My All in All

I spent hours last night talking and listening to God and can I just say...He is AWESOME!!!!!!

I am so ready Lord....ready to give You everything I am!! Take all of me...use me. I am yours.

Whether its a risk, a chance, a mission, or just living each moment for You....show me the Way!!!

I will follow You. I will live for You. I will die for You. I am loosing myself in You.

Hear is the song that my heart is singing:

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising up again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

I'm Falling In Love

Do you know what the most incredible grace in the world is? When Jesus speaks directly to your soul. I am so amazed that He cares enough about me that when He sees that I am drifting away, He takes all measures to get me back. Sometimes it might take a shock. It might take pain and suffering to get me back...but He does. It hit me the other day when I was talking to my mom about my highschool years, that I haven't been the easiest daughter to raise...lol
My mom would never say that but looking back on everything I have done and every crazy path I've traveled on, my parents have shown the greatest love and support all along the way!
The point is, sometimes you've gotta fall down before you realize that its no one's fault but your own that you've hit the ground AGAIN. Whenever I seem to loose control of my life, its than that God intervenes and takes control. It astonishes me that I keep on trying to take control when all I need to do is turn to my Father in Heaven and say "I trust you"
It all comes down to surrender in the end...surrendering everything to God.

I have big news...I am falling in love!!! And its the greatest gift in the world!
He makes me want to get up and scream how much I love Him!!! I am falling in love with a perfect man. I am falling in love with a king. I am falling in love with my Creator. I am falling in love with a man who wants me to be with Him forever...eternity!!
I am falling in love with Jesus Christ.
So why not let Him be your love? He's mine. I am falling so in love with Him. Seriously, if you are not falling in love right now...listen to Him. He is proposing to you right now!
It is time to discover the life-changing intimacy with Jesus that you are called to and the ultimate love relationship of all time!! No matter what your age or love status, you are His bride and the very object of His affections. The secret to an abundant life lies not in steps, rules, or other people, but in developing a deep love relationship with Jesus, letting His intoxicating love bring life to you, and abandoning yourself to the greatest romance of your life!!
Personally, when I check my deepest desires out and I dig deep...at the root of everything lies this wild desire to belong to Him and to love him. Falling in love can be hard because of trusting and because as human beings we do fail each other. So falling in love with Christ should be the easiest most wonderful experience in the world! He is trust. He is love. He is safety and peace and everything our hearts long for. There comes a time when everything fades around us and as we watch our walls fall down, we realize we are'nt strong enough and we no longer feel safe. But if Jesus Christ is the center of our lives and we are in love (in a personal relationship) with Him, He will raise us above all our pains, our failings and other's failings as well and we will stand unbroken before Him.
Personally, I want to loose myself in Him and let Him capture my heart. I know I am tired of running away because love doesn't seem safe. Love will be safe when your ONE TRUE LOVE is Christ.
(Yet another thing I have heard my mom say over and over and over again..."He is my only true love." - Her solution to everything and it is pretty amazing)
The answer to everything is Jesus. So lock eyes with Him and He will take care of everything around you!!

Take A Trip Through My Head haha

I was thinking today about what makes life so beautiful and how we should all make the best out of it! Who knows, if I was to get into my car and get in an accident and die, would my time here have been as precious as it should have been and did I live to the standards that would send my soul into the loving embrace of Christ? What about the people I love? Did I love them to the fullest and give them everything that I could? When it comes to love...I want to give it like Jesus did, and at the end of my life I want to know that I did EVERYTHING I could to show true love and charity to those around me.
And than I was thinking about caring what people think. So many people I know have been caught under that sad weight. Honestly, stop caring! It really will set you free! Stop being weighed down by someone else's opinion. Your you, darn it! Your not him and you most certainly aren't her, so just be you and you will find that you live the best when you are living your own life. I've been there and done that and trust me, only when you live for Christ, for love, and you do what YOU love and what inspires you, can you truly live.

And when life throws a hard one at me, I truly believe that giving up is not an option. I have been surrounded by people who fail because they except failure as an option when it is not. You'd be surprised what tough stuff our hearts, minds, and wills are made of. You know what? If you don't know that you have been defeated, you haven't been. So why not let the way you handle hardships mold your character and turn you into a strong and loving person? The first step is facing your problems. It does'nt matter if you created them or if other people are creating them for you. Somehow that pain and that problem has become yours. I used to look at any kind of pain or hurt like a stranger. Thats because I had never felt it deeply and I never knew what to do with it on my own. But I eventually did and at that moment I knew I had the choice to give it to Christ and live in peace, or break beneath its heavy weight. Why not give it all to God? Give your life to Him. Give your love to Him. Give your pain and hurt to Him. Give your joy to Him. And when you realize that His hands have been outstreched from day one...give your heart to Him and let Him embrace you! And don't let anyone convince you that giving up or being comfortable enough not to try harder, is a path to choose. That's the devil right there. Don't ever stop moving foward and growing and loving more than you did yesterday and hoping and dreaming.
And live life to the fullest...enjoy all those little gifts God gives you. For example, stop for a minute and listen to the birds singing. Maybe its sitting in the park and closing your eyes and feeling the sun on your face. Or maybe its just getting away and going fishing. Or maybe your weird like me and you get a rush from sitting on the beach, drinking coffee and enjoying a sunrise or (I hope I'm not out of place...I am an Italian) enjoying a sunset, drinking a little wine with some expresso choclate and laughing with my family.
I don't know if going from living like your going to die, to coffee, wine and choclate made any sense to you...but welcome to my crazy head haha
What I'm trying to say is: Live, Love, Laugh and do it all in the loving embrace of your Father in Heaven!!!

Christian Music

Just as classical music moves me, Christian music really hits home. Christian music is the principles and morals of our faith, and the true meaning of life, set to music. How awesome is that? I am so grateful for all of those talented and gifted musicians who go out and spread the faith through music. It is an undeniable and beautiful gift that we, as Christians, should take total advantage of.
I was very gifted to see Third Day, Toby Mac, Sanctus Real, Sara Groves, Mat Maher, Casting Crowns, and other Christian Bands in concert. Last time I saw Third Day was when The Pope came to New Jersey. It was a truly amazing experience, and now Third Day is coming to New Jersey again on June 5 for their Revelation tour. Anyone who knows me, knows that Third Day rocks my world. If you are gonna rock...rock for Jesus!
Check out "Born Again" by Third Day
this song got me through painful and joyful times:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fw9EDKGHTU

and if you ever wondered what love is exactly, listen to my seconf favorite song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geVbSntnOd8

The Beauty of Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ja-c1fsZd0&feature=related

This song is just one beautiful example of how music can touch the depths of one's heart and bring light to that part of you that has never felt light. With music, you have to let it flow over you and through you and feel it around you. You have to really feel the intensity and joy it brings. Music is one of those gifts that God has given to us and it should always be thought of as one of the greatest gifts. In a way, music and faith can go hand in hand. I know that I am passionate about my faith and my love for God. I am passionate about music as well. There is a beauty and art to music and love. I believe that there is an art to loving and persevering, just as there is an art to music.
Personally, my life experiences come out in the music I play and there is a very sensitive part of me that music alone can touch. The art to express oneself through music and to let it relate to your every pain and joy, is in every human person's DNA. It is a part of who we are.

Against the Tide

What a beautiful gift life is. I feel so blessed and filled with joy that God has given me the opportunity to be His child and live my life to the fullest in His love.
I believe that no matter what the future will look bright from every angle when Jesus reigns supreme. The closer I grow to Him, the closer I grow to complete happiness.
Life is Awesome and Amazing and Perfect with God!
I remember begginning highschool and wondering why I constantly felt like I was swimming against the tide. But thats exactly what I was and am doing and there is nothing more fufilling in life than to follow in Christ's footsteps.
He said, "“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’^b If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."
So go out and proclaim the WORD.
Live it, love it, and let it reign supreme in your heart!

IT IS BETTER TO HAVE LOVED, NEVER TO HAVE LOVED AT ALL

"It is better to have loved than never to have loved at all" ~ St. Augustine



In our world today, love is so confused. The true meaning of that enduring and sacrificial love is so beautiful and it is right there in each of our hearts...right there for the taking. We all have the potential to fall in love. We were all created to love.

I believe that the only way you can truly love, is to give your heart completely to Jesus and allow him to do with you and mold you as He wills. He will always love you and never forsaken you. Its truly beautiful and the joy and peace He will fill you with, is truly amazing and fufilling. When you fall, it is God who will pick you up and give you hope.

What will make you special? What will make you and your love stand out from everyone else? The answer lies in Jesus Christ. His life in you will show and it will draw what is good to you. They will know we are Christians by our love. So love. Love. Love. Love. And if you get hurt along the way, surrender to God. Nothing comes without a cost.

Smile, laugh, be joyful, live without regret, give life your all, live like your dying and remember that He is waiting for you in Heaven, arms open wide. Abandon everything to Him. His love will be intoxicating and it will wash over you.

"Come, let us fly to that love which calls us. Why are we waiting? Let us set out at once, lose ourselves in the very heart of God and become intoxicated with his love. ..there we will learn how to win His kiss and ascend with confidence to the steps of the nuptial couch and learn there the divine secrets of love - divine secrets which muist not be revealed and which no human tongue can describe. Let us love, for love will give us everything." - Jean - Pierre De Caussade



Is that not the most beautiful description of God's love? Those words move me to the depths of my soul. I will place my broken heart in His hands and I have complete faith that He will not only make it completely whole, but bring true love to life again within it.



"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."

In our world today, it is so hard to stay pure and chaste. It is so worth it though. The reward is greater than any moment of pleasure. It is an everlasting bliss in Eternal Life with our Savior! So why not fight for that!!! Is'nt it worth fighting for? We all learn by trial and arror and none of us are perfect. When we fail we must get up and move onward like the soldiers of Christ that we are. Even God's faithful and loved servant David fell into the greatest of sin. The quality that made David so great was that he kept getting up and asking forgiveness of His father and paying the price for his sins. Ultimately, true happiness is our goal and the only way we can obtain it is through unselflish and pure love. Here are some beautiful quotes about purity which I thought were absolutely beautiful and inspiring!

"Only the chaste man and the chaste woman are capable of true love."
- Pope John Paul II

"Chastity is a difficult, long term matter; one must wait patiently for it to bear fruit, for the happiness of loving kindness which it must bring. But at the same time, chastity is the sure way to happiness."
- Pope John Paul II

"Deep within yourself, listen to your conscience which calls you to be pure . . . a home is not warmed by the fire of pleasure which burns quickly like a pile of withered grass. Passing encounters are only a caricature of love; they injure hearts and mock God's plan."
- Pope John Paul II

"[God] has assigned as a duty to every man the dignity of every woman."
- Pope John Paul II

"To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and loving him enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something as beautiful for him."
- Blessed Mother Teresa

"'Purity?' they ask. And they smile. They are the ones who go on to marriage with worn-out bodies and disillusioned souls."
- St. Josemaria Escriva

"By Lust I mean that affection of the mind that aims at the enjoyment of one's self and one's neighbor without reference to God."
- St. Augustine

"There is need for a crusade of manliness and purity to counteract and nullify the savage work of those who think man is a beast. And that crusade is your work."
- St. Josemaria Escriva

"Many live like angels in the middle of the world. You, … why not you?"
- St. Josemaria Escriva

"When you decide firmly to lead a clean life, chastity will not be a burden on you: it will be a crown of triumph."
- St. Josemaria Escriva

"When you have sought the company of a sensual satisfaction, what loneliness afterward!"
- St. Josemaria Escriva

My two favorites are:

"To defend his purity, Saint Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, Saint Benedict threw himself into a thornbush, Saint Bernard plunged into an icy pond . . . You . . . what have you done?"
- St. Josemaria Escriva

"Don't say, 'That's the way I am-its my character.' It's your lack of character. Esto vir!-Be a man!"
- St. Josemaria Escriva

I also read some really good article by Jason Evertt who is a youth speaker on chastity.

"To begin with, sexual attraction toward each other has been stamped into your heart by God not by the devil. There is nothing sinful about being sexually attracted to a someone. It is normal and healthy. Do not feel guilty about sexual attraction because it is not the same thing as lust. Just because you have strong desires, this does not mean that you are impure.

Lust is a different matter because it is a conscious act of the will to allow your mind to imagine illicit sexual acts. Lust treats the person as an object—a thing to be used for your pleasure. Therefore it is a distortion of love, and it will never satisfy.

Jesus wants us to have the fullness of love and not sell ourselves short with lust. So he warned us that whoever looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matt. 5:28). By saying this, Jesus is not condemning us but is calling us. Work as Saint Paul did to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

In regard to what to do with tempting thoughts, I recommend what I have recommended elsewhere: If you have impure magazines, videos, and music, get rid of them. Become a man or woman of prayer. Be patient with yourself. Impure thoughts are bound to come. Take it one day at a time, one minute at a time, and one thought at a time. Do not get overwhelmed. Purity of heart does not mean that you are never tempted and that you cease to be sexually attracted to others. Some people even think that they are pure just because they do not have strong desires. Purity is an act of the will to love, not the absence of sexual desire."

In speaking to young men, he said,

"One way to grow in purity is to be grateful for the beauty of women. Lust and true gratitude cannot coexist. So when you see an attractive woman, instead of thinking of her as a mere temptation, give thanks to God for making women so amazing. You could pray the words of Psalm 84, "How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Mighty God!" How fitting, since every woman is a temple of the Holy Spirit, a dwelling place of God.

All beauty comes from God. Therefore, allow the beauty of every woman to remind you of the infinitely greater beauty that awaits you in heaven if you persevere in faith. By doing this you turn your heart toward God when you otherwise may be tempted to turn away from him. Now, I’m not recommending you gawk at a woman and offer a twenty minute prayer of thanksgiving, or you seek out gorgeous women for the sake of having more reasons to be thankful. Rather, be grateful for a woman’s beauty when you notice it, and then move on.

All that God asks is that you be faithful to him as he reveals himself to you in the present moment. He loves you and will give you the grace you need to maintain your purity. As you grow in control over your mind, you will have greater control over your body. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

The point is we all need to look at purity as a gift from God and it is that special gift which we will give away, freely, to our spouces one day, or Jesus Christ in religious chastity. Either way it is a gift which our Father has given to us to give to the one whom has chosen for us.

"Don't be such as coward as to be 'brave.' Flee!"
- St. Josemaria Escriva