Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! What a great time of year! Delicious turkeys, yams, rice and pies! It is so great to be with family and friends. The best part though, in my opinion, is the fact that we have set aside a whole day to be thankful. A whole day to rejoice in all of the wonderful and good things that God gives us. So often, I find myself falling into a routine of me. A routine that focuses on all that I want and plan. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to be thankful for all that I do have, to just praise God for my life, my family, my friends, my health, and all of the other blessings that I take for granted. It really reminds me of all that I have to be thankful for. I need to remind myself to always have Thanksgiving in my heart, not in the since that I eat turkey every day, but rather to always thank and praise God. To praise him through every season of my life because I know that he is good and I know that he loves me!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever."
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Christmas Play
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Our drama class has begun to prepare for this Christmas' Christmas play. I am excited! I am so happy to be able to glorify the Lord through a little glimpse of what the first Christmas was like. I am going to play Mary :) , which I am especially excited about since I have begun consecrating myself to Mary and plan to consecrate myself on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe! For those of you who don't know much about consecration to Mary you can search it online, it is St. Louis De Montfort who put it together in the 1700's.
I feel so blessed by our acting group's excitement and am excited to see how it all comes together. I ask that you would pray that it would be blessed and glorify God this upcoming Christmas season. I know that it isn't Christmas time yet but I always love the story of Christmas, the most beautiful display of the Father's love by sending his only son to be born on Earth. I am praying for you :) God Bless.
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Our drama class has begun to prepare for this Christmas' Christmas play. I am excited! I am so happy to be able to glorify the Lord through a little glimpse of what the first Christmas was like. I am going to play Mary :) , which I am especially excited about since I have begun consecrating myself to Mary and plan to consecrate myself on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe! For those of you who don't know much about consecration to Mary you can search it online, it is St. Louis De Montfort who put it together in the 1700's.
I feel so blessed by our acting group's excitement and am excited to see how it all comes together. I ask that you would pray that it would be blessed and glorify God this upcoming Christmas season. I know that it isn't Christmas time yet but I always love the story of Christmas, the most beautiful display of the Father's love by sending his only son to be born on Earth. I am praying for you :) God Bless.
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Beg Letter
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This is my beg letter. God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This past year I have been so abundantly blessed. I have had the opportunity to serve as a missionary in Mexico for twelve weeks at various parts of the year. God has revealed Himself to me through the beautiful people there, and with all of the graces that He has poured upon me in missions. When I am in Mexico I am able to staff various short term groups, which includes leading service teams, translating in the ejidos, and serving the people who come to the mission house for help. I have learned so many things through the people that God sends me to serve; I have learned so much about what joy is, about our awesome God who is our Father.
Witnessing and participating in the great duty of the Church that is missions is too beautiful to accurately put into words. I feel strongly the call to missions, and I know that God has called me to be a missionary. I am not sure if He wants me to be a foreign missionary all of my life yet, but I do know that I am here to serve and live for God. I have been supported by all of my friends and family, and find great strength and joy in the knowledge that they are praying for me and supporting me. I am writing this letter to ask for your support.
Recently, the opportunity to go to World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid has come up. My uncle, also the head of FMC’s youth ministry, is bringing a group of young people to Spain next August to attend World Youth Day. This is a special opportunity because we are going as a group of missionaries to Europe, not just to receive the blessing of WYD, but also to witness and minister during our time there.
We will arrive in London first to visit with a School of Evangelization for young people. I am excited to revisit this community that hosted my family and I before on our mission, our visits with them have always been fruitful opportunities for growth in our missionary vocations. From London we will go to Paris, making a spiritual pilgrimage to churches and the Cathedral there and witnessing our faith as youth in love with Jesus. This is an especially important task in Europe where, sadly, the faith is dying, especially among young people.
Afterwards we will go to Cordoba, Spain. My family and I lived as missionaries there a few years ago and the Diocese that we served in will be hosting a bunch of groups on pilgrimage to World Youth Day. I look forward to this opportunity to reconnect with many of the people we ministered to during our time there. Also, I will be serving as a translator between the english and spanish speakers during our time in Spain. After some time there we will go to Rome and Assisi on pilgrimage. Finally, we will go to Madrid where millions of youth will be gathered with the Holy Father for a week of spiritual growth and community!
I am so blessed by this opportunity. I really feel that it is God’s will for me to attend World Youth Day, serving as a missionary and translator during our time in Europe. The cost of this trip is $2,500, which is a lot of money for me. I know that nothing is impossible for God! So I ask for your help - please, please be praying for me. Pray that if it be His will that I can go to the World Youth Day pilgrimage this upcoming August. Also, I ask that if you feel called to contribute financially to this cause, please do. I would be very grateful. Even the smallest amount will help! Please pray for me and I will be praying for you, and I will bring the intentions of my benefactors with me to Europe, praying at every pilgrimage spot for your special needs.
Finally, I would like to thank you all in advance for your prayers and support. I am so blessed to have such a strong community! I try to update my mission blog as frequently as possible, please visit www.missionaryalyse.blogspot.com. Also for more info on the World Youth Day pilgrimage with FMC visit www.fmcyouth.wordpress.com God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ Jesus,
Alyse E. Spiehler
alyseliz@yahoo.com
“God is opening before the Church the horizons of a humanity more fully prepared for the sowing of the Gospel. I sense the moment has come to commit all the Church’s energies to a new evangelization and mission to the nations. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church, can avoid this supreme duty; to proclaim Christ to all peoples.”
-Pope JP II in his encyclical “Mission of the Redeemer”
If you interested in donating you can mail checks with the memo of "Alyse World Youth Day" to:
Alyse Spiehler co Family Missions Company
12624 Everglade Road
Abbeville La 70510
This is my beg letter. God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This past year I have been so abundantly blessed. I have had the opportunity to serve as a missionary in Mexico for twelve weeks at various parts of the year. God has revealed Himself to me through the beautiful people there, and with all of the graces that He has poured upon me in missions. When I am in Mexico I am able to staff various short term groups, which includes leading service teams, translating in the ejidos, and serving the people who come to the mission house for help. I have learned so many things through the people that God sends me to serve; I have learned so much about what joy is, about our awesome God who is our Father.
Witnessing and participating in the great duty of the Church that is missions is too beautiful to accurately put into words. I feel strongly the call to missions, and I know that God has called me to be a missionary. I am not sure if He wants me to be a foreign missionary all of my life yet, but I do know that I am here to serve and live for God. I have been supported by all of my friends and family, and find great strength and joy in the knowledge that they are praying for me and supporting me. I am writing this letter to ask for your support.
Recently, the opportunity to go to World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid has come up. My uncle, also the head of FMC’s youth ministry, is bringing a group of young people to Spain next August to attend World Youth Day. This is a special opportunity because we are going as a group of missionaries to Europe, not just to receive the blessing of WYD, but also to witness and minister during our time there.
We will arrive in London first to visit with a School of Evangelization for young people. I am excited to revisit this community that hosted my family and I before on our mission, our visits with them have always been fruitful opportunities for growth in our missionary vocations. From London we will go to Paris, making a spiritual pilgrimage to churches and the Cathedral there and witnessing our faith as youth in love with Jesus. This is an especially important task in Europe where, sadly, the faith is dying, especially among young people.
Afterwards we will go to Cordoba, Spain. My family and I lived as missionaries there a few years ago and the Diocese that we served in will be hosting a bunch of groups on pilgrimage to World Youth Day. I look forward to this opportunity to reconnect with many of the people we ministered to during our time there. Also, I will be serving as a translator between the english and spanish speakers during our time in Spain. After some time there we will go to Rome and Assisi on pilgrimage. Finally, we will go to Madrid where millions of youth will be gathered with the Holy Father for a week of spiritual growth and community!
I am so blessed by this opportunity. I really feel that it is God’s will for me to attend World Youth Day, serving as a missionary and translator during our time in Europe. The cost of this trip is $2,500, which is a lot of money for me. I know that nothing is impossible for God! So I ask for your help - please, please be praying for me. Pray that if it be His will that I can go to the World Youth Day pilgrimage this upcoming August. Also, I ask that if you feel called to contribute financially to this cause, please do. I would be very grateful. Even the smallest amount will help! Please pray for me and I will be praying for you, and I will bring the intentions of my benefactors with me to Europe, praying at every pilgrimage spot for your special needs.
Finally, I would like to thank you all in advance for your prayers and support. I am so blessed to have such a strong community! I try to update my mission blog as frequently as possible, please visit www.missionaryalyse.blogspot.com. Also for more info on the World Youth Day pilgrimage with FMC visit www.fmcyouth.wordpress.com God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ Jesus,
Alyse E. Spiehler
alyseliz@yahoo.com
“God is opening before the Church the horizons of a humanity more fully prepared for the sowing of the Gospel. I sense the moment has come to commit all the Church’s energies to a new evangelization and mission to the nations. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church, can avoid this supreme duty; to proclaim Christ to all peoples.”
-Pope JP II in his encyclical “Mission of the Redeemer”
If you interested in donating you can mail checks with the memo of "Alyse World Youth Day" to:
Alyse Spiehler co Family Missions Company
12624 Everglade Road
Abbeville La 70510
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Kids
Brothers and SIsters in Christ,
I am back at Big Woods visiting my family and friends for a week. I was so blessed this weekend! I went to my new little cousin's baptism which was beautiful, visited a bunch of relatives and helped with an all saint's day party. I was dressed up as the three theological virtues, faith hope and love, and was able to tell kids about my costume and hand them candy :). To watch all of the children playing and rejoicing in God and his Saints was a great experience.
I came back to Big Woods and this morning the community with intake, had morning prayer. I was with all of the kid's for their sharing and prayer. To see their genuine love, simplicity and joy was such a blessing! Afterwards, I went over to the office and was stopped by Maria, a little missionary, and she asked me that when I go to Mexico next that I give her 11 cents to the poor. I was so touched! She had her hand outreached holding her dime and penny with such love in her eyes, it was so beautiful.
Later, Maria made me a "picture holder" out of crumpled paper and made one for my mom too. She also made me a pinky ring out of beads and her pretty green wire :). Her generosity really inspired me and blessed me a lot.
All of this, along with some beautiful scripture, reminded me how precious God's children are to him. How much he delights in all of us, especially the children. God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
I am back at Big Woods visiting my family and friends for a week. I was so blessed this weekend! I went to my new little cousin's baptism which was beautiful, visited a bunch of relatives and helped with an all saint's day party. I was dressed up as the three theological virtues, faith hope and love, and was able to tell kids about my costume and hand them candy :). To watch all of the children playing and rejoicing in God and his Saints was a great experience.
I came back to Big Woods and this morning the community with intake, had morning prayer. I was with all of the kid's for their sharing and prayer. To see their genuine love, simplicity and joy was such a blessing! Afterwards, I went over to the office and was stopped by Maria, a little missionary, and she asked me that when I go to Mexico next that I give her 11 cents to the poor. I was so touched! She had her hand outreached holding her dime and penny with such love in her eyes, it was so beautiful.
Later, Maria made me a "picture holder" out of crumpled paper and made one for my mom too. She also made me a pinky ring out of beads and her pretty green wire :). Her generosity really inspired me and blessed me a lot.
All of this, along with some beautiful scripture, reminded me how precious God's children are to him. How much he delights in all of us, especially the children. God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Friday, October 22, 2010
The World on Fire
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Yesterday's gospel was really beautiful. It was Luke 12: 49 53 and the first part really jumped out at me.
Jesus said to his disciples: "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!..."
I feel that to often I think of God's will and plan to be having a world that is happy and tranquil. A world where everyone is so happy in God and just very mellow with everyone living in harmony. That is not the truth at all. After holding that image for only a second I start to realize that we are called to be fiery Christians. We are called to live lives radically and blazing with passion and zeal for God.
Later in the gospel it says, "Do you think I have come to establish peace on Earth? No, I tell you, but rather division."
When I first heard this I was thinking, What? But then I realized that he means he hasn't come to Earth and died for us so that we can all be content and mellow, so that we can all live peaceful and uneventful lives; rather that we will all be on fire for him. Not everyone will agree with us, even households will be divided because what we are called to is so radical. We are called to live outside the boxes we have created for ourselves and to abandon ourselves completely to the will of God. We Christians need to be filled with fire for Christ, we need to live in the way that Christ intended us to. It is such a deep message that I can't fully grasp it but it still inspires me to share it with you. God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Yesterday's gospel was really beautiful. It was Luke 12: 49 53 and the first part really jumped out at me.
Jesus said to his disciples: "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!..."
I feel that to often I think of God's will and plan to be having a world that is happy and tranquil. A world where everyone is so happy in God and just very mellow with everyone living in harmony. That is not the truth at all. After holding that image for only a second I start to realize that we are called to be fiery Christians. We are called to live lives radically and blazing with passion and zeal for God.
Later in the gospel it says, "Do you think I have come to establish peace on Earth? No, I tell you, but rather division."
When I first heard this I was thinking, What? But then I realized that he means he hasn't come to Earth and died for us so that we can all be content and mellow, so that we can all live peaceful and uneventful lives; rather that we will all be on fire for him. Not everyone will agree with us, even households will be divided because what we are called to is so radical. We are called to live outside the boxes we have created for ourselves and to abandon ourselves completely to the will of God. We Christians need to be filled with fire for Christ, we need to live in the way that Christ intended us to. It is such a deep message that I can't fully grasp it but it still inspires me to share it with you. God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Perseverance
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The gospel for today carries a message of perseverance. The homily that father gave today had a cool story about persevering.
A boy stood by the side of a railroad track holding a flag that he waved in the air. Down the line you could see a train coming forward with an engine and caboose. A man went to the boy and said, "The train won't stop for you. Don't expect it to, you might as well give up."
The boy in response stood and continued waving his flag. The train came by and when it looked like it would pass him up it stopped. The boy climbed on, turned to the man and said, "The engineer is my father." and the train drove off.
Often times we slack in prayer because we lose sight of the value of our prayers. We think that they are worthless and we give up. God is our father, he wants what is just for us and all we need to is persevere. What is required of us is perseverance and God will follow through. I just thought this was beautiful and wanted to share it with you.
Peace and Love in Christ,
Alyse
The gospel for today carries a message of perseverance. The homily that father gave today had a cool story about persevering.
A boy stood by the side of a railroad track holding a flag that he waved in the air. Down the line you could see a train coming forward with an engine and caboose. A man went to the boy and said, "The train won't stop for you. Don't expect it to, you might as well give up."
The boy in response stood and continued waving his flag. The train came by and when it looked like it would pass him up it stopped. The boy climbed on, turned to the man and said, "The engineer is my father." and the train drove off.
Often times we slack in prayer because we lose sight of the value of our prayers. We think that they are worthless and we give up. God is our father, he wants what is just for us and all we need to is persevere. What is required of us is perseverance and God will follow through. I just thought this was beautiful and wanted to share it with you.
Peace and Love in Christ,
Alyse
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Luke 11: 37-41
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am sorry I haven't posted in a little while, I have been unusually occupied lately with school and other activities. I had an unusual experience yesterday. My family and I all gathered together for daily prayer where my Mom or Kevin reads the gospel of the day. Yesterday's gospel was Luke 11: 37-41. In this reading Jesus goes to eat at a Pharisee's house and the pharisee is astonished when Jesus doesn't wash before the meal. Jesus says to him "Oh, Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you."
I listened to the reading and didn't think much of it until a little later in my personal prayer time I decided to read from the New Testament and opened again to this reading. I was surprised and so I read it over again. It reminds me of two important things. FIrst, that it is necessary to cleanse your soul, heart and mind along with cleaning all other exterior things, you cannot be clean on the outside and dirty within. Secondly, that alms giving is crucial for your soul's health.
I really felt called to share this reading with all of you, I hope that it blesses you in some way! Also if any of you feel inspired to share your thoughts about this reading you can post it as a comment :) .
Peace and Love in Christ,
Alyse
I am sorry I haven't posted in a little while, I have been unusually occupied lately with school and other activities. I had an unusual experience yesterday. My family and I all gathered together for daily prayer where my Mom or Kevin reads the gospel of the day. Yesterday's gospel was Luke 11: 37-41. In this reading Jesus goes to eat at a Pharisee's house and the pharisee is astonished when Jesus doesn't wash before the meal. Jesus says to him "Oh, Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you."
I listened to the reading and didn't think much of it until a little later in my personal prayer time I decided to read from the New Testament and opened again to this reading. I was surprised and so I read it over again. It reminds me of two important things. FIrst, that it is necessary to cleanse your soul, heart and mind along with cleaning all other exterior things, you cannot be clean on the outside and dirty within. Secondly, that alms giving is crucial for your soul's health.
I really felt called to share this reading with all of you, I hope that it blesses you in some way! Also if any of you feel inspired to share your thoughts about this reading you can post it as a comment :) .
Peace and Love in Christ,
Alyse
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