Tonight I found out, through a game similar to truth or dare, that one of my best friends lost her virginity when she was studying abroad. And she didn't tell me. I mean, it definitely makes sense that she didn't say anything about it. She was drunk and it was some random guy, and even if she wasn't planning on staying a virgin until marriage, we all know she could have done better than that.

Later in the conversation, I was asked about how far I had gone with previous boyfriends. I felt SO judged for having done basically nothing. (It's so funny how people are judged when they're on the extremes - either they've done nothing or they've slept with everyone.)

I wouldn't change my choices even if EVERYONE in the WORLD disagreed. But I wish I had the opportunity to have a deeper conversation, go further with my friends, explain my side, and get them to question whether or not their choices have truly brought them the most happiness.

Anyway, I was just down about living the Catholic lifestyle...so I'm glad I have this blog to talk about it...and remember that I go to school at a place where people get where I'm coming from :)

Sister Sarah Bridge!

Beautiful.

We love you, Sarah!

Keep praying for her and her wonderful vocation!

http://www.sistersofmary.org/article.php?id=424

Personal Ad - Looking for Accountability

Yikes, I really feel like I'm posting a personal ad for myself...

Girl seeking Gratia Plena sister to be her accountability partner. Must be willing to receive an email, text, or other form of communication from her for at least the next 30 days. History of negative body issues preferred, but not required. If interested, contact Mimi at 66cullari@cardinalmail.cua.edu.

Ok, so I guess that sort of makes a joke about it, but I'm serious right now. I was talking to some boys about how they have accountability partners for some of the things that they struggle with, and I decided that I want one too. We've talked about it in the past for Gratia Plena, and we've had prayer partners. But...I'm really looking for someone who everyday I could just email or something and say "today, I went to Mass, prayed well, and didn't give into a certain temptation." And the person doesn't even have to respond! I guess I've just been kind of having a tough year so far and haven't really been feeling like myself. I'm in a rut, and I would really like to get out of it. I think an accountability partner might be my ticket to freedom!

So, really, if you're interested, shoot me an email.

Love

Hey ladies!
So I went to daily Mass today for the first time in awhile (it's so much easier when there's a million Masses a day at the Basilica!) and our pastor gave a great homily. He talked about potency and actuality, and without getting too philosophical, he explained that potency is what we can be, and actuality is when we become that potency, when we become what we can be. It's like an acorn, which has the potential to become a big oak tree, and eventually it does.
It's the same with us. Inside each and every one of us is the potential to become something great, and when God looks at us, that potential is what He sees. He sees that greatness and says, if you could only see what you are going to become!
I think that message is so important for us. It can be easy to get discouraged, to get intimidated by the power of the secular world, and even to lose sight of our own worth. While God sees our weaknesses, He does not let that detract from seeing our great potential. That is why He sent His Son to die for us. He saw the potential in everyone to be beautiful children of God, and He died so that that could be possible!
How great is God's love!! If we could only have a fraction of His love to see the beauty in everyone, then loving one another would be simple. There is such potential in every one of us. Who knows who we'll grow up to be, or what we'll do years down the road. We're already realizing that potential as we're figuring out more and more who we are and we're already starting to do great things, even just by growing in faith. How great is God, that He can take us as little babies and see all that we will eventually do! Not only that, but we also have reason to take courage. Sometimes it seems like God puts near-impossible tasks in our path, but He gives us these challenges because He knows that we can face them. He sees all that we can be and is guiding us to who He wants us to be. All that we are going to be, God's vision for us, is already inside of us. All we have to do is let God work through us.
Basically my pastor was telling us how to love, but I also realized how not to be afraid. :)

Girls!

I just wanted to give GP a little boost of encouragement. I remember thinking to myself at the beginning of the summer that I would never survive the three months away from CUA. Being back home as been more than a blessing, but I am so excited for school to start! We have six short weeks before we're back at school and we're so close I can taste it! (Not really, but I AM very excited) 

Try to do your best to keep in touch with your prayer partner as much as possible (yea Helen Marie!) and to keep praying. Always always always keep praying, for each other, for Gratia Plena, for everyone at CUA, in Thanksgiving... anything! I feel so blessed to have women like you I can share my time with at CUA, I want to tell Him that I feel at home with all of you!

Daily Mass has been QUITE the personal struggle for me this summer, but I encourage you girls to keep trying to listen to the Gospel and receive communion as often as possible. As much as I hate to admit it, attending daily mass is much easier when I have you girls to go with me! My CM from this past year told me that the summer time is always a struggle away from the CUA community but that it's an excellent opportunity to focus on your personal prayer life and your individual relationship with God. At school, we often pray and live in His name as a group, school, or community but these last few weeks of summer are a great time to stabilize your OWN relationship with the Lord and to prepare for a wonderful, awesome, and blessed academic year at CUA.

I CAN'T wait to see you all and I miss your beautiful souls oh so much!

All my love,

Kat

Hey y'all!!

Beautiful ladies, I just wanted to check in and make sure y'alls summers were going wonderfully!! I got back about a week ago from a ministry training program in Minnesota and it was wonderful. Our women's session was all about our worth as women, and I couldn't help but think of all y'all beautiful ladies :]] Our theme song at the end of the sessions was "More Beautiful You" by Johnny Diaz. I highly recommend that everyone listen to that song, take it to heart, and show it to your friends :]] And believe, everyone there new about the beautifullllll women of gratia plena, because I just wouldn't quit talkin about y'all :]]

I can't wait for school to start and see what God has in store for us as daughters of God this year :]]]

as always,

i'm here if you need anythingggggggggg.

if you don't have my number, facebook me and i'll send it to you!!

lovelovelove,

Caitlin Alanna

My dad might be getting remarried. Might. His girlfriend might have TMJ (which is a painful jaw-locking thing), so she's been in pain a lot lately and has headaches and doesn't sleep well and stuff like that. She's got a doctor's appointment soon to find out if this is something they can fix within a few weeks or whether she'll have it forever. If they can fix it, they'll probably get married in August. If they can't, my dad isn't going to marry her. Oh, but don't worry, he's not breaking up with her either. It just doesn't make sense to marry someone who's going to be in pain and in and out of the doctor's for the rest of their life. I mean, she's a nice lady and she has a good pension from the state and when you get to be 60 there aren't a lot of good options and you don't want to spend the rest of your life alone.

What? Seriously?

Ok, now, in addition, imagine being told this one night as if...hmm...as if you were talking about the weather, or maybe discussing whether the curtians were more of a navy or a royal blue.

So then what did I say to my dad? "Oh, ok. Yeah. Cool." No excitement or disappointment from him, just flat, emotionless really, so I suppose that I gave him the same sort of response.
Later though, I went home and cried. Partially because I was sad for myself that this is the kind of man I have for a father, but mostly I was sad for him. I tried talking to my sister about it, but she didn't really understand why someone making such a unromantic, unsacramental, unjoyful choice about marriage would bother me. Maybe it's just I've spent so much time learning the ins and outs of vocation to womenhood that I think his girlfriend deserves to marry someone who not only just likes her enough to satisfy himself, but also loves every bit of her, body and soul, and wants to be there with her to support her, care for her, and help her through the good times and bad. And hearing and seeing the beauty that is a strong, true, deep, loving - haha or perhaps free, total, faitful, fruitful - marriage......I feel so bad for them both that they may never experience that.

At the same time, it serves as a reminder of what can happen if we choose to close ourselves up, shut away the people and memories that cause us pain, rather than facing them head on. Because if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can't block out the bad without also negating some of the good. Like, imagine all your emotions on a line. At the far left is the most painful thing that's ever happened to you, and on the far right is the most joyful. Obviously, you want to know what it's like to be super happy, so you want to stretch the line in that direction. But...I'm convinced this emotion line only grows two ways: simultaneously bigger or smaller in both directions. To put it in Gratia Plena terms, if you want to feel the ecstasy of Christ's love, you also have to be willing to feel the agony of His death. And my dad, well, he couldn't handle the terrible things that happened to him as a child. He didn't want to feel that pain, he didn't want to go there, so he shut it out. And as he got older, he didn't stop; he shut out more and more of the bad, probably never realizing the good that was disappearing too. And now...here he is...60 years old and unable to experience the excitement of a wedding or sympathsize with the hurt of his daughter.

I'm sorry for this rant. I love my dad when it really comes down to it. But...ah! I guess I just wanted to see if anyone else understands any of this.

Happy Sunday :]]

Hey y'all!

So its been almost a month since we finished finals and left our little sanctuary at THE Catholic University of America.   And I know, for me at least, August seems way too far away.  But it's also good to be home with family and friends.  I just wanted to drop a line and tell all you beautiful ladies just how much you mean to me, and how wonderful each of you are.  I went on a retreat once, and they told us to never forget that we were Hotttt dogs.  Now, I know I cringed a little bit and was a taddd confused.  But once they explained it, it all made perfect sense.  We AREEE hot dogs, y'all.  We are daughters of God.  And HE LOVES US MORE THAN ANYTHING.  I was listening to this new country song, (I know big surprise right?), and it goes on and on about he loves sleepin in on saturdays, and he loves his dog, and he loves his truck...  but he loves his girls love the most.    And as I was singing along i realized that i love Jesus's love the most.  And he loves us :]]  I'm just in a really good mood today, and felt like sharing a little bit of my smiling bubbliness with the hi-tech GP girls I love so much :]]

and always remember, i'm here for you if you ever need ANYTHING!!

lovelovelove,

caitlin alanna

Even though this is about 35 minutes late, I just wanted to wish Miss Kat Harter a wonderful birthday - I hope it was fantastic. (like you!)

Peace and love. :)

Dear most beautiful women,

So first and foremost, I hope everyone has had a fabulous official first week off from school! I know that I miss each and every one of you ALREADY but it's quite nice being home, I must say. 

Prayer Partners are AWESOME! I just chatted with mine, Helen Marie Berg, and we have totally got each others' backs! I definitely encourage all of you to try and talk with your PP's often this summer! It's so good to know that someone else is praying for you! Even if you can't see them face-to-face (I am in NJ and HM is in Michigan!), it's good to just touch base. We IM our prayer requests!

My RM this past year was Kara Fitzgerald, who is an amazing woman. She taught me that over the summer, despite the potential lack of Catholics around you at home, you should continue to grow in your faith! Not only are Prayer Partners good to rely on for prayers and to pray for, but they're also wonderful women to encourage you to go to Mass on a non-Sunday, help out at your church, or volunteer in your area. Sometimes it's easy to falter when we're not surrounded by our CUA support system! This is a great opportunity for us GP women to bond through supporting each other as a community.

I hope everyone is well and home and congratulations to the Seniors on having graduated! Keep praying for each other and I know we're all going to have a great summer!

In His Love,

Kat

Ok if anyone wants to hear a really awesome song download "Average Girl" by Barlowgirl.
Here are the lyrics.
"Average Girl"
So what I'm not your average girl.
I don't meet the standards of this world
Chasing after boys is not my thing
See I'm waiting for a wedding ring

No more dating
I'm just waiting
Like sleeping beauty
My prince will come for me
No more dating I'm just waiting
'Cause God is writing my love story

Boys are bad that's certainly not true
'Cause God's preparing one for you
If you get tired waiting till he comes
Gods arms are the perfect place to run


I love that song I have just been blasting it in my car so much being like yeah!!!

~Jamie

Hey y'all!

Caitlin here.  I hope y'alls summers are starting out wonderfully, and that home is everything you hoped it would be.  :]]  Prayer partners are up, if you signed up for one and didn't get an email, let me know, and I'll fix the email address on my end.  (96mcmullen@cardinalmail.cua.edu)!  

I just wanted to reiteratie what I said in the email.  I'm always here if you need me, facebook, email, phone, you know the drill :]

Peace and love!

Caitlin Alanna

Summer Reading

Hey Girls,

So I realize that I wasn't very active this year (as in I made it to 1 and 1/3 meetings) but oh well, I think this blog is a really cool idea. I was wondering, is anybody reading anything really good over the summer or did you read anything really great over this past year? I made a list of books that I plan on reading, but most of them are more classic literature and I would love to get recommendations from you all and make a list of books to read that would help me grow in my faith. I just stole a copy of The Five Love Languages from Colleen and I am really enjoying it and I am also planning on reading The Story of a Soul. Have any of you read either of these or do you have any suggestions?
Also, has anyone come up with a plan for staying in touch with Jesus over the summer? Have you picked a special prayer to say everyday? Do you have a prayer journal? Have you worked anything out with a prayer partner? I'd love to hear about your ideas or plans because if I don't mix things up fairly often I know I tend to get bored and things (my workout schedule, study habits, spirituality) can end up kinda lax or stale or forgotten altogether.
Ok I hope you guys respond. Have an awesome summer. Miss you tons (especially you Kat Harter). Love, Beth

Dear Gratia Plena,
Welcome to the 21st century.
We totally have a blog.

I don't know if this will work at all. Maybe I'm one of the few people who thinks it's a good idea and one of the few people who will ever read or write here. But, I don't know, especially over the summer, don't you just ever get those moments when you have something to say and you don't really know who to say it to? Especially since home life is usually so different than CUA life, sometimes it's hard to figure out who to turn to. To all you GP ladies, if you've ever felt like that, well now you can come here!

I know a lot of you will have prayer partners, and we might have emailed reflections, but I thought it might be nice to have this other way of staying in touch, staying connected, and supporting each other as we strive to continue living a life full of grace.

Since there is only a general log in name and password, which you'll all have, anything you say can be totally anonymous. It's my hope that, because of this, we can have some real open and heartfelt discussions here, maybe even ones that continue into the school year.

No one is required to read this or write, so if it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out! I know that, even with no words on this page, we're still connected by our love for Christ and our desire to be better women.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far. I'm thinking of and praying for all of you!

Love,
Mimi :)