Adventure is Out There: Strive for it.

“Jesus, I love you, praise you and adore you. Open my heart to whatever it is you may be calling me to do all the days of my life. Help me to love all of those whom I encounter today. Thank you, for letting me wake up today. St. John Paul II and B. Mother Teresa, pray for us.”

Other than the St. Michael prayer and Memorare prayer sighted after every mass at Benedictine College, this is what I pray every time I leave the Church. Not only does it give me peace, but I realize with no shame, I walk all the way up to the front in the center of the aisle, kneeling on my knees with my head almost touching the ground seeing in that moment it doesn’t matter if people are talking, watching me, etc. What matters most is it is me and Christ and nobody else.

Hi, my name is Joslyn and I am striving; for greatness, success, love, happiness and especially holiness. Life is beautiful. Every child is a gift from God. He has a plan for us and we are called to answer to that plan and live life accordingly.

Never did I think 10 years ago I would be where I am at today in my own life, but also faith life. In some way God reminds me so much of what he has done in my life even in the craziest things that I always have to look back on. I have wounds, failures, pride, and humility. There is one thing I have realized though in the past that made me open my eyes and go, WOW.

A big part of why I have all of those things (wounds, failures etc.) listed above, is because there were times in my life where I did the things I wanted to do and never followed God’s plan. Is God’s plan better? How do I know? That is a question most people ask themselves every day. And that’s ok. God opens those doors for us to deepen our relationship with him. The question is though, are we going to respond with what He gives us, even though it may not be what we want? That’s where the 5 most important things come into play: trust, patience, provide, love, reward.

I am not here to tell you what to do, because you know yourself more than I do. God knows you more than you know yourself, but I encourage you to do at least this: Keep striving! Ask yourself right now, what does it mean to strive? Well look at where you are at today and focus only on today. If you have track practice, or a big game – focus on striving to perform at the greatest of your ability. In my own life, any performances I did I would offer up, or say a simple prayer to give me strength and to never give up. I was striving. Striving for the goal set in front of me and once it was over I could be rewarded, or try harder next time. It is not easy, but worth it. Tell yourself you are worth striving for and lend a hand to those who seem to be hurting or failing along the way. That’s what God does with us. When we are so tired, He never stops fighting for us. Use those gifts that you are capable of sharing with the world. Share it with us.

Will you say yes today to strive? Today I strived by going to class even though I have been feeling so home sick and missing home and wanted to talk to nobody and be away from the world, but as I walked up the hill , I saw a car with the state of Nebraska license plates who honked the horn and waved at me yelling out the window “Have a great day!” God rewarded me, because I strived to get to class.

Do you trust in his plan, love, patience, and mercy? Show it by striving for little things and let him reward your for even the little efforts. I promise you, it will boost your confidence, and make you have a better attitude about your day. In another post, I would love to share how what I consider the five most important things have influenced my life and invite you to share with me how you have become stronger by striving. Let’s strive together!

“Come and follow me and when you do it, do not be afraid.” – St. John Paul II ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Joslyn Wiebelhaus is a junior at Benedictine College, majoring in Mass Communications with minors in Theology and Political Science. She comes from a small rural town in NE Nebraska. Her passions in life include photography, horseback riding, star gazing, and smiling! :) St. John Paul the Great once said that "Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure." Joslyn says, "Praise God. Adventure is out there!" She invites you along to fight the good fight, because as Bl. Mother Teresa assures us, "Fighting the good fight is worth it!" Joslyn can be found on Instagram & Twitter @jozer14 I met Joslyn during my time at Benedictine College, and her love for Christ and a good adventure is one that noone could deny. I had the blessing of connecting with her as prayer partners while serving on a retreat team together. She was always up for a round of catch in the sunshine and handmade one of the most beautiful rosaries that I own.