Ask any of the teens in St. Andrew's Youth Group to tell you one thing about me and I guarantee one of the first things out of their mouths will be "Joanna is addicted to her cell phone."
It is true, I cannot deny it. I have everything on my phone that I could possibly need in a day. Facebook, Twitter, E-mail...it is all there. Not only can I put anything out into cyberspace with one push of a button on my blackberry, but I can access what everyone else puts out into cyberspace as well. No questions asked.
Technology is amazing, but if it is not used wisely it can cause some serious damage. We don't like to think about it but it is true.
A great friend of mine just wrote an article that sums up what has been on my mind a lot lately. I could not have said it better myself if I tried!!!
Check out the scoop on DIGITAL DRAMA here:
Team Catholic: Digital Drama
Monday, March 15, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Lenten Check up
We are 19 days into Lent (21 if you include Sundays) and how are we doing?
If you are anything like me you've probably fallen off the wagon once or twice, caught yourself mid-bite into that delicious brownie or just flat out given up. We are half way there. We can do it!
But why do we need the pep talks? Why do we "sacrifice" with such complaining hearts? What does not eating that chocolate or drinking that coffee actually do for us? The answer is nothing if we do no remember WHY we are doing it. Our sacrifices make us look ourselves, examine our hearts and our motives. It is hard, and it certainly is not pretty. If we are making these sacrifices just to prove to ourselves that we can last 40 days without something, and relying on ourselves to make it through than we have missed it!! As we enter the second half of Lent I pray that we are able to check our motives,look at our hearts and ask Jesus to show us what He is desiring from us through our sacrifices this Lent.
The first place we should be looking as we examine our hearts is the cross! Join us this Friday for Stations at 7:00 pm and soup afterwards in the Kominski room! What better way to kick off the second 1/2 of Lent?
If you are anything like me you've probably fallen off the wagon once or twice, caught yourself mid-bite into that delicious brownie or just flat out given up. We are half way there. We can do it!
But why do we need the pep talks? Why do we "sacrifice" with such complaining hearts? What does not eating that chocolate or drinking that coffee actually do for us? The answer is nothing if we do no remember WHY we are doing it. Our sacrifices make us look ourselves, examine our hearts and our motives. It is hard, and it certainly is not pretty. If we are making these sacrifices just to prove to ourselves that we can last 40 days without something, and relying on ourselves to make it through than we have missed it!! As we enter the second half of Lent I pray that we are able to check our motives,look at our hearts and ask Jesus to show us what He is desiring from us through our sacrifices this Lent.
The first place we should be looking as we examine our hearts is the cross! Join us this Friday for Stations at 7:00 pm and soup afterwards in the Kominski room! What better way to kick off the second 1/2 of Lent?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Forty Days of What?? Water!
What is your favorite thing to drink? How often do we spend money on that soda, coffee, latte, tea while we are out an about when we have something that many people in the world don't have, and it is right at our fingertips....WATER! I know it is hard for us to truly understand that their are actually places in the world where clean, drinkable water isn't an option...but it is real and we have a chance to help!
If you are up for the challenge join me in spending these next forty days setting aside the money I would have spent on coffee, soda, etc. and drinking only water so that money can help build a well in Africa!
Here are some other ways you can participate in 40 days of water and still make a huge difference in Africa:
1. If 40 days of no drink but water is too difficult (and it IS huge) then pick one day a week that you will set aside to just drink water. Set that 2-3 bucks aside in a jar and you will be amazed at the end of Lent what you have to offer!
2. Pick ONE beverage you will fast from...say soda...and place the money you would have spent on soda in a jar each time and see what it looks like at the end of Lent.
These are just a couple of ideas to get you going. We will talk about it a little more on Sunday. I for one am already missing my coffee, but it helps to know that my sacrifice will help someone in africa get to have even one sip of clean water! We can do this!
We will have a bucket at youth group for money, as well as one in the back of the church just in case you can't make it to youth group. Feel free to have your own jar at home and bring it in at the end. We will send our money to the bloodwater mission at the end of Lent!
Check out the promo video and get excited:
Forty Days of Water Challenge
If you are up for the challenge join me in spending these next forty days setting aside the money I would have spent on coffee, soda, etc. and drinking only water so that money can help build a well in Africa!
Here are some other ways you can participate in 40 days of water and still make a huge difference in Africa:
1. If 40 days of no drink but water is too difficult (and it IS huge) then pick one day a week that you will set aside to just drink water. Set that 2-3 bucks aside in a jar and you will be amazed at the end of Lent what you have to offer!
2. Pick ONE beverage you will fast from...say soda...and place the money you would have spent on soda in a jar each time and see what it looks like at the end of Lent.
These are just a couple of ideas to get you going. We will talk about it a little more on Sunday. I for one am already missing my coffee, but it helps to know that my sacrifice will help someone in africa get to have even one sip of clean water! We can do this!
We will have a bucket at youth group for money, as well as one in the back of the church just in case you can't make it to youth group. Feel free to have your own jar at home and bring it in at the end. We will send our money to the bloodwater mission at the end of Lent!
Check out the promo video and get excited:
Forty Days of Water Challenge
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Why?
Small Child: "Mommy, why do you have that stuff on your head? Why do I have to get it too?"
Mother: "Honey, because...because it is Ash Wednesday. It is just what we do."
Yes, this happened.
I was surprised by how quickly the answer was given, and how matter of fact it seemed. The child asked no further questions. The answer satisfied his curiosity,and that was clearly demonstrated by how quickly he went back to eating his cheerios. I, however, was not satisfied with the answer. The words "It is just what we do" have been rolling around in my head all day and it is only now that I'm realizing why. Those five little words have a lot of power in our daily lives, especially our spiritual lives. As Catholics we are often found most guilty of just doing things "because it is what we do" and by responding to the richness of our faith that way we are not only doing ourselves a HUGE disservice, but each of the people in we come in to contact with as well.
There is a lot that will be going on in these next 40 days that we could totally get away with doing "because it is just what we do" (no meat on Fridays, dirt on our heads, giving things up, taking things on, not saying alleluia at mass...) but I want to put the challenge before you to ask the question that little boy asked his Mom, WHY?! And get ready for the ride of your lives because we've got the next 40 days to learn about the beauty, richness and love that comes with sacrifice.
Got your ashes ready?? I'm all in...are you??
If you want to get a jump start before youth group sunday check out these sites:
Team Catholic
Are you ready?!
Just for fun...
Mother: "Honey, because...because it is Ash Wednesday. It is just what we do."
Yes, this happened.
I was surprised by how quickly the answer was given, and how matter of fact it seemed. The child asked no further questions. The answer satisfied his curiosity,and that was clearly demonstrated by how quickly he went back to eating his cheerios. I, however, was not satisfied with the answer. The words "It is just what we do" have been rolling around in my head all day and it is only now that I'm realizing why. Those five little words have a lot of power in our daily lives, especially our spiritual lives. As Catholics we are often found most guilty of just doing things "because it is what we do" and by responding to the richness of our faith that way we are not only doing ourselves a HUGE disservice, but each of the people in we come in to contact with as well.
There is a lot that will be going on in these next 40 days that we could totally get away with doing "because it is just what we do" (no meat on Fridays, dirt on our heads, giving things up, taking things on, not saying alleluia at mass...) but I want to put the challenge before you to ask the question that little boy asked his Mom, WHY?! And get ready for the ride of your lives because we've got the next 40 days to learn about the beauty, richness and love that comes with sacrifice.
Got your ashes ready?? I'm all in...are you??
If you want to get a jump start before youth group sunday check out these sites:
Team Catholic
Are you ready?!
Just for fun...
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