October return: Fall in a new place!

For those who have been following me on the blog world, I'm now at Georgia Southern University, in Statesboro, GA. I love it, because the world is new to my senses here... Seeing green...feeling consistent heat....hearing mockingbirds...tasting fried chicken, boiled peanuts, and sweet tea...smelling the Southern air... And working with the new campus! I love it! My team is awesome- Katie, Tom, Mark, and myself. And believe me, we do know how to have fun!

I just finished a trip home, tasted a breath of that great North Dakotan fall, and was so grateful to be able to spend some time with my mission partners, prayer partners, friends, and YES, my family! I hope that all those I ran into knows how I appreciate their friendship- thanks again!

Breezy last week on campus....

So the last month has been an interesting ride, for God to call me to trust in Him. Being the melancholic personality that I am, I took a lot of it to heart quickly and personally, and being the sanguine that I am, couldn't help but share it like a kindergartner who can't hold a secret. God is so patient with me, though, because even as I write this, I see me, me, me written all over this, when it's really all about HIM....off the tirade that is my life, and on to the beauty of SDSU's campus- it's aesthetic and human beauty.



I was fortunate enough to take part in a Eucharistic procession early in the Easter season, and wanted to share a picture of that- it was a slightly breezy day as well, but that only encourages me to think that the Holy Spirit was present that day, as it was Divine Mercy Sunday, and the day Gideon Gauer was baptized!

What a beautiful gift God has given this past month, and even so this last week! Our men honored the women of the Newman Center with a meal, serving to their best ability. We were blessed with a talk by Jackie Logue, a woman who shares in the responsibility of praying for FOCUS to come to the campus of SDSU...to think of the prayers she has said for us, and her own personal struggles with the death of her husband, all the while seeing God, made tears come to several eyes. I have realized as of late, because of this, that I am definitely in need of learning how to be able to receive all that God wants to do in my life. Especially in loving me. I think He longs to show that to everyone that I am blessed to meet, so PRAISE GOD for all that He is able to show!

The time here on campus as of now has been one of savoring what is left- the relationships, the excitement and anticipation of how FOCUS will approach the campus this next year, and how these souls have such great potential at reaching others! I hope that this summer will be a boost for them- not a time to lag in their prayer, but to continue being the witnesses of how Jesus is a loving God and Savior, and the Holy Spirit invigorates their everyday lives.

So, then, what are MY plans for the summer?
I leave for Fargo on Saturday, and will be there until about the 21st of May. From there I will be driving out to Champaign, IL, via Dubuque, to visit some friends (Jason, Kjersti, and baby!). I will be in Champaign for 6 weeks, as a dean for a college (small group/suite of missionary ladies), and a fund raising coach. Following training I will be leaving for a 3 week pilgrimage to France, seeing the many wonders and beauties of the life of the Church in times past (hopefully to be replicated in fervor in the present!), and will then return home, the last week of July. At this point, I am not sure what campus I will be at this next year, but hope to find out soon, before training begins...no guarantees, just knowing what's going on for the next 3 months, at this point, is sufficing!

Turning a Leaf...and another leaf....and another...

Well, Greetings, Brothers and Sisters- and the World around me!
I'm pretty new to blogging, so this will hopefully last more than a few posts within the first few weeks (believe me, I've seen it before, and know that I'm prone to it)! I'm pretty good at committing myself to trying new things, but knowing me... well, as the title of this post insinuates, I'm very good at trying. And again. And again. But as I know God to be the forgiving and merciful Father that He is, He won't give up on me, so I won't give up on me either!

The purpose of this is to share some of the insights that I've gained while being a missionary for FOCUS, The Fellowship of Catholic University Students, on a fairly regular basis. As many people who pray and support me are internet savvy, I think it will allow you the chance to see a little of the inner workings of my mind and heart as I see lives changed, including my own. I came into FOCUS with the hope of learning, and have been deeply challenged to continue my life as a Catholic beyond the life of a missionary, to let God penetrate my entire being. The funny thing is that I also came into this hoping to be made a saint....ha ha! I'm at almost two years, and can tell you that sainthood is something that takes a whole life, not just two years....even though I knew that, I think part of me thought, "Well, this is it! You can live a life easy in holiness after this." FOCUS has been the encouragement of my prayer life and living that out daily, and pointing out pretty regularly that I'm not perfect in it, but am striving for it. The battle that I fight is to grow in virtue (more on these later) and live ALIVE in a lackadaisical world.

Regarding the name of my blog, See Romans 12:1-2. I once read a funny children's book written in the 1960's, called "How to be a Nonconformist" by Elissa Jane Karg, it points out that we're all being nonconformists together...hmmm....I found that nonconformity to this day in age is actually living out goodness. The greatest nonconformist, however, is Jesus Christ- if you want to know how to truly rebel, stop thinking in terms of just following rules of religion, throw the box of "Christian niceness" out the window, really LISTEN, and love and live like Christ- in it's TRUEST sense. I've found Christ call my heart and love me even more profoundly when I start living, and stop thinking how much I need to follow the "rules." Granted, I need the service of rules to live, I don't live to serve the rules- what a way to live! Transforming the terms of obliging Christianity into freedom to love as Christ has.

That's all I've got for you today! God bless you, and I look forward to sharing my life even more!