Uno Dos Tres

So what a year, huh? Let's play a game! Your challenge is to sum up your year in 3 words. :)

Mine (there really should be no surprise here):

Uno- Baptized

Dos- Catholic

Tres- Stained Glass

Baptized, I say? Yep. This is at the top because it is pretty much the best decision I have ever made. I remember the very first ever mass I went to (well maybe not the very first but I think you get the point) was  January 9th..... and we celebrated the Baptism of our Lord. Right then I knew I'd be baptized in Holy Name. It's funny to think about all the times I could have been baptized... my two younger sister's confirmation, the summer of the Mormons (great story btw), and just the different churches we attended. But I slipped through the cracks, even while secretly always wanting to be baptized. But it worked out perfectly.....I mean you know Him. :) It just blows me away that I got to choose this. I will stop rambling now but just know it was one of the best days of my life. So much GRACE!!!

Catholic. Gosh, that word just makes me smile. Seriously, I am smiling as I type this sentence. Catholic. haha So this is teetering on the edge of me going crazy and typing a novel about Catholicism. So I will try to be succinct. Try. One of the things I frequently find myself saying is "This, yes this, is my favorite thing about Catholicism!" There are just so many good things! But here is one of favorite, favorite things- the body of the the church. I go to mass every Sunday. You go to mass every Sunday. Some random person in Ireland goes to mass every Sunday. The fellow down the street. Your best friend. The Pope. And guess what, we are all together in the scripture and gospels we read. We pray the same prayers. We all the partake in the Eucharists together. The saints in Heaven and the faithful here on earth all in unison. I think that is beautiful. Catholicism is beautiful. I hope it never stops taking my breath away. 

Stained Glass. So technically this might break the three word rule....but I can hyphenate it for good measure. Stained-glass. First, a side story that I promise is related to stained glass-

This summer I had a day that I like to call the Grandma Trifecta Day. I wrote a blog about it.....but never posted it. Ha. So anyway, this day consisted of me seeing each of my three grandma's all in one day. What a blessed day! My Nannie (Dad's mom) is really special to me. She has such a beautiful soul. It's really hard to explain what I mean in words but I look up to her so much. I look at her and I see LOVE. For me. For all people. For her family. For my Papa. For God. Anyway, this particular day, she and I were talking in the camper about life. She was working on some plastic canvas/yarn things and then talking about some pillows she made. She said, "This is my therapy, Kasie. This is the only way I stay sane."

This past year I lost my last two grandpas. However, I also have witnessed two of my grandmas deal with the death of their husbands. Let me tell you, the strength that they have demonstrated to me leaves me in wonderment. It is like my little earthly reminder/example of the strength our Momma Mary showed us. Oh to have like-Mary strength! So stained glass? Yeah, it is sorta like my therapy. And I think it is safe to say Catholicism is too. :)