Lord, I Lift Your Name On High

This weekend, I attended the Fall Retreat sponsored by the Newman Center.  It was full of laughs, smiles, #JesusJamz, prayer, reflection, and fellowship.

Since high school, Adoration has become very special to me.  It's a place where you are face-to-face with Jesus, which is truly magical...I've had a lot on my heart lately in regards to what God is calling me to do with my life.  I'm at a point where I love what I'm studying, and I'm content with that..but as I was reminded this weekend: we have to ask and pray about the next step that God wants us to take in order to grow even deeper in our relationship with Him.  With that, Adoration is a time when I can share every single thing that is on my heart with God...and that's when I experience those magical moments that stay in my mind forever. Experiencing Adoration during Newman Retreat was truly amazing, and it is an experience that I will never forget.

During the retreat, I was also reminded several times of my Catholic upbringing, especially in regards to how my Catholic education has impacted my faith life, both positively and negatively.  One of the things that I always think about when reflecting on my Catholic education is the fact that I attended mass every week with my peers.  Yes, as a grade school student, I absolutely disliked that I went to mass twice a week at school plus on the weekend with my mom...but now that I'm older, I realize how much I learned from going to mass so much as a young child.

On Saturday night, as Mara and I were picking music for mass the next morning, I was reminded of those special times at school masses. Mara suggested Lord, I Lift Your Name On High.  I immediately said yes, of course, because I LOVE this song...it's one of the first things that comes into my mind when I think about school masses.  (Yes, I know it just repeats at nauseam...but I don't really care!)  (Side-note: whenever I think of this, I of course have to do the actions that go along with it...because did you really live that Catholic school life if you didn't have actions to most of the songs?!)

The next morning, Mara and I led the music for mass.  When we got to the closing song, it was the only song the two of us had never done together, yet it was as if we had spent time practicing.  It was beautiful, and it was a reminder for me of the days I spent at mass with my peers.

As we prepared for mass at Newman later that night, we changed the closing song to, you guessed it, Lord, I Lift Your Name on High...and once again, I felt God take away all of my worries. It was such a glorious ending..because there is nothing like a room full of people singing the refrain to that song a-capella...it gave me goosebumps.

Tonight I am thankful for my Newman Family, Fr. Stimpson, Fr. Hepner, and my Catholic upbringing.  I am also thankful for the gift of music, and the fact that God is using music ministry to help me grow closer to Him.  I never guessed that I would be where I am today, especially in terms of my faith journey, but I wouldn't change any of it.  Thank you to all who have helped me develop this amazing relationship with Our Father!

Love and hugs to all! May God bless you and keep you safe!