Where is the most unlikely place you have prayed? I mean, of course, 1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.” But you have to admit, there are some questionable places we find ourselves praying. I have traveled around the world and recently, I pulled out an old journal and laughed at some of the places I prayed: train stations, basilicas, mountains, and deserts. Then there are the places where I did not take my journal to pray but have had some of my greatest moments of prayer in my life. Unlikely Places I Have Prayed So sisters, keep a tally and see if you have prayed in some or all the places I have prayed, and feel free to add to the list in the comments! In the Bathroom I know I am not alone in this because I took a poll, and what did it reveal? That 100% of moms pray on the toilet because it is one of the few places they have a moment of silence to themselves. Some have even admitted to reading a Blessed is She daily devotional on their throne (you know who you are, and we are not judging). I know sisters who have intestinal issues diseases and they offer up their pain praying on “Les toilette” (it just sounds better in French). The point is, if there is something you need to let go of and surrender to the Lord, there might be no better place than the bathroom. via GIPHY In the Shower/Bathtub My mom always told me the best place to cry and pray is in the shower and she was 100% correct. Did you hear that, Mom? I said you were correct. Consider this an early Mother’s Day card for the world to see. There is something about being vulnerable with God while you are lathered in soapy suds and washing all your cares away. Most of my days start with a shower, so I start by praying the words of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today, let us begin.” Then I give God permission to set my day in motion. via GIPHY The Gym/Exercising When I used to be able to go to the gym, I would have a specific worship playlist to keep me motivated to take care of the body God gave me. Now, I am thankful for silence on a walk in my neighborhood so I can do an examen of my day. However, when I did go to a gym, there were numerous reasons I would pray! Sometimes, I was praying for the chastity of the eyes, while other times I was praying for some women to put on more clothing. Sometimes I pray a Rosary during a brisk walk (I refuse to run unless an ostrich is running after me) in the neighborhood or on the beach, and lately, I have been listening to Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year Podcast. But if I’m being honest, sometimes I just pray to God that I complete the abdominal portion of my workout (who’s with me on this?). via GIPHY Airports Back when I used to travel, I loved praying in the airport. I would pray for and with mommas about to board a plane by themselves and even offer to help them get on board (mommas always need more hands when they have kids). I would pray for the people I would be sitting next to on the flight, hoping that God would provide an opportunity for me to sit next to my future spouse or, at the very least, someone who needed to know the love of God. And I would always pray for the people who worked at the airport from the janitors (thank them if you see them cleaning up the bathrooms or emptying the trashcans), to the air traffic controllers, to the flight attendants, and the pilots. I rarely put my headphones on till the lights went out on the plane in case the Lord pointed out someone to pray with or for while I was flying through the sky. via GIPHY The Cemetery This might seem normal to most, but how I like to pray is a bit different. I love to look at the headstones and pray for all the people who have passed on, specifically in case they are a soul still in Purgatory. Of course, I pray for the loved ones I am visiting, but I also pray for the souls of people I will only meet on the other side and for their families who mourn their passing from this world. via GIPHY Walking the Dog Little do my neighbors know, but when I walk my dog, I pray for all of them by name as I pass their home. Give it a try the next time you are walking your dog or potbelly pig or even just going for a walk in the neighborhood. I also will do a quick examen of my day when I’m walking my dog, reflecting on five things: I start by asking God for light, then I give thanks to God for all He has allowed in my day (good or bad), then I review the day thus far, face all my shortcomings, and then look ahead at how I can do differently. It is great to do mid-day, at the end of the day, or whenever God gives you five to ten minutes of silence. via GIPHY In My Car I have to admit that I’m typically praying for the person who just cut me off on the freeway, but I also pray a lot on my commute to and from work. I talk out loud to God in my car, I sing praise and worship in my car, I call friends at random who God prompts me to call and pray with them or ask them what they need prayer for in my car. I pray in Los Angeles for all the homeless on the streets which breaks my heart for what breaks God’s heart daily. I probably pray more in my car than I do in a church on a given week. via GIPHY With a Waitress or Waiter in a Restaurant Want to give your waiter or waitress something even better than a tip? Ask them if they want to pray grace with you the next time you go out to dinner. I used to do this with my Core Team when I was a youth minister and got two new Core Members because of this. Some people even came back to the Church! The worst thing they can say is “No, I don’t want to.” The best thing they can say is, “Sure!” Then you pray for them and for the kitchen staff who made your meal and brought it to you. It is a great way to give a tip that they will remember longer than the financial one you leave behind. via GIPHY In-Line Anywhere You name the place and I’m praying: the grocery store, Starbucks, Disneyland, a restaurant, or Hobby Lobby. You can pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet while you wait or pray for the people in front of you or bagging your groceries. Rather than read the headlines in the latest gossip magazine, take a moment to offer a prayer of praise. via GIPHY Cooking If you have Discovery+ you have to watch the Lost Kitchen (you will thank me for this binge-watch). I feel like a kindred spirit to Erin and get emotional watching it because it speaks to my soul. I love cooking and find it to be a spiritual experience to add ingredients, cut the produce, and smell the garlic in the air mixed with pure olive oil or butter (the best thing God has created, next to humans, in my opinion). I pray when I cook in a way I don’t any other time of the day. I pray for the ranchers and fisherman, I pray for the gardeners who grew and picked the produce, I pray for my family and friends who will gather around the table to eat what God helped me create. I know cooking for yourself or your family can be a chore but think of it as a spiritual, co-creation moment with God when you are blending all He has provided into something that will satisfy the bodies He created until we are fully satisfied at the Heavenly banquet. via GIPHY Cleaning the House I love cleaning, especially vacuuming the floor and getting those perfect lines on my OCD carpet (such satisfaction, sisters). And when I clean, I often pray about the things that spiritually need a clean-up. I run through a mental Examination of Conscience and contemplate how I need to reconcile with the Lord in my next confession. This simple practice allows me to run to the Father more often than I used to seek His mercy. Give it a try the next time you are scrubbing your toilet or when you are dusting the baby fingerprints off your flat-screen television (great examination on what you have watched and how you might want to confess your latest binge viewing to Padre). via GIPHY God Will Meet Us There So, as you can see, there are a lot of places we can pray that might seem out of the ordinary. Of course, we pray on gorgeous beaches during sunset, on mountaintops during a retreat, and in churches and chapels, but God desires us to pray unceasingly. These are just a few ways I have allowed prayer to fill my days and nights. I would love to hear some of your unusual places you have prayed and how you incorporate prayer in your daily life in the comments!   [bctt tweet="Unlikely Places We Pray #BISblog //" via="no"]

Saint Josemaria Escriva said: "The Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results."

I have been a faithful Catholic since I was baptized as an infant and, as difficult as it might be to believe, prior to my invitation to travel to Lourdes, France, I had never heard of Our Lady of Lourdes. I never knew that the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette in 1858, identifying herself as the Immaculate Conception, and revealing a spring of healing water that has led millions of pilgrims to travel to France praying to be healed.

I can still recall the first time I made my Saint Louis de Montfort Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. In the summer of 2008, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and the ministry I worked for invited me to travel to Lourdes, France in the hopes I would be miraculously healed in the bathes of Lourdes.

As a former youth minister, I have witnessed thousands of teenagers receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. So when I became a college campus minister, I wasn’t expecting anything out of the norm on Easter Vigil when over twenty college students entered the Church. Uproarious joy, clapping, and hymns were audible after each catechumen was baptized.

About twelve years ago, I lost my vision for a week’s time. I wasn’t completely blind, more like a “Claritin†unclear commercial. At first, I was scared, then a peace rushed through my soul as I recalled Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.â€

In imaginative prayer, I often return to an undocumented moment in Jesus’ life: Jesus visiting Mary after His Resurrection.

In a small living room, my mom and dad’s closest friends from their “Marriage Encounter†days back in the '80s gathered to pray a Rosary like they had every Monday night for years. But this night, it was different.

Suddenly, there is no one pounding on your door or yelling at you to get up and go to school. No one to tell you to go to bed. No one to do your laundry (unless you are like me and did wash in my teen years) and no one to make you dinner. You are officially adulting, and all the responsibility is on you! On top of all this, you have classes and possibly a job to pay for those classes, and there never appears to be enough time in the day to do it all. Now you know why mom and dad were so tired all the time. Tips for Time Management in College Adulting is exhausting and requires some acute time management. So, I want to help you with some tips that are sure to save you time and organize your time wisely. Calendars are Necessary Google Calendar, paper planners, class syllabi, alarms, alerts, reminders, and so many other calendar tools are life in college and beyond. There is no way you can live without a calendar to keep track of your commitments and schedule. Use them all, especially Google Calendar. When your new semester comes out, export your class schedule to your Google Calendar and use a specific calendar for your classes. Look over your class syllabi and create a separate calendar for big tests, quizzes, papers, group projects, mid-terms, and finals. You can set reminders to prepare and not rush the last minute (unless you are one of those people who works better under pressure). This may seem insane, but on weeks when you know you need sleep to pull off a paper or do well on mid-terms, create a sleep schedule to make sure you stop and get the rest you need. Keep It in View Print out a semester-long calendar for your dorm or bedroom wall to visualize your months, weeks, and days and celebrate when you have completed a big paper or test. Use a paper planner like the Blessed Is She Mini to write out daily to-do lists and important reminders that you can transfer to your Google Calendar later. Most importantly, put “Date with Jesus” on your calendar to intentionally spend time with the Lord in Adoration, daily or Sunday Mass, or even 10 minutes of silence throughout the day. If you don’t make your relationship with God a priority, it will not be a priority by the end of the semester. Trust me; you need God in college. Without Him, your life will look radically different. Your Job is School Your primary responsibility during your college years is going to class and doing well in school. Why else would you pay thousands of dollars per year and take on the debt of college? And as important as the social aspects of college are, your focus needs to be on your classes. Don’t skip classes where attendance is not taken, oversleep, or blow a class off. It is appealing when no one is forcing you to get out of bed, throw on some leggings, and rush to class to let it slide, but that is what will happen to your grades; they will slide down, down, down. Many students in their first semester in college end up on academic probation because they prioritize college on their social life verses where their financial investment is of school. Invest your time where you are invested, and you will succeed not only in your classes but also in life. Get Into the Zone Are you a morning person or a night gal? Do you get tired every day around 3 p.m. (yep, that’s me)? Knowing your peak hours is essential to help you succeed in college and your career. There is typically a time when you can get in a zone and accomplish more than you can at any point in the day. For example, right now, I’m writing this blog at 9:00 am because I am a morning person. I get the most done in the morning hours, I’m less creative in the late afternoon, and by 9:00 pm I am useless. Knowing this, I do most of my original work early in the day. Figure out your peak hours and use them to your advantage to get in the zone writing your paper or studying for tests. Squirrel One of my favorite parts of the movie Up! is Dug, the golden retriever who belongs to Charles Muntz. When he is talking through his collar that translates his thoughts and gets distracted by a squirrel, I lost it laughing out loud in the theater. This is all of us! We are distracted by email alerts that pop up on the corner of our computer, sound notifications, a buzz on our Apple Phone to move (that is a good distraction), or a text message. We have so many distractions that interfere with our time management. Take this advice, and when you need to get things done, turn off notifications, put your phone on airplane mode and flip it upside down, put on noise-canceling headphones, and listen to some classical music (or whatever music will keep you focused). Organize your phone apps to keep your priorities straight. Take off your Apple Watch, so you don’t get buzzed, and do not visit any social media like Twitter, Instagram, or Tic Tok for a quick distraction unless you want to lose an hour of your study time. Don't Multitask As much as we all want to say we are a “Jack (or Jane) of all trades,” we must remember that the rest of that phrase is “master of none.” We all consider ourselves great multi-taskers, but the reality is we are not. Binging The Office while trying to write a paper or study does not work as well as you might think. So, here is some advice. Don’t watch Netflix and study—just study! Schedule in time for things like Instagram, YouTube, and texting your friends’ verses, fitting them in a while trying to finish a project for work or school. I know that seems tedious, but it will help you stay focused. Plus, you will learn to be more intentional and present in your classes and relationships, which will be a blessing to you and the people who matter most to you in your life. Keep a Running To-Do List One of the most effective time management tips I learned is the Top Five, Next Five, Future Five list. Here is how it works. Every day write out in your written planner (I like to use the BIS Planner or a Monk Manual) the most important five things you have to get done that day or in the coming days. These are the things that cannot be put off, they have a deadline, and it is today or tomorrow. Once they are completed, you can turn to the Next Five things and pull them up to the First Five. Next, write down your next five things that need to get done but have a later deadline or need the First Five to be completed to do them. Finally, write down your Future Five, which can be dreams, future spring break plans, but things you hope to accomplish in the future. They are not something that will happen in the coming week or even month. They could be things like a paper due in three weeks, but I like to reserve at least three things to my future plans, such as reserve an Airbnb for girls’ weekend on my Future Five. This tool keeps me focused and helps me get my tasks completed by the end of each day. It's OK to Say No There will be so many invitations to be a part of a club, Bible study, sorority, party, or even a date. Discern what God is calling you to do and what you need to have time to do. You can say no to friends and various positions or volunteer opportunities. You can even say no to a date if you are not interested in the guy. Saying no is part of your time management. If you know you have a paper due on Monday and you need to crank it out over the weekend and still make time to go to Mass on Sunday, say no to the dinner invitation or the concert you would love to attend. Let’s face it, the Covid-19 pandemic has made this easier to navigate because the typical distractions of events are lessened, but we will return to a time when we go to parties, concerts, and movies again. So, learn now how to say no! It is a necessary skill of adulting. Keep Your Relationship with God Central Part of your time management should be factoring in how you will make time for your relationship with God. In the last post in this series, Freshmen Spiritual Training Program, I laid out ways to do just this. I encourage you to read it over to keep your faith in God, the most essential relationship you develop in college and your adult life. There are a ton of time management hacks out there, but the thing is only you can make it happen. You control your schedule. Either hit snooze or wake up; either you schedule in when you work out or don’t. It’s on you and no one else, and I believe that you can and will do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil 4:13). Now, do it! What time management tips do you have for collegiate students? LITURGICAL PLANNERS Our Liturgical Planners are based on the Litany of Humility. Enter into prayer every day alongside this beautiful Litany. Order your days in His peace. GET YOUR PLANNER

I honestly don’t know how many first-year students this blog will be relevant to in 2020. Covid-19 has forced many students to Zoom from home verses zoom across the country to adult in a new way. Still, many students have chosen to head to their dream school, be assigned a random roommate, and start their college careers. For those who are taking this adventure one facemask at a time, we want to help make your heroic effort worthwhile; one that will create a home you feel safe in and grow in relationship with others. Tips for College Roommates Here are some helpful tips on roommates I have learned over the years and through my conversation with students on campus. Reach Out Before You Move In Most colleges will provide you with your roommate’s information well before you move into the dorms. They do this is so you can start to get to know one another before you move in. Connect on social media (maybe ask them to friend you and vice versa). Talk on the phone, FaceTime, or Zoom with one another about family, friends, faith, hobbies, and even majors. Share fears and excitement about college with one another. One fun way to get to know each other is to get on each other’s social media and explain what was happening in specific pictures to share different experiences you have each had in your life. Remember, dorms are small. Communication about what you are bringing and what they are bringing into the dorm can be beneficial so you don’t have two of the same items. You don’t need two mini-fridges in a dorm. Talk about decorating style and possibly even coordinate a little. I’ve realized girls like to decorate and have strong opinions on what they want their room or apartment to look like, so negotiate on styles and come to some way of decorating together. via GIPHY Communicate Expectations Everyone views college and living on their own differently. Some see it as a time to grow in virtue and relationship with others and God. Others see it as a time to throw away the rules and do whatever they want. This is why communicating your expectations and negotiating some rules is of the utmost importance. Rules can include everything from cleaning to quiet hours, to sleepovers, to laundry. You will be amazed at all the little things you do that will drive your roommate crazy, and all the big stuff (or tiny things you make significant) your roommate will do that will cause you to confess the sin of gossip. So let’s try and straighten some things out before you make your bed. via GIPHY Cleaning Not everyone has OCD when it comes to keeping a room or apartment clean. I have had students hang out at the Catholic Center primarily because it is more sanitary than their dorm or apartment. With the fear of Covid-19 in the world, I think roommates will strive for a cleaner environment, regardless, set some expectations for keeping your home clean. Share the cost of cleaning supplies and set a schedule for simple tasks like taking out the trash. An essential rule in any living situation is this: clean your dishes immediately after you eat! Your mess is your mess, not your roommates. I once had a roommate who left a greasy griddle on the counter for five days. I eventually washed it because ants were stuck in the grease (yuck!). If you want another rule for when you share cooking responsibilities, this is a great one: if one person cooks, the other person cleans. Another thing to consider is that doing someone’s dishes is an act of charity, so instead of having a dirty dish create tension, wash the plate and pray for your roommate while cleaning it. It’s a great way to grow in the virtue of charity. via GIPHY Laundry Everyone has laundry, and most college students will let it pile up until the underwear drawer is empty. Back in 1897, an incredible invention that was created, and it’s called the Laundry Basket. Use it! Do not have piles of your clothes and your roommate's lie everywhere. When the nose tells you your clothes are ripe for washing, pay the extra quarters, grab your books, and have a study session at the laundromat. via GIPHY Headphone Hours One of the biggest complaints I hear about roommates is that they are too noisy that I can’t study in my room. Early on, at least during the week, communicate quiet hours where you can study. Most people are respectful about watching Netflix or Hulu on their computers with headphones, but if they are loud with friends over or just disrespectful, talk to them. Establishing quiet hours (aka headphone hours) is a great way to avoid conflict. via GIPHY Discuss Alarm Clocks One of the biggest complaints I hear from college students is that their roommate hits snooze multiple times, and they are the ones who keep waking! Little annoyances such as a snooze button can lead to big problems, especially if it goes unspoken. Class schedules will be different, and your roommate might need to get up at 8:30 am to throw on some clothes, brush your hair and teeth, and be in a class by 9:00 am. However, your class doesn’t start until 11:00 am. Unless you are a person who can sleep through anything, this might throw your schedule. Instead of becoming an issue, wake up at the same time, do your morning prayers while she gets ready, or even make her wake-up time part of your workout schedule or study time. The point is, communicate and don’t let a silly alarm cause tension in your living situation. via GIPHY Sleepovers Whether you are talking about some girlfriends on a weeknight or a boyfriend regularly, sleepovers need to be discussed. If you don’t want sleepovers with friends during the week to study and sleep, say so. Concerning boyfriends or casual hookups, the last thing you want to be is exiled or “sexiled’ from your room. Do not assume your roommate has similar morals as you. If you are uncomfortable with men sleeping over, be strong enough to share your convictions. Your witness is a powerful reminder of your rootedness in Christ and His desire for your purity and dignity. via GIPHY Not Always Going to Be Your BFF I would say that it is rare that your BFF will be your freshman roommate. I mean, even Gilmore Girls showed us that knowing your roommate isn’t always an equation for besties. Rory knew Paris very well, and Paris told Rory, “I am not your mother or your hugger.” Most first-year roommate situations will be good, but they might not result in being best friends. via GIPHY Roommates Present Opportunities for Growth in Holiness Roommates during your college years will teach you a lot—possibly as much as your professors. They might have different political, religious, or cultural views that will help you grow and see the world through different eyes. They might bring you out of your shell or help you slow down and take the world in more. They will engrain in you a conviction of what is most important to you as an adult living in the world. They will teach you a lot about communication and the type of roommate you want to live with and be. Roommates are the best and worst part of college life. When you live in a community that has not formed or raised you since childhood, it is one of the hardest things you will do in your adult life. Lean on adult mentors, resident advisory, priests, campus ministers, and other adults you value to help you through tough situations. Most importantly, pray for your roommate and turn to God during the hard times. He is the best roommate you will ever ask for and will never leave a mess you have to clean up. What advice would you give regarding college roommates?   [bctt tweet="College 101 Series // Roommates #BISblog //" via="no"]

Preparing for your first semester of college comes with all the feels and emotions. Whether you are flying across the country or commuting a few miles away, there is a lot to consider and prepare for long before you make your dorm room your new home. Once you step foot on campus, it can feel like you are starting a half-marathon, trying to keep pace with the crowd around you. Well, I'm here to tell you that you have to find your own pace long before you arrive at your dream school. And a significant part of the speed you need to set in college involves making your relationship with God primary. Freshmen Spiritual Training Program If you have ever run (or in my case, walked) a half-marathon, you know training is necessary. You don't start the first day of training running 13.1 miles, that would kill you! No, you start by running three miles. Then, day-by-day and week-by-week, you add miles until you can run 10, and eventually 13.1 on race day. The same is true for all freshmen creating a spiritual training program; start with the basics and build up from there. The key is consistency! If you are serious about being active in your Catholic Faith and wanting to grow in your relationship with God, let me help you with a training schedule that I think will allow you to do both. What is Your Three Mile? If three miles is the minimum in a half-marathon training program, what is the spiritual training program equivalent to make your Catholic Faith primary? For most of us, our three-mile is going to be attending Sunday Mass and daily prayer. So, start there and be consistent. Put prayer time on your regular calendar, in your weekly calendar include the Sunday Mass you will attend. If you need a form of accountability, serve as a lector, usher, or Eucharistic Minister. If friends ask you to go away for the weekend, say you need to get back for the last chance Mass (typically at 9 or 10 p.m. on most campuses) and do not apologize. If your new friends do not support you attending Mass, maybe you're running in the wrong-sized running shoe. Find the fit that makes training a bit easier. via GIPHY 30-Minute Cross-Training During the week, you will break up your three-mile runs with 30-minute cross-training to keep your body active but at a lesser risk of injury. During college, you will find that your schedule will be more massive on certain days, but there are days when you have a lighter load. This is when you can do, what I call, 30-minute cross training prayer times: Stop into the Church for 20 minutes Pray a Rosary in between classes Listen to a Catholic podcast Read the daily readings and journal what God is speaking to you Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet Go to Confession (most Newman Centers offer regular Confession before daily Mass) Attend Daily Mass (they are typically 30 minutes) No one expects you to do this every day; your schedule will not always allow for it. However, the fastest way to grow during college is with small additions such as these. via GIPHY Adding a Mile When you train for a half-marathon, you typically will add one or two miles during the week to build up your stamina and strength. We need to do the same in our spiritual walk if we want our relationship with God to grow. What are some ways to add a mile during college? Weekly Bible Study or Small Group through your Campus Ministry Social justice ministry opportunities such as homeless ministry, tutoring, Habitat for Humanity, etc. Liturgical ministries such as being in a choir, hospitality, lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion One-on-one monthly Spiritual Direction (many Campus Ministries provide you the opportunity to do individual spiritual direction with priests, lay ministers, and religious sisters) Calendar in a weekly Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament Starting a weekly Blessed Conversation study or a monthly Blessed Brunch in your dorm via GIPHY Weekend Runs Typically, on Saturdays, your half-marathon training will increase to longer runs that will ask more time from your schedule. If your campus ministry offers weekend retreats during the year, I encourage you to attend. Connecting with a community who desires to grow in their Faith and running from the stress of studies—all while learning something new about Catholic doctrine—is a great way to prepare for the race God has for your life. This is a sacrifice of your time; however, the sacrifice is worth it in the end. via GIPHY Ten-Mile the Week Before The week before your half-marathon, you will run (or walk) ten miles. This is by far the most you will run before the 13.1 on the day of the race, and trust me, adrenaline kicks in for those miles you feel ill-equipped to run. Most colleges offer incredible opportunities to challenge you in your Faith, such as: alternative spring break mission trips leadership positions that help coordinate everything from special masses to retreats leading Bible studies and small groups come-and-see weekends for discerning religious life or the priesthood There is a reason you only run a 10-mile once before race day: you don't want to injure your body and risk the chance of not completing the race. The same is true in your faith life. You don't want to burn out or risk the possibility of not completing the race God has before you. These "Ten-Mile" opportunities happen few and far between to help foster a more significant understanding of Church, so if you can make them happen even once during your collegiate years, go for it. via GIPHY Rest and Stretch Sundays are typically a day to rest during half-marathon training. I guess even the best health trainers know how to keep the Sabbath day holy. Take a day to be still, rest, and allow yourself to hear the Lord. It would help if you found some sense of balance in college, which is not always easy. Balancing classes, sleep, exercise, health, mental health, work, study, and time with friends makes it hard to stay true to who God has created you to be, His beloved daughter. Part of stretching in college is finding the right community who sees you as God sees you. Rather than so-called friends who challenge you to stray from God entirely, you need friends who challenge you to grow in your Faith, hold you accountable, and call you out when you are not caring well for yourself. Make sure you find a community of sisters who will ask you about your prayer life, offer to help you when things are too hard, who will bring you coffee during midterms, and who will be by your side during a break-up. via GIPHY Race Day Your entire four or five years (or more if you are going for your masters or Ph.D.) is a marathon, not a sprint. However, the years will go fast. Take time to enjoy the race on the track that God has you running. Appreciate the people cheering you on from the sidelines like your parents, family, friends, priests, professors, and campus ministers. Count your blessings daily, because gratitude is one of the easiest ways to find college happiness. Stay hydrated by recalling the waters of Baptism that made you a daughter of God. Frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The night before a race, most runners will carb up so what better way is there to carb up spiritually than by feasting on the Bread of Life as often as you can. via GIPHY After the Race Take it from someone who, the week after her first half marathon, stopped training altogether and stopped running my minimum three miles. My body was tired and I just wanted to relax and let it recover (that's what I told myself). But once I stopped, I didn’t go back to the basic three miles for months. And once I stopped running, it was harder to get back on track physically. Spiritually, if you stop your three miles, you will find yourself growing distant from God and entering into relationships and habits that lead to sin. Living a virtuous life is not the goal when you cannot make the time to pray daily or go to Mass. So do yourself a favor, even when you are tired from classes, studying, working, and having a social life: make time for your spiritual three miles. Do not view this as a "have to" dictated by Catholic guilt or your parents. View your three miles as a “want to,” as in, I want to have a relationship with God, I want to grow in my understanding of the Church's teachings, I want to live a virtuous life, I want to have a community that will hold me accountable and point me to Heaven. via GIPHY College will provide endless opportunities to grow personally, professionally, socially, and spiritually. Remember, you don't have to do everything all at once; pace yourself and create a plan of life that will allow you to serve, learn, and pray like you never have before. Remember who you are and ask God who He has created you to be. Discern God's will as much as your own, and maybe, just maybe, by creating a spiritual training program before stepping foot on campus, your will might merge with His and lead you to a heavenly finishing line come graduation day. Will you be a freshman this year? We are praying for you! [bctt tweet="Freshmen Spiritual Training Program #BISblog //" via="no"]

I live in Southern California which means I deal with traffic all the time. To make matters even more fun, I work in Los Angeles, but live in Orange County, so I’m typically on the freeway at least two hours a day. Sometimes longer. It doesn’t matter if I take the 110, the 405, the 605, the 5 or the 105. I will face traffic. And yes, we say “the” before every highway, thank you very much! Ways to Pray While Carpooling or Commuting Therefore, I have had to get pretty creative with my daily commute in order to make the most of it and to incorporate some prayer time. So, if you have a long commute or even a short one, here are some fun ways to make your commute intentional. SiriusXM Catholic Channel My new car came with Sirius radio for free and now I’m hooked. I think if my commute were nonexistent, I would let it go. But when you have a long drive, it is nice to listen to something that challenges your mind as you pray for no traffic. via GIPHY It’s also great to have radio hosts who talk about Catholic issues, theology, and content. Whether you turn on the Jen Fulweiler Show, Conversations with Cardinal Dolan, The Catholic Guy with Lino Rulli, or the Busted Halo Show, you will always hear interviews that make you think about the Catholic Faith in our world today. You'll hear interviews with intelligent, funny, and authentic sisters and brothers who are living their Faith in the world today. Audible Books There are so many fabulous Catholic and Christian books to read, but when you don’t have time to sit down with a book in hand, Audible Books are a gift from St. Frances de Sales (patron Saint of authors). Many of your favorite Catholic authors have recorded audio versions or their writings. Personally, I find theological audible books to be difficult to comprehend while facing Los Angeles traffic, but many inspirational books are fantastic in this format. via GIPHY This also works for books like 33 Days to Morning Glory or Advent and Lent devotionals. Sometimes carving in the time to read these books can be difficult but audio versions are a new inspiration as you grow in relationship with Christ. Music, Music, and More Music Singing praise and worship music is by far one of my favorite things to do in my car. However, when there is traffic, I don’t typically listen to worship music. Why, you ask? Because I tend to speed up when I love a song and raise one hands off the steering wheel in praise. When you are listening to a queen like Stephanie Grettzinger at full volume and singing along, raising your hands might not be safe. But it's necessary. It doesn’t have to be just praise and worship music. It can be classical music that inspires you to reflect on the Word you read in the morning. It could be chant (be careful with this style when your sleepy). It could even be Gospel music, or whatever allows you to shout praises to God on high. The point is, you will look strange and people will point. But God sees and hears your praise to Him and will bless you because of your praise. via GIPHY Audible Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, or Stations of the Cross Every day as I drive home from work, I turn on Spotify to A Rosary Companion and pray a Rosary for everyone I promised to pray for during my day. Typically, this means I’m praying for my students at USC, staff members, friends I called on my way to work, or family that I know is in need. There are days I sing along to the Divine Mercy Chaplet. During Lent, every Friday I listened to the Stations of the Cross podcast which allowed me to reflect on the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. All these beautiful traditions keep me centered in prayer but still able to concentrate on the road. via GIPHY Silence I know what you’re thinking… If you want me to fall asleep at the wheel, silence during traffic is the fastest way to closed eyes. Yes, I agree. Sometimes this is not the best idea, but sometimes you need to turn the volume down and clear your mind and talk to God. I typically don’t do this before the coffee has kicked in, but after a long day where a lot might be weighing on your heart and head, silence is truly golden. via GIPHY Podcasts via GIPHY I could have a different podcast for every day of the week, and who’s to say I don’t? Monday is typically Fr. Mike Schimdt’s homily for the students at UMD Catholic. Tuesdays are my girls Heather Khym, Sr. Miriam, and Michelle Benzinger of Abiding Together (Yes, I have my coffee in hand, girls). Wednesday I will either listen to Jenna Guizzar and Beth Davis with Blessed is She’s podcast The Gathering Place or to Teachable Tuesday (I put it face down and just listen to it while streaming it online. Don’t worry, I’m not watching and driving). Thursday is my Friday, so I often listen to our BIS sister Katie Prejean McGrady and her husband Tommy on their podcast The Electric Waffle. The list could go on and on. There are so many to listen to and if need something to erase the miles of your drive to work, pick up line, or soccer practice, give some Catholic podcasts a try. Talk Out Loud to God Now that there are speaker phones in almost every car, no one questions when someone is talking out loud in their car. No one needs to know that you’re talking to God out loud or if you're on the phone with your bestie. The reality is you are talking to your bestie, Jesus Christ, so be loud, cry, shout, whisper, vent, or just share what’s on your heart. No one will think you are crazy and even if they do, who cares?! God is listening and it’s the best place for a one-on-one conversation with Him. I Just Called to Say I Love You Every morning I start my day reading the readings of the day in my prayer room and asking God who I need to reach out to or offer up at daily Mass. On most days, God places specific people on my heart to pray for and reach out to on my commute. If the person is the east coast or central time, they get a call from me on my way to work. If they are on pacific time, I will call on my way home. I check in with them, leave a message if they don’t answer, and just ask them how they are doing and how I can pray for them. Most of the time we will pray together on the call. It never ceases to amaze me how God knows exactly who to call. Pray More Novenas I just recently realized I can listen to Pray More Novenas online and I have become so much better at starting and completing a novena. It is simple, actually. I put the Audible link on my calendar, and it alerts me during my drive to work. I just click the link without even looking down and listen to the novena while I drive. Try it—it is a game changer. How Do You Pray on Your Commute? Consider one or more of these suggestions and if you have other things you have done, please share them with us. God wants to accompany you in your care, so get in the carpool lane because you have a legitimate companion on your next commute! [bctt tweet="Ways to Pray While Carpooling/Commuting #BISblog //" username="socaltriciat"]

A few years ago, I was busier than God wanted me to be, let alone expected me to be. I was doing what most of us do—more than God calls us to do. God has one expectation of you: to live your life as a disciple of Christ and follow Him. But for some reason, we have these false expectations that are either placed on us by ourselves or the world. We compare ourselves to others, commit to more than we have time or the ability to accomplish, and listen to the lie that our worth and identity is found in what we do versus our relationship with God. So how do we gain 20/20 vision on God's expectations rather than the expectations of others? Let's explore a few areas that cause us to have blurred vision and distract our gaze on Christ. Expectations and Comparison Fact: Jesus didn't meet the expectations the world had of a Savior. He was a carpenter's son who engaged in relationships with unclean sinners, performed miracles and healed on the Sabbath, and was condemned to death on a cross. So, why do we think we will meet the expectations the world has for us? Being a Christian will never look the way someone else expects being a Christian to look. The mission may be the same for all of us (to live as a disciple of Christ), but the way we are called to live out that mission will look different. So why do we compare ourselves to the mom who had a baby a month ago and already looks fantastic in her athleisure leggings, or the sister who just got engaged while you haven't been on a date in years, or the co-worker who got the promotion over you? Falling for the Lies Comparison has been around since the Garden of Eden when the snake compared man to God, and Eve fell for his lies. We continually want what someone else has, even if what they have isn't God's will for our life. Even St. Paul faced comparison to Apollos and had to defend the ministry God placed on his life. Paul wrote, "For someone will say, 'His letters are severe and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.'" (2 Corinthians 10:10). Did they honestly expect St. Paul to be amazing at everything? If Paul preached as powerfully as Apollos, would he have written the life-changing letters he wrote to the Corinthians, Romans, or Galatians? These letters and many more provide us limitless opportunity for contemplation and a greater understanding of the early Church. There was nothing within or absent from St. Paul that God didn't place or omit in him for a reason. The same is for you and me! God didn't place something within you or omit something from you for any other reason than he knew you didn't need it to accomplish His mission in your life! Just like Eve, we grasp at what God knows we don't need to accomplish His will. We compare ourselves to others and fail to see all God has given us to do one thing; be His disciple and follow Him. So, stop looking around, scrolling, or comparing yourself and begin gazing on the face of Jesus in the Eucharist and ask Him to reveal to you how you resemble His face as well as His Sacred Heart. Just Say No! If you are a child of the '80s, you remember the "Just Say No!" anti-drug campaign with our then First Lady, Nancy Reagan. There was also the incredible fried egg in a pan advertisement that showed us what our brains on drugs would look like. But the phrase, "just say no" is forever fried (pun intended) in my mind. You have probably heard it before: saying yes to something means you are saying no to something else. Everyone loves when we say yes to a party, a committee, a volunteer position at church, work, or school. No one wants to hear "no," but "no" needs to fall from our lips more than "yes." People expect to hear "yes," but your "yes" is not always what is right for your spiritual, mental, and physical health. You don't have to be a people pleaser. You only have to please your heavenly Father. One way to shed the guilt of other's expectations is to ask yourself if what you are saying yes to will leave you time to make your relationship with God primary. If the answer is nope: Just Say NO! The world will try to tempt us with fame, success, wealth, promotions, and the likes. But we must remember that if our identity comes from people, it can be stripped by people. If it comes from success, it can be stripped by failure. If it comes from something on the outside, it can be stripped from something on the outside. Therefore, make sure your "yes" is a "yes" and your "no" is a "no." Only then will God's glory be revealed, and His mission in your life fulfilled. Relationship Comes Before Identity A few years ago, my identity was defined by what I did rather than Whose I was (God's, of course). It became clear to me when I scrolled through my photos that the majority of them were of me at work. Very few were of me with my family, friends, or people who mattered to me most. What I put out into the world was an image of a very busy woman who was serving God through a beautiful ministry. But on the inside, I was someone defined by the conferences I was invited to speak at or the talks on the main stage I was asked or not asked to give rather than being a beloved daughter of God. Incredibly, something as simple as an Instagram account caused me to reorder my life from the inside out. I was too consumed with outside appearances, and that destroyed me from within. Shauna Niequist wrote in Present Over Perfect, "I don't know a way to remake anything without first taking down the existing structures, and that's what no does—it puts the brakes on your screaming-fast life and gives you a chance to stop and inspect just exactly what you've created for yourself, as difficult as that might be." You see, the world will tell us that what we do is more important than who we are. Then, maybe, if and when you have time, you can make time for your relationship with God and others. If I could place a sound effect in this blog, it would be a screeching tire sound or nails on a chalkboard to get your attention! Our relationship with God should be primary, above all other things, and all relationships in our life should flow out of our relationship with God. This relationship then forms your identity, not external worldly things. Then, and only then can we fulfill the mission God has for our life; to follow Him as His disciple. Let Go of Expectations God wants you to follow Him. When you follow Him so intimately that you are covered in the dust from His sandals, allow Him to clean you up. God does not expect you to be perfect! Therefore, give yourself a break. Receive the one thing He hoped to provide you from the beginning of time: eternal life with Him. Parents, bosses, church leaders, friends, family members, your in-laws, and spouse will always have expectations of you. Most of the time, it's hardest to live up to the expectations we place on ourselves. Therefore, the next time you are overwhelmed and feel as though you can't get anything right, find a quiet room or adoration chapel, list the expectations you face, and ask God a few simple questions: Do You expect this of me or from me? Is this expectation needed to accomplish the mission you have for my life? Do you struggle with living up to the expectations of others? How do you stay focused on God's expectations instead? [bctt tweet="How to Be Centered on God's Expectations Rather than the Expectations of Others #BISblog //" via="no"]

It started with numb feet and fatigue. But when you are living in Arizona, 120-degree summers made everyone fatigued. Numb feet led to my legs feeling chronically asleep, which eventually felt more like knives stabbing my legs with every step. Weekly doctor visits, where one diagnosis after another was eliminated, eventually led to the diagnosis that 30 years earlier took my grandfather’s life: multiple sclerosis. The Lies of Chronic Illness When I was first diagnosed, Satan had a way of speaking lies that felt so truthful. Lies of fear, loneliness, steroid sleeplessness, MRI anxiety, and bills that slowly ate away my dream of owning a home. But there was one lie that was called out the day after I was diagnosed. I heard Satan whisper that if a man didn’t want me without this disease, I would never find someone to love me now that I had MS. A good friend and his wife prayed for me the evening before. They called out this lie immediately. I Have Multiple Sclerosis, But God Has Me From that moment forward, I chose to embrace my life with multiple sclerosis by leaning into the Lord through: the Word (along with some pretty kick-butt Saints) suffering and surrender community the Sacraments love The Word It was July 2008, the year Pope Benedict called for the Year of St. Paul. The words of St. Paul provided a script for my year. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 taught me to embrace the “thorn in my flesh” and rely on God’s grace. For I would “rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell with me.” The Saints Great Saints and mystics inspired me the first year I was diagnosed, as well as the over eleven years that have followed. I love the bluntness and sass St. Teresa of Avila spits out of her mouth when she speaks of suffering: One must not think that a person who is suffering is not praying. He is offering up his sufferings to God, and many a time he is praying much, more truly than one who goes away by himself and meditates his head off, and, if he has squeezed out a few tears, thinks that is prayer.   St. Faustina wrote, “If the angels were capable of envy, they would envy us for two things: one is the receiving of Holy Communion, and the other is suffering." But the Saint that stole my heart and allowed me the courage to surrender this disease fully to God was St. Therese of Lisieux. I understood that to become a saint one had to suffer much, seek out always the most perfect thing to do, and forget self. I understood, too, that there are many degrees of perfection and each soul was free to respond to the advances of the Our Lord, to do little or much for Him, in a word, to choose among the sacrifices He was asking. Then, as in the days of my childhood, I cried out: 'My God I choose all!' I do not want to be a saint by halves. I'm not afraid to suffer for You. I fear only one thing: to keep my own will; so take it, for I choose all that You will!   St. Bernadette and Lourdes Another Saint I never anticipated encountering on my road of suffering was St. Bernadette. I was blessed with a pilgrimage to France to bathe in the healing waters in Lourdes. Bernadette became a companion of mine as I prayed in the Grotto where Our Lady of Lourdes introduced herself to Bernadette as the Immaculate Conception. I had never heard of the Marian apparition in Lourdes, France, but God wanted to reveal His mother to me in a powerful way. So off I went to Lourdes to be healed. I was not healed physically, but mentally, depression and helplessness were settling into my being. I am certain my depression was healed in Lourdes along with the understanding that, like St. Bernadette: I must die to myself continually and accept trials without complaining. I work, I suffer and I love with no other witness than His heart. Anyone who is not prepared to suffer all for the Beloved and to do His will in all things is not worthy of the sweet name of Friend, for here below, Love without suffering does not exist. Suffering and Surrender After Lourdes, this mental strength would be put to the test when my co-workers chose to run (or in my case, walk) a Rock-n-Roll half marathon. At the time, I couldn’t walk a mile without severe pain settling in. But one of my friends at work believed I could do it, so I registered. Alongside staff and my best friend, Shannon, I completed the entire half-marathon. I've complete four other half marathons since. You see, most diseases are 90% mental and 10% physical. If you can offer up the physical pain to the Lord as a prayer of redemptive suffering, you will find suffering to be an embrace of the Cross of Christ. Suffering will not be a chronic complaint; rather, it will be an offering of praise. Whatever you are facing becomes an offering to the Lord, a petition placed in the hands of Mama Mary. Even when it’s excruciating, attempt to view the pain and suffering as a splinter of the Cross. Most of what you endure will be a mental battle that through prayer, a solid spiritual director, healthy eating, and the occasional self-care treatment of a girls' night out, you will defeat. The 10% physical will feel like 100% on some days, and that is when you call in your tribe. Help! I Need Somebody! Help! It is important to realize that not even Jesus could carry the Cross the entire way on the road to Calvary. He had help! Remember a bystander named Simon? If you are going to thrive—not just survive—whatever terminal or temporary disease you have, you need a Simon. What makes you think you can handle any level of a disease without help? This was the biggest lesson I had to learn and one I have to remind myself of more often than the shots I have to give myself daily. I hate asking for it, but I must admit I need help! I can still hear the lesson on grace I was given early on. When I deny someone’s help, I deny them the grace God wants to pour into their lives to provide me the help I need. Why would I deny someone grace from God? Why would you? Allow God's Grace to Flow So, when you need help cleaning your home, or require a drive to a doctor’s appointment, or you just don’t have the strength to make a meal, call in your tribe. This is where my Blessed is She sisterhood has given me the greatest strength. They have driven miles and miles to participate in MS Walks with me, brought wine and ice cream over during flare-ups, wiped away tears, and prayed for healing over and for me. Never hesitate to allow God to pour grace on your tribe and grace upon you through them from a simple word of admittance: help! Sacraments and Love Ultimately, the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist have provided me my greatest strength. I can still remember standing in the church and feeling various symptoms like Lhermitte or crippling fatigue. With all the strength in me, I went forward to receive the Eucharist with the full knowledge that His strength would be sufficient in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). I can still recall the confessions where I confessed my greatest fears, my doubt of His love, and the grace being poured over me to move forward not relying on my own strength but instead relying on God’s. Receiving Love I know I hid most of this from the world. When you have a terminal disease, you become a really great actor. Oscars could be given for some of my early performances. But I could not hide anything from God. Not in my prayer, not in the confessional, not in my pain. And I couldn’t pretend to surrender; surrender was a necessity. There is still a desire to hide much of my disease from my family and friends. Honestly, I believe watching someone suffer is harder than suffering yourself. No one can take the pain, fears, symptoms, debt, or moments of desolation from someone they love. But the love and prayers you receive from the people in your life and from the Lord Himself will get you through the valleys. Invite Him In You will have hard days and you will have days where you feel like your energetic old self. All I know is unless miraculous healing could provide God glory and bring a non-believer to believe, I would never wish to be healed of multiple sclerosis. Sure, I say that now when I feel pretty great. But I said this when I was temporarily blind, when I struggled to walk, and when I was still being tested and unsure of what I even had. This disease will have family questioning God’s presence and possibly even have you questioning why He is allowing this suffering in your life. Invite Christ into everything your disease will bring you: each chemo appointment, every ache and pain, every appointment, MRI machine, and surgery, each restless night of sleep, every tear you shed. Invite Him to be present in all of it and listen to Hear his breath exhale on your restless soul. You will hear His heartbeat the closer you rest your face to His chest in Adoration, and you will gain a relationship with the Lord that rivals the Saints. He is Making You a Saint He is making you a saint through this trail. And like the Saints, this splinter of the Cross will open the gates of Heaven to receive you. We do not belong to the world any more than Christ belonged to the world (John 17:16). This suffering is temporary. Endure it the way Christ embraced the Cross, and every person you encounter will encounter Christ in you. [bctt tweet="I Have MS, But God Has Me #BISblog //" via="no"]

Congratulations! You graduated from college! All the studying, cramming, stressing, writing and test taking is over! You’ve worn the cap and gown, and you listened to the famous commencement speaker. via GIPHY You’ve taken the pictures with family and friends, and you have that piece of paper that should be made of solid gold since it cost that much to hold in your hands. Which leaves the “Now what?” question lingering in the air (as well as every conversation you have with family and friends). As if that question has not repeated in your mind over and over and over again... But wait, what if you inverted those two words and asked, “What now?” instead? Instead of fearfully questioning the future, what if you chose to embrace the mystery of the unknown? Tips for Transitioning from College Let me give you some Graduating From College 101 tips to help you. I’m not talking about interview skills or networking ideas. I’m talking about practical ideas on how to grow in relationship with God and others while leaving the safety net of college. So break out the highlighter one more time for some honest ways to embrace the future God has for you! Find a Church and Get Involved If you were lucky enough to have a solid Campus Ministry at your university or campus, you were blessed to have a campus ministry staff and priest preach directly to what you were going through during some of the most formative adult years of your life. Well guess, what? Those days are over. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you now have to find a parish community that is not catering to your age demographic. Finding a parish that has a young adult community can be difficult but not impossible. I know in my post college years, I started a young adult community since we didn’t have one at my parish. That group rooted me in Christ and helped me discover a deep hunger for truth. In order to keep growing in your faith, you need to root yourself somewhere, not wander aimlessly. If you haven’t read John 15 in a while, I want to encourage you to open your Bible and reflect on the need to be attached to the Vine. I see so many young adults jumping from parish to parish searching, but not rooting themselves anywhere. How do you expect to bear fruit when you are not attached to a vine?   Most young adults shop for a parish till they find one that feeds them spiritually. One of our devotions writers found such a parish. When she did, she scheduled a meeting with her pastor to see where her gifts could be used and what ministries the parish had to offer. I would encourage you to do the same. This requires that you know the spiritual gifts you have in the first place, which leads to my next tip... Assess Your Spiritual Gifts I know what you’re thinking and it is the humble thing to say. You either don’t know what your spiritual gifts are or you don’t think I have any spiritual gifts? via GIPHY Well, there is no room for false humility in this blog post, sisters. Sure, for the past few years you have been so hyper-focused on studying, internships, work, and some sort of social life, you have had little time to think about your faith life. Now, you have time to really uncover your spiritual gifts and see how they can be used to glorify God. Nell O’Leary did a fabulous Spiritual Gifts Workshop that is worth your time to watch. Once you have completed the workshop, you will be able to have an honest conversation with your pastor or spiritual director about various ministries, non-profits, or other service organizations you can get involved in. Who knows, God might be calling you to start something new at your parish, with a group of women, or in your city or state. But there is one thing for certain, it starts with assessing your spiritual gifts. Find Your Tribe One of the hardest parts of leaving a university, especially if you went away for school, is the sudden loss of friends. In college, your friends become your family and once everyone moves away to find work or return home, you feel a little lost. Many of the relationships you had in college will sink similarly to the friendships you once had in high school. Some will float to the surface and be there like a lifesaver throughout your adult life. Regardless if they sink or float, don’t sit around and drown in loneliness. Get out there and find your tribe! via GIPHY Host a Blessed Brunch at your apartment or home or attend one in your city. Get involved in a young adult ministry in your diocese or parish. Host weekly Wednesday night dinners where everyone brings a pot luck item and you have non-surface conversations where you talk about what is actually going on your life and where everyone is in their relationship with God. Get out of the house, call people to get coffee, go to the gym, go to a happy hour after work with co-workers, serve in a ministry at your parish, or go to daily Mass and pray for the tribe God has for you. Put effort into forming new relationships and work to keep them alive. Don’t Believe the Lies and Don’t Give into Fear I hate to break it to you, but it is hard to find work once you get out of college. That dream job does not come easily and you might continue to work at Starbucks or Red Robin longer than you planned. You might even move back home with your parents. But this doesn’t mean you are less than anyone else who got that full time job with benefits the second they moved the tassel. There are a lot of lies we hear when things are not going according to our plans. There are also a lot fears that rise up when bills and student loans pile up. In one of my favorite books, Searching For and Maintaining Peace by Fr. Jacque Philip. He breaks fear down into two main categories: fear of God’s provision or fear of suffering. Most of the lies we hear come from one of these two beliefs. Let me give you an example. via GIPHY You hear in your minds that you will never meet the man of your dreams. Guess what? You fear God’s provision and timing as well as suffering loneliness. You are going through serious financial problems and can barely make rent. You are giving into the lie that God won’t provide for you. The thing is that He often provides when we put our pride aside and ask for help and lean into the community He has given us. Sometimes what we need isn’t just money, we need trust in the Lord and all He provides us.   Leaving the comfort of college and the safety student loans and grant money provide is not easy, and neither is trusting God when we haven’t really given that surrender thing a try before. Find a Spiritual Mentor or Director One of the greatest gifts in my young adult life was my spiritual director and mentor. Having someone to help discern major and minor decisions, moments of desolation and consolation, and someone who helped me grow in my faith walk helped me more than I can put to words. My spiritual director helped me strive for balance while finding my worth and value not in my career or job title, but in being God’s beloved daughter. via GIPHY I can’t imagine where I would be if it weren’t for my family, church community, and spiritual director. I would never have taken the leap of faith into youth ministry and that leap opened me to a life I could never have ever imagined. So do yourself a favor and find someone who has a deep relationship with God and a spirituality that you desire and seek their mentorship. Celebrate Finally, celebrate! You did it and what you just completed deserves praise. You will find work, you will find community, and you will find your vocation all in God’s time. Have some fun and celebrate what God has done and will do in your life. He is celebrating you and is proud of your accomplishments. via GIPHY

When I was a college student, the only thing I wanted to do during Spring Break was sleep. I didn’t have money to go on a vacation with friends. And, to be honest, I was intimidated by the party scene MTV projected on their Spring Break programming. With so many “study abroad” options on college campuses, Spring Break doesn’t have the same attraction for college students as it once did. Why limit travel to a week in Spring when you can study in Europe for semester, am I right? Alternative Spring Break Ideas for College Students Maybe you don’t have a study abroad option and you feel the same way I once did about Spring Break. So let me try and paint another canvas for you to contemplate for your upcoming or future Spring Breaks. You don’t have to blind anyone with your pale or ashy skin in a bathing suit after this winter’s polar vortex. In fact, you can make this spring one where you grow closer to God, enter into Lent in a more profound way, and give Him all the glory. If that sounds inviting, consider these alternative Spring Break options. Personal Retreat One of the best Spring Breaks I ever had was when I took a personal retreat where I knew no one! Better yet, I couldn’t even talk to anyone but a spiritual director. If you haven’t guessed, it was a silent retreat, and it was powerful. Look into local or distant retreat options such as a Blessed is She Shine retreat, an 8-day Ignatian retreat, or a silent retreat. Sign up and sign out! Tell your friends and family that you will be away, turn off the cell phone, and stop. Take naps, shut your brain off from studies, and allow your eyes to focus on the Lord, not your screens. This will feed the hunger you want satisfied more than any Vegas buffet or night club. Choose Your Own Adventure For the past few years, I have been blessed to have Holy Week off work. Each year, my best friend and I would go on an adventure. One year we went to New York City to celebrate her birthday, another year we road tripped to California. Then, we did the most adventurous trip ever: we hiked the Grand Canyon to Havasupai Falls. Havasupai is the only place in the United States that still gets mail by Pony Express. The waters are crystal blue and the terrain was rough to hike. We took this adventure the year my dad died, and my father loved camping. It was a trip where I felt close to my father and my Father. Adventure enlivens your soul. It could be taking a hike with some friends for a day, going paragliding, visiting a museum, or taking a photography class. Regardless of what your adventure is, choose something you have never done and bring a friend along, or just your Bible, journal, and Jesus. See the world with new eyes; see the world through Christ’s eyes. Serve There are so many service opportunities that you can look into locally and abroad. Habitat for Humanity was one of my favorites long before Chip and Joanna came on HGTV. Giving back and serving so that a family can have a home to call their own allows the Beatitudes to come to life. Working with power guns and hammers might not be your style, so find what speaks to your giftedness and call that organization to volunteer today! Mission Trips through Campus Ministry As a Campus Minister, one of my jobs is to coordinate the Alternative Spring Break Mission Trips. This year we are traveling to New York City, the Dominican Republic, and Tijuana. Our FOCUS missionaries are also taking students to England and Peru. There are countless ASB Mission Trips through your university and Campus Ministry programs on campus so connect with your Campus Minister to see what is available. In addition, some diocesan and parish young adult ministries have ASB Missions or even pilgrimages, so check with them to see if there is anything you can be a part of. Theology of the Body Institute One spring I decided to grow in my Faith knowledge by attending the Theology of the Body Institute. I have to admit that when my instructor said that the course was a master’s program crammed into a week, I started to sweat. But the course was not overwhelming. In fact, I would describe it as prayerful, full of truth, healing, and challenging in the best way possible. If you want to grow theologically, check into a week-long program such as TOB Institute or connect with your diocese to see what they offer in formation or conferences. Go Home Of course, you do have parents and you might be missing your siblings a bit, so there is always a trip home that speaks to your heart. Take some time to actually be at home and visit with your parents. Offer to help around the house and maybe even take your mom or dad out for dinner or a fun family day. Maybe you can purchase a copy of To the End and do it with your sisters and mom during Lent and in person while you are home. Go to Mass with your family or even Reconciliation with them. Make it a Spring Break they will remember for years to come. Whatever you decide to do, bring Christ into it. Make time for the Sacraments and time with the Lord. Alternate how you see Spring Break and allow the Lord to bring new life into your heart this Spring. What are your plans for Spring Break this year? [bctt tweet="Alternative Spring Break Ideas for College Students #BISblog //" username="SoCalTriciaT"]