Hello, world. My name is Liz and I am a 22-year old college graduate of Saint Bonaventure University. I hail originally from the lower Hudson Valley, NY, where I was born and raised with two parents, two siblings, and a few pets throughout the years. Raised in both the Protestant and Roman Catholic religious traditions, I was exposed from a very young age to ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue, which to this day is incredibly important to me. I graduated from SBU with my Bachelor's in Theology, and I plan on continuing my education in the fall at Boston College, where I will be obtaining my joint Master's in Pastoral Ministry and Social Work. This year is an interim year where I am dedicating a year of service and ministry as a youth minister for Capuchin Youth and Family Ministries in Garrison. This is where my story picks up.
This blog is mostly for me, but others can feel free to read it. I've kept a journal pretty regularly since tenth grade, but I feel that at this point in my life, it will be useful for me to write in this blog in addition to the hallowed pages of my paper journal. I want to use this blog to reflect on spirituality, faith, the changing globalization of the world, and my little role in it all. I titled this blog "Reflections of a Searching Spirit" because this is the title that most accurately describes me these days. Though I identify strongly with my Catholic faith, I also feel pulled to many Protestant traditions because of my childhood faith experiences. I also feel very drawn to Sufism and aspects of Islam, though mostly for academic reasons. I am searching for God...I recognize that God is reaching out to me and pulling me into a closer relationship...and I am reaching back.
My faith journey is not perfect, and I don't have any real answers. I am just a young adult who is trying to find meaning in all of life's realities: love, death, birth, sadness, despair, joy, confusion, anger....all of which are what the Catholic tradition calls a beautiful Paschal Mystery.
So, join me if you'd like. I am not looking for angry debates, or practicing apologetics just to prove the supremacy of one thought over another. I am simply here to pray, reflect, and discern God's calling for my life.
Peace.
