Don't freak out-- it is not as scary as you think ;)My semester Bible study concluded, but our group leader invited us to create a break action plan to stay focused on our faith and prayer patterns through the semester break. In one of the prompts, the examination of conscience was mentioned. If you've ever asked me about the Catholic sacrament of confession, reconciliation, penance, etc., I can guarantee I've given you this answer:I have not gone since it was mandated in eighth grade because it makes me super uncomfortable (yes, from a place of pride, I'm working on it). I have not returned to the confessionals in the back of a church because I 100% believe that confession can be directly between me and God-- one of the awesome results of Jesus's death and resurrection is that we do not need a mediator between us and God! I can walk right into the throne room, climb up on my Heavenly Father's lap and we get to have a personal relationship! I also believe that the confession of sin is HUGELY important because sin separates me from God. No throne room, no personal relationship because our holy and perfect God CANNOT look on sin. But...As much as I say that ^^ ("No, I don't go to Confession, I do it privately at home"), I never do. Don't get me wrong, I pray and I talk to God and I ask Him to forgive my sins and I thank Him for sending Jesus to pay the penalty for my sins, but I do not confess my sins. (RE: yes, back to the pride issue). Meghan, get back to the "examination of conscience" thingyThe USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) has developed what's called "an examination of conscience" as a prayer guide to search inside yourself and find if you have any sins to confess, sins that are keeping you from a fuller relationship with God. They have a lot that you can find over here on their website, but I chose the one that is based on the 10 Commandments because they are the raw, straight-from-the-Man-upstairs, instructions for living... what better to check myself with? DIVING INI love me a good interpretation and application of the Bible, don't get me wrong! But I also value the Bible as God's Word. I want to be sure that everything that I'm letting guide my spiritual life is rooted in His Word. I don't want to be at the pearly gates saying, "Hey, you know, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is such an amazing group. I confessed my sins just like they said!!" NO! I want to be at the pearly gates saying, "Hey God. I studied Your Word. I followed Your commandments. I confessed my sins so that I could have a personal relationship with You." So, once I read through this examination of conscience and was starting to feel the prickle of conviction, I knew it was time to see what GOD says about this. YouVersion Bible App helpful hintIn the wonderful world of 2020 technology, you can use the YouVersion Bible app and search the entire Bible! I searched the word "confess" and began my dive. If we CONFESS our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 We can have confidence in the result of our confession! Therefore, CONFESS your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16 How does one become a "righteous man"? Right up there in 1 John 1:9! If you want to support your friends and family, if you want to be present as a prayer warrior, you need to confess your sins! >You know how I said that our holy and perfect God can't look upon sin? Okay, don't be blaming God like "oh, you're God, if you really cared you could look upon sin!" #1. Can a vampire be in sunlight safely if they really try? No! It's just the way it is! (Don't rain on my analogy, I know it's spotty, but stay with me here...) #2. GOD DOES REALLY CARE!!! Yes, He cannot in His perfection look upon sin. BUT, He sent Jesus for our salvation EVEN WHEN we were still sinners!< This all means that even if you aren't here tryna be a prayer warrior, you're just tryna get right with the Lord, you STILL need to confess your sins, because if you are living in sin, how can God come be with you in a personal relationship? The prayers of a righteous man can accomplish much, but if you are living in sin, if you haven't accepted that Jesus Christ died and resurrected to cover YOU in His righteousness, you won't be successful at getting right with the Lord. If they CONFESS their iniquity... in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me... or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant... I will not reject them, nor will I abhor them as to destroy them... But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors... This is from Leviticus 26:40-42,44-45. That's right. Old Testament, dudes. So if it's not enough to hear it from the Church leaders in the New Testament letters, see this-- GOD HIMSELF is promising that if you confess your sins, if you can humble yourself (ding ding ding, key to solving my pride block), God will not hold your sins against you, but remember that YOU are His child, YOU are the recipient of all His covenant promises. The Bible says that God is gracious to forgive our sins. Once we confess them, the old is gone and the new has come. God forgives and, my dude, He FORGETS because He is just so ecstatic that His prodigal child came home. Don't get all huffy and be all "yeah, he says he forgets until he's mad at you then he magically remembers and throws it back in your face". God is so far beyond our expectations. Remember: He judges as GOD judges, not man. Humans are the ones that get petty and historical. But God HONESTLY, 100%, no loopholes, washes you clean of your sin. There is a God, and neither you or I is He, and thank the Lord for that.
So whether you go to confessionals or not, confess your sins to God. Lean into your trusted community and confess your struggles to them. Step forward because the new has come. And God is waiting for His child to come home.
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Know your limitsYou are allowed to eat or sleep rather than squeezing in that last bit of work. Allow yourself to set and respect personal boundariesFocus on your priorities when you say yes or no. Encouragement aboundsMusic, quotes, and more! Don't let yourself slip into a wallow. Surround yourself with quotes that spark something inside of you. Curate a playlist when that makes you feel on top of the world. And don't be afraid to face-lift your encouragement often! Reach outParents, friends, roommates... Sure, it might not be their job to "fix it", but ask them for their support! Cut yourself some slackEvery day does not have to be perfect, but motivate yourself towards the potential of the moments. Social distancing does not mean self-isolationHello, it is 2020. We have SO MUCH technology and media that we can use to stay connected. Almost every platform that you already use plus a bunch of others offer video chatting features. You can still safely go to your favorite places AND this is a great opportunity to scout for new places. Note from me...Hey readers. I wrote these before quarantine and stay-at-home regulations, but the draft fell into the "I'll do that later" category. The fact that there is a pandemic happening should not surprise anyone who calls yourself Christian. The world is broken! No, this disease is not by or from God, but you know what? God is still in control. He did not send it, but He allowed it (Job 1:12; Job 34:10). It is not from God, but He will work it to the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Even with this confidences, I still can't tell you WHY. But an idea?... Has your relationship with God become a "do that later"? Not ~religion of~ God, but a ~relationship with~ God. God is not oblivious to your grief, panic, anxiety, stress, overwhelm. Talk to Him. Sit with Him. Lean in, and know that we will all get through this. <3
Curate your social media towards positivity
I've been focused on using social media to feed my passions and hobbies while my current season of life doesn't allow full pursuit of them. These include...
Scroll on to see the Instagram accounts I follow for each interest. At the bottom of the post, there are some final thoughts from yours truly! Enjoy :)
Instagram accounts that I follow for these interests
PHOTOGRAPHY
@postfocusphotography
Post Focus is a photography business, and you can see from the Instagram content that it's amazing! He posts from portrait and aerial sessions as well as recreational posts.
@stardustandmelancholy
Megan provides incredible coverage of Supernatural conventions, which is what brought me to her page. In black and white, she manages such detail! In her latest page format, she includes thought provoking quotes about photography.
@chrisschmelke
Chris also captures at Supernatural conventions! When he's not working with this wonderful cast, he posts content including nature photography.
@dexterthegoldendream
DEXTER IS A BEAUTIFUL DOG. Beyond this, his owner is a talented photographer! (She is featured in my art inspirations, Karoline Pietrowski!)
@gtalk_photos
âI wouldn't have a complete list without an SRU photographer! Garrett kills the nature photography game and has a particular liking of waterfalls.
To wrap my photography inspirations, I give you @marthay.k and @coffee.life.style, two accounts that boast beautiful shots around coffee!
To ease into the next interest: @hey.luisa This artist is known for combining reality with imagination, and she thrives at the place where photography meets digital art.
ART
@CWFPitt is the Pittsburgh Catholic Women's Fellowship page. I have it under art though because they have been posting a bunch of typography and design work that I really dig!
@troqman puts doodles into reality by #cartoonbombing
Coming in with beautiful watercolor art is @godsfingerprints
Repping #SPNfam, we have @sirlsplaylandart and her digital fan art!
Three illustrators with very similar styles bring beautiful character designs to my feed: @karolinepietrowski @lilys_wonders @eliza_illustrator
Wrapping up the illustration inspirations: the posts that led me to recently start following two accounts: @frau_annika and @illustrationsbyem
I also enjoy three comics which make me chuckle every time! I give you @nathanwpylestrangeplanet, @stuffedthecomic, and @popcoffeecomics.
GUINEA PIGS
I am in love with guinea pigs, but I can't get myself a pair until after I graduate and have the capacity to care for them. Until then, I follow @laguineapigrescue, @scottysanimals, and @wheekforguineapigs. For an additional sprinkling of adorable piggies, I follow #guineapigsofinstagram as well.
READING
@thisgirlsbookshelf always reminds me what I love about reading :)
Busy, busy bee!Work: New job! I started a job as a barista at Wunderbar Coffee & Crepes. I have gone to the cafe for as long as it has been open. I was not considering applying here as they were not hiring, but the day I decided where I was applying for the summer, they posted that they were hiring "experienced baristas". I made it clear on my application that I was not experienced, but that I wanted to open a cafe some day and I needed to start learning somewhere. I was hired! I definitely feel like my job there has been a God wink. I have gotten cafe experience, learned about barista-ing, and gotten business advice from the owners. I have truly enjoyed getting to know the regular customers too-- I learned 35 regular drink orders! I am looking forward to continuing work at Wunderbar. This summer I clocked more that 300 hours at work!!! Photo Credit to Darren, who visited me on my last day of the summer! Naps: A lovely thing! I got into the habit of falling asleep right when I got home from work. Before college I really did not like naps. However, through the last two years I have developed a liking for them! So basically if I was not working, I was napping on a couch! Guinea Pigs: What else needs said! This summer I solidified my decision to get guinea pigs after I graduate college (which is when I have the time and resources to care for them.) I also found the Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue which has a great YouTube channel (check it out!) Finally, I had the amazing opportunity to pet-sit my best friend's guinea pig, Pumpkin! He is so great and it was awesome to experience a pig's personality for a couple weeks. Grace: My Church! I spent a couple days this summer organizing different cupboards and closets of craft supplies. Volunteering my organizing talents felt so fruitful! I was also able to actively prioritize attendance at weekend services in the face of my busy work schedule. Driving: 50 minute Commute! It was really a point of pride for me this summer that I was paying to fill up the gas tank in the vehicle of my dad's that I used to drive to my work. I spent more than $200 on gasoline in the last 3 months. Space: Remember Monica's stuff closet from "Friends"? I love me some neatness and organization. However, this summer I also learned that I love me a "me" space that I can let myself be messy in. Currently I am writing at my desk surrounded by my stuff that has exploded in my room in the last week since transitioning from summer employment to hostess to prepping to move back to campus!! (Don't worry... I'm cleaning up next!) Cicadas: Eating up my summer! Ahhh, the lovely 17-year cycle that God designed for cicadas.... Let me just say, that I praise Him that cicadas do not come out more often than 17 years! Hammock: Post-Cicadas! When the cicadas finally left, I bought myself a hammock! My college friends introduced me to hammocks and I've spent the last two years sharing theirs. This summer I got my own! I really have enjoyed having the second half of summer to learn how my hammock works, the best ways to hang it, etc. before I will use it on campus. So anyone considering a hammock-- give yourself some time to try it out before you are actually planning on enjoying it! I hope you all had a wonderful summer! Talk to you next time <3I am excited to move back to campus and start my 3rd year of college! I'm looking forward to living with my friends in the dorms again and also to see the new dorm renovations!
A summer update from my desk to yours... Some of my indoor plants! PC: My twin sister, Madeline Meghan's Summer "To Do" ListThe value of boredom is slowly being lost to the sands of time. Noooooooooooooo! During my childhood, I remember that my parents made me and my siblings a huge list of "Things to do when you are Bored!" My first moment of boredom during this summer break inspired me to make my own spin off list! What I decided would be most helpful was to make a list of things to do without spending money, dividing into things I could do anywhere, at home, or within a short drive. Here's a few examples. I encourage you to make your own! - water plants - go through email - write a letter or email - take a nap - clean coffeemaker - change sheets - fill bird feeder - bake or cook, try a new recipe! - vacuum vehicle - walk or bike around neighborhood - clean shower curtains - take a bath - pull weeds - make art - clean glasses and screens - facetime people - visit neighbors, grandparents, best friends - go to library - silence your heart Plants challengeThe first example I gave, "water plants", is a prompt to pursue my challenge to myself to keep indoor plants beyond succulents alive starting this summer. In previous years, I have kept succulents alive. This year I wanted to add a few houseplants to try my hand at a bit more fickle indoor plant care. Now I have two aloe veras, two sedum succulents, a jade, a silver dollar eucalyptus, and a polka dot plant! New job as baristaI accepted a job as a barista at Wunderbar! I am absolutely ecstatic to begin my journey of working in a cafe. This is a solid life step towards my currently-seeming-practically-un-achievable dream of owning my own cafe! Today I learned how to brew an espresso shot, so all I have left to learn is the technicalities of steaming milk... and polishing all the drink recipes in my memory! I am looking forward to the challenge of my first full time job, and reaping the rewards into my bank account to fill it up to go towards my college education! Volunteering my giftsIn March, I became an official member of MY church! At that time I decided to volunteer, but I needed to finish my spring semester first. Now that summer has begun, I have started volunteering my gift for organization! So far I have tackled a supply closet, half of which is craft supplies. Next I've heard of a few notorious cabinets.... can't wait! Activity goalComing into summer break, I wanted to utilize my bicycle that I am blessed to have in my basement. I set a goal to be able to breeze through a mile loop in my neighborhood. ~However~!!! (1) My region has had a LOT of rain recently. (2) Cicadas. I was not prepared. *shudder*. Stop Drop and Word, regardless of dayAfter the first couple weeks, I realize I need to prioritize stopping and leaning into God's Word daily, regardless of that day's routine. During the semester, I had a regular school routine which had a scheduled section of each day for stopping and seeking God's heart. However, my summer has been a bit irregular to start. So I am hoping for some growth in my prioritizing... soon! No filler postsWith all of this going on this summer, I cannot promise a regular posting. Also, I don't think it would be valuable to promise either! I will post when I feel I have a good post. I would rather post well rarely, than constantly posting a bunch of filler content.
So, until next time readers, enjoy your June!! - M |
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