dreams and aspirations

"I was there because I knew that you would not be there"

Make your dreams become a reality!!!

"You can't start without knowing thyself"

I encourage everyone to find their passion. What makes them happy. What do you feel. There is a reason you are here. What is your reason? This is how I plan to change the lives of the children and people I encounter throughout my lifetime. Sure enough, I am blessed beyond belief because I know my calling and my dreams are becoming a reality. My dreams are not only my dreams, but the dreams of others because it has been very clear to me that I am here to change the lives of others. Listen. Advise. Encourage. Comfort. Change. Despite what I do in life, I care about people. And I will care about the peoples lives who I come across. The video speaks for itself; however, you can't find your missing piece without finding yourself first. Before you do anything, make yourself whole. In order to be successful and find your passion, you must deal with yourself first.

Relationships:

You can't fit in a missing piece. In order to deal with someone else in your life, you yourself must be whole and complete. Worry about yourself before you worry about others. No relationship will work until you make yourself whole, until you care about yourself first. Nothing can fulfill your expectations and your desires and happiness. Only you can fulfill your happiness, and nothing will be fulfilling and joyful unless you fulfill yourself first- by yourself. 

With this all being said, you can't force something to fit. to work. to fulfill. You must adapt and change to fit your priorities before you can do anything with your life- including your passions. Your passion will determine your calling, which will determine your major (lifelong goal), which will determine your own fulfillment, which will determine your happiness and relationships with others, which will finally determine your life and your self.... AND THEN all of your hopes, dreams, and aspirations will become a reality. It all starts with passion, and it all starts within. 

We are all here for a reason. What's your reason?

With love always,

Catherine

thoughts of the soul

eggs. bunnies. candy. food. family. friends. celebration. 

Acts 13:34-35
And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’

What's it mean to you? What's the celebration all about? Here comes another holiday.... but who is in favor of it? Ourselves? Our family? Our friends? We always tend to center our thoughts and festivities around ourselves and usually forget to take the time to stop and enjoy the blessing of life He gave us. It seems to me that holidays are usually stressful with all the family coming in town, all the food to prepare, the presents to place in the kids Easter baskets- the "usual" stressful lives of Americans.

I don't even know the reason behind Easter presents. I don't even understand the meaning of bunnies, eggs, candy. Is that really what Easter is about? Because our society sure does place the emphasis pretty well on the "necessities." However, I believe that we usually forget the real meaning behind the holidays. Why is it that around this time of year particularly on Easter Sunday that lots of American families go to church just this one Sunday. They are not regular attendees and feel they can get the "Christian fix" by attending church this one Sunday out of the 2-3 times a year they do attend. It seems to me that this is always the case around holidays such as Easter and Christmas. Church is crowded, and you most likely see lots of faces you do not recognize.

Why do people think it is ok to receive presents on Easter when they are not taking the time to celebrate the Resurrection of the one and the merciful. Personally, I just don't understand the meaning behind "Easter presents." Sure its fun when I was little because I was always excited the Easter bunny was coming to see me and leave me presents in my little Easter basket sitting on the fireplace. But why? Why was he leaving me presents? And since our society has been so overwhelmed and sucked into a life of consumption, we are teaching our children that it is acceptable and normative to accept presents on Easter, however, failing to teach them of the importance on the life of Jesus Christ (the reason we are all here today) and His resurrection.

Theses are just thoughts of the soul today, and I just wish that our society and our Christian fellowship lives would rather place an emphasis on the resurrection rather than the Easter eggs, the Easter bunny, the candy, and most importantly the taken for granted Easter presents. My prayers go out to all my family members and friends this Easter Sunday that they will be strong in faith and persevere and reflect on the life of Jesus Christ, rather than being sucked into the festivities. Besides, isn't He the reason we're here today?

AMAZING PASSAGE:

Luke 24:1-12

***please take time to read and reflect!***

With love,

Catherine

you are only as strong...

You are only as strong as you set your mind to believe. 

You are only as strong as your weakest link.

"I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live." Ecclesiastes 3:12

Have people hurt you? Have you lived some of your life of pain? What determines your pain? Who determines your own weaknesses? Have you ever realized that YOU determine your OWN happiness? This concept makes me so at peace. Why would you let someone who hurts you control you? This is the only realistic view if you are living a painful life through the hurt of a family member, friend, enemy, worker, student, companion, child, husband, wife, grandparent, etc. Does it make sense to let the people who hurt you continue to destroy your own happiness? Why are you wasting your own precious time that God has given you to worry about what others say/act/speak, etc. All in all, if you are one to left worrying about the person who has hurt you or inflicted pain on you (and we have all worried about it) deep down you are letting them control you (in a very weird sense, of course). But it is the truth.

Think about it. You are left worrying about what someone else thinks and says. Gossip and lies. All the lies. If you know that the gossip, the rumors, and the lies are false, why waste your time defending and backing up yourself? Only ONE person (besides yourself) knows the God given truth, and that is God himself. Only one person has the opportunity to make judgments and opinions, and go ahead... guess who that is. So why do we as humans think it is ok to run our mouths and continue hurting others to make ourselves look better on the outside? Are we really hurt that deep inside that we have to change contexts and go to the extent of making others feel bad and destroy the names of others (let alone your own family, your own friends)? Who are we to judge others and make judgments on others? It is something that is so hard for our society to grasp yet so taken advantage of. It's something I myself have been struggling with for a very long time. And I haven't yet figured out an outcome that has worked because I have seen too many people in my life hurt through the influence of family members and friends. And it continues bothering me.

The only advice that I can give you is one that my dearly respected and loved mother has always given me- "only you can control your happiness." It is your duty and yours only to determine your happiness, your anger, your frustration, your pain, your hurt. So what are you going to do with it? Lets all try and make the world a better place- forget the past, move on with your future, forgive & forget, and choose love; not hate. Because in the end, only you can determine your own happiness.

With love,

Catherine