As many of you may know I love to share my “highs and lows” of each day to a few friends and I have been keeping track of them each week as a sort of recap. For me, I love being able to look back on the good and bad of each day.

With that being said, here is a look back at my 2020 with the 20 highs and the lows.

Highs

1. Going to West Bend to visit Kelsey and Leah
2. Teaching religion class with Tara and Liz
3. Watching the Blessed is She Restore Retreat
4. Rachel’s Bridal Shower
5. Mass for the Solemnity of St. Joseph (the last one before quarantine)
6. Virtual Triduum retreat that Kylie led
7. Making Holy Family illustrations for my Computer Graphics course
8. Getting to work for the SNC IT department for summer on a variety of fun projects
9. Dinner at Erin’s and her asking me to be her maid of honor for her wedding in the summer of 2022
10. Eleanor’s Confirmation during Mass and getting to be her sponsor
11. Dr. Pankratz and Dr. McVey’s (two of my computer science professors) wedding with Lauren and other Computer Science majors
12. Finding out Red and Ben are expecting their first little girl in January
13. Fox River walks with Leah and Lauren looking at houses we want
14. Tuesday and (most) Thursday mornings with 6:30 am Mass and sunrise rosaries with Leah and laughing through many of them
15. Katie’s 21st birthday celebration at a cabin in Friendship, WI
16. Chiara Christmas and Dance Party
17. Finishing the whole semester on campus and coming home at Thanksgiving
18. Finishing my Marian Consecration on the feast of the Immaculate Conception
19. Christmas Shopping with Katie and eating at Olive Garden
20. Singing for Christmas Eve Mass

Lows

1. Great Grandpa Gordy’s funeral
2. Long work hours last winter while working three jobs at once
3. Finishing work at Schreiber and having to say goodbye to some great coworkers
4. Trying to balance a healthy faith life and homework and other roles as a student
5. Eleanor needing surgery and having to postpone her Confirmation
6. Getting really sick at the end of February and needing to skip a class to sleep
7. Uncle Gary passing away
8. My TRIPS Service Trip in South Carolina being canceled
9. Having to say goodbye to all my friends
10. Not being able to hug anyone
11. All of COVID and being scared to go anywhere
12. Finishing spring semester online
13. Not being able to go to Mass for over two months
14. The Lauren Daigle concert I was planning to go to with Kelsey for our 20th birthdays was postponed
15. Schreiber canceling their summer program, meaning I couldn’t come back
16. Giving away my childhood piano (it was both good and bad)
17. Really bad sunburn from a beach trip that I still have bad tanlines from
18. Working from home really challenged my motivation
19. Withdrawing from my first college course
20. Losing my favorite rosary

This year really forced me to slow down and focus on what is really important and appreciate the little moments. For me, that meant a much deeper relationship with Jesus and the Holy Family. In May, on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, I consecrated myself to St. Joseph, and then in December, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I consecrated myself to Mother Mary. For many days, my favorite part was my morning rosary. I decided to do a 54-day novena for Lent and once we went into quarantine I decided not to stop and it has been over 300 days since starting.

Many of my recent Advent nights have ended just like the image at the top of the photo, with my Bible, a candle, my rosary, and virtual Adoration. I have loved this time at the end of each day to slow down and relax and end my day with what is really important in life.

One of my goals this year was to read the Bible each day after never having read a book start to finish. I started last Advent by reading a chapter of Luke a day starting on December 1st and ending on Christmas Eve. Since then I have finished 22 books and am currently reading Sirach. Next year, I want to finish up the New Testament and dig a bit into Isaiah.

Overall, 2020 made me appreciate the little moments. The moments of joy when I could see the light in the darkness and smile through it all. One of my favorite moments during (almost) every Mass was when Em and I would wink at each other during the sign of peace; it always made me smile and remember how lucky I was to be at school surrounded by my friends. During quarantine, I loved it when I would go for morning rosary walks around the block and get to enjoy the beautiful weather this summer. Another activity I’ve loved while at home is playing cards with the family most Friday nights.

I know this is probably a unpopular opinion, but I’m thankful for 2020; it forced me to slow down and appreciate what I have and who is around me.

First Semester

Fall Semester was easily the hardest semester academically that I have been through. I was taking two very hard (and extremely different) math courses and a course in what was the most confusing language ever for me to understand for Computer Science. On top of those I was also in theology which required a lot more reading than I was ready for; I’m also very bad at understanding theological books, so it was another layer of challenge. There were many long nights and so many hours studying in GMS and doing math homework in the basement.

However, some of my favorite memories happened when we were all sleep-deprived, covered in homework, and just so slap happy. Here are my top 10 memories from that fall semester:

1. Kairos Retreat at the Abbey
2. Chiara Praise and Worship Adoration Night
3. Pushing each other with roller chairs down the GMS basement after too many hours of doing Calc homework
4. Reboot with Chris Stefanick
5. Katie’s birthday at Red Lobster
6. Going to the Abbey for Kylie’s birthday for Mass and pizza afterward
7. Olive Garden with Maria and Blues Clues
8. Sun peering through the church windows while singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet
9. Magic School Bus Marathons (almost) every Monday with popcorn
10. All the Knight Masses and Dales

and so many more moments of crazy pure laughter, joy, and even a few tears with friends.

January Break

I had a lot of fun experiences during the six-week break between the semesters including going back to work at Schreiber!

Other memories include visiting Kelsey and Leah in West Bend and going to Holy Hill, making gingerbread cookies with Eleanor, and making so many rosaries. During this break, I was able to binge-listen(?) to the entire Blessed is She podcast called “The Gathering Place” which has revolutionized my relationship with Jesus and my faith life.

It was a great mini “break” between semesters and a way to refocus my mind before hitting the books again.

Second Semester

As we all know, these past few months have brought us into a whole new set of challenges. I’m going to break the semester up to two different parts because it was two very different experiences. I don’t know if I have any major memories from this semester (sadly most of them were canceled), but here’s a bit of a recap.

The first half of the semester (pre mid-March) was going amazing. I was loving my classes, especially computer science, and was starting to develop some great new friendships. Compared to the first semester, I had so much free time and was really able to grow my faith relationship. It was the first semester that I was able to daily mass and on average spent over twelve hours a week in church. Getting to spend so much time on my relationship with Jesus was truly the highlight of my semester and I loved every minute of it (especially Adoration).

Then suddenly everything changed. In the course of two days my world was flipped upside down. We were being sent home, everything was closing, and so many fun events I was looking forward to were cancelled. Honestly, it was originally such a rough transition. I went from not coming home for spring break because I was supposed to be in South Carolina, to living solely at home and not really leaving the house for the past two months with not much end in sight.

I am very thankful for all that I have and especially that I have a loving family and home to safely come back to; however, this doesn’t mean it was all sunshine and flowers. If you have known me over the past two years, you probably know how much I love St. Norbert with all my heart. During breaks, I am usually counting down the days until I get to go back and see my friends again. So being taken from this environment, especially all the seniors I so deeply love, it took a while to accept and get used to.

Also, online learning is just so different. I took a few online classes during summer in high school and I didn’t love it, but it gave me the opportunity to take other courses I did love during the school year. I am so blessed to love my professors and my classmates and having class without physically being with them was harder than I was anticipating. All my professors did an incredible job with all the work they put in making the transition to online delivery so smooth.

The course that really surprised me this semester was Computer Graphics. Personally, it went better when I was at home versus on campus. I was able to put a bit more effort and work into each project with the extra time I had. The last project was completely up to us and I loved the illustration project so I decided to represent each member of the Holy Family in their own drawings. I spent hours at a time creating them and I just got lost in the design and loved it. You can see the final projects in the header image for the post and I’m super happy with how they each turned out!

Overall, it isn’t the semester I was expecting, but I was able to make the best of (almost) everyday. Not everyday was easy, but I did it! We made it! I can’t wait to (hopefully) be back on campus in the fall with my favorite people.

The biggest change over the past two years has been the development of my faith and especially over the past semester. Looking back two years ago to when I graduated high school, I feel like a completely different person and so much of that is due to falling in love with Jesus more and more each day.

I have loved going to church for a long time, but before college, I think it was more of for a social aspect. Community is a big part of the Catholic Church, but there is so much more. I’m so thankful for a college and so many Catholic communities and resources that have opened my eyes to the so much more that there is.

So many people lose their faith in college because they are no longer forced to go; however, just like the rest of my life, I’ve never been ordinary. I’m so thankful for incredible church families both at home in Prince of Peace and at school in St. Norbert College Parish. Above all, thank you to my incredible friends who push me to a life of holiness each day and help me to fall in love with Jesus more and more.

Each step in the journey isn’t easy; however, it’s possible with Jesus right next to me. Looking back on my life, there are so many moments I thought it was impossible to go on, but looking back, Jesus was right next to me for all of it and protecting me for how much worse it could have been. Without His love, it would have been impossible.

If you would have told me what my life looks like now back when I graduated high school two years ago, honestly even at the beginning of the semester, I probably would have laughed while secretly hoping you were right. A Psalm verse has really stuck out to me recently “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). We don’t get a five year plan from God, and as seemingly nice as that would be, I feel like I would try to follow it so closely I wouldn’t live or I would try to mess it up. But we do get the next step. He lights up the path to give us the next step. Sometimes we need to step out into uncertainty.

I’ve been reflecting on all the incredible experiences that I have had during my time at St. Norbert and how many things went into those experiences that led us to that point. The biggest examples I have of this are my best friends and roommates along with different jobs and presentations I have gotten a chance to work for and attend. How many little and big moments that went into our paths crossing and us deciding to live together or down the hall or in the same major. God truly has put so many incredible people in my life from St. Norbert and I’m so thankful.

Here is a quote that I think perfectly sums up my college career so far:

I’m not where I want to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be

Joyce Meyer

I will forever be grateful for these past two years and how much I have grown and developed thanks to so many caring and loving people in my life. I can’t wait to be back at my second home in fall with some of my favorite people!

Lauren

I don’t even know where to begin. First off, you are able to deal with me for 24 hours a day so hats off to you. I love you so incredibly much and literally can’t imagine life without you at this point. It is so odd to think we have only known each other for 18 months because it feels like you’ve been in my life forever. You are honestly the reason I am still a Computer Science major and as much as I complain, I’m so thankful for that. I love you more than words will ever express and honestly from the bottom of my heart thank you for your friendship.

Katie H.

I am so thankful I responded to your Facebook roommate request on a whim. You will forever be the best first roommate I could have ever asked for. Each day and every text from you makes me so happy and you bring me so much joy. Thank you for being such a big part of my journey to becoming the person I’ve always dreamed of me. Each day you continue to see more in me than I ever could and always bring out the best parts of me. You are living you’re the best life and I’m so incredibly proud of you each and every day. As you’ve told me many times before, ” you are in fact stuck with my friendship eternally.”

Kelsey

It is so incredibly WILD to me that we didn’t have our first real deep conversation until close to March. Ever since then we were inseparable. From faith to childhood to school to everything in between, we talked about it all from that first conversation in the Pennings room. It makes me so incredibly happy to see you living your dreams, even if it means that you are across the country and I only get to see you twice a year. I will forever love our daily highs and lows and I can’t thank you enough for helping me dive headfirst into my faith. Thank you for your endless support and I will never stop loving you (and texting you to bother you to get your incredible advice for my life).

Katie C.

We have only known each other for a few months and I honestly can’t believe that. Thank you for always being my faith and ranting buddy. I love doing praise and worship with you and thank you for introducing me to the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I love being able to make weird faces at you during tuning in band and you never fail to make me smile. If we’ve become this close in such a short amount of time, I can’t wait to see what will come next.

Holly

Honestly, the thing I love the most about you is that you don’t cut me any slack. You always tell it to me straight, and it’s exactly what I always need. Thank you for always keeping me accountable and for forcing me to be happier with the two nice things. I love our meal conversations, especially the weekly Dales run. “I love you. I ain’t ever gonna stop loving you”

Leah

First off, thank you for getting me through Calc 3. Even though I think we can both honestly say we don’t know how we survived last semester, at least we had each other. I will never forget the countless late nights in the basement of GMS, especially rolling whiteboards and chairs down the ramps because “physics”. Here’s to a semester without math!

Eleanor

Every time I am with you, I am always reminded to live life like a child, and I love it so much. I hope you’re enjoying the rest of high school and I love seeing you grow and succeed. FBLA and Baltimore were so incredibly fun with you and I miss it so much. I hope you’re doing well and always remember, there is no replacing me.

Erin

I will never forget our countless sixth lunch band room conversations. It is so odd to me that we really only knew each other for less than a year before you graduated, but we are still so close. Thank you for being there during such a fragile time during my faith and always supporting me through it. I love our dinner dates and the hours we spend talking together. It makes me so happy to see you living your best life and I’m so

Tristin

Thank you for our endless jabber chats and deep conversations in the middle of the partner commons. I miss our days of sitting on the fifth-floor patio frying. Thank you for everything and I’m so glad Schreiber brought us (back) together!

Second Floor of Bergstrom (“Second Floor Sisters”)

From our dinners of 16 to late nights in the lounge, thank you for all of the memories. Each one of you has taught me so much about life and myself and you truly continue to push me into the person I’ve always wanted to become. I miss each of you every day and love our catch up dinners!

Chiara/Catholic Group

I am so thankful that I have such an incredible group supporting me in my faith, especially such a strong group of loving and powerful Women. Thank you for always inspiring me to dive so much deeper in my faith. Each one of you teach me so much and I am forever grateful. Thank you especially to Lydia and Margo for being such incredible Freshman (especially Lydia with your love for Blessed is She).

Liz and Tara

Oh, where to even start…you two are both the devils and angels on my shoulder and I love every part of it. I’m so thankful that you two are my older sisters/second mom. You have been there for so many aspects of my life, from the best days ever to some of the worst and you have always stood right by me. My favorite day was when you yelled at me for cutting an inch off my hair…thank you for always opening your arms to me and loving me anyway.

Rachel (Red)

From not knowing my real name for a few months, to being the best big sister and role model ever. I am so grateful for our friendship and constant support. Thank you for being an incredible example of our faith and always answering my endless questions, especially early on. I am so happy for you and I can’t wait to see what’s to come for both of us!

Spirit Choir

No words will ever be able to thank you. My faith is where it is today because of your foundation. Thank you always for pushing me out of my comfort zone and helping me to go grow so much in the eight years I have been in the choir. Each of you inspires me in such a unique way and I miss you endlessly and can’t wait to see you soon!

FSL Team

I truly have one of the best jobs thanks to all of you. I love the projects we each get to work on and each of our personalities fits perfectly into the FSL plan. Looking back at what we have each accomplished has been incredible and I can’t wait to see what comes next! Thank you all for being such incredible friends and for all of our conversations about life and your support,

I constantly feel surrounded by such love and support and I’m so thankful. Thank you to those who have been in my life for years or even a few months. I am blessed to have such strong support, especially in my faith thanks to many different communities from St. Norbert to nationally. Each day I am growing even more and it is incredible to see the changes in my life over the past few years thanks to each of you! I love each one of you more than words will ever be able to express, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Dear Cassie,

First of all, you survived high school and almost half of college! Congrats! That is an accomplishment in itself. I recently was able to read the letter you wrote to yourself and it was really eye-opening. Honestly, most of the struggles that you faced that seemed so big at the time, I had kinda forgotten about. Looking back, it will all be okay even though it may not seem like it right now. I’m so happy to tell you how you are doing and let you know that it is okay if your life doesn’t turn out the way you were hoping.

There is no road map in life, I’m sure you know this already. If I ever had the chance to meet you, I think this is what I would like to say. Here are the 20 pieces of advice I would try to give you for the (almost) 20 years I have been alive. Full disclosure, some of these I am still trying to believe and live by. I am sure I am missing so many things I wish I would have known in the past five years, but here are the most important things I remember.

1. You are a daughter of God and that will forever be enough
2. You will never be alone; God is always present, especially when you can’t feel him
3. Your faith will continue to save you every day of your life
4. Never feel ashamed of your faith (I’m still learning this one)
5. Accepting God’s love and trying to reciprocate it is the best decision you will ever make
6. There is nothing wrong with having friends older than you. They will soon become your second family
7. The more time you spend with Jesus, the happier you will be
8. Prayer is just a conversation with your best friend, there are no rules you have to follow
9. High school can be hard without a close friend group, but there is a reason many best friendships are formed in college. P.S. Living next to your best friends is such an incredible experience
10. You learn more from failure than you ever will from success. It might take falling off your loft the night before an exam to get you to slow down to breathe, but it is so important
11. Sometimes losing a relationship is the biggest blessing you could ever ask for in life
12. Just because you don’t have a mind-blowing Jesus conversion story doesn’t make your story any less valid
13. Your relationship with God is the most important relationship in your own life
14. Grades are important, but so many other things are as well. PLEASE take time away from the books and make sure you are present to those closest to you. At the end of the day on the bigger side of life, grades really won’t help you, but your friends will
15. Please stop trying to impress everyone around you and only compare yourself to the you that you were yesterday. At the end of each day, you are the only person who is with you 24 hours a day and it is most important for you to be happy with who you are
16. Be present in the moment. Please don’t wish each day away because eventually, you will wish away your whole life.
17. One day, you will finally be able to smile with authentic joy. Please hold onto this joy and know it all comes from above
18. Everything in life is gradual, very few things happen overnight, but looking back you will be mountains from where you started.
19. Try to say a little “yes” to God every day whether that is prayer when you are exhausted, going to adoration for five minutes, or reading a book of the bible instead of looking at Instagram. These little “yeses” can add up to something much greater.
20. You are exceptionally yourself and no one else will ever be you

But in all honesty, I don’t think I would tell you any of this. The struggles and accomplishments that you face will make you who you are today. I am proud of who I am becoming, and it is all because of the triumphs and challenges I have faced in my life; many of which you are struggling with right now.

I will tell you this: it may not get easier, but it gets better, so much better.

With Love,

Cassie from the future

2019 was filled with countless little moments that have made me smile, from something as little as a sunset or laughing with friends to presenting at educational conferences across the country, many amazing things have happened this year. Overall, each day I am growing and learning and each day I continue to surprise myself with how much I can accomplish when I put my trust in God.

I decided to take a look back on this past year and some of the moments that made it great.

Favorite Moments

Each week I took a few minutes to write down my favorite experiences that week and looking back, here are 19 of my favorite moments/memories

1. Finishing my second and third semesters of college on the dean’s list
2. Presenting at the Reclaim Hosting Domain’s Conference in Durham, North Carolina in June
3. Traveling and attending Digital Pedagogy Lab at the University of Mary Washington for a week in Virginia in August
4. Moving into St. Joseph Hall for my Sophomore year and getting to live with my best friend Lauren
5. Attending the Kairos retreat at the St. Norbert Abbey
6. Chiara Retreat at Rankin Lodge with midnight mass, adoration, and more
7. Working as a student resource at Schreiber Foods over summer and winter break
8. Coming back to sing with the Spirit Choir at Prince of Peace and getting to see all my friends again
9. Hosting an end of the year bonfire at my house for the second floor of Bergstrom
10. Countless hours of Adoration and praying in front of the Tabernacle and deep talks
11. Abby’s Confirmation and getting to be her sponsor
12. Singing “Oceans” as a solo while playing ukulele at my last mass before moving back into school after summer
13. Kelsey driving up to have dinner with me on my birthday and driving down to go to her birthday party the next day
14. Interviewing my boss Krissy at the Exchange for the Navigate program
15. Ziplining with Rachel and Maggie at the NEW Zoo
16. Going to Reboot with Chris Stefanick
17. Straightening my hair on a random day in February during a Four Weddings Marathon
18. 11 pm Shamrock Shake run to get 13 shakes before a snowstorm hit
19. Falling off my loft the night before finals (okay, maybe not my favorite…)

There are countless more memories and little moments that have happened during this year, and I am thankful for them all because they have made me who I am today. One little thing I started this year was reading the Blessed is She devotion every morning and daily readings, and it really helps me to start my day the right way. I am constantly growing and learning especially from all of those around me.

19 Favorite Songs

Music is a huge part of my life and gets me through many of the stressful moments of my life. For me, is also an incredible way for me to connect to my faith. Here is a very small handful of the incredible songs I have listened to the most this year. I have also really been into a few podcasts including the TryPod from the Try Guys, All Things Internet from Rachel and Gwen Ballinger, and the Gathering Place from Blessed is She.

1. In Over My Head (Crash Over Me) by Bethel Music
2. Defender by UPPER ROOM
3. Truth Be Told by Matthew West
4. Highlands (Song of Ascent) by Hillsong UNITED
5. His Name is Wonderful by Chris Tomlin
6. You Say by Lauren Daigle
7. Build My Life by Pat Barrett
8. Control (Somehow You Want Me) by Tenth Avenue North
9. Church (Take Me Back) by Cocheren
10. Let It Rain (Is There Anybody) by Crowder
11. Love Like This by Lauren Daigle
12. King of My Heart by Bethel Music
13. So Will I (100 Billion X) by Hillsong UNITED
14. Is He Worthy? by Chris Tomlin
15. Fear No More by Building 429
16. Believer by Rhett Walker
17. Survivor by Zach Williams
18. Resurrecting by Elevation Worship
19. Upper Room by Hillsong Worship

Favorite Sayings

19 quotes is a lot, so here are 9 of my favorites. Some of these might take a bit of explanation, but here are some of my favorite quotes/bible verses over the past year.

1. God is Greater than the Highs and Lows: Okay, listen. I know this is super cliche and overused, but it has a special meaning in my life especially this past year. Last May, I started to send my highs and lows of each day to Kelsey, one of my best friends and each night while reflecting on my day, this phrase reminds me that no matter what may have happened that day, God is always greater
2. Isaiah 9:6: For a child is born to us, A son is given to us; And the government Is upon His shoulder; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. This verse is mainly incredibly important to me because of how it ends. Prince of Peace will be forever such an incredibly important place in my life because of the people and all of the incredible experiences. A large majority of my faith can be traced back to Prince of Peace and I will forever be eternally grateful.
3. Proverbs 31:25: She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future
4. Psalm 46:5: God is within her she will not fail
5. My heart is restless until it rests in you -St. Augustine
6. Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I love that this can be summed up into “I have loved you at your darkness”
7. Jeremiah 1:5: Before you were formed I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart
8. Psalm 112:7: She confidently trusts the Lord to take care of her
9. Esther 4:14: Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created

I try to have a bible verse or religious quote as my wallpaper on my phone because it helps to relax me every time I look at my phone (which may be a bit too much…). Here are a few of my favorites

Reflecting on the Decade

It is crazy to even try to imagine how much my life has changed over the past decade. This decade has been over half of my life and I was only 9 when it started and in the middle of 4th grade. Since then, I have attended four different schools and have had countless memories in between. If you would have explained a lot of my current life to nine-year-old me, I might have laughed in your face. From my love of Jesus to majoring in Math, many things have changed. Thank you to everyone who has been in my life for all 19 years to even 19 days.

I have also changed a little bit since 2010! Here is my picture recap of the decade

Thank you to every single person around me, especially for countless phone calls, FaceTimes, rant sessions, laughs, and everything in between. There are way more than 19 of you to thank, so thank you to every person in my life. I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for me because if I have learned anything, it is that no matter what I expect, God will take me in a whole different (but better) direction than I could have ever imagined.

One of my biggest goals for the past few weeks has been to remain positive and focus on the good. If you know me, you know this can be a real struggle, especially surrounded by the stress that college can be.

The easiest way for me to do this is to give everything to God. Now, this is easy to say but one of the hardest things for me to do. Theoretically it should be easy to trust the God who created you and your life, but honestly, it’s terrifying. I love to have everything planned for weeks, months, and even years in advance and lately blindly trusting has been closer to that plan.

The best way for me to do this is by listening to those around me. I know God has placed each person in my life because each and every day they help bring my relationship back to him and I see his love constantly through them. It could be something as simple as a smile or watching Magic School Bus or laughing over dinner at Dales or sending emails during Theology or life talks while avoiding Calc homework or an hour and a half long phone conversations instead of going to bed. All of these little moments help me remember God’s perfect and unconditional love for me.

One of the biggest transitions this year has not been living with and next to some of my best friends. Last year was truly special and a unique situation and I miss some parts of it. I will say I am not sure how anything got done last year with the countless hours in the lounge and movie nights because now all of my free moments are spent doing homework. However, when I do get to see everyone it is a time I truly cherish and I know if we see each other 5 hours a day or 5 hours a semester we will still remain close. I love them will all of my heart and do truly miss each one of them endlessly.

Another thing I have tried to make a conscious effort about is believing what those around me tell me. I used to think everyone around me was just being nice to my face but secretly couldn’t stand me. It seems crazy, right? Well, my brain told me otherwise. I am now trying to always remember that they aren’t lying to me. They do truly love me and care for me and my success.

This past week during dinner some of my friends gave me what Father Mike would call “my wake up call from God.” It really just consisted of them having a full conversation of telling me what I needed to hear but believe me, I didn’t want to. The conversation focused on one central topic: I complain a lot. Now, this isn’t new at all (see above) but it is something I am trying to work on.

I have found out the root of the problem usually lies in the little moments. The moments that I could easily let annoy me and upset me and ruin my day but that have no real effect on my overall life are where I am trying to find God the most. Instead of complaining I’m trying to breathe and smile and find something good in my life at that moment. Lately, that has been focusing on the beauty outside that is the fall season or spending time in church. These little moments are the times that I find God the most. Simple prayers when I feel stressed instead of complaints are the easiest ways I am trying to ground myself back into my faith.

Here are some photos showing the beauty of fall across campus!

Now, it may seem like my whole life is stressful right now and it sometimes feels that way, but I am still able to get out and have some fun. The main activity I love being involved with is Chiara. It is the Catholic women’s group on campus and I love being able to be the Treasurer and help plan the events. The women in that group constantly help me turn back to God and are continuously teaching me more about my faith while simultaneously becoming some of my closest friends.

I have also had the ability to join pep band and play for the homecoming game last weekend! This was a great relaxing few hours away from homework and brought back loads of memories.

My favorite weekly tradition, however, continues to be Knight Mass and Dales. Each Wednesday at 9pm we celebrate mass in one of the residence halls on the 4th floor in the chapel. It is just a great hour of fellowship with students and centers my focus back on God for the second half of the week. Afterward, we all head to Dales for wing night and just lots of laughs and friendship.

Life can easily become overwhelming and stressful in a blink of an eye, but taking it one minute at a time sometimes is the best option. Always seeing God in the little moments has helped me to relax and trust a little bit more.

As much of a whirlwind that life can seem like, it has become important for me to look back at how far I have come on my life journey. I understand why the phrase is “hindsight is 20/20” but I can honestly say I don’t regret many of the decisions I have made because they continue to be what has shaped me into who I am today and who I am happy I am becoming.

Please do not take this post the wrong way to say “I am a perfect Catholic” and “She has it all together” because I will be the first to tell you that is so far from the truth. I continue to find peace and understanding in my faith and some of the most faithful people in my life are the most broken and I fit right into that fact. In my life I have found that the most stressful moments are the most important to bring myself back into my faith and remind myself what is really important overall.

If you would have told me five years ago how faithful I would be today, I probably would have laughed at you. However, the incredible support around me has helped me grow towards God. Coming to college, many students fall away from their faith, but I am the exact opposite. Because of all of the faith opportunities and people around me, especially the girls in Chiara, I am continuously pushed deeper into my faith, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I honestly never thought I would be in this position in my life, and I still continue to pinch myself sometimes.

Disclaimer: I am writing this more for myself than anyone else. Honestly, Sophomore year hit me hard and September was challenging to put it easily. For most of the month, I was covered in piles of homework and trying to keep my head above water in the rushing river rapids that are life. To top it off, my body decided to shut down a bit and get very sick in the last week. There were many moments when it was hard to see God’s love, but understanding how many blessings and support I am surrounded with is and was incredibly important.

On the hardest days, it becomes the most important to remember the incredible number of ways I have been blessed by God. Here are some of the five biggest blessings that remind me to smile and feel God’s arms of love.

1. My Faith is Celebrated

Being able to go to a place where my faith is celebrated and given support to flourish. It can be no secret that SNC isn’t the most “Catholic” Catholic college, but even being able to be in such close proximity to the church and able to walk in at any moment I am struggling has really been a blessing. Coming from a very public high school, I never had much faith support, and now living literally connected to the church, allows me to connect to my faith at all moments. When times are hardest, I love to sit in the church at night in front of the tabernacle, and just have a conversation in prayer with God.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a speaking event called Reboot by Chris Stefanick. It was a great night spent with great people and an ability to create new friendships centered on faith. Here are five of my favorite quotes from the event!

1. “God could not do more than He’s already done”
2. “The difference between you and God is that God never thinks He’s you.”
3. “You think father’s boring? Try getting on the other side of the pulpit and looking at y’all.”
4. “He didn’t die on the cross so you could come here and play holy. He likes to hear your songs of praise, He loves to year your deepest shame, your darkest sin.”
5. “Not perfect, but authentic to share the faith.”

2. Attending St. Norbert

I find it quite funny to look back and think I never wanted to go to St. Norbert. Just like many kids, I wanted to move a bit farther away, but now looking back I could never imagine myself anywhere else. I guess that’s why they say that hindsight is 20/20! The number of opportunities available to me here allows me to create a unique experience unlike any other student here. Also, there are so many incredible Faculty and Staff that truly cares about me and my future and how I am doing. I am so thankful for each person on this campus, especially those that push me to be a better student and person, and I’m so thankful I decided to come here. There are so many incredible people who don’t have the opportunity to go to college, and it’s truly a blessing to be able to even be a student at SNC.

3. Friends That Push Me in my Faith

This year I have the blessing of being on the E-Board as Chiara as the treasurer. Chiara is the Catholic Women’s Group on campus and it has been a space for faith support and friendship for me. I have met countless women that are constantly pushing me to grow deeper in my faith and constantly show me God’s love and grace for each of us. Each of the girls is a source of constant support for me in my faith journey and always knows how to cheer me up and bring me back deeper into my faith. I am more thankful than words can ever express for each one of these girls and the love they constantly show me.

4. Close Friends and Moral Support

I love being back on campus for one main reason, I get to see everyone again! However, one of the biggest changes this year compared to last year is the amount of work I have. I feel like I am constantly doing homework and never seem to be caught up. I am constantly questioning myself on how I had any free time last year because I don’t seem to have any this year! I don’t get to see everyone as much as last year, but that makes the times I do get to see them even more special. Coming from high school where I didn’t have many friends to such a strong group of friends and support here, is truly something I’m thankful for. After a long day of classes and homework, I love to walk around campus and talk to friends or laugh at a dumb movie or show. I am so thankful for all those around me who give me moral support and help me to laugh in the most stressful times.

5. Support Back Home

My last major blessing is the support I have from back home. I haven’t been able to go home yet since I moved in because each weekend has been crazy, but I always know I have support from family and friends back home. Little moments and texts randomly throughout the day help me to remember their support. I am thankful for each little moment I feel blessed from support back home whether that is being sent a random meme, a meaningful text, or a random visit to bring Culvers!

It can be extremely hard to feel anything except stress when life is overwhelming but being able to take a step back and take a deep breath and think about just a few of the incredible blessings God has placed into my life is incredibly important. 

One easy way that I have helped to do this is each morning before I start my day, I read the daily reading and devotion from Blessed Is She. I also try to state one thing I am grateful for that day. This is an easy and great way to start your day in the right mindset and give your anxieties and everything that happens that day over to God.

“Jesus changes the story, He changes our story”

Chris Stefanick

Deacon Jeff’s Homily focused on Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” When I heard this verse, everything in my life just seemed to make a bit more sense.

There were multiple times in the past week that I just had to breathe and think to myself, ‘Wow, this is my life.’ I was one of the few students at the conference, and I tried to provide a crucial student perspective of the problems that we are facing. I was also able to gain valuable, yet distressing information about other institutions across the country and the world.

I also am not going to sugar coat it, this past week was hard. One person described it as, “Entering into a graduate level class for a subject you didn’t really understand going in,” and that sums it up pretty perfectly. Another thought constantly running through my mind was, “I get to, I don’t have to.” Having this mindset of realizing how privileged I am to be able to go to such an incredible college with so much support surrounding me, helped me to get the most out of this week.

Going into college, I had no idea what I signed up for with the Full Spectrum Learning Research Fellowship; I technically hadn’t even applied (I applied for a different one and was offered this one). I really hoped to start over and focus on myself during college, and that is exactly what this fellowship provided. I had no clue what to expect coming into college, but I was glad for a fresh start with new people.

The fellowship has provided me with countless incredible opportunities that most students would not even imagine or comprehend in all four years, let alone their first year. I have attended two nationwide (and worldwide) conferences with the ability to present at one. I have also presented for the Board of Trustees that oversees St. Norbert College in my second month as a student of the college. Over the past year I have also been able to present for a variety of other conferences including the Undergraduate Research Forum, SyNC business conference, and Hire A Knight.

In most of these situations I am one of very few students they will ever meet from the college, and I have been trusted to represent the college and speak to my experiences that I have had in such a short time. Each time I am able to present and share what I love, I am reminded why I love St. Norbert and how perfect of a fit it is for me.

Another one of the many incredible opportunities that the fellowship has provided me is the ability to show my work on a larger scale. The faculty and staff involved in the project really let me take the website and make it my own and always were there to support me throughout the process. Finally getting to see my hard work on the website and other parts of the project is incredibly rewarding after all year of our hard work and there has been nothing but a positive response.

I know that each opportunity I have had over the past year, and my continued success is all part of God’s plan, and I am finally starting to see all of my hard work pay off.

Community

Another major part of Deacon Jeff’s homily talked to the incredible community that Prince of Peace offers. I am so incredibly blessed to have such a great community in not only one but two parish communities. 

Prince of Peace

The real reason I dove into the deep end of my faith is the Spirit Choir at Prince of Peace. I kinda joined on a whim in sixth grade, and I am so glad I trusted God on this one. From the first time I walked into that choir room, I was met with so much love and support, and that was only the beginning. Each one of them, whether they know it or not, helped me through some of the darkest and hardest moments in my life. Every time I had a hard week I knew I could walk into that choir room on Saturday and my spirit would be lifted instantly. I could have missed a week, or nine months, and they will welcome me with open arms each time (with a little bit of teasing of course).

The choir has also helped me to grow my confidence in ways I could have never imagined. When I first joined, I would only play the mass parts (the parts of the mass that don’t change week to week), and now I will sight read almost anything at the drop of the hat. All we really do is check the key, and then I will try my best. I have realized that you don’t have to be perfect, and usually each verse makes it closer to what it is actually supposed to be. I still get nervous when I play in front of people, and even more when I sing, but I am so proud of myself when I accomplish a piece.

So many in that choir are some of my biggest role models in faith and also in life. Each day they show me God’s unconditional love for each of us. The range of backgrounds and experiences is so inspiring and our faith is what is able to bring us all together; we truly are a little family.

Outside of the choir, the rest of the parish is such a welcoming and inviting community. Each time I walk in the door, I am always met with a smile and a wave from so many people who are truly glad I am a part of this parish. I have heard from so many that there is something special about Prince of Peace, and I am so glad that I feel like I have found my faith home.

St. Norbert

I have also found an incredible community and support at St. Norbert. The first week of classes, somebody mentioned a mass at 9pm in one of the residence halls, and we all decided to check it out. The minute we all walked into that room, we were met with so many incredible people who just radiated with God’s love. I felt relaxed and comfortable and it turned into my favorite part of each week.

There is a strong group of support within the Catholic Groups on campus and it is just such a relaxing feeling. I am so blessed to be able to attend such an amazing school and feel like I have found my home and second faith community.

Beauty of the Sky

On the plane ride home I will admit I wasn’t in the best mood. It had been a long week, our plane was delayed for over three hours, and I had just been trying to work on a blog explaining a really hard educational topic and was frustrated. We still had about five hours until we were going to be home and I wasn’t really having it.

The minute we took off, God had something to show me.

Within thirty seconds of takeoff, my breath was taken away. We flew right over Washington D.C. at night and it was so incredibly beautiful. Words can’t even express it honestly. At that moment, I felt God tell me to relax and trust. I am always caught up in the what if and what is happening next that I forget to live. Seeing how each little dot was a light and how much it lit up the city was incredible. I honestly have no words to describe the feeling.

Another thing that struck me is how small my problems seemed from so high up. Sure, I struggled at the conference, but I was chosen to be one of the only students there and honestly, most people struggled at least a little. I am a rising Sophomore and was in a community with faculty and staff from around the world.

Being able to see the perfect world that God created and knowing that he looked at the world and decided that each one of us needed to be included is just mind-blowing and perfect. Sometimes it is hard to see what God sees in us or how he is with us, but he is constantly fighting battles for us and his unconditional love always shines through.

Each time I decide to let go and trust God’s plan for my life, miracles happen. I have to constantly pinch myself and make sure this is truly the life I’m living, because for the first time in a long time, I feel surrounded by great friends and family and I am enjoying the roller coaster of life I am on. Each part of my jigsaw puzzle is finally clicking into place (if you know, you know).

Going back to Deacon Jeff’s homily and Hebrews 11:1, I have not seen God physically (please let me know if you have), but I see God in each little moment of my life: the good and the bad; I see him each time I walk into church, each time I see joy or pain on my friends and families face, and my views from 10,000 feet up.

Many things have changed in the past few months, mainly for the better.

I have met an incredible group of people and I am immensely grateful. I love living in Bergstrom in such a great community of the incredible Second Floor Sisters. The girls of Chiara have also really helped support and guide me these past few months in the change in atmosphere on my faith journey. Thanks to the incredible Katie for dealing with me and sharing the tiny square of living space we call our own. A special shout out to Lauren and Holly for our countless movie dates and basically living in my room sometimes.

Another incredibly supportive group of all of my success has been my church choir. They have shown me so much love and support especially since I have left. Each one of them has guided me in my faith journey and I can always rely on them. Thank you to each one of them for always believing in me and helping me to grow musically each week. I have grown so much since I joined in 7th grade and you have been there for it all.

I cannot end this post without thanking my two biggest supporters since day one (and even before). My parents have supported me through every up and down of life and I could not be here without them. I am so thankful for both of them (and I guess Zach too).

Thank you to every single person that has guided me through every stage of my life. A special thank you to my whole family, friends, and all of my teachers that have helped me to be the person I am today and for teaching me so many valuable life lessons.

Explore my blog and learn a little bit about my adventure-filled life!