tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40829683406256719732024-03-12T22:29:37.502-07:00Missionary AlyseFOR HIS GLORYUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-16006881003377849702013-08-23T07:35:00.002-07:002013-08-23T07:35:37.129-07:00My Mother MaryDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
So, I have started my college life. It was a hard decision at first because my heart has been so set on missions for so long. However, through a series of signs and miracles, God has brought me to a great Catholic school on a full scholarship. Praise Him!<br />
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It has been tough adjusting to all of these new things– dorm life, classes, cafeteria food, being without my family and friends– but through it all God has been extremely faithful in His promise to me. He has not left me alone.<br />
<br />
I had the blessing to go to adoration and praise and worship. Mostly I sat and talked to God, and tried to keep my heart open for what He was saying to me. I started thinking about my mom, and how much I miss her. Saying goodbye was really hard, and dropping her off at the airport was a farewell to my last bit of home. So I started to talk to Mary, who I am consecrated to, and told her how hard it all is. I looked at Jesus in the eucharist and thought of her amazing love for Him.<br />
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Mary, the first Christian. Mary, the first of Jesus' missionaries. Mary, our mother. Mary, my mother.<br />
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I kept my eyes on Christ, and realized– she was gazing at Him with me. She was hurting for my hurt with me, and being with my mom with me. In a realest of real ways, she was by my side, loving our Lord with me. She was just loving Him perfectly.<br />
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You are never alone when you know the Lord. The Saints, Mary, and the intercession of the faithful are with you. And even when it feels like I have been dropped into this new world by myself, I haven't been. My mom is still with me, just not the petite blonde, blue eyed one.<br />
<br />
I just wanted to share my consolation. I know we can all feel alone at times, but we are not. And it's so peaceful to know that.<br />
<br />
In Him,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-36113824320195969462013-07-28T20:27:00.000-07:002013-07-28T20:27:06.925-07:00EucharistDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
I know it's been a very long time since I updated my blog. A lot has happened since then, of course, but I'm not writing to catch up. Sorry.<br />
<br />
I just felt compelled to share a beautiful moment I had with Christ this afternoon. I was sitting in mass, before the consecration, and thought of how great it'd bee to <i>see</i> Jesus come into the Eucharist. I realize that perhaps my weak faith desired this visible sign- Thomas all over again- but I asked for it nonetheless. I figured that if it was God's will, I would see.<br />
<br />
And I did. But not in the way that I had thought it. While Father elevated the host and spoke the words of consecration, it looked just like it always does. And I realized, or I guess God graced me to see, that His substance residing in the host, his total being entering into this one little circle of unleavened bread, was the greatest kind of vision that He could offer.<br />
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I thought of "Peralandra" the book by C.S Lewis, in the closing chapter. Ransom, the main character, sees as many circles come in and out of focus, all contained within each other but each one containing them all. Of course Lewis' words are much more eloquent than mine, but the image stuck with me. God almighty fulfills His promise time and time and time and time again. "This is my body" the words Jesus spoke, come alive each time that we celebrate the sacrifice of the Eucharist. All of God's splendor comes to dwell within the Eucharist. All of Jesus' self takes place of the substance of bread- transubstantiation. He enters with all of Himself into matter that is so fragile, that dissolves on my tongue and gets digested by my body. All of Him, all of His love, which is what holds all of us, comes into me. How humbling. How marvelous.<br />
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And I thought to myself, "this is worth blogging about". Of course, it is worth infinitely more than that, worth leaving everyone and everything and following God to the nastiest slums at the end of the earth; worth being skinned alive for, or crucified upside down; it's worth getting your arms and legs broken over, or your fingers gnawed off; and it's worth it because God showed us our value to Him by suffering more, by giving more, by loving more than we can. More than I can. More than any of us can. God loves. And He comes each and every time that the Priest offers that sacrifice on the altar and offers forgiveness for our sins and the salvation of all of the earth. Every time. It's a promise that He will continue to offer, and a promise that requires our accepting it.<br />
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I am not sure about what comes next, but I am sure that it's been worth my time to share it. I promise it's worth our time to share Him.<br />
<br />
Peace and love in Christ,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-67203289128406855632012-07-23T09:05:00.000-07:002012-07-23T09:05:00.892-07:00Faith Camp 2012 - Challenge AcceptedDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
Faith Camp this year was incredibly blessed. I can't say that I'm all that surprised that it was, considering that I truly believe that it is one of the great works of the kingdom of God, but God still blessed me in a special and unique way this year. For the week of July 16-20, I served as a CIT (coordinator in training). Me and six other truly wonderful individuals had been working for nearly six months on ironing out all of the little details that go into one extraordinary week of service, fun, and closeness to our most high God.<br />
<br />
I was so blessed to see so many hearts be opened up to God in such a powerful way. God blessed me throughout the week by revealing Himself to me in little ways, little reminders of His awesomeness. At adoration on wednesday night I realized that the kingdom of God was there. It was like at WYD, and my heart was torn open by the beauty of all of these junior high kids adoring our Father, knowing Him. His love never ceases to amaze and humble me.<br />
<br />
After Faith Camp, I came home and wrote something like this, I would like to share it.<br />
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<i>July 20th 2012</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i> I can't express the profundity of what I experienced and learned at Faith Camp because I haven't fully digested it yet. Working every second, every day, on the front line with living saints, to build the kingdom of God for real people, is an incredible blessing. How dare I push my own agenda, my own plans, when God's plan and love for me are so spectacular?</i><br />
<i> We'd get excited to do a favor for some famous person who's never done anything for us. So many fans would leap at the opportunity to buy coffee for some movie star, singer, artist, writer; yet we don't, I don't, jump at every opportunity to serve God who authored the universe, who loved me into being. God is so good!!! So much better than the idols of this world.</i><br />
<i> To love and serve, and suffer, and fail, and cry, and get back up, and to do it all over again for the glory of the most high God is a </i><i><u>privilege.</u> It is my PRIVILEGE to know God, to be able to live in His love, to be able to share that love, to be able to give my life for Him. Not everyone has that incredible blessing. Not everyone knows God, not everyone knows His love. And I complain when I get to serve Him every day. I am so blessed! Yet I complain, and whine, and hide behind the opinions of others who don't follow the one guy who can get our butts to Heaven. To Heaven!</i><br />
<i> I go to school, to work, to hang outs, and I waste my life- God's life in me- on stupid, insignificant, suffocating sins instead of sanctifying my everyday life. How dare I. And then I fall and feel like God can't pick me right back up because I am so sinful. As if God is limited to my sins- no matter how big. </i><br />
<i>St. Paul screwed up <u>all</u> <u>the</u> <u>time</u>, but because he let himself get picked back up it didn't stop him from shaping God's kingdom in a way that nobody else could. Who am I to say that God, the unchanging, eternal master, has a different, less perfect love for me? How dare I stop that grace with my petty pride? The only thing that can stand in between God and I is that stuff that I let stand in the way. The person who determines my proximity to God, and His will, is me. What stands in the way is my sin.</i><br />
<i> Stand up, let God. Let His love love me, love others through me. Accept the challenge that God has blessed me with. Then I can worry about the stupid things that I fret about, if only to find that they aren't worth worrying about in the first place.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
In Him,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-49701599002488076722012-07-06T15:48:00.001-07:002012-07-06T15:48:16.331-07:00Faith Camp Fast ApproachingDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
I am writing this brief post to ask you to please pray for Faith Camp 2012 "Challenge Accepted". The planning this year is going very smoothly, and God is working it out as usual. However, we are always in need of your prayers. Please pray for all of the prep, staff, and coordinators right now. Please especially pray for the camp itself, in all of its' details, the week of July 16-20. We are expecting the best year yet, but we need prayers for that to happen!<br />
God bless all of you, and thank you in advance for your prayers and spiritual support.<br />
<br />
In Him,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-39026436717445681272012-06-16T11:36:00.002-07:002012-06-16T11:36:44.424-07:00Mexico- Summer- LifeDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
Being that it is summer, I have no excuse not to post what has been going on in my life. The main theme that I have to share right now is the beauty of missions. The beauty of missions does not lie in its difference, it does not lie in its difficulty. The beauty of missions lies in its absolute applicability to every individual who is living. Each and every person, when truly following God, becomes a missionary. This is particularly difficult for me to grasp. I love being in foreign countries, serving my brothers and sisters, preaching the gospel, and living radically for Christ. Because of this, it is hard for me to hold on to the beauty of the life God has given me.<br />
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This past year, being in the United States for the third year in a row, has been difficult in that regard. I sometimes forget that this <i>is </i>where God wants me right now. I cannot understand God's plan. I still do not know why He called my family out of foreign missions, but I do know that He knows. I also know that even in my reluctance to be here, He has blessed me abundantly.<br />
<br />
Because I haven't posted much this year, I will share a bit of what has gone on. First off, the school that I attend has been a tremendous blessing to me. God has sent me some very good friends who draw me closer to Himself, and teach me how to be the stateside missionary that I want to be.<br />
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Also, my lifelong friend Hollis and I started a group called "Faith in Action". We started it about 5 months ago now, and it has been a blessing to see how God has let it grow. The purpose of the group is to offer a support system for high school students who want to see their faith in God be actualized in their lives. This group has been a blessing to me, and to those people who have come to our monthly meetings.<br />
<br />
Since January, I have been meeting weekly with the coordinators of Faith Camp to help with this year's "Challenge Accepted" Faith Camp. I am a coordinator in training, and so I am learning all of the behind-the-scene work that is poured into Faith Camp. I am so blessed to be able to help in the camp that has been so instrumental in my spiritual formation, and I can't wait to see how God uses it for His glory this year.<br />
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLHS0z67-psWS4cXApH5amdvBSFcB-3Ix33Wlh5qJclEgcRZw20JGuZvK68dzVbFiW5MU_b2L-M3T80U9u0EIoJxI6Crz3rBHSE1ohvXVLub1PaMpG6DvGCMxYVJqXmQPBGccxsBqfiU/s1600/DSC02525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLHS0z67-psWS4cXApH5amdvBSFcB-3Ix33Wlh5qJclEgcRZw20JGuZvK68dzVbFiW5MU_b2L-M3T80U9u0EIoJxI6Crz3rBHSE1ohvXVLub1PaMpG6DvGCMxYVJqXmQPBGccxsBqfiU/s320/DSC02525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmm_I-jnGXi7wqh3YZux6DHa3W9HJVoqZYPPxSH1clPtQ-2T1LlZgbdgDRY05M8m_mLwWbEun4FxHT4twOldDAPV0_euduLbJbgg8VTDflz9MI7S8SR5sApIaVKGsIDr1wqs6oAqLT-Oc/s1600/DSC02463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmm_I-jnGXi7wqh3YZux6DHa3W9HJVoqZYPPxSH1clPtQ-2T1LlZgbdgDRY05M8m_mLwWbEun4FxHT4twOldDAPV0_euduLbJbgg8VTDflz9MI7S8SR5sApIaVKGsIDr1wqs6oAqLT-Oc/s320/DSC02463.JPG" width="320" /></a>One of the absolute biggest blessings of my life was born April 18th of this year. My precious, miracle, brother Isaac Joseph was welcomed into the world. My mom suffered 7 miscarriages, and I have 8 little siblings in Heaven. I was truly able to see the fruit of a community's prayer and fasting when my little brother was welcomed into this world with so much love, and with no problems whatsoever. He is truly a testament of God's love for our family.<br />
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The next huge blessing to share with you is my trip to General Cepeda. I hadn't visited in two years, and my heart was aching to return. Going back to that precious town which I love so dearly was a true gift of God's infinite love for me. I was able to see so many old friends, and the families that have become my family. I was able to visit with some of the living saints that I have been anxious to see for so long, and visit ejidos of people who still pray for my family daily. God reminded me of the desperate need for simplicity in my life, and the call to sanctity my life for His glory.<br />
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Another gift God has given me is my job. I am working this summer as a babysitter, which is my absolute favorite job. I am so grateful for this job, and it really came at such a perfect time that I know God's hand was in it.<br />
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Well that is the basic update for the year, but there is more to come. Now that it is summer I will hopefully be posting more frequently, so that I can give more glory to God who deserves it all. Keep persevering in prayer, and in serving God more perfectly every day.<br />
<br />
Peace and love in Christ,<br />
<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-39225092673584724462012-05-25T14:43:00.001-07:002012-05-25T14:43:38.131-07:00John Paul the Great Academy<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know I have mentioned to you how much I am blessed by the school that I have been attending this past year. I am truly blessed to have found such a fantastic community of people to be a part of. I have grown spiritually and intellectually this past year, in ways that I didn't think possible. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would like tell you a little bit about John Paul the Great academy. It is an independent Catholic school. Because of that, we are not attached to a diocese or parish, instead we fully rely on the support of our community. Thankfully, our community is the entire Catholic church. It is the duty of every Catholic to support those ministries- wether it be in prayer, spirit or finance- which fulfill the great commission, "<span class="text Matt-28-19" id="en-NIV-24215"><span class="woj">Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, </span></span><span class="text Matt-28-20" id="en-NIV-24216"><span class="woj">and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." JPG is certainly one of those ministries which values this call above all else. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj">At our school, prayer, and service to God and His will always come before everything else. We are a small school, 160 students K-12, but we are a community made up of spectacular individuals. JPG accepts many students who aren't able to afford the tuition, including my family, and tries their best to accommodate everyone according to their finances. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj">The class sizes are small, and so the teacher to student interaction is fantastic. Not only that, JPG cultivates an environment of learning which brings about both learning, and discernment of vocation. There are five seminarians from our graduating classes, which is a great testament to what our school does. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj">Right now, due to a series of unforeseen events, JPG is in need of your help. Our school needs to gather together a large amount of money before the 31st of this month. Please, I beg of you, keep our school's needs in your prayer. Offer up rosaries, masses, our fathers, chaplets of divine mercy, and whatever else you can offer. Also, please pray about donating to our school to help it continue its' mission. You can do this at <a href="http://www.jpgacademy.org/">www.jpgacademy.org</a> . Please, wether you donate or not, visit this link to learn more about this great work of God.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj">I wish I could share more about how JPG has blessed me and others, but I am headed to General Cepeda, Mexico. I am extremely excited about being able to visit again, so please keep my sister and I in your prayers during this week.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj">Peace and love in Christ,</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><span class="woj">Alyse</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Matt-28-20" id="en-NIV-24216"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-40406796196587486102012-04-06T17:50:00.000-07:002012-04-06T17:50:20.151-07:00Umbrella In the Desert- Easter TriduumDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
Once again I begin my post by apologizing for not blogging in so long. I am so busy with school and everything else all of the time, that blogging slips out of my mind. However, when I was in chapel yesterday at school, and had time for adoration, I thought of all of my fantastic blog readers. Ms. Jen, our campus minister, shared a beautiful reflection, and I want to share it with all of you.<br />
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Imagine that you are in the desert, and you are dirty, tired, and extremely thirsty. All of the sudden you see an enormous black rain cloud rolling through the sky, and it's coming right towards you. Imagine that you take an umbrella, a rain coat, and rain boots, and run into a cave and hide while it rains.<br />
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There is something wrong with that picture, right? It seems like you would grab buckets, throw your head back and take in the rain falling from the sky. Any thirsty, dirty, tired person would do that instead of running to a cave where they would stay the same way. Even though grabbing buckets and getting drenched is the logical answer, sometimes we are the person with the umbrella when it comes to our spiritual journeys.<br />
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God gives us this time of the Easter Triduum that He fills with abundant blessings for us. He opens the sky and pours out His love and grace on us like a rain cloud. All that we need to do is grab our buckets and have them filled with grace! Those buckets are times of prayer, attending services, reflecting on the way of the cross, and so on.<br />
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I ask you all to take advantage of this beautiful Easter Triduum to do just that! Grab your buckets, throw back your heads, and get drenched in God's love and grace. He died to give it to you.<br />
<br />
Peace and Love in Christ,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-91751596082912602242012-02-22T18:52:00.000-08:002012-02-22T18:52:11.061-08:00Live for God - LentDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
There are a few things that I have wanted to share with you. First of all, my friend Hollis and I started a prayer group called "Faith in Action", which hopes to springboard from Faith Camp and help teens to live for God. I ask for your prayers that this would go well, and God definitely blessed our first meeting.<br />
<br />
While we were at the meeting, Hollis started it off by saying "The world gives you so many opportunities to live for the world, and not enough to live for God." This statement is so unfortunate, and so true. Whenever you click on your tv, look at billboards, or read magazines, none of them encourage you to live a fulfilled life of virtue. Having the greatest legs, darkest tan, or hottest boyfriend will not equal happiness. The TRUTH is that GOD is happiness!<br />
<br />
If you are reading this blog, it is probably because you care about the Truth. If not, let me invite you to live a life worth living, a life worth the life that you have. Seek the Truth. If ever there is a more appropriate time to do this, it is Lent. Lent is an opportunity to put to death the things of this world, and to bring to life the spirit of God within you.<br />
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Dear individual, dear Child of God, live for Him! If you ever feel like your daily routine leaves you unsatisfied, like the life you lead lacks something, then know that God himself wants to fill you. By prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we are drawing close to God who wants so desperately to be drawn close to. Wake up, and give every breath of your life to Him who gave it to you in the first place.<br />
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I will not lie and say that I succeed at this every day, or at all. But I will say that in Lent, I get a whole lot closer. I will also say that when I try my best to live for Him, I am living a full life, and am so much more joyful. I ask you, on behalf of God, and for your own sake, to take hold of this opportunity to live for Him. Live for His glory!<br />
<br />
When I get to Heaven, anything to build Alyse will mean nothing. Not only will it mean nothing in Heaven, it will mean nothing to me anymore. Alyse compared to God is a ridiculous cause. Live for Him and create a currency that will last forever. Live for God and live for someone who is worth the effort.<br />
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I hope that you all have a very blessed Lenten season.<br />
Peace and Love in Christ,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-7788063190093989692012-02-10T18:52:00.000-08:002012-02-10T18:52:17.906-08:00DiscernmentDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
If my life could be summed up in one word right now it would be "discernment." If it could be summed up in two, it would be "discernment" and "confusion". I realize that this is not at all what God wants of me, and much less what I want of myself. I have been longing for a freedom which I have not allowed myself to feel, a freedom of living in God and Him in me.<br />
<br />
Being in high school sucks, in a lot of ways. It is also a fantastic time with fantastic people, and I go to a fantastic school. Sometimes though, it's so easy to see how it sucks. Sucks bad. Once more, not what God wants for anyone. (Not high school, but the suckiness). Anyway, I have had a tough time discerning, I have been putting myself in the way, and that is where my problem lies. I need to work on being nothing. That in itself would be a series of blog posts.<br />
<br />
The reason that I am writing to you right now though, is because I have had a revelation. First, God loves me more than I ever thought before. Second, He wrote my desires, and wants me to be happy. Third, I need to get out of my way to be with God, in other words, humility. Fourth, discerning can often be hard and confusing.<br />
<br />
I know other things too, thankfully, but those are the most relevant for this post. One thing that God has led me to, through spiritual direction, is this fantastic article. This post leads up to this article <a href="http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/discernment.htm">http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/discernment.htm</a> which you should read, NOW.<br />
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Even if you are married, celibate, or decided in your vocation, this can help you. It talks about God's role in our lives, and our role in His life. Please, do yourself a favor, do the church a favor, and read this article.<br />
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Life can be crazy at times, absolutely crazy. That is what my life kind of feels like right now, but that's ok. God's in control (thank Him)! This article though, lets life's crazy beautifulness make a lot of sense. Please pray for me, I pray for you :) .<br />
<br />
Peace and Love in Christ,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-762805798886430342012-01-29T11:15:00.000-08:002012-01-29T11:15:10.246-08:00March For Life 2012Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to post to you. When school started for me, my time was completely absorbed by it. I realize that this is a poor excuse, but also I have been involved in little mission work. It breaks my heart, because I miss it SO much, and I have been discouraged from my blog. I plan to fix this, because I hope to start getting actively involved in service in my new community.<br />
<br />
One fantastic thing that I was able to participate in was the March for Life in Washington DC this past Monday. 400,000 marchers gathered for peaceful protest, completely unnoticed by the media (maybe it was their day off), but absolutely noticed by God.<br />
<br />
In a society that stands for "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" we fail horribly. It has not gone unnoticed by all, and this gives us hope for a day when we will stand for what we say we believe in.<br />
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While I was on the trip I journaled, with my faithful blog readers in mind, and I wrote some things that I would like to share with you all.<br />
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<b>January 22nd 2012</b><br />
<b>Washington DC</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>I am sitting in the basilica of the Immaculate Conception. This church is so beautiful, so awe inspiring. This enormous building is filled with such symbolism and tradition. Tomorrow is the March for Life, and I can't help but wonder what would happen if the world only knew. What would happen if I only knew the fullness of Christ's coming, of His love. </b><br />
<b>This basilica, as marvelous and splendid as it is, is only a crude representation of the glorious God who we serve. If we knew God, and His love of life, abortion would not be thought of. The tragedy is that Satan has tricked mankind into self loathing. This loathing spreads to the smallest of God's children, this loathing causes a mass homicide of spotless victims. </b><br />
<b>This cathedral, this life, represents so much more than we could ever know (on Earth). It is time that life be valued, truly valued, for not only what it is, but for what God made it to be. I feel that my small cooperation, my small drop in the midst of this oceanic march, can bring about change. God can bring about change through His people, and through me.</b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
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<b><br /></b><br />
<b>January 27th 2012</b><br />
<b>On road to Louisiana</b><br />
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<b>The March for Life trip was amazing. The march itself was super blessed, I know that <u>the world was changed </u> because of it. I was so blessed to be able to participate in that fight for life, for the dignity of the human body and soul. </b><br />
<b>There were other incredibly blessed aspects of the trip. We visited the Dominican sisters in Nashville Tennessee. I am much more open to the religious life now because of it. We saw the spectacular shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. </b><br />
<b>We visited the EWTN shrine, and that changed my life. The second largest monstrance in the world was there. In the beautiful church, I had this engulfing feeling that it was my home. Christ was giving me His beautiful temple, and my heart burst. I looked at the beautiful cross holding Jesus in the Eucharist, and I cried. I realized that all that I want, ALL THAT I WANT, is Jesus. I want to follow Him, to love Him with my entire being and existence. </b><br />
<b>I then saw a realistic crucifix outside. Christ had pieces of flesh torn from His body, and deep gashes covering Him. I realized that I never want to sin again. I was faced with the earth shaking reality that MY sins put Him to die on that tree. If anything discourages me from sin, it is that image of God crucified. this trip has made me want to radically live for the truth. I want to be radically alive for Him who died radically for me. God is love, God is good, God is truth. It's time to live like I know it.</b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
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Once more, I'm sorry that I haven't blogged in a long time. I don't do this for me, I didn't start it for me in the first place. I blog because God has done great things for me, and He is worth sharing about. I guess I needed to remember that.<br />
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Thank you for sharing with me!<br />
Peace and Love in Christ Jesus,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-65893459285645898512011-10-13T19:05:00.000-07:002011-10-13T19:07:36.960-07:00Fantastic VideoDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
Please, please take the time to watch this video. It is incredibly inspiring, and thought provoking and totally worth your while. Once you watch it spread it around, it is a great message.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="160" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7y2KsU_dhwI?rel=0" width="280"></iframe><br />
<br />
Peace and love in Christ,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-50900449748314430642011-09-30T18:32:00.000-07:002011-10-01T10:31:48.865-07:00WYD Trip Part 4- Madrid, SpainDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
This is the last post in my World Youth Day post series. It's taken me long enough, but forgive me, I have been absurdly busy lately. Thank you Jesus for weekends! Anyhow, now for my WYD trip conclusion post... (drumroll please)<br />
<br />
<b>August 19th 2011</b><br />
<b>Madrid</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>This will be brief, I don't have much time. Today was blessed. Left Rome at 6:30, missed bus, took cab, flew to Madrid, arrived at Colegios Bosque. We went to way of the cross with the Pope! Ran into Steven from ECHO, that was crazy. We missed adoration, came home and had an awesome prayer. The Pope's address was sooo beautiful and inspiring! God blessed by him, it was Hollis' birthday.</b><br />
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<b>-Alyse</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
So, that was basically a key word outline of my day, now to expound. We did leave from Rome at 6:30 and manage to miss our bus, non-refundable of course, and had to take cabs. It was funny to see how some of the people who hadn't ever ridden in cabs were excited about it, until the insane Italian cab drivers almost killed us all (not really but it felt like it). By the grace of God we made our flight to Madrid. We walked to the school that received us and got settled into the gym, the guys slept outside. Then we went out amongst the millions of people to the stations of the cross. Every station, the cross was carried by a group of people that the station related to, it was really beautiful. We were all blessed by the Pope after an amazingly inspiring address that I only wish I could remember. My beautiful friend Hollis received her first Papal blessing that day on her birthday, it was super cool. Then we went to the English speaking building for WYD, planned to go to adoration after going to supper, and then missed adoration. It was disappointing, but God really looked out for us. Also, crazy side note, Hollis and I ran into Steven who we had met at T.O.B camp this summer. Steven is from South Africa, was in Louisiana for a little while, and was at WYD with some of his South African buddies. It is truly a small world. That night we went back to the school and had a really blessed prayer time under the glorious blanket of stars and realized, "Guys we just saw the Pope!" it was a pretty epic day.<br />
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<b>August 21st 2011</b><br />
<b>Flight Madrid to London</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Yesterday was so blessed! We walked to the WYD field after leaving our school accommodations. It was <u>insane</u> to see how many people were there! More than the eye could see in every direction, they estimated between 1.5 and 2 million people! It was such a blessing to see so many Catholics in one spot. We ate lunch, and then walked around. We me Mexicans, Italians, Americans, Canadians, and Irish people. I was able to go to confession in one of the chapel tents. The Pope arrived and it began to storm! Wind was blowing and it was raining. He had to pause in his address to let it pass. During the pause, the chapel/canopy tent thing collapsed, with the babies and moms of our group inside. Only by the grace of God were they not injured. We had to leave that night, because we would miss our flight today if we didn't. We did stay for the Pope's address, benediction, and adoration. It was so blessed to be a part of the multitude. As I prayed the Our Father and said "Thy kingdom come" I felt that WYD was a foreshadowing of heaven. We are His kingdom! We spent the night in the airport, went to mass there, and are now headed to London. Praise God for His faithfulness!</b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
WYD was really such an amazing blessing. I really felt that I was in God's kingdom. I always hear how we are His church, but I have never had such a clear image before that. That crazy night, when there was an extreme storm and the Pope's hat flew off (pretty awesome) the tent collapsed. I say tent, but it was more of a temporary building, the same that I had gone to confession in earlier. About two hundred people had gathered inside to stay dry from the rain, including my aunts and cousins. When it started to sway the people left, including my aunts, they say that they saw a metal beam fall on the place they had been sitting only seconds after they walked out. God really protected them. My Uncle John Paul was afraid that his family had been killed, this experience was a really profound one for our whole group. It seemed sad at the time to miss mass, but we had to leave for the babies, since they had no shelter now. We left and the next day found out that mass didn't have communion or electricity anyway, no one there received Jesus or heard the Pope's homily. Even though it was sad, God was looking out for us. We were able to go to mass in the airport with a little priest that made me think of Saints. Then, we caught a flight to London where we enjoyed each other's company before a many-hour-long plane ride. It was a life changing two days.<br />
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<b>August 23rd 2011</b><br />
<b>Home- Wrap Up</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>To sum up our trip, we arrived in London at Gatwick and went to Heathrow, where we stayed the night. That night we all shared the ways that we were touched on the trip, it was so blessed. It was so wonderful to see the unique ways that God impacted each of us. I realized just how blessed I was to be around such an amazing group of people. The next morning we flew to Houston and were greeted at the airport. I knew that the 27 people that stepped off of that plane were not the same as the people who stepped on 15 days before. God had impacted us so much, and we all were changed. Even if it wasn't something super noticeable, it was profound, lasting, and unique in each one of us. God's promise was fulfilled, "Where two or more are gathered in my name", we gathered and he came. I arrived home with Anika and we shared our experience with our family. Summing it up for them made me realize just how full and blessed it was. I can honestly say it was one of the most blessed seasons of my life. The knowledge, growth, truth, sacrifice, and divine love that I was able to partake in still amazes me. It was all so big that it was/is hard to grasp. I do know that God is good, he showed up, and we lived with and for Him. Praise God!</b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
Peace and love in Christ,<br />
Alyse<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-36303867370493267112011-09-25T18:37:00.000-07:002011-10-01T10:32:41.325-07:00WYD Trip- Part 3 Rome, ItalyDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
I have been so busy lately it has taken me a while to finish this post series, but I am still trying and this is my third shot at sharing about my wonderful, life changing experience at World Youth Day a little over a month ago. This post will cover my visit in Rome, la cita eterna (the eternal city)!<br />
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<b>August 15th 2011</b><br />
<b>Rome</b><br />
<b>We've been traveling all day long. We had mass in Cordoba and said goodbye to our families. Everyone was crying, it was a total God moment. We took a bus to Madrid, said a rosary in the airport, and flew to Rome. Then we caught a bus, to a metro, to a bus, to walk to our "Peter Pan" hostel. God has really been with us in our travel.</b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
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Let me pause for a second to let you know that my dad is a professional tour guide that lives in Rome with Simona, my step mom, Livia, my little sister, and Bea my little step sister. (This post might be confusing without knowing that)<br />
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<b>August 16th 2011</b><br />
<b>Rome</b><br />
<b>Today was a super blessed and full day. We saw so much of Rome! My dad gave us all a super full tour, it saved us thousands of dollars today alone. He has been so generous to us, it is such a blessing. We saw Piazza del Popolo, a really fancy street, the Trevi fountain, the church with Bernini's angels, the "Spanish" steps, the Sistine bridge, the Pantheon, the Piazza de Fiori, Piazza Navona, the Mamertine prison, the Roman Forum, and the big white building with the horse, also the square designed by Michelangelo, and the ruins that are a cat sanctuary. It was so awesome! Dad paid for the whole group to get gelato, I actually ate gelato twice today. We went shopping for free time. Today has been such a blessing! Praise God.</b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
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Just a commercial break, my dad who is a wonderfully generous person is also a wonderful tour guide. (No you couldn't go for free, unless you're his family) but if you are going to Rome it is worth looking into my dad's tour company to enlighten your visit. If you plan to go to Rome soon, check out www.walksofitaly.com . Thanks ;)<br />
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<b>August 17th 2011</b><br />
<b>Rome</b><br />
<b>We had another full day today. We saw the Vatican museums, St. Peter's basilica, St. Peter's square, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and maybe the oldest Catholic church in the world. Livia came with us today! It was such a blessing to see her. It was such a blessing to be where Christ's disciples lived and dies. I was so inspired. I also saw Pope John Paul the second's grave, that was so cool! God has been blessing us so much, it's crazy. Rome has so much rich church history.</b><br />
<b>-Alyse-</b><br />
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<b>August 18th 2011</b><br />
<b>Rome</b><br />
<b>Today was such a blessing! We saw the basilica of St. Paul, Sta. Maria Magiore, Sn. Juan Lattero, St. Peter's, and we climbed the steps Christ climbed. It was really such a blessed day. St. Paul's was my favorite, it was so gorgeous! Mary's church was beautiful too, and I could feel her smiling down on us. I was able to climb the steps that Christ climbed on my knees, it was a wonderful opportunity for prayer. We, well five of us, were able to catch mass at St. Peter's. It was so wonderful! While we were there, I got so excited at the thought of seeing all of the Saints, who we venerate, in heaven! I am so excited at that coming soon. It was so nice to spend the day with Livia, she is so big now, and it was a blessing to see her. I will miss her so much. Being in Rome reminded me of the majesty of the universal church, and made me realize how small we are compared to God. Well it's late now, I'll write later.</b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
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Being in Rome was really such a blessing, that last day especially. At St. Paul's I was able to see the chains that held St. Paul while he was in Rome. It is amazing to see the links of our church and a tangible piece of history. We aren't composed of a recent group of people who had a neat idea to do something cool, our history is built on the blood of martyrs who died for the church and for love of Christ Jesus who they knew was God. There is so much history held in Rome. It seems like most buildings are older than the United States. Another cool thing about Rome was to see an image of Mary and Jesus on almost every corner, even if the city itself is not religious, it is built on religion and love of the church. Being in Rome made me appreciate my church and it's real history so much, that visit will be one I will always hold close in my heart.<br />
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Peace and love in Christ Jesus,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-56520804685575168492011-09-07T16:24:00.000-07:002011-10-01T10:32:41.334-07:00World Youth Day Trip Part 2- Cordoba, SpainDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
I am sorry it has taken me so long to post this next part, I have been so incredibly busy/blessed this past week or so. Anyhow, here is for the next part of my trip.
After we left London we headed for Cordoba, Spain, a city where I lived back in 2008. This is my journal entry from my first day there.<br />
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<b>August 11th 2011 Cordoba</b><br />
<b>So after a day of frantic running, endless mishaps, and "that was so close"s God got us through. We were greeted in Cordoba by the parish of Sta. Beatriz de Silva. Our host family, the Morales family, was so hospitable! They made Amelie and I feel right at home. We received Christ's body at mass and had a big supper afterwards. It was so much fun! Our family is the greatest. God is sooooo good! </b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
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That was my first night in the parish in Spain, one that I had never been to while I had lived in Cordoba. Our group was split up, I was with Amelie, and we stayed with separate families (no family was crazy enough to accept 27 of us (-: ). My next journal entry is two days later...<br />
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<b>August 13th 2011
Cordoba
Yesterday, since I didn't write, we walked through Jewish Cordoba and had a tour of the Cathedral. We were allowed into the "Spanish Sistine Chapel" to pray and sing. The tour was such a blessing! We saw a place where a martyr carved a cross into the pillar with his finger nail. After, we came home, ate, swam, napped, and went to a get together that was a lot of fun. We stayed up till almost two talking with Luisa and Cristina. It was a great day.
Today we saw an ancient hermitage at the top of a mountain. It was sooo, breathtakingly gorgeous! It was amazing to see the way those men lived. We celebrated mass and it was such a total blessing! I am going to swim again today, which will be so refreshing. </b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
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As you probably noticed I really enjoyed my family's pool... As mild as the weather was compared to most of the time (Cordoba is one of Spain's hottest cities) it was still nice to take a swim, especially in a non-air-conditioned country like those in Europe.<br />
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<b>August 14th 2011 Cordoba, Spain
Today has been such a blessed day. Today we went to mass, with the other pilgrims in Cordoba, at the Cathedral. It was so cool to see us united by the mass, I think it was a beautiful foreshadowing of WYD. Afterwards we shopped, I got a fan and a bunch of candy. We came back home, ate lunch, showered, and napped. We went to adoration after and there was confession. God is so good! After that, we had another BIG community meal with sharing afterwards. Almost everybody was in tears as we shared how God blessed us. It's crazy to think this is my last night here. My "mom", Luisa, shared afterwards that she loved having us, and that our faith inspired her. It blessed me to see a change in Cristina, I felt her love of our faith in her attitude. I wish I could better express to my new family how much they have blessed me. Being with them made me less home sick. God really does have a universal church, family, and I felt it here. When I lived here it was a tough time for my family and now I was able to enjoy the city for what it is. I know how much God loves us, His church on Earth, and this experience confirmed it.
Now I will write for last night, because it was SO cool and I didn't get a chance to write. We went to the church I used to attend, and gathered with the other pilgrims here. There were people from the U.S, Spain, France, Canada, Iraq, and even more. We had demonstrations from the different countries. Spain put on a play of the life of St. John the baptist, and then it was our turn. We showed them Cajun dancing, I danced, it was so much fun! Then we sang a song all together. As I sang I felt God's presence so strongly. There I was, in Spain, on stage in front of a whole bunch of youth, singing to my God, the God of the universe! It was so, so, so beautiful. We had an encore and sang "Rise Up" which was awesome. After, I was Sara and said hi. Then, Amelie and I, and our family, went out to eat and for ice cream. It was a blessed day. I could write for hours, but it's late now. </b><br />
<b>-Alyse</b><br />
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Spain really was so blessed, and the night where we sang on stage was an experience that I will never forget as long as I live. I still miss the family I met and made in Spain, and it shows me how much people can be united through Christ and love of Him. The next portion of my trip is coming up, hopefully soon, God bless!<br />
<br />
Peace and love in Christ,
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-80364148037484149092011-08-26T14:12:00.000-07:002011-10-01T10:32:41.339-07:00WYD Trip Part 1- LondonBrothers and sisters in Christ,
<br />
<br />I gor back from my two week world youth day Madrid trip four days ago. Since I have been getting over jet-lag, and been getting ready for my new school, I haven't had the chance to post about it yet. The trip, which began in Houston with 27 people, including 2 infants, started off on the eight of this month. When I arrived at the airport and saw the group of people I thought, "This is such a random assortment of people, I wonder how Uncle John Paul found them all." I later realized that God was the one who put us together, and His plan for us was above and beyond all that I could possibly imagine.
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<br />Starting off I had no real idea of what to expect the next two weeks, I decided to keep it that way. I figured I didn't want to have expectations in case they were not fulfilled, although God would have rocked my world anyway. So, arriving at the airport was exciting. I could already tell this trip would be un-ordinary. And it was.
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<br />We arrived in London on the 9th of August at 6:30 in the morning. The plane ride had been uneventful, and I managed to squeeze some sleep in. Now I will share my journal entry from that day.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">August 9th 2011
<br />WYD trip- London
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<br />Today has been <span style="font-style:italic;">so</span> blessed! We arrived in London safely and came to St. Patrick's where I stayed a few years back. We saw Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. We have had blessing upon blessing bestowed upon us all day. God is so good! I am so thankful that God sent me here. Before confession and mass I really heard God saying to me that I was chosen to be here. That it is His will! That knowledge is so comforting, and challenging. I am excited to see what God has in store!</span>
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<br />To clarify, St. Patrick's is a church with a missionary evangelization program where my family and I stayed on the way back from living in Spain in 2008. At the church I ran into a woman who I had met those years back, it is funny to see that way that God runs people into each other again. The church had changed a lot, but we stayed in an older room up on the top floor. The girls all slept on the ground with the London air, coming straight from outside, surrounding us. It was so awesome to see the way that the people responded to the suffering that God blessed us with. Now for my next journal entry...
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">August 11th 2011
<br />On bus in route to Cordoba, Spain
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<br />Yesterday, since I didn't write then, was such a blessing. We focused on seeing what there was to see in London, since it was our last day. We saw St. James park and palace, the marble arch, Buckingham palace, Westminster Abby, Parliament, Big Ben, the tower of London, tower bridge, and the Catholic cathedral. It was such a full day! We chose not to pay to enter Westminster Abby. It was insane to see how long the line was. It made me cry not to see anyone at the Catholic church. "How sad it must be for Christ," I thought, "for no one to see His house." "No," He said to me, "I am sad because they don't know." I cried again. If only the world knew that our savior, the One, lived in Catholic churches. That all what they were looking for sat in the tabernacle waiting eagerly for people to see. How beautiful is salvation! How beautiful is the truth! Christ is dying for people to know HIm, and most don't respond. Our day started with adoration, and ended with cleaning St. Patrick's, where we stayed. We slept till 3:00 a.m. to start off today, a crazy day of travels. It led me here , to this bus, waiting to arrive in Cordoba, but I'll write about that later.
<br />-Alyse</span>
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<br />Well that concludes the London portion of my travels, I will post the rest later!
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<br />Peace and love in Christ,
<br />AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-41827735724741255392011-08-07T20:39:00.000-07:002011-10-01T10:32:41.330-07:00WYD Madrid TripDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br /><br />I know I have posted about my world youth day trip in the past, well now it's the present! I will be leaving for London, Spain, and Italy tomorrow morning. I am just posting to ask you to pray for me and my entire group while I am gone. We will be on a two week trip, during this time we will stay in houses, hostels, churches and a mix of other accommodations. We are all packed in back packs and are taking this as a pilgrimage and mission trip. It will be great, exciting, fun and new, but mostly it is about CHRIST, who is the reason! I am already excited about posting about the trip when I return. I will pray for you all in Europe!<br /><br />Peace and love in Christ,<br />AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-10913072208408962372011-08-02T16:32:00.000-07:002011-10-01T10:38:25.880-07:00In This World, Not Of ItDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br />
<br />
One thing that has constantly been pressing on my heart since Faith Camp, and forever really, is the title of this blog post. "Living in this world and not of it" is one of the hardest things on earth to accomplish, right next to martyrdom and plucking your eyes out for the gospel. The Bible verse that best describes this is, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2<br />
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It is almost like asking a sponge, completely submerged in water, to not get wet. It is IMPOSSIBLE... without God. Alyse will fail every single time if she tries, Alyse with God's help will not. Do not be conformed to this world! Do not sell into what the world tells you is good and acceptable and perfect! Only by following what God's will is, is when we find the goodness that he has for us. If you take one minute and watch television, or read a magazine, or listen to secular music, one minute and you will find that the world is full of lies. Every single day we are fed the lie that you need x,y, and z to be happy. You need clothes, cars, electronics, a snazzy house, and money to be find fulfillment. If only you get the right job that lets you "make a mark on society" and gives you a good, steady income, then you have found goodness in life. This is so contrary to what God says! God says, "Sell all that you have, give alms to the poor, and go and proclaim the gospel", that is what GOD says. The media says, "Buy this, do that, act like this, work here, serve yourself and you will be happy." And after a long day of listening to that being fed to you from every direction, you are supposed to not be conformed to this world? The answer is yes. It is so hard! How do we do it? Good news guys, scripture tells us how!<br />
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"But be transformed by the renewing of your mind". That's how! After being a sponge in a glass of water, that's not supposed to get wet, we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That way, we may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. "The one who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Revelations 21:5. God makes us new, God renews us! <br />
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If it were up to me, and every day I had to try and renew myself I would fail. After a warm bath, comfort food, and calming music, I would be no better off than before. But if I turn to God and say, "I am tired, and weary, and sick of the lies that I am being fed. I need You to renew me." He will. He never thinks twice about it, He always says, "Yes. Done, you are new, I make all things new, because I love you!" To be transformed means "to make a thorough, or dramatic change in form, appearance, or character". If we let God make us new, and if we are transformed by that renewal, then we will find what is good and acceptable and perfect!<br />
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God has really been challenging me with this lately, and that is why I am sharing it with you. This is a discovery to me, and it shows me how much God has our backs. So much of how to live a Christian life is in scripture. I could search forever on how to live in this world and not of it, and could fail to find it, but if I flip to Romans in the Bible it is sitting right there in front of my face. This challenge is presented to us, but we aren't left with this huge and difficult thing to struggle aimlessly with forever. We are presented with the way to live it out! God is constantly showing us how to have the best life. Because, lets face it, if we live what this world has for us we end up no where. We end up in sin, and "the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23. God is constantly stretching out His hand for us, all that we have to do is hold onto it with all that we have. All it takes is everything :) . <br />
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Peace and love in Christ,<br />
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AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-69523497513390455432011-07-20T13:33:00.000-07:002012-07-23T09:06:04.952-07:00Living ItDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<br /><br />What do you do when it's over? When the camp, or retreat, or pilgrimage is finished and you go back to the world that is so ridden with lies and sin? What's next? The answer is to live it out. To devote yourself entirely to the truth, the truth that God is good, and God is real, and God loves YOU and wants the best for you! That, my brothers and sisters, is the answer. <br /><br />It is so hard though! I think of the passage where the Bible talks about the demon who leaves the room, comes back to find it clean, and gets seven more demons to come back with him. Satan doesn't want us to live for Christ! The world doesn't want us to live for Christ. You constantly hear about self service, ranking in society, who has the nicest car, clothes, phone or house. You find yourself falling back into mundanity, into the "flow" of it all. I say "you", I mean me, but I would guess that you have felt it too. When the Jesus high is over, what's next? When you don't feel God in your life, how do you react?<br /><br />I have good news brothers and sisters, God is more than a feeling! He wants to fill your life in ways that you cannot possibly imagine or comprehend! GOD, the God, the only God, loves you so much and wants what is best for you! All that we have to do is to say "yes". That three letter word, that total life response changes it all. If you say yes to God, He will rock your world! <br /><br />Imagine, only imagine, if Mary hadn't said yes. She was in the perfect position to say no. She was young, unmarried, simple, and I am sure that she didn't think that she would change the history of the world. "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to Your will." BAM! The face of the Earth was changed forever! Her yes changed humanity! God wants the same thing for us, he wants our yes, he wants to use YOU to change the world! It's true. We were made to be like Christ, to imitate him, and we were made equal. There wasn't anything different about the way that Mother Teresa, or Pope John Paul the second were made. They were human beings, just like you and I, who said yes to God, and God used them. Never underestimate how God wants to work in your life!<br /><br />I think about Spiderman, "With great power, comes great responsibility". God, who is power and might, is on our side. We are responsible to serve him, and to bring souls to heaven. WE are, His church, His people. We can wait around forever for the world to change, but waiting won't do it, only our yes can. If you say yes to God, the world will be changed. You who know the truth, have the responsibility to spread God and His word to the ends of the Earth. To your family, to your friends, to your neighbors, to your city, country, world. God has given us this world as a gift, it is our job to be good stewards. <br /><br />I keep on opening the Bible to the parable of the steward who was away when the master of the home came back. He was punished for not being watchful. If God came now, and who's to say he won't, what do you have to show for it? Have you been living for Christ?<br /><br />I don't want to pretend that I am there yet, that every time God asks me to do anything I say yes, but I do try. And, being a daughter of God and knowing the truth, it is my job to challenge you. Jesus isn't walking around with a beard and sandals anymore. He can't knock on your door and say, "Drop your nets and follow me". He is still saying it though. The whole church is calling you in service to Christ! We, the church, are His hands and feet! What will your answer be? Will you live for Him?<br /><br />Peace and love in Christ,<br />AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-25931105212216327022011-07-15T21:08:00.000-07:002011-10-01T10:38:10.841-07:00Faith Camp 2011 More Than a FeelingDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<br />
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I know I have been posting a lot lately about how excited I have been for Faith Camp 2011! I have a very special place in my heart for Faith Camp because I know that it is the BEST camp out there for junior high kids who want to know Christ. I am not saying this because I am biased, but because the Holy Spirit gives all he can, and Faith Camp receives all that it can. If God is giving all of himself and we are accepting him entirely NOTHING can be better than that! Faith Camp is God's ministry and when you are there you can see how much he LOVES it! God loves Faith Camp and so do I! <br />
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The week before Faith Camp is work week, work week is when all of the staff get together and get everything ready for Faith Camp. I am proud to say that I spent hours upon hours working on painting humongous murals that were used for one night, where God's children were drawn closer to Him, and then were torn down after. I spent a few days at work week, helping with all that I could, and prepping for Faith Camp. I had a day break where I came back home, and then I spent Sunday getting ready for Faith Camp. On monday the world began to be changed. Faith Camp 2011 had begun!<br />
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Our theme was "More Than a Feeling" and nothing could have been more appropriate! From the first day where kids got oatmeal and shaving cream shoved in their faces, God began planting His seed. Faith Camp has a theme each day. Monday is God's love, Tuesday is sin, Wednesday is Jesus Christ, Thursday is Christian life, and Friday is wrap up. I know that God is more than a feeling. When we are having "Jesus highs" it isn't God, it is our emotional response to God. God is ALWAYS good! Even if we don't FEEL Him, He is there loving us just as much as He always does. His love never falters, never fails, and never falls. God is good all of the time!<br />
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I was super blessed to be a cabin leader this year. I was also blessed to be co-cabin leader with one of my childhood friends who I hadn't seen in years. Shaylyn was such a huge blessing to me through her humility, service, love, gentleness, kindness and affirmation! God knew what He was doing giving her to me for that week to bring souls to Him. I had fourteen of the most amazing girls on Earth in my cabin. Go cabin 2! Each and every one of them was sheer joy to my heart! They were so respectful, mature, obedient, loving, giving and wonderful. I never knew that they would call me on to holiness so much! Being their leader and having to guide them was so humbling, there is nothing special about Alyse, only Christ is special. If I allow Him to live in me, then we've got the answer! Thank the good Lord that I wasn't telling them to be like Alyse, but I was telling them to be like Christ who is perfect! Thinking about my girls gives me so much joy in my heart, God blessed me so much through them!<br />
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Throughout the week God spoke to me through very unique ways. From acting in a skit that was thrown together in five minutes, to being in charge of all of the slides for the songs, God spoke to ME in a unique way! I felt so special to be able to serve Him with all that I was, and then with all that He gave me, which was SO much more! As I got home today and stood in the shower I realized just how much God was my strength. The joy of the Lord was my strength! Because without Him I would have been a crumpled, crumby, sad mess! Praise Him! <br />
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My Uncle is the head coordinator of the camp, and I am so blessed by him. He asked me to be a C.I.T next year, a Coordinator In Training. That means, that in two years I will be helping to coordinate Faith Camp, God willing. That also means that this year was my last and only year as a cabin leader and a team leader. Although it is not something that I "want" necessarily, God let me know that it is what He wants, that means it will be great! It makes this year all the more special, knowing that this was the only year remotely like this that I will have. I am telling you all, because I am afraid that I will want to back out, and I need to be held accountable. Pray that I am able to serve God how He wants me to be used.<br />
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Today when I got home and sat down to blog I prayed that God send me a bible verse that would touch my heart and I opened up to Sirach 39: 12-16 and I want to share it with you. It is: <br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Once more I will set forth my theme to shine like the moon in its fullness!<br />Listen, my faithful children: open up your petals, like roses planted near running waters;<br />Send up the sweet odor of incense, break forth in blossoms like the lily. Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise; bless the LORD for all he has done!<br />Proclaim the greatness of his name, loudly sing his praises, With music on the harp and all stringed instruments; sing out with joy as you proclaim:<br />The works of God are all of them good; in its own time every need is supplied.</span><br />
The first part in particular struck out to me: "Once more I will set you forth to shine like the moon". I realize how much I have fallen short in the past, and how much I need to stay strong for His kingdom. Building His kingdom is all that matters in life, and I lose that perspective so often. To follow God and make a total life response to Him, that is our call. In the Christian life talk Sarah said, "Being Christian is NOT a life style choice, like being a vegetarian, it is a total life response to a person and that person is Jesus Christ." A total life response. A TOTAL life response! Jesus help us to have a TOTAL LIFE RESPONSE to you! Amen<br />
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Peace and love in Christ,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-88340473343985303452011-07-04T19:55:00.000-07:002011-07-04T20:16:23.651-07:00Theology of the Body campDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br /><br />First off, happy fourth of July to all of you in the United States, I hope it has been a blessed day for all of you. Last week I was super blessed to be able to attend an Echo camp put on by Dumb Ox productions, the camp was Theology of the Body for Teens. It was so amazing! For those of you who aren't familiar with Theology of the Body, it was put together by Pope John Paul the second and has been adapted since for teens. It is essentially a collection of teachings that relate to our bodies and the marvelous theology behind them. The camp was a few days long and I grew so much in faith and community with everyone there. When people show up for God, God answers in such beautiful ways! <br /><br />One of the things that stuck out most as a "theology of the body" message to me was this, human beings are the only creatures that God created that have both body and soul. Our bodies and our souls, before the fall of man, were in perfect union with each other. After Adam and Eve transgressed they became disconnected. That is why "I do what I hate" (Romans 7:15) because I am no longer in perfect union with my body. That does not mean that we are not our bodies. When someone punches you in the face you don't say, "You just hurt my body!" you say, "You just hurt me!". We as human beings are both body and soul, and one day after we die our bodies will be raised up and made new. That is one of the beautiful things about Jesus' assumption into heaven, since he was without sin his body was brought into heaven with him. There is so much beauty in who we are, and so there is so much beauty in our bodies. <br /><br />During the week I really felt God open my mind to so much of his truth. One thing that blessed me SO much during the week was a reminder that God is so big, vast, unimaginable and wondrous! We cannot contain him to a few experiences, or a few memories, because that would be tacking him to time and he is not in time. He is timeless and engulfs time itself. He is so much larger than we could possibly imagine, even if we dive in deep we can always go infinitely deeper! This has little to do with theology of the body, but it stuck with me so much that I wanted to share with you. <br /><br />I hope to continue posting things in accordance with what I learned at the ECHO camp, but I wanted to share a little with you now. Please pray for me, Faith Camp is fast approaching (you can read a little more about Faith Camp in one of my recent posts) and I am so excited for it! Please pray specifically for good weather for Faith Camp, and for the girls that will be in my cabin. I am getting excited about the beautiful week that God has planned! Faith Camp itself is from July 11th to the 15th if you would remember it in your prayers during that time. I am praying for you and hope that you have a blessed couple of weeks! <br /><br />Peace and love in Christ,<br /><br />AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-44037333133850535612011-06-23T11:31:00.000-07:002011-06-23T12:10:28.825-07:00Sixteen... WowDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br /><br />As you may have guessed by my updated heading, I am a year older now! My sixteenth birthday was yesterday, June 22nd. I can hardly believe it! This year has gone so quickly by, retrospectively it feels like a matter of months. So much has happened, but the year has still flown by, I must be getting old ;) . Every year I realize just how blessed I am. God has given me so many blessings in my life I would never be able to count them all. I am so thankful that God has been so good, and that he has given me another year of life! <br /><br />It's funny how age works in my mind. I usually do not think about how old I am at all, so as soon as my birthday rolls around I end up thinking "Wow" and it snaps me into perspective. I have always felt that one should not be judged by their age, and I do my best to be the same way. "Say not I am to young" is one of my favorite scripture verses in the Bible. You are never to young to let God move in miraculous ways for you. It is not about what you do, but what you let God do for you. Nothing that anyone accomplishes in spirituality is on their own terms, it is all God. One of the easiest lies the devil tells the youth of today is to put themselves in a box. The box saying "You are to young." "No one cares about what you think." "You can do it on your own, totally by yourself." This is one of the most dangerous things that teens believe, because that is not at all what God thinks. God's plan for children, youth, and adults are all equally as magnificent. Some of the most remarkable Saints in history were young people. Saints who didn't fall into that box the devil set out for them. The Saints that pushed the boundaries and lived to their absolute fullest potential. I am not going to begin to pretend I have accomplished this, but at least I know the truth. <br /><br />Teenagers today need to step up, to live what God has planned for us. I am going to high school this fall, and I am praying that I find a community of young people living wonderful lives. I am afraid this may not happen, but I have hope. I have hope because I know just how much God loves us, how much God loves everyone. To see the way that so many young people live today makes me so sad. I know that so many young people fall into the lies of this world but <span style="font-weight:bold;">we are not of this world.</span> We are children of the most high God who died for us. Everyone needs to step up, to love those who struggle, to help them, to turn to God for his help that he wants so desperately to give us! Today a lot of the struggles lie in teens, who are trying to figure out who they are, who are trying to live the lives they want to live, who are searching for love. God is the only one who can save, not only teens, but everyone. He loves us so desperately. I am not saying that I do not struggle the same way, because I do, every day. God is bigger than struggling though, nothing can separate us from his love. This is the truth that will set us free. The truth that no matter how much we screw up, or how awful we feel, God loves us just the same.<br /><br />This blog is such a great blessing in my life. I watch as my stats, followers, and page views grow and I realize that God is really using this as a tool for his glory. Because, what I have to say is not so interesting, but what God has to say is truth, love, and glorious freedom! I want to thank you for reading, you, the one who is reading this right now. Thank you for blessing me and for, I hope, listening to what God has to say today. You are not to young, to old, to small, to sinful to live to the fullest of your potential! God loves you soooooo much! I keep you always in my prayers. Have a blessed day, week, year and life!<br /><br />Peace and love in Christ,<br />AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-90224626983141216812011-06-20T11:34:00.000-07:002011-06-20T11:42:05.705-07:00Happy Father's DayDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br /><br />I am sorry that this post is coming a day late. Yesterday was a very busy day, full of huge, yummy meals, a long walk in the sun, and a visit with Jesus at mass. We celebrated with my step-father Kevin, by making a huge meal of ribs and other yummy things, and by giving him gifts. My mom and Kevin have been married for two and a half years now, and Kevin has been such a blessing to our family. My dad lives in Rome, so we weren't able to to see him yesterday, but he was in my prayers and mind all day.<br /><br />It is such a blessing to have so many great and holy men of God in my life. My grandfathers, uncles, dad, and even friends have shown me wonderful examples of fatherhood my whole life. The ultimate example though is God the father. God is the perfect father, who never fails, who never falters, who is always there loving you. God has also given us fathers to share his love with us. The celebration of father's day is a wonderful reminder of what a great blessing it is to have fathers in our life. I hope your father's day was blessed by celebrating with your fathers, or by being celebrated yourself. God bless!<br /><br />Peace and love in Christ,<br />AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-23331310312990378272011-06-14T11:03:00.000-07:002011-10-01T10:37:43.084-07:00Faith Camp Staff RetreatDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br />
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I have had such a busy and blessed week! I left to Abbeville on the 9th and arrived late that night. On the 10th I had a blessed day, where I was able to relax, read, and then go to my friend's house. The 11th was the beginning of our two day, one night staff retreat for Faith Camp. For those of you who don't know what Faith Camp is, I will fill you in. <br />
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It is a summer camp for kids in Junior High, you can be a camper for three years, and after that a disciple. After you are a disciple for one year you become staff. All of the staff is high school students, with the exception of a few college students and only a few adults. The camp lasts a week and is filled with so much fun, prayer and community. I feel that it is one of God's greatest works for his youth here on Earth. My uncle John Paul is the head coordinator, but there are a handful of on fire servants of the lord that also coordinate this camp. This is my fifth year to participate in faith camp. I am now a staff member!<br />
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Faith Camp is one of the most precious things in my life. I am so blessed to have been able to participate for the past four years. This year I am a cabin leader, and a team leader. Usually the two jobs are split, but since we are short staffed I get to be both. Under normal circumstances, I would probably be a team leader since it is my first year staffing. I had really wanted to be a cabin leader, but had decided to be patient and rejoice in anything God had for me. I am so excited that I get to be the leader of a cabin full of campers! I, along with one other girl, will be leading a cabin of twelve to sixteen girl campers throughout the week. I always looked up to my cabin leaders, and will be super blessed to be in the opposite situation now. The camp is from July 11th to the 15th. If you are reading this and are interested in attending or staffing Faith Camp, you can find the information at www.bestweekofyourlife.com<br />
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The staff retreat was super blessed! I feel that since we are so small, I will really get the opportunity to know all of the staff. To be in such a holy environment is so good for me, I can feel my soul being refreshed. We covered all of the details of the week, signed up for skits and jobs, and had time as a community. We played games, the girls dominated :) , and had praise and worship. It was all so blessed, and I could see the joy and love on everyone's faces. I have so may friends amongst the staff that I feel like we get to be having a super awesome, blessed party!<br />
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Please pray that Faith Camp goes super blessed. I am on the red team, and my job is to pray for weather, I ask that you all pray with me. Good weather is essential to Faith Camp, and God has always provided against the odds these past fifteen years! Pray that it be the best year yet, and that God pours special blessings on all of the staff. God bless!<br />
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Peace and love in Christ,<br />
AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-4954593826456205252011-06-05T14:41:00.000-07:002011-06-05T15:00:06.095-07:00A Beautiful Missionary WeddingDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br /><br />Yesterday I had the super blessed opportunity to go to a wedding! Not only was it a wedding, it was a wedding between two beautiful missionaries, who I love! I absolutely love weddings, I always feel so blessed to see the way that God brings two people together in such a beautiful sacrament. My mom was Kristen's bridesmaid and that was great :) The wedding was in Texas, so we took a five and a half hour drive to get there, but that is nothing compared to seventeen hours, so it didn't feel to long. I was so happy to see a bunch of fantastic people there! All of the stateside FMC missionaries, plus the girls from General Cepeda were there. Also, my good friend Hollis was a photographer, and I was happy to spend the day before the wedding swimming with her.<br /><br />The ceremony was beautiful and super blessed! The music was fantastic, and I am planning to recruit them to sing for my wedding ;) . You could feel God so strongly amongst the people there. Kristen looked so absolutely stunning, like a princess! Jonathan was glowing and it was smiles all around. Kristen's dad is a deacon and so he was able to give the homily, which was amazing! He talked about their missionary vocation, and their vocation as a married couple, and you know that he meant it from his heart. God truly talked through him and everyone felt it. The ceremony is always the best part of the wedding, because it is the most important part, and their ceremony was definitely partaking in the glory of God. You could almost hear the angels singing along with us as they sat at the feet of God in heaven!<br /><br />The reception was great too, and it was awesome to see all of the fun they were having. There was dancing, toasting, eating and laughing, it was great! It was also super fun and holy, which is always awesome! They were glowing the whole time, and they really enjoyed themselves. We stayed till the very end and then had a blessed drive home.<br /><br />Also, he surprised her for their honey moon, which I think is really sweet. I don't know if I would want that, but Kristen loves surprises! They are in Mazatlan Mexico, a wonderful choice on his part! Jonathan has a blog that is in my list of missionary blogs, he hasn't updated it for a while, I wonder why ;) But if you want to check it out you can!<br /><br />Peace and love in Christ,<br />AlyseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4082968340625671973.post-57931705584555265512011-05-30T11:52:00.000-07:002011-05-30T12:39:05.915-07:00Much Ado About NothingDear brothers and sisters in Christ,<br /><br />I have been so blessed this past week with preparations for our play, and finally, the play itself. Our homeschool acting troupe put on Shakespeare's: <span style="font-style:italic;"></span> Much Ado About Nothing<span style="font-style:italic;"></span> with a cast of 29 children ranging from seven to sixteen years old. The play itself was a challenge, considering it is Shakespeare and is a difficult performance to pull off, but it was a total blessing! I wish I could express how happy I am to have participated in such a blessed play. The cast was all so fantastic, encouraging, holy and wonderful! I really felt God's blessing poured out on us from beginning to end. I have a journal entry that I think expresses my feelings more completely. Here it is,<br /><br />May 27th 2011<br />Journal,<br />Today was our play! We put on two performances of Much Ado About Nothing. I was sooo blessed by it all! I realize how fortunate I am to participate in this wonderful theater class. I have been so unbelievably blessed by all of the cast! Joseph has decided to let me know that I could be a professional actress every five minutes :) . Bryan is so encouraging, Emily is so sweet, all of the little ones are fabulous, and I feel so loved! Everyone hugs me all of the time, and Trevor asked me if I took acting classes. The performances went really well. The first was a little choppy, but the second was perfect! I got all of my lines/cues right and I didn't screw up at the guitar. I was so proud of my handsome little brother who I have worked so hard with, and Anika did FANTASTIC! I realized today that I will miss New Orleans more than I could ever imagine. I wouldn't mind living here another year. It's funny how quickly things change. All I know is that God is good and he is faithful. He has loved me so much through the hugs, smiles, encouragements, thumbs ups and excitement of my fellow cast. Right now I am just so pleased, blessed, happy and proud of everyone! Alleluia, God is good!<br />-Alyse<br /><br />This play has really wrapped up our year in New Orleans. We are moving in two months now, and I realize how quickly the time has flown by. It will be hard leaving again, but God knows best! He has the best plan for my life and for my family, wherever we move, or even if we stay, God will be the same wonderful God that he always has been and that he always will be. I don't deserve all of the love that He has given me, but he pours it out endlessly nonetheless. All I can do is praise him and continue to seek his will for my life. Although the future is uncertain, the present is blessed. Our acting class has definitely been a ministry, and God has definitely blessed it. Praise Him for his goodness!!!!<br /><br />Peace and love in Christ,<br />Alyse<br /><br />p.s I updated my Photos page!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1