has the hibernation ended?

*swipe swipe* 
what do we have here
*continues to dust off*
no it can't be ... it is! my blog!  I thought for sure I lost this thing.

Nope Alexa, You haven't. The inter-webs save everything.

Since this is a blog of general reflections and humble thoughts - and since in my current employment I write these things almost daily - Why not blog them? Posting a few sentences here or there can't hurt right? And besides, I already have a FaceBook, Twitter, and Pintrerest  - what is one more social media outlet? As a communications major - I accept (or re-accept) the challenge of blogging.

In the past, ehh... we'll say 3 months. So in the past 3 months, my life has been busy - even busier than usual, and there is no hope for it slowing down. I have more responsibility at work than I did my first year, and as always, life keeps going and more things get added on no matter how busy you are in the first place. And in all this business - it's left me little time to think.

But how important is thinking! It is so important to make conscious decisions. To chose to act, rather than to react. To deliberately say something, do something, not do something, or to move forward on something in my mind holds more value than to react to what life puts your way. Now take that a step further into personal life and development. How important is it that we choose what and how we are going to continue to improve our lives and grow spiritually and intellectually. Rather than reacting in our spiritual life (when tragedy strikes - draw near to God in response) what if we took our spiritual life by the horns (so to speak) and became conscious initiators.

Starting each day with the conscious intention to draw near to God could radically change how you live.
That's been my challenge for the past few days. To live with the conscious intention that today, right now, I am choosing to draw near to God.

If we truly believe what it is we proclaim - then that conscious decision is the most important decision we can make each day. And to follow through means that we are consciously deciding to accept the grace that the Lord is constantly pouring upon us.

Think this week.

Peace.

Militia Imaculata

So, new years 2010 was spent in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Mary Town retreat center outside of Chicago. And it was amazing.
Like many retreats, we wrote letters to our future selves, this is the letter I received.

Mary, my mother and protector,
thank you for guiding me onto this retreat and through it.
As I continue to unfold the great mysteries of your son,
I ask that you may stay at my side and continue to guide my heart.

Wrap me tightly within your mantle,
nestled near the purest of hearts.
Carry me with you as you meed your Son and Lord.
I ask for your loving protection, especially during this time,
when so many things trip and consume the goodness of my soul.

Handmaid of the Lord,
give me your light to shine through the darkness,
and the weary recesses of my heart.

Oh great mother,
you love me as only a mother can,
through my failings and my mistakes.
You know the intentions of me heart.
Lead me on the path of fulfillment and
I beg of you to catch me when I stray.
My mind is stubborn, but help me
to always think of your example.

I am loving you with all my heart
and pleading for help and mercy
to rain on your unworthy daughter.

Take these prayers, my entire heart,
and place it at the foot of your Son.
All in His name.
Amen.

As I was running today this thought came to me. But first, let me set you up with the scene.

It is a beautiful day. Probably about 70 degrees, absolutely gorgeous. I am running, no music and hating every step. I'm frustrated with school, overwhelmed with work, and stressed out with my personal life. I keep having to move to the other end of the edge of the sidewalk too, because so many people have been spring cleaning their yards and there are tons of branches on their curbs to be picked up. this got me thinking..
The branches are dead, and are being cut away to make new growth. It truly is a positive thing. That is what spring is all about. I realized that the spiritual turmoil that I'm in is because I'm not allowing God to prune me, to cut away at my branches. And it is hard to allow him to take control, even Adam didn't want to follow God's lead.
So for the next few days that's my new prayer:
Lord, help me allow you to cut the noise, the hurt, and what is keeping me dead out of my life. It will hurt Lord, and I know that. That is why I'm scared. Do your worst Lord, so I can be your best. Amen.

BR: Wis 1.6

"For Wisdom is a kindly spirit,
but will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words;
because God is witness of their inmost feelings,
and a true observer of their hearts and a hearer of their tongues."

~Wisdom 1:6

Wisdom is a kindly spirit. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit is often referred to as Wisdom. So this beginning part is about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is kind, but why? What do we know about the Holy Spirit? It is the third member of the Trinity, contains fullness of divinity, and even descends down on us during the Sacrament of Confirmation. But one of the most popular stories of the Holy Spirit is when the apostles were in the upper room and the Holy Spirit descended upon them. The story of Pentecost can sometimes be a bit intense. Imagine you are just sitting there and then you are overcome and speaking in tongues. But even in the intensity of the scene, we have to remember that Wisdom, the Holy Spirit, is kind. He is a comforter and gives courage. He is God as companion, following us through our hardest and most confusing times, giving us Wisdom and grace.

What to do

NEW VIDEO CAMERA FOR CHRISTMAS!
which means that my next project will be to bring this blog to life!
get excited to see my face! :)

Inspired by the questions that I always get during Christmas, here is a humble thought.




I think that I may go back and edit some old posts, so you can hear how they are supposed to sound. Especially the poetry ones and the ones with a little more feeling/poetic tone to them.

Let's face it, what I love most about this blog is reading it to people (the people who I know who read this know that, because I usually read posts to them about 1 minute after they are up.)

That is all then, Merry Christmas!

The sweater

A poem.

Yesterday I wore

the sweater that I semi-stole

from you the last time you were here.

You let me wear it

Since I was cold that morning,

With a smile and wink saying

“now I better get that back.”

With the full knowledge

That you wouldn’t.

Yesterday I wore

That sweater,

Because I needed your arms around me

But the closest thing I had was sleeves and

Sometimes three hundred miles

Can be remedied by a sweater

And a cell phone.

Then there are times when it cannot be.

And all I have are sleeves, and not arms.

And the sweater that once held you around me

Doesn’t keep me warm.

-Alexa Schuele

Be Midbar

I went to class with my mom today at the Major Seminary, and needless to say, it was awesome sitting in that class room. So many Holy guys just giving God a chance to work in their lives. And there is something interesting about hearing a lecture on scripture where the background theme is "how can I take this to a congregation and how can this help me in my Sunday preaching?"

Anyway, we were talking Numbers (like the book in the Bible, not math) and I (always paying attention) wrote a small reflection, enjoy!

--------------------------------

It is in the wilderness, the wasteland where God Provides.

The place where there is no protection, no food; the place overrun with the wild and with the untammed. There in that place there is only room for trust.

When our lives are full of turmoil, when chaos rules our every moment. When our future path is unmade and unwalked. When we can barely see the next step. We find ourselves in the wilderness of life, scared and unsure but needed to move forward, it is there that we need to trust and seek God.

We are supposed to call out to him, like the Israelites in the desert wandering, We must shout, "Lord I'm here and need provisions, Lord I need your light, I need your support, I trust you, but also need your presence."

In the wilderness and chaos of the live we lives - Calling out to God and trust in him are essential and through that we will find peace.