February Challenge Day 10: What I’m Learning

~ Laura ~ 4 Comments

At the end of freshman year I put together a list of what I had learned from it. And I guess that was just the beginning because many of them are still highly relevant.

Sophomore year has been very different than freshman year. I know where things are. There are people younger than me here. I’m more involved with things. And I know more people! It’s fun in a different way, and my time here continues to provide growing moments and opportunities to become a better person. Here are some things I’m learning (some of which I have been for quite some time).

Let. It. Go. 

This was number one on my list last year, and it still is. But! Now I have a theme song to it 🙂 When people are rude? Let it go. When you don’t HAVE to be the one to do something? Let it go. Those are the two main issues I can identify, and thankfully I can say that it’s gotten better. I know myself well enough to know when I can’t say something nice, so I honestly just choose to leave the room at that point. Delegating things is harder, but I’m really trying to be better about it. It’s all a work in progress.

You are less awesome than you think. And other people are more awesome than you give them credit for.

Yes, I do some awesome stuff. But so does pretty much everyone. And I need to recognize that more often. It’s so nice to listen to other people and hear things from another perspective. How refreshing is that?! Sometimes I just need to shut my mouth and just listen when other people are talking. With knowing more people, I have lots more conversations that I did last year, which I absolutely love! Getting to know people, their dreams, families, and lives is so much fun.

You get what you give.

Last semester was rough. But I made an effort to start this semester off better, which has really paid off. It’s easy for me to work hard on extracurriculars, but it takes a conscious effort for me to put enough time into academics. It certainly is wonderful when I know class material and retain information, so it’s probably a good idea to keep working hard in this area which I certainly plan on doing 🙂

There’s so much more I could go on about, but those are the main themes. I like the concept of being a continual learner, and hope to never lose that aspect of my life!

Upcoming prompts!

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Interested in guest posting here? I’m looking around for people who are interested in writing a guest post for the 24th! You don’t have to have a blog. Contact me if you’re interested!

February Challenge Day 9: A day in the life

~ Laura ~ 3 Comments

Welcome to a day in my life:  a semi-boring account of an average Monday in which you discover why I don’t usually write this kind of post 🙂

6:45 – Wake up. Note that there is a difference between “wake up” and “get up”.

Until 8:45 – Get ready for the day, any homework not done, eat breakfast, answer emails, read, pray.

9 to 11 – Statistics then Microeconomics

11 to 12:30 – Work

12:30 to 1 – Grab lunch after clocking out, quick errands, then head to class.

1 to 2 – Christian Moral Life

2 to 5ish – Homework, emails, Ravens Respect Life prep, or writing. Adoration 3 to 3:30.

5:15 – Dinnah!

6 to 10 – Events and/or additional homework (sometimes a movie if there’s not something going on)

10+ – Writing, reading, late events, chilling, and hopefully bed by midnight!

Exciting, huh? That’s pretty much the bare bones of a Monday! There are lots of little things added to the day, phone calls, arrangements to make, places to go, things to do, people to talk with, and lots more, but you get the gist. Sometimes I go to daily Mass, and some days I don’t have much homework. Other days I get up at 5am to go to the abortion clinic. AND sometimes I make toast with a hairdryer. So, you know. Spontaneity is definitely part of my life right now 🙂

Upcoming prompts!

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’!

Interested in guest posting here? I’m looking around for people who are interested in writing a guest post for the 24th! You don’t have to have a blog. Contact me if you’re interested!

February Challenge Day 8: Soul Stirring Music

~ Laura ~ 2 Comments

I like my music louder than many people and my lyrics to have some sort of meaning. Of course I’m going to forget some songs here, but enjoy listening to some favorites that came to mind for moving songs that inspire me in some way.

Restless by Audrey Assad

“I am restless until I rest in you O God”

I Was Here by Lady Antebellum

“I wanna do something better / With the time I’ve been given / And I wanna try / To touch a few hearts in this life / Leave nothing less / Than something that says “I was here”

Pierce My Heart by Elizabeth Campisi

“Where I am is not where I was  / But it’s still not where I want to be / I’ve got to go deeper still  / Until I know everything / About you”

Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman

“Oh please, Daddy, please!” / So I will dance with Cinderella / While she is here in my arms / ‘Cause I know something the prince never knew / Oh I will dance with Cinderella / I don’t want to miss even one song / ‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight / And she’ll be gone”

Walking Her Home by Mark Schultz (LOVE songs that tell a story like this)

“He was walking her home / And holding her hand / Oh the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him / Down that old road / With the stars up above / He remembers where he was the night he fell in love / He was walking her home”

Meant to Be by Ryan Scott Bomberger (You’ve got to know his story to really appreciate this one)

“I know I was meant to be. / This life was meant for me.”

Kings & Queens by Audio Adrenaline 

“On their own, on the run when their lives have only begun / These could be our daughters and our sons / And just like a drum I can hear their hearts beating / I know my God won’t let them be defeated / Every child has a dream to belong and be loved”

7 Quick Takes – Vol. 47

~ Laura ~ 2 Comments

— 1 —

We had a big snow dump earlier this week, which called for snow angels! Oh, and TWO snow days in a row. That was glorious. If it weren’t for dangerous roads and falling on icy paths, I would enjoy living in a snowy area.

— 2 —

Videos of the Week

Touching: Zion Blick’s treasured little life

Funny: combo of “Bet on it” and “Let it go”

— 3 —

Last night we brought out a trainer for sidewalk counseling, and the event went really well. We have over a dozen people interested. Excited is not the right word to use (because who actually wants to be part of such difficult situations?) but I am looking forward to seeing the impact outside our local clinic. Tomorrow morning is our first trip! I know talking to people will get easier with experience, but I’m a little nervous about dealing with the people who yell. Read more about them here, and pray for us!

— 4 —

With starting sidewalk counseling, I’ve been trying to figure out how to sleep on Friday nights. Since coming to college I’ve discovered that I am a pretty light sleeper – which doesn’t work too well on nights when everyone else is staying up late. I can’t tell them to be silent (and not turn lights on later to get ready for bed) BUT I know it’s not safe to drive running on only a few hours of sleep on a regular basis. So I’m kind of stuck.

I’ve been thinking about various noise cancelling sort of things, but I don’t really know what’s out there. Any ideas? Mr. Google wasn’t very helpful because it only brought up $300+ headphones. Or earmuffs. Or noise machines. Anyone have experience that could enlighten me as to some sort of solution that is affordable?

— 5 —

Anyone see this lovely thing going around on Facebook?

To be honest, I am SO TIRED of people saying we hate gay people. Sure, there’s some weird business going on in Russia. I get it. But it’s not like we’re segregating water fountains and telling them to be slaves over here. If being gay isn’t a big deal (hello it’s not – it doesn’t matter to me what your orientations is) then WHY do we make such a big deal out of it?

— 7 —

My classes are plugging along. Christian Moral Life is mah fave. It’s quite hard (take the 14 page and 4,600+ word study guide for the first test for example) but it’s so interesting. And relevant. I’ve been working on the study guide for several days with a couple classmates and we’ve gone in to talk with our professor about questions we had. He’s a great teacher and explains things in a highly intellectual (but also understandable!) way. And exciting fact! We each get in groups to debate controversial issues and I got abortion. Time to research, learn, and hammer out a defense of the Catholic position. Yes, I’m a happy girl!

Have a great weekend! For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Love says thou shalt not yell

~ Laura ~ 5 Comments

If I had to chose the hardest part about being an active member of the pro-life movement, it would be the people who aren’t really pro-life. But others think they are.

Let me elaborate.

If you’ve been outside an abortion clinic, you’ve probably seen it: the people who stand there and yell crazy thing at people going in. Try to talk to them and they just start going off about how we’re heretics who worship Mary and or we’re not true Christians or something along those lines. Women who are already in crisis mode blast their ipods and huddle close to the boyfriend or mother who is bringing them in as they walk through the barrage of comments. “You’re going to hell!” the people on the sidewalk yell. And the women walk past. Right into the inviting arms of the clinic.

When the women are inside, the men stand there using a traffic cone as a megaphone and yell how the clients are violating each commandment. Oh, and the clinic workers? They let ’em have it too.

One time in the last few months we were outside praying when a boyfriend/husband/partner of a client inside came out for a smoke. The sidewalk is close enough to this particular clinic that you can talk to anyone and everyone outside. However, the man with his cone took the opportunity to condemn the father and elaborate how much of a sinner he was. And by golly, hell was most definitely in his future.

Encouraging, right?

NOT.

I wanted so badly to go and talk to the father. Just ask him how he was. He was so obviously hurting. You could see it in his eyes. Who knows what circumstances led him and the mother of his child there? I could see that he was almost in tears while being verbally abused by this man with the cone. I wanted to intervene, but didn’t. It was so loud and the people who yell don’t listen to what we have to say. But to this day I feel so bad for the man who was out there smoking and pray he has found some peace.

Last time we were outside the clinic, the people who yell were in the middle of a conference (meaning they brought tons of people) and they filmed this video. Be warned, there is some language and graphic signs.

You know what strikes me?

There are people across the country who do this and they always claim to be bringing the gospel to people. But I don’t see that. Jesus ate dinner with sinners, healed, and forgave them. He met them where they were. These people who call themselves abortion abolitionists condemn people. They yell hateful things. There is no love visible to the world. Oh, AND last time we were there some of them were chatting and taking dance breaks outside the clinic.

Now I can’t judge what their motivation is. I know they want to end abortion. But I can’t help but recognize how their movement is centered around a righteous mentality of telling other people what to do.

Sure, stand there with a sign. Yell at people. That’s easy, folks.

You know what’s not easy?

Opening your heart to the clients going in. Putting your comfort on hold to stand in the snow and pray for people who are victims of abortion (the children, women who are coerced, and fathers who weren’t given a say). Getting up at o-dark-thirty on a Saturday morning to offer resources and alternatives to people going inside these clinics. Just being there and starting conversations is hard when you have people yelling nasty things around you.

But it’s important because parents need to know they have options. They need to be empowered with knowledge to be able to make an informed decision. They need to know they are people worthy of love, and that they can make a better life for themselves.

And you know what? Yelling doesn’t do that.

Yelling says “What you are doing is wrong and you are a sinner. You are a murderer. You are a terrible person. How can you do such a horrendous thing?”

But love says “I don’t know why you are here, but I know that you are hurting and need a shoulder to lean on. Let me love you by putting your needs first and taking the time out of my day to be with you and empower you to be the person you can be.”

Now you tell me. If you were a young mother or father facing a crisis moment and in total survival mode – which approach would you be more receptive to hearing?