Holy Thursday and Easter

I know this blog has been pretty quiet around her lately and honestly not much is going to change until May 16th, after I graduate and take my Kaplan class down here in Steubenville.  Until then I am just breathing in and experiencing every last ounce college life has to offer.  On Wednesday I finished everything but one class' one final.  That is all that stands between me and a diploma, that one final.  To say I am riding the nostalgia train is an understatement.  I am already grieving the loss of all the random things you only do in college but I also know that the next season of life comes with its own unique joys.  I am in this weird place, about to walk over a bridge and transition into this new phase of life.  So don't expect much out of this here bloggity and I am not apologizing.  

I did want to share a little bit of a day in the life of Holy Thursday and a bit about Easter.  

I know some interest of my blog comes from people who want to know what it is like to go to a passionately Catholic college.  On a whim, I wanted to share with you Holy Thursday, day in the life style.  However, I must confess the pictures decreased as the day continued.

7:15---Household Breakfast.  Typically we have Mass before breakfast but the only Mass of the day for Holy Thuraday was in the evening.  

A verse I started crushing on. (Psalm 90:14)

We have this thing here in town called Minsitry to Moms.  I may have talked about it before but basically we go over mom's house and give them an extra set of hands with dishes, laundry, child care, housework and anything else moms need.  I have been with the same family since my first semester here and they have completely invited me into their family.  In fact, it ended up that I joined her household so we are in fact sisters! I have watched their family go from 4, to 6 (twins!), to 7 and celebrated numerous birthdays, holidays and sacraments with them.  They have become such a blessing in my life.  Anyway on Holy Thursday, I went over their house to babysit and do some laundry and dishes.

First some twin snuggles.

Some Frozen watching (my first time seeing it!) 

I quickly went back and changed for Seder Dinner and Holy Thursday Mass.  The family I went to Florida with hosted Seder Dinner and I went over early to help get ready. 

More dishes.

Through a series of unfortunate events, I along with two friends ended up at the kids table.  It was a comedy of events and only three glasses of sparking grape juice were spilled. If I use the hashtag #lyfeatthekidstable2014, you now know why.  

Finally, Holy Thursday Mass which is the beginning of the Tridium services.  Tridium is a big deal here at Franciscan with many families coming in rather than students going home and an abundance of alumni in town.  Holy Thursday Mass is big and sets the tone for rest of the Tridium. I had to work day turn on Good Friday so after Mass off to bed I was.

It feels weird to jump from Holy Thursday to Easter but bear with me.  I just wanted to take a moment to relish in the absolute majesty of Easter.  Alleluia! Christ is Risen!! Christ is Risen indeed!! Jesus Christ defeated death.  He fulfilled all that he had promised.  Christ was victorious over the grave.  Our faith is so great and we should be shouting.  We are an Easter people and hallelujah is our song! It's just so easy to burst with life and amazement at Jesus' glory.  I hope you all are having a great Easter octave and will be on here again when I am. 

Night shift and Patients' Passing

If any of you follow me here on the bloggity or the 'gram you know this semester I was plagued with 108 hours of night shift.  Ok maybe plagued is a little bit of a strong word considering they weren't nearly as bad as I had expected. Yeah your sleep schedule is more like a series of naps and the hour drive home in the morning can be brutal but night shift is like an alternative universe when everyone else is asleep.  You try to convince your patients to sleep too but then wake them up every few hours for medications and blood draws.  Whatever patients, we try to cluster care as best as possible but you also need these interventions to get better.  Either way I stand on the other side triumphant and say I will never be working another unpaid night shift.  Woohoo!  From here on out if I am up all in the hospital I am getting a paycheck for it.

Last unpaid night turn

Unfortunately this last night turn involved a patient death.  The patient was CMO (comfort measures only) so it wasn't a surprise and no code was run but it still is a patient dying rather than getting better. I pray and hope that it is never normal or easy to lose a patient.  I hope they always shake me up a little and make me pray. Because these patients we take care of and hands we hold aren't just medical record numbers but real people with souls that the Lord is passionately in love with. Souls that in those last moments need everyone praying and guiding their souls to the heavenly gates.  St. Catherine of Sienna, patroness of nurses, intercede for all nurses that we make be exceptional nurses.  St. Joseph, patron of happy deaths, intercede that each and everyone of us with a heart full of faith can rejoice and praise the Creator with all the angels and saints for all of eternity.  

Regina Angelorum: 20 years of Sisterhood

This past weekend my household, Regina Angelroum, celebrated 20 years of sisterhood.  If you didn't go to Franciscan University, you just can't understand housholds.  I don't mean to be exclusive but you just can't completely understand them unless you have lived with them.  They aren't really a sorority/fraternity, an accountability group, or a prayer group.  They are so much more.

We are bounded by a covenant that calls us on to greater holiness.  We are sisters for life, long after we have left the hill.  We wear matching sweatshirts like a toddler carries around their blankie.  We have crazy stories of shenanigans that should never be repeated....or we should tell them everyday just so that we can achieve those six pack abs.  Our prayer is powerful.  Our devotion is strong.  Our fasting changes lives.

Celebrating 20 years of this was incredible.  We were reminded that we started in order to give a group of broken woman a home.  We were rebels without a cause.  We may not have been what people expect of the image of holiness, but we were and are holy.  We aren't Mary but we do need to be like Mary.  We have fought for sisterhood and need to continue to fight for sisterhood.  Each line of our covenant is there for a reason and we need to dive deeper into our covenant each and every day.

I am so thankful that I had this weekend to reflect on my sisterhood.  It was an incredible blessing to meet so many sisters who I call my sister but I have never even meet.  I cannot wait for the 25th Reunion. Until then, Regina Angelorum, ora pro nobis....past, present, and future. 

2014 Goals: Update #1

I was already planning on doing a 2014 goals update so it was perfect when Jen and Morgan decided to make it a Not Alone Series link-up.  A lot of goals have to do with post graduation so are not applicable yet as noted below.  I wrote my updates in pink.  Pink for hopes of spring.  Yesterday was sunny and nearly 70 but today is back to dreary.  Spring will come eventually! 

1. Faith
a.  The ever present, increase my prayer life.  I highly doubt this goal will go away until the day that I die.  Constantly seeking to be in a more intimate relationship with Him.  
b. This past year I have gotten better about opening my Bible and diving in.  I want that to increase even more this year. One of my Lenten "add-ins" has been to make sure I am in the Word everyday.  I strive to be succesful at it but fail too often.  
c.  I think this one is the most measurable and important.  With my graduating coming in May and the ease of daily Mass at Franciscan coming to an end I want to make sure I don't lose weekday Masses in my life.  I know they won't be able to be a daily thing but I do want to make sure I do strive to go to a weekday Mass at minimum one day a week. Not yet applicable. 

2. Fitness
a.  Continue running.  Running has been less frequent with the cold snowy weather but I want to make sure it doesn't halt. I have been working out 1-3 days a week but running not so much.  Our new gym was just finished so right now that is a novelty and before that I was doing Insanity.  However with the temps continuing to rise and the the snow being less frequent (though it still snowed this weekend!!) I know I will just want to get out there and run.  
b.  Increase the speed of my running.  Since I began, running has just been about being able to run a few miles.  Now I want to make those miles faster. See a. 
c.  With that I want to train to run 5k races well not just finish them. See a.

3. Nutrition
a. With a time without a meal plan looming in my future I want to make sure that when I begin being on my own for good I create good habits. Not yet applicable. 
b. With that lack of meal plan I also want to budget the amount of money I spend on food and be smart about it. Not yet applicable. 
c.   This is a constant thing in my life but I am always (sometimes more purposefully than other times)  trying to increase the amount of fruits and vegtables I consume.  Trying to work on it!

4. Friends and Family
a.  Love my family and friends selfishly.  Easy to say, hard to do. Constant striving. 
b.  As I graduate and leave the consistent social life I have had for the past 5 years I want to start off my life as a college graduate making new friends. Not yet applicable. 
c. Pray for my family constantly. Everyday.

5. Financial 
a.  Again with this graduation thing, I want to start managing my own real money starting with good habits that include saving and spending wisely Not yet applicable. 
b. I do not want to have any credit card debt.  Student loans I will have and I think I am ok with car loans but credit card debt will not be acceptable. Not yet applicable. 
c.  I want to pay above minimum payment on my loans.  I know this may not be feasible right away but I want to start working towards that. Not yet applicable. 

6.  Home
a.  As I create a home for myself post graduation, I want less clutter. Not yet applicable.  
b.  With that new place I want to make sure I create a purpseful sacred space which will help with number one point a. Not yet applicable. 

7. Fun
a.  Enjoy the last semester of college, I don't think this will be hard. An abundance of fun all the time.    
b.  Travel.  If there is a wedding I wan to be there.  I haven't seen a friend for a while, lets road trip. I went down to Florida for Spring Break which was absolutely perfect but besides that no plans.   

8. Blog
a.  This isn't something that can be forced but I want more good friendships through this blog world.  I have already been blessed with the beginning of so many and I want to cultivate those and accept any others I am blessed with. I met Jen over Spring Break--way more awesome than I had planned when I wrote my goals back in January!!
b.  I want to have more purposeful blogging.  What would I want to read, let me create that here.  I want to make sure what I post here on this bloggity is really reflecting the image that I am and want to be.  I wrote this post here and I have been working on it.  

My word for 2014 was empty.  Oh man,  the Lord has given me so many opportunities to become empty of myself and full of Him and full of service to others.   He has emptied me over and over again.  I pray that each day I am filled more and more with virtue and grace.