I was so blessed to bring home a friend from school this year for Thanksgiving. Being from Texas, going home wasn't in the cards this year for her. I have had fun showing her around my town and we still have a few more days for shopping, Great Lakes Brewery, and maybe the Cleveland tree lighting ceremony.
Here is what we wore for Turkey Day
Thanksgiving is all about being thankful. I am thankful for another year at Franciscan, my parents who keep me laughing, my household sisters, being able to in a very real way be the hands and feet of Christ caring for my patients, and for the Lord always drawing me to deeper intamicy with Him. I am excited for another year of blessings which God willing will include college graduation and a big kid job. Also, I have come to honestly be thankful for the community on this here bloggity-especially those who comment and the NAS ladies.
Make sure to come back on Sunday. I will be introducing an Advent series I am really excited about called "Purposefully Waiting". Start thinking about the ways you can deliberately live Advent this year.
If you have been around this blog since the beginning of the summer than you may remember that I went to five weddings between the beginning of July and the middle of September. I have had to attend my share of events as a single person and there is no sugar coating it, it can stink. I vividly remembering driving to a wedding alone where I would only know a handful of people and stressing over the fact that I may not know anyone once I got there. Defiantly a situation where I wish I had a date so that I would at least have him to chat with. So big events, yeah I wish I had a date.
Casual parties are a whole nother story. I never really go to a party that I don't know anyone. I know how to small talk and talk to pretty much anyone about anything. I love being about to move around mingling, laughing and getting to know alot of the people at the party. So small causal gatherings I have never even had a second thought going alone.
I started reading some of your ladies entries and I have to say I have never had anyone make a comment about me being single. Yes small intimate gatherings with some ladies a comment may have been made but honestly more of my friends are single than are not. I think if someone random ever made a single comment I would be flustered and have not respond with as much grace as I may wish. You ladies are awesome for sometimes having to deal with that.
So I feel like I didn't let you guys in on anything profound or insightful but there are my thoughts on surviving parties as a single person.
I will be sad not to hear from all you of you on a weekly bases but please follow my blog and instagram and I will be sure to follow you so that we can all keep in contact over the blessed Christmas season.
So I haven't been around this here bloggity lately, chalk it up to life. However I keep putting interesting articles and videos into a draft post so alot of these are random tidbits that I want to pass on.
So this weeks Not Alone Series topic was Vulnerability with Friends and I totally thought I was going to be alone in my ideas about the topic but virtually everyone wrote about the exact same thing. That is just something awesome about the Not Alone Series. Here is my thoughts on the topic and go check out all the ladies' thoughts at Morgan's blog.
So Breast Cancer month is over but I wanted to pass on this article because it makes you stop and think exactly how you are supporting women with breast cancer. I don't want to get in a debate or hurt anyone but I do want to bring up the fact that some big breast cancer awareness associations give money to Planned Parenthood knowing that Planned Parenthood hands out oral hormonal contraceptives and performs abortions which we know directly sky rockets your chance of getting Breast Cancer. Just something to think about when you consider how to support the cause.
So I know all your moms out there will roll your eyes because I know you have it soooo much worse with all your little kiddos but this time change hit me hard. I know it is only an hour but I felt like I was off for a week. I wonder how I adjusted to the 6 hour Austria time change so easily.
My household, Regina Angelorum, is on retreat this week so please please keep us in your prayers. This is going to be a really fruitful and blessed retreat so we need all the prayers we can get!
I think the new Cara Box rules, hosted over at Wiffessionals, are brillant. Getting to know another blogger over the course of three months rather than one just makes sense and makes life a little less crazy.
This round I sent a box to Mandy over @Through the Hansen's Lens. And received one from Nicole @Letters from Nicole. Nicole was so sweet and sent me an awesome package! (Sorry for the awful Iphone quality but the peeps are already gone so no DSLR photo for you)
Isn't it lovely! She hit it right on the dot with this package. Lighting candles is one of my favorite things to do. I still can't light it here in the dorm but I can't wait to use it at home or next fall. The journal will defiantly be filled and always needed. I have never tried the Starbucks Via coffee but I am excited to try them. The fact that the peeps are already gone says something. I already have one EOS chapstick but I love having another one in a different scent to change it up. And the travel mug, yeah defiantly will be used.
Do you find that your non-single friends struggle with relating to you or vice versa? If so, in what ways? How do you handle it? What is something that you would like them to know or understand that they just don't seem to get? Oh this one is rough. I would say that I do not struggle with relating to my non-single friends as much as say that often I feel replaced by my friend's new boyfriends (normally by the time wedding bells ring they figure the balance out). You know your friend talks to you all the time about waiting for the right guy, then about how much she likes this guy, and then about how awesome the first date was and before you know it that friend is talking about everything with the boy rather than you. Yeah being "replaced" stings. However, not all friends have done this to me. These friends I find have healthier relationships that don't allow the current guy to become their whole life. They know when they need to spend quality time with their boyfriend/fiance and when to still spend time with their girl friends. Many friends are so encouraging to me whether one of us has a significant other or not. These friends encourage me in staying authentic and growing in my relationship with the Lord. So what is the simple answer to the questions? Sometimes their is a struggle with a friend in a relationship relating to me as a single woman but more often not. If there is a struggle it is because I feel like they replace me. I haven't yet figured out a way to handle it because I struggle with confrontation, even holy good confrontation. I would want these friends to stay deeply rooted in the Lord, and to keep their relationship deeply rooted in the Lord because when this happens balance tends to flow naturally. Have you ever felt replaced? I can't wait to read you other ladies' thoughts!
I finished this book forever agobut I am just now getting around to reviewing it. I of course blame this thing called school. And guess what this is my 13th book in my "13 Books in 13" Challenge. The confetti is falling and the balloons are being released as we speak.
Well now that that is done on with My Life with the Saints. (affiliate link if any of you would like to be so kind and buy it.) Most of this book was read while I was still nannying-oh that seems like a different life hanging out with my little 4 month old. I choose this book because my mom already owned it and I thought if I liked My Sisters the Saints so much I would enjoy this book too. I was right.
I love with both of these books I can learn so much about saints in a story format. This book comes from a priest's perspective versus My Sisters the Saints which is written from a young woman's perspective.
Just like My Sisters the Saints, I would recommend this book to anyone especially if you want to grow closer to the saints.
I am 20 something and passionate about the Catholic Church. I am a Registered Nurse and proud alumni of Franciscan University of Steubenville. I enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee (with half & half please), a meal cooked with love, a run that makes you want to run again and time in fellowship with friends that radiate His love.
Come follow me on my journey to heaven.
