Pretty, happy, funny, real {1}

Pretty

My household. Some of the prettiest people I know. And priests are pretty awesome too!

Happy

Cats seriously make me really happy!

Funny

   A few household sisters and myself being silly. The girl in the middle was my roommate last year and now she rooms with my other friend. So we tag teamed her :) 

Real

    The rosary. One of the most real things there is. There is nothing quite as powerful as asking the intercession of our Holy Mother. No one kicks the devil's butt like She can! 

Liebster award :)

Thanks to Natalie for spreading the small-bloggers love and giving me a Liebster award! I'm not really sure where the name came from, but it is given by small-blogs to other small-blogs to recognize one another :)

So the rules of this Award---
The workings of Liebster:Thank the person who nominated you and link your post to their blog.
List 11 facts about yourself then answer the 11 questions given to you.
Create 11 more questions for your 9 nominees, all of whom have 200 or less followers.
Comment on their blogs to inform them of their Liebster Award nomination 

11 random facts about myself: 

1. I LOVE the color purple, so much that I once gave it up for Lent.
2. I play piano, flute, and guitar.
3. I am definitely an animal lover, and especially love cats and dolphins.... I know it is kind of a weird combination...
4. I love being outside and walking in my bare feet.
5. My favorite way to travel is by train where I can sit comfortably and stare out the window for hours. 
6. I do not comb, brush, or blow dry my hair because it will turn into a fro! Just gel and scrunch to create beautiful curls :) 
7. Sunflowers are my favorite flower.
8. I took dance lessons for 13 years.
9. My favorite movie of all time is The Proposal 
10. I am working on writing a book on the healing power of Scripture....and by working on it, I mean I wrote a page and keep kicking myself because I'm not working on it enough! 
11. I've been to many different countries including Italy, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Austria, Poland and Nicaragua....pieces of my heart have been scattered all across the globe in these beautiful places. 

My 11 questions from Natalie: 

1. Who is your favorite saint? I don't know if I can pick just one! But my main man is Blessed John Paul II. I discovered in 5th grade that we have the same birthday and since then we have been best buds :) Shortly to follow though is St. Mary Magdalene and St. Margaret of Cortona.
2. What time, if any, do you have to stop consuming caffeine? I don't really drink caffeine at all because it really messes up my body. Plus I refuse to become dependent on it, so I just avoid it! However, I LOVE coffee so I usually opt for the decaf.
3. How often do you change your sheets? Not often enough...maybe once a month....maybe more.... my mother will kill me if she sees this  :p
4. Show me a picture of your favorite mug: I don't currently have this because it is at home, but it is definitely my favorite! So classic ;)                                                                                                                                                            
5. How do you like your eggs? Pretty much any way. Eggs are one of my favorite things, any way they're cooked! 
6. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? I have been blessed to already travel to many of my favorite places, but I would love to visit the Holy Land, Greece, and someday go to Africa. 
7. Do you use pens or pencils? Always pens. Pencils make me nervous because you can erase them! 
8. With five words or less, why do you love the Catholic Church? Because we have the Eucharist <3 nbsp="" span="">
9. Do you prefer shorts or pants to bed? I usually wear shorts to bed because I tend to get overheated, but I have some really cute PJ pants that I got so I am giving them a whirl. 
10. What three websites are your biggest time wasters? Facebook, Youtube, Blogger.
11. What is your favorite beverage? Mostly drink water (I know, not exciting) but I thoroughly enjoy Cherry Coke.

And unfortunately, I do not know that many people yet to nominate them for this award, so for now I will just leave it at that. If I make some more blog friends though I will definitely share the love :) 

Fictional love or real love?

"You want a man, who will lead you down the beach, with his hand over your eyes, just so you can discover the feel of the sand beneath your feet. You want a guy, who will wake you up a dawn, just bursting to talk to you, he can't wait another minute just to find out what you'll say. Am I right?"

I was watching Runaway Bride for the first time today (classic... I don't know why I've never seen it) and this quote just really hit me at my core. What girl wouldn't want a man like this? At first I just tried to shake off the feelings that this moment in the movie evoked by telling myself that this kind of love only exists in movies. At least that is what Hollywood always tries to tell us. They come up with these elaborate tales of men who drop everything that they are doing, simply to see their one true love again. Men who walk for days in the rain, men who give up their dreams because they know that their dreams mean nothing if they are alone, men who will do anything, just to see her smile... I'm sure you can name many more of your favorite romance scenes. But we all think Oh, this could never happen to me.... what guy would want to give up his life for me.... that kind of love doesn't exists. And so, all too often, we settle. We settle for whatever guy happens to give us the slightest bit of attention. Sure, maybe he is a really awesome guy and there is nothing 'wrong' with him, but does he hang on your every word? Does he constantly tell you how much he loves you? How beautiful you are? How you are the best thing that has ever happened to him? My challenge to all of you in the dating world is this: don't settle. 

Women: You are the crown of creation. Don't be afraid to set some kind of standards. Sooner or later, someone will come along who will realize your worth and your dignity and fight for it. I'm not saying you have to wait for "Mr. Perfect", but wait for someone who will really pursue you and figure out what makes you you. Trust me, it will be hard. You're going to get tired of waiting, you're going to hurt, you're going to want to give up. But keep fighting. It will be well worth it in the end. And it's amazing just how much boys turn into men when you make them work for your heart. Allowing a man to pursue you doesn't make you weak: it makes you strong because you know what you deserve.

Men: Fight for your women. Be bold. Don't be afraid to say no to a girl who is simply seeking attention from you. It's not fair to you either. Beware of the fine line of giving your all to a woman, and letting her walk all over you. We need to be called on as well. Set your own standards and allow them to influence the way you pursue and look after the women you love. Recognize the beauty that is before you. Cherish her. It is said that the Trojan War was started because of Helen, a woman, so beautiful, that the Greeks wanted to win her back from the Trojans who had taken her as their queen. If you want to pursue a woman, fight for her... literally or figuratively... We all just want to be "the face that launched 1,000 ships."

All I'm trying to say, is that while finding love isn't easy, that doesn't mean it's not real. I certainly have my fair share of cynicism, but I know that it is only because I'm afraid I won't find it. It's out there somewhere. And until then, I pray that the Lord will guide me and reveal pieces of my story in His own timing. He will lead you too if you ask Him. Allow Him to write your love story for you, and I can guarantee that it will be better than anything you could have come up with on your own. The way I look at it, if you haven't been successful yet, then what is there to lose?

Mary, Refuge of Sinners

 I just wanted to share this beautiful prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori:

"O most holy and pure virgin! O my mother! You who are the mother of my Lord, the queen of the world, the advocate and refuge of sinners! I, a most wretched sinner, now come to you. I honor you, great queen, and give you humble thanks for the many favors which have come to me in the past through your intercession. I love you, Lady most worthy of all love, and by the love which I bear you, I promise ever in the future to honor you, and to do what lies in me to win others to your love. Receive me as your servant, and cover me with the mantle of your protection, you who are the mother of mercy! And since you have so much power with God, implore him to deliver me from all temptations, and to give me the grace ever to overcome them. Pray for me that I may love Christ in this world as you love him, and intercede for me that I may have the grace of a good death. O my mother! by your love for God I beseech you to be at all times my helper, but above all at the last moment of my life. Cease not your supplications until you see me safe in heaven, there for countless ages to bless you and, your holy company, to worship and adore your son, for ever and ever."
Amen.

What I love most about this, is that Jesus gives us His Mother to help us overcome our daily struggles and temptations. No matter what we do, She is always there to wrap us in her motherly embrace and lead us to Her Son's mercy. As any good mother, She comforts and consoles us in our times of despair. St. Anthony of Padua beautifully states:

"Now the Lord has established a refuge of mercy, Mary, even for those who deliberately commit evil. Mary provides shelter and strength for the sinner."

What a wonderful Mother we have!

http://animakinsi.blogspot.com/

7 Quick Takes of Christmas break

This is my first time linking up with "7 Quick Takes" hosted by conversion diary, so here goes:

7: I just got back from a much enjoyable Christmas/ New Years break with my family. It is always tons of fun to be home with my brothers and sisters during the Holiday season! Here's a copy of the picture of our traditional visit with Santa ;)

6. Not to mention, its always fun to see my cats and the silly things that they do. This cracked me up! They look like book-ends:

5. A couple of my siblings got the stomach flu around Christmas, but luckily I was able to get by unscathed and was able to partake in all the various cookies and delicious food that Christmas brings! Since my family is Italian, we do the Italian tradition of having 7 different fish on Christmas Eve. This years selection started with a few appetizers: a Tuna ball and crackers and Shrimp. Then we moved on to my mothers incredible homemade Crab Bisque, followed by the main course of Orange Ruffy, Salmon, Scallops, and Crab legs (and fish sticks for those non-adventurous fish eaters!) all in addition to a huge pot of Spaghetti with olive oil and red and green bell peppers. Always a favorite, filling meal :)


4. We have gotten a good amount of snow lately. Unfortunately, it came the day after Christmas so we had a white boxing day, but it is still beautiful! If only it weren't so cold....

3. We also took the dog sledding with us, which was really cute until he started going nuts and jumping on top of people while they were going down the hill! In his mind, he is still a puppy even though he is full grown.  But it's hard to stay mad at this face! They don't call them puppy dog eyes for nothing...

2. Over break I started reading St. Francis DeSales Introduction to the Devout Life. I have not gotten very fair yet, but already it is kicking my butt. This seems like it is going to be one of those books that takes a lot to get through because of how rich it is, but it is such a worthwhile read. I am already learning so much and excited to keep on reading! If you have some extra time on your hands (who does anymore!), I highly suggest checking it out. Even if you just skim over a few sections. I might have to post about it later!

1. I spent my New Years eve with a handful of 12 year olds, playing Just Dance 4 and eating Pepperoni Rolls. I guess I'm just not into the hype of drinking and doing crazy things to welcome in the New Year. I think that we should be thankful for every single day and celebrate each one that passes. Every day of the year is a gift, and each day that I am alive, I need to remember to thank God for. I don't do a good job of this, but I am going to try to do better. New Years resolution: be more thankful for the beating of my heart and that my lungs are up and kicking. We are on His time, not ours.

How to start the New Year

As I was thinking back on this past year, I couldn't help but be reminded of all the horrible tragedies that have occurred, and how the media only portrays all the negative things that happen in our world. I wanted to share this excerpt from a book I am reading called "Jesus Calling: Devotions for Every Day of the Year" by Sarah Young. One of my good friends lent it to me. This one is from December 28:

"I am your Refuge and Strength, an ever-present Help in trouble. Therefore, you don't need to be afraid of anything- not even cataclysmic circumstances. The media are increasingly devoted to fear-inducing subject matter: terrorism, serial killers, environmental catastrophes. If you focus on such dangers and forget that I am your Refuge in all circumstances, you will become increasingly fearful. Every day I manifest My grace in countless places and situations, but the media take no notice. I shower not only blessings but also outright miracles on your planet.
As you grow closer to Me, I open your eyes to see more and more of My Presence all around you. Things that most people hardly notice, like shifting shades of sunlight, fill you with heart-bursting Joy. You have eyes that see and ears to hear, so proclaim My abiding Presence in the world"

I found this to be extremely powerful and convicting as this year comes to a close. What are you going to do to help others see those small miracles and to find the presence of Christ amidst the darkness of this world? 

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On a personal note, this year has been an incredible journey for me. It began with a week in Nicaragua which touched my heart in such a profound way. Since then, the Lord has only brought me closer and closer to His merciful Heart. He has pursued me every day and has called me to be more in love with Him. Because of my human failings, I have not been able to repay Him in the way that He deserves. But that has not stopped Him from loving me even more. He knows our hearts and our weaknesses. I often beat myself up for being human, but that only means that I need to be more humble and realize that my humanity is a gift that allows me to be 100% reliant on Him. He wants the same from all of His children. He doesn't need us to rely on Him, He wants us. The God of the universe wants you to not carry your burdens alone. He wants to help you!

This upcoming year brings about a lot of change for me. I have no idea where I will be this year, let alone the next month. My decision to drop out of the graduate program is leading me on a journey where the ending is uncertain. There are many things that are unknown. I think it is entirely appropriate that the timing of this comes around the new year. The Lord is bringing me through a much deeper time of reliance and trust in His plan for my life. I may not know what this new year will bring, but I know that the Lord does, and that He will not leave me abandoned or orphaned. My prayer for this new year is that we can all grow a little more in humility and allow the Lord to carry us through 2013 and beyond. If we allow Him to do this, imagine just how much more peace and joy we will have in this upcoming year? Only He can make our lives more whole than we every could have imagined. Yes, there will still be struggles, there will still be times when we fall, but isn't it better to have someone who loves you unconditionally right there to hold you up? Don't go through this year alone. Go through it in the arms of our Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.

#26 Acts link up

26 acts of kindness to honor those killed in the tragedy in Newtown.

This is a movement that has been spreading like wild fire over the internet. People have been doing random acts of service for people they don't even know, simply asking them to pay it forward in memory of those who lost their lives. I hope many of you will join this effort! Feel free to share any stories or pictures of things that you have done for others. Also, please join me in continuing to pray for the victims and their families.

Some great examples from those who have already started

http://www.facebook.com/26acts