Christ, Coffee, and Cornfields

  This will probably offend some people...you have been warned.   The USA is the greatest country in the world; that is a fact, not an opinion. Obviously we haven't always done everything perfectly, but out of every country that is or was we are by far the best. We are incredibly blessed to live here, and Memorial Day is the solemn holiday where we remember that the freedom we enjoy comes at a price.    Many people don't realize that Memorial Day is technically reserved for remembering military service members who died while serving.  Current military members and military veterans each have their own day where they are honored (Armed Forces Day and Veteran's Day, respectively). Don't get me wrong, obviously those who serve and have served deserve our respect every day of the year. Memorial Day is different, though. In fact, it's my understanding that many of people who were/are in the military prefer to not be recognized today because they have personally experi...

  I don't really know how to even open up a post like this. Frankly, it isn't something that should need to be written but here we are. I would say to blame all of the past couple days of crazy on severe cabin fever from Corona, but we have seen scenes like this before. A person with dark skin is killed by cops or a non dark skinned person and everyone loses their minds.   That is not to make light of the situation. George Floyd was killed in a violent manner by a cop. He should still be alive. I hope his soul rests in peace and that his family finds healing. But the fact that it immediately  became a political stunt to further the "cops are racist, and America is racist" dialogue is incredibly sickening, because it just so happens that he was black and the cop was white. I would even argue that it is disrespectful to Mr. Floyd and his family. It cheapens his death to a statistic, his life to the color of his skin. It's another headline that will go away soon,...

   So Kobe Bryant passed away yesterday, along with his daughter and the rest of the passengers on the helicopter that crashed. Understandably, everyone who hears about it is shaken up. He was only 41 years old and his daughter just 13. Very young to be dead. Please pray for them and their families. It definitely made me start thinking about my own mortality and that of my family.   I won't lie; I was never much of a fan of Kobe. Until yesterday, all I knew about him was that he was a really good baller and he cheated on his wife once. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I judged the heck out of him for that. After his death hit the news, there were some articles that detailed his reversion to the Catholic faith and how he used his wealth and fame to help others. I was totally floored by that, and quite ashamed of myself. He clearly found the mercy of God and embraced it to the fullest. I went to Confession before Mass yesterday, so His mercy was very fresh in my life, a...

  If challenging situations do anything for me, they give me writing material. Per my last post, my Grandpa passed away recently, and today we buried him. The past 10 hours or so have been exhausting, tear-soaked, and painful. The funeral and burial were beautiful and fitting. If you have ever experienced a military funeral, you'll know what I mean when I say it was very powerful and moving. I am honored to be descended from a man who served our country for decades. Anyway, this post isn't really about today so much as what today's celebration (yes, I will call it that) points to.   Life doesn't stop. We always say how quickly life moves, whether it's in reference to an anniversary, a graduation, or a birthday. Our time on Earth is full of milestones and moments, things to celebrate and times to reflect on. The Catholic Faith is all about celebrating; if we can party, we will party. As difficult and painful as funerals are, I always find peace in them because a ...

  It’s really hard to quantify the feelings running through my body at this moment in time. Every death hits you differently, and this is no exception. Many of you know that my maternal grandpa unexpectedly passed away yesterday. He had terminal cancer originating from his lungs (PLEASE don’t smoke, people), but what killed him was a blood clot. I won’t go into detail into which hospital or the exact care he received, but let’s just say as his granddaughter and a nurse, I’m currently not a happy camper. There are so many things that I had planned to do and say, but I never got the chance to do any of them. Those are the regrets I have. So many regrets.   Many relationships go through ups and downs, and ours was no different. Unfortunately, we were in the in the middle of a slump where we’d get somewhere and then slide back down to the bottom of the dip. I know that I’ll go through the stages of grief in my own time, but as this moment I’m a total wreck. Praise Jesus for my w...

We saw "Incredibles 2" last week at the drive-in, and let me just say that it was totally worth waiting over a decade for. It was definitely geared more toward those of us who were kids when the first movie came out, but it was still enjoyable for my younger siblings. As much of a void-filling movie as it is, there were many themes and messages throughout the film that were thought-provoking and refreshing coming from the entertainment industry.   From a critic standpoint, there was at least one major plot hole that is still wide open, and the animation is slightly different. However, that was to be expected since animation styles have changed drastically in recent years and I didn't really notice it as the movie progressed. One thing I thought was absolutely hysterical as a nurse and someone with IBS was the superhero by the name of Reflux. You can about imagine his superpower! Overall, I thought that it was a very worthy sequel to a next to perfect original movie.  ...

  Jordan is always telling me to not worry about "what ifs." I tend to overthink things (I know, shocker), so his constant reminding me to live in today and not tomorrow is needed. Sometimes I get into a rut of negative thinking that is made up of "what if" scenarios that are silly to be concerned about because we can't magically reach into tomorrow and change anything, if it's even there to be changed to begin with.   What if we don't find a photographer for our wedding?   What if I'm not smart enough to be a nurse?   What if we can't have children?   What if Jordan or my family dies in a car crash?   What if our house starts on fire?   What if I accidentally filled in the wrong bubble on my ballot when I voted?!   My excuse for these thoughts is that, technically speaking, all of these situations are feasible. These things could happen. We live in an absolutely broken world, which isn't how the Lord wanted it, but he...

    I have been blessed (or cursed?) with the ability to vividly recall many of my dreams, even years after dreaming them. Sometimes they are the good, exciting dreams, but most often they tend to be my nightmares. My most recent nightmare happened this weekend and involved me getting mortally injured and the intense need to say goodbye to my family. The thing is, I never died. I kept going to different places to find different family members, all the while dying, but never actually passing away. The same night I had another dream. A murderer was after me, and I was dying in that one, too. This time, the murderer killed someone else and I managed to get away, but still dying. Needless to say, I woke up having cried in my sleep and having gotten no rest that night.   I watched an episode of my favorite TV show last night, and at the very end, one of my top 3 favorite characters in the show died. His wife had just given birth to their first child and he was on his way to ...