Sarah Vs. Food: Bagels

I LOOOOVE cheese bagels! Always have! When I was little, my mom would buy for a special treat. I would warm them up in the microwave and I had a weird way that I ate them. They were sooo good!

I found a recipe on Pinterest that I pinned over a year ago. I decided I would surprise my family by making them for Christmas!

First off, I wanted them to be a surprise do I made them after everyone was in bed...this meant a late night baking. I think I finished around 3 a.m.

The dough before rising

 Ready to boil after another 30 minute proof.

Hmmmm, smelling sooo good!!!

They turned out FANTABULOUS!!!

I made a dozen and they were gone that day! This was another win for Sarah! I will make them often and I might try different toppings!

For those keeping track at home the score is....

Sarah: 4

Food: 0

Here is the recipe:

10-12 ounces freshly grated asiago cheese

2 cups warm water

2 packets active dry yeast

2 tablespoons honey

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar (for the water bath)

vegetable oil for brushing

In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine water, yeast and honey, stir to combine, then let sit until foamy, about 10-15 minutes. Once foamy, gradually add in salt, 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 cups of bread flour with the mixer on low speed. After 5 minutes or so, if the dough is still sticky, add the remaining bread flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and mix until combined. Remove the dough from the bowl (it should be thick and stiffer than most yeast breads) and knead a few times with your hands, forming it into a ball. Add the remaining all purpose flour if the dough is still sticky.

Brush a large bowl with oil and place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place (I turn on my oven and set it on top) until it’s double in size – about 1 hour.

Once doubled, punch down the dough and place it on your counter, using a little more flour if needed to prevent it from sticking. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (I actually got 15) that are 2.5-3 ounces each. Using your kitchen scale here is priceless! Rolls the dough into balls, then places on an oiled baking sheet, cover and let rise for 30 minutes. At this time, grate your cheese and place it in a large bowl.

After 30 minutes, fill a large pot with water and add brown sugar, letting it come to a boil. While the water is heating up, take each round of dough and poke a hole straight through the middle, twirling it gently on your finger to create the bagel “look.” Place back down on the baking sheet and let rest for 10-15 minutes, while the water comes to a rolling boil.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If needed/desired, grease another baking sheet. I did this as I found it was easier to place the bagels on.

Once boiling, add 3-4 bagels at a time. Let cook for 2 minutes on one side, then using the end of a wooden spoon, flip the bagel and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove bagels one at a time and place in the bowl of asiago cheese, turning to coat and lightly pressing to adhere. Transfer to the greased baking sheet for final baking and repeat. Once all the bagels (or as many that can fit on your sheet) are finished, place in the oven and bake for 28-35 minutes. I began checking mine after 20 minutes just to ensure that they cheese wasn’t burning. It never burnt, but it did get golden and delicious!

A few changes I made:

-I used an already shredded bag of Kraft "Italian Blend" cheese

-I never used the full 3 cups of all-purpose flour

-I used a baker's non-stick spray on my cookie sheets and the bagels slid right off!

So You're a Convert Catholic

Welcome to the Catholic faith! Here are some pointers that may come in handy:

1. Don't get offended by people. Many people have been part of the Catholic faith a lot longer than you. They want to share what try know with you. They are not trying to be rude or scare you away. They simply want to share things to help you. If you find a comment offensive, offer it up to God and keep going!

2. Explore EVERYTHING!! There is sooo much to the Catholic Church! As a "cradle Catholic" I know I haven't explored everything yet. Don't get stuck doing the same things because that's what you like. Go out and find new ways to praise Jesus and keep challenging yourself. This will be how we get to know God better!

3. Get involved in your parish! This one is hard! Many parishes (mine included) have a group of people who have been in charge for the last 50 years. These people complain about how they need help and can't do it anymore, but when someone tries, they get scared away. I have finally taken the step to be a Eucharistic Minister. Took me almost 26 years, but I'm not letting the scary church ladies scare me off!! Start small, but again, don't get offended if they tell you EVERYTHING you did wrong.

4. Feel free to ask questions. I still ask questions. There are still things that confuse me. For example, I'm trying to figure out why everyone loves Eucharistic Adoration so much. Why are people drawn to it. What do you do during it? Again, see #1. People want to share with you and help you grow.

You know what? This advice is for ALL Catholics! There should be no distinction between "cradle Catholics" and "convert Catholics"! We are ALL Catholics! 

My grandma was a convert and no one really knew that! She converted so she could marry my grandpa! She went to mass every Sunday, raised her daughters in the faith, worked the bingos and church picnics, she even cleaned the church and Father's house every week. She would sometimes cook dinner for Father as well. 

So, be Catholic! It doesn't matter what word is before that. It's all CATHOLIC!

My Job is the BEST!!!

I know I have talked about how much I love my job before, but it's still true.

We are at the (about) halfway point in the school year!! It has been an awesome experience so far!

First off, I have been featured in our quarterly newsletter

I think they (maybe) might be proud of me and my discernment! This makes me feel really good!

Then, there is my stack of Christmas gifts that I received! The 4th grade gave me a homemade big card (that they all signed) and a big bag of assorted gourmet popcorn! The principal gave me wine glasses and chocolate. From Fr. Jack, I received homemade honey mustard! I'm SUPER excited to dig into that! The kindergarten gave me lotions and some soap.

Then we had our Christmas party. I didn't feel out of place or like I didn't belong once! It was an awesome feeling!

I love the kids that I work with and I love the school! I love that I'm supported when I am having trouble with the students and not the other way around. It's not a super stressful work environment and that is awesome!

However, I'm trying not to get attached. If/when I take the next step in formation, I will probably not be able to keep my job with them. That will be a sad day! I will miss them! They have been/are/will be important in my discernment!

#7QT: Late Night Discussions

A friend of mine, who I know reads my blog, and I had a chance last Friday to grab dinner and just hang out. We talked about anything and everything until around 1am-ish...here's a taste of our conversation (I know she has been waiting for this post) in #7QT style!

1. I have been thinking and praying about wearing a veil to mass. It's something I have found interesting all my life. I remember attending mass when I was younger and found myself fixated on this family that always wore a veil. Apparently I'm not the only one who has had this idea, but my friend has also thought about it. We agreed it would be awkward in our small country parishes, but...

2. We both also want to attend a Latin mass. We discussed how we didn't want to go alone and how there were fears if doing the wrong thing. It's harder to know what to do when you don't understand the language.

3. We also discussed Eucharistic Adoration. There is a parish in our diocese that offers perpetual adoration. She looked it up on their website. What she doesn't know is that I talked to a priest friend and got a little more info on it. I will be contacting the parish office this week to get more info. The chapel has a security system and you need a code to be able to get in.

4. We talked about "The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns". We have many of the same thoughts on the subject. We both enjoy following the live tweets during the show.

5. She talked about France. I can tell how much she loved it there! She wants to go back and I pray for her daily that she gets that chance. I will miss our adventures when she goes back, but maybe I'll get the chance to visit her.

6. I talked about camp and how much I loved it! I believe that every child should experience a "sleep away" camp at some point! They teach kids so much! Even though I wasn't a kid when I was at camp, I learned so much about myself and how to live with others.

7. We also talked about having young adult meetings in our diocese. It's fun when we get the chance to talk with others our own age with similar struggles. This is one reason why I love being involved in TEC (even though I feel my time on the board is drawing to a close). When we have "4th Day" events, we have a chance to hang out and do young adult stuff together. For now, we will be happy going to this event:

Linking up with Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

#TheSisterhoodFinale

Tonight was the season finale of "The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns"

This show has helped with my own discernment! It was like I was on the journey with the ladies exploring those communities! (I wish they had shown more of the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker)

My (maybe) final thoughts of the show:

-Christie and Claire came into the experience prepared and it showed! I'm really excited for them that they have found to what community God is calling them!

-Stacy is brave in her own way! She has decided that God isn't calling her to religious life and it's awesome that she has realized this!

-Eseni and Francesca weren't prepared and hadn't been seriously discerning before this experience. And I REALLY didn't like the stupid things they were doing at the end. It showed immaturity on their part.

-It was AWESOME the way they did the final episode. They showed that they didn't run away and join the convent right away, but there were more steps for Christie and Claire to make! I also liked that they showed how the others had discerned that they weren't actively pursuing religious life at the moment.

-I LOOOVED Francesca's mom! My mom had told me something similar (about being brainwashed) when I went to a Theology on Tap hosted by the PHJCs. She was also one of the hardest people to tell when I told her that it was there that I had the overwhelming feeling that God was calling me to discern.

One of my biggest fears of starting discernment was what people would think if I chose NOT to pursue religious life. It was scary for me to tell people because I didn't want people thinking I was a bad person if I didn't chose religious life after starting the process. 

Overall Rating:

I would give this 4 out of 5 stars. I think some of the women needed to discern more. Also, the immaturity was off-putting at times. I do hope for a season 2! Would love to have sisters who don't wear the habit spotlighted!

This Week's Thoughts on "The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns"

Wow! This week's "The Sisterhood: Becoming Nums" really struck a chord with me. I have many thoughts about it...I shall arrange in a list to keep them orderly.

1. I LOVE that Eseni admitted that she didn't care for adoration. That it made her feel uncomfortable. It was neat that they showed adoration on T.V. and showed the different ways people adore Jesus.

2. I still feel like Eseni isn't truely discerning and that she is bringing Francesca down with her. The stunt that they pulled with their skirts at the end after a very powerful modesty discussion was immature. I think EVERYONE rolled their skirts in grade school, but you aren't in grade school anymore! I also think that Darnell doesn't love her. If he did, he would understand her need to discern*

*I know this from experience. While it may not have been a romantic love, it was my family. The way that they are supporting me, even when they don't understand, is truely amazing.

3. GAH!!! That's the (at least) THIRD time this week that I have felt the need for confession! As they were doing adoration, I thought to myself, I wish they would show confession...they did...and I do plan on going to confession on Thursday.

4. I can really relate to how Christie is feeling about that pull that she has found "the right" community. That is where I an at right now...I THINK I found "THE" community!! I'm still in discernment, but that pull in my heart is truely amazing!!

5. I'm back on Twitter...just so I can follow the #realpostulants...ya, exciting life...

6. One of the very first things I learned to do when I started my discernment was to let God love me. Wow, did I get chills when Sister talked about that...I still do it every night. 

Here's what I do:

-lay down and be comfortable

-close my eyes

-imagine God as the most perfect person

-see and feel His arms around me

-feel the love that He has for me

Often times I fall asleep doing this, it's okay because I'm falling asleep in the living embrace of God!

These are just my thoughts as I watch the show! I LOVE it and feel like I'm exploring these communities with Eseni, Claire, Stacy, Francesca, and Christie!

New (Liturgical) Year Resolutions!!!

The current pastor at my home parish is an interesting man. He tried to be funny me his homily last week by starting it out with "Happy New Year!" 

It didn't work and I'm fairly certain only a couple of us understood it.

It got me thinking. We set goals for a new calendar year, why not set goals for the new liturgical year.

Then this week at mass I had an overwhelming feeling that I need to go to reconciliation.

So that got now got me thinking of what I want to work on in this liturgical year.

1. Go to reconciliation once a month.

This will also require me to "get over" my anxiety I have with this sacrament, so please pray for me with this one.

2. Don't miss any holy day and Sunday masses.

I have been super lazy about attending mass. I can say that I have only missed 1 Sunday mass since July.

3. Attend a weekday mass at least once a week.

This is pure laziness on my part. I'm not a fan of mornings. And I can't find an evening weekday mass.

I feel like this is enough for right now. I will update as the year goes on with how I am doing. Again, please pray for me with going to reconciliation. My chest gets right just thinking about going.

Adoration...What Am I Missing?

I have a confession to make...I don't care for adoration.

What??? How can I be a Catholic, discerning religious life and not like adoration???

I think it's a lack of knowledge and not growing up with it. Maybe it's how it's done when I go.

Tonight, for example, I went to a "Surrender Adoration"...not a fan...not enough quiet time to talk to God. Surrender is a more contemporary adoration when praise music is being played and people are encouraged to sing along. I know this works for some people, but I found it hard to concentrate on my conversation with God with people singing, loudly right behind me.

I have also done a more traditional benediction while on TEC. It feels forced and awkward. We sit in a circle and take turns talking to God. 

So, I have a favor to ask. What draws you to adoration? What do you do when at adoration? What advice do you have for someone wanting to like adoration, but is having a hard time enjoying it?

Timehops

Who doesn't love a good Timehop?

Sometimes they are super boring

Such an interesting life I lead, I know!

Sometimes you wondered why you shared such a stupid thing...like how sick, bored, and the like with something.

I check my Timehop daily. I always find it them interesting and share the good ones.

Ya, totally shared this one...I thought it was funny enough to share a 2nd time, 5 years later....

Today, I read my Timehops, and I had a moment...

The Timehop:

The moment:

Who is always there for me when I'm going to fall? 

God. 

Who will always love me, no matter what? 

God. 

Who wants the best for me even when I don't realize what that is? 

God! 

Every time I fall, stumble, and fail, God will be there with His arms open. He will welcome me with a big hug and forgive me for my mistakes.

While what I meant 5 years ago was a boyfriend, what it means today is so much more.

**Please excuse the "Twilight" refrence.

The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns

As I was laying on the couch, dying from the flu on Sunday, I had a moment of awareness and I noticed a commercial for a new series...something that I had been looking for on YouTube...a show showing what it takes to become a sister!!!

I was BEYOND excited!!! I quickly found it and set it to record!

Tonight, "The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns" premiered...

I'm slightly disappointed. First, I was hoping for young women further in their discernment journey. I feel like I'm further in my discernment than some of the women.

It takes some discernment to embark in such an adventure, but I don't think I could have done it when I was in the phase these ladies are in. Heck, it took me a month after I had my "ah-ha moment" to tell my parents and neatly 3 months before I felt comfortable enough to tell other family and friends. Now, about 5 months into the process, I'm willingly telling people I just meet that I'm discerning religious life.

What I was expecting was different. I thought the show was going to be about young woman who had discerned that they were called to religious life and that they were starting on that journey into the community they were called to.

I guess when I saw this as their promo picture, I should have known better...

Now, I don't Twitter, but a friend of mine sent me a link to the #RealPostulants and #RealNun and I have checked out what they had to say. Go check it out if you "Twitter".

Ya, this tweet is true...bah humbug!

The show had it's good moments. First, feelings I have been having were put into words. That feeling that God is "the one" for me and he has personally "proposed" to me. It's a strange concept, but that's THE feeling I have had! God's the one I want!

Second, I believe it was Francesca's mom who said something along the lines of not wanting her to go away...my mom has been saying this to me since I started looking seriously at communities.

I also enjoyed what the priest had to say about discernment. If you aren't doing the right thing, you will be like a bird with a broken wing. (At least, that is what I comprehended)

I relate to Claire. I think she's truely in a place where long visits to communities and serious discernment is right for her. I have a feeling she is going to become the "bad guy" because she is in a serious discernment.

So, I will be watching this reality show. I think the fact that I discovered it while sick, was a sign that it will be part of my discernment journey.

"Friends Forever"

The Ferguson, MO protests are happening REALLY close to where I live. There have even been (false) reports of riots by the school I work at. However, I am not going to blog about that today. I want to blog happy thoughts tonight!

AAAAAAANNNNNDDDD happy thoughts = YouTube....

No, really, you should totally try it!! I end up in the strangest places, but it's fun!

Tonight was a journey through Jr. High and High School. It started with this video:

I was going to blog about my terrible senior year, but then I remember..."THE PAST IS IN THE PAST!!!" And I should just "let it go"

I found this video tonight:

Wow!! So true!! It was a naive thougt that people I was friends with for 18ish years would just start ignoring me. We were Facebook friends until I had enough and deleted them.

But I have better friends! My college friends are AMAZING! We rode the struggle bus together and no one but us understand the pains of 12+ credit hours during the SUMMER semester!! I even spent my 21st birthday IN CLASS with them and they surprised me with this!

Then I have my TEC friends. I don't know where I would be without them. They are the reasons why I am where I am today. They are the ones that have encouraged me and held me up when I felt like I was falling down!

While I'm bummed that I wasn't "Friends Forever" with my high school friends, I have soooo many other AMAZ-BALLS friends! Ones that are supportive abd care about me! (But, I'm still looking forward to my 10 year class reunion in a couple of years, wonder what people will think about me...)

"I was in prison and you visited me"

mt 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another,as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you didfor one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed,into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirstyor a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,what you did not do for one of these least ones,you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment,but the righteous to eternal life." 

First off, my favorite Gospel writer is Matthew. I get all excited when I'm at mass and I realize that the gospel is from Matthew. In my opinion, Matthew is easy to understand. 

Now, why I'm writing this post is to stop and think, "Am I a goat or a sheep?"

I guess what struck me was the "in prison and visited me" part. Now, this can be any type of prison. For the homebound it can be their house or even their body. For today, I'm thinking of it as an actual prison, with cells and guards.

I've never visited someone in prison. I have prayed for people in prison. Do you?

I have my reasons why I pray for them. One is simple, I want them to know God. People can and do change. Maybe all they need is a little divine intervention. I also pray specifically for those on death row. Is what they did wrong? YES! But is it also wrong to kill them for it? You can find my pro-life views here.

So while many of the things Jesus talks about may come easily to us, the prison one may seem tough for us. Not everyone is able to visit people in prison. Maybe you don't know anyone in prison. I talk a lot about TEC, there use to be a program similar called REC for those in prison. While visiting an actual prison may be difficult, we can pray for those in prison. 

I don't know why, but people seem to get upset when I ask them to pray with me for those in prison and those that have made mistakes.

Will you join me today in prayer for those currently in prison? Pray that they may come to know God and make a change in their lives!

Adventures!!!

I have a friend (shocker! I know!) and we enjoy the occasional adventure! She was part of the Nun Run in October, partly because I begged her to go with me! A few weeks ago we went to Saturday evening mass together and stumbled upon the Rite of Canadicy for our future diocesan deacons. It was pretty awesome! 

Other adventures together include road trips for TEC events...where we laugh at my strange driving habits. (I hate making left turns when the traffic doesn't stop and I tend to drive a bit fast...) When she drives, she has to contain her road rage...let's see if she gets this reference..

Thursday, we ventured together for a young adult event in St. Louis.

This one to be exact...if you live on the area, you should come to the next one!!

It was...interesting...it started off with reflections from people on what their baptismal call is and how they are still in a constant state of discernment. It's comforting to know that even people who look like they have it put together are still discerning what God is calling them to do. At one point, I was doubting my own call to religious life...

Then, we had some quiet prayer time...again, interesting. It's not how I pray so it was a bit difficult. We were asked to contemplate on how well we know ourselves and what would we like to know better. I feel like I know myself. A LOT of soul searching had happened since I graduated college and I have gotten to know myself. For example, I work better in the late evening time. My favorite place to pray is my bed. Once I lay down in my bed at night, there is little chance of me getting up. I sometimes struggle with being open and honest with people. I don't like offending people. I like to know things and HATE secrets and surprises. I want to please people, specifically God! I like to see people happy. I don't know what I would like to know more about myself...I did come to realization just the other day that I LOVE babies, as long as I can give them back to their parents. I didn't previously know this about myself because I truely love children. It was something I kept telling myself when I heard the voice calling me to religious life.

Then we did a little singing...my song was one we sang...I nearly started crying...Here I am Lord...it's all I can say to God...I have heard Him calling in the night...I will go Lord, if you lead me...I will hold your people in my heart...yes, I am beng called to religious life. This song confirmed it.

When I first started seriously discerning and attending weekly mass, this song was played nearly every Sunday. I have a connection to it and it was no coincidence that we sang THAT song when I was doubting my call.

I also enjoy the adventures my friend and I go on. I know she has a few she wants to go on and I have a couple I want to go on. Let's see where we end up next!!

Challenge: Digital Footprint

Did you know that what you put online doesn't ever really go away??

I did, but never really thought twice about it. Now, I'm careful of what I post. There isn't any inappropriate pictures of me. When it comes to what others post, I have to approve if they try to tag me. I try to watch my language and post happy things on Facebook. I don't use Twitter or Snapchat. Pinterest is mostly recipes. But, what I post reflects who I am. Is everything I post something I would want students to see? 

The answer...no! I went through my Pinterest first. I had a picture of a half naked woman on my fitness board...gone now! I had "funny" pictures about camp that were making fun of the girls I had in my cabin....gone now!

Then I moved to Facebook. First, I checked my security settings...Facebook had messed with them (again) and I changed everything to super secret, gotta know me to friend me. I took my phone number off. I then set off to review early posts I had made...ya I would post censored "bad" words. I deleted those posts. These posts were made when I was having a bad day and needed to vent, but I should never had posted them on Facebook. I am also super careful of who I "friend" online. I am not friends if I haven't met them in person!

What we post online can affect us getting jobs! Look at the (former) teacher from Texas who lost their job after a comment about the unrest in Ferguson, MO! (Side note: why do these teachers have jobs, but I don't???) She isn't the only one!! People have not gotten jobs because of what their digital footprint says about them! 

Here is your challenge:

Step One: Google Yourself...what comes up? If you don't, narrow it down with where you live. Are you proud of what shoes up?

Step Two: Check Your Settings...are you set to where only friends can see your posts, tweets, instagrams? Can people you don't know comment and share? Do you want people who don't know seeing these things?

Step Three: Purge Your Posts...delete the posts you aren't proud of. Go through everything and delete what you wouldn't want future employers to see. 

Step Four: Think Before You Click...keep your social media clean! If you are upset, do you want the whole world to know or would you rather message a friend? Would you show that naked picture to your grandma? Then don't snap chat it to a friend! 

I hope this all helps us to leave a cleaner digital footprint!

Discernment Update

I'm haven't updated where I am in the discernment process lately. Mostly because not much was happening. As I mentioned, after the nun run, I narrowed my choices, drastically. 

I knew the SSNDs (School Sisters of Notre Dame) were not "the right" place.

This was a kind of sad moment because I'm a teacher and they teach!

I also decided contemplative and cloistered orders weren't for me. My strengths are my willingness to minister to those in need.

I LOVE the mission of the Daughters of St. Paul! While I was talking to them, I kept thinking of where my talents fit into their ministry. I realized they don't. I am also not a fan of the habit. It was a strange feeling I had while there. I will do what I can to support them, but that's not where God is calling me.

So there are 2 orders that I am having a strong pull in my heart with...The ASCs (Adorers of the Blood of Christ) and CSJs (Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet). I had excluded the ASCs mostly because "they were too close to home" but they may be "the one" I'm not 100% sure yet.

Then, when I took the Vision Vocation Match quiz, it came up with the CSJs. Everyone I have talked to about this quiz always mentions the 100s of choices that pop up. I only remember the top coupe...I don't even think that I realized there were so many...my top match? The CSJs! I knew that I needed to explore this community! 

One of my favorite saints is St. Joseph. He is the patron saint of Wheat Teams and he is the worker. Often times people forget him because he was just a carpenter that married Mary and served as foster father to Jesus. His role was a supporting role and he did it without complaining! I want to be like St. Joseph! Now people bury his statue upside down in hopes of selling their house...

So, I contacted the CSJs. It took me about a month to figure out what to say in an email, but then just filled out a form that was on their website instead. (It's kind of awkward to put into words that you are wanting to discern with a community) They are right across "the river" in South St. Louis. I was invited to come visit and talk with some of the "newer" sisters. It was a weird feeling. I have been stalking them online for months and I finally got to meet them! I am going back tomorrow for a young adult event. I need the chance to get to know more of them better. I do love the work that they do!

I have also been in contact with the ASCs. I guess my "aversion" to them is simple. I know many of them and I want the chance to start new with people who haven't known me since high school and don't know my whole family. However, I kind of feel like I belong with them. I met with some of there vocation team on Monday and had lunch with them. They were awesome! It was a nice lunch and 2 hours flew by! I am discerning more seriously with the ASCs! A BIG thing that is pulling me in the direction of the ASCs is that they do more mission work around the world than the CSJs (from what I have read) I feel like God is calling me to minister to people around the world! (Fun fact, my phone just auto-corrected people to pope)

To sum up this somewhat rambling blog, I think I have narrowed my search to these two orders! That's a pretty big accomplishment! The next few months will be focused on getting to know sisters from both these communities and listening to what God is telling me.

Please continue to pray for me!

7 QT: National Vocation Awareness Week Style!

I celebrated by posting a fun, vocation related post each day on Facebook!

So here are 7 Quick Takes in Facebook posts!! Visit ConversionDiary for more!

1. 

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Mary, Undoer of Knots, Pray for Us!

So I failed at the one rose invitation...kind of...I would give myself a D+...

I had it all thought out in my head what I was going to do for a dear friend of mine. I was going to purchase an artificial rose and attach a prayer and a note to it. Well, time got away from me and I completely forgot that I wanted to do this!! I even had a few days after St. Térèse's feast day before I would see her again!

Well, I'm doing some extra credit for being a crappy friend!

This friend and I had a mini-adventure not to long ago. We had time to chat about our vocation journey and share how we have been strengthening our relationship with God. 

I shared how I like to pray the rosary while driving and she shared with me about the divine office. We talked about going to adoration together. (To be honest, adoration intimates me. I'm not sure why, but I think I need to research it a little more)

We went to the gift shop of Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville. I was looking for a Miraculous Medal and she was looking for a few different things. While looking at their medals, I noticed the Mary, Undoer of Knots medal and told her how she helped me when I first made the decision to discern a religious vocation.

We left the shrine with our purchases and went to mass at the Cathedral. We noticed a lot of cars, but I shrugged it off as regular 4pm mass. We got inside and that is when I noticed some reserved pews...hmmm

It was the Rite of Candidacy for men who are in formation to become permeant deacons. What was really neat is that one of our friends was in this group! It was awesome to see this!

When I got home I was texting and joking with my friend about our mini-adventure and she mentioned how she had looked up Mary, Undoer of Knots and she is kind of awesome...

So, I gave her the Mary, Undoer of Knots medal and a prayer card about her. And, if you have never heard of Mary, Undoer of Knots, you should check her out!

I think this was a better gift than a rose! Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us!

Blogging For Books: My Sisters the Saints

WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!! What an amazing book!!! I picked this book to read because of others reviews and seeing it appear multiple times. I figured it was God telling me that I needed to read this book. I'm glad I listened! (Also super exciting it arrived before the 10-14 business days)

The book is a spiritual journey that Colleen takes throughout her adult life. It starts with her at the end of college. I don't think I have ever related so well to an author! It was an amazing journey I took!

I have been reluntant to read saint's biographies. I'm not a big fan of nonfiction writing and often find these books dry and hard to comprehend. This book was a great substitute for the saints Colleen writes about. Each chapter features a different saint and how that saint helped Colleen and can help us grow closer to God.

My favorite part was when Colleen talked about helping her dad. I felt connected to her by the way I helped my grandpa. There were times when it was tough for her to be there, and I had times when it was tough to live with my dying grandpa. 

I suggest this book to young ladies looking to strengthen their relationship to God! Now, I must go pass this book on to a friend who I think will also enjoy it!!!

• More Info
• Read Chapter One
• Author Bio

I received this book fromBlogging for Books for this review.

Being Pro-Life

I am pro-life! Does this shock anyone? No? I have developed my pro-life"ness" over many years. I even tried to start a pro-life group at my Catholic high school, but that is a whole other blog post....

Focus, Sarah, this post is about BEING pro-life. I'm not simply anti-abortion, I'm anti-killing, anti-war, anti-taking someone else's life away. Only God has the say in who dies. 

Did you know that there is a difference between being pro-life and anti-abortion? Not many people do and the 2 groups often get clumped together. Often like pro-abortion and pro-choice do. I want to elaborate more on this, but not here...

What made me want to write this post is another death sentence getting carried out.

9!!! people this year, just in the state of Missouri, have been executed!!! I have read these stories and cried a little and prayed for these people and their families. Why is it okay for the state to kill people???

Is what they, the criminal, did wrong? Yes, but is it right to kill them back? Can people change? 

Do you know what the catechism says? 

Well, since you asked:

2258 "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being."⁵⁶

2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

So, the death penalty isn't against church teachings, but read on...

If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Can we keep the person detained? I think that our prison systems are pretty good. I can't remember the last time we had a high security prison break.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically nonexistent."⁶⁸

Fun Fact: it's more expensive to sentence a person to death than to sentence them to life in prison. 

Yes, I'm anti-abortion, but, by being pro-life, I'm so much more. The death penalty needs the death penalty...lol...see what I did there...anyway...

Will you join me in prayer at 12:01am for the soul of this man and the person given the job of giving the lethal injection?

UPDATE:

Shortly after posting this and spending a few moments in prayer, I read this on Facebook:

Wow! God does hear prayers!

Update #2: I shared the Facebook post above and asked friends to pray with me for this man, his family, and the person who would kill him. The response from my friends saddens me. They think it'd okay to kill him because he killed first. I will simply pray for these friends, that God shows them that ANY kind of killing is wrong.

DISCLAIMER: I do not know this man, nor the crimes he committed. I am simply against killing people.

NAS: Discernment Challenges

We all agree that discernment is challenging. Figuring out what the Lord is calling you to do with your life can be frustrating and exhausting. But, then add on lack of family support, cultural pressures, and your personal expectations... ugh. And, this isn't just in relation to vocational discernment, but general life discernment, too! How do you keep going? What helps you to push through? How can we encourage one another? What indicators have you experienced that lets you know you're

 going down the right path?

Ahhh, discernment. What does God have planned for me and how can I figure it out?

If you haven't noticed, my blog is about my current discernment to answer the call to religious life. You can read more about how I realized God's call HERE. I'm not going to bore you with that again.

Then there is general life discernment. I have done my fair share of this! For the last 2 years I have been a substitute teacher. It wasn't working! I would have a week where I didn't work and then next week I would be turning down jobs because I would be booked. Then came the snow days...subs don't get paid when there's no school...

So, I spent a large portion of my summer begging God for a change! I was applying for any job at any school. I was also thinking of going back to school to become a nurse. I asked God for a job, but if He thought I should become a nurse, then let me know. God answered with a job. You can read more about how I LOVE my job HERE!

Prayer is key to discernment! Talking things out with God makes His plans more clear to us humans! I just found this awesome prayer for discernment:

Check out the how to pray section! This is something I'm going to be sharing!

I think the number one way to encourage others is by being there. God sometimes speaks through others. My aunt/godmother is a nurse and she has been encouraging me to become a nurse since forever. Was God speaking through her? I'm not sure, but becoming a nurse is still possible!

When I'm "going down the right path" there is an inside feeling of joy and happiness! There is little anxiety and extreme happiness. It's a weird feeling. You will know when it's the right path!

On a similar note, the sadness I was feeling when going the wrong was intense. I could feel myself not only going away from what God wanted, but going away from God! It's important to also be aware of this feeling. There is ALWAYS time to turn around and take the path the God has made for you!

In summary, pray, listen and be a listener to friends and family, don't be afraid to change directions if you realize you aren't doing God's will, and don't let Gid slip away!

Here's another fun picture to close with:

Check out Jen's  and Morgan's Blogs for more NAS Funness!!!