You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.
You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.
The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.
No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape you heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.
You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are beloved,
Because there is a God!
Finding hope in suffering
“There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned and asked, ‘Who has touched my clothes?’ She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.” - Mark 5:25-30, 33
Situation Explained
Have you ever felt that God doesn’t realize your suffering?
Solution Offered
Sometimes when praying the Scriptures, you encounter stories that leave you thinking, “How random…” or “Seriously, that happened?” or (even) “Eeewwww, that’s gross!”.If you’ve ever lost hope or allowed suffering to consume you – reach out to Jesus.For me, the above account of the woman with a hemorrhage was one of those stories…because I’m a guy and because I have an aversion to any blood that is not my own. (Basically, I don’t mind the emergency room, as long as it is due to my own stupidity).
Most Biblical scholars agree that the “woman with a hemorrhage” was experiencing severe menstrual bleeding. Far more than her monthly period or an irregular menstrual cycle, the woman was suffering greatly. Possibly she had an infection or a severe hormone imbalance. She may have had fibroid tumors or some other internal ailment that was almost impossible to detect or treat in that time period.
Due to its subject matter, this is one of those Gospel stories that can sometimes get written off as “just another nice healing” by Jesus. Due to our own cultural misunderstandings and ignorance, the story doesn’t leap off the page quite like it should. As a result of both, we don’t encounter the beauty of this story or its modern relevance quite like we should. But there is far more going on here than meets the eye upon a quick reading of the encounter.
What is amazing is not the uniqueness of the woman’s problem, or the fact that several doctors were unable to “solve” her problem. What is amazing about this Scriptural encounter goes far deeper than physical healing. To truly appreciate what happened, we need to take a broader look, at social norms, cultural constraints and the basic attitude of the time toward things like a woman’s cycle.
In the time of Christ, as prescribed in the Book of Leviticus 15:25-27, not only is the woman “unclean” for seven days (the perceived length of her monthly cycle) but anything or anyone that she touches is unclean. That means whatever she wears – unclean. Wherever she sits – unclean. Whomever she touches – unclean.
Then, take note, it says she suffered this way for twelve years. She had spent every penny on doctors who were unable to help, while her physical bleeding persisted, she was being figuratively “bled dry” by “healers”, some real, others just charletains taking advantage of a woman in pain. She, no doubt, would have been very frail and weak due to the blood loss. She most likely lived as a social outcast, unable to interact with or touch anyone. Her home would have been “unclean”. She most likely had few friends, a reputation for her ailment, a loss of hope for a life of joy or normalcy and no true intimacy of which to speak.
Then, along comes this Jesus…
She had left her house, that day, upon hearing that He was in the area. Perhaps, for the first time, the people from the town didn’t notice her “out” because of their excitement for the Rabbi from Nazareth. Jesus was in the middle of a plea from Jairus (the synagogue official) to help his daughter, when the woman reached out to touch the tassel…the hem, of Jesus’ garment.
So, what’s the big deal about that, you might ask?
Remember that due to her condition, anyone she touches becomes unclean.
Not only did she risk “defiling” the Lord (in the eyes of the culture) in their encounter, but consider what it took for her emotionally, to act in such a way. Doctors had been unable to heal her. She was shunned by everyone else. She was weak and frail and without hope. Undoubtedly, over time, her self esteem had taken a hit, her self worth must have plummeted. Perhaps she had even stopped believing in God’s love for her.
And (as I said before) along comes Jesus…
Consider the courage it took for her to reach out to Him…
Imagine the renewal of hope that must have surged through her when she drew near to Him…
Dwell on the power that must have moved through her when she touched His garment…
Think about the faith it took for her, an unclean outcast, not only to “ask” the Lord for His healing, but to believe enough in His ability and His love, to break every social constraint and forget every cultural bias she endured, to reach out and “risk” making her Healer (and Savior) “unclean”.
All of the sudden, this story is a story of heroic virtue, hope and faith, not just of bleeding, healing and warm fuzzies.
How does this relate to you (and I) regardless of gender or sickness in the technologically savvy 21st century, you might ask?
If you’ve ever felt like a social outcast, on the outside looking in – reach out to Jesus.
If you’ve ever felt unclean, sinful, unworthy of His love – reach out to Jesus.
If you’ve ever lost hope or allowed suffering to consume you – reach out to Jesus.
If you have begun to believe that God doesn’t care about your pain – reach out to Jesus.
If you think you’re all alone in this world and no one notices you reaching out – reach out (again) to Jesus.
And if you are afraid at how He will react when you do reach out…read and pray this passage again and take faith, the Lord is never outdone in generosity.
Christ is ready and willing to heal you, to make you whole, again, in every way.
Salvation Given
“There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned and asked, ‘Who has touched my clothes?’ She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.” - Mark 5:25-30, 33
And once you’ve reached out to Jesus as healer, it will be easier for you to embrace Christ as your Savior.
Just open your hand and extend it. Soon, you too will feel the healing power of God.
25 Creative Dates You Need to Know
Tired of dinner then the movie? Movie then the make-out? Lifeteen.com Intern Andrea Prisby cooks up 25 creative dates for adventurous spirits and the romantically inclined. (Plus, they won't drain your funds.)
- Deserted Island Picnic
Pack a picnic lunch or dinner in a basket, complete with blanket to sit on. Find an “island” in the center of the road and enjoy your picnic as cars pass by. Or, you could order pizza from your deserted island and have it delivered to you. It would be wise to look for just the right “island”. Look for islands that are very wide (at least 10 feet across); grass and trees would be nice.- Hike with pets/National Park:
Take your date on your favorite hiking trail for the afternoon. Make sure it isn’t too strenuous that you have to carry him/her back to the car. Maybe even bring your pets along to make it a little more interesting! If you live near a National Park, spend the day exploring the outdoors.If you get bored easily, play hide and seek with walkie-talkies around the zoo.- Go shopping at a thrift store and play dress up, don’t forget your camera!
Thrift stores are always interesting places to shop because of the variety of clothes and gadgets. Grab your date and travel back in time with the 60s and 70s gear. Have a contest of who can find the wackiest outfit.- Stargazing in the country or the desert. Or during the day, go cloud watching.
Take a drive into the country or the desert and spend the evening laying on the hood of your car staring at the constellations. Maybe even bring a star chart to help you out a bit, in case you get stuck. If you can’t make it out during the evening hours, try taking some time during the day to stop by a nearby park or any open field to check out the clouds and their formations. Who knows, maybe you will even find your favorite animal in one of them! It’s interesting the different conversations that may arise. Realize how amazing God is and his creativity!- Theme date: Disco Bowling- dress up in 70s clothes wi
th things around the house and bowl!
It’s nice to spice things up once and a while. So why don’t you try a themed date where you and your date dress up before hand in the craziest outfit you can manage, even scrounge through your parent’s closets to find old clothes. After you find a creative outfit, head to the nearest bowling alley for Rock N’ Bowl or Disco Bowling and enjoy the night. Maybe afterwards grab a quick bite to eat or chill at a coffee house.- Go to a park playground and play on the swings: feed ducks
Get outside and exercise. Take a walk to the nearest park and rediscover the kid in you and play on the play structures. Maybe even bring a couple water guns to play with if it’s a hot and sunny day. As teens and young adults, we aren’t allowed to act like kids much at home. Now is your chance! Remember… "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 18:3- Catch the sunset, from mountaintop or the beach:
Enjoy the setting sun and painted sky in which God gives us each evening on top of a mountain or on the shore. This is a great time to embrace God’s beauty and spend the time with your date contemplating the blessings you have in your life or praying or even getting to know each other. But once He turns off the lights, its time to head out!- Serve together: homeless shelter or children’s hospital
We are called to serve others as Jesus did. So why not spend time together with your date and serve others at the same time. You will realize a lot about each other seeing the way that you serve. Try serving food at your local homeless shelter or volunteer at the nearest children’s hospital. Serving together brings you closer because it takes the focus off of yourself.- Go out for ice cream/frozen custard:
Unless your date is lactose intolerant, this one is usually a hit. The time spent slobbering over this delicious (and cheap) treat will both put your nerves at ease and maybe even allow you to let your guard down. This way you will both be able to relax and not feel pressured to hold a long conversation over dinner. Tip: Share a banana split and have a contest as to who can eat their half the fastest!- Take your younger siblings to the drive in and buy them popcorn:
Sometimes our younger siblings can get on our nerves, but by taking them out, they may respect us even more. Find a flick you can all attend and buy them goodies and show them a good time. Family relationships are important and to see your date interact with his/her sibling could show you a lot about their character. And it will probably teach you patience at most!- Clean or do chores together: wash car, or yard work
Spend the Saturday at either of your parents/neighbors house doing yardwork together or washing cars. Your date will be productive and it will make working a lot more fun when you are with someone you enjoy. I am sure Mary made Jesus clean his room once and a while! Again, know this: “He who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men." -Romans 14:18- Can’t decide what to do:
A fun thing to do when you pick up your date is let them choose what you are going to do that night with a guessing game. This takes preparation in advance. You will go and take pictures of different places for picnics, walks, eating, or theaters, games to play or sports events before the date. Get the pictures developed and place them in individually sealed envelopes. When you pick your date up let them choose an envelope. Whatever the picture is, you go and do together. You can let your date open additional envelopes through out the evening that will tell you what you are going to do next.- Put a puzzle together on a rainy evening:
Whether its rain or shine, piecing together a puzzle together by putting your heads together will bring great brain-stimulation. What can be better than that? Its great to just sit and talk to your date, but putting a challenging puzzle together will help you grow closer by problem-solving as well. And you can also stumble across a great conversation as well! It’s great when everything fits perfectly together and you can fight over who gets the honor of putting the last piece in. Try the 3-D puzzles for a cool creation!- Go to the airport to people watch:
Airports are always fun places to visit because people are always headed somewhere or returning from somewhere. And to be able to see the long-awaited hellos and the dreaded good-byes is in itself a real life drama series. So what better a place to “people-watch” than your airport? You can even play the Celebrity Look-a-like game where you and your date name the first celebrity that comes to your head when you see a person walking by. And its fun to visit the over-priced shops and restaurants while you are there or to watch the planes take-off. It wouldn’t hurt to pray for people as they walk by you either.- Look at old pictures/yearbooks:
Sometimes the past can haunt us, so they say. But don’t let it! Spend your date swapping embarrassing stories from when you were younger and looking through mom’s old photo albums. You will really discover a lot about your date by doing so and don’t feel ashamed, just have fun with it. After all, they will have to like all of you in order to be with you! And if you are daring enough, you can even put in the home movies and view those.- Gradual Dinner and Dancing:
For the real romantics, take your date to several different restaurants for dinner. What I mean is, to start at one restaurant and just eat appetizers, then visit another restaurant for the salad, then another for the main dish and another for dessert. This can get expensive, but not when you visit fast food places! After dinner, stop by the coolest park with a gazebo (one in which you visited earlier and set up with white lights and a stereo) and show off your smooth moves on the dance floor!- Ride bus or subway around the city and evangelize:
What can be better than spreading the gospel across town? And especially if you are both “people” persons, getting to know other people is great and talking to them about Jesus will help you to grow in your faith as well. This may seem scary and out of your comfort zone at first, but what are the odds that you will ever see that person again? Plus while conversing with others, you will also get to see the cities various sites as well! The key to evangelization, just like other things, is L-O-V-E.- Tie-dye shirts together:
Grab some old t-shirts and tie-dye with your date. You can make t-shirts for your friends as well and deliver them to their houses. That way you can also visit with them during the evening. And there is nothing better than designing shirts for each other and mixing colors to see who can make the ugliest shirt.- Take a canoe or boat ride:
There is always something soothing about the water. Contact a friend who has a boat at a nearby lake or maybe even rent one. The best part is, if neither of you knows what you are doing, you can figure it out on your own. Especially with a canoe, you will need to use your team-working skills to get anywhere on the water. “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” - John 4:14- Babysit for a couple so they can have a night out:
If one of you friends or relatives needs a night away from their kids, offer to babysit, maybe even for free and hang out with the little ones for the night. Play games, make ice cream sundaes and just chill. You will be able to see another side of your date, and yourself, and sometimes someone else’s children are easier to handle than your own siblings. This will be a good test to see if your date will be able to handle chaos! And plus, you are helping out a friend.- Go to the library or bookstore and read to each other:
Reading can be quite exclusive, but when you are aloud, you help the other person to experience the world of imagination as well. Check out the children’s book section, those stories can be the most fun and there is always a “moral” in each story. And you can never lose out by reading the Bible aloud, maybe even a little louder than normal so that others can hear! Visit the coffee shop in the bookstore or neighborhood afterwards and share your own stories.- Church/Mass and Adoration/Confession:
Visit the most beautiful church you can find in your area and spend some time there. Maybe even catch daily mass and celebrate the beauty of our Catholic faith with the sacraments by attending Confession together or visit the adoration chapel. You should really bring Jesus on every date, but consecrating the whole date to Him is even better. And the blessings will be abundant. This will show your date what is important to you and to remember to keep Christ the center of your relationship.- Play hide and seek at the zoo:
Take a trip to the local zoo and spend the afternoon visiting the animals and “monkey-ing” around with them. If you get bored easily, play hide and seek with walkie-talkies around the zoo. Give each other clues as to where you are and see who takes the longest to find. Maybe even get some kids involved! Sometimes we play hide and seek with God, but He always knows where to find us, even if we are amongst the animals, hence Adam and Eve.- Listen to music/classical and spend the evening painting/coloring
Find the best classical music collection you can and get some fun paints and coloring books and have an “Artist Night,” at your house. Painting and coloring can be very relaxing which will help you and your date open up your creativity side (everyone has one!) and try something new, like painting a portrait of each other. When you are finished, maybe even stop by your local art museum to check out the other artists and compare your works! We all know who the Real Artist is and we can appreciate His talent most of all, in each other.- Visit your grandparents and interview them about their lives
All your grandparents would want from you is your time. Surely, they would be thrilled to spend time with you and your date one Sunday afternoon. Ask them some great questions: how they met or what they used to do for fun when they were teenagers. Maybe even grab your video camera to bring along so you can record this moment on tape. You will probably discover a lot that you never knew you had in common!
| 10 Ways to Make 2003 Better Than 2002 | |
| Dear Teens, On the personal level, 2002 was the worst year of my life. I learned what it is like to go through depression. It made me more compassionate, and I have to take more responsibility for my own life. There is not a whole lot of things in my control, and the more I abandon myself to that fact, the better I do. 1. God desires your happiness. God is not the enemy. I can't tell you how many people think that God is a big meany, that God loves everyone but me. Even for me, I forget that God wants me to be happy. Happiness doesn't mean that everyone wins $300,000,000 lottery. Life isn't going to always go as we plan, but that doesn't mean God has abandon us. "God's love" sounds so simple yet so profound. Most people don't have trouble believing in God, but that God loves and cares for us. If for some reason you are angry at God, deal with it. God desires your happiness more than you desire your happiness. If you read nothing else, know this: GOD WANTS YOUR HAPPINESS. 2. Get rid of TOXIC things/people in your life. There are probably some people that you need to back away from. I know this sounds weird coming from a priest. You should love your neighbor, but sometimes you have to love at a distance. We have to stay away from gossip, negativity, alcohol, and drugs. Some people have an emotional grip that will strangle you. If it's your boyfriend or girlfriend, it's not a healthy relationship. It doesn't mean that God doesn't love them or they are an evil person, you just have to be painfully honest about who and what is toxic in your life. For a lot of people, the Internet, music, and television are toxic. 3. Choose your reactions & moods. I used to have a lot of anger and that anger was something that just happened to me. Maybe it's because I have an alcoholic father. Then I realized that anger is a chosen response. If anger is a chosen response, then other emotions are chosen as well. If I can choose anger, hatred, and negativity, or I could choose love, joy, and have faith. Faith is like love, it is a gift, but you have to CHOOSE to accept it. The quicker you realize this, the healthier you will be. I can choose my moods! 4. Deal with issues: Get help when needed! Ignoring your issues never solves your issues. There is nothing holy or healthy about avoiding your problems. If you have physical, emotional, or relational issues--deal with it. Will that be painful? YES. But it'll be worth it. Get help! We are so goofy and proud about this kind of stuff. 5. Make Family, Friendships, and Intimate Relationships your TOP priority. Relationships give texture to our lives...each other. This is where our souls get fed. Some of you spend little time with brothers and sisters, parents, and grandparents. If you call someone your best friend and don't spend time with them, that is unhealthy, and unchristian. You can never get that time back. 6. Stop the negativity! Affirm! Sometimes you listen to talk radio and you wonder if people have anything better to do than to call and complain about others. It's okay that we don't agree on everything...it's okay if someone enjoys something that I don't enjoy. We have different tastes. I have to say, "I'm not into that." Whiners will be with us to the end of time. I am talking about me too! I've had some of the dumbest cashiers in It's amazing what happens when you are positive! A simple "thank you" is so disarming. Say something nice to everyone around you. If it is raining, you can grumble, or be thankful. Either way, IT'S STILL RAINING. That's a reality check. If it's going to rain, enjoy it! Keep your sense of humor positive. There is not time to bring each other down in the name of laughter. 7. Laugh! We have to take ourselves much less seriously. When I process up to the altar at the beginning of Mass, we are singing to God, but the angels are really singing, "Send in the Clowns." God has a sense of humor! Don't take yourselves too seriously because nobody else does. :) People get up to read at Mass and I've always wanted them to say, "A reading from the Book of Numbers. 7, 12, 45..." In 100 days, is anyone going to care about the things that seem so important at this second? We need to laugh more...laugher is healing and unites people. Laughter brings a different view on life. That's what I love. 8. Learn something NEW. There is a story about a young and an old priest. The young priest said to the old priest, "can't we do anything different?" The old priest said, "I have 26 years of experience, so I know what I am doing." The young priest said, "no, you've done 1 year 26 times." It makes you think, doesn't it? Pick up a new hobby or something. You could learn photography, how to make furniture, or a new sport. I am going to learn sacred dance. Do something different this year than last year, so by the end of the year, you feel better about yourself. 9. Commit to a prayer pattern. Don't say that you will and don't do it. Pray something specific: I will pray the rosary, or read the daily readings, I will pray on the drive to school, etc. I did this for Advent and it was great! You always win with prayer. 10. Live beyond reproach. Try to live in such a way that your character and your personhood is beyond people questioning your intentions. Not questioning your perfecting, but your intentions. Are you intentions to be Christlike, or to serve yourself? What puts us in pain is the past; what puts us in fear is the future. I can't change 20 years ago, or 20 minutes ago. I can't live in fear of 20 minutes from now or 20 years from now. This moment is precious: I can love you and I let you love me. In this moment, I can appreciate the friendship and even the pain that sometimes comes in life. The more that I can live in the moment, the more I can experience God. Don't forget how much God loves us, how much He wants our happiness, and that he'll be with us every moment this year. You all will be in my prayers!
| |
| 10 Mistakes God Does Not Want You to Make | |
| by: Paul George, from XLT-ATL Talk Series October, 2002 If God could stop us from doing things, what would they be? Obviously there are more than 10 mistakes that we can make or have made in our life, but teens in 1. Putting God in a box 2. Holding on to grudges and not forgiving 3. Seeking false intimacy 4. Believing that you are in control of your life 5. Refusing to change 6. Taking life too seriously 7. Living for today, without eternity in mind 8. Keeping Catholicism a religion and not a reality 9. Denying that evil exists 10. Believing that God can fix any mistake | |
Give Thanks
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"
Jesus Lover of My Soul
(It's all about You)
It's all about You, Jesus
And all this is for You
For Your glory and your fame
It's not about me
As if You should do things my way
You alone are God
And I surrender to your ways
Jesus, lover of my soul
All consuming fire is in Your gaze
Jesus, I want you to know
I will follow you all my days
For no one else in history is like you
And history itself belongs to you
Alpha and Omega, You have loved me
And I will share eternity with You
Light the Fire Again
(Brian Doerksen)
Don’t let my love grow cold
I’m calling out
Light the fire again
Don’t let my vision die
I’m calling out
Light the fire again
You know my heart, my deeds
I’m calling out
Light the fire again
I need your discipline
I’m calling out
Light the fire again
I am here to buy gold
Refined in the fire
Naked and poor
Wretched and blind I come
Clothe me in white
So I won’t be ashamed
Lord, light the fire again
