39 weeks and feeling fine!

Hello sweet friends. In case anyone wanted an update, I am 39 weeks plus 2 days today (that is, my due date is next Tuesday), and I am feeling fine! Really fine! I have been blessed with an incredible third trimester. Praise God!

While we are definitely looking forward to meeting our sweet baby, we want to give her all the time she needs to be ready to enter the world. So, since everyone keeps asking (very kindly, I might note) if we're ready... for now, we are enjoying this time, this pregnancy, the regular flow of our lives, and will be glad to welcome her whenever she makes her appearance.

For now, here are a few updated shots of her nursery:

Owl wreath Chad crocheted-

Swaddling blankets-

 Stand with diapers, wipes, washcloths, and puzzles from Grandma Savrda (for the future)-

Changing table with blankets and stuffed animals-

Probably less than 50% of the clothes she has (yikes!)-

Sweet little monogram backpack from one of Grandma Savrda's work friends-

Bed with quilt from Grandma Tami, pillow from Alysha, and pillow from Rose-

Above the crib (with bunting Chad crocheted)-

View from corner-to-corner-

View from the door-

Rocking chair with sweet quilt from Grandma Tami-

 Another shot of the crib-

Wall above the changing table-

Stuffed animals and blankets again-

Corner above rocking chair (with images of the Holy Family and Judith Marie's namesake, Judith, after she has beheaded Holofernes) -

A picture of the beautiful babe herself-

A diaper tricycle from Grandpa Cunningham's wife Pam-

So as you can see, we're pretty set and looking forward to meeting her when she comes!

Won't Back Down

"For decades, the Bishops have led the fight against such government incursions on conscience, particularly in the area of health care. Far from making us waver in this longstanding commitment, the unprecedented magnitude of this latest threat has only strengthened our resolve to maintain that consistent view."
From the USCCB's March 14, 2012 Statement on Religious Freedom and HHS Mandate

I couldn't resist. This song keeps playing in my head. The music provides a nice background for reading the USCCB's statement. Enjoy.

Psalm 110:4

After praying the rosary with the Schultz family in high school I adopted their tradition of praying this prayer at the end of each decade:

God, our Father, please send us holy priests, all for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, all for the sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary, in union with Saint Joseph.

God is so good. He answers this prayer! He has blessed me with such great priests who constantly work to love God and love His people. What amazing witnesses! I praise God for the holy priests in my life who have chosen to radically live out God's love for His Bride, the Church.

Why I am a missionary...

As I was sitting in class on my first day of my second year of FOCUS New Staff Training (NST), I had this great moment of clarity for my role as a missionary. There are a lot of things that are being offered by campus ministries, bible studies, retreats, etc., but today, as I listened to Dr. J Reyes quote Blessed John Paul II, I was reminded of my unique and unrepeatable missionary call. This is basically why FOCUS exists, and why I am a missionary...

"People today put more trust in witnesses than in teachers, in experience than in teaching, and in life and action than in theories. The witness of a Christian life is the first and irreplaceable form of mission" (Redemptoris Missio).

I certainly haven't always lived it right, but this is exactly what I have tried to do this past year as a missionary-- to live my life as a Christian and hope that somehow I have been able to demonstrate at least the sort of "getting up when you fall" behavior that is essential to the Christian life. May the Lord continue to bless my efforts to answer this missionary call.

Please pray, as I do today and throughout my missionary life, that, like Saint Paul, I, too, may say to those I am serving, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). O, that the Lord might grant it!

"Something strange is happening..."

Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday

Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

So long 2010.

Goodbye 2010. You've been a good one.

2010: A Year in Review

JANUARY

-I rang in the New Year with 4,000 college students at the FOCUS National Conference in Orlando, FL.

-I began my last semester as a college student.

-I led the family group HOPE in my last Pan y Vino retreat.

Kelley and I had an awesome costume for the theme dinner. Do you see me?

FEBRUARY

-I was getting shredded with my sweet roommate Jennifer.

-I was obsessed with John Stone. (Not much has changed).

-I passed my exit HESI, finally!!!

-I interviewed in beautiful Annapolis, MD to be a FOCUS missionary. That Sunday I woke up at about 5:30a to finish the interview weekend, flew back to Atlanta, drove to Auburn, and that night I went to the hospital for my first 11p-7a shift of my 256-hour nursing preceptorship in the EAMC newborn nursery.

-A little while later, I was offered a position to work as a FOCUS missionary. A few days later, and after much prayer, I accepted the position.

MARCH

-I went to Nashville to visit Tim Rosko and see Jamie Cullum in concert at the TPAC.

-I continued my preceptorship, not sleeping a lot and trying to get ready for life as a missionary.

APRIL

-I sang in front of people. What? I completely forgot about this. The great Rob Muzyka and I sang a Dashboard Confessional cover of a Weezer song called Jamie.

-I finished my preceptorship. It was a lot of fun. Except at the end. Then there was a lot of crying-- with Natalie and Debbie (my preceptor).

The babies even cried.

MAY

-I turned 22. What the heck?!

-I graduated from Auburn.

-Jennifer McAleer became Jennifer McAleer Martin. Some little crabbes had a good time dancing.

JUNE

-The beautiful Katherine Jane Rhodes was born.

-I went to FOCUS summer training. I spent five weeks, the longest I'd ever been (up to that point), away from my family. I met some really amazing people that gave me so much hope for the future of our Church and our world. Here are my holy sisters from the college of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

-I found out I was going to be a missionary at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.

-My friends Katie and Gina, and I went to Chicago for a weekend away from Champaign, IL.

-Also, some Auburn friends came to visit us at training. So awesome!!

JULY

-I returned from FOCUS summer training and began fundraising my salary. Yikes! It turned out to be a lot of fun.

-One of the coolest people that I met when I was looking for mission partners taught me and my friends to make rosaries while giving us her awesome testimony!

AUGUST

-I packed up my life and moved to Nashville, TN.

-I had a great time getting to know the students I'd be working with at the Vandy Catholic leadership retreat at this beautiful lake house.

SEPTEMBER

-I got to hang out with my awesome roommates. Literally.

-I saw GRITS with sweet Grace at Vanderbilt.

-"Let's go 'dores," and, "It's good to be gold," became some of my favorite sayings despite Vanderbilt football's poor performance on the field.

OCTOBER

-I staffed my first Awakening Retreat. It was a joy to be a part of an amazing, life-changing weekend!

-I made my first trip home after being a Nashville resident. Vandy's Fall break gave me the opportunity to attend my only football game of Auburn's perfect season.

-Halloween was a crazy time. My team and I dressed up as characters from Peanuts.

NOVEMBER

-I celebrated the second anniversary of my blog.

-I had a great Thanksgiving with my family. If you haven't heard, I have the most beautiful sisters in the world.

DECEMBER

-"Yea Sewanee's Right," was added to my vocabulary after visiting the beautiful University of the South with Fr. Baker and my team.

-I finished my first semester as a FOCUS Missionary!

-I watched my sweetest little first-grade friend get married.

-I celebrated a beautiful (and white) Christmas with my family in Auburn.

-I got my camera, finally.

Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011!!!

"On the Wings of the Morning..."

"...hope is rising."

I went to the St. Michael's Didache group (Adult education class) this morning after Mass. There was a coffee and donut social so I figured I might as well stick around and learn something. Today's topic was the papal encyclical Caritas in Veritate. The encyclical addresses many issues including morality in economic life, global development, personal human development, and progress toward the common good of all peoples. Many interesting and puzzling things were said.

Our discussion really solidified a lot of things I've been thinking about lately. Really, it made especially apparent how the Lord is truly after my heart for hope. "Hope" happened to be the leftover family group name last summer when all the Pan y Vino family group leaders had chosen their names. Hope has reigned in my life ever since.

This morning in Didache I was faced with the overwhelming pessimism and despair that have paralyzed generations. At the beginning of our discussion an older gentlemen posed that the whole room would admit that there is no solution, no peace, no hope for the economic and social problems our world faces.

I thought about what little hope the existing generations have for us, the future of the world. I was reminded of an incredible Caedmon's Call song "Wings of the Morning." Particularly I thought of this verse:

The ads and billboards rained in every language
The message every politician knows
When we're fed that we are nothing we'll believe it
And then do what we are told

How interesting that poverty has spread like a pandemic across the world. How interesting that our local, national, and global economies are failing. Why does it seem that even in our churches we cannot escape the feeling that we are nothing. How do we treat our future generations?

One third of my generation was destroyed without thought before they saw the light of day or took their first breath of air. One in every three children was denied the first inalienable right. How can there be liberty or the pursuit of happiness if life is denied? For every two young people that sit in my classes, walk on campus, live in the dorms, there is one missing. Are we just a "bunch of cells" with the "potential" for life?

When we're fed that we are nothing we'll believe it
And then do what we are told

So, if you happen to be a "two thirds" who made it you are still plagued by the lies that you are nothing. You know the arguments against teaching abstinence in schools. Proponents of a "comprehensive" sex education program say that young people cannot possibly control their bodies so they need birth control in order to protect themselves. We tell them that they are too stupid, too fickle, too ruled by their lust to be able to make the decision to say no to sex. This is just one example.

When we're fed that we are nothing we'll believe it
And then do what we are told

The same is true for us. It is our responsibility to pick up the pieces and heal our hurting world. It is up to me and my peers to believe we can change things, to believe that hope lies in us. It is up to us to teach our children that they are capable of more that the world tells them they can achieve. It is up to us to not lose hope in the future. When this generation tells me there is no solution to the problems we face, no hope for the future this is what I hear: "You are nothing."

But, Caedmon's Call continues:

The spark of the divine
I see it in your eyes
It's there behind the lies that tie you down

I say to the existing generations--Don't you see it in our eyes? The spark of the Divine? You may not believe in us, but do you believe in Him? He's there, Our God, and all hope. When the existing adults and leaders die what will they have left behind? Generations who believe they are nothing?

Or will they sing, as we, the young people, do?

On the wings of the morning
Hope is rising
In the darkest night
Your love and light prevail

For indeed, there is hope in the words we pray, "Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." Hope is not light-years away. It's inside of me, and inside of this 2/3rds generation that is struggling to stay afloat with the lack of hope the older generations have in us. If they do not, there is One who hopes in us. And so,

We will rise on the wings of the morning
Though we hide, hide in the shadows of the night
There is hope, hope in the hands that have made us
And are holding us tight...