Monday Memo: St. Teresa of Avila

Today's quotes come from St. Teresa of Avila because she is my confirmation saint, and a woman dear to my heart - and today is her feast day! Happy feast day of St. Teresa of Avila, my dear brothers and sisters! She was one of the first female doctors of the church, and reformed the Carmelite Order, she was a woman of great courage and wisdom. May we seek her intercession always!

"Whenever we think of Christ we should recall the love that led Him to bestow on us so many graces and favors, and also the great love God showed in giving us in Christ a pledge of His love; for love calls for love in return. Let us strive to keep this always before our eyes and to rouse ourselves to love Him. For if at some time the Lord should grant us the grace of impressing His love on our hearts, all will become easy for us and we shall accomplish great things quickly and without effort." 

“Let nothing disturb thee; 
Let nothing dismay thee;
All thing pass; 
God never changes. 
Patience attains All that it strives for
 He who has God Finds he lacks nothing:
God alone suffices.” 
-St Teresa of Avila

Pain is never permanent -St. Teresa if Avila

what matters is not whether or no we wear a religious habit; it is whether we try to practise the virtues, and make a complete surrender of our wills to God and order our lives as His Majesty ordains: let us desire that not our wills, but His will, be done" -St Teresa of Avila

We shall never succeed in knowing ourselves unless we seek to know God."-St. Teresa of Avila

Why do People put up with me?

I was talking with a friend the other day and she asked me "Do you ever wonder why people put up with you?" My response was "on a regular basis" So often I find myself wondering why people 'put up with me', why they deal with my stress, anxiety, fear, anger, need to vent, inability to love well, selfish tendencies, etc.

After this conversation I started to think about this question we so often ask ourselves. What does this question really mean? Why do we ask ourselves this all the time.

When we ask ourselves 'why do people put up with me' we are really asking 'why do people love me?' Why do people love me when I'm such a failure? I'm selfish, and so often think only of me and what will make me happy. I'm unloving. When I'm tired you probably shouldn't talk to me. I complain all the time, especially about school. I have anxiety, and struggle with depression sometimes. I am filled with pride.

We each see our own imperfections so clear to us in each moment of each day. I can go through a day and point out each time I messed up in being a 'good' Christian to you, but I won't. I see my imperfections, and struggle to love myself; therefore, I wonder how any other person can possibly love me.

So why do we think this way? Why do we feel like people shouldn't love us?

"Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble." 
-1 Peter 3:8

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." 
-1 Corinthians 13:7

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." -Galatians 5:13

This is only a small bit of what Christ tells us through the bible. Christ calls us to love one another, deeply, selflessly. That is why our friends 'put up with us'. So what must be the root of the question other than that of fear. Fear of being unwanted, unloved. Fear that causes us to push others away from us. Fear that causes us to draw away from love. Fear of being tossed aside, when our friends grow weary in loving us. Fear that causes us to see the imperfections of ourselves shine so powerfully that we forget how to see the beauty in ourselves. 

We are each children of God, beloved by Him, made perfect in his image. As I was thinking and praying  about this Psalm 139 kept coming to mind. 

"Lord, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and I stand, you know my thoughts from afar. You sift through all my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar. Even before a word is on my tongue, Lord, you know it all. ... You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb." -Psalm 139:1-4, 13 (I really encourage to read the whole psalm, it is one of my favorites, and most pivotal in me growing into the woman I am now)

The Lord formed us, He knows us, knows us well - actually better than we know ourselves. Because of this He also knows our needs, and places certain people in our lives for this reason - to love us, and love us well. 

When we allow our fears to consume us, our fears of being unloved, unwanted, disliked, forgotten, despised we cannot serve Christ as he asks of us. When we are consumed by what others think of us, and are convinced we are unlovable we cannot love Christ. 

We love the people in our lives each day, we see the beauty in them. We are able to look past the imperfections of those around us and love them; therefore, we must also do this for ourselves.

Each time you ask yourself "why do people even put up with me?" push that thought aside. Recognize your imperfection, but strive to look past and see the beauty. I know I am so often amazed when people say kind things about me because it's so often a challenge for me to see the good myself. Remember, you're not the only one feeling this way, and seek out someone who can help to lift you fallen spirits. Lastly, we have a God of mercy, a God of love, a God of forgiveness - though we fail him every day, he loves us still. Let us Christ for his mercy and love, and ask him to help us be merciful and forgiving towards ourselves. 

"I have strength for all things through Him who empowers me." Philippians 4:13

In Christ, 
Amber 


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Monday Memo

Hello, hello! It's Monday, which means it's time for our quote(s) of the week. Because it's the month of October, and because yesterday was Rosary Sunday I have a few quotes about praying the rosary that I want to share, and I also want to encourage each of you to pray the Rosary each, especially during this month of October!

"The rosary is the weapon for these times." -Padre Pio

"One day through the rosary and the scapular, our lady will save the world" -St. Dominic

"Give me an army saying the rosary and I will conquer the world." -Pope St. Pius IX

May we pray the rosary, and seek the intercession of the Blessed Mother, whom Jesus gave to us as he was on the cross, in a particular this week and this month as we honor her!

Mary, help of Christians, pray for us!

Monday Memo: St. Therese

Happy feast day of St. Therese! I have had a special devotion to St. Therese for about three years now, and her intercession is powerful and continually changing my life. I encourage you to pray to her, to seek her intercession. Here are a few of her quotes :)

“If I did not simply live from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient, but I only look at the present, I forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future.” 
― Thérèse de Lisieux

Do you realize
that Jesus is there
in the tabernacle
expressly for you-
for you alone? He
burns with the
desire to come into
your heart… don’t
listen to the demon,
laugh at him, and

go without fear to
receive the Jesus of
peace and love…”
― Thérèse de Lisieux

"My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience.” St. Therese

Give Thanks

It's just known that every year with the season change a cold will go around, and eventually we will all be sick, and it will be a battle throughout the winter to not be sick. Last week all my classmates and one of my housemates got the sickness, which meant my turn was coming. My housemates decided that if I were to be one of the seven dwarfs off Snow White I would be sneezy because I'm always sick.
That being said, I woke up yesterday morning with the sickness. Stuffy nose red, watery eyes, the works - which makes for a super grumpy and whiny Amber. I was determined to see the positive throughout the day, by giving thanks. So I thought I'd share with you some of the things I have thanks for.

Things I'm thankful for:
Close parking spots
Sun shining on my face
A sweet text message from a loved one
Homemade chicken noodle soup
Lecture not taught by PowerPoint
Laughter
Coffee
Good music (sidewalk prophets)
My ability to get an education
Seeing an old friend
Cooking dinner with my sister
Hot chocolate with marshmallows
Pilates
Quiet
Prayer

There's a few things from me, what are some things you're thankful for? How do you get through some of those longer days

Monday Memo

Well, today we have three quotes because as I was browsing for quotes there were these three that really stuck out to me, and I think they all go really well together. Have a blessed week friends!

"Almighty and Eternal God, behold I come to the Sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As one sick, I come to the Physician of life; unclean, to the Fountain of mercy; blind, to the Light of eternal splendor; poor and needy, to the Lord of heaven and earth. Therefore, I beg of You, through Your infinite mercy and generosity, heal my weakness, wash my uncleanness, give light to my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I thus receive the Bread of Angels, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, with such reverence and humility, contrition and devotion, purity and faith, purpose and intention, as shall aid my soul's salvation ..."


"To love God is something greater than to know Him."


"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."

See the Positive

This week had the potential to be "the worst week of my life". I had a lot of school work, I wasn't sleeping well, I was quitting my job...all these things and on top of it all I'm getting sick. AKA worst week ever....but not really.

Yesterday, as I started off my morning had the potential to be really bad. I had an anatomy exam and I didn't feel like I had properly prepared for it. I had a little bit of a headache. I had gotten less than five hours of sleep. I was turning in my notice for quitting my job. Definitely anticipated it being a horrid day. But it was not because one - our God is an awesome God, and all things go well when we entrust them to the man upstairs.

So I met with friends at Starbucks at 8 am. When I ordered my coffee I couldn't quite talk straight just yet because I was so tired (those of you who know me know what I'm talking about). And then my friends got there and we started chatting, laughing, studying - the day was already looking up. Then we went and took our exam and it was easier than anticipated and we all walked out feeling pretty decent about our exam. Then we did this meditation in my pilates class that I love, and it helped to relieve all my stress. I found out my microbiology exam got moved from Friday (tomorrow) to next week on Wednesday - which lifted a ton of weight off my shoulders. And lastly I turned in my two weeks notice and everything went smoothly, my boss didn't try to talk me into staying or anything, and it just worked perfectly. So basically God is good.

And if we look for the positive things in our life, then our lives will be that much more enjoyable. So seek to be positive, give thanks for the day God has given us.