New Years resolution...

Who doesn't love a good C.S. Lewis quote?

I know what you're thinking...
New Years resolution? That thing people do where they say they're going to change their life or their body or something and then after a week they forget about it and go back to their jobs or school unchanged?
Maybe that's just what I was thinking.

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of New Years resolutions.
Why? Because I'm not a huge fan of making promises and then breaking them, telling myself I'm going to change and them failing because my fear gets the better of me.
And why do we need an excuse to change ourselves in the first place? Why is New Years such a big deal?

This is my opinion of the secular New Years.
But I've recently discovered that if you apply your Faith to the concept, everything turns around.
I follow this really great Catholic account on Instagram run by a really awesome Catholic teen, and she posted a list of ideas for the New Year's resolutions for the soul. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I shared them right now. (These aren't word for word, but you get the idea)

1. 5 minutes.
5 minutes of prayer each day can change your life.
To be honest, I pray a rosary daily, but other than that I don't do a ton.
I'm going to start with 5 minutes and work my way up. Why don't you try it too? Unless you already
have an awesome prayer life. In that case, just keep doing what you're doing.

2. "I always forget to pray!"
Same. Well, sometimes.
But this year I'm setting my alarm for 9:45 (when I'm hopefully wrapping up homework). Just sit in silence, go through your day, whatever. Just take time to be in God's presence. It's the best time you'll spent on earth.

3. Sirach 2:4-6
4 Accept whatever happens to you,
    and be patient
    when you suffer humiliation,
5         because gold is tested with fire,
        and acceptable people are tested
        in the furnace of humiliation.
6 Trust him, and he will help you;
    make your ways straight,
    and hope in him.

I had to look this one up.
Perfect people aren't made overnight. You have to get up every single day and try, try, try. It's hard, but trust me when I say that God can use every single moment of your life to make you into who He wants you to be if you just give Him everything.

4. Read GREAT books.
Don't waste your time on good books, only read the great ones.
This year I want to read St. Faustina's diary, St. Augustine's Confessions, the Imitation of Christ, a book by JPII, and re-read The Story of a Soul by St. Therese.

Also, read your Bible!!!
I'm not being a hypocrite, I'm going to read mine too.
But as Albert Einstein said (even though he wasn't a Christian)
"No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word."
Which is so true. I fall in love with Jesus again every time I read the Bible.

5. Find a new saint!!!
This is the one I'm most excited about. Why?
Last night I came across the most awesome website in the entire world. It's from the author of Something other than God (another book to add to the list). It's a random saint generator.

You press a button, say a quick prayer, and it gives you a saint to be your patron!!! (In this case, for 2015).
Isn't that awesome?!?!?!?!?!?
When I did it felt like I was standing on one side of a door with my new best friend on the other side. I couldn't wait to meet them.
And who did I get?
St. Maria Goretti!!! I did a project on her 5 years ago in elementary school. She's the patron of young girls, and I know that she will help me in the coming year to follow God's will and take every opportunity to witness to and grow in my faith.

http://jenniferfulwiler.com/saints/

I'm so excited for all to come in the next year, and I hope that you stick around to experience it with me :)

Sorry this post got so long.

I hope you have a blessed New Years Eve with friends and family.
And Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!
It's still Christmas, and the baby Jesus is still waiting for us to take Him into our arms and love Him forever.
And don't forget to go to mass on New Years Day! It's a Holy Day of Obligation! (But who wouldn't want an extra excuse to go to Mass?)

Love,
A Catholic Teen