I Hear Wedding Bells ❤

Elissa Anne Photography

"When I found him whom my soul loves; I held onto him and would not let him go." 
– Song of Solomon 3:4 

At last, now the world can behold the beautifully married Catholic couple everyone's been chatting about recently, Mr. and Mrs. Robert (Bobby) Angel. How appropriate that their last name is Angel, right? These sweethearts are such a great example to other Catholics who are currently in relationships of their own or are in the midst of discerning the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. If you don't know about these two newlyweds, Jackie and Bobby, you can become accquainted with them through their blog posts at http://jackieandbobby.com/. Nevertheless, this cute couple finally took their vows of true, pure, everlasting love for each other during their wedding Mass in California on August 10, 2013.

I haven't personally met either Jackie or Bobby, but I have come to love who they are through their postings on their blog, Facebook, and Twitter sites. These two lovebirds seem to be perfect for each other! However, they were not always together. The first time I ever heard about Jackie was from a YouTube video that showed up in my Facebook newsfeed a few years ago. It was called the "Ache of Singlehood." In this video Jackie describes the ache a heart feels from being single as a single woman herself. But she notes that it is a good ache because it's ultimately our longing for a deeper relationship with God. Jackie explains that no human person can satisfy us and only God can fill that void, or that longing, deep within our hearts. And the deeper relationship we develop with Him the deeper our trust and our love will be for Him.

This trust helps us to give our heart's desires to God and wait for His holy Will to transpire in our lives. If we are called to a married life then this ache is just another confirmation that we are destined to that particular vocation. The hard part is waiting. All of us single ladies feel that it is an endless wait for our Prince Charming to sweep us off our feet. But on the contrary, look at Jackie now! She was one of those ladies too, but now she is happily married to the man of her dreams! In the end, waiting for the right guy to show up is much better than settling for the wrong one.

Although Jackie did not know her future husband was Bobby during the making of the video, shown above, you can see how much peace she had from trusting God. This type of peace comes from accepting singlehood as a gift and learning to make the best of it until Mr. Right comes along. You can see she was perfectly happy and content being a single woman even though she still had the ache for a relationship. However, she developed her relationship with God more and more everyday. She continually grew to love Him better and more perfectly than the day before. Along with that, she prayed a 54-day-rosary novena for her future husband who was actually in the seminary when she met him.

Of course every Catholic girl knows that seminarians are off limits—otherwise you are given a bad rap and are known as a "chalice chipper." So obviously she wasn't intending to befriend him as more than a friend. But it looks like God had different plans. Apparently Bobby was still discerning his call to the priesthood and was open to let God redirect his path, if need be.

After spending time together on a retreat for Theology of the Body the pair of them became inseparable. In his blog post Bobby states, "I was still technically a seminarian, but I was given such clarity and peace during this week [at the retreat] with Jackie that I knew this was the sign I had asked God for." Both Jackie and Bobby knew they had found "the one" even though they didn't vocalize it until much later. It was all about trusting in God's Will and God's timing, which they both did. They even found each other on a retreat that brought them closer to God together! How wonderful!? Jackie and Bobby have a remarkable love story. You can continue to read more about their courtship on their blog by clicking here.

Besides the two of them being the cutest Catholic couple ever, their story (which they kindly shared with us on their blog) is a story of hope for all of those who are also waiting for the right person to be united with in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. As a girl, most of us women want to meet the man of our dreams and marry him in our early or mid-twenties. But even when Jackie saw her other friends get married or become engaged she kept her faith in God that He was still saving the perfect person for her in His perfect timing. And guess what? He did! His timing was not too early and not too late, but just right. Maybe if Bobby was never in the seminary he would have never gone on that retreat or met Jackie. But since they both heeded to the Will of God they found each other under the right circumstances, in the right place, and at the right time.

Also, just as a side note, this "Catholic" world is so small that I feel very devout Catholic people are all connected somehow (besides the Eucharist in Holy Communion, lol). Apparently Bobby Angel was a seminarian from my own diocese here in Florida, the Diocese of St. Petersburg. I actually know some of his seminarian friends and Father Victor Amorose who said one of his first Masses as a priest at my home parish of St. Paul in Tampa. Father Victor attended their wedding ceremony along with my local bishop from St. Petersburg, Bishop Robert Lynch (seen in the photograph above). Bishop Lynch anointed me with the Sacrament of Confirmation many years ago and now he's blessing this couple with the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on their wedding day! How beautiful!

So for all the single ladies, like myself, please don't give up hope on finding your Prince Charming. He is out there right now, living and breathing in this very world we live in. He will come when the time is right if you let him by trusting in God. Give God all the desires of your heart and surrender to His Will with complete trust that He will fulfill them. If you really love God and believe this I guarantee you won't be disappointed. You will only be disappointed if you don't surrender, otherwise you will have no regrets.

And who knows? Maybe you've already met your future husband or maybe you already have mutual friends with him and you just don't know it yet. Personally I believe if you are an ardent and devout Catholic you are probably less than two degrees of separation between you and your future spouse. Like I said, we truly live in a small "Catholic" world. Everyone seems to know each other! It is a beautiful thing. But as you are waiting to meet "the one" my advice is to lift up your intentions for your future beloved during Mass at Holy Communion. That way the two of you will meet every week in the flesh of God until you truly meet in the flesh—face to face.

Here And Now

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34

I've realized sometimes we think too much about the future and what it holds. It's good to plan ahead for certain things in the short term. But most of our long term situations are out of our control. God wants us to be present where we are at this time. By thinking so much about the future we miss out on today. Dwelling on thoughts that question where we are headed in life make us doubt the Lord and what He has to offer. 

God knows the desires of your heart. He truly wants to give you all that you desire and more! But in order for His plan to transpire we must trust and surrender to His Holy Will...even if we do not yet understand it. It can be extremely difficult to give all of your fears and worries to Him, but that is where faith comes in. Faith, in itself, is complete trust. Igniting our faith in the Lord with prayer and supplication helps us to release our fears and surrender to His Will.

Every once in a while I'll catch myself thinking about why God put me in Florida, where I am today. I never chose to be here, but here I am. Don't get me wrong... I'm ssoooo thankful to be here! I love living in the Sunshine State. I love my friends, family, church, school, Disney World, beaches, and everything else about Florida. But sometimes I wonder where my future husband is. It makes me sad to think maybe he's not living close to me...and then I think maybe I would be happier living there, wherever he is. However, now I see that it doesn't matter if he's living half way across the world... I know God will bring him to me at the right time, in the right place, at the right moment, and in the right way.

Right now, apparently, I'm not suppose to be with him. Right now I'm just suppose to be living my life as myself — a Catholic college student (in Florida) that loves God, family, friends, and being an artist. You are also meant to be where you are today. The school you go to, the place you work at, the friends you meet, and the city you live in is all part of God's plan for your life. It's so easy to get caught up in "what if" scenarios. But at the end of the day, all the possibilities don't matter. What matters is right now. Just by dwelling on the future doesn't help us get there. It's what we do now with the opportunities presented to us which will produce an outcome... hopefully in accordance with God's Will if we've surrendered to Him.

All of this reminds me that a few days ago on Twitter I saw @TheSingleWoman post, "You are where you are, at the time that you are, for a reason. Don't waste it by wishing to be somewhere else." That really hit home with me. As I approach graduation I still wonder where God wants me to go. But dwelling on where I should be or shouldn't be, as I said before, won't help me get there. Just by taking it one day at a time I'm sure that I'll find out where I am suppose to go and how I will get there. Trusting in the Lord takes patience! This is why I'm currently praying a 54-day Rosary Novena for my future husband and career path. In time, God will answer me. I just have to patiently wait for His answer while continuing to be the best person I can be, which is what He calls all of us to.

As for you young ladies seeking a future spouse, I found this blog post by The Catholic Young Woman called Right Now, which I encourage you to read. It's really good! The post is filled with lots of insight on why prayer is for now and being with your future beloved is for later. I would also recommend that you pray a 54-day Rosary Novena for your future spouse. A really funny Catholic lady, Jackie Francois, prayed this novena and miraculously received her answer! Right now she is 28-years old, and even though she would have liked to have met her beloved earlier in life, this was the right moment for her. I'm so happy for Jackie and Bobby! They are an adorable couple. If you'd like to check out their blog site go to this link: http://bobbyandjackie.com/. They have a great inspirational story that gives hope to us young woman who are seeking a holy, Catholic man of God.

I truly believe God has a very special purpose for your life. Don't lose hope if you feel that you're not sure where to go. Just put all your faith and trust Him even when it is tough. I guarantee that you'll be happier and more satisfied with yourself in the end if you do than if you don't.  ...Thanks for reading my blog post! Have a wonderful day and God bless. :)

Prayer of the Rosary

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." - Luke 2:19

Hello dear friends in Christ! Today I wanted to let you know that I posted some videos on YouTube so you can have the opportunity to pray the rosary with me! The rosary is such a wonderful prayer that really helps you to mediate on the life of Jesus through the eyes of Mary, His holy mother. It is more then just repeating a set of "Hail Mary" prayers over and over again. It is a way to reflect on scripture and translate that into our own lives.

In the prayer of the rosary Mary intercedes on your behalf before the throne of God with your petitions. By praying this prayer you are given special graces in your life. The power of heaven will come upon you. It will strengthen you to become more holy and to grow in faith day by day. The rosary helps to lead you away from sin and brings you closer to God. Bishop Patrick Boyle once said, "No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary. Either he will give up the sin or he will give up the Rosary." With this amazing prayer it is as if Mary, the mother of God, walks you through her Son's life, taking you by the hand, to meet God Himself.

How wonderful is that!? I can personally attest to the amazing graces bestowed on our family through the power of the rosary. It can work miracles! If more people knew the true power of the rosary they would never want to stop praying it. Sometimes other Christians do not understand the rosary and its meaning. They might think we worship Mary, as Catholics, but that is not true. That is so far from the truth it almost seems laughable.

We, as Catholics, love Mary... just like you love your own mother. We go to her in prayer to ask for her help and intercession with our own intentions. Because she is holy, pure, divine, immaculate, and sinless she would never ask anything of God that would not please Him. Also, as in the Ten Commandments, it says to honor your father and mother. Jesus is Mary's Son. Although Jesus is God and is above Mary in that sense He still gives her the respect of a mother, like we all should. For instance, at the Wedding Feast at Cana Jesus changed the water into wine per Mary's request. It is very similar to asking your own mother to ask your dad to do something for you. You do this because you know he is more likely to do so if it comes from her then from you. So wouldn't you think that by asking Mary to ask Jesus to answer our prayers it would be so much more powerful!? ...Because it is! Going to Jesus/God/the Holy Spirit directly is always good too. And we should! Don't get me wrong... it is not a replacement for that. This is just a very formal prayer that helps you to reflect on the life of Jesus with Mary as your guide. As St. Louis de Montfort said, "When the Holy Rosary is said well, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more meritorious than any other prayer." By praying the rosary you are given so many blessings and graces in this life. It is another great way to pray and it is sssooooo very powerful!

If you have more questions about the rosary go to this website: http://www.catholicbible101.com/therosary.htm 

My YouTube channel is @pray4peace4ever. If you would like to pray a rosary with me go to my playlist here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEC07A54CE7147B8E  You can even chose what mystery you would like to pray with me -- Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, or Glorious. 

"Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood." - St. Louis de Montfort

If You Have Faith Nothing Shall Be Impossible

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." - Romans 12:12

Let me start by praising my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! How blessed I feel at this very moment for His love, grace, and divine assistance in my life. Today was a wonderful day! Today my sister, Alyssa, my best friend, Jasmine, and I were able to meet Tim Tebow in person. Tim is such a great role-model and follower of Christ. We adore him for being the wonderful and beautiful person he is inside and out. Thank you Jesus for letting us meet him today!!!

However, the day did not show (in the beginning) many hopeful signs of us meeting him. Tim was scheduled to assist and mentor members of the D1 Sports Center with their training and workouts. After spending two hours in the hot Florida sun we spoke to a mother of two children who had heard more about what was going on with Tim Tebow. We could not get into the sports center because it was for a private event only -- meaning only members could go in and see him. The event was suppose to have ended by this time, but the mother said she saw Tim inside the building. So, obviously, he was still there. We waited again for a very long time. People were coming in and out of the building, so we quickly asked some of them about Tim Tebow. Sadly, we got very poor answers, like, "No, he's gone" or "You're wasting your time" or "He's actually still inside working out -- but he will be here all day -- so you better leave cause you're not going to see him" or "If he comes out they are going to sneak him out through a secret door, so you won't see him." Just about everyone said something to try and bring our hopes down, except for the sweet mother with her two kids.

Eventually it was lunch time and we needed to get some food. We knew Tim hadn't left the building and seemed like he was going to be in there for quiet some time working out. At this point we asked the kind mother to keep us posted with what was going on as we headed over to the McDonald's next door. (How ironic to put a McDonald's next to a gym, right? lol.) While we were eating the mother came over to us in the restaurant and told us she had to leave, but she overheard people saying Tim was going to be working out until 4:30 and then he was going to come out. At this moment it was about 2:15 in the afternoon. So, we decided to go shopping in the nearby area to kill some time until then. I mean, if Tim Tebow was seriously going be leaving in a few hours, why not wait a little longer to see if we could really meet him on his way out? Right? We've been waiting all day, why not wait a little more?

That is the key -- patience. With all things that happen in God's time we need to be able to wait for them with patience. With this mindset, we left the McDonald's and shopped around. Thinking about how wonderful it would be to meet Tim we decided to go into a LifeWay Christian bookstore to find a small gift for him. We searched for a while and I finally found a little stone cross with a bible verse engraving -- Matthew 17:20. I felt this was perfect! I loved the verse... so I got the gift, not knowing if I was really going to be able to give it to him or not.

After, we headed back over to the sports center. Now there was nobody there. It was dead. A few cars were in the lot, but there was no sign of Tim or anyone. So I took the initiative to peak through the windows. All the doors were locked, but we saw some men coming out and we asked them if they knew if Tim was still there. They hesitated to answer us and then one man said, "Umm, I don't know if he's still here. But if he is, he won't be coming out for a while."

Obviously all the doors were locked since he was still there. So I felt hopeful even with the disappointing answer. I told my sister and my friend I was praying a 54-day-rosary-novena, during Lent, for a very beloved friend of mine. I wanted to pray this novena, now, in front of the sports center, to ask Mary to intercede for us to help us meet Tim Tebow if he was still there. Of course, the novena's main intention was still for my beloved friend -- who is in desperate need of prayers -- but I also united to my prayers that of meeting Tim.

Once we concluded our rosary we immediately saw a bunch of men pile into a black van. As they turned to leave one of the men rolled down his window and looked at us while pointing to a white van that was just about to pull out of the lot. We thought, "Is that Tim's car? Did he really just point us to Tim Tebow?" Sure enough, as we came closer we saw people coming out from nowhere gathering around his car. I felt as if I was about to faint. Not only did we just finish praying for this, but it was answered so quickly I could hardly believe it. It was exactly 4:30 when we went up to see him. I realized if the sweet mother didn't come back to us in the McDonald's to let us know he was staying until 4:30, we would have probably left.

After waiting the longest time, and being one of the last people to see him, we not only got to talk to him -- but we even hugged him and gave him our little cross gift. This was such a special moment. In the end, it was worth waiting 5 hours for 5 minutes with Tim Tebow. We thanked him for being the wonderful person he is and we told him how we are keeping him in our prayers -- always. He was very happy and had such a compassionate smile. I knew he must have been very tired from working out all day, so he didn't say much, except "thank you." However, I'm so very grateful we had this opportunity and waited patiently for God's time and God's Will. Maybe if we saw him earlier we wouldn't have had the opportunity to find a gift for him. You see, God works in ways we cannot possible think of. I felt so happy to give him that little cross! It was special, because everyone else just wanted autographs -- wanting something from him -- but I didn't necessarily want that. I wanted to express my faith, my love, my hope, and my prayer for this beautiful man of God with a simple and sweet gift from the heart. Although he may never remember us, or our names, or the gift -- it was a blessed moment for us for those 5 minutes we got to share with him. 5 minutes we will never forget. So don't doubt God when His answers don't come when you want them to. Wait for His answers to come when He wants them too. Trust and have faith without hesitation -- for nothing will be impossible for you with God.