After much thought about my life and what I can realistically do, I realized that committing to Life Teen isn't someone that I can do at this point in my life. When I do something I like to do it 100%, and I would have only been able to commit to one Life Teen mass per month. The whole reason for my wanted to do LT was so that I could get to know the teens well, and one time a month just isn't going to cut it. HOWEVER, I would still love for this blog to continue on and for any core members or teens to share writings. I think this blog could be extraordinary, and a true reflection on what the teens and core think and feel about God, faith, Life Teen, the mass, readings, retreats etc. etc. Please please keep sending your writings to me. Once again, my email is colleen@jeffladino.com
Blessings to all!!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Puzzles - By, K Shannon (teen, Plymouth MA)
I believe we are all like puzzles. We have many different pieces to our lives and eventually they will fall into place and create a beautiful masterpiece. No ones life (puzzle) is completed until death, but throughout life little pieces slowly fall into place. We aren't able to see the whole picture but we get glimpses that allow us to see how amazing the finished product will be.
Little Light - By, K. Shannon (teen, Plymouth, MA)
Have you ever heard the song "This Little Light Of Mine"? It goes "this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine". Well I heard a little bit of it today and it struck me as odd. We all have the light of God inside of us. It shines brightly for all to see. However I wouldn't call it a little light. I think that the light you and I have inside of us is more like a bonfire. I think that we are the ones who turn it into a little light.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Looking for more Posts :-)
Hello out there! I was just wondering if anymore of the teens or if any of the core members, would like me to post something you've written. All you have to do is send it to my email and I'll proof-read it for you, and unless any corrections need to be made, I'll post it. My email is:
colleen@jeffladino.com
I would love to hear from more people :-)
Blessing to all, Colleen
colleen@jeffladino.com
I would love to hear from more people :-)
Blessing to all, Colleen
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Forgiveness - By, Colleen Ladino
My very first Core meeting was a tough one. It wasn't because Jason or the other core members were mean to me, or because they didn't make me feel welcome, it was because of me. Before the meeting I had been particularly hard on my kids, they're little and can be challenging (and totally overwhelming at times), and I just felt like I wasn't being the mom I wanted to be to them. I had been yelling at them, scolding them and getting pretty angry at them (I may have even slammed a door.... or two :-). When I left the house I was just down, down on myself, down on my life, down on my kids...down.
When I got to the meeting the atmosphere was SO upbeat and happy (and loud at times :-), and I was the complete opposite. I just wanted to cry. I was trying to smile and be upbeat, but was having a tough time doing it. I was like, "how can I be all upbeat and smiley and happy here, when I've just been a total witch back at home?" Well, as the meeting went on I began to come around and I began to realize that I had to forgive myself and move on. I started to make peace with myself, and I vowed to apologize to my kids when I got home. I find that it's so important for me to apologize to them when I've acted in the wrong because, 1. I need to ask them for forgiveness and be forgiven, and 2. I need to tell them what I did wrong and use it as a teaching lesson so that they won't do the same thing (i.e., tell them, "You really shouldn't slam doors like mommy did, because it can break the door." :-)
As the meeting progressed and I forgave myself things started to get better, and then things got really great at mass. Why? Because all the readings were about....forgiveness. (It's amazing how God works in our lives, isn't it?). All I could do was smile and sing my heart out at mass, because God is SO good!
If you're struggling to forgive someone else, or forgive yourself (which can be even harder), I would like to offer this statement a priest made at a mass I was at a few years ago. He said something like this: God's mercy is like an ocean, a giant ocean. And ALL the sins, of ALL the people, of ALL the earth COMBINED, are but ONE drop of water in this ocean of HIS mercy. It doesn't matter how big we make our sins out to be, as long as we forgive, and ask for forgiveness (and take part in going to regular confession), it's all going to be okay. It really is.
When I got to the meeting the atmosphere was SO upbeat and happy (and loud at times :-), and I was the complete opposite. I just wanted to cry. I was trying to smile and be upbeat, but was having a tough time doing it. I was like, "how can I be all upbeat and smiley and happy here, when I've just been a total witch back at home?" Well, as the meeting went on I began to come around and I began to realize that I had to forgive myself and move on. I started to make peace with myself, and I vowed to apologize to my kids when I got home. I find that it's so important for me to apologize to them when I've acted in the wrong because, 1. I need to ask them for forgiveness and be forgiven, and 2. I need to tell them what I did wrong and use it as a teaching lesson so that they won't do the same thing (i.e., tell them, "You really shouldn't slam doors like mommy did, because it can break the door." :-)
As the meeting progressed and I forgave myself things started to get better, and then things got really great at mass. Why? Because all the readings were about....forgiveness. (It's amazing how God works in our lives, isn't it?). All I could do was smile and sing my heart out at mass, because God is SO good!
If you're struggling to forgive someone else, or forgive yourself (which can be even harder), I would like to offer this statement a priest made at a mass I was at a few years ago. He said something like this: God's mercy is like an ocean, a giant ocean. And ALL the sins, of ALL the people, of ALL the earth COMBINED, are but ONE drop of water in this ocean of HIS mercy. It doesn't matter how big we make our sins out to be, as long as we forgive, and ask for forgiveness (and take part in going to regular confession), it's all going to be okay. It really is.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Welcome!
If this is your first time viewing this blog I suggest scrolling down to the very first post to see what it's all about! I'm looking forward to more followers and more contributors!
God's blessings to everyone! Colleen
God's blessings to everyone! Colleen
Friday, September 24, 2010
Who ARE We? By, Ryan Nash
Why is it that sometimes we feel like raising our hands & screaming His praise, but then what feels like the next moment we don't even feel like knowing Him. How can this be? How is it possible for us to not acknowledge Him, to not listen to Him, to not thank Him? After everything that He has done for us, we decide to not give back? I know that we hear it all the time but Jesus gave us EVERYTHING that we need.
Every day there are hundreds of people who are persecuted for their faith & are tortured and killed for not denying Jesus as their Savior. (Don't believe me? Look up this site, look around it and decide for yourself). These people give up their own lives on earth because they know of the trust that they have in God. But when it comes down to our reputation or our addictions, Jesus isn't worth it?
We tell ourselves that what people think & that our sins are more important than God. Who are we to do that? Jesus carried our sin & was killed on a cross so that WE, sinners, could make it to Heaven. But when it comes down to it, we act like Heaven's not worth it? It is. Every single person on this planet needs to realize this. Are we just gonna sit back & wait & watch our own & everyone else's souls suffer? Can't we do something about it?
That answer lies within what truth means to you...
Let's all take a Reality Check.
Every day there are hundreds of people who are persecuted for their faith & are tortured and killed for not denying Jesus as their Savior. (Don't believe me? Look up this site, look around it and decide for yourself). These people give up their own lives on earth because they know of the trust that they have in God. But when it comes down to our reputation or our addictions, Jesus isn't worth it?
We tell ourselves that what people think & that our sins are more important than God. Who are we to do that? Jesus carried our sin & was killed on a cross so that WE, sinners, could make it to Heaven. But when it comes down to it, we act like Heaven's not worth it? It is. Every single person on this planet needs to realize this. Are we just gonna sit back & wait & watch our own & everyone else's souls suffer? Can't we do something about it?
That answer lies within what truth means to you...
Let's all take a Reality Check.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Chills - By, Ryan Nash
As I sit on the shore of Chatham, MA, I get the chills but it's not from the cool breeze. Countless times, I have felt these kind of chills before but my body has never seemed to adjust to it. Every time I feel it, my body is overwhelmed. It's the kind of chills that covers your whole body, the kind that makes your arm hair stand up, the kind that blows your mind & rids your mind of all thoughts and worries then leaves you with nothing but amazement. I feel this only when praying or witnessing a prayer. The chills are my bodies response to the Holy Spirit working through my soul.
I remember the first time I recognized this as a blessing. It was during WYD in Australia. I was sitting on the field, gazing at Jesus in the monstrance who was placed hundreds of yards away, when Leah Gunning sat next to me. She was wrapped up in a blanket, as was everyone else but for some reason the low temperature had not phased me yet.
That conversation with Leah, you can say, was my first real realization of faith. I had experienced God many times through Lifeteen & through Jason or any of the Core members I had grown close with, but Leah had an amazing way of looking right
through my sinfulness. That conversation was the first time I had explained what the chills felt like. The first time that I had appreciated the Holy Spirit.
I remember the first time I recognized this as a blessing. It was during WYD in Australia. I was sitting on the field, gazing at Jesus in the monstrance who was placed hundreds of yards away, when Leah Gunning sat next to me. She was wrapped up in a blanket, as was everyone else but for some reason the low temperature had not phased me yet.
That conversation with Leah, you can say, was my first real realization of faith. I had experienced God many times through Lifeteen & through Jason or any of the Core members I had grown close with, but Leah had an amazing way of looking right
through my sinfulness. That conversation was the first time I had explained what the chills felt like. The first time that I had appreciated the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
My Faith Journey - By, Colleen Ladino
Since I might be missing the "get to know the core" life night, I thought I would share a bit about my personal experience with my faith journey and my history with Life Teen at this time.
A VERY brief history of my faith up through college goes something like this: I went to mass my whole life because it was just something I did, because it's what I had always done. I didn't go because I had a special relationship with God, or because I was afraid I'd go to hell if I didn't go, or because I was looking for a deeper meaning to life. I just went because well, that's just what I did on Sunday mornings (however, in college I could go to mass just about anytime, 7am-9pm on a Sunday....oh, and if I went to the 9pm mass at the student union on Sunday nights, I could look to see what cute guys were there and wonder if maybe my future husband was sitting in that room...looking at me......oh, but I see I'm getting off topic :-).
After graduating from college I went back to live with my parents and got a job as a speech therapist. The youth minister in my town heard that I was around and called to see if I would like to help with their new Life Teen program. Well sure, I thought!!! I absolutely hated high school (that is a whole other topic for a whole other post), and I thought that maybe I could help teens make it through h.s. just a little bit easier than I did. I also felt that I was still young and could relate to them, and that I would be a great female role model. What I didn't expect (and here's the irony), is that I would not only find God, but develop a relationship with God, in my new ministry.
The saying that God works in mysterious ways is so true, because little did I know that my life would change forever while chaperoning at a Steubenville East conference/retreat. On the Saturday night of that retreat I experienced adoration with around 2,500 teens and chaperones, and the beauty of it blew me away. However, I wouldn't fully understand how much it had changed me until the Monday after it ended. Before going to work, my parents asked how the weekend was (I hadn't had a chance to talk to them yet), and as soon as I started describing the weekend, and adoration in particular, I knew that the words coming out of my mouth were not my own, and it was at that moment that I understood how the Holy Spirit can work through people. When I finished describing adoration and the love that God has for each and every one of us, my mom AND my dad were both crying. When I got to work I was telling a few co-workers about the weekend, and they too began crying at the beauty of what I was telling them. From that day on I "got" the Holy Spirit, and the real every day presence of both Jesus and Mary started becoming more and more clear. I continued working with the teens for a few years, doing life nights, chaperoning retreats, running a few confirmation retreats, teaching CCD, having teens over to my apartment once I moved out of my parent's house (yippee!!), and ministering to others and being ministered to in return. My faith could move mountains and I knew that NOTHING was ever going to break it!
As we fast forward to the present much has changed, and much has stayed the same. I have been away from youth ministry for about 9 years, I got married and I had three children. My faith, that I swore would "NEVER be shaken", has been shaken...many times. I've screamed, "I'm not praying!!!" to my husband, I've had some MAJOR flip-outs (swearing included) directed towards God, Jesus, Mary (and anyone else in heaven that seemed to be totally ignoring me), and I've gone through some pretty major depressions (swearing that God wasn't listening to my prayers, or that if He was, the answer always seemed to be, NO!). Again, much of this is a different post for a different time, but let's just say that having 3 very young children in the span of 5 years does A LOT to a person :-). I don't want to make it sound as though it's all been bad, but it's been very REAL and my faith has had to mature.
So here I am, here's what you've got. I'm enter into a new phase of Life Teen ministry a little bit older, a little bit wiser, a lot more humble, a lot more compassionate towards the struggles of others having been through many of my own, a lot more patient, and a lot more open to picking up my cross daily and following Christ. I'm chock full of stories that I can't wait to share (some will have you LYBO...laughing your butt off, and some may have you CYEO...crying your eyes out).
I look forward to learning from each and every one of you and I hope that maybe some of you can learn something from me as well.
May God drench each and every one of you with His grace and blessings.
A VERY brief history of my faith up through college goes something like this: I went to mass my whole life because it was just something I did, because it's what I had always done. I didn't go because I had a special relationship with God, or because I was afraid I'd go to hell if I didn't go, or because I was looking for a deeper meaning to life. I just went because well, that's just what I did on Sunday mornings (however, in college I could go to mass just about anytime, 7am-9pm on a Sunday....oh, and if I went to the 9pm mass at the student union on Sunday nights, I could look to see what cute guys were there and wonder if maybe my future husband was sitting in that room...looking at me......oh, but I see I'm getting off topic :-).
After graduating from college I went back to live with my parents and got a job as a speech therapist. The youth minister in my town heard that I was around and called to see if I would like to help with their new Life Teen program. Well sure, I thought!!! I absolutely hated high school (that is a whole other topic for a whole other post), and I thought that maybe I could help teens make it through h.s. just a little bit easier than I did. I also felt that I was still young and could relate to them, and that I would be a great female role model. What I didn't expect (and here's the irony), is that I would not only find God, but develop a relationship with God, in my new ministry.
The saying that God works in mysterious ways is so true, because little did I know that my life would change forever while chaperoning at a Steubenville East conference/retreat. On the Saturday night of that retreat I experienced adoration with around 2,500 teens and chaperones, and the beauty of it blew me away. However, I wouldn't fully understand how much it had changed me until the Monday after it ended. Before going to work, my parents asked how the weekend was (I hadn't had a chance to talk to them yet), and as soon as I started describing the weekend, and adoration in particular, I knew that the words coming out of my mouth were not my own, and it was at that moment that I understood how the Holy Spirit can work through people. When I finished describing adoration and the love that God has for each and every one of us, my mom AND my dad were both crying. When I got to work I was telling a few co-workers about the weekend, and they too began crying at the beauty of what I was telling them. From that day on I "got" the Holy Spirit, and the real every day presence of both Jesus and Mary started becoming more and more clear. I continued working with the teens for a few years, doing life nights, chaperoning retreats, running a few confirmation retreats, teaching CCD, having teens over to my apartment once I moved out of my parent's house (yippee!!), and ministering to others and being ministered to in return. My faith could move mountains and I knew that NOTHING was ever going to break it!
As we fast forward to the present much has changed, and much has stayed the same. I have been away from youth ministry for about 9 years, I got married and I had three children. My faith, that I swore would "NEVER be shaken", has been shaken...many times. I've screamed, "I'm not praying!!!" to my husband, I've had some MAJOR flip-outs (swearing included) directed towards God, Jesus, Mary (and anyone else in heaven that seemed to be totally ignoring me), and I've gone through some pretty major depressions (swearing that God wasn't listening to my prayers, or that if He was, the answer always seemed to be, NO!). Again, much of this is a different post for a different time, but let's just say that having 3 very young children in the span of 5 years does A LOT to a person :-). I don't want to make it sound as though it's all been bad, but it's been very REAL and my faith has had to mature.
So here I am, here's what you've got. I'm enter into a new phase of Life Teen ministry a little bit older, a little bit wiser, a lot more humble, a lot more compassionate towards the struggles of others having been through many of my own, a lot more patient, and a lot more open to picking up my cross daily and following Christ. I'm chock full of stories that I can't wait to share (some will have you LYBO...laughing your butt off, and some may have you CYEO...crying your eyes out).
I look forward to learning from each and every one of you and I hope that maybe some of you can learn something from me as well.
May God drench each and every one of you with His grace and blessings.
A Facebook post that I had to share
"When you're down to nothing, God is up to something. The faithful see the invisible, believe the incredible and then receive the impossible."
My friend Nancy (who is the Director of Religious Education at a church in Taunton) posted this today on fb. I absolutely loved it and had to share it with all of you.
My friend Nancy (who is the Director of Religious Education at a church in Taunton) posted this today on fb. I absolutely loved it and had to share it with all of you.
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Bomb Diggidy Dong of Blogs Welcomes YOU!
I wanted the title to be fun (that seemed fun :-). Hello to all and welcome to what I hope becomes a wonderful place for the core and teens to share thoughts, insights, experiences, prayers, and any other God glorifying tidbits you'd like to express in writing.
As a new core member I am so eager to get to know both the core team members as well as the teens, better. Unfortunately for me, I'm a mom of three small children and my primary vocation is to them and to my husband. What does this mean? Well, it means that I can realistically only commit to one Life Teen mass per month. Once a month is not going to give me the time, or face to face interaction I'll need, to bond (for lack of a better term) with the rest of the core and with the teens, in a way in which I'd like to. HOWEVER, during mass last night I (when I say "I" I really mean "God") came up with the idea for me to communicate with all of you via the internet. God knows I'm a fb junky, AND that I already have a blog about my cooky/crazy life, so He blessed me with the idea of creating a core/teen blog. God is SO GOOD!
How is this all going to work you ask? Well, this is my thought: I'm going to be posting any and all thoughts, stories, personal witnesses, insights etc. involving God, St. Mary's, Jesus, Mary, The Holy Spirit, the teens, the core etc. (you get the picture) that pop into my head, and I invite anyone and everyone to not only make comments on my posts, but to email me your own writings, that you would also like to have posted on the blog. I'll review what you've sent me, and then post it on the blog. The reason that I would like to review your posts before posting them are two reasons 1. They might be too personal and would not be appropriate for the whole world to have access to (remember anyone from anywhere can read a blog), and 2. If there is any mention of you or someone you know that is in danger of hurting themselves or another person, I would have to let Jason, Father Kelly or Father Bill know. Other than that, write away and don't be afraid to share your faith! If you feel as though God wants you to post something on this blog, then He probably does :-).
Sometimes it's easier for people to express themselves in writing rather than face to face. It is my hope that this blog will give people a place where they can shine, to allow the Holy Spirit to work through them, and be a brilliant light for the rest of the world to see.
I'm so looking forward to not only writing, but also learning and growing in faith with the help of each and every one of you! Much blessings, Colleen
As a new core member I am so eager to get to know both the core team members as well as the teens, better. Unfortunately for me, I'm a mom of three small children and my primary vocation is to them and to my husband. What does this mean? Well, it means that I can realistically only commit to one Life Teen mass per month. Once a month is not going to give me the time, or face to face interaction I'll need, to bond (for lack of a better term) with the rest of the core and with the teens, in a way in which I'd like to. HOWEVER, during mass last night I (when I say "I" I really mean "God") came up with the idea for me to communicate with all of you via the internet. God knows I'm a fb junky, AND that I already have a blog about my cooky/crazy life, so He blessed me with the idea of creating a core/teen blog. God is SO GOOD!
How is this all going to work you ask? Well, this is my thought: I'm going to be posting any and all thoughts, stories, personal witnesses, insights etc. involving God, St. Mary's, Jesus, Mary, The Holy Spirit, the teens, the core etc. (you get the picture) that pop into my head, and I invite anyone and everyone to not only make comments on my posts, but to email me your own writings, that you would also like to have posted on the blog. I'll review what you've sent me, and then post it on the blog. The reason that I would like to review your posts before posting them are two reasons 1. They might be too personal and would not be appropriate for the whole world to have access to (remember anyone from anywhere can read a blog), and 2. If there is any mention of you or someone you know that is in danger of hurting themselves or another person, I would have to let Jason, Father Kelly or Father Bill know. Other than that, write away and don't be afraid to share your faith! If you feel as though God wants you to post something on this blog, then He probably does :-).
Sometimes it's easier for people to express themselves in writing rather than face to face. It is my hope that this blog will give people a place where they can shine, to allow the Holy Spirit to work through them, and be a brilliant light for the rest of the world to see.
I'm so looking forward to not only writing, but also learning and growing in faith with the help of each and every one of you! Much blessings, Colleen
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