THAT Kind of Princess

I realized a couple days ago that I want to be a princess still. Kinda like when I was a little girl.  I want to be a princess as much as I want to be a saint.  But before you roll your eyes, hear me out.

I don’t want to be the girl that everyone thinks is just so beautiful.  I don’t want to have the glamorous gowns and sparkling jewelry.  I don’t want to be waited on, hand and foot.  But I do want the prince, and the epic, heroic moment.

I have always pictured this epic moment as one of those scenes where the prince is valiantly fighting for his princess, because he knows he has someone worth fighting for.  But in a sudden turn of events, the enemy has the upper hand.  Things don’t look so good for the prince.  Now the princess gets her heroic moment where she runs in to save him, and she turns everything around.  Because of her courageous action, the prince is able to get up and finish the fight.  They’ll have won the battle together, because they did it for the good of the other.

A friend of mine recently told me I remind her of Belle, from Beauty and the Beast.  I thought it was an awesome compliment, to be compared to a Disney princess.  So I compared my story to hers too.

Belle is an only child to a single father.  He ends up being a prisoner in the Beast’s castle, but with a self-sacrificing act to save her father, Belle takes his place instead.  She doesn’t know it, but the Beast has to get her to fall in love with him, or he will keep the appearance of a beast forever.  Slowly, as he pursues her, Belle and the Beast fall in love.

But then the Beast also makes a self-sacrificing act in order to set her free.  His sacrifice allows her to really live, not live as a prisoner.  She goes on her way.  She can either choose to come back to him, or carry on as though he meant nothing to her.  But then, as he’s under attack, it becomes a matter of life or death.  She remembers their love for each other, and comes running back to him when the battle is raging on.

And so Belle just stands there, watching him get attacked, and she won’t run in there and help defend him.  She doesn’t even tell her family how important he is to her—she’s just too embarrassed.  She won’t stand behind her prince.  She’d rather pretend this isn’t happening.  She lets everyone else fight to save him, but she, herself, does nothing.

Just kidding.

She obviously doesn’t just stand by and do nothing.  But what a disappointing ending that would have been!  People would think she was a terrible princess.  Would she really be a princess at all?  But I realized that this is how my “princess story” tends to look.

I’m just the girl who stands by and watches as the Prince is under attack, too afraid to say anything.  Everything He stands for is being persecuted, but I so easily feel embarrassed of Him.  I’m not a princess.  I’m not that courageous.

But I want to be.  Because I know He’s worth it.  He’s worth those moments where I charge in there to defend Him and say that I’m with Him until the end.  He’s worth those moments where I’m not afraid to say that I am Catholic, and say that I love God.  I want to be able to share my faith with my family, rather than feel embarrassed by it.  I want to be like Belle, who runs into the chaos to be beside her prince, in full knowledge of the battle that rages on around them.  I have always wanted that “epic, heroic moment” like I’ve pictured in my mind—but this IS that moment, but I haven’t been playing my part.

That’s why I say I still want to be a princess.  I don’t desire to fit the glamorous stereotype little girls think of.  To me, the word “princess” has a completely different definition.  She is the daughter of the King.  She is courageous.  She is not ashamed.  She stands for what is right, and stands behind her Prince through the battle.

I want to be THAT kind of princess.

That’s why I’m writing this post.  I kind of contemplated writing it for a while, but figured I would die of embarrassment if this kind of stuff were to get out.  So here’s an attempt at being courageous.  If I am supposed to be the daughter of the King, isn’t it about time I started acting like it?

 

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

- The Princess Diaries

 

Andrea

Blessed is the Woman

“Blessed is the woman who has a smile in her voice,

 a sparkle in her eyes, a song on her lips;

a spring in her step, a warmth in her touch,

a depth in her beauty, a purpose for her life,

a joy in her faith, a hope in her breast and a love in her heart.”

 

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26

Take time to pray!

Courtesy 101

I’ve heard stories of disappointed cashiers attempting to serve a customer who is checking out and talking on the phone at the same time…you see it all over!  A couple weeks ago I saw a man standing outside the grocery store talking on his phone.  Only after having completed the call did he enter the store to shop.  I was impressed and it made me take note.

So what should one do when it’s so easy and comfortable to be “technologically rude?”  I set some goals and guidelines for myself:

1. When I am visiting someone…I am with them so my phone is off or on vibrate and in a place where I am not distracted by an incoming call or text.
2. When I am by myself…done visiting…I check my messages and return calls in a timely manner.
3. If I am with someone at leisure and I get a call that I need to take, I try to excuse myself, keep the call short and am sure to return my attentions to the person I am with.
4. While I may answer the phone or make calls in stores, once I am in the check-out line my focus is on the person helping me.

Have you ever heard or sung that little song: Love is something, when you give it away, give it away, give it away, Love is something, when you give it away you end up having more.  It’s just like a magic penny, hold it tight and you won’t have any, lend it spend it and you’ll have so many, they’ll all fall over the floor! ?

That’s the beauty of common courtesy…at first it’s hard because we are not used to it and we think we may miss out on something.  But if we stick to it we will reap rewards that will make us wonder why we didn’t think to begin sooner and before we know it we lose count of the many blessings it brings!

Courtesy of the Feminine

In our world of technology it is easy to be swept up in the conveniences of immediate information at our fingertips.  

  In the whirl of it being “normal” it is easy to become “Miss Rude” without realizing it.  For instance, have you noticed how many people walk around, no matter what time of day or where they are, with two little buds in their ears?  Many of us have created our own little bubble of sorts and if someone were to dare to say “hi” or smile at another in passing they either don’t hear or see and so don’t respond or they appear shocked and taken off guard and almost don’t know if or how to respond back.  It can be fun to see the reactions but all in all we have forgotten the beauty of simple common courtesy.

What is common courtesy?  Looking out for those around you, acknowledging and being mindful and considerate to those you are with.  Let’s consider the cell phone world.  Everyone has one…almost…it’s normal.  I think I first began to realize how rude we can be with cell phones when I was visiting with someone and when their phone rang or beeped they responded immediately despite and in the midst of our face-to-face conversation.  As I made note of the feeling of being “less important” or “boring” I realized I too had probably been doing the same thing to others without intending to.  You see, we all have a natural desire to feel important, loved and even thought about and receiving a phone call or text provides reassurance for all three!  The problem comes when our desire to be reassured of this is at the cost of the person or people we are with, in the same room or car.  Isn’t the fact that they are with us deserving of credit, top priority and even common courtesy?

Tammy

Womanly Dignity

“What do you say to a modestly-dressed woman?”

———————————

“Your dignity’s showing!”

With the warm weather coming out, girls tend to show more skin and wear less clothing. It keeps us cooler and is also more attractive to the guys, so why not?

     As women, we should always be mindful of what we wear and how it affects those around us. More importantly, modesty is an outward sign that portrays an inward sign of security, love and respect for ourselves and others. By dressing modestly we show others the dignity that women inherently are given by God. We demand more than the attention that our bodily appearance gives on its own. We challenge others to love us for who we are, rather than for what we look like. On a more practical level, modesty also benefits women because it allows us to be comfortable by not being limited in how we can move without exposing more than what should be shown.

Before I met my fiancé, I struggled in some ways to dress modestly and I did not understand all of the affects it had on myself and those around me. Immediately after starting a relationship, I felt the desire to dress more modestly. I believe this is because every woman knows inside that to be truly respected and loved by ourselves and others, we must dress in a way that conveys that message. Not only am I happier and more secure than I have ever been, but my fiancé as well is so thankful for the way I choose to dress.

Katie

A guy’s perspective………..

“Modesty is not only an ornament, but also a guard to virtue.”

You are Loved

“To live a life without fear; live a life of love”

Dear Beautiful women of God,

       Never forget how much you are loved. 

       You are not alone when it comes to the desires of a women’s heart.  It took me a very long time to realize that all women are searching for the same feeling of completion.

During my early high school years, I developed a bad case of acne. Since physical appearance was extremely important to me, I felt uncomfortable in my own skin. All of the medications I tried did not seem to help at all. I felt out of control and helpless. I did not have many friends, since I was homeschooled and lived out in the country.  I needed stability in my life so I decided to turn to something that I could control-my eating habits and exercise routine.

I began to eat what I thought was “more healthy”. This meant cutting out all deserts, snacks, extra side dishes, and any beverage except water. I started to exercise a lot more, starting at 6:15 in the morning and not finishing until I went to bed at night. Every free moment I had was spent running, rollerblading, cross-country skiing, swimming laps, walking, and doing jumping jacks or push ups. My meals slowly turned into basically fruit and water, because I thought that all other foods would make me fat.

My parents realized what I was doing to myself and told me to stop exercising. This only made me upset. I proceeded to sneak outside to do jumping jacks behind our garage and lock myself in the bathroom to do sit-ups.   I would still go out early in the morning to do a 2 mile run, because I felt that sleeping all night was a waste of time. One particular morning as I was out running, I felt my legs slowly collapsing. I wondered to myself which neighbor’s porch I would crawl onto to die because my body couldn’t go on any more. To this day I still don’t know how, but by the grace of God, I made it home that day alive. I still didn’t learn my lesson though. I was 5 foot 10 inches tall and weighed 98 pounds. I was a walking skeleton.  I knew deep in my heart that I was exercising too much and not eating enough, but something had a grip on my life. That something was the devil.

My internal battle raged on. Every morning I told myself that I was going to change my life, only to realize that I couldn’t. I was trapped in my own mindset. I became angry at everyone who looked at me. I felt worthless and abandoned with no place of hope to turn to.  I saw many counselors and nutritionists to try to fix my problem. But no words that they could say could loosen the grip that the devil had on my life. I would go to church, not to focus on the beautiful Mass, but to plan when I could fit in exercise throughout the rest of the day. I would pray just to go through the motions.

It wasn’t until I went to a Search for Christian Maturity Retreat that my life slowly began to turn around. At this retreat, I discovered something that I had not realized before. I discovered people who didn’t judge me for my past mistakes but who loved me for who I was. I discovered meaningful hugs for the first time. That weekend was the start of my healing journey. During that summer after Search, I met two wonderful Christian girls at my workplace. Throughout that summer they changed my life. They showed me the meaning of true friendship and love. They supported me, listened to my story, and were there at my side.

Slowly, I began to regain my health. Although it is common for victims of eating disorders to struggle with thoughts of the disease for the rest of their lives, my story ends differently. It has been 2 years since my struggle and I have been completely healed. My life is a miracle. Today I am a completely healthy young woman-physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I share my story for a reason.

     First and foremost, God loves you more than you can ever imagine and He will not leave your side.  “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are at my side…” Psalm 23:4. Secondly, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. If it wasn’t for the people in my life who brought me back to His Arms of Love, I would not be here today.

All people, especially women, have the desire in their heart to feel loved, comforted, secure, and safe. Don’t make them fall as low as I did to realize that they are loved.  Go forth and share Christ’s love.  You are all in my prayers.

In His Arms,

Kelsie

P.S.  (from your Heavenly Prince)

My Princess, I am the Lover of your soul. Won’t you open your heart and let Me embrace you with My tender touch? I want to steal your tender heart from this world and let it flourish in Mine. I want you to get so lost in Me that nothing can separate us. Come away with Me, My beloved, and I will complete you in every way.

Love,

Your Prince who will wait as long as it takes

Love is patient, Love is kind,
It does not envy, it does not boast,
It is not proud, It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth.

Love always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.

Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

                                                   L o v e  N e v e r  F a i l s.

Corinthians 13 : 4 – 8 

"Here is My heart"

Know Yourself:

Find out what your love language is, the way that you best respond to how others love you. Click on the 5 Love Languages link on the right.

“Encourage each other daily while it is still today” (Hebrews 3:13)