Beauty-filled

Last weekend I went to visit my friend, Emily Koenning, in Emmitsburg, MD, and my dad in Virgina. We had a 4 day weekend so I took the time to go on a mini road trip :) It's crazy how close together things are here. I drove through Pennsylvania to get to Emmitsburg on Saturday morning. I really enjoyed the drive through Pennsylvania... One of Emily's students thought I was crazy for liking it but I won't lie, there's a lot of farming/amish country around the PA turnpike which I love... simplicity sings to me. When I got to Emmitsburg, we went to a big slide at a park near Emily's house... It was a couple stories high and made of wood... You can never be to old for fun in a park :)

Later that day we went to the grotto on the campus of Mount Saint Mary's- where Emily is a missionary... It was so so beautiful. There were paths through the woods with waterfalls, the stations and meditations of the rosary along the paths... Later, we went into Gettysburg and had dinner. We drove through the fields where the Battle of Gettysburg took place-- it was a strange realization to be driving through a field that was once dominated by such a brutal battle! Downtown Gettysburg was really neat- lots of awesome historical architecture and design :) That night we went back to Em's house and there were students and other missionaries hanging out and playing music. Sunday morning, we went to mass at the church on campus and then we went to a brunch for women on campus. It was very inspiring to be among faithful college students again... they were so passionate about the dignity of women! After the brunch, Emily and I went back to her house and looked at wedding stuff for her wedding next summer! yay!! I'm so happy for her and TJ! I have over 10 friends who are engaged which is crazy but really exciting! This time of life is so funny (ironic) because there are so many weddings and babies, yet our grandparents' generation is aging and passing on.... tis the circle of life.

Ok back to my trip- Sunday evening I drove down to Manassas, VA, where my dad was staying with my aunt. We had dinner for my cousin's birthday Sunday night and played games- always a good laugh with the fam :) Monday, my dad, Aunt Maryann and I went to a Marine Corps museum and then out to lunch at a greek restaurant. The museum was huge and really well done! It's shocking to see what the marines went through back then as well as a reality check of what our service men and women go through now. I'm very thankful for all our troops because I know I could not do what they do.

I've been trying to heal my spiritual life recently and my trip to PA/VA was definitely a great start to that process... I also went to a healing mass the other night and wanted to share a message I read in their handout because I found it very comforting. It was labeled as "A message to Anne, a lay apostle, February 2012." God works in mysterious ways ;) Anyway, here it is:

Dear Apostles, your faith makes you beautiful. I am watching you as you receive graces from heaven. Your heart is transformed, little by little, and your service to Me is purified and becoming more unblemished by self interest. Your life is changing in many ways. Perhaps you are leaving one type of service for another or completing a task that has held your attention for a long time. Perhaps you are laying down a heavy cross of suffering and being released from it so that you can serve more freely in another way. Perhaps, dear apostle, you are awaiting your next heavenly assignment and you are eager to move on to it. Or you are simply serving faithfully as best you can in the work that is yours each day. Regardless, you believe, and you are trying to live that belief. This makes you beautiful to Me. Yes, faithfulness to me consoles the world. The little pocket of faithfulness you contribute is like a sign that directs the eyes of others to the next life. Others look at you and understand that not everyone lives for this life. They understand that even if you are wrong about eternity, hope in eternity exists. My friends, you do not realize the value of that hope for someone in a moment when all hope seems lost. Poor humanity. We must bring hope to the world through our committed service to the Father. And if you find your hope challenged, then you must explain to Me the source of your pain. Come to Me in the silence of your heart and I will listen to your grief. I will console you. I will show you that the power of heaven can heal the gravest hurts and the cruelest sufferings. I will restore you. Please believe me. It is in the interest of all humanity that you possess the hope needed for others. Yes, you are beautiful to me... You are beautiful.