A letter to all the girls...

Good evening girls,

      I am in college now and having to take a required health course. The course covers everything about health and this week we are focusing on body composition. As an activity that we could use for bonus points we had to take an adult fitness test and then enter data onto a website and get our scores. I am going to be honest here, I have a 30 inch waist. *gasp* The website informed me that a "normal" waist size for my height and weight was a 23.6" waist!! 23.6 inches!

    Girls, please, please keep in mind the most important part of your life, God. That's not saying that you shouldn't be healthy( our bodies are temples of God!) but that should not be our only focus of this life. There is nothing more important than God's love for you. Whether you are a little overweight or a little underweight God still loves you. 23.6 inches is NOT normal! In today's day and age where young people are bombarded with media the world needs to be reminded what it means to be a child of God.

    God loves you. He says in the Bible that he loves you. He wants you to be you. He needs you to stand tall in your faith and help others see Christ in You. He wants the things inside, the kind and caring heart, the gentle and understanding soul, the shining love for your family and Him to be poured out and for others to pay attention to that and come to know and love Him through you.

    You are God's children, his daughters; do not let the media bully you into thinking that you have to be a certain weight or look a certain way or hang out with a certain group of people. You are a child, a beloved daughter, of God. And he loves you so much.

Ciao 4 Now,

Arwen

Country Life

Part of having poultry in your yard is that you have to be careful of neighborly dogs. They tend to like a good chicken or two. I don't know whether to be complimented that our poultry tastes good enough that they have come back to our house for seconds or offended because "Hey! That's our chicken!". 

On a happier note we did find all but four or five during the past two chicken raids. They are just beautiful birds.

These are some of the girls. We love them, it's kind of weird but going outside and listening to the chickens is so calming. We love the girls.

ciao 4 now,

Arwen

Peanut Butter cookies and Ice Cream Sandwiches...

Tonight I figured out that an amazing person in my life was quitting her job and I was kind of sad for a minute. It is a job that allowed me to hang out and get to know this person, and I hadn't realized just how much her life had changed over the past year.With a child who was very sick to start the school year off with and pregnant with number 2! Thinking about it, it's no surprise that she's quitting. 

Now, I am looking at just how much the people's lives that I know and love are changing around me and I feel like I'm standing still. People dying, babies every time you turn your head, and new highschoolers as our church continues to grow and grow, it's overwhelming. And exciting. This year I enrolled for college, started the discernment process, made some new friends, held onto golden friends. Just following the tried and true process of growing up. And it's hard. It's new, challenging and hormonal. Figuring out your life and trying to figure out where you'll end up next.

And I do freak about it from time to time. The excuses range from I'm not trying hard enough to I feel like I'm wearing myself thin. And while I freak out I forget about those amazing people that I've had the privilege to meet. The people who devote as much of themselves as possible to the people around them. And that's when I realize that I have a long while to go before I come anywhere near to calm and collective. And that is perfectly okay.

ciao 4 now,

Arwen

E is for ecstatic!!!

A crazy busy summer has meant fewer posts and a crazier Arwen at home. Trying to stay calm and on top of things while colleges are deciding to take their time on how everything is worked out all while figuring out how in the world I am going to get anywhere to start visiting convents...

It is time to relax. Time to take a few hours in adoration, daily Mass, and say a rosary. Decisions have been made about where to go to college. An idea about which order I am interested in (contact has been made, now it's time to keep in touch...) and altogether living life as a Catholic in the modern age. Still worried about finances (Who wouldn't be? It's just a couple thousands of dollars we're talking here) but trying to let go of control on that one. God does in fact know what's going on with that particular hurdle.

Instead of freaking out about these things I've been turning my attention to the world and what has been happening lately. Prince George, who is just adorable. And World Youth Day in Rio. The encouraging and demanding words of Pope Francis, challenging the youth of the world to stand up for their faith and be saints of the modern age. Here's to the rest of this very short summer.


ciao 4 now,

Arwen

In God's hands...

In times of disaster and loss it is soo easy to get lonely and sad. Until you see your favorite show

"I wouldn't say that. The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. Hey.

The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice-versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant."

--- The Dr. from Vincent and the Doctor.

Or hear a happy tune on the radio





and then remember another time when you watched that show or heard that same song. And when you remember you are filled with hope because it is such a joyful memory. And you continue to hope and smile; hope that tomorrow is lighter and the situation is brighter. Hope that the sun will come in the morning and life will continue to bloom and grow. And in that you smile.




ciao 4 now,

Arwen

D is for....

Dr. Who???

 

 

The man in the Big Blue box. The man with two hearts.

The alien who travels through time and space with his best friends.

 

The Doctor.

 

 

 

 

ciao 4 now,

Arwen

March for life

 

 

 

Over half a million people marched for life this week.

 

It was barely mentioned in the media. Barely.

 

 Over half a million people is a fairly large group standing up for what they believe.

 

Please pray for all of the unborn this weekend and coming week.

 

 

 

 

 

ciao 4 now,

 

 

Arwen

c is for cats....

 Cats that run a hospital? Nooo...

 Or maybe they do???

ciao 4 now,

Arwen

B is for Bowties...

"Bowties are cool"
       
       - Dr. Who

Ciao 4 Now,

Arwen

Apple...

An apple a day keeps the Dr. away.

"I hate apples, apples are rubbish."
- Matt Smith, Dr. Who

Maybe an apple a day really does keep the Dr. away? He certainly doesn't seem to like them.....


Ciao 4 Now,

Arwen

2013 FIRST Robotics Season

FIRST Robotics has kicked off and I am pleased to say that this will be my third year in participation. Please check out the competition for this year, 2013 FRC Kick off, and check out the FIRST Robotics website at usfirst.org to learn more about FIRST and their mission to educate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

ciao 4 now,
Arwen