Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb

Growing up I never knew what I wanted to be when I 'grew up'.  While being Catholic I contemplated a religious life, but it never felt right.  I knew that I wanted to be married and have a family.  I knew that if I was called to that vocation God would guide me to the paths that I should take.  The path that got me to this point is one of blessings, and trust in God, like St. Elizabeth did when she found out that she was pregnant with John the baptist, and whose feast day is today.

Graduating from Bishop Dwenger - Spring 2008

When putting my utmost trust in God, I was lead down paths that I never expected to take if it was up to me.  In the winter and spring of my senior year at Bishop Dwenger I was planning on going to Marian University in Indianapolis.  They offered me a great scholarship that was tied to service and I thought that it was a perfect fit. It wasn't until about a month before graduation that I decided to stay in town and go to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.  

I stayed because they had the major that sounded good at the time.  I was still not totally sure what I wanted to be when I 'grew up' but staying in town sounded like a good fit.  Some of my friends from high school thought I was staying in town because my boyfriend at the time was going to IPFW as well.  While that is what it might have looked like, I never put that relationship into the equation when deciding my school.  I started at IPFW in Speech and Hearing therapy, a major that no other school that I had looked at offered.  

Anne and I reuniting at the March for Life - winter 2012

That fall I was approached by my now dear friend Anne, that was working with Students for Life of America and was trying to help colleges start up pro-life groups.  She had come to a Newman Catholic Fellowship Mass on campus to find people to start this group.  I volunteered to meet up with Anne outside of school and see what I could do to help.  I was planning on helping hanging posters and attending a few meetings, I never thought that I would be the one to write a constitution and start Students for Life of IPFW.  But God had a purpose for me and I was putting my life into his hands.

While most of the classes for Speech and Hearing were interesting, it didn't seem to 'fit' and it never felt right.  Something was missing.  I was finding a new major, business, and it was a major that all of the colleges that I had looked at in the fall of my senior year of college offered.  God led me to IPFW, not for my major, but for bigger plans.  But, if it wasn't for the major I would have gone away for college most likely, it is really hard to tell.

One of the first 'events' Students for Life held' - Fall 2009
(also the first picture I have of Travis and me in the same picture)

By going to IPFW I was blessed to meet great people that I now call friends and my life has forever been changed.  I met my husband at IPFW through Newman Catholic Fellowship and Students for Life of IPFW.  It depends who you ask, I say we met at Newman Group, but Travis insists that we met at Students for Life.  Either way, if it wasn't for mine (and his) involvement in both groups, we wouldn't have become great friends.

IPFW Graduation - Spring 2012

After I graduated from IPFW Travis and I became engaged, and I started a position as a Marketing Coordinator at Redeemer Radio. After Travis graduated the next year we got married.  Somehow I had started living my life of "when-I-grow-up" and I didn't realize it. 

But, today on St. Elizabeth's feast day there is another event that Travis and I celebrate.  It is quite suiting that St. Elizabeth is the patron saint of Expectant Mothers, and now I have a good reason to find a close kinship with this saint today.  Travis and I are excited to tell you that we are expecting our first little blessing in mid April.  It is during these wonderful exciting new times that I remember to be thankful and grateful for the many blessing.

Elizabeth said to Mary "Blessed are you who Believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."  Luke 1:45

Now is time to know that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives.

Loving Life

Psalms 27:14  says: " Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!"

This time in my life has been trying, it isn't like I have to jump through hoops and go through really rough times. But, it has been a time where I really need to tell myself that I need to be strong and wait for the Lord to work in my life.  I don't know how many times that I have had to have someone tell me that.  But it has been often.  Sometimes it is easy to lose sight in the end when you are near sighted and only see a few inches in front of your face.  That is when you need to trust in God and let others help you.  

It has been through that, which I think, has made me stronger.  I think that now I pray and tell myself more often that I need to trust in God.  But I think that through that I see God working in my life more and more.  Life is going great and I never could have done it myself!

I have a second job interview this week with a great company.  I am getting my ducks in a row when it comes to moving on from College (which is hard, but I think that it is something that needs to be done).  I finally have time to catch up with friends and hang out.  Travis has been great, he's become my best friend and I don't know how I would go through all of this without him :-)  My family is amazing as we prepare for another sisters' wedding.

If I was told to dream up my future four years ago, I don't think that I would have dreamed up something even this great.  Life is a blessing, and I am just glad to be given each day!

Life is about the little things

How often do we look at the big picture? How often do we plan for what is next? So often we are looking too much in the future and are missing what is in front of us at this moment.

Yes we can work 5 days a week to make a paycheck and just think about saving money and about the future. But what we can't forget about is the here and now.  What is happening around us at this very moment.  To become able to appreciate our future when the future comes, we have to take time to absorb the present.

Life can throw so many curves at us and we don't really know what tomorrow brings, so we just need to take time every day and soak in what is around us.  Is it the beautiful colors of the fall leaves? The hug from a nephew? a smile from a friend? a laugh that makes your belly hurt? We need to take time to have those moments and not always be running.

We just need to take time, because at the end are we going to wish that we had more money? Or are we going to wish that we had spent more time smelling the roses, or had spent more time with family and friends?

Life is the little things, and the big things will fall into place