And So, We Hope.

I worry that I'm becoming jaded.

Okay, I worry about a lot of things, but lately this one has been at the front of my mind.

There's so much injustice in our world. So much violence. So much poverty. So much hatred. There's just so much. And sometimes it feels like it's too much. Too much to handle. Too much to fix. Too much to ever actually change.

Oh how I miss the days when I was bright-eyed,  and overly optimistic - ready and willing to go out into the world and make a difference. But as I grow older and witness more tragedy, more pain, more injustice, I sometimes feel that optimism shrinking...

And yet (thankfully) every time I think I've reached that point of no return, there is always something or someone who shines a light of hope - who inspires me with their optimism, with their care, with their talent - and lets me know that there is still good in the world. And that there is enough of it to make a change.

I work with students to address social justice issues and cultivate a deeper empathy and understanding of how we all fit together in our world. Learning about and witnessing heavy issues of hardship day in and day out certainly takes its toll on positivity and yet my students are constantly filled with a fire to be the change.

I often tease my them that they are the only reason I haven't given up on the world and retreated into a cave somewhere. They're still young. They still have that optimism. They are filled with passion and great ideas.

They give me hope.

And with that hope, I can feel my own optimism and passion begin to rejuvenate.

Hope and the rejuvenation that comes with it are key parts of this season of Advent. As Christians, we wait in hope for the coming of our Savior - in the celebration of his birth on Christmas, but also in anticipation for the coming of his Kingdom - on earth as it is in heaven.

We live in this tension of the already, but not yet. We know Christ has come and we faithfully hope and wait for the next arrival. In that tension, hope inspires action.

Advent is a time of active preparation. Yes, we wait, but we also work. We are called to prepare the way for the Lord. And so, we must ask ourselves: how can I help to bring about the Kingdom of God? How can I prepare our world to enter into Christ's peace? How can I show others the presence of God among us?

During this blessed season of Advent, let us not only prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus, but let us also focus on preparing our world. The troubles may seem endless and overwhelming, but I have hope and faith that with open hearts and the help of our Creator, we can create the way.

We can make a difference.

And so, we prepare and we hope.

Peace,
Sarah

***Linking up with Blessed is She and #BISsisterhood and Faith and Fellowship

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5 Weekly Graces Vol. 6

Happy December!

Normally I post my round-up of blessings on Mondays, but because Fran's budget link-up was on Monday this month, I shifted this to Tuesday. Hooray for not having to adhere to a strict blogging schedule ;)

As I have been writing these weekly posts I am definitely noticing more consciously just how fortunate and blessed I am. Yes, I sometimes have to think a little harder for that 4th or 5th grace, but that forces me to take another few minutes of prayer and contemplation which always reveals more beautiful moments from my week.

Do you have any routines of reflecting on the good in your day?

1. Let's start with the obvious from this week: my mom's visit.

It was such a gift to have a piece of home with me on Thanksgiving this year, especially having it be my mom. I loved showing her my school, introducing her to my friends and roommates, and taking her to some of my favorite spots around town. She didn't really want to do any sight-seeing so we stayed in the East Bay and had a really chill, beautiful visit together.

2. Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving itself was also full of grace. We began our day with mass at my school and a nice reception afterwards. Then we headed home to bake some rolls (a recipe I hope to share later) and relaxed until it was time to go to my friend's home for dinner. It was a small, potluck style meal full of beautiful dishes and colors. There was great conversation, lots of laughter, and lots of gratitude.

3. Rest.

Because I am still in school, I had Wednesday and Friday off as well as most of Tuesday! Not only did this break give me some quality time with my mom, but I was also able to just rest- a gift I used to take for granted. Could I have been working ahead on assignments and other projects? Sure. (And I probably should have.) But sometimes you just need to step back, lounge on the couch and breath.

4.  Babysitting.

With the last few packed weekends and then Thanksgiving week there was a pretty big gap in my babysitting routine. After a few weeks apart, Sunday I was able to reconnect with them for my usual 3 hour gig. Not only is it nice to get aways from campus and earn a little extra cash, but they are the absolute sweetest people and are like a second family to me out here.

5. Flying.

Lastly, I finally booked my flight home for Christmas. I've flown countless times (especially this year) but for whatever reason, as I booked my ticket this time, I felt a strong sense of gratitude for 1) being able to afford a ticket home 2) having access to such quick transportation cross-country and 3) the concept of flying itself. I mean, how cool is it that we (ok the planes) can fly?! It's amazing!

I'm also SUPER jazzed that Advent has begun, but will spare you repetitive rambling as I have already posted on this.

I hope you all have the space to stop, take a moment, and reflect on the many blessings in your days.

Peace,
Sarah

*** Linking up with The Awesome Link-up, A Grateful Heart and #Keeping the Good

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November Budget

Happy Monday friends! I hope your weeks are off to a stellar start! 

Can you believe that November is basically over? My roommate made the comment that it seems like we just blinked and the month was gone! And it's so true! What is it that always makes November fly by so quickly?

With the end of the month comes Fran's Budget Link-Up which is always a ton of fun. I made a few more purchases this month than in the past few and I'm pretty happy with the pieces. 

1) Old Navy Light Weight V-Neck Sweater -  ($26.94) $7.54

Very comfortable, but also cut very large. Definitely consider going down a size.

2) Gap Factory Always Skinny Jeans - ($59.99) $17.99

Love the color and cut of these jeans. They have a lot of stretch as you wear them, so you may need a size smaller than you think.

3) Old Navy Fleece Cowl Neck Tunic - ($36.94) $26.23

This is the most comfortable sweatshirt ever! Okay, maybe not ever, but it's definitely top 10. I was drawn to it because it is such a unique take on a typical sweatshirt with the cowl neck and zippers and as soon as I tried it on I knew it was coming home with me. I've already worn it too many times to count.

4) Vince Camuto Off the Shoulder High-Low Blouse (Marshalls) - available in blue here, petite here, and plus size here - ($79) $10

I purchased this top in an olive green from the sales rack at Marshalls. The color is fantastic and the sleeves can be worn off-the-shoulder or not which allows it to be more versatile. I paired it with my brown Express motto jacket this weekend for a day of exploring with my mom and got so many compliments. If you run by it in stores, give it a try!

5) Rent the Runway - ($375) $35

I shared a bit about my experience with RtR earlier this month in this post. Technically, with shipping it cost more, but because I also shared a dress with a friend, I thought I could let that slide.

Caslon Sweater (Nordstrom Rack) - very similar here  - ($68) $10.48

Another great sales rack find! Plus, it combines my love for oversized sweaters, decorative zippers, and mustard yellow! I have a strong feeling I'll be sharing an outfit post with this guy at some point.

Earrings bought at local Tibetan boutique in Berkeley - $5 each x2 = $10
While shopping local this Saturday, I came across some beautiful earrings outside of a little shop on College Ave in Berkeley. I was only going to get the diamond-shaped ones for $8, but when they told me about the 2 for $10 deal, I obviously had to pick out another pair.

Not Pictured:

Gap Factory Favorite Cami - ($16.99) $5.99

Standard cami. Great sale. Enough said.


Total: ($ 332.86***) $123.23 
*** I kept the RtR dress as $35 in both tallies, had I added the actual cost of the dress, the totals would show an even bigger difference between what the items cost and what I spent on them!

All in all, not too bad. I'm very happy with this month's purchases and even more happy about the Christmas gifts I bought for friends and family this weekend. I would post them, but that would ruin some surprises ;)


Gifts:

My mom graciously purchased a few items for me while she was in town for Thanksgiving and I wanted to share them here because they're technically part of my style intake this month.

Plus they're adorable!

Old Yak Bazaar Tunic #fairtrade!

Monogramed Pendant Necklace, Anthropologie

I'm obsessed with this monogram necklace. It's very simple and dainty which is just my style. I now have the "S" :)

I'm not a huge fan of Black Friday shopping - though I'm loving Small Business Saturday - so the majority of my items were actually bought prior to Thanksgiving weekend. For those of you who did brave the lines, did you get any good deals??

Thanks for reading!

Peace,
Sarah

*** Linking up with Fran over at Franish

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Let the Advent-ures Begin!

Happy first day of Advent, friends! I hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving weekend filled with joy!

For those of you who haven't heard of Advent, in the Catholic Church it marks a season of waiting - waiting for Christ to come. (It is also celebrated in other Christian traditions, but I am not sure if all of the symbolism matches across the board, so I will only directly be speaking to the Catholic tradition. I'd love to learn more if any of y'all care to share!)

Advent begins on the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Andrew (Nov. 30) and lasts for four Sundays. During Advent, we prepare ourselves for the arrival of our Savior on Christmas.  

As I mentioned in my recent post about Thankfulness, I am hoping to be more intentional about my personal preparation during this liturgical season this year. And in case any of you are interested in different ways to embrace a more intentional Advent this time around, I wanted to share some of the methods I am partaking in.

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Small Business Saturday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the most known shopping days of the year, but there is another Thanksgiving weekend holiday that you may not have heard of:

Small Business Saturday.

There are so many reasons why it is a good idea to support small businesses in your neighborhood - and it can go beyond just buying food locally (though I do love me a good farmer's market)!

Here are just a few I can think of off the top of my head:

1) It boosts your local economy.

2) You often have a better idea of exactly where the money you are spending is going - especially if the store carries fair trade items.

3) It's a great way to build community. You'll often meet the owner of the establishment who may share with you the idea behind the store and why they began their journey in entrepreneurship.

4) Local stores can have more unique pieces that you won't have to worry about duplicating gifts.

This holiday season, why not make it an effort to shop locally where you can?

And just like any other shopping holiday around this time, many of your local businesses are offering great sales today!

For my Ohio/Cleveland friends, one of my favorite Fair Trade Stores, Revive, is offering 15% off of any purchase with the code:SHOPSMALL from now until Monday! I already have these beautiful earrings in my cart and this stunning dress might just have to come too.

If you're in the Berkeley area, there are tons of adorable boutiques and shops. My mom and I picked up a delicious smelling candle from The Old Yak Bazaar (another Fair Trade store!) on our walk around town yesterday. I'm already considering wandering back down the hill to snag this ring and this scarf.

Fourth Street in Berkeley is an adorable part of town with lots of local shops nestled amongst the bigger names. Mom treated me to a new calligraphy pen and ink from Castle in the Air. It's a shop you should venture into simply because of the marvelous decorations and amazing stationary pieces!

Not sure where to find a local business in your area? Try Yelp and Shift Your Shopping. And, as always, Google is a great help!

Think big. Shop Small.

Peace,
Sarah

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and all of your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your days are filled with love and gratitude. (And lots of delicious food!)

Today I am grateful for family and friends - for the grace of God and endless mercy - for laughter, for joy, for lessons and for time. I'm grateful for the beauty of creation and the warmth of a kind hello - for all of those working for justice in our world and for the gift of inspiration.

I have been blessed with so many moments of love this year and it's such a treasure to be able to gather with those I hold dear and reflect on how we have grown this year and where we've noticed the unending love of God.

May we hold on to this grace of gratitude and share it as the year goes on.

Peace,
Sarah

**Linking up with Nikki on Thankful Thursday :)

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Thankful

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year. There is something incredibly beautiful about gathering as friends and family to share moments of gratitude, big and small.

This year I am grateful to have my mom visiting me in California. I haven't celebrated a Thanksgiving with family since 2011, so her presence will be such a blessing. Our plans aren't completely sorted out yet (thank you giant research paper), but there will definitely be mass and dinner with friends.

If you read my blog somewhat regularly, you know that I like to start each week with a thankful heart by recording 5 Weekly Graces. Remembering to be grateful helps me to stay focused on the beauty in my life that might otherwise get pushed to the side with the hustle and bustle and stress of the everyday norm.

My new friend Nina (from Hugs and Lattes) has challenged me to be mindful of what I am grateful for this year by sharing a post with a #Thankful Heart. And since I have seen countless blogs that I follow participate in the Circle Link-Up of gratitude for November, I thought I would light two candles with one flame and link up with both!

Time - It is super easy to get bogged down and stressed in not having enough time to get from a-z or to do a certain task. I am definitely guilty of focusing on the time that I don't have to get something done instead of thinking about the time I do have and the wonderful ways that I use it. So, this year, I am thankful for time. Time with friends, time to learn, time to live.

Hospitality - This year I have been blessed with more opportunity to travel than I could ever dream! I am beyond grateful to visited incredible places like South Korea, Spain, Ecuador, Poland and Italy, but mostly I am thankful for the people who I visited and met along the way. The hospitality I have received not only from friends, but from perfect strangers gives me hope in our world and hope for the future.

Advent(ures) - The liturgical season of Advent is one of my favorites and it begins on Sunday! This year, I am aiming to be more intentional in my preparation and prayer as we await the coming of Jesus. (There might be a post or two regarding this. I haven't decided yet :P )

Nature - Ever since I was little, I have always found the presence of God most easily while surrounded by nature. And though Berkeley doesn't really have a fall (and certainly has not winter), I still really enjoy walking around the neighborhood and admiring the ever-present flowers and other neat foliage (hello succulents!) that we do have.

Kairos - Woah, she's throwing in some Latin. Truth be told, I have never gone on a Kairos retreat (#publicschool) but I love the notion of there being a moment in which you choose to act. I am very grateful for all of those kairos moments in my life that have led me to a deeper relationship with God. It's beautiful to look back on those moments and see which choices of action led me to where I am and to witness how God was involved in all of those moments - whether I recognized it at the time or not.

Faith - As my faith grew in undergrad, so did my understanding of social justice and the connection between the two. This fusion of faith and social justice is intrinsic in my being. I cannot separate the two and I cannot separate myself from them. I'm incredibly grateful for a strong sense of faith and commitment to working for justice. It has filled me with joy and purpose and I cannot wait to see how the Creator uses me to help the world.

University - I am thankful for the privilege to have attended two beautiful universities. With only 1% of the world given the opportunity to go to college, I try to remind myself of this privilege regularly so that I don't take it for granted. Both undergrad and graduate school have surrounded me with incredible professors, role models and friends that have helped shape me into the woman I am today. I can't even begin to articulate the gratitude I hold for JCU and JST.

Liturgy - There's no E in Thankful, so I am going to tie in my love for the Eucharist in liturgy, which makes sense. Both the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist bring peace and comfort to my soul. I'm extremely grateful to have the constant opportunity to be filled with Christ and to be held by grace. For, "I can endure anything between two Eucharists." - Dorothy Day

And of course, I am incredibly thankful for YOU! Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to share in my life and ramblings. It means the world.

Peace,
Sarah

*** Also linking up with Simple Moments Stick for the Faith and Fellowship Blog Hop :)

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