I admit it, I am spoiled! As the youngest of 4 growing up, I took full advantage of being the baby. I was my mom’s favorite AND my grandmother’s favorite. That, combined with parents who were worn out by kid #4, created a situation all setup for a young selfish kid (aka me) to take full advantage, and I did. I wasn’t a bad kid per se, I was just focused on myself and how things affected me. As I grew into adulthood, I would like to think things changed some, but that inward focus continued until I got married. Then, I started to think about someone more than myself, but putting Catherine first was not something I always did. It wasn’t really until I started doing ministry work that I really WANTED to change. That change started because of my first mission trip. For several years before the trip I was the “cool adult” (or so I thought) and got a lot of affirmation. Little did I know that affirmation was setting me up for a much needed spiritual smackdown. I had a terrible time; and thanks to that I was not the most pleasant person to be around. At the end of the week I prayed with the woman who organized the trip, and she encouraged me not to give up on mission work but to really pray about why I had a terrible time. Coincidentally, Catherine had a wonderful time and truly WAS the cool adult. In the subsequent weeks God showed me what the issue was. I went on that trip for myself, NOT to serve. I was constantly looking for how I could be fed and how I could be affirmed. What I missed was mission work is not about me, but about those we serve. I really struggled with going the next year, but thanks to Cath I decided to go. With a new attitude and no expectations, I had an amazing week that changed my life. When I changed my focus outward versus inward, I found a joy and beauty I didn’t know was there. In serving others, I found my own identity. The week certainly was not without hardship and frustration, but I was able to put all that in perspective by focusing on the needs of others. That is the amazing thing about serving others, it is how we find our true selves. The ultimate example of this is Christ on the cross. Jesus’ full identity was not revealed until he served and saved all of humanity in His sacrifice. When we serve others, we will certainly have those moments where we feel the cross, Jesus promised us this. The rewards, however, are indescribable. It is in service and following of Christ’s example we find our eternal life (Matt 16:24-25). So let’s go put the “S” in Service 410! I know you can change the world and make it a better place! In Christ, Eric "Love is a one-way street. It always moves away from self in the direction of the other. Love is the ultimate gift of our selves to others. When we stop giving we stop loving, when we stop loving we stop growing, and unless we grow we will never attain personal fulfillment; we will never open out to receive the life of God. It is through love we encounter God.” (Where there is Love, there is God, p. 26) … St Theresa of Calcutta
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When Eric brought up the idea of doing PLUS as our blog post I was instantly drawn to writing about U. To me unity in the church is all about working alongside your peers to spread the faith and strengthen your own faith. Not only is growing in your faith with your best friends that you’ve made through church like the best thing ever but it makes growing in your faith so much easier. You hear from birth that God is always there with you (don’t get me wrong that is 100% true and very important but it can be hard as a teenager to believe that when you can’t physically see him); however, God put physical people into your life to help make your faith journey easier. Whether you feel like you’ve met your “church friends” yet or not, there are people that are here for you to help you especially during this time leading up to your confirmation such as Eric, Kathleen, Emily, and me. While I love just hanging out with my friends and growing in our faith, one of the most powerful acts of unity is group prayer. At bible study Eric often challenges us to pray about a certain topic at 7 every night and knowing that you and your friend in a different location are praying about the exact same thing is so cool (if y’all ever want to join in and know what we’re praying about come talk to me J). Another cool group prayer is through song. There’s something about hearing everyone singing and listening to what they are singing that makes it go from song lyrics to a prayer. I would like to encourage everyone to come together as a class. You’re all on this amazing wild journey together so might as well gain some new friends and grow in your faith while you’re at it! "How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!" Psalm 133:1 God Bless, Becca Sanders “We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.” – St. Thomas Aquinas As a teacher and a lover of learning, I truly believe in the power of knowledge to change people’s lives. This is something that we don’t always associate with faith – we think that faith is only something that we participate in with our heart and our emotions, and we often forget about the intellectual aspect of our relationship with Christ. Some of the greatest theologians in history helped to shape our understanding of God and His ways through study combined with prayer. Take some time to use that brain of yours to educate yourself about God and our faith – I recommend studying the WHY behind our special traditions and beliefs – you might be amazed at what you find! Spoiler alert: our traditions are ancient and awesome, and I promise it will make you appreciate them more. So, in what ways can we utilize learning to increase our understanding of God and what He wants for us in our lives? Well, you are already doing one thing by participating in our classes each week with a curious mind. But you can also learn more about our history, including the greatest saints, to help increase your knowledge of our faith. If you are struggling with something or you feel like you are in need of extra prayers for a certain aspect of your life, a simple Google search can find the patron saint of your cause, and you can ask that saint for their help! I promise that there is a saint for everything (see St. Crispin – the patron saint of shoes!). Another way is by learning more about what you are good at – and all that takes is some prayerful self-reflection. Ask yourself where your strengths are in your every day life and your interactions with others. Are you a good friend? Do you find yourself drawn towards a certain type of service towards others? Do you feel called to care for God’s creation in a specific way? Explore each idea that comes your way, and trust that God will lead you to the purpose that He intends for your life. As a junior, your future is probably on your mind as you look past high school. Allow God into your decision-making by using your understanding of your strengths to influence your choices. Ask yourself what kind of future He wants for you – it’s a straight shot to happiness. “Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.” – St. Thomas Aquinas |
AuthorYour confirmation teachers - Kathleen, Eric, Sophia, and Valerie, and with contributions from 410 alumni Archives
September 2021
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