home for christmas

I am home for christmas!!! back to the STL. I am thrilled I came home to 6 inches of snow!!! I love snow, but I miss the 50 degree and above weather in San Diego. When I got into the airport I had a welcome party...my dad, brother, sister, uncle Tim, and cousins Michael, Allie, and Chris where there to welcome me. It was a Merriman family pile on...I am not even joking. After we left the airport we went straight to my grandparents house so I could Surprise them. We ordered pizza and I showed them pictures from the past three months of college life. I got a new puppy named Truman...love him to death. Today we get our christmas tree, my favorite thing to do this time of year. We have always had a real tree, but this year we are actually going to cut it down...instead of just getting one from a lot. Time to get going!!

False Friendships

Having friends is an important part of life. Despite its importance, friendships with the opposite sex can put several in bad positions. A friendship between two of the opposite sex can lead to miscommunications and unwanted feelings for one or both parties. St. Francis de Sales describes to us how a friendship should be in his writing, Philothea.
St. Francis de Sales’ writing on false friendships is mainly about false friendships between opposite sex. He stresses that friendships of opposite sex are bad because they are flirtatious friendships, false. St. Francis talks about true, holy friendships, friendships that are made in the charity of Christ. As said by St. Francis de Sales, “holy friendship speaks a simple honest language, and only praises the goodness and grace of God, which is its firm foundation” (Philothea, 176). St. Francis de Sales says that good friendship is made in serving Christ, working for him.
There is false friendship, between opposite sex. St. Francis de Sales says, “When these foolish friendships exist between persons of different sex without intention of marriage, they are called flirtations” (Philothea, 168). He says that it is a foolish friendship because these friendships distract the heart from God and what friendship is truly about. One should not share a friendship with a person of the opposite without the intention of marriage.
There is a tie between St. Francis de Sales thoughts on friendships, and Christ teachings regarding discipleship and relationships of opposite sex. St. Francis says that friendships should be based on charity for Christ. Jesus’ disciples were friends through the charity of him. Men and women were disciples of Christ and in working for him, friendships were formed. St. Francis is saying just that, friendships between opposite sex should only be the friendship formed because we are disciples.
While everyone needs a friend, we need to be careful in those friendships. Everyone needs to remember the importance of friendship and that is service to God, helping one another to grow closer to him. St. Francis de Sales describes to us how a friendship should be in his writing, Philothea.

The Beatitudes and Christ

The Beatitudes—a counterpart of the Ten Commandments—have been taught to us since we were little. We were taught to know them, but not about them. Pope Benedict wrote on The Beatitudes, explaining them and how they are related to Christ and the discipleship. He describes them with a deeper meaning to help us understand better.
Pope Benedict touches on six of the eight Beatitudes. The first Beatitude mentioned is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of God,” which is “the basic category of Jesus’ message.” The next Beatitude is “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” a Beatitude that overlaps greatly with the first. This is the third of the Beatitudes, according to Pope Benedict, it is an essential aspect of what is meant by poverty lived from and for God. The next one that is discussed is “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.” This is an important Beatitude because, as Pope Benedict says, “Establishing peace is part of the very essence of Sonship.” There is a struggle for peace on earth, and as Pope Benedict points out, it begins with each person’s struggle with God.
The next Beatitude is “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Pope Benedict tells of two forms of mourning; the kind where one has lost hope and the kind that is one discovering truth. Pope Benedict gives an example of each by using Judas as an example of one who is mourning because he is in fear and hope is lost. Peter is his example of one who is mourning because of a realization, a truth. The next Beatitude is “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It is said, that Jesus promises good to those who suffer for his sake. Another Beatitude similar to this one is “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” These two Beatitudes are very similar in that one is rewarded when it is needed, because of their faith. The final Beatitude mentioned is “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Pope Benedict says, “The organ for seeing God is the heart.” He says that in order to really see God, one must be pure of heart.
There is a big relation of the Beatitudes to Christ and Discipleship. First off, the Beatitudes display the mystery of Christ and call us to his communion. The disciple is bound to the mystery of Christ and is deep in communion with him. Pope Benedict says, “The Beatitudes are the transportation of Cross and Resurrection into discipleship and apply to the disciples because they were first live by Christ.” The Beatitudes are the directions for the Disciples of Christ.
Each of us has been taught the Beatitudes, but not about them. These are the directions of the disciples, and first lived by Christ and as followers of him, we should better understand them. Pope Benedict wrote on The Beatitudes, explaining them and how they are related to Christ and the discipleship

Compare

There are several connections between stories in the Old Testament and the story of the Wedding at Cana. The connections are found by looking past the words and looking for the true meaning. Scripture, after all, is not straight-forward. It is about looking deep within the words for a better understanding of Jesus and his teachings.
Water and wine play a big part in Old Testament and the wedding at Cana. In John 1, we know that water is used to baptize those from sin in the story of John the Baptist. In the story of The Wedding at Cana, Jesus changes the water to wine performing his first miracle. At the last supper, Jesus changes the wine into his blood, which we drink today in remembrance of him.
Another connection between Old Testament and the Wedding at Cana is when Jesus calls Mary woman. In Genesis 2, God created man and woman. Eve, is woman, she helped Adam commit “first Adam,” the sin of eating the forbidden fruit. Mary is woman, who helped Jesus commit “Second Adam,” the virtue of changing the water into wine for the wedding. There is also a connection with the term “bridegroom.” Throughout scripture, Jesus is known as bridegroom. At the wedding at Cana there is a bride and a groom. Jesus is said to be married to the church; Jesus is the groom, and the church is the bride.
Several connections are made between the Old Testament and the story of the Wedding at Cana. These connections are not just about changing water to wine, or Jesus calling Mary “woman.” They are about the meaning, and symbolism found within. We have to look deep within the words for a better understanding of Jesus and his teachings.

"Stay Beautiful"

Everyone has one person in this world that they look up to. Someone they strive to be like for whatever reason. That person could be the president, or a favorite actor or director, and for some a religious leader. There is someone that I look up to. She is not famous, or well known, she has not won awards or invented something miraculous. She is a regular person like me, trying to figure out life and what to do with it. That person is my best friend Lauren.

Although we have not been friends for long, it feels like we have been friends forever. I have known her for four years, but never really knew her until this summer. I have come to learn that she is truly an amazing person. She is smart, fun, and she is always there when I need her. In high school, she was always in the honors classes and does very well is school. The thing is, is that she is very humble about it. We have several friends who brag about their grades and “tell the world,” but not Lauren. I do well in school, but it is not as natural as it is for her. She never makes me feel less because of it. She is encouraging and helpful when needed.

There has never been a dull moment when hanging out with her. This past summer Lauren and I were inseparable. We would often be questioned by random people “are you two twins?” We would just smile and laugh because we heard it so often. This summer we went through a lot, normal teenage stuff, but we were there for each other, always. She always has a way of making me feel better when it seems impossible. Whenever I did not answer my phone, I would always have a voicemail of her singing our favorite song “Stay Beautiful” by Taylor Swift. When I would hear that, it would brighten my day times ten! I admire her ability to make things better. When both our days were rough she would worry more about fixing mine than hers. She is so strong like that. She worries more about others than herself, a trait I wish was more apparent in myself.

Lauren is the one person I look up too. She is strong, smart and beautiful! She has so much going for her. Although she is two thousand miles away at Rockhurst University I know she will always be there for me, and I am here for her. She has many qualities I wish I could possess. She does not even realize how beautiful a person she is. I know she will go far in life and have many successes. I love her to death and I miss her terribly. Aristotle said “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies,” when we are together that is exactly what we are like and I cannot wait until Christmas break when we are together again.

Life in the STL!

What is a hometown? By definition, a hometown is the city or town where one was born and grew up. To me, my hometown is so much more. It is where my family is, where my friends are, where memories are. Although I love life in San Diego, I miss St. Louis because of the environment, family, and baseball.
There are certain things in St. Louis that I never appreciated until I was gone. In St. Louis there was one place my friends and I enjoyed going to. That was Forest Park. It has everything, our famous FREE zoo, and the oldest, and largest outdoor theatre, the Muny, in the United States. My cross country team used to have practice there. Forest park is a great place to be. It is a great place to go with family, or friends. Picnics, field trips and so much more can take place in Forest Park. There are certain restaurants that I miss as well. My favorite restaurant is Steak n’ Shake, a nice 50’s style burger diner where my friends and I enjoyed several meals. I love the food there, apart from Steak n’ Shake there is Imo’s pizza. It is the greatest pizza (in my opinion). Unfortunately, Imo’s is only found in St. Louis.
There is one thing that I have in St. Louis that is in very few places. That is my family. I miss them very much. While we did get into arguments, I had great times with them. I am very close to my dad’s brother and his kids. I miss going to my uncle’s house and hanging out watching “That 70’s Show” with my cousins. Another thing is miss is taking the 45 min. drive to my grandparent’s house to hang out. My grandpa is suffering from Alzheimers and dementia and it is taking him fast. Every moment spent with him was important to me because I do not know how much time I have left with him, which makes it hard being so far away. I know I’ll be back at Christmas to see them, and I look forward to it.
One thing that St. Louis has that is nowhere else is the St. Louis Cardinals. This summer I fell in love with baseball. I went to 5 games, which for me is a huge deal. Baseball is after all the great American pastime. Baseball is my dad’s favorite sport, so I have grown up with hearing about baseball. My dad has taken me to a game every summer, but I never really paid attention, until now. I love baseball, I love the cardinals. My favorite player is David Eckstein; the cardinals lead batter, and Short Stop. Unfortunately, his contract is up this year, and he will not be resigned with the Cardinals. The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in 2006, they are awesome. I cannot wait until next summer to watch them play at Busch Stadium.
A hometown is more than just where you live. It is memories, family, and friends. It is what I know, and remember and miss. I love St. Louis and I cannot wait until I go home for Christmas. Sadly, it is off season, so no Cardinals games, but come summer I am there. Although I love life in San Diego, I miss St. Louis because of the environment, family, and baseball.

My passion

Passion as defined by Merriam-Webster is a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept Passion for everyone is different. For some, a passion may be playing a sport or acting. I have a passion for singing. Singing helps me emotionally and spiritually.
I have been taking vocal lessons since I was seven years old. My freshman year of high school I made it into our advanced choir at Ursuline Academy and had several solos. I have been in the Millikin Music Festival twice and have been both a Finalist and Semi-finalist for voice. These are just among the few accomplishments I have vocally. I do not sing to get recognition, or awards. I sing because it makes not only myself happy but others happy as well.
Singing is the one thing that makes me happy. When I sing the world is at a standstill. Singing relieves my stress. Whenever I get in a fight with my family I go into my room and I will just sing. It is calming and makes me forget about what else is going on in my life so that I can have that brief time by myself.
Singing is how I communicate with God. I am not one to be able to sit quietly and meditate in church. I am to easily distracted. Singing is how I pray during mass. I am taking the gift God has given me and using it for him. I feel the most prayerful when I am singing; there is something about the lyrics and the song that really makes me think.
My grandmother was very supportive of my singing. She passed away two years ago, and I had the privilege of singing at her funeral. This was very important to me because she was so encouraging about me and singing. It is very difficult for me to sing in front of my family, but I have always been able to sing to her. I remember one specific time she took me into a room separate from my family and sat down and she said “Alright Elizabeth, you are on American Idol and I am Simon Cowell.” So I stood in front of her and sang “The Water is Wide.” When I finished she would look at me, tears in her eyes and would say “Welcome to Hollywood.” Thinking about times such as that helped me through her funeral mass, knowing that I was singing for her.
Passion for everyone is different. My passion is the gift given to me by God; the gift of singing. Being able to sing when I am going through hard times is just what I need. My passion for singing has taken me so far, I am so grateful for all that I have accomplished.