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!