Sacrament of Reconciliation

Most of you know the Scarament of Reconciliation as "Confession".  This week when I was at work, I was looking at an app that I have recently downloaded on my phone about preparing for confession, and one of my co-workers asked me what I was looking at when I told her, I found myself once again defending and trying to explain to deaf ears why we, as Catholics, go to confession.  I am going to try to explain to the best of my ability the sacrament that Catholics take so seriously. 
I like to consider going to confession as doing some spiritual inventory, or maybe some spring cleaing of my soul.  As I was preparing all week to make a good confession, I asked myself questions like these:
* Am I becoming more like Christ?
* Am I growing in holiness?
*Are there still ares in my life that I want to change?
* What do I need to do to effect those changes?
* Is my goal in doing penance to please God?
As my life is weakened by sins, my church gives me the opportunity to reconcile with God and the Body of Christ in front of a priest that helps absolve us from sin.  We go to confession to be reconciled.  Reconcilation means "to meet again".  As sin has caused us to lose our way spiritually, confession is our way a back home, back to the right relationship with the God who made us. 
As I prepared for confession this week, and as the today got closer, I can't help but get a little anxious about going.  No one wants to sit in front of a priest and tell them all the things you have done wrong since the last time you were in a confessional.  However, the second I walked out of that confessional, it was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  Telling someone your faults and wrong doings while sitting face to face with them, not only helps build your faith, but also your character! 
I'll leave  you with this: Jesus calls us to repentance: "This is the time of fulfillment.  The reign of God is at hand!  Reform your lives and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15)  As our response to His call, let us change our hearts inwardly, change our lives outwardly and then we can celebrate joyfully with Jesus, His Resurrection.

Washington D.C.

Another traveler (Ashley) and I took a 2 days trip to Washington D.C. and we had a great time!  I love Washington D.C.!!!!!  Here is a rundown of our trip:

Arlington National Cemetery:
One of our first stops was Arlington National Cemetery...this was one place that I really wanted to see.  The fact is...pictures don't do it any justice.  This place was AMAZING!!!  It was beautiful.  Those white tombstones that you see on the TV, in magazines, or textbooks are as far as you can see in every direction.  We watched a couple ceremonies and the changing of the guards are the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  I am so glad that we went and saw this breathtaking place!

Changing of the guards

National Museum of Natural History:

So, as Ashley was talking about all the musuems at the Smithsonian, she kept referring to it as the mall.  The whole time I was thinking, "that is just an odd place for a mall, right the middle of all this history and there is a mall."  But, she was talking about all the museums that are referred to as the mall, not necessarily my type of mall, but interesting to say the least!  Neither of us are big museum people so we decided to go to the Natural History Museum.  It was amazing!!!  The mammals, reptiles, and insects were my favorite rooms!  We went into the butterfly exhibit, and walked among 80 different species of butterflies and moth flying around us.  They had an orchis exhibit, and those flowers were amazing. 

The Hope Diamond was gorgeous!!! 

This HUGE elephant was at the entrance of the museum!

Orchids!

Butterfly and Moth that were in the butterfly exhibit.  This orange and white moth had just came out of her cocoon that morning. 

Washington Monument & US Capitol Building:

This monument was freakin' huge!!!  It was interesting to see it!  There were people running all over the place, it kind of gave me some motivation to keep on running.  The US Capitol Building was just like you see it in the movies, books, and news!

Lincoln Memorial: 

You hear about this memorial and you see pictures of it, but I never thought that this statue of  President Lincoln was this big.  He was huge, but it was surreal to stand there and look at it and know that you were standing the exact place that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech. 

Right where Martin Luther King Jr. stood during his speech

Cherry Blossoms:

The highlight of this trip was to go see the Cherry Blossoms in bloom!!  They were so pretty!  Some people said that they weren't in their prime bloom yet, but that's ok because I don't know if I will ever plan another trip to DC just to see the cherry blossoms.  I was so glad that they were as bloomed as the were and that I got to see them!!!

Segways:
Renting segways the my favorite part of the trip!! We walked miles on Friday, so on Saturday I told Ashley that we were renting segways to get around!  They were so much fun!  I accidently ran over an old guys foot, but he is the one that stepped out in front of me.  As a slowed down to apologize, I said I'm so sorry, and this old guy snapped back, "Yea, well I am too."  I seriously about wasn't able to keep my mouth shut and yell right back at him for stepping out in front of me, but then I thought, "Allison, shut your mouth, you are in the middle of  DC, and who knows who is around and might shoot you." So, I just increased my speed on that segway and got the heck out of there!!  I do hope that I didn't break that poor old guys foot!!!!



One of those nights....

It's one of those nights where I'm feeling lonely and having some self-pity.  Not that I am proud of that, but everyone has to feel sorry for themselves every once in a while.  In about an hour or so, I'll snap out of it and be over but until then, I'm sitting here in my condo listening the waves below me almost on the verge of tears.  I am wishing that I was still in Corpus Christi with all the friends that I met when I was working down there!  Those people are fabulous people.  But, then I can't help but feel a little guilty for not wishing I was in Kansas City with my friends that I have had since college or in western KS with my family.  So, as you can tell I am a basket case of emotions right now!!  Don't get me wrong, I'm lovin' life on the east coast, but one can't help but feel a little lonely when they are out on the road by themselves, knowing only the people that they work with.  It makes me more lonely to know that my mom is in South Dakota visiting my older sister, and that my little sister is snuggled in to OUR chair at my parents house watching TV by the fire.  As for me, I'm sitting in a wicker chair that is horribly uncomfortable, watching Madagascar 2 on a Sony 32 in' box TV, with the only light coming from a lamp on the table behind me, and my bed in my living room sitting right next to me. 
Somethings on the upside:
*I got to sleep until noon today
*I discovered Netflix and am officially in love with watching TVshows/movies streaming on my computer
*I continue to love to beautiful ocean view that I get to look at everyday
*Playing Words with Friends (I have like 5 games going right now)
*The text messages from my mom and put a huge grin on my face
*My upcoming trip to Washington DC with another traveler that has become a good friend
*A random phone call from a great friend I made in Corpus Christi
*A new delicious snack that I found today...Special K low-fat granola
After looking back over that list...it looks like my life is pretty good after all!!! 

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean

Today, I made myself get up at 6:45 am and go out to the beach to watch the sunrise!!  It was beautiful!!  It was so quiet and was a great time for some self reflection!  Even, though it was 35 degrees, it was fabulous!

While was I was out there waiting for the sun to peek over the ocean I found these little critters:

A horseshoe crab...I found him on his back.  I kicked him around a bit, but I think he was already on his back for way too long.  I kicked him over and he didn't move, but when I went out to the beach a little later this afternoon, he was gone. 

This little crab was still alive, and I got him back to the water.  However, those stupid seagulls saw what I was doing and even though I tried hard to get this little guy back to the water alive, a seagull got him!  I wish at that moment I had a gun!!!  I would have shot that bird so fast!

Murphy bed

I told you in my first Delaware post that I was going to have to adjust to a Murphy bed and that there would be pictures to follow.  I had been having trouble with my camera allowing me to upload photos, but I got it figured out today and here is my Murphy bed.

First, I'm a wall:

Then, I'm a bed:

Spring is in the air...

Today was like no other day...the constant arguing with myself about working out.  It goes something like this..."Today will be my day off this week." "But you have to work those other days and it will probably be dark out when you get off."  "Oh, just do it, you will feel better when you get done."  "I have all this other stuff to do."  It seems like it's a constant battle for me and I'm not really sure why.  I don't like working out, but I love how I feel when I'm done.  I also love that my calorie counter increases when I submit a workout. 
So today, exercise won the battle and I am so glad that it did.  Everywhere I looked was sign that spring is in the air and I love it!!! 
Here are some signs of spring that I saw today while on my run:
*people walking their dogs
*people working in their yards
*dogs on chains in the yard
*two old men critquing the job some builders are doing on a new house
*a cat sunbathing in a yard
*daffodils in bloom (I love daffodils)
*a convertible with the top down
*bike riders
*a squirrel crossing a power line
*almost every tree in bloom
*tons of people down by the ocean
*the bright shining sun
*temperature in the 60's

Ash Wednesday

"You have something on your forehead."  That sentence is one that Catholic's hear non-stop on this day that begins that season of Lent.  Some people just don't know what the purpose of the ashes of our foreheads mean:
          "On the first day of Lent, we sign our foreheads with ashes because they are a biblical symbol of mourning and penance.  The ashes are signed in the sign of the cross because in the Bible, a mark on the forehead is a symbol of ownership.  By having our foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross, it states that we belong to Christ crucified.  It also recalls our Baptism when we were claimed for Christ and marked with the sign of the cross by the priest and our parents.  It is through Christ Jesus that we are delivered from the slavery of sin and made alive for God" (Romans 6:3-18).
It's important to understand that Lent is a time for examination and introspection.  The lituriges that are used during mass are simplified to reflect a spirit of quietness and much of the singing is omitted.  The purpose of this is so that during the quietness we can dispose ourselves to looking inward, into our hearts, to see where repentance and forgiveness are needed. 
Many people that aren't Catholic participate in the "giving something up" for Lent.  However, when doing so people need to remember that you aren't giving something up that is "easy", or as soon as those 40 days and nights are over you can't wait to have what ever it is that you "gave up".  These 40 days are dedicated for some major self-reflection and the sacrifice that you make during Lent should lead you to becoming a better person.  A lot of people don't give anything up, they simply do something that will better their life, like volunteering, going to church during the week, saying a rosary a day, spending so many hours in the church praying, etc.
"Remember man that thou art dust and unto dust thou shall return."