Running and the Gospel

What Running Has Taught Me About the Gospel

[ 0 ] April 3, 2013 AD | Julie Rodrigues

Running is an easy form of exercise: it’s free, you don’t need anyone else, and you can do it rain or shine (if you don’t mind getting wet or course). It makes you feel good and, if outside, gets you in contact with nature. It can also be a way to connect with the Creator of nature and in many ways mirrors the peculiarities of our human existence. Here are some reasons why:
It’s an endurance sport. It won’t be an amazing, heroic act of helping another turn to Christ or giving your life as a martyr that will make you truly holy. It’s those tiny, unseen acts of sacrifice and prayer and letting God take control of your life. It’s the little things done with great love, as Mother Teresa said. At most, these little, lifelong acts will prepare you for the big ones. “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).


Click here to continue reading on IgnitumToday:
http://www.ignitumtoday.com/2013/04/03/what-running-has-taught-me-about-the-gospel/

Foz do Arelho, Portugal

Before Easter, we were able to discover a place I had never heard of on Portugal's coast called Foz do Arelho. Apparently there are a lot of little places that are extraordinarily beautiful and little or not at all known.

Here are some pictures from our stop in Óbidos, a castle famous for its cherry liquor in chocolate cups, our 3-hour and super fun hike in Foz do Arelho and our stop in Fatima...

The Pietà and Holy Saturdays

Happy Easter!  

I hope your Easter was full of peace and life. 

My Easter was pretty intense... my fiancee and I went to a silent retreat for three days. I learned important things, mainly that the Christian life is most like Holy Saturday: it's not all pain and sin, but it's not all triumph either. It's more of a hopeful and faith-filled trust that God will not let suffering be the final word. There are two main responses on Holy Saturday(s): the running away of the disciples (and either blame/anger or guilt) or Mary's standing at the foot of the cross. Mary was certainly overcome by grief, but she also knew that God wouldn't let death be the final chapter. She had no idea how or when, but she knew God would make things right. 

I pray I will learn this from Mary in all my current and future Holy Saturdays... 

"Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope." 

Romans 5: 3-4

Personal and homemade

We've sent our wedding invitations out and I am happy that they are personal and homemade. They were inspired by a hallmark card sent from someone very special in the States and they have our hands on the front. 

Here it is in a "prayer corner" at our (marriage) godparents' house...

The inspirational Hallmark card...

Footprint party

I baked a footprint brownie last Friday for my first grade students. It was part of a good behavior reward thing we had going on, and they finally won all the footprints they had to win and we had a "footprint party". It was actually really fun. I accidentally burned the bottom of the entire brownie, but they didn't mind at all. They said, "It didn't taste burned at all, Julie! Can you make it again tomorrow?" 

This was in line with a piece of advice I received recently to pour out more love into different relationships in my life, including my students. So far, it's been feeling great.