We have no wine!

Sr. Lale sent me a link to this blog the other day.  The blog Canterbury Tales is written by Dr. Taylor Marshall.

Source: CatholicGag

I thought Sr. Lale was sending me this link because I'm a bride-to-be and this blog has to do with the Bible wedding.  Remember the wedding at Cana?  Jesus' first miracle? 

The wedding runs out of wine and Jesus' mother, Mary, tells the servants to "Do whatever He tells you" and Jesus tells the servants to serve from the water barrels, water that has been turned into wine. 

In his blog, Dr. Marshall tells us to remember this story when "life throws curve balls into your marriage".  He says "Of course, marriage is a great gift and full of joy. But what happens when the wine runs out and all you have is water?  Sometimes, you just have to turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary and say,

 "We have no wine. The joy has run out. All we have here is water. Please transform it!"

And guess what?  Jesus and Mary will do just that.  Catholics know Mary doesn't preform miracles, only Jesus can do that.  But when we pray to Mary she uses her motherly role in guiding us to the solution and challenging us to listen to Jesus. 

 

In the story Jesus turns barrels full of water into wine.  We must have the fullness of heart in order for Jesus to work within us.  If we are running on empty, spiritually, emotionally and mentally then Jesus can only change what we have.  We need to nourish ourselves so that He can completely nourish our souls.

As Dr. Marshall says: "The more water in the jugs, the more they can transform into wine."

 

Thank you Sr. Lale!

 

High Heels!

Sr. LaLe's Wedding Advice

I had a special visitor in my office today.  She's no stranger to me, I eat lunch with her most days.  Sr. Lala Pelikan is a nun in our Christian Formation office here at the Diocese.  Along with being my lunch buddy she's also knitting me a Virgin Mary prayer shawl for my wedding day.  It will be my something blue!  So after our lunch in the break room she stopped by my office to look at my bridal portraits (which I can't wait to show you!).  Then she passes along this marriage advice:

1) Never keep score.  Don't say "well I did it last time" or "I did this so you do that"
2) Never give up on your children.  Never say "I've done all I can do", because when you do - that's when the communication stops
3) Never stop praying for your marriage and your children.  Because if you don't, who will?  God gave you those responsibilities because He knew you could take care of them. So keep praying for them!

I thought this was great advice for this Bride-to-be!

High Heels!

The Power of Pinterest

Does Pinterest get you out of bed every morning?  I'm not asking if it motivates you to log in to Pinterest and sit at the computer all day.  I mean, does it inspire your creativity in the kitchen or the garage?  Does it push you to be a better person, to pray more or work out more?

It helps me in all of the above, and then some!  With one month until the wedding I ran to my Pinterest board 'My Other Strechy Pants' for some relaxation motivation. 

Here's what I've been doing every morning to stretch out the wedding nightmares and begin a day full of e-mails, RSVP counting and final check writing.

via Thoughts By Natalie via Mind Body Green



What are some of your morning routines?  What are you favorite yoga practices?

It's my Birthday!

Today is my 27th Birthday!  This past weekend was my surprise bachelorette party. 

 

I can't decide if I should share more photos from the bachelorette or not....

but the photo below was the beginning of the bachelorette night!

 



 

Rest in Peace

Before the next Making Things Happen blog post,
a moment of silence for the best pit bull you never met. 

Chico pass away this weekend after being bit by a spider and spiraling into tissue damage throughout his body in two short days. 

He will be dearly missed....and because you didn't know him here are some facts about Chico:

• J rescued him when he was a puppy no one wanted because he had parvo
• He always had snot hanging from his nose, it wasn't an illness, it was a comical facial feature
• He loved escaping his fenced-in backyard, but he would only go as far as the front door
• He was tough on the outside but a love bug on the inside
• His only request was belly rubs, lots and lots of belly rubs
• He made J into a better man.  He showed him love and loyalty.  A role I, as his future wife, am now happy to assume.

 

*Kisses!!!*

 

 

Hug your puppy today! 
And check the bed for spiders!!

2013 Making Things Happen part 2

Hello again!

Let's talk goal setting for 2013 again.  Did you do the first part?  Do it before this next part, it won't take long.

And while I'm paraphrasing from Lara's blog, please go read her blog, she writes beautifully and explains everything very well.

She has a great point in this 2nd part: "I am not in control, God is." Meaning: don't beat yourself up if your list from part 1 was a lot of "wish I did" and not a lot of "I did".

Now Steps 4 - 6

STEP FOUR: What are the three biggest lessons you learned from what DID work?

1. If I do what I love I will get it done.
2. If I communicate with J (and others) on why I want/need to do something the decision doesn't feel like a burden, it feels like a community effort.
3. If I can't love myself, I won't see the love others have for me.

STEP FIVE: What are the three biggest things you learned from what DIDN'T work

These are not my answers, they are Lara Casey's and they are perfect.  Read them below or here on her blog (scroll down to below Step 5)

1. Worry and stress got you nowhere and just wasted a whole lot of time.

2. Busy is the opposite of happy. Too many projects spreads you thin. Slow down. Don't plan so much this year. Do less and do it very well, with great passion.

3. My favorite Bible verse: He who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. - James 4:17 Work hard at doing good always. Humble yourself. Give your authentic heart to the people right in front of you.

STEP SIX: What is your 2013 VISION

Lara asked herself these three questions (the answers are mine):

- Where do you want to be when you are 80? Surrounded by family and friends.  Proud of my children as they are serving as good citizens of the nation and the Church.  More calm and at peace than I am today. 

- Why do you do what you do? Because I don't have any tangible things to give.  I give what I can, my time (in prayer), my talent (in service and work) and my treasure (which is 10% of my measly paycheck).  And I give it all everyone in need.  Family, friends, the church, the poor, the stranger, etc. 

- What kind of life do you want to live this year?  I want to live this year as the best version of myself I can be. 

MY VISION FOR 2013: 
I cannot give what I do not have; I must pay down loans in order to share more with others. 
I cannot give what I do not have; I must pray for patience and compassion in order to give unconditional love to all. 
I cannot give what I do not have; must remain a Woman of God striving to be saint-like in order to find what the best version of myself is and I must begin sharing that best version immediately!

There is no right time to do the right thing. 

2013 Making Things Happen

 I may have spent my Christmas and New Years eating up my parents free WiFi on my new tablet....
I ran across a new beautiful blog with a simple and great motivational goal setting exercise for 2013.  Check out my steps 1-3 below and stay turned for the next steps throughout the week!

 

Laracasey.com/blog

 

Step #1 :

Let's take a look back at what worked in 2012. 

What did you make happen? What are you grateful for this year?

I am grateful for:

• My engagement - J and I knew the moment we met we wanted to remain friends forever.  Then we started dating which of course led to talk of marriage.  As I look back on the time leading up to the engagement, it felt like it was never going to happen.  Instead we'd just talk about it all the time.  And once it did it just set everything in motion.  My Maid of Honor asked over Christmas break what has the engagement process has been like and my response was "Being engaged is AWESOME, it's the wedding planning that sucks."  The engagement really is just a magical time full of anticipation, hopes, fears and all around comfort in the future.  I couldn't be happier with the past 9 months.

• We wrote each other love letters: Completely inspired by Pinterest, before I moved from the city I sent J this frame and would leave him a love note when I could come visit.  Now we aim for daily love notes, but it has turned into a weekly thing. 

• My 'new' family is AMAZING: The minute I met J's family I knew I could get along with them for the rest of my life.  I didn't think I could call anyone 'sister' other than my own blood, but I was proven wrong.  I didn't think I'd want a brother or could understand the male mind as a sister does....but oh do I ever!  I didn't think I could relate to a culture that I respected from afar, but didn't know from the inside.  But I do relate to them and I find J and some of his family relating to me.  It is definitely J's patience with me and his family that keeps things moving forward.  But my #1 Love Language is service and I would lay down my life for these people.

• I found a deeper appreciation for my family, friends and my upbringing:  J's background is complete opposite from mine: country/city *  private school/public school *  single language household/bilingual household  *  All girls/brothers and sisters  *  biracial family/one race * the list goes on.  And it was exciting to learn about his lifestyle and compare it to mine.  But the more I compared the more I appreciated my upbringing and where I'm from.  I'm so unique, but so is he.  It's a blessing to have so much to look forward to when we start raising our own family.

• I stopped beating myself up (kinda)

• I started flossing more: My dentist is happy!

• I printed more pictures: Life is too short to spend all your time on Facebook.  Even if I'm just sitting in my family room doing Yoga or crafting, I can look around and see the smiling faces of my family and friends. 

• Oh ya, I got more crafty:  I decorated the house!  I turned a house into a home.  It's a blast and the inner girl scout in me LOVES it!  Next mission: learn to knit!

• My move to the rural country life - I've always been an outside girl.  As much as I love the conveniences of the city, in the back of my mind I'm always planning my next vacation or the next dog walk or even the next window I can look out of.  I'm not even lying.  I cannot sit at a desk all day.  I must step outside as some point in my day.  I connect with nature and knew I couldn't survive living in the city for very long.  When I moved back to Dallas I thought life would be perfect, but it was far from it.  I'm not saying living in the middle of no where is perfect.  But I got my wish and I am at peace.  It's not a Mayberry town or pinterest worthy house, but it's something to call my own.  It's my jumping off point and I love it.

• My new stress free job and my AMAZING boss: Yes, I do work for the Church.  So I hope this next line isn't too hooky, but my boss is an angel.  She really is.  I've had plenty of bosses throughout my life.  Most of whom I learned to love.  But this lady is so full of life and grace and compassion and positive energy and brains and energy and, I could go on.  She's just a joy to work for.  I want to make her happy in everything I do, even though her goal is for me to be happy.  Planning our wedding while working only part time is a nightmare!  But she always answers "It'll work out in the end" and the closer we get to the wedding date, the more it is working out.  Her husband is very very ill and has been for years, but she stills brags about her "hubby" and visits him (in hospice) often.  I pray all wives have the courage and compassion she does.  I wrote about how much I love my job here.

• My new outlook on life and my stress free lifestyle With a happy fiance, a peaceful home and an amazing job.  I have nothing to complain about.  When I catch myself complaining I hear Seth Myers in my head saying "Really?!" Obviously it's not the material things that help me find this stress free life.  It's the next bullet item:

• My relationship with God and my walk with faith: When J and I met we challenged each other on our faith from day one.  I was book Catholic and he was faith Catholic.  Now my facts and figures are rubbing off on him (he won't even bring up an point without having the right bible verse of Vatican document to support it).  But his faith is also rubbing off on my, thank goodness.  When it comes to wedding planning and the tight budget we're on, I could be stressed up to my eyeballs, but I keep putting my faith in God, avoiding a bad bridezilla. 

• Volunteering with the Youth in my Church: More like, I heard a call from God and I answered it.  Within 2 days of saying out loud "I'd like to do something with the youth of this town" I was the youth minister in our parish.  I love it, the kids love me and J and I love who J is for that 1 hour.  It's not the J I know, it's not the J he shows anyone but those kids.  Why?  Because he didn't have a youth minister, he didn't have an opinion on faith other than his parents and he doesn't want these kids to make bad decisions and end up in trouble like so many of his friends did.  I'm not going to lie, this is a HARD job.  But I know God put us here for a reason.  I'm happy to do His will.

• We sent out Christmas cards: Like grown ups!  ;)

 

Step #2 What didn't work (as well as I wanted):

• Starting a diet/workout habit: I mean come on, who isn't going to put diet/workout as a failure.  This year did not go as planned.  Paying for the wedding we were unable to keep a fridge full of food.  Instead we were blessed with J's family feeding us everyday.  Which means I don't get to pick the menu, instead four children under the age of 10 did.  And working out was a hard habit to get into.  I was used to my safe paved city blocks and my apartment gym, out here in the country you can run on the school track or the dirt roads.  But don't be surprised if you see a jack rabbit, coyote or badger running with you!
• My savings: With a part time job, a wedding to pay for and trying to bring down loans before my credit rating wipes out J's perfect credit score I have not saved a penny.  We plan to pay off the wedding for the three months following the wedding and after that it's all about SAVINGS.  I'm thinking Dave Ramsey will be a good investment to help us out.
• My blogging:  I don't even know where to start with why this didn't work out this year.  I blog more than some of my friends, but I definitely haven't hit the big time like I want to.  I guess I just need to keep pushing myself and striving to get sponsors and a 'concept' going for some side income and to keep my city friends up to date on my country life!
• My MLM: I honestly don't know how this got away from me either.  I was doing AMAZING!  Using the products, losing weight, making money.  Then I moved and everything came to a halt.  With it being the beginning of my personal company I needed to be more hands on and pay more attention.  Instead I slowed down my life and let things slip through the cracks.  I'm still taking my vitamins and have team members doing well.  I just knew I could do so much better at this!  I'm really disappointed in myself.

 

Step #3 What fires you up?
Health- fresh food and exercise
Helping - volunteering for strangers friends and family
God - praying and learning
Travel - with fiance, to family, friends or just us two
Decorating/renovating 
Socializing/blogging - not isolating myself
Learning - to knit or crochet
Accomplishing - grant writer certification, masters degree
Sharing - blogging, story telling, educating others

 

See Lara's guidelines towards creating your own 2013 Making Things Happen: HERE