The Reason for the Season

Every year Christmas rolls around, we often get into a groove of traveling, shopping, wrapping, and baking. I found myself in this groove once again after school let out for winter break. In the 5 days leading up to Christmas my schedule was filled shopping and cooking. ( Side note: I spend Christmas in Michigan, so traveling and visiting family is also added into my already busy schedule.)

I didn't realize how crazy busy I'd been, until I had time to be still at Christmas Eve mass. After receiving the Eucharist I reflected on the days leading up to Christmas. I realized that I had neglected prayer and my Advent meditations during my time up North.... But the whole time I was busy shopping, and cooking, and wrapping presents, Jesus was waiting for me to come and spend some time with Him. It's comforting to know that no mater where life takes us, Jesus is always with us. 

Meditation: How often do you get caught up in daily life, and neglect your relationship with God? Are you making time for prayer? Are your thoughts directed towards Christ? Do you offer each day up to God?

Later that night, my family and I were opening Christmas presents before bed--No worries, it was past midnight so technically it was early Christmas morning. 

As I opened my gifts I was in a weird mood, because I didn't get EXACTLY what I wanted. I wasn't disappointed, because my gifts weren't bad at all, in fact I got some pretty great gifts (Thanks Mom & Dad ilysm). I asked myself, why my heart was so restless.... I was in my favorite state, surrounded by family, with gifts other kids could only dream of receiving....

I laid down that night and thought about my discomfort and my thoughts from mass, and finally made sense of my restless heart.

Although watches, sweaters, iPods, and gift cards are great to have, Heaven is WAY better. All too often, we get caught up trying to make Christmas absolutely perfect, and forget about the reason for the season. We try to get the best presents for our family, cook the most elegant meals, and decorate our houses better than our neighbors-but sometimes things don't go the way we want them. Pies burn, lights short circuit, your little brother hates the toy car you bought him. We are often left wondering, where the joy is in Christmas is if things don't go according to plan?

Well let me tell ya, eternal joy is not  found in presents or pie, but in Jesus Christ. For example.....

Look at the Blessed Virgin Mary, 9 months pregnant, in a foreign city, with no where to have her baby boy. She was probably stressed out, wondering how on earth she was going to care for her baby, the Son of God. But she didn't lose faith. She knew that the birth of her son wouldn't be the way she'd hoped for, but it would all be okay because God was watching over her. And what'll you know, everything did turn out grand! Christ our Savior was born, and Mary's fears were crushed by God's awesome plan! What a great example to Christians everywhere. How often do we get frustrated in the face of our fears? I find myself looking to Mary a lot when I'm anxious, because I think that her faith in the face of fear is what we should all strive for. 

"But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." 

 (Luke 2:19)

Sometimes things are hectic and we neglect to give Christ the attention He deserves. Sometimes things don't go the way we planned. But God only gives us what we need and can handle. We can learn from the Gospel, that God can turn a seemingly awful situation, into an awesome situation. Christmas isn't about the presents we receive or the food we devour, it's about being thankful for the fact that Christ came down from Heaven to free His brothers and sisters from their sins, so that they might be happy with Him in the next life. Maybe you don't get the gold necklace you wanted, maybe you left the turkey in the oven too long, maybe things didn't go according to plan. Whatever the situation is, praise God. Because the gift of Heaven is the greatest gift of all. 

Rejoice! Our Savior was born, and saved us from Sin! Be mindful of the Reason for the Season, and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Praying for you all!!

-Al

The Victoria's Secret Objectification Show

Most girls around this time of year are boiling over with excitement for the highly anticipated Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. I can't tell you how many tweets and instagram pictures I've see from girls gushing over how beautiful the models are, and how excited they are to watch the show. Even after the show is over girls continue to post about the models' endless legs, flawless hair, and perfect curves. Unlike most girls, I find the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show absolutely insulting and degrading to women. Why? 

1. The most obvious reason is that the models are strutting around in their underwear and bra on live television. Try to think of one great reason why it is okay for a woman to do that. . . Oh wait. . . there is no good reason for anyone to do that. I know this is the 21st century, but that does not give anyone an excuse to parade around in the undergarments. Lets keep it classy folks. 
2. The show distorts the image of beauty. Before, during, and after the VS Fashion show I hear a lot of girls complain about how they wish they could be like the models they see on TV. Girls get this idea in their head that in order for guys to notice they need to dress immodestly. However, immodesty doesn't make women more appealing. In fact, dressing immodestly defiles some of the beauty God gave women. Humans are unlike any other creature on earth because God gave us a living soul, which is far more beautiful and precious than physical attractiveness. God took lots of time to make you who you are, and He didn't make any mistakes when He created you. By dressing immodestly you are not living up to the awesome creation that God made you to be. When a woman dresses modestly it protects the dignity God gave her. Oh and if someone only likes you because you are physically attractive, and can't appreciate the fact that you are a stunning creation of God inside and out, then they aren't worth your time. You deserve better. 
3. We must help our brothers in Christ. Dressing immodestly (or half naked in the case of the Victoria's Secret Models) causes men to degrade a woman from a person to a "thing." In fact there was a study done by Princeton University that actually proved, that when a woman shows lots of skin, the part of the male brain that sees a woman as a person shuts off, and the part of the male brain that is associated with the use of objects turns on. The VS fashion show is an invitation to men all around the world to come and objectify women free of charge. When girls go crazy with the tweets, instagram pictures, and get excited for the show, they send a message to men that it is okay to use a woman for pleasure. When we endorse the VS Fashion show, or immodesty for that matter, we give men the go ahead to feed into temptation and lust over women. When lust enters the heart of an individual, it simply does not stop when the TV goes off or the magazine gets put away, the sin continues to aggressively pursue our brothers in Christ. Not only is this unfair to women, because now we're being objectified, but it is also unfair to men. As daughters of Christ we are called to help our brothers get to Heaven. By not challenging men to be better men we are failing to be our brother's keeper, and failing to be the bold women Christ challenges us to be. 
4. The exposition of the female body unveils a mystery only meant to be unveiled by one person. I think we can all agree that the female body is the most beautiful creature on the planet. This is by no accident. In fact, women are referred to as the "crown of God's creation." God created women to be physically attractive to reflect His own image and likeness, not just because God was bored one day and needed something to do. He did not intend for women to go around and flaunt their goods, and get used up like extra change. God meant for His gorgeous daughters to preserve the mystery of their beauty, and reveal it one day in the context of marriage in order to reflect the relationship of God and humanity. God meant for his daughters to be cherished and loved by a man who respects her dignity and values her worth. By parading around in their bras and panties, the VS models are revealing a gift that should only be unwrapped by one person; their husband. 

We live in a society in which immodesty and objectivity are encouraged, but as Christians it is our duty to stand up for what's right even if we face opposition. As children of God, we don't need people to affirm our looks to make us feel secure. All we need to know to feel secure is that Christ loved each and every one of us so much that He died for us, so that one day we could be united with Him in Heaven. So this year cancel that recording and choose not to watch the Victoria's Secret Fashion. Instead, go spend some time with our Lord, and let Him tell you how beautiful you are. Let Him reassure you of your worth. Let Him cleanse your heart. Let Him love you. Challenge yourself this Advent, to see the dignity and worth in every person you encounter. . . Especially yourself! Do not neglect to acknowledge the fact that you are worthy of love.

"People were created to be loved

Things were created to be used

The reason why the world is in chaos, 

is because things are being loved 

and people are being used."

-Al 

P.S. 

Here a link for more information about the study Princeton University did: 

http://www.colleenhammond.com/dressing-with-dignity/science-proves-men-think-of-immodestly-dressed-women-as-objects/

Oh and here is a great video about modesty by Jason Evert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYF6lt_Y67Q

Thanksgiving Shenanigans

First off, I just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone who has been so complimentary of my previous posts. I've gotten so many sweet messages from readers, and I'm just really blown away by the support I've received. So if you're reading this. . . THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU!

Man it is so crazy how quickly this year is slipping on by. Thanksgiving has come and gone just like that, and there is less than a month until Christmas. . . LIKE HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?! I'm so excited that this year is going by rather quickly, but at the same time I'm feeling anxious because 2014 is going to be a year filled with lots of changes! However, now is not the time to worry about all the things to come. Now is the time to live in the present and concentrate on what I have to be thankful for this holiday season. 

Right now I'm thankful that God let me have such a lovely Thanksgiving break! I did a lot of awesome stuff over the break, so here is a list of all the shenanigans I was up to last week: 

1.  Movie date! Texas experienced some pretty bad weather last weekend, so all of the fun activities my sister and I had planned got cancelled. So we decided to go see the new Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire. It was really great spending some one on one time with my little sister. I hope that we'll be able to have some more fun times like that before I leave for college, because I'm really going to miss her :(

   

   Just in case you can't tell. . . my sister was really excited to see Catching Fire! 

2. Adventure into the City! My friend Erin and I went to visit our friend, Tj, who is being treated at hospital  30 minutes away in the city. I felt really awesome and independent driving to the city without my parents, so that was rad. . . ANYWAYS, it was really great to see my friend Tj, and find out that he is doing a lot better!(Keep him in your prayers please!)  
   
   Oh, but the fun did not stop there. Erin and I realized that there was a cathedral 5 minutes away, so we stopped in to have a look around. We were immediately amazed upon walking into the church, because it had such a beautiful  altar. Probably one of the most beautiful altars I'd ever seen. What I loved about it, was the fact that there was a statue of Momma Mary right above it. Like the whole thing was just beyond beautiful. . . just thinking about the cathedral takes my breath away. I'm so happy that Erin and I got to check it out!
   
   
3. Thanksgiving Potluck! My church hosts an annual Thanksgiving potluck. Usually I don't go because I have to help my Mom prepare for Thanksgiving, but this year my Mom didn't need help I guess so I got to go! I met up with some of my youth group friends beforehand, so it was really nice to catch up with all my cool Catholic friends.  It really made me wish that I had been able to go to the potluck in years prior, because I had such a pleasant time. Like who doesn't like getting to eat an extra Thanksgiving meal and hang out with cool Catholics!?
4. Thanksgiving! Our family friends came over and celebrated the day of thanks with my family and I. We don't get to see them often because they live a little over an hour away, so anytime that we get to spend with them is always lovely. The family has a daughter my age, Chelsea, and a son my brother's age, Dylan, so we always get a long very well. 
   
5. Sleepovers! Every Thanksgiving my best friend Chelsea spends the rest of
   Thanksgiving weekend with us, which is always one big party. Chelsea is really goofy, and I'm really goofy, so when you put two goofballs together you know shenanigans and fun are bound to happen. Chelsea is a year younger than me, so it was also kind of bitter sweet this year, because I know it will be so weird next year at Thanksgiving when I'm the one coming home from college. I've known her since I was 9 years old, so it's really awesome that our friendship is still the same after all these years. 
   
6. Soccer! I had a tournament the day after Thanksgiving, which was not something I was looking forward to at first, because I really don't like having tournaments the day after a major holiday. . .BUT, I realized that having a tournament the day after Thanksgiving wasn't so bad. I mean that gave me an excuse to eat anything I wanted, because I knew I would have 3 soccer games to burn off all that turkey, pie, and stuffing. Praise God! 

It's safe to say that I had a fantastic Thanksgiving break, but now that it is over, it's time to focus on the new liturgical year. We are now in the season of Advent, a time in which we solidify the foundation of our Faith, and prepare to live another year in a way that is pleasing to our Lord. I'm so grateful that God granted me such a peaceful break, so now it's time show my appreciation by working hard not only in this season of Advent, but also, for the rest of the year to grow in my relationship with Christ. 
For Advent I decided to challenge myself, by setting aside time everyday to meditate on the readings for the day. I've also been reading the blog of this really awesome priest, who writes about things to think about after reading scripture. The combination of scripture and the blog has allowed me to be less distracted during prayer. It's really crazy, because I wasn't expecting the addition of daily scripture to effect my day to day life that much. . . but it really has. I find myself being more positive, and my thoughts more directed towards Christ. I'm really happy that I've found zeal for scripture! Praise God, for He is WAY to good!
Try to challenge yourself this Advent to do something extra, so you can grow in your relationship with God and give Him thanks!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break, and that everyone is preparing their hearts for Christmas!


Praying for y'all!

-Al 

P.S.

Here is the link to that Priest's blog I'm reading! Enjoy!

http://fralfonse.blogspot.com

A Senior Struggle

A couple weeks ago I had my senior pictures taken, which is something that I had been waiting to do practically all of high school. During my photo shoot I felt like a princess. I mean what girl doesn't like getting dressed up and having her picture taken by a professional photographer? For the first time in quite a while I felt really secure about myself. I left my shoot feeling truly beautiful and confident.
Then Wednesday night my photographer, Stephanie, sent me the link to my photo gallery. I was really excited, because Stephanie had posted a preview of my pictures on facebook a couple nights earlier, and I got some really sweet responses from friends and family. I happily clicked on the link, only to find myself disappointed when viewing the photos. 

Here's what was going through my mind while viewing my pictures:

• What's going on with my face?
• Why am I squinting?
• Wow I'm cheesin' way to hard in that picture
• Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?
• I should not have worn that sweater. 
• I look like a walrus!
• Why am I so awkward? 
• UG I'M A POTATO

When I say this is what was going through my mind, I mean it. At first glance, I could only think of my flaws. Everything looked wrong and I was frustrated. All of my confidence melted away, and I felt like I was the ugliest girl in the world. I angrily closed my laptop and sat there for a while in silence, and asked myself why I couldn't think of one positive thing about myself? Then, for some reason, I remembered this video I'd seen earlier that day made by Dove called "Real Beauty Sketches." Here is a brief description of the video:

 "The short documentary features Gil Zamora, a former forensic sketch artist for the San Jose Police Department, with his back to his subjects, he draws portraits of a series of women based only on their own descriptions of how they think they look. He prompted them to detail everything: hair length, facial structure, and their most prominent features. . .Each woman was asked before the social experiment to spend some one-on-one time with one of the other participants. The forensic artist then drew portraits of the same woman according to the stranger’s description. At the end of the video, the artist reveals the two sketches – one from the participant’s description, the other from their partner. (Time Magazine)"

From the two sketches collected at the end of the experiment, it was concluded that the sketches created when the woman was describing herself to Zamora, resulted with a picture of an unfriendly and ugly looking woman . However, the sketches created when a woman was described by a stranger, resulted with a picture of a lighter and friendlier looking woman.
Dove concluded from their experiment that:

"Women are their own worst beauty critics. Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful."

I ended up looking up that video again and re-watching it several times so the message could penetrate through my rather thick skull. Although it was weird watching the same 3 minute video over and over again, I'm really glad I did. Like most women, I struggle with seeing myself in a positive light. It seems like every time I look in the mirror, no matter how much time I spend getting ready, I can always find something wrong with me. Society tells us that beauty comes in a specific color, shape, and size, but not every girl fits that description.

 I don't fit that description, but that doesn't mean that I am not beautiful. When I was looking through my senior pictures I didn't realize that. I let Satan and society convince me that my pictures were ugly, because I didn't fit that definition.
I felt insecure, and the only way I could fix that was by looking to my Creator. 

Sometimes when I feel insecure, I have a difficult time coming to God and talking to Him about what's going on. Sometimes I feel silly for worrying about such small things like my senior pictures. Even though I know that Jesus loves me no matter what, I get scared that Jesus might laugh at me or think that I'm stupid.  

So telling Jesus that I didn't feel beautiful was really hard to do, but I did it. I realized that Jesus didn't die on a cross, just for me to turn around and doubt His love for me. Christ is waiting for us to come to Him with our problems, no matter how big or small. Christ is waiting for us to come to Him, so He can remind us of our worth and beauty. 

My struggle isn't gone, but every time I come to Christ He changes my heart a little more. Eventually, it'll be a thing of the past, but for now, when I don't feel beautiful I give it to Christ and let Him hold my struggling heart. 

After some time with Christ I looked over my senior photo gallery once more, and realized that my pictures turned out just fine. Stephanie did a great job, and I couldn't be happier with my pictures! 

I am a beautiful daughter of God, even when I don't feel like it. Jesus always sees me for who I am, and He sees you too.

There could never be a more beautiful you. Never forget it 

-Al

P.S.

Here is the link to the Dove Real Beauty Sketches video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk

Enjoy!

Happy Homecoming

It is that time of year again folks…Homecoming 2013 is here! For some of us Homecoming (which will be referred to as hoco) is great, and something you look forward to every year. For others, the sound of cowbells and the sight of mum materials in the windows of Hobby Lobby makes you cringe.
Where do I fit into this equation? Well I'm right in the middle… I love the pep rallies, parades, football games, carnivals, mums/garters, and how the community comes together during hoco… however, I think that hoco has turned into more of a competition than a time to show school spirit. Most kids who don't have dates are down in the dumps during hoco week. I know this feeling very well, because for 3 years of my high school career I did not have a date to hoco. I remember feeling left out because all my friends had dates except me. I remember asking myself "What is wrong with me? Why am I not good enough?" I dreaded hoco every year and felt awkward at school events without a date.
That dread for hoco changed this year, when my friend asked me if I would go with him as friends. I was so excited, because I would finally get my chance to wear a mum on hoco day, take cute pictures with friends, and participate in hoco activities without a care in the world…I was riding the happy train…Until I heard that one of my friends didn't have a date this year. This bothered me, because I didn't know what advice to give her when she expressed her sadness about not having a date. How could I tell her "oh it's okay you can still have fun!" When I groaned and complained to her for 3 years, about how bad it was not having a date. No matter how many times I told her everything would be fine, I knew that in her heart she wouldn't believe me. 

My friends and I enjoying our last Homecoming!

As I walked around school on hoco day, I couldn't help but feel silly, for ever feeling like I wasn't good enough just because I didn't have a date. After thinking for a while about this matter, I've realized something that I wish I could have realized 3 years ago.

My beautiful mum!

In past years, I based my worth off of the fact that I wasn't asked out by a guy. Like how silly is that? Our dignity, as sons and daughters of God, does not lie in homecoming mums, cute dates, or fun pictures. Our dignity, as sons and daughters of God, came forth when we were conceived. Before we were born God deemed each and every one of us worthy of love. No hoco date can ever change that.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the mum my friend made me and I really appreciate the time and effort he spent to make my senior hoco unforgettable. It is my hope though, that girls (and guys) will look to God, instead of earthly things, to find their self worth. Saint Augustine once said   "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You." Rest your heart in the hands of Christ, let Him keep your heart safe and allow Him to protect it from those who won't treat it right.

So whether you're dateless or not, you have worth! Just because you haven't been asked out on a date now, doesn't mean that you won't be asked out on a date later! Besides, 10 years from now nobody is going to remember who got asked to hoco, and who didn't. 
You are worth more. Don't ever forget it!


-Al

We Are One Body

One of my favorite things to do at youth group is participate in small group discussions. Typically, we eat dinner with our small group for about twenty minutes, then meet up later on to discuss the topics that were presented to us in the larger group setting. Although I am pretty good friends with most kids in my youth group, I don't know all of them on a personal level. This year in particular, has been a challenge for my small group, because we have a lot of new kids so it has taken a while for us to open up to each other. For me, sharing my opinions/feelings/questions about my faith or life is so easy. .. I mean I could probably talk for hours on end if they let me. Thankfully, most of the other kids in my small group are not like me, so it has been really great getting to know the members of my small group over the past 2 months on a deeper level.

Last week at youth group we discussed our plans for the future and lifelong goals. It was really great because all of the kids in my small group are seniors, so everyone was able to contribute to the group discussion. As we all chatted a bit about what we see in our future I noticed that no two people in my group shared similar answers. The answers varied from a college professor, to a business woman, to a sports dude, to a PE teacher, to a stay at home mom. I looked around at the different members in my small group and thought to myself, how on earth did we all end up in the same group? It actually blows my mind how different each kid in my group is from the other. I am the outgoing soccer player, Brendan is the easy going golfer, Lindsey is the intellectual jokester, Chris is the silly band kid, Amanda is the quiet sweetheart, Karen and Edwin the super reserved kids, Charlie is the braniac, and Kristina and Abby are the bubbly go getters. I found myself amazed at how we were all able to pour our hearts out and share such personal things with each other during small group discussion that night.

Although we all had different immediate goals for our future, we all had the same ultimate goal; live a life according the the will of God. How crazy is that? 10 people, with 10 totally different personalities, and 10 totally different career goals are united by one goal: CHRIST.
That is the reason why I love youth group so much. I absolutely love how people from totally different backgrounds can come together and adore God. Some people say that going to youth group is pointless, but for me, youth group is really what keeps me sane. Regardless of what kind of week I'm having, the youth at my church always put a smile on my face and make me remember the positive things in my life. I always leave youth group feeling ready for the coming week, and inspired to be holier woman of God.

My 2 favorite verses from Hebrews are:
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

I love these verses, because I think that way too often we forget that Christ didn't intend for us be quiet and serious all the time. He intended for us to have times of silence and reverence, and times of joy and excitement where we can be on fire for God. I think that sharing our faith with others on a weekly basis is really important for spiritual growth. Having a place in which you can go and ask questions and examine your faith is a GREAT way to learn more about yourself and grow as a Christian. I can't tell you guys how many questions I've gotten answered about my beautiful Catholic faith by going to youth group. Like the things that I have learned over the past 3 years of being involved with youth ministry are really incredible. Not only have I grown in my faith, but also, I have grown relationships with other cool Catholic kiddos who are now some of my best friends. (The best part is that I am still learning and growing! God is endless, so we can never get enough of Him!)

I don't know what Christ has planned for me in the future, but I do know that having a strong Catholic community by my side will push me to grow closer to Jesus, and not take life so seriously. I'm truly blessed to be apart of the Catholic church, and have such a lovely youth group.

We are one body, one body in Christ; and we do not stand 

alone.


Never forget it.

-Al

Leave room for Jesus

For the past 2 years I have debated starting a blog. When this idea first popped into my head, I thought that a teenager starting a blog was something that only happened on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. I decided to sit on the idea for a while, and instead start journaling as often as my little heart desired. Journaling was all fun and games. . .until I became obsessed and filled up my comp book and notes section of my iphone.
So here I am world! I'm taking my little old comp book to the next step. I am now a blogger. 

I've found that coming up with ideas for things I can write about is not as hard as I thought it would be, however; I have also found that coming up with an introduction blog post is not that simple. So I decided to google it. . . because that's what you're suppose to do when you want to find out the answer to something right? So here are some responses on what one should do when writing an introduction blog post: 

1. Invite the reader in
2. Be exciting
3. Be personal
4. State facts. 
5. Anecdotes.

Well one thing is for sure: Google did not help me at all. 
But you know what? That is totally fine. Because there is no right way to blog. Sometimes you post something great, and sometimes you post something not so great. So I'm just going to do me, Allie, and be secure in the fact that I will always write the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

So now on to bigger and better things! You're probably wondering what a "Cathlete" is, so I'll go ahead and explain what that is and what you should expect from this blog. 
Cathlete, comes from the words Catholic and Athlete…Catholic + Athlete = Cathlete. 
I chose to title my blog "Life of a Cathlete," because my life is all about Catholicism and select soccer. For many years my life was just soccer, which was great because soccer is my passion and what I excel at, however, when I got into high school my parents pushed me to be involved with other things so I could be a more well rounded person. I tried getting involved with some great organizations, but nothing seemed to fit. I later got in touch with my Catholic Faith, something I neglected most of my life, and through the grace of God found myself in Christ. 

(My reversion back to the Catholic church is a lot longer story than what I just told you, so I'll probably talk more about that in a later post…)
I've learned a lot about myself because of Christ, and have been blessed with the great opportunity to showcase the talents God gave me on the soccer field. It is certainly not easy to balance my faith and my sport, but I manage to do that and still have time for normal teenager stuff. Sometimes that means staying up a little later, attending extra practices, showing up to school events a little late, finishing my english essay instead of hanging out with friends, and much more. Quite often I hear people say "I want to be close to God, but I'm just really busy right now and don't have time." I'm sorry to say this, but that's an excuse. If I can play on two select soccer teams, take advanced classes, participate in clubs at my school, and be an active member at my church, you can do some prioritizing and make time for a relationship with God. 

I hope that my blog will be a testimony to all, that one can be a devoted son or daughter of God, AND have other passions and interests! God is calling each and every one of us to pursue Him in the same way that He pursues us every second of everyday. So let us all be on fire for Christ. Let us all learn how to be a better version of ourselves. Let us all learn how to balance our schedules. Let us all learn how to leave room for Christ. 

Until next time.


-Al