Year of Faith

Well, I'm back.  And with a vengeance!

Not really, about the vengeance part.  But the blog, yes, is back.

I was lounging around today, still in my pj's, cup of tea in hand, embracing the calm peace that is Fall Break, when I started pondering on the importance of today- the beginning of the Year of Faith.  

I knew that this “Year of Faith” was approaching, but in the chaos of life, I kept on putting off my research into why this is the Year of Faith and what the means for me.  So I got out Esperanza (trusty computer) and began google-ing.  One of the purposes of this year is to engage in a deeper and more profound faith.  Sounds like a call and a challenge to me (something I've never shied away from), so I began to ask myself, "What am I to do?"  

Cue new searches of "what to do for the Year of Faith."  There are lots of ideas.  Pray the rosary more, attend adoration, watch videos, read this and that, get more involved in church, read a blog, share your faith, evangelize, go to mass, go to confession, practice gratitude/trust/humility/forgiveness.  Fantastic ideas!  And all are areas in which I need to grow.  But, what shall I do.  I thought and prayed about it all day and then it came to me—return to my blog!

Why make my Year of Faith project a return to blogging?  Well, the reasons abound.  This may have begun as a blog about Honduran adventures, but hey life itself is an adventure, why limit my blogging life!  Since leaving Honduras I've received a few requests to continue the blogging, but I gave myself a myriad of excuses and put it off.

Over the past few (very challenging) weeks, though this nagging often arose: "If only I could blog about that . . . or that."  Why?  Well for one, I love to write.  I always have.  My writing may be exceptionally wordy, but I do enjoy it.  Shockingly, journaling was never been a part of my life until two years ago.  Now I do it almost daily and crave more.  Two, sometimes things are easier for me to say in words.  I'm not a phone talker.  I get nervous and anxious and never say the things I really want to say and when I hang up I think...Gee why didn't I or if only I said...  Three, there's something encouraging, hopeful, and inspiring about writing to a community.  Sometimes writing in my journal for just myself doesn't cut it.  I don't always receive comments on my posts and I don't need them (although *hint* I do love them :-) nor do I know if anybody is actually reading this, but the thought that I'm sharing with some sort of community inspires me to keep writing, sharing, growing, serving, loving, yadda yadda yadda.  Four, life since moving to Denver is HARD.  It's lonely, challenging, overwhelming, busy, and frustrating.  It’s filled with joy, laughter, adventure, and love, too—just like Honduras.  So, I ask myself, why not share it? 

Five, something that has been "missing" (or better put developing and growing) since moving to Denver is community life.  The past three years of my life I've spent living in intentional community with others.  And I LOVE it!  I love everything there is to eat, sleep, live, and breathe about community.  And having known that life for 3 years, I miss it.  A LOT.  I'm incredibly grateful for my small and growing community in Denver, but I miss having spirituality as a built in part of my day and an intentional group of people to come home to. Since moving to Denver, I've had to shift a lot of my practices from community-oriented to internally oriented, which is incredibly difficult for an extroverted person like myself to do!  It was easy for me to deepen my faith and learn and grow and challenge myself when others were around to push me, teach me, grow with me, and hold me accountable.  And while I'm the luckiest because I still have those people praying for me and pushing me from afar, it's different.  I find myself becoming increasingly lazy about things when I'm my only physically present "pusher."  So, again, the blog seemed necessary.  I know that if I have a community (albeit an unknown cyberspace one) I'll be more inspired to read and learn and grow and have people to share it with.

So here it is a new twist on my blog.  Daily life, photos, joys, sorrows, and adventures with some additional faith-filled musings thrown in.  No expectations, no requirements, but an outlet to share with a blogging community my life, my adventures, and my year of faith.