It's Christmas Time in the City!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="648"] Wreath in Grand Central

A selfie with said wreath was completely necessary you don't even understand.

Look how pretty Macy's is!

One of the windows at Macy's[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="504"] I thought this was ridiculously funny[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576"] Super cute, am I right?[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="864"] Wooohooo!!!

Our friend, Sprout the elf. #sprout@thenorthpole.com #elfy #hetoldustousethesehashtags

Creeper shot of Abby Lee from Dance Moms![/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576"] the tree at Rockefeller Center![/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="336"] My sister, Sarah and I in front of the tree.[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="288"] My friend Sarah and I in front of the tree.[/caption]

 

On Papa Frank

Amen.

One year

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="354"] The center of town on the first anniversary of the horrific tragedy.[/caption]

On December 13th 2012, I had to stand in line for security as I prepared to fly home after finishing my first semester of college. I complained about the long lines and that I had to pack a month's worth of clothing and shoes into two small duffle bags. I got off the plane, and when I walked towards the gate, I saw my dad waiting for me. I ran to him and gave him a huge hug before going to baggage claim.

The next morning, my mom was watching the news. I asked her to change the channel, because the news depresses me. Literally moments later, our local news station announced that there was a shooting at an elementary school 45 minutes away from my house. 

I couldn't breathe. Reilly, my seven year old cousin, lives in Newtown, and attends public school there. I had never been so afraid in my life. I soon found out that he attends another school, and was safe. I would find out later that his best friend is a student at SHES and was in the class of second graders told to cover their eyes as they passed the body of their principal. This sweet seven year old boy had seen the body of his beloved principal, unrecognizable after being shot at.

I saw a girl I graduated from high school with tweet saying that no one had heard from her cousin Vicki, who was a teacher at the school. Vicki did not make it out alive. Vicki Soto helped save some of her students, and I am so proud to say that we graduated from the same high school and were from the same town. She is Stratford's Hero.

Where was God during this? God was in the community who supported each other, teachers who died protecting their students, the first responders who put aside their pain to care for those who needed their care.

Today, my heart breaks for 26 families who lost a child, a sibling, a parent, a cousin, a friend. 20 little souls who will never get to go to college, and whose parents will never experience a hug from them again. 

8 ways to help your friend with depression

So... you have a friend with depression. As someone with depression, I know it's hard to deal with, and sometimes you don't know what to do. Here's a list of things that my friends have done for me that have helped.

*DISCLAIMER* I am not a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist or even psychology major. I'm simply a girl who's speaking from experience, not expertise. Just because something helped me doesn't mean it will help you/your friend.

1. Be careful with your wording. This might seem silly, but one little word that seems fishy could through someone off kilter.


2. Tell them you're thinking about them and that you care. I know that my depression is often caused by feelings of being unloved and lonely. When a friend texts or writes me a note, it makes me feel better.


3. Invite them places. Even if you think they already know they're invited or it's a normal thing, reinforce the idea that they're wanted. Sometimes, when my friends don't text me about dinner, I assume it's because they don't want me there. Turns out it's usually because they assume I already know.


4. Be there. You don't have to understand what they're going through or be able to relate to help them. Just listen to them. Hug them.


5. Validate them. Even if you don't think you would feel some way about something, let them know that it's okay if they do.


6. Even if they do themselves, don't make a joke out of their illness. I know it's something I struggle with. I make fun of things I'm uncomfortable with, but if anybody tried to make fun of my depression, I would be shattered.


7. Educate yourself on their illness. Even if just on Wikipedia or Google... just learn some general facts. It'll help both you and your friend.


8. Ask them how they want you to help them. Maybe they won't tell you. Maybe you'll find out that they'd really appreciate it if you forced them to get out of bed when they really don't feel like doing something. Maybe you need to be gentler.  Whatever they tell you they need, do it.

Sandy Hook: "Evil did not win"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUR7BFTphmI

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:5

Why Switchfoot won't sing Christian songs

This is good.

40 Things to do in preparation for the Birth of Christ

"Advent is here. What a marvellous time in which to renew your  desire, your nostalgia, your real longing for Christ to come — for him to come every day to your soul in the Eucharist. The Church encourages us: Ecce veniet! — He is about to arrive!" - St. Josemaria Escriva

Here are 40 ways to prepare your heart for the Birth of Christ! *note* I am NOT doing all of these. I am doing some. These are just ideas I had and decided to share.

none of the pictures are mine.

1. Spend 10 minutes in prayer daily - or if you already do this... why not 15 or 20?


2. Go to daily mass!


3. Go to adoration... "Oh Come Let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!"


4. Go to confession.


5. Pray a Scriptural Rosary (these are my favorite!)


6. Do a daily meditation ... I'm doing a few that are available on the Apple app store! Magnificat is $0.99, but Advent Daily Devotions is F R E E ! I'm also using the Word Among Us.


7. Don't listen to Christmas music until the fourth Sunday of Advent... Christmas is about waiting, right?


8. If you can't do that... what about not watching any Christmas movies until after the fourth Sunday?


9. Celebrate Advent as it's own season!


10. Volunteer your time and talents.


11. Read a devotional book. Right now I'm reading "My Vocation is Love" by Jean Lafrance and it's beautiful!


12. Write a letter to God. Write it like you're writing to a friend, with tough honesty.


13. Forgive someone who you haven't forgiven yet.


14. Think about how beautiful it is that Jesus was born. Like us, He depended on His mother, He cried, He couldn't do anything for Himself. GOD loves us SO much that He became an infant! How crazy is that?


15. Fast


16. Say thank you... even for the littlest things. Thank God for the sun, for your pillow, for your family (even if you got sick of them last Thursday). Thank your friend for texting you about dinner, for sharing something with you, for being a friend.


17. Be there for someone.


18. Read a book about Advent... The Catholic Company has a bunch (I'm looking at the one based on St. Therese's Little Way)!


19. Put up a Jesse Tree!


20. Do Lectio Divina


21. Do a daily examen


22. Go through all of your stuff and donate it.


23. Make a spiritual bouquet for someone who needs it.


24. Read Luke 1:1-2:21


25. Read Matthew 1:18-2:18


26. Read a bit of Luke 1:1-2:21 and/or Matthew 1:18-2:18 a day throughout Advent.


27. Read Advent and Christmas with Fulton J. Sheen . . . Leah Darrow posted on Facebook that she does this every year for Advent!


28. Pray a novena... EWTN has a bunch that you can look through! There's also the St. Andrew Advent Christmas novena and this Christmas novena


29. Find a giving tree and buy some toys for less fortunate kids.


30. Send a Christmas card to a soldier overseas


31. Go Christmas caroling at a convalescent home.


32. Send a Christmas card to someone that you normally wouldn't/haven't sent a card to in a while


33. Donate to a crisis pregnancy center.


34. Go beyond what is expected of you.


35. Write thank you notes to your teachers, mail carriers, lunch ladies, etc.


36. Bake cookies and deliver them to a neighbor you're not very close with.


37. Call someone who you haven't talked to in a while.


38. Pray for someone.


39. Tell them that you prayed for them.


40. Give something up that you taken granted. Even if only for a day.

I hope that you have a fruitful Advent season and a blessed Christmas!

Babies, gingers, and Pope Francis.

The three things listed above are arguably 3 of my favorite things. So, imagine the pure joy I felt when I saw this picture: 

 

I could happily spend the rest of my life looking at pictures of Pope Francis with babies. A ginger baby is just the icing on top