Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I created a Photos page :) Check it out! Also, I have made it easier to comment on my posts, if you want to!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
To Die With Christ
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.- Romans 6: 1-12
Wow, huh? When I think of baptism I think of new life, and here it says that we die with Christ in baptism. If you think about it more you see how true it is, even though we die we find life, new life. We die to this world, to sin, and to ourselves. In turn we live with Christ! Not a bad deal huh?
Think of a dead person, nothing can affect them. No matter what you say or do nothing can change them because they are no longer living. We are called to be dead to sin, not only insensitive, but totally dead to it! It sounds so crazy, so impossible, but yet it is already here! We are baptized so we have died and lived with Christ, we can live a new life! Through our baptism is brought so much freedom, freedom from sin and from death. We are brought into life and life to the fullest, life abundant! Praise Him!!!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.- Romans 6: 1-12
Wow, huh? When I think of baptism I think of new life, and here it says that we die with Christ in baptism. If you think about it more you see how true it is, even though we die we find life, new life. We die to this world, to sin, and to ourselves. In turn we live with Christ! Not a bad deal huh?
Think of a dead person, nothing can affect them. No matter what you say or do nothing can change them because they are no longer living. We are called to be dead to sin, not only insensitive, but totally dead to it! It sounds so crazy, so impossible, but yet it is already here! We are baptized so we have died and lived with Christ, we can live a new life! Through our baptism is brought so much freedom, freedom from sin and from death. We are brought into life and life to the fullest, life abundant! Praise Him!!!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Light of the World
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today in mass the homily was really beautiful and it made me think. He said that when we think of lamps we think of those that you can turn off and on, dim, brighten and unplug. He said that in the time of Jesus lamps were different, they were bowls of oil you couldn't turn off, all you could do was cover them with a bushel basket. That is our kind of lamp. We cannot turn off the light of Christ within us. We can cover it, hide it and ignore it but it will always be there, we are called to let it shine. To not cover it with a basket but to rather put it on a lamp stand and to be lights of Christ.
I guess it is just something to think about that I wanted to share will all of you! God bless.
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Today in mass the homily was really beautiful and it made me think. He said that when we think of lamps we think of those that you can turn off and on, dim, brighten and unplug. He said that in the time of Jesus lamps were different, they were bowls of oil you couldn't turn off, all you could do was cover them with a bushel basket. That is our kind of lamp. We cannot turn off the light of Christ within us. We can cover it, hide it and ignore it but it will always be there, we are called to let it shine. To not cover it with a basket but to rather put it on a lamp stand and to be lights of Christ.
I guess it is just something to think about that I wanted to share will all of you! God bless.
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
This Crazy Wonderful Life That God Gave Me
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I have been thinking a lot lately. I have been thinking about how crazy wonderful God is and how much he loves and how much he loves me. I also have been thinking about how crazy awesome my life is! So many people go through life disappointed, sad and depressed. What about? We have this fantastic gift, we have a fantastic father who is crazy about us! We have fantastic people, places and things surrounding us! We have a new morning every day and a clean slate after every confession. We are so blessed to be alive! I am so blessed to be where I am, what I am, and around who I am. God has just showered infinite blessings upon me, he has opened his arms and said "I love you."
God is so good! Even when life seems hard and annoying and boring and impossible it isn't. It is so far from those things and God has given it to us, he has given us life! I know that I am blessed, I know how much I am loved! Now I get to go and share it, I get to be Christ's love to all of my brothers and sisters :) Praise God for his crazy, awesome, amazing fantasticness!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
I have been thinking a lot lately. I have been thinking about how crazy wonderful God is and how much he loves and how much he loves me. I also have been thinking about how crazy awesome my life is! So many people go through life disappointed, sad and depressed. What about? We have this fantastic gift, we have a fantastic father who is crazy about us! We have fantastic people, places and things surrounding us! We have a new morning every day and a clean slate after every confession. We are so blessed to be alive! I am so blessed to be where I am, what I am, and around who I am. God has just showered infinite blessings upon me, he has opened his arms and said "I love you."
God is so good! Even when life seems hard and annoying and boring and impossible it isn't. It is so far from those things and God has given it to us, he has given us life! I know that I am blessed, I know how much I am loved! Now I get to go and share it, I get to be Christ's love to all of my brothers and sisters :) Praise God for his crazy, awesome, amazing fantasticness!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Canned Tomatoes
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
"Don't eat this." my Mom warned as I stood in the kitchen making lunch. I turn to find her pouring canned tomato sauce into a tupperware container.
"Why would I eat that?" I asked, genuinely curious to hear her answer.
"I don't know, but if you do all you will get is a spoon of canned tomatoes."
I laugh silently to myself and continue making sandwiches. Why I would ever want to eat a few spoonfuls of tomato paste beats me, I know it's gross and my mom knows it won't be good for me. Wait a second... I thought about how God must have felt giving the garden of Eden to Adam and Eve.
"Don't eat from the tree that will lead you astray from me." He warned kindly.
In a garden where there is so much good stuff why would they want to eat the only bad thing? It made me flash to myself, standing at the fridge eating spoons of tomato paste greedily while other delicious things my mom has provided sit inside the refrigerator. "Now I've done it, I have finally done it!" I would laugh maniacally as I slurped yet another spoon of cold, flavorless paste.
Why would I ever want to do that? And yet it happens time and time again. God warns to not do something that will permanently damage our souls and yet we do it out of pure adventure or disregard. When God gives us so many fantastic things in life and warns not settle for the nasty yuckiness that the world serves we sometimes rebel and ignore all of the wonders God has in store! It seems so silly when you put it into terms of tomato paste for a snack, but yet I do things much sillier in real terms! Choosing to sin instead of do the service God offers me is like choosing tomato paste instead of yogurt, cheese sticks, granola bars or ice cream. The better option is soooo much better!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
"Don't eat this." my Mom warned as I stood in the kitchen making lunch. I turn to find her pouring canned tomato sauce into a tupperware container.
"Why would I eat that?" I asked, genuinely curious to hear her answer.
"I don't know, but if you do all you will get is a spoon of canned tomatoes."
I laugh silently to myself and continue making sandwiches. Why I would ever want to eat a few spoonfuls of tomato paste beats me, I know it's gross and my mom knows it won't be good for me. Wait a second... I thought about how God must have felt giving the garden of Eden to Adam and Eve.
"Don't eat from the tree that will lead you astray from me." He warned kindly.
In a garden where there is so much good stuff why would they want to eat the only bad thing? It made me flash to myself, standing at the fridge eating spoons of tomato paste greedily while other delicious things my mom has provided sit inside the refrigerator. "Now I've done it, I have finally done it!" I would laugh maniacally as I slurped yet another spoon of cold, flavorless paste.
Why would I ever want to do that? And yet it happens time and time again. God warns to not do something that will permanently damage our souls and yet we do it out of pure adventure or disregard. When God gives us so many fantastic things in life and warns not settle for the nasty yuckiness that the world serves we sometimes rebel and ignore all of the wonders God has in store! It seems so silly when you put it into terms of tomato paste for a snack, but yet I do things much sillier in real terms! Choosing to sin instead of do the service God offers me is like choosing tomato paste instead of yogurt, cheese sticks, granola bars or ice cream. The better option is soooo much better!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Saturday, January 22, 2011
My job
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I have a job! It is only part time, I get to hold a sign on the side of the road for two hours a day for two weeks. Exciting huh? As I stand there my options are very limited to what I can do, yet God can bless people in the least seemingly blessed places. I entertain myself by looking for familiar cars, one is a car with eyelashes, and finding out the most comfortable way to how to hold the sign. Also I do some other things, and now I will list all that has blessed me.
It is rather boring to stand on the side of the road, and yet I decided to smile the whole time. I prayed that people can somehow see my love of Christ through my smile instead of the usual "kill me now" look of others I have seen holding signs.
I pray a rosary everyday! This has blessed me soooo much because I love to pray the rosary and seldom set aside the time to do so during an average day.
I listen to music, and I try to make it all upbuilding and joyful to help in my "smile always" task.
Yesterday a lady came up to me and handed me a few dollars saying "Go get yourself something warm to drink after your shift is over. You are doing a great job." This lady blessed me so much! Especially considering yesterday I was sick and standing in the cold with a sign was even less enjoyable than it had been.
I guess what I want to say is that even when we don't feel like we could be blessed God finds ways to do so. If there is one thing I have learned from my job it is that. God bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
I have a job! It is only part time, I get to hold a sign on the side of the road for two hours a day for two weeks. Exciting huh? As I stand there my options are very limited to what I can do, yet God can bless people in the least seemingly blessed places. I entertain myself by looking for familiar cars, one is a car with eyelashes, and finding out the most comfortable way to how to hold the sign. Also I do some other things, and now I will list all that has blessed me.
It is rather boring to stand on the side of the road, and yet I decided to smile the whole time. I prayed that people can somehow see my love of Christ through my smile instead of the usual "kill me now" look of others I have seen holding signs.
I pray a rosary everyday! This has blessed me soooo much because I love to pray the rosary and seldom set aside the time to do so during an average day.
I listen to music, and I try to make it all upbuilding and joyful to help in my "smile always" task.
Yesterday a lady came up to me and handed me a few dollars saying "Go get yourself something warm to drink after your shift is over. You are doing a great job." This lady blessed me so much! Especially considering yesterday I was sick and standing in the cold with a sign was even less enjoyable than it had been.
I guess what I want to say is that even when we don't feel like we could be blessed God finds ways to do so. If there is one thing I have learned from my job it is that. God bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
Friday, January 14, 2011
Roots
Brothers and sisters in Christ,
I had been praying a while ago that God would remind me of his presence in my life, I know that God is so present but sometimes I can't feel him. Even though I don't deserve to be answered, especially when I am doing something so absurd as assuring myself of God's love, he answered me. A few days later I got an email from a woman saying that my siblings and I blessed her three years ago. We met once, for a few hours and then she found us and told us that we blessed her so much!
After that I gave a talk at that confirmation retreat which was great. Now, a girl that was there got in touch with me asking me to talk to her high school Christian club. I feel like they're roots, sprouting out and growing. You know how some roots spread out and grow into other plants from the same roots. God was great enough to plant a seed that has spread and grown so much!
I feel so blessed and loved and I am reassured again about the truth and greatness of God and his love. Even when I fall short God never ever does, praise him!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
I had been praying a while ago that God would remind me of his presence in my life, I know that God is so present but sometimes I can't feel him. Even though I don't deserve to be answered, especially when I am doing something so absurd as assuring myself of God's love, he answered me. A few days later I got an email from a woman saying that my siblings and I blessed her three years ago. We met once, for a few hours and then she found us and told us that we blessed her so much!
After that I gave a talk at that confirmation retreat which was great. Now, a girl that was there got in touch with me asking me to talk to her high school Christian club. I feel like they're roots, sprouting out and growing. You know how some roots spread out and grow into other plants from the same roots. God was great enough to plant a seed that has spread and grown so much!
I feel so blessed and loved and I am reassured again about the truth and greatness of God and his love. Even when I fall short God never ever does, praise him!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse
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