An open letter to single people

It's been awhile fearless Catholics.......I have been praying for all of you and I hope the new year has been nothing but good to all of you. Today I am going to cover a very popular subject relationships especially those who are single and want to be in a relationship.

I don't know about you but ever since I was little I always dreamed about my future boyfriend. What he would look like, what he would talk like, what things made him laugh, and especially if he would be Catholic.

Years later and I'm 18 and still have no boyfriend. But it's OK and too be honest it's more than OK, it's great. Yeah it's not great all the time and even most of the time it's not great but for some reason I know that there's something more to this.

I used to be until recently very embarrassed that I hadn't had my first date yet or my first boyfriend. It seems weird to be eighteen and for you to still have had no boyfriend when your friends are on there third or second. They talk about their first kisses, their ex-boyfriends, the new boyfriends and it can kind of be...or ok really frustrating because it seems you can alone in your singleness.

A few weeks a little I was watching a live video by Catholic speaker Emily Wilson who I have mentioned before and she speaks about relationships and she was answering questions from a wide range of girls (and even boys) who said, "I haven't had my first kiss and I'm 18." or 19 and even 23.

I realized I'm not alone in this single hood.There are so MANY PEOPLE who have never been on dates, had their first kiss, or even dated anyone.

Again society has put this in our minds that there is something wrong with us if we haven't had our first kiss, boyfriend, or date by the time we're 16, 17, or 18. There is nothing wrong with you there are A Lot of things wrong with society.

Here is my letter to you: There is nothing wrong with you. You were made by the hands of God, the most perfect being there ever was and will be. You are not too loud, too quiet, too skinny, too heavy etc. You are amazing! You don't have too many freckles, moles, flaws, or quirks. You are beautifully and wonderfully made. God is not holding out a guy for you just because. God loves you and ultimately wants you to be happy, the happiest version of yourself like He intended you to be, like He created you to be. There's a reason for this waiting, there's a reason for this seeing all the cute couple posts on social media, there is a reason for all of this. Our significant other is coming and he is will great and he will treat us how we should be treated. Until then my reminder to you is that THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU. please remember this.

It's hard to see pictures of your friends with their boyfriends or girlfriends, it's hard to see friends getting married, it's hard for love to be working out for so many other people. It's hard to be 18 or older and not having the first kiss, the first date, the first boyfriend, I know. Let me tell you though there are hundreds of people who haven't had these things either.

We all want someone to love, we all want to be loved, we all want to know there is someone for us but some of us are lucky enough to wait and yes I mean lucky. We get to really understand and realize what we want in our significant other. We get to fall in love with ourselves and more importantly Christ before we fall in love with someone else.

So I leave you with this hope my friends, there is someone for you. You are worth the right kind of love, you are worth the best of love, you are Priceless.

And with Valentines Day coming up don't fret, loose hope, or loose faith. Party with your friends, love your family, love yourself and pray to the one who loves you. I'll be praying for all of you.

Until next time
Fearlessly,
Sammy

 Also check out my other blog Fifty Shades Darker

Fifty Shades Darker

Hey everyone! So excuse me if I get a bit angry in this blog because I had to write about this disgusting topic because I hate it with such a deep passion. By now I'm sure you have seen the promotions or the sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker.

The whole book/movie if you already didn't know is Porn. That's all it is, literally. Even the author proudly admitted it. Who proudly admits they write a book about pornography? sick people!

It's been promoted so much I can't even watch innocent youtube videos without it coming up as the trailer or "things you might like" (No, I don't like that you tube but thanks...) Whats even worse is that when I'm doing homework, listening to Spotify  and that trailer just comes up out of nowhere and it's not like the five second trailers it's like one minute.

The narrator of the trailer literally says, "Every Fairytale has a dark side." NO, NO THEY DO NOT! THIS ISN'T A FAIRY TALE THIS IS PORNOGRAPHY.  They are making Fifty Shades of Darker into a love story like, no it's not. Ella Enchanted, Another Cinderella Story, Valentines Day, those are love stories not a movie about Porn, not in any way shape or form is that a love story.

The worst part about the trailer is it;s rated PG-13. This made me so upset and angry. I will literally start an argument about any parents that think it's even the least bit OK for them to take their thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, forty year old child to see that! It's not ok for anyone to see this for so many reasons and I'll give you two.

One, it gives people (and little kids) a false representation of love. All this guy wants from the girl is her body. That is not true love, that is false love, that is gross love, that is toxic love. True love is keeping chastity, promising that for you and your partner. True love is falling in love with ones heart and personality. True love is anything but pleasure of sex.

Two, this movie is saying "Porn is great, so satsifying!" I don't even want to go into it just here, here is the link to Jason Evert :http://chastityproject.com 

Boycott Fifty Shades Darker, share this post, and please not under any circumstances go see this movie like I'll give you Disney movies instead that are love stories just don't watch this trash.

It comes out on Valentines Day when this movie should clearly not come out at all. No one should see this or read the book because it is killing your soul and ruining your perception of love. You deserve more than this movie, WAY WAY WAY more. You deserve true love. You deserve love that has to do with puppies, kittens, unicorns, and happy songs.

Fifty Shades Darker? No let me tell you about Fifty Shades of true love miss E.L. James. She is now speaking of letting out a forth Fifty Shades of Grey. So after writing this post I am going to pray for her. Pray that her writings lead people to God instead of further, pray that her writings show perceptions of true love and not false love, pray that her writings bring up a better generation, pray that her writings aren't about porn but about God's love He has for Her.

Until next time and thank you for reading.
Much Love to you guys!
Sammy 

PRICELESS: SHE'S WORTH FIGHTING FOR

"Do you want to go see that new christian movie, Priceless?" I would ask.

"Oh no thanks......" almost every one I asked muttered back.

"Why?"

"Well no offense but christian movies tend to be sort of, well.....lame...."

Is this a conversation you and your friend had? Were you the one that said Christian movies were lame? There is nothing to be ashamed of my friend. A lot of Christian movies tend to be stereotypical or the producers try and make it a goody good movie which makes Christians frown upon how Hollywood portrays us and only because we believe in Christ. Over the last couple of years Hollywood has started to acknowledge christian filmmakers and movies, for example; God's Not Dead (2014) Heaven is for Real (2014) Miracles from Heaven (2016) and one in particular religious film was so good they created a sequel bring us God's Not Dead 2 (2016) and now Priceless comes in with such a heavy problem being addressed, sex trafficking.

I wasn't sure even if I wanted to see this movie when I first heard about it but as soon as I found out who the main character was I was most definitely going to see this movie. Joel Smallbone plays James in Priceless, you may recognize him from the film, Like a Country Song where he starred alongside Billy Ray Cyrus or he may seem familiar because of his band, For King & Country which incorporates two very important things in his life; Our Father who is the inspiration for most if not all the songs they write and their hometown Nashville, Tennessee depending on the song you can probably catch  a little bit of twang in between the drums and guitar solos.

(Summary of the movie contains spoilers)

 

James has lost his wife, due to death, his little girl, due to his uncontrollable drinking habits, and his belief in God by nothing ever going his way. He can barley hold down a job so when a job offer comes up he can’t turn down he doesn’t ask any questions; he agrees to drive a storage truck with the faded words ‘Party Time’ painted on the side. Everything is fine until  James begins to grow tired which makes attention span weak.

A big rig, coming right for him forces James to drive his truck right into the embankment of the opposite side of the road. He does not get badly injured but worries that he is hallucinating when he hears soft cries coming from inside the storage unit in the back of his truck he breaks into the locked area and finds two girls (who we learn are sisters) in tattered clothes and tear stained faces in the corner of the truck.When he delivers them to where he was told to go he realizes he has just contributed to an unbearable disgusting crime, sex trafficking. After the buyers leave the Motel parking lot James knows he has to go on a mission to bring the girls back to safety but he knows he could die in the process. As the story goes on he realizes that the eldest sister, Antonia played by Bianca Santos lost her virginity in the most horrendous way possible he now understands he isn’t just saving Antonia and her sister, Maria but many other girls who are being sold to men who are just looking for one night pleasures.

James partners up with the manager of the motel, Dale who is aware from the beginning what is happening and what will happen if James doesn’t take action right away. James is able to safely save Antonia two times but she will not go without her sister, there is no way she can

leave her sister surrounded by the broken women who had given up their worthlessness. James defeats the odds and consequences but loses his friend Dale before he can understand his daughter gave up her virginity because of her brokenness. 

Priceless is one of the most enlightening movies I have ever watched. It has also been one of the biggest Christian films to be rated on Rotten Tomatoes, a movie rating site coming in at a satisfying audience acceptance score of ninety-four percent. This movie has an incredible message. We are incomparable, unmistakable, irreplaceable and no one can define worth because we are Priceless. 

I strongly encourage anyone to see this movie, not only because of the message but of the awareness it brings to something so many of us look past. It is still a problem that is going on and this movie shows that from a christian point of view which is amazing. If you haven't seen the movie, read the book, or even heard the song by Joel Smallbone and his brother Luke Smallbone's band, For King & Country please do so. You won't be disappointed.

Living Fearlessly,
Sammy

 
 

What Central Intelligence Taught Me About Our Generation

Over the weekend I watched Central Intelligence starring Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock and comedian Kevin Hart. If you know anything about these two guys you know that when you put them together in a film it is going to be a great movie but that is probably not all you'll know.

I don't know if you have watched Central Intelligence or not but even if you haven't you will probably guess you shouldn't sit your six year old in front of it.

Why is it that EVERY single movie out now a days that is placed in the genre of Comedy is rated PG for suggestive humor or sexual elements? Is that really the only thing that people in the movie making industry think will make their audiences laugh - when they talk about sex? - which is a private thing between a man and a women, more specifically a MARRIED man and woman to reproduce.

God created man and woman to hold this gift where they can reproduce children to multiply and be fruitful. He did not make it for comedy or to be laughed at. It is so sad that this is what our world has come to that Hollywood feels like they have to put a sexual innuendo in their movies or else it will be empty or there movie ratings will go down in views. When does it become funny where woman and man are justified or looked at just for their body parts? It's wrong and it's sinful. Where does pornography become funny? Where does it become funny about self esteem when it comes to our body image? When does it become funny to make fun of people? I'll tell you. Under ANY circumstances it never makes it funny.

Lots of people struggle with addiction to pornography on a daily basis and here Hollywood is trying to make it a comedic joke. It is not a joke. It's an issue that too many people may look past when we need to help our brothers and sisters in their time of needs, in the darkest times in their lives.

It also bothered me that at least in every line they said there was usage of profanity. I mean in every line they said. I have overheard people discussing this movie and someone brought up that there was so much language and the person replied, "Well it's Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, what do you expect?"

Don't get me wrong. I am not bashing on  The Rock or Kevin Hart but these two guys are being defined as being in raunchy movies and being inappropriate. Oh if it has Kevin Hart in it, that is going to be really dirty! If I were them I would feel so ashamed of myself and the kind of things I was promoting.

These things right now may seem minor to you with all the elections and presidential debates that we can't seem to get away from. Our world is being tested with two presidential candidates that won't do anything healthy for this country but what are we doing about it? Not much......We are discussing it on Facebook and fighting with people over political views but where is that getting us? By doing this, little by little arguing with people and not voting because we are voting for two evils either way is not helping with leading our world out of darkness.

I know movies are such a small portion of things that are getting worse with this world but they have such a HUGE impact on us as the younger generation that is growing up watching them with their parents.

I ask you to please pray four our country's leaders, now, and in the future. I ask you to pay for the darkness our world is in. I ask you to also step up with your talents and gifts the Lord has given you. It seems you can't get away from sexual songs, raunchy movies, or pornographic books. We need writers, singers, actors, filmmakers, and so many other people who make art to make art wonderful again and to step up and make this country better.

Living Fearlessly,
Sammy

Your voice DOES make a difference.

A Fearless Book Review: I Choose The Sky by Emily Wilson

You are in a bookstore, scoping the shelves filled with books. You are looking for a book that will make you feel good about yourself, wholesome, and stronger in your Catholic faith. You see a neon pink and blue book that immediately catches your eye. If I were with you at the moment I would encourage you to PICK IT UP AND BUY IT! Buy twenty of them and give them to the most important women in your life.

I have followed Emily Wilson's blogs for quite some time now. If you don't know who Emily Wilson is she is this awesome  Catholic woman who sings back up for Catholic artist Ike Ndolo,vlogs, and writes awesome books like the one I am going to tell you about.

 Every time I read them I feel empowered to live out my faith even more. I also feel better about who I am and who God made me to be. When I found out she was coming out with a devotional for women I thanked the Lord. I was so happy and ready to get my hands on it the minute she made the announcement.

I started the devotional on June 1st, coincidentally the same day I graduated high school. I opened up the devotional and let God speak to me and that He most certainly did.Talk about inspiring! This devotional can be used daily, weekly, or monthly but I suggest daily.

This book is a tissue, best friend, and chocolate bar wrapped into one. Through the two weeks it took me to read the book in it's entirety I was going through huge transitions with graduating from High school. I felt pretty far from God. I hadn't been keeping up with my prayer routine or visiting Christ in the blessed sacrament as much as I used to. This book was my wake up call! Each day I felt something inside me stir while reading and before I knew it in the morning I was on my knees giving thanks to God for creating another day and allowing me to wake up to enjoy it.

I was a little heartbroken when I had finished this devotional. I loved noticing that the women in the bible who we may have not payed much attention to can teach us some of the most important lessons. Some of the women in the bible are there for a mere two lines, some do not have any dialogue and some have much. Either way I was inspired by these women whom God sent to live life so that they may inspire.

I really urge you to buy this book. Not to only support Emily Wilson as she supports youth with her gift of singing and writing, helping them with any questions they may have on her vlog but to deepen your own faith and knowledge.

Everything I could have ever wanted in a devotional for myself is fulfilled in Emily's devotional for young women.

I hope you never settle for anything less than you are. I hope you choose to open your heart to God's forgiveness, love, and mercy. I hope that you feel in your heart you are called higher by Christ and I hope you choose the sky.

Until next time,
Living Fearlessly in Christ,
Sammy

You are blessed. You are loved. You are enough.

Changeless

I graduate on June first. It is really surreal. It isn't going to hit me until the day of, or maybe it won't even hit me until the day after. All I know is that things are changing and that there will be so many amazing things coming up. There will be scary trials and tribulations too.

I am going to be eighteen, two months from now. That is really odd for me to say. I just got used to saying I was seventeen. Every day I am growing and maturing even though it feels like a slow process I am taking better care of myself and taking control of my life. Enjoying every second of what this life has to offer while I am still young. It is a scary but great thing to be growing up.

Are things changing for you too?

Do not be afraid. In Hebrews 13:8 it reads, "Jesus Christ is the same as yesterday, today, and forever." So what do we fear? In the words of Jon Foreman from the band Switchfoot, "Why do I worry? Why do I freak out? God knows what I need, He knows what I need."

Friends, Fear will control us if we don't control it. We do not have to handle it by ourselves, but together. God is always on our side and He will NEVER forsake us.

I am praying for you and please pray for me. God bless you in all you do.
Living Fearlessly,
Sammy

God is the only thing that is Changeless.

Walk by faith, not by sight

In my life I need to be assured. I need to be assured of everything I do. I need people to say "yeah you are doing that right " so I can just go on with my life. It's a good vice  when you are doing school so you can get good grades, or want to strengthen your voice to be able to reach the really high notes but when you are doing other things being assured kind of gets in the way.

For example I need to be assured of my friends and that's what brings a lot of drama into my life. I need to be assured I can trust them and I need to be assured I'll be friends with them for, well, ever. We both know that not all friendships last but God does bless you with some really good friends that will stick by you forever.

It's also hard to be assured we will see a new sun rise in the morning when we fall asleep at night. I don't know why I worry about this but I do and this is not assured. My life long dream is to get to heaven and to rejoice with my grandpa, great grandma and all those who have passed way too soon. But I just am a worried person and that's just my cross I have to carry,

It's interesting though. One morning I was feeding my farm of animals. The sun was shining gloriously, the sky was so blue, and the clouds perfectly floated across the sky. I was feeding my dad's homing pigeons when I realized something.

These pigeons depend on me and my family to take care of them. These pigeons aren't sure if I'll feed them that morning or check on their little babies to see if they are okay. But, I know that I will feed them every morning and take good care of the babies. I will always take care of them and never let anything bad happen to them because I love them. They are God's creatures who fly across oceans and return home. It's so incredible!

I depend on God to take care of me and my family. I am not sure if God will create a sunrise for tomorrow morning or if we will have safe travels and protection but God knows that He will create a beautiful sunrise tomorrow morning. God knows He will keep us safe and He will always take care of us and He would never let anything bad happen to us if it is not in His will because He loves us. We are God's children who are going out to explain the good news. It's so incredible!

Our faith is invisible. Our faith cannot be seen. But it can be felt and it cant be taught. Our faith does not resemble assurance. We are not assured of what Christ will do with us but we trust in Him and in Him we trust.

Breathe. You have a loving father looking at you with adoring eyes and He will take care of you. I promise.

Living Fearlessly through trust,
Sammy