TBT: That one time in Gimmelwald

At the beginning of November 2009, during my study abroad program, we took a little weekend trip to Gimmelwald, Switzerland. This was probably one of my favorite trips! (Who am I kidding, I loved them all!)

We stayed at a little mountain hostel, which was adorable and seated right in the alps, and had to take a little cable car to get to the top. We spent the weekend hiking, getting to know other travelers at our hostel, drinking hot chocolate (may or may not have been spiked...) and just breathing in the fresh mountain air. There wasn't much snow where we were, but that made for perfect hiking!

My friend Caitlin and I on the train ride over

The school always gave us these sandwiches to take with us. We were so sick of them by the end of the semester!

My friend Emily and I prepared for the elements 

The view as we were going up the mountain

Our hostel!

So lovely 

On our hike

Just breathtaking.

Look what was hiding behind the fog!

Glory! 

NAS: Fave single blogs

Linking up again over at Morgan's!

Share other single-person blogs or websites that you love! 

(or include posts/articles that you've enjoyed that pertain to the single life!)

One of my favorite blogs is Made in His Image. While it isn't specifically about being single, it has a lot about building up and healing women and helping us to realize our dignity! They do have posts here and there that are more about relationships, so if you have some time, I recommend looking through them. They recently started a men's portion which has been really interesting to read things from a guys point of view as well. They just posted this, which is  geared to men, but has a lot of good points about relationships: 

"From time to time, God allows us to be single. Being single isn’t being lonely or afraid, it is growing in holiness and learning to fall in love with God. "

Love that. 

I can't really think of many other posts off the top of my head. The ones I usually read are ones that I run into on Facebook that my friends have shared. Or ones that I find through all of you ladies in this series :) So thanks for spreading the love!

And for some single-ness humor, you can always count on buzzfeed.

Edit: I just found this post and thought it was great :) It is from http://spirituallysingle1.blogspot.com and about when God makes you wait. We all know how that can be!

TBT: Halloween!

This Thursday of course is Halloween, so I thought it would be appropriate to reminisce about one of my favorite Halloweens!

This one took place in the Kartause in Gaming, Austria, where we had a Halloween dance!


My friends and I decided to be the Spice Girls! We even learned the dance to one of their songs... but no one knows what happened to that video... hmm..

Anyways, below it what happens when I brush my hair. Needless to say, I don't do that often. Also, my hair was abnormally long. The other two Spice Girls are not present in this picture.

Baby, sporty, and scary spice

These 2 have become some of my best friends! I think they were Hansel and Gretel. And sorry about the bad picture...

My friend Dave and I were having a contest to see who's hair was bigger... mine for sure:)

Anyways, this was definitely a memorable night. Tons of fun, and tons of hilarious costumes! People were very creative. And everything just seems more fun when you're in Europe :)

NAS: Settling

No one would encourage you to "settle" in your relationships, but would you ever consider it?

Ah, the topic of settling. I am probably one of the biggest "anti-settling" advocates you will ever meet. I used to struggle with this lie that it was my fault I was single, and that maybe if I didn't have such high standards, that my life would be different. Well yea, it would be different... in a bad way.

I have been on dates with different guys over the past years that really liked me. And they were definitely ready to speed up the process and tie the knot. And they were good, Catholic men. So what was the problem? It just didn't feel right. I knew I couldn't force myself to settle just because the opportunity presented itself. There were times when I would sit there and think: I could probably marry this guy. I know he would take care of me, but would I be happy? The answer was always NO. Now, I am not throwing these guys under the bus, and I still keep in contact with them occasionally, but it just wasn't right. It wasn't in the Lord's plan for me. I felt bad that I couldn't just "like them" and move on with life, but there was just no peace. You can't force love.

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

    do not stir up or awaken love

    until it is ready! - Song of Songs 8:4

This verse was always one that stuck out to me in these situations. As much as I wanted it to be, it wasn't my time. And now I am seeing more and more how fruitful those decisions were, and how much the Lord's plan has been coming to light in all of my waiting.

I truly believe that if we are following the Lord, and keeping in communication with Him, that He will lead our heart and its desires. So yes, have standards, but also listen to what your heart says. If you find yourself falling for a guy, and he is a good, moral man who will take care of you and cherish you, but maybe doesn't have all the checks on your 'list', maybe you just need to think about that list and what is really important. And look for peace. That is usually a good indication that you are on the right path.

I just stumbled across this blog post by Jackie Francois in my news feed. I think it was providential ;)
http://www.jackiefrancois.com/blog/the-devil-wants-you-to-settle-in-your-relationship/

You are all worth the wait :)

"The saint that is just me"

I have a problem. And I think it is a very common problem. It is the problem of comparison. For myself, it is the problem of comparing myself to the holiness of others. I think this is extremely common in authentically Catholic circles, and I know it is something that  happens at FUS as well as within my friendships. Not only that though, but also with the saints in Heaven. 

I was just talking to a friend the other day about this, and how I find myself comparing my life and my situations with those of my friends. I have friends who are missionaries, friends who are doing awesome ministries, friends who just seem to be making such an impact on the world... and sometimes I feel inferior. It always seems to me that they would be the ones who would be picked out as "most likely to become a saint", because people know about them. They are out there doing awesome, holy things, and I am just sitting here behind a computer screen, living a subtle quiet life of 40 hr work weeks and being crazy busy. I struggle to get up for 6:30 mass every day because I am just too tired. I have the tendency to think "No one would probably ever think that I would become a saint..." 

Truth be told, it shouldn't matter what other people think. I shouldn't need other people to affirm me in my pursuit of sainthood. I know in my heart, and God knows, how much I want to become a saint and how (very badly at times) I am trying. The problem is, I want to make an impact on the world. I want to do something extravagant for Christ. Maybe this is my pride speaking, the desire to be recognized, but whatever it stems from, it causes me to compare. I look at the saints and all the things they have done in their lives and I want to be them. When my life (obviously) doesn't mirror their lives, I become discouraged. I feel as though I have fallen short. This is what the devil wants me to think, and I need to speak truth to that lie. Jesus wants all of us to become saints and to do so in our own ways. He desires to make me a saint. He desires to make YOU a saint. And He will do that if we continue following Him every day, and continually laying down our lives at His feet. 

If you have never heard Danielle Rose's song The Saint That is Just Me, you HAVE to listen to it. It helps get me through these moments of comparison. 

"You didn't die so I would try to be somebody else.You died so I could be the saint that is just me"

TBT: Lourdes and Czech Republic

I decided to start doing my own little version of "Throwback Thursday"! Please feel free to comment/do your own if you would like. (I don't really know how to do an actual link-up, so if anyone's interested let me know and I can figure it out) ***EDIT: I was told how to make a link-up, so there is one provided at the bottom of this post!

I'm taking a little trip down memory lane to October of 2009, when I was studying abroad in Gaming, Austria. It was around this time that we were on our 10-day break, and I chose to go to the Czech Republic for the first couple days to do a retreat, and then I went on pilgrimage to Lourdes. Here are some highlights:

Love these cobblestone roads!

The trees in the Czech Republic were so beautiful since it was fall!

The Grotto at Lourdes! Not really the best picture, but I was an amateur back then ;)

The "castle".  Well, it's the church, but seriously looks like the Disney Castle, right??

Basically, this trip was amazing and life changing. We were supposed to be putting on a retreat in the Czech Republic and only one kid came to it... so that was kind of a fail... but we sill were there to minister to him and help him in his faith journey, so that was a really cool experience!

Lourdes was anything but a fail. I was able to spend time with some girls who are now two of my best friends, and I was able to actually take a bath in the Lourdes water. The line to take one took forever, but we were surrounded by little old Italian ladies praying the rosary over, and over, and over, so that was an experience it itself. I am very blessed! I'll probably be posting more of my travels in the Thursdays to come, but like I said, I would love to hear about your memories as well!

NAS: Patience

Linking up with the Not Alone Series again!

Do you find yourself becoming really impatient, or struggling with your life to "really" begin? If so, how do you combat it? Do you do anything? How can we support one another in this area?

Patience is definitely something that I struggle with, especially when it comes to the unfolding of God's plan for my vocation! I have the tendency to think my life hasn't really begun unless I am fulfilling those desires. But this is where I am wrong, and where my trust falls short. I frequently need to check myself and make sure that I am not living too much in the future. When I do this, I become so focused on what is to come and less focused on living my life to the fullest in the present. My focus is taken off God and what He is doing in my life right here and right now. While day dreaming about our vocations is not a horrible thing in itself, it becomes toxic when we are living for the future. (My life will begin when...) 

Well, here is a newsflash for all of us: our lives have already begun! And they're awesome! 

I need to have that plastered across my mirror as much as anyone. For me, the cause of my impatience is a little different... (but still the same as we are all waiting as patiently as we can)... because I really want to be a nun. SO badly it hurts sometimes, as I'm sure it does for all of you yearning for husbands and families. But this is not in the Lord's plan for me right now. I still have loans to pay off, I have a job I am committed to, and the timing is just not right. It's hard when you see so clearly the end of the road, but are not sure how long the road is that lies between you and that destination. 

It is kind of like we are all taking a cross country road trip together, and want so badly just to speed through to our destination. But we need to savor in all the little pit stops along the way. Just think of how much we could be missing? I had an experience like this once... some friends and I were coming back to Ohio from a wedding in New York, and I just so desperately wanted to get home and get out of the car. We ended up having to get off the highway because of an accident ahead of us, and my friends saw an adorable little farmers market and insisted that we stop. I was not too please originally because I was set on just getting back, but it ended up being a ton of fun. This little experience taught me a lot though. They were simply enjoying each others company and the fun of the journey. 

I try to remember that experience in times of impatience. It is a good reminder to just sit back and enjoy the ride. That's not always easy when you've been 'driving' for years and don't even know when the road is ending, but it is always good to 'stop and smell the roses'. 

I read something once that said if you have to think about the future, think about it with Jesus in it. Imagine Him there, and it won't seem so daunting and distant. Because truly, He is with us every step of the way! 

I try to think of it too as I am learning how to be patient now so that I can grow in that virtue and have more of it to bring into my vocation. You can never have too much patience ;) 

Anyways, hope my ramblings make sense! I tend to think of more things as I write! Looking forward to reading all of your posts!