Subtlety of Conversion

Media is a great method of communication and so then conversion. The obvious tactics of refuting lies and promoting your owns beliefs. I’d argue that it is almost more important to show the day-to-day life of somebody with the Catholic faith. This is accomplished by blogs, vlogs, and any other kind of media.

Blogs and YouTube channels allow people across the world to connect and get to know each other on a personal level. This makes it a great conversion platform. In daily life one of the best ways to convert is to befriend others and simply live life who they are – a Catholic. By blogging, the author allows people a look into his or her life and daily activities. As a vlogger or making YouTube videos, people are again let into this person’s world and allowed to know their personality, abilities and beliefs. YouTube channels and blogs that center around a certain topic or interest unite people of all different walks of life based on a common interest. Trust and likeability are gained by a respect for the blogger or YouTuber’s knowledge of a particular subject and so because of this common ground is created before the topic of faith is even brought up.

St. Francis is attributed with the famed quote, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” This is exactly what is accomplished by blogs and YouTube channels. These forms of social communication allow readers or viewers a look in to the author’s life and daily activities. This can be an even more powerful testament to the Faith than rants or long posts about religion. Showing the simple day-to-day activities – showing the humanity of the person – is a wonderful way to show the pillars and truths the author has built his life upon. 

Rain :)

It really is those little things, those simple pleasures that can turn your whole day, week, month or year around. 
Let me tell you a little about my night/morning:

11pm: Alright, I'm going to bed nice and early!
1am: Nope. Still not asleep.
3am: "Ugghh I'm not gonna get any sleep...bleeehhhh"
Randomly after that: "Nope, don't look at the clock just fall back asleep."
5:45 (alarm goes off) : "NOOO!"
5:50am : *notices it's raining*
5:51am: *leaps out of bed, makes a quick breakfast, throws on a hoodie and goes out to the porch to watch the thunderstorm*

The beautiful thing for me (especially having been in a dry prayer slump for awhile now...) was that as soon as I noticed the rain my heart was stirred to prayer. I was just so happy and so thankful the words couldn't help but tumble out of my mouth. He really is in the whisper...

Sunny with a High of 75*

 Allo! 

So let it be know that I really dislike summer. It's too hot, sweaty, nasty..bbllecchhh..

The past few days, however, have been nice and cool :D

Skirt - Target 

 Button Down - Target

 Shirt - H&M

You can't see but I'm wearing my green Toms, too.

 # creepin on my cat

 Abby!

God Bless,
Liz

I simply remember my favorite things...

...and then I don't feel so bad.

Thank You for...

thunderstorms. coffee. healthy eating & exercise kicks. wonderful wonderful people. beauty. love. patience. forgiveness. ability. possibility. wonder. passion. depth. the intellect. and will. music. words. metroparks. nature. sunflowers. baking. biscotti and espresso. tote bags. old books. candles. beautiful photography. art. pretty clothes. this font. notebooks & pens. trees - i like trees. You. Mamma Mary. different perspectives. variety. tea. kittens. fireplaces. hope. so much hope. Latin Masses. Tradition. tradition. dandelions. marriage. rain. sunshine. autumn. snow. freedom. popes. poetry. Shakespeare. singing. cuteness. typewriters. bookends. cozy rugs. fireplaces. aaaalll the saints. angles. writers. painters. laptop decals. da interwebz. adoration. the Eucharist. quiet. calm. peace. silence...

Love. Be Tender.

Thesis Night -- but not mine!

 Hello! This is what I wore to listen to the seniors of my highschool present their theses.

 I wore Toms to make the outfit a bit more casual -- I hate being over-dressed :P

 I've been wearing headbands everyday lately because, well, last semester I was really stressed. When I'm stressed I have a bad habit of pulling at my hair: Hello, bald spot!

It's not too bad since it's summer time :) lucky me.

And I just wanted to give a shout-out to Helen (one of the contributors to this blog) for a great job on her thesis presentation and the fielding of the questions. Erin and Anna did a wonderful job too! What an awesome alma mater...

God bless!

Beauty is Pain...?

{I found this post sitting in my drafts from a year or two ago. I thought it was worthwhile posting so here ya go!}

Beauty is pain. How many times have you heard that? It almost seems to be common knowledge - if you want to be "beautiful" you have to go through pain for it whether it's uncomfortable shoes and clothes or diets. I remember when my friend and I were younger, she used to straighten my hair. When she'd accidentally burn me and I would complain she'd jokingly answer "beauty is pain!" Later in my life I thought beauty and thinness were the same thing - you couldn't have one without the other. You had to work for it and it was painful so again I heard the saying "beauty is pain!"

For me, it's been less than a year since I realized that's a lie. I had always known inner beauty was more important and I agreed but I didn't believe I had anything that would make me be "innerly beautiful" so I had to struggle for better outer beauty.  Now, I greatly admired those who you could tell had inner beauty - they were just different. I had many Facebook friends who went to Steubenville and I (the creep that I am) would look through their photos and see how beautiful they and their friends were. I would look through some of their friends photos (I know, I know..creepy) because they just had that "something different" and it draws people to them. That type of beauty does not come from pain. It comes from Joy and Love. They were people who are trying to live their live for God and become more like He who is Beauty, Goodness, Truth, Love and all these other qualities people strive for. A peaceful heart as result from a deep relationship with God is probably one of the most attractive qualities out there.