Walk By Faith

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." – Psalm 23:4

If you watched the Discovery channel on Sunday night this past weekend I'm sure you were sitting at the edge of your seat, waiting in anticipation to see if tightrope walker, Nik Wallenda, would make it across the Grand Canyon. Nik Wallenda is famous for doing these dangerous high-wire stunts along with the rest of his family. He is a descendant of the daredevil stunt performers known as the "Flying Wallendas." He lives in Sarasota, FL with his family near the Ringling Circus where he practices for these events.

Although I have never met Nik or his family I have been to Sarasota several times to visit the Ringling Museum. They have beautiful artistic masterpieces there, to include my one of my favorite paintings known as The Blue Madonna by the Italian artist Carlo Dolci. The Ringling Museum is most definitely my favorite part about going there. Also, Sarasota is a very gorgeous city right near the water! I can attest to the fact that Nik is very blessed to live with his family in such a beautiful Floridian area.

Nevertheless, no matter where he may be, Nik always keeps himself grounded in prayer as he performs these major hire-wire stunts. Last year I saw him on TV as he crossed the Niagara Falls from the United States into Canada. That was quite a risky endeavor. However, I noticed Nik seemed to keep calm as he muttered the praises of Jesus along the way.

In his recent tightrope walk Nik crossed the Grand Canyon much the same way as he did over Niagara—but this time he was even more vocal about calling to the Lord for guidance and strength. He thanked Jesus, our Lord and Savior, over 60 times as he walked to the other side. Watching his body language, I could tell he seemed to be much more uneasy with this walk compared to his others in the past. Maybe he felt more uncomfortable since he was standing on a 2-inch wire that swayed in the turbulent winds at about 1,500 feet over the Grand Canyon! Although he seemed to be very unsettled by the situation he was in, Nik kept praising God the entire time. He remained focused and unafraid as long as he kept his thoughts and prayers on Jesus.

This reminds me of the story of Jesus walking on the water. When Peter had seen Jesus standing on the ocean waves, in the middle of the storm, he got out of the boat and started walking towards Him. But at the very moment he lost eye contact with Jesus his thoughts shifted away from the Lord and he became frantic—starting to sink into the sea. Then Jesus reached down and pulled him back up, saying, "You of little faith. Why did you doubt?"

In comparison, Nik Wallenda also battled the elements of the major winds coming up from the Grand Canyon, much like Peter did in the storm. However, Nik never lost complete concentration on Jesus. His entire walk was a constant prayer. Even when the wind became too much for him to handle he knelt down to regain his balance on the wire. He did this several times to ensure his safety and trusted that the Lord would get him across to the other side. Being human, I could tell that he seemed worried at times...but it was at those moments when he called out to Jesus more.

Just as my sister said the other day, "Nik Wallenda crossed the Grand Canyon! Truly an incredible testimony for faith in God and how dreams do come true." The point is, he never gave up when it was hard, he never quit on his dreams, and he never stopped believing that Jesus would come trough for him. He is a great example of total trust and surrender to God. His family even prayed together beforehand for his strength and protection.

I am so happy that he followed his dreams of walking across the Grand Canyon and gave witness to Jesus Christ in this modern-day world. Millions of people across the globe watched him that night! It is truly remarkable to the reaction people gave him in being so outspoken with his faith. Nik even got #Jesus trending worldwide on Twitter that night. What a blessing for so many people to see the miracle of this man walking 1,500 feet above the Grand Canyon and making it to the other side alive and unharmed! How incredible!?

It just goes to show that we can get through anything if we trust in the Lord Jesus. He is there for us, always watching, with every little step we take. We just need to be more aware of His presence.

With that said, I want to leave you with a recent message from Our Lady of Medjugorje. She always calls us to draw nearer to God. I truly believe, like Nik Wallenda, that is what we must do with our lives. Everyday we live is a new opportunity to draw closer to God. One day we will get there when we reach the gates of Heaven, but we always have an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Him each passing day. Also, we must help our other brothers and sisters in Christ along the way to the path of salvation as we go through our own journey.

On June 25th 2013, the 32nd Anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje, the Blessed Mother Mary said:

"Dear children! With joy in the heart I love you all and call you to draw closer to my Immaculate Heart so I can draw you still closer to my Son Jesus, and that He can give you His peace and love, which are nourishment for each one of you. Open yourselves, little children, to prayer—open yourselves to my love. I am your mother and cannot leave you alone in wandering and sin. You are called, little children, to be my children, my beloved children, so I can present you all to my Son. Thank you for having responded to my call."

            

To Jesus Through Mary

"And Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I am a virgin?' And the angel said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.'" - Luke 1:34-35

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a splendid holiday with family and friends. This is a joyous season because even after Christmas day we still celebrate our Savior's birth until the Epiphany in January. The Nativity of Jesus is so beautiful to meditate on. As we reflect on this we recognize how Jesus was brought into the world, through the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the flesh. God became human, which no one had expected at the time, to save humankind from sin and lead us to salvation. Without Mary, His mother, this could have never happened! This is what Christmas is all about. Christmas itself entirely revolves around the fact that Mary gave birth to the Christ Child.

Recently, I spoke with a friend of mine who was a convert to Catholicism. Over the years she has become closer and closer to the Blessed Mother. From her conversion she realized that not only did Mary bring Jesus into the world for us, but she is also the way for us to get to Jesus. Mary is the link between humankind and God. Although she was human too, the Madonna was born immaculate and divine. She is sinless and pure. She is the Queen of Heaven and the Holy Mother of the living God...making her our own mother too.

In this time, as we continue to celebrate the Christmas season, let us honor Mary for her humble and obedient "yes" to conceive and bear the Son of God. Let us praise the little baby Jesus as He comes to us lying in a manger of a lowly stable. Let us be like the shepherds who heard the angels and came flocking to surround the newborn Messiah. So the next time you go to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament put yourself in their shoes. Picture yourself in the Nativity scene and meditate on what it would be like to see Him on the very day of His holy birth.

          

Medjugorje Visionary Marija Visits Notre Dame

"And Mary said, 'My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has has done great things for me—holy is His name.'" 
- Luke 1:46-49

On November 15th the Medjugorje visionary, Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti, came to the University of Notre Dame for one of her daily apparitions. She came to witness to those living in South Bend, IN about the Medjugorje messages coming from Our Lady. My cousin, Lauren, attends the University of Notre Dame and she was fortunate to be able to go to this event with my aunt. Mary TV also streamed a live video feed online. (Click here to read Cathy Nolan's reflection of this event from Mary TV's perspective.) This was such a blessing! Because of this broadcast my family and I were present for the apparition as well, via the internet.

During the apparition you could see the peace of Our Lady's presence come upon Marija while she was in ecstasy. It must be so wonderful to see the beauty of the Blessed Mother everyday! What a gift! I cannot even imagine.

After the vision, Marija gave her testimony to all who gathered there. I was surprised to hear her speaking in English. Since I have done a lot of research about Medjugorje I know that this particular visionary never studied the English language. It was absolutely amazing to hear her witness in our own native tongue. When I went to Medjugorje in 2010 my family and I stayed with the visionary Ivan. Even though he knew how to speak English, he would always use a translator while giving a testimony since he was more comfortable speaking in Croatian. I am so glad Marija choose to speak in English this time. It was much easier for us to relate to her by hearing the witness given in our language.

While Marija spoke she reflected upon the reasons of why Our Lady is coming. Is is very apparent that our society today is corrupted in sin and in great need of the Blessed Mother's presence. At the event Marija relayed the message of God which came from the Blessed Mother, stating, "I am God, the Resurrection. I am the God who was crucified and died. But I am resurrected! I am with you and I died for you. But I give you freedom. In this freedom you have a choice. Good or bad. I call you for goodness." The Blessed Mother also added, "I call you for new life. It's your choice. It's your choice to say yes or no." 

It is so sad that numerous people across the globe have stopped following Christ. They have given up on Him and are looking to the world for their satisfaction. Some people even claim to be "spiritual" but not "religious." Spirituality can be very dangerous if it is not within a religious context, such as Christianity. This usually means they are following New Age trends or satanic influences. Those involved in these cults and/or do not believe in God are in grave danger. What they do not realize is that they are putting their own soul at risk of losing the opportunity of enteral life. That is why Our Lady is coming for them. She is coming to give them hope. She is coming to give all of us hope and the grace of conversion.

Marija's testimony rang with truth and conviction. Like she said, we need to give our "YES" to God. We need to accept Him into our lives to strengthen our faith day by day. Only in this way can we inherit His holy kingdom. Paradise is waiting for us! All of us! If people seriously knew this who would ever say no to happily ever after? But, as Marija testified, it is our choice. It is our choice to accept or reject. By rejecting Christ we have essentially rejected eternal life. But if we accept Him into our life and our hearts we accept His glorious kingdom. During this "Year of Faith" let us give our entire "YES" to God. Let us glorify the Lord like Mary did with her "YES" to becoming the mother of Jesus. For she has truly given us the greatest example in accepting the Will of the Father.

         

Can You Paint With All The Colors Of The Wind?

"Like the appearance of the bow in that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." - Ezekiel 1:28

Hello friends in Christ! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while. My schoolwork has been very hectic lately. But God has definitely been helping me a lot to get through this rough patch. Anyways, I wanted to share with you about the wonderful colors God has bestowed upon us in His amazing creation! Recently I had several coloring assignments for my classes. It's funny because I'm a senior in college and my professors are giving me things to color—like when I was five. However, I'm not complaining, it was a lot of fun.

For my Renaissance class we were all given panels from the Sistine Chapel. Each person in the class was assigned a partner to color with. The panels were separated into several sections. It was our job to color them with the right colors and to keep the panels seamless, in doing so. The girl I worked with gave me some of her colored pencils to use so we would both be using the same colors for the panels. The assignment ended up turning out very well. It is so bright and vivid. The colors are absolutely beautiful! The section of the Sistine Chapel we colored was the throne of The Delphic Sibyl. She is one of the most beautiful figures Michelangelo painted on the ceiling. Her garments contain hues of deep oranges and reds, light greens, and various shades of blues.

Michelangelo, The Delphic Sibyl, Sistine Chapel, 1509

After coloring the large panel sections I recalled Our Lady's recent Medjugorje message. On September 25, 2012, she said, "Dear children! When in nature you look at the richness of the colors which the Most High gives you, open your heart and pray with gratitude for all the good that you have and say: 'I am here created for eternity'—and yearn for heavenly things because God loves you with immeasurable love. This is why He also gave me to you to tell you: 'Only in God is your peace and hope, dear children.' Thank you for having responded to my call."

After reading her message over again I just walked around my campus and took in all the beauty, the colors, and the light God has given us. He has created the most wonderful and glorious work of art in history—which is the Earth and life itself. Just think about how many beautiful things in this world can leave you in complete awe...such as the ocean, the sky, the sun, the clouds, the mountains, the aurora borealis, all of the rainbows, waterfalls, trees, flowers, plants, animals, etc. The list goes on and on! With every form of creation we have amazing colors. This world has so much beauty to offer. For instance, there are so many colorful fish under the sea, vividly painted flowers of the Earth, multicolored butterflies, picturesque landscapes, blazing orange fires, and crystal blue waters. We need to take the time to appreciate the beauty around us. Even admiring the metallic feathers of a peacock, created by the Most High, illustrates our understanding of God as the ultimate creator of beauty and wonder. Having an artistic background myself, I have learned to appreciate this beauty even more deeply.

Maybe you have heard of Akiane Kramarik. She is an artistic child prodigy. She started drawing around the age of four. Without any art lessons she began to paint mesmerizing pictures. Her imagery came from visions she received from God at a very young age. Akiane is known for painting portraits, scenic landscapes, religious, and spiritual images. She tends to use extremely vivid colors for her compositions. At ten years old she painted Creation (2005), a colorful depiction of the stars, planets, and galaxy. This is Akiane's interpretation of the universe which came from God, Himself.

Akiane Kramarik, Creation, 48"x48", Age 10 (2005)

She painted another incredibly vivid image in 2006. Again, her interpretation of Heaven came from these visions. This piece is called Supreme Sanctuary, completed at age eleven. Talking about this painting, she said, "In Heaven I believe there is a place where each of us will be able to choose and create a sanctuary. I believe that certain things will be somewhat similar to the earth and many things completely different. This is the garden and a mansion I would like to plant and build. In fact, the colors in the original painting are so unique and mysterious that it was almost impossible to reproduce them for the print reproduction."

Akiane Kramarik, Supreme Sanctuary, 30"x40", Age 11 (2006)

Akiane's striking images speak to us through the colors she utilizes inspired by God's creation. Although there are many beautiful creations in this world, the most beautiful of all is God's mother—the Blessed Virgin Mary. Akiane also painted a portrait of Mary, titled Innocence, at the age of twelve. She describes the painting as her interpretation of purity, gentleness, beauty, and humility. Even though she is not Catholic, Akiane recognizes the importance of Mary and her eternal, youthful, glorious beauty.

Akiane Kramarik, Innocence, 48"x60", Age 12 (2007)

Observing God's creation and the beautiful colors in found nature, I'm sure you have heard the famous song that correlates to this topic. It is from Disney's Pocahontas called "Colors of the Wind." In the movie, Pocahontas asks her friend, John Smith, "Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?" This seems impossible, right? The wind itself does not have color. It is invisible. And yet, everything it touches is saturated with color. Even though we cannot see the wind, we know it is there because we can feel it. This is the same as our Lord. Although we may not see Him, we can always feel His presence among us through His beauty in nature.

Even though we are speaking about visible colors, the song is also referring to our way of life. Like an artist, striving for perfection, we must also strive to seek perfection in our own lives. Living according to His word is key. Can you just image painting the most beautiful, colorful, and glorious picture of yourself to offer God at the end of your life? I don't mean painting a physical painting. I mean painting the image of your persona with the actions you live in this life. Let your soul be illuminated by the love of God. Only then will you be able to reflect all the colors of the rainbow. So having said this, may I ask you a question...can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Check out my Pintrest page and view my board "Beautiful Places" if you are interested in seeing more of God's beauty. I love to pin stuff! So check out everything. I even have some great Catholic boards you can follow and pin from. Enjoy! 

Beauty Of The Lord

"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us!" - Psalm 90:17

Today my friends and I went to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, FL. It was such a beautiful day! And it is St. Patrick's day, what a blessing. Perfect sunshine, clear blue skies, a gentle breeze, blooming springtime flowers, and sparkling water on the bayshore. Not to mention what was actually inside the museum -- which was gorgeous works of art, mainly attributed to Roman Catholicism. I saw images of St. Sebastian, St. Jerome, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul, St. Joseph, the Blessed Mother, and many more. It was awesome to see all of this beautiful religious art in one place -- in so much detail, up close and personal. I have been there before, but just being able to see it all again was wonderful. All of my old memories from high school field trips started coming right back to me. I loved it!

I saw so much beauty! Beauty in the art, beauty in the day, and beauty of the Lord. The Lord was very much present in everything today. I thank Him greatly for giving me this opportunity to spend time with my friends and with Him throughout each moment of today.

All of this beauty is so joyous and wonderful! But interestingly enough, one of my favorite paintings that I feel is the most beautiful is Carlo Dolci's Blue Madonna -- which happens to reflect Mary's sweet tenderness, but with a heavy heart. She looks downward, expressing melancholy, but her innocence and purity is shown in the radiant light cast on her face. Recalling the seven sorrows of Our Blessed Mother I feel a connection to her loving heart filled with pain. For she, the most beautiful woman of all, loves every single one of us just the same way she loved her Son. And even with so much agony to losing her Son on the cross, her love still prevails with a gentle sweetness -- as seen in this painting; for the overwhelming darkness cannot evade the light. It is in this light we see a gentle beauty and warmth that comes from the love deep inside her soul. This is how I wish to be like the Holy Mother, to let my life be a reflection of the deep love and brilliant light inside my own soul. To portray His love and beauty so that others may see it and seek it for themselves.

And that my friends is the beauty of the Lord, as seen in all things. From the beautiful sunshine of a day to the beautiful light that dwells within your own heart. So make sure that when you want to express the love of God in the most beautiful and pure way possible -- that you do so with a warm and gentle glow, like Mary. Do not hide or dim your own light to blend in with the darkness. For if given the chance, your light will shine and prevail with beauty captured by the Lord Himself -- giving both Jesus and Mary great joy in doing so.