christina.semmens

387 posts

What Is Your Mentality?

All of us have a mentality. Our mentality are the ideas, values and beliefs from which our minds interpret, appreciate and believe a certain reality. In other words, what I perceive and what I think about what I perceive, creates my reality. Whether we acknowledge it or not, our mentality influences, shapes and directs us; it is reflected in our decisions and actions because it is the essence of who we are. And this is why it is so important for us to know and understand what our mentality is. Our mentality is not always the same. It can change […]

A Theology of the Whole Body

Yesterday, I wrote about how the transcendentals–the good, true and beautiful–can help us discern how we most commonly encounter God, and how this helps us either discerning how best to try and deepen our relationship with God, or, if we are struggling to see His presence, where we can start our search for Him in the midst of our daily lives.  So how can this knowledge help me deepen my relationship with God? “A Theology of the Head, Heart, Hands and Feet” is a phrase I came across many years ago during my theology studies. Over the years, I have […]

What Speaks to Your Heart?

Yesterday, I wrote about the transcendentals–goodness, truth and beauty, and how being aware of their presence around us enriches our life. But there is another aspect to the transcendentals that I want to draw your attention to. Primarily, to reflect upon which transcendental speaks most powerfully to your heart. Is it goodness? And seeing the good acts of others done in love and mercy and kindness and generosity? Or is it the power of a well-presented truth that empowers and encourages you to go out and make the world a better place? Or is it the beauty of some created […]

The Good, the True and the Beautiful

I have had the privilege the last two days to be immersed in, and surrounded by, the transcendentals of this world as I acted as caddy for our youngest son as he attempted to qualify for the US Amateur Golf Tournament. What do I mean by that? Well, simply that while I was supporting and watching him, I found myself being prompted numerous times to reflect upon things that were good, true and the beautiful. Good golf shots, the truth of the score, and the beauty of the sunrise and the dew on the course in the morning have all […]

It All Matters

This weekend marks the end of the formal catechetical preparation for the current group of Confirmation high school students that I am responsible for preparing to receive the sacrament from our Bishop in August. The process itself during the last few years has been a work in progress as I have been slowly moving towards incorporating a variety of components into the process–weekly small discipleship groups, Works of Mercy Service Apprenticeships, a Capstone Project in which a discipleship assessment and Plan of Life are developed by the candidate for post-Confirmation living, Sponsor-Candidate Activities, and ten Family Catechesis sessions–presented in English […]

Choosing Death? Or Life?

Yesterday, I invited you to come along on a journey. So for those of you here today, thanks for making the choice to show up! Am glad to have my brothers and sisters to walk beside me, particularly because you can see my blog’s title–I have a SERIOUS choice to make. For anyone that has traveled, be it overnight, a weekend, or for months at a time, just getting ready to leave on a journey is stressful. There are so many choices and decisions to make! What clothes to pack. What toiletries or medicines might I need? Where (or with […]

Say Yes to Holiness

This post has been a LONG time coming. Particularly because I never saw it coming. But I have found that that tends to be how God works in my life. 🙂 If someone would have told me when I was graduatiing high school that I would be living where I am currently living (Fort Payne, Alabama), doing what I am currently doing (Spiritual Formation and Mentorship), trying to learn Spanish (for the 4th time in my life! LOL), and then intentionally writing about it and sharing it all online with other people, I would have called the guys in the […]