Look Around You

On February 18, 2012 my life was changed forever. Four years ago today I met Jesus for the first time and devoted my life to Him. It feels like it was just yesterday. I can still hear the music that was playing and smell the incense in the air, as Jesus was precessed in. I can remember everything fading away. I saw my Savior walk in the room and  heard Him call my name. I'm getting chills just thinking about it all. 

A lot of things happened prior to meeting Jesus. God completely flipped my life upside down, which forced me out of my comfort zone, and into His arms. I don't want to go into all the details of what led me to that moment four years ago, maybe another time. Today I want to talk about friendship, because friendship was one of the major ways that Jesus brought me back to His heart.

Six months prior to February 18, 2012, I was having a sleepover with my two best friends at the time. It was our annual sleepover the Saturday before the first day of school. This year was different from the rest, because my friends were no longer going to my high school. They transferred to another high school in the next town over. One moment me and the girls were laughing and being silly, and then the next I was crying. "What will I do without you guys?" I couldn't imagine surviving the rest of high school without them. They assured me nothing would change, but in that moment I knew that nothing would be the same. My best friends were transferring schools, my other friend was moving, some other friends of mine were "too cool" for me, I didn't have friends on my high school soccer team, and my club soccer teammates didn't go to my high school. I knew that my sophomore year was going to bring about a lot of change and I was really scared. The night before my first day of school, I prayed to God a very earnest and desperate prayer. "Lord please don't let me be alone. Please help me make new friends who won't leave me." 

The Lord heard that cry of mine and provided. That first week of school I met a group of girls that I am still blessed to call my friends today. They're beautiful, driven, smart, hilarious, and virtuous girls. They were so different from any friends I had before and the Lord put them in my life because He knew they would make me a better woman. He knew they would push me to achieve my goals and follow Him. These new friends liked God and went to church regularly. Several of them were Catholic. I was not practicing my faith at the time. I actually really didn't like mass, but I was afraid that if I told them that, I would lose them. So I lied and made it seem like I was the most Catholic gal in town. They told me about youth group and how excited they were to get confirmed, followed by "hey are you going to youth group Sunday?" Even though that was the first time I'd ever heard of confirmation and youth group I said "DUHHH. SEE U THERE." When my mom picked me up from school that day I asked if we could go to Church, and that day I signed up for youth group and confirmation. The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways, amiright?

These are my friends I met Sophomore year, they are lovely! 

When I first met my friends I had no idea how important they would be in my life and walk with Jesus. Now that I am in college, I realize that so many people were not blessed with friends like mine. I constantly hear stories of lies, betrayal, and humiliation as a result of friendship. I also know a lot of people who desire goodness and a relationship with the Lord, but are held back in their pursuit because their friends don't share their desires. This really hurts my heart, because I've been there. I know what it's like to desire something greater than clothes, sports, money, and popularity, but remain where you are because you can't imagine leaving behind your friends. 

The gospel from mass today says that for the one who "asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and the one who knocks, the door will be open to. (Matthew 7:8)" When I was 15 years old, my relationship with God was no where near it is today. However, I came to the Lord in need and with confidence. I shared the desires of my heart with Him and I knew He wouldn't let me down. Way too often we let fear get in the way of our pursuit of holiness. If there is one thing I've learned from scripture it's that God often calls us out of our comfort zone and into the realm of the unknown. But rest assured, you don't go anywhere alone. Even if you leave behind the friends you've known since Pre-K, Our Lord, who knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb, never leaves your side. 

As I sat in adoration today, in awe of Jesus, I am so thankful He took away all my friends. Even though some of them were kindhearted and sweet, I might not have met the Lord on February 18, 2012 if they remained apart of my life. Look at the friends you surround yourself with. I pray that when you look around at your friends, you will see confident, radiant, fearless, and humble men and women of Christ. I pray you look around at them and are inspired to be an authentic person of God. If that's not what you see, I pray that you will share the desires of your heart with the Lord Jesus. I pray you will trust that He will lead you to where you will find more fulfillment and joy than you ever dreamed of. 

When I look around at my friends I see that, and my brothers and sisters, that has made all the difference in my walk with the Lord.

P. S. Treasure your youth group friends as well

God bless you!

Allie 

Mountaintop Moment

A couple weeks ago I was in Utah with my college soccer team. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm in the middle of preseason. Preseason consists of 2ish weeks of 4-a-days, and a month of preseason matches to help prepare us for conference matches. During our time in Utah we played 2 preseason matches. I'd never been to Utah, so I was super excited to see and adventure around! The trip was really special not only was I able to play the sport I love, but also see some amazing things with some of my closest friends.

During our time there my team and I climbed up a huge water fall on a mountain. It was A M A Z I N G. Although climbing up the waterfall was somewhat stressful, I made it to the top and didn't break any bones! God bless my teammates and trainer, who saved me from falling to my death a few times(:

TAKE ME BACK 

Anyways, as I stood there, at the top of the water fall, the view took my breath away. I couldn't help but think of God and how He made this beautiful view with me in mind. In my head I pictured God creating the waterfall and mountains and saying "wow Allie is just going to LOVE this when she visits." Maybe that sounds silly, but for me it was a powerful experience that reminded me of how tender and compassionate God the Father is. I think sometimes we lose sight of the fact that God the Father is gentle. Too often we think of God as emotionless and harsh. We forget that He desires to have a relationship with us.

 As I stood there in awe of the mountains and waterfall, I began to blush. You know the way girls blush when a cute guy brings them flowers or compliments them? Yep that's exactly how I felt and probably looked, as I witnessed the beauty of creation. 

All females, no matter how old, long to be romanced, enchanted, and longed for by our Creator. As I've gotten older, I've become more and more aware of that need in my heart. Sometimes I feel childish for wanting God to sweep me off my feet. But in reality that's exactly what God wants; for us to desire Him just as He desires us. He loves us so much, and wants us to live the life He created us for. A life that is full of joy and wonder and whimsy. He wants to sweep us off our feet. He wants to woo us. 

Accepting this love from God, and letting Him enchant me has been a real struggle for me in the last year or so. College has made me very independent. Letting God romance me makes me feel weak and vulnerable. I like to be in control. But when I was on top of that waterfall, I was able to see the the hand and love of God working in my life. For the first time in a while I truly felt special in the eyes of my Creator. Through this experience I was able to let go and let God do His thing. By letting him take his rightful place in my life, I've received a lot of peace and consolation. 

 It is my hope and prayer that all women, from ages 2 to 62 and beyond, may know they are precious in the eyes of the Father. That they may know they are God's princess, God's treasure, God's delight. You are never too old to be romanced by God. Be on the look out for the seemingly ordinary things God has placed in your life to remind you of His love and affection.

God Bless you all!
Al

Thoughts from my Birthday

I wrote this little post on my birthday (August 5th), but I sort of forgot about it. I want to share it today, because today marks the beginning of the fall soccer season! Today we begin fitness testing, and in the next week we will endure a special kind of torture called preseason. I had a wonderful summer. It impacted me on so many levels. These are my thoughts on summer, preseason, and my call to serve:

My heart is so full today.

Not only is it my birthday, but also my last day in the Lonestar state for 4 months. Being a collegiate soccer player is no easy task. In two days preseason will begin, and the 2015 fall women's soccer season will follow.

  I'm about to enter an atmosphere that is physically, emotionally, and spiritually challenging.  Physically, because I'll be training every day several times a day and playing games. Emotionally, because I will be away from my friends, family, and boyfriend for a while. Spiritually, because I won't be in an environment that is totally centered around God. Regardless of the position I hold on the team, starter or sideliner, my heart is at such peace. This summer God has taught me a lot about trusting in His plan and call. This is a hard lesson for me to apply to my life, because I'm a perfectionist and planner...  But through my time at church camp, time spent with my family, prayer, and conditioning God has made it clear to me that I have to let Him "take me over," if I want to be a light to my teammates this year. 

Although leaving home is always difficult… God has assured me He has a mission for me at UCA. As I transition back into my cleats, I'm mindful that God has blessed me with the opportunity to play college soccer and entrusted my teammates to me. He is challenging me to love them through wins, losses, hard training session, and conflicts. He is asking me to be outside myself, and be a reflection of His love even when it's hard.

Even though I'm so sad to be leaving the home that I love, I know that my true home is in Jesus. As I head back for my second year of college, my head and my heart are full of confidence and excitement as I follow the will of the Father. I am not sure where He will be leading me in the next year... But I am positive it will be fantastic and cause me to be further in awe at the wonder of God's majesty. 

Teach Us How- A response to #Lovewins

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about the Supreme Court ruling to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States. Before I get started on this post, I want to clarify on a few things. As this is an emotionally charged subject, I invite all who read the remainder of this post to have an open mind and an open heart. We live in a culture today where Christians and those opposed to same-sex unions are called bigots and haters for holding an opinion different than that of the Supreme Court ruling. Members on BOTH sides of the debate have said ugly things to one another, and have failed to discuss the subject with love and compassion. It is important for us to have meaningful conversations about touchy subjects such as same-sex unions, without attacking the dignity of the human person. So I ask that all who read this keep in mind that I am not a hateful person. I am simply expressing my opinion on the matter. I am not condemning anyone. I am writing this post with these words in mind- "Maybe I don't agree with you, but I will still be compassionate and kind. And most importantly, I will still love you deeply." 
 I ask all who read this, please refrain from commenting hurtful or inappropriate things. If anyone would like to have a meaningful discussion over the matter, please contact me separately and I'd be glad to do so. 

A few weeks ago I was at church camp in Gainesville, Texas. I was blessed with the opportunity to coordinate the youth leadership team, work at an assisted living center, and help youth of the Fort Worth diocese encounter God through service. When I heard about the court decision, my heart dropped. Although the decision doesn't change the Catholic Church's teaching on marriage and the union of a man and woman, in the words of Bishop Olsen, the decision does "deeply wound the fabric of human society by permitting in law the radical redefinition of marriage." Over the past couple weeks, I've pondered the ruling and watched many of my friends and family members raise their rainbow flags, and turn their back on the teachings of the Catholic Church. This perpetual distortion of love by society seems like a mountain that is impossible to climb. Our side lost, so where do we go from here? What do we do now? These are just a few of the questions I've been asking myself.

During prayer, I've asked God to teach me how to love and serve Him better. As I've meditated upon my week at church camp and searched for a solution, I was reminded of Thursday afternoon of camp. At camp, campers perform various service activities such as visiting a Boys and Girls Club, spending time with residents at a nursing home, working at a homeless shelter, building baby cribs out of wood for underprivileged expecting mothers, and giving back to the parish that houses the campers for the week. The campers are divided into small groups and each day, they visit a new site, and serve through one of the activities I just mentioned.

This year the parish we stayed at needed the mulch to be replaced around their school's playground. However, the delivery order on the mulch was delayed and we didn't receive the mulch until late in the week. I was overseeing service at the nursing home and wasn't there to actually witness this firsthand, so when I first heard about this project I thought it was no big deal. I wasn't aware that two semi trucks full of mulch were dumped outside the playground. The campers and adult helpers would have to move all that mulch into the large playground area. Now keep in mind camp ends on Friday, it was Thursday, the campers were working with a limited number of materials, and there were only 4.5-5 hours of work time available. The adult volunteer in charge of the project, Ms. Kim, talked about the whole event later on at our adult meeting. She told us that upon seeing the HUGE mound of mulch and realizing the lack of equipment, time, and help, she was a little intimidated by the amount of work that had to be done. However, she did not doubt. She simply thought: "Okay God, lets see how You're going to get this done." Despite the doubt displayed by the campers, Ms. Kim was confident in God and told them that the mound of mulch would be conquered. Sure enough, God provided. With the help of some of the workers who delivered the mulch, campers who came back early from other sites, and adults, the mound of mulch was conquered. The seemingly impossible task was completed.

So what's the point of this story and how does it relate to the Court decision? Well, as I said earlier, the amount of moral decay in our culture today seems to be a mountain that is impossible to conquer. It seems like there is no hope for Christians. As I've asked God where to go from here He's made a few things really clear to me. 

1. Just like Ms. Kim, we must not doubt the God of the universe. He's proven to us time and time again throughout history, that He is not going anywhere, He has a plan, He is watching over us, and He will do whatever it takes to protect us. I think way too often we look at a situation without eyes of faith, and allow the devil to put fear on our heart. Instead we need to remember verses such as John 16:33 
"In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

Jesus conquered the cross. Sin does not scare Him. He and the Father have a perfect plan for the salvation of souls. Worrying about that plan does us no good.  Be confident in the fact that you have a God who loves you unconditionally, and will never let you walk through life alone. He is our loving provider, who will be there no matter what.

2. We as Christians need to be unified in the truth and love of Jesus, and work together to evangelize the world. On our own we can only do so much, but together as one body of Christ, united in prayer and love for God, we are strong and can accomplish so much with God's grace. In a time where Christians are constantly under attack, as a body of Christ we have to stick together and support one another through hard times. We must be accountable for one another, and help our friends in their pursuit for love, truth, and Jesus. Just like Ms. Kim, the campers, adults, and mulch truck workers, we must all work as a unit in our quest to make disciples of all nations. 

3. Our world is in desperate need for LOVE. Now our culture and our court system tells us that love is based on feelings and romance. However, the love that God made us for is sacrificial. It is laying one's life down for the well being of the other. Just like the crucified Christ, who laid His life down for His bride the Church, we must lay our lives down for one another. We were all made for this authentic love Christ calls us too, and  without it we will never find  true and lasting joy, fulfillment, or satisfaction. Christ doesn't call one sinner to partake in the authentic love they were made for more than another. Christ calls homosexuals and heterosexuals to love Him more than their sexual desires. Christ calls homosexuals and heterosexuals to live a chaste life. Christ calls homosexuals and heterosexuals to greatness. For Christ does not look at homosexuals and say "Oh you're especially bad." Christ cherishes all of God's creations. For He came "that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10)."

As disciples of Christ we must follow our Lord's example, and see others not as the sum of their sins, but as the sum of the Father's love for them.* Our world is thirsting for love. It's our mission to share the love that Christ has shown each of us with others. It is our mission to inspire others to live a fuller and deeper life with their Savior. 

4. We need to have a greater understanding of why marriage should be defined as the union of man and woman, and be able to articulate that well and with love to others. Often times I find that Christians and those opposed to same-sex unions, don't explain why the union of man and wife is distinct and irreplaceable. I think we've gotten into a bad habit of just telling people "No" or "because the bible says so." Which leaves questions unanswered and hurt feelings. But the fact of the matter is, the love encompassed within the marriage of a man and woman is unique. It is unlike any other friendship, or relationship, because the marital act that unites the couple in love also transforms the man and woman into mother and father. No other union can do this except that of a man and woman. This reality, that has been distorted by society, is worth discussing. As Christians it is our duty to be able to explain this reality to others or point others to sources that can inform others of this reality. We can't just throw verses out of context at others and expect them to understand. We can't just say no. We must be able to engage in healthy dialogue with others. 
Below I'll post some sources that talk about this reality in greater detail. I'd love to talk about this further.... But there is only so much you can discuss in one post😐

In a time where the culture says "give up, you've lost!" As Christians we are defiant in the name of Christ Jesus. We remember that love already won when Christ died on the cross. We refuse to settle for unauthentic love, and choose to strive for God's perfect, everlasting, never-ending love. We continue to love all creations of God, even those who don't hold the same opinions we do, and treat every person we encounter with dignity and respect. As I go forth, I ask that God may teach me how to love better, smile bigger, and see every person I encounter as Jesus in disguise.
 How will you respond to the Court decision? Will you choose to live in Christ's Resurrection? Will you unite with your brothers and sisters in prayer and fellowship? Or will you settle with the Court's decision? I pray for all Christians as they strive to live a life according to the will of God. I also pray for all those who don't know the love and grace of God, that they might find peace and rest in the Sacred heart of Jesus.

In His Love, 

Allie

http://lifeteen.com/blog/gods-divine-design-the-church-and-homosexuality/

http://lifeteen.com/blog/gay-catholic-and-doing-fine/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWIhZ5xJJaQ

http://en.catholic-link.com/2015/06/26/5-quotes-from-u-s-clergy-same-sex-marriage/?utm_content=buffer5537e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

#RelationshipGoals

When I was in high school I could not wait to have a boyfriend. Like many teens I wanted to have that love and romance my friends seemed to have. I would scroll through twitter and instagram and be in awe of their poised pictures and cute captions.  Looking back, I think I developed an unrealistic expectation of what a good relationship is and what it looks like. I had so many unrealistic relationship goals. I think giving validity to things based on what is portrayed on social media, is a common mistake made in this increasingly social media dependent age.

As I've grown older and entered into a relationship of my own, I've learned several things. 

First, not all guys are down to snap selfies at any given moment. Who knew that guys were just as insecure as girls when it comes to taking pictures? Second, when I was younger I longed for a man who could be my "everything." However, from my time as a disciple and now a girlfriend, I've learned that my boyfriend will never be my everything. No box of chocolates, bouquet of roses, extravagant date, or any romantic gesture could ever amount the sacrifice Christ made for me on the cross. Jesus is the one our hearts thirst for. He is the one who will give us the fulfillment we long for. It should be our goal in life to make Jesus to be our everything. While significant others have the goal of helping the person they are in love with, make Jesus the center of every part of their life.  Third, a perfect picture doesn't mean a perfect relationship. I know this seems obvious, but I really think it's something everyone should be aware of. Relationships are hard. Two imperfect humans, from completely different backgrounds, are trying to do life together. . . conflict is inevitable and perfection isn't easily attainable. Even the holiest of couples struggle to love each other and love God the way they ought. As I've navigated through my own relationship, I've realized that my perfectionist ways can put unnecessary stress on myself and my relationship. Praying about this and asking God for healing has really helped me be patient with myself and my boyfriend, as we strive to love one another as Jesus loves us. As one of my favorite Christian writers once said "We're all amateurs when it comes to love, don't be too hard on each other." -Bob Goff 

I still have a lot to learn as a college student, girlfriend, and disciple. As a young person living in an age that is obsessed with social media, I am constantly facing temptation to compare myself to others and find validity in social media rather than God. I think it's important to remember, that social media is a great tool when used correctly. But when used to boost your ego, well then you've just found yourself another way to put material things in front of your relationship with the Lord. In my own relationship, I now see that validity and stability isn't found in the number of likes and retweets, but in all that goes on offline. 

-Al

**NOTE: The purpose of this blog post isn't to discourage people from posting on social media. My goal of this blog post is to point out one of the many ways social media can be used to create unrealistic expectations and promote vanity. Don't get me wrong I love social media but I am also aware, like many things, it can be used as a source of worth for many people. In the last few months I'd noticed a lot of my friends excessively posting about their relationships, and getting worked up about the number of likes and retweets and what not. So I decided to blog about it. 

A Letter to My 14 Year Old Self

Dear 14 year old Allie,

PUT DOWN THE EYELINER
Please I'm begging you. Drop it right now. Take that dark green, purple, black, and blue eye liner and throw it away. Seriously put the eyeliner down. You're going to look back in a couple of years and cringe at the sight of 5 pounds of makeup on your face. You don't need to load your face up with makeup to be beautiful. It's not cute and it doesn't make your eyes pop or make you look older in a good way. Stop it right this instance.
Stop obsessing over boys, or the lack thereof. 
I know all of your friends have boyfriends and that they say they are in love, but they are actually not even close to knowing what true love is or experiencing the kind of love they were made for. I know you want to meet "the one" right now, and you want someone to cherish you. But having a boyfriend isn't going to solve all your problems. Having a boyfriend at 14 isn't as wonderful and magical as your friends make it out to be. (spoiler alert, your friends are going to be single again by the end of next week.) Having a boyfriend isn't going to make all your insecurities disappear. You can't expect someone to love you, if you can't even love yourself. So just take a deep breath and focus on falling in love with yourself. Be proud of who you are, and remember that you are a strong, independent, white girl, and you don't need no man.
**Besides, when you're 15, you're going to meet the love of your life. You don't know Him yet, but He knows you better than you do. He is going to change your life in more ways than you can imagine, and He is going to make you beyond happy. He is better than prince charming. . . He is the King of Kings. So just be patient!
You're not fat or ugly.
I know you're obsessed with the clothes you wear and the number on the scale. But I promise you that none of those things are going to make you feel whole or enough. Please know that whether you're a size 2 or 22 you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are enough, you are beautiful, and you are a string bean so stop worrying about your weight.
Have fun playing soccer. 
Having a bad practice or game seems like the end of the world, but I promise it's not. You're not perfect and you're going to mess up every now and then. Remember that you are suppose to be having fun. That negative mindset of yours has got to go. Just relax and enjoy the game. Stop letting yourself be overcome by anxiety and spoiling your time on the pitch. Whenever you feel frustrated, just remember that little girl who dreamed of playing select soccer and being on a travel team. You are currently livin' the dream. Be grateful for the opportunity to play, and for the talent God has blessed you with.
Keep working hard at school
Don't give up, and keep doing what you're doing. When you get to college all of your hard work is going to pay off. While all your friends are scrambling because they don't know how to study, you'll be cruising through all your classes.
Enjoy being 14
High school feels like it's going to last forever, but it's actually going to fly by. Before you know it you'll be walking across the stage to accept your diploma, packing up your room, and saying good bye to all your family and friends. Enjoy where you are right now, and cherish all the memories you're making. Don't wish you were older, because honestly being a carefree kid is something you'll never get back. I know you want to have the same experiences some of your friends do. . . but just remember, rushing certain experiences doesn't make you older or more mature. So be 14. Do normal 14 year old things. Listen to Mom and Dad, because believe it or not, they do understand and know what is best for you.

You're going to be fine kiddo. Just you wait and see.

Sincerely,

Allie

A Wake Up Call From An Angel

Something absolutely spectacular happened to me last weekend. Something that not only allowed me to unleash my inner fan girl and speak with my role model/inspiration/woman crush Wednesday, but also allowed me to get my priorities & prayer life back in order. God is SO good. . . here is one reason why!!

For the past couple months I have been experiencing quite a bit of spiritual desolation. Slowly but surely my prayer life and fire for my faith started to dwindle. These past few weeks have been especially hard for me, because I realized that I'd neglected my faith since graduating High School. Not because I was too busy, (even though my summer schedule has been jam packed with work, soccer, conditioning, and spending time with my family & friends before I leave for college) but because I fell into a trap that I think most young people do the summer before their freshman year of college. . . I decided that I wanted to have fun, more than I wanted to carry out the duties of a disciple of Christ. 
What I didn't realize is that centering your life around your faith does not mean you can't have any fun. Although making Jesus the center of your life does come with great deal of responsibility, it also comes with great adventure.
Long story short- I tried to ignore God, which didn't work out, because God refused to ignore me. Mark Hart once said "The good Shepard is faster than you. He will never stop chasing you."  I think that quote describes my relationship with God this summer lol. 

Last weekend I sat in bed all day--I had a procedure done to my foot the day prior, so I had to rest up for a few days and recover. I was having a pretty lazy day just watching Rom Coms and eating ice cream. . . Until I got a billion texts from my friends who were at my diocese's annual Catholic Youth Conference. These weren't just any texts no no no.... I was sent several pictures of my friends with my favorite traveling speaker and worship leader of all time. . . Jackie Francois Angel. Now you have to understand. . . I am a Jackie Francois Angel super fan girl. I found out about her a year and a half ago, when my youth minister posted a podcast of her and her husband speaking at a conference (S/O to Gabe),  ever since then I've been Team Jackie all the way. 

Not going to lie, I was quite jealous of all my friends who got to hang out, take selfies, and watch Jackie speak in the flesh, while I was stuck at home in bed with an injured foot. However, my day was made when one of the volunteers at my parish, who was eating lunch with Jackie, texted me and was like "hey so can you talk on the phone right now? Jackie said she'd talk with you!" and I responded back with, "YES. OF COURSE" So later on after Jackie finished eating, she called me. I gushed to her about how big of a fan I was and how much a loved her, and she laughed and said thanks lol. I thought our conversation would just be a few minutes, because I figured she would just say hi and then hand the phone back. . . but I was pleasantly surprised when she asked me about where I'm going to college and what career I was interested in. I happily told her that I wanted to pursue a career in youth ministry and, God willing, become a traveling speaker just like her. She offered me some great advice and encouraging words that I'll hold onto as I pursue my dream. We then talked about blogs (Although I failed to mention that I have one because I got caught up in telling her how much I admired her and her husband's blog), and lifeteen, and mission work, and other random things until she had to go take a nap.  After I finished talking to Jackie, I may have hyperventilated and sobbed for a bit. . . I mean what else is a girl suppose to do after talking on the phone for 10 minutes with her hero? 

After I calmed down a bit I prayed, and thanked God for the opportunity to talk with Jackie. At some point during prayer I started to think about my future, and it dawned on me that the path I was currently on would not get me to my goal. Even though I wasn't out being rebellious and committing serious sin, my life was not centered around Jesus. 
When we center our lives around things that are not Jesus, we open ourselves up to sin. Once we open the door to sin, we can end up on a path that will not lead us to where God wills for us to be. I realized that if I was serious about pursuing a career in youth ministry, I needed to start taking on the responsibilities of a disciple. 
I sat there for a while, and asked myself what would Jackie do if she found herself in my situation, and decided that I needed to schedule in some time with Jesus in Confession. 

The Jackie Francois Angel

By the grace of God I did make it to reconciliation, and was able to spend an hour and a half in a small adoration chapel by my house. I'm still amazed by the power of the Holy Spirit and how He uses circumstances and unlikely situations to teach us the truth. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful and caring God, who pursues us even when we give up on Him.  Like I said earlier- making Jesus the center of your life does come with great deal of responsibility, but it also comes with great adventure. We just have to be patient, buckle up, and let Jesus be our tour guide through this life. 


-Al 


"Sin is a demon lurking at the door. His urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."

P.S.

Here is the link to Jackie and her husband Bobby's blog: http://jackieandbobby.com/

P.S.S
The volunteer who helped me connect with Jackie, blogged about his experience meeting Jackie Bobby. Check it out! http://en-fuego.blogspot.com/2014/07/meeting-two-angels.html