer some good advice on how to decide what is considered modest: "Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden....Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet." -CCC 2521-2522

My favorite part of that quote is the first part: "Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden." This is so beautiful. The Church isn't telling us what we should and shouldn't wear. They simply tell us what I believe every girl knows deep down inside, that we should save what is meant only for our husband's eyes. Modesty is a virtue that we should pursue and nurture the growth of.