Monday Funday Action (yes, I know today is Tuesday)

Just a little Monday Funday action at QTown Crossfit from yesterday. Pistol burpees. Next thing to conquer: Handstand walks.

Anchored by Hope

Okay - so I can't promise I will keep up with this blogging thing, but I'm going to give it another go.

A few months ago, I was asked to direct a Mini-TEC retreat through the Great River TEC program. (Mini-TEC is a shortened version of the 3 day TEC retreat weekend. Visit www.greatrivertec.org to learn more about the awesomeness of this program!) The first thought that crept into my mind was this: How will we ever come up with a theme?! It really wasn't that hard when handed over to the big man upstairs.

Two of my older brothers are in the US Navy. When they first joined, my sister gave me a keychain with a quote on it. It also had a picture of an anchor. Since that time, the anchor has always been a sign for me. A sign of hope and steadfastness. Every time I see an anchor, I think of my brothers. I knew I wanted the anchor as a part of the theme. The more I prayed about it, the verse from Hebrews chapter 6 kept popping up into my life. Verse 19 reads: This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast..."

I saw it everywhere. I saw anchors everywhere. I knew that in the midst of this crazy, chaotic and sometimes very scary world we live in --- we need to remember to have hope and steadfastness. And so we had our theme.

We had our first meeting on Saturday. I really wanted to open the meeting with a devotion from the Jesus Calling book. I typically read the day's devotional when I get up each morning. That morning, I neglected to read it (whoopsie!). Of course, when I got to the meeting I realized I had left the book at home. Thank God (seriously), there is an app for that. I downloaded it on my phone quickly before the meeting. As I pulled up the day - July 27 - the heading read: HOPE. As I began to read, I got very emotional just thinking about how God intentionally plants things into our lives so that we might recognize him.

Here is the devotional reading for that day:
Hope is a golden cord connecting you to heaven. This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand. But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we're traveling together is ultimately a highway to heave. When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of heaven. 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. -Romans 12:12
But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. -1 Thessalonians 5:8

And most importantly....
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. -Hebrews 6:18-19

God knows. He knows what's on my heart and He knew that we would be having our first meeting that day. He knew I was anxious about the meeting and not feeling worthy of such a role in my faith community. I'm trying to remember each day to anchor myself to our Heavenly Father, because He truly is the only way to heaven.

Angel By Your Side

Once again, blog fail. So here goes another try at this. 

I've been wanting to share this one for awhile. It was one of those overwhelming "God moments" where you absolutely know he is trying to tell you something with a very simple gesture. It was just about a week before I was to take my National Board Exam to become a Registered Occupational Therapist. Exhasuted, stressed out and needing a break from looking at one more thing about psych, peds, musculoskeletal disorders and on and on and on --- my lovely friend, Kay, invited me to STL to join her for a Cards game and simply to catch up. I went back and forth on whether or not I should make the trip when what I really needed to do was buckle down and study for the biggest exam of my life. I decided to make the trip, and it proved to be one of the first things of many that God would provide me with in the next few days to put things back into perspective in my life. 

God moment #1: The weeks leading up to this trip I had been desperately missing a good friend of mine - Sr. Alexandra. When I left KC in December to move home, she also moved home to Houston and later joined a religious order known as The Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara. At this point in time it had been roughly 8 months since I had seen her sweet face. I get a letter through snail mail from her every now and then ---oh, how I love those days, but it simply isn't the same as spending time with her. The entire drive to STL, all I could think about was how much I missed her, how exhausted I was from the studying and worrying about what the future held for me. Alex and I made a deal before she left that every time we thought about how much we missed each other's company, we would offer it up for the poor souls in purgatory. For the first time since she left I felt like I was failing miserably at just offering it up! There was nothing I wanted to do but swing by KC Art Institute to pick her up for Mass or Thursday night Adoration, grab a burrito at Chipotle or see what amazing creation she had come up with in her studio. During this drive I felt like Jesus was trying desperately to tell me – “Hey sister, get over yourself. Your day will come when you get to see each other again.” That’s when the song came on…If you haven’t heard this one, you should listen to it. Angel By Your Side, by Francesca Battistelli. I really felt like He was trying to tell me that no matter the miles or the time that lapses between us, we are united at His table, and Alex will always, always be by my side – praying for me and cheering me on from afar. Eye opener. Every time I hear this song now, it makes me think of her and I am so happy to say that I will be seeing her when she receives her habit in December (God-willing.) She doesn’t know I will be making the trip out east for this though, so shhhh don’t ruin the surprise!

God moment #2: Without a doubt, the retreat that I went on the weekend before my big test. I had been telling Kay that the one thing I felt like I needed most was a silent retreat. Prayers answered… the first day of the retreat was “silent.” God provides. It’s as simple as that. (I’m not sure if I ever told Kay this fun fact about my retreat!). AND I got the surprise of being on a retreat with an old friend - much needed time to catch up and share in His love.

Last but not least, the day I spent in STL was perfect. Kay and I lounged by the pool as we caught up on what was going on in our lives, enjoyed Gus’s pretzel dogs (my first time), and went to a scorching hot Cardinals game after enjoying a few drinks at the rooftop bar…I’m drawing a blank on the name. Thank you Kay, for a wonderful time and more importantly for allowing me to be a part of your mission :) I am so blessed.

Until next time… enjoy this song and a couple of pictures from my STL roadtrip. 

Gus's = an STL fav. Can't wait to go back there!

View from the rooftop bar before the game.

I am so blessed to have this girl in my life! Love you Kay Frances. 

Compliments of Kay. God is so good. We were in baseball
heaven @ Busch and the view was stunning. 

Thy Will Be Done

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.”

This is a verse that I have stumbled upon many times, but never really let it speak to me until recently. I can’t remember a time in my life when my Mom did not tell me… “If it is something we need, God will provide.” And I can’t remember a time in my life when God has not come through for me and for my family if we fully put our trust in His will and His perfect timing.

Let me preface this with a little background, for those who may not know my family so well. As my oldest brother once said..."It seems like another lifetime ago and yet it was an event that so adversely affected us that the effects are still around all these years later." The day was September 29, 1990. It was the day that changed my father’s life – and my family’s life forever. It was a typical day on the farm, except for the fact that my Mom was in Jeff City for a teacher workday. After lunch my Dad went back outside to work on the farm, but it wasn't long before a typical day turned into a nightmare for my family. My Dad was found with his left leg pinned under the bucket of a tractor. He was sent to SLU hospital where he underwent 7 surgeries in a week’s time – the final one was to amputate his left leg below the knee. During this time, we did not know if my father would live – but God had bigger plans for our family and my Dad came through the accident. Our small town parish and many strangers were a huge blessing in this time, and would prove to be a blessing for my family in the years to come as well.

My dad has had the same prosthetic leg for years now. (I think somewhere around 7ish, but as a horse trainer, para professional and Deacon of 2 parishes, that doesn't leave much time for resting!) It has been duct taped, glued and held together by who knows what. I have always been concerned about what could happen with a leg in this bad of shape, but even more so since pursuing a degree in Occupational Therapy the past couple of years. It has brought to the surface many things that I never thought about before. What if he falls? He isn’t as young as he used to be. This is my Dad we are talking about. I all of a sudden felt a very tiny fraction of what my parents go through when they worry about me. With that being said, I am sure Dad has gotten tired of me bugging him about getting a new leg – it became a frequent conversation during our every other day phone calls and my visits home. There was only one problem – insurance does not always cover more than one prosthetic in a person’s lifetime, and in our case vocational rehab was not willing to help pay for another leg at that time.

I know our God is an awesome God, so I turned to him with a desperate plea for help. I knew my parents could not bear the financial burden that would be placed upon them if they had to pay out of pocket for a new leg for my Dad. Another thing I learned in OT school – they are EXPENSIVE. For the past two years I prayed for a miracle – some way to help my parents out. I turned to a few close friends and asked them to pray as well, one of them being one of my longtime friend, Levi Rash. Levi is now a missionary in Boston, so we sometimes Skype with each other since the visits are so few and far between. One night while I was talking with Levi over Skype, I broke down. I told him I did not know how or if my prayer would ever be answered. Like he always does, he assured me that if it was God’s will it would happen. I just needed to be patient. He also promised to pray as well and encouraged me to turn to scripture to find peace with the situation.

This is where my happy ending begins to unravel. I moved back in with my parents in December to finish up my clinicals. One night, a man from our church called and asked if he could stop by the house. As soon as Mom got off the phone, I felt in my heart that God was about to answer my longtime prayer. He sat down with Mom and Pops and simply told him that he, along with other parishioners were concerned about the state of my father’s leg and they wanted to help with the cost – whatever it was. As I sat at the dinner table, overhearing their conversation I thought to myself – Does this man know how much it costs to go through the process of fitting my dad for a new leg? The story does not end there though. Dad went to vocational rehab to turn in the paperwork, get an estimate, etc. As it turns out, vocational rehab decided they were going to cover half the cost of the leg, with the other half being covered by the generous members of our parish. I am thankful, blessed, and humbled by the actions of the people of our small town church family. They have shown me multiple times in my 24 years of life what it is like to take care of our brothers and sisters in Christ. They have continually shown us God’s abundant love and showered us with His blessings. The following verse was a light for me during this time and has reminded me of all those who have once again been faithful to living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ through their love and actions. 

Holy Rosary and St. Stephen's (better known as "Swinkey") Parishes - you may be just a spot on the map off of Highway 24, but you will always and forever hold a special place in this girl's heart. 

Galations 6:2, 10 “Help carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ. So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in faith.”

Old leg!

New leg!

Matthew 28:19-20

Well, here we are nearing the end of March and my absence from this blog has been going on for entirely too long. Little did I know that my transition home would be harder for me than I had anticipated. I have had completely mixed emotions ranging from loving to hating being back in the small town I had grown up in. My parents have been so kind to take me back in to their home again and for that I am grateful. One of things I have really struggled with since I moved back to Monroe is that I have really felt a lack of community. In KC, I was absolutely blessed with the Catholic community that I was surrounded by. It was a constant. I had people every day who I could go to Mass, Confession, Bible Studies with.... people who wanted to help me grow in my faith daily. I had people praying for me everywhere I turned. My roommates/friends/FOCUS community were a constant reminder of what it meant to truly live my life as a Catholic daily. Moving back to Monroe, I felt very lonely because I did not have that connection with the members of my parish or the people I grew up with. I recently went on a Christ Renews His Parish weekend which is held for the two parishes in my hometown and it was such an absolute blessing. For the past four months I have prayed and prayed to have that sense of community again.  Not only that, but also for God to help me find my place as a young adult in my parish. Through this weekend he not only answered my prayers but showed me ways and opened my eyes to the people I need to minister to, love and serve daily.

Thankfully, my friends in KC are really good about keeping in touch through texts, calls, and even the old fashioned snail mail. One of them mentioned to me the following Bible verse which helped me to understand why it must be this way.

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." -Matthew 28:19-20 

And so we must.

Chance Meeting at Sea: Operations for USS Halsey, USS Dewey Provide Opportunity for Dual Military Couple to Meet

Once in a lifetime chance for my brother and his wife. Thank you US Navy! 

Lt. Jg. Amy Long & Lt. Marcus Long

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Farrington, USS Halsey Public Affairs

In the Gulf of Aden, guided-missile destroyers USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Dewey (DDG 105) rendezvoused to transfer equipment and personnel in preparation for Halsey's counter-piracy mission.

The planned encounter between the two ships also gave one dual military couple the chance to see each other for the first time since August 2011.

Lt. Marcus Long, the Information Warfare Officer aboard Dewey, was able to ride over to Halsey during the initial transfer and have lunch with his wife, Lt. Jg. Amy Long, the Damage Control Assistant aboard Halsey.

“It felt great to see my wife waiting for me on the boat deck of Halsey as I arrived,” said Lt. Long. “It's great to know that when a chance of a life time encounter happens, both my leadership and my wife’s leadership are willing to make this happen.”

The couple was able to spend a few precious hours together aboard Halsey enjoying each others company for the first time in 5 months. At the conclusion of both ships’ deployments the couple will have been apart for roughly a year.

“Being away from my husband for an extended amount of time has been really hard,” said Lt. Jg. Long. “I feel like being able to see him, even if it was just for a few hours, will make the rest of the time we have to spend apart that much easier.”

Cmdr. Michael Weeldreyer, Commanding Officer of Halsey, and Cmdr. John Howard, Commanding Officer of Dewey, communicated via chat to arrange the visit for the deployed couple during the equipment exchange.

“It was a great idea from Dewey, and the visit complimented our operational tasking,” said Cmdr. Weeldreyer. “Cmdr. Howard and I agreed this would be a once-in-a-lifetime-tell-the-grandkids-event, so who could resist?”

Halsey is the flagship for Combined Task Force 151, a multinational, mission-based task force working under Combined Maritime Forces, to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean. Dewey is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations.

The Day I Wished Would Never Come

Yesterday was the day. Yesterday was the first time my Granny couldn’t remember my name as I walked into her room at MCM to visit her.

Was I prepared for it?  I don’t think anything in the world could prepare me for it.  Deep down I think I knew it would be the day, because I hadn’t seen her since Thanksgiving.  I know she had kind of rough week and was confused a little more than normal.  There is just one thing – she is HAPPY, and that is simply enough to remind myself that it isn’t important that she remembers my name. 

My Mom and her siblings recently cleaned out Granny’s house on Southwest Border Street.  I sit here and a hundred different images of my Grandmother and Grandpa flash through my mind.  While the house is still in the family, it is no longer “theirs” and what I have left to hold onto are the wonderful memories of the most loving grandparents I could ever dream of having.  I consider myself one of the lucky ones, growing up in the same small town as my grandparents and seeing them every day if that is what I wanted. 

Mom brought home a box of books (mostly about saints, Catholic teachings, apparitions of Mary, etc.) from Granny’s collection for me to have.  My Granny was an author and columnist by profession, and she loved to read other people’s writings as well.  I think she passed on her love for books to my mother, who then passed it onto me.  I can’t think of anything else I’d rather have, than a collection of books to help me grow and learn more about my Catholic faith.  My Granny already gave me the Catechism of the Catholic Church that used to belong to her and Grandpa – and now I have many more wonderful titles to add to my shelves.  As I’m sifting through an old, worn out Bible I understand in a greater way how much Granny longs to spend eternity with all of her descendents.  She wrote many prayers, whether they were on loose pieces of papers or in the margins of her books probably as they came to mind.  They are simple, yet beautiful and I am reminded once again that He knows the desires of my heart – and my prayers don’t have to be extravagant.  He just longs to know me.

It is comforting to me to know that even as my Granny loses her memory, she is a daily reminder of what it means to live life as a Catholic in a world where we are constantly receiving criticism and fighting our own battles to become closer to Him.  Even more comforting, is knowing that she will live on through the stories she has written in her books, through her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.   

Granny Yates, we are extremely lucky to still have you around – 87 years young :)