Friends

I am enjoying spring break in lovely Charleston, S.C. It's been a little while since my last post, so here is a rundown of what's going on:
I am in Charleston, S.C. with 7 of my friends. The guy girl ratio is perfectly even, 4 guys and 4 girls. The guys are staying at a hotel, and us girls are at one of my roommate's sister's house. We are loving the hospitality down here, from the entire community, and especially from my roommate's sister and her husband.

The days are fairly warm, but the nights are cold, most likely because it is still March, and we are right on the coast. I have to change outfits around dinner time to adjust to the drop in temperature.

Yesterday was our first full day and we spent it sleeping in just a tad, and then a few people went to daily mass, and the rest of the group went and scoped out a good spot at Folly Beach to park our cars and eat lunch. We soaked up some rays, played a little beach football, looked for sea glass, and even smoked cigars! Well, the guys were the cigar smokers, although I had a few puffs. I must say, I think I will leave cigars to the guys, because my breath was terrible after that. Then we were able to walk out the the end of the Folly Beach pier, and we saw and old man catch a small shark!

We ended the afternoon with dinner at the best taco restaurant with the coolest bathrooms. So cool in fact, that I took pictures of the inside of the stalls. This picture doesn't really do it justice, but there were mirrors on either side, giving it that cool optical illusion, and the walls were covered in the menus. And, my face is actually that red from the sun that day.

During all of these fun events, I was with a group of great friends. We might get on each other's nerves about all the close quarters, and planning that is entailed with a large group, but at the end of the day, we build each other up. I can't help but think about the stories of the saints that were friends and roommates, like St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantal and St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac. They shared their lives with each other, and look where it got them!

A good analogy is one of a group of burning coals. Together, they stay lit, but if one strays, it grows cold and loses it's heat. I'll make sure to stick close to my friends, especially at night when the temperature drops.

Spring Break

My school's spring break is rapidly approaching, and it is making it harder and harder to stay focused on what I should be accomplishing in my life right now. Homework is impossible to even care about, sleep is left for when the sun is out, and a well rounded meal means it just needs to come out of a box, into a bowl, and be eaten with a spoon.

As Catholics, we certainly don't (or shouldn't) treat our celebrations like that. Currently, we are anticipating Easter Sunday, the biggest celebration ever! But instead of acting like college students, we live in a more ordered fashion, by preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ. We order our prayer lives in a way that aligns with our physical being, by praying and fasting together, and we change the gospel proclamation. Some people even dare to go so far as to not check their facebooks (those are the crazies).

If I am supposed to be living and integrated and ordered life, that means not just my "Catholic girl" life, it means all of me. Being a Christian is to give every facet of your life to God, including studying. While I certainly have much to work on to live a more ordered life, I have found that making your work a prayer is helpful. Your desk is your cross (I think a saint said that?). Scary, but true.

I will begin living an ordered life now. The sky is still dark, and I ate food that required a fork today. Perhaps I will even get some homework done.