I read a tweet from Pope Francis in which he reminded young people (and all of us) that God loves them! He was strong in this reminder and wants every young person to remember this truth.

It’s easy, although painful sometimes, to forget how much we’re loved and accepted by God as we are and because of who we are. This doesn’t mean we’re perfect or that we don’t have to make changes in our lives. It does mean that even while we are imperfect, even as we long to know what God is asking of us, we are held closely in a loving embrace by the Author of Life, our loving God.

This truth is good to remember when we get lost in the confusion and questions of a discernment journey. We may feel like we are choosing between two goods or among several good options for our lives. That’s because we are! God’s love shows up in the abundance of choices before us. 

However painful the striving to know or the struggle to choose the right path for our lives, it can help to know that all during the discernment, at every point in the process, God is loving us and encouraging us.

Once we choose and our decision is made, we have room to notice the peace of God is there with us! May you experience the powerful presence of this love as you discern your call.

Blessings,
Sister Tarianne

¡Eres Amada!

Leí un tweet de Papá Francisco en el que les recordó a los jóvenes (y a todas nosotras) que Dios los ama. Enfatizó fuertemente este recordatorio y quiere que cada joven recuerde esta verdad.

Es fácil, aunque doloroso a veces, olvidar cuánto somos amadas y aceptadas por Dios como somos y por quienes somos. Esto no significa que seamos perfectas o que no tengamos que hacer cambios en nuestras vidas. Significa que aun siendo imperfectas, incluso cuando deseamos saber lo que Dios nos está pidiendo, el Autor de la Vida, nuestro amoroso Dios, nos mantiene en sus brazos amorosos. 

Es bueno recordar esta verdad cuando nos perdemos en la confusión y las preguntas de la jornada del discernimiento. Tal vez nos sintamos que estamos eligiendo entre dos bienes o entre varias buenas opciones para nuestras vidas. Eso es porque asi es! El amor de Dios se manifiesta en la abundancia de opciones que tenemos ante nosotras.

Por más doloroso que sea el esfuerzo por saber o la lucha por elegir el camino correcto para nuestras vidas, puede ayudar en saber que durante el discernimiento, en cada punto del proceso, Dios nos ama y nos alienta.

Una vez que elegimos y hagamos nuestra decisión, ¡tenemos la libertad para darnos cuenta que la paz de Dios está allí con nosotras! Que experimentes la poderosa presencia de este amor al discernir tu llamado.

Bendiciones, 
Hermana Tarianne

Many times questions show up when we’re trying to hear where God is calling us. I invite you to take a look at the questions below and see if they give you an insight or two.

Is your weekly ministry more life-giving and energizing than your regular job at work? Do you try to keep vocation literature you’ve been reading tucked away so no one can see it? Is there a sense in which you feel called to give more or be more and you’re trying to discover what the “more” means? Has the idea of becoming a sister come up for you repeatedly?


A relationship with God is powerful. Is your relationship with God such that you want to share the Good News with others? Does your heart long for “MORE”? Do you have a sneaking suspicion that you are on the brink of a major life decision? Are you afraid to tell friends and family that you are thinking about becoming a sister? Is there a frequent tug in your heart to serve others more?

Why not take some quiet time with these questions and see what you can discover,
Sister Tarianne

¿Ha Entretenido Preguntas?

Muchas veces aparecen preguntas cuando intentamos escuchar a dónde Dios nos está llamando. Le invito a que vea las preguntas a continuación y vea si le dan alguna revelación.

¿Es su ministerio semanal más vivificante y energizante que su trabajo regular? ¿Trata de mantener escondida la literatura de vocaciones que ha estado leyendo para que nadie la pueda ver? ¿Hay algún sentido en el que se sienta llamado a dar más o ser más y está tratando de descubrir qué significa el “más”? ¿Se le ha ocurrido repetidamente la idea de convertirse en hermana?

Una relación con Dios es ponderosa. ¿Es su relación con Dios tal que quiera compartir las Buenas Nuevas con otros? ¿Su corazón anhela “MAS”? ¿Tiene la sospecha de que está al borde de una decisión importante en su vida? ¿Tiene temor de decirle a sus amigos y familiares que está pensando en convertirse en hermana? ¿Hay un tirón frecuente en su corazón para servir más a los demás?

¿Por qué no tomarse un poco de tiempo de tranquilidad con estas preguntas y vea qué puede descubir?

Hermana Tarianne

I can still remember my mother saying, “Don’t touch that burner. It’s hot.” As a seven-year old did I believe her? No, I didn’t. I wanted to see for myself what she meant by “hot” and was it really all that hot? I found out all right and burned my index finger in the process.

When we’re trying to figure out where we’re being called in life, we sometimes approach the search like a hot burner. Thinking it will be simple we ask ourselves, “So what am I supposed to do with my life?” Then, not getting a clear or immediate answer we quickly back away from the question. We discover it’s not as easy as we thought it would be and might take more effort from us than we had planned.

While not trying to minimize the importance of questions and searching, patience is a good quality to call on in these moments. Besides patience, taking time for quiet or long walks, praying or journaling helps. Talking with a good friend or spiritual director who can help us listen for and see patterns in our questions and thoughts can be our guides to finding the path that matches our heart’s desire, our skills, our opportunities... and God’s call.

It is worth staying with the “work” of it,
Sister Tarianne

For more encouragement, check this out. 

Carolyn sat on a cushioned bench with both hands embracing a cup and stared blankly out the coffee shop window. A steady stream of people entered and left the shop as she continued quietly entertaining questions rambling around within her. She could see no clear answers, just silence that opened after each of them.

The questions began shadowing her after she attended a lecture during her five-year college reunion six weeks ago. It wasn’t the topic of the lecture that nagged at her, but the sense of purpose she noticed in the speaker. The woman was dynamic, but there was something else. She was passionate about the research she was doing and the people she had met during their interviews. Carolyn believed this professor was really making a difference in peoples’ lives. It made Carolyn wonder why she wasn’t feeling that way about her own career. 

Her questions about her future had come fast and furiously since then: “What am I passionate about? What do I want to do that would make a difference in others’ lives? I do want to contribute to making this world better, but how can I do that?”

These and more now wandered inside her as the coffee shop first filled and then emptied most of the afternoon.

Questions of the kind Carolyn pondered can signal change that’s edging its way into our thoughts. Answering them for ourselves is vital to our happiness in life and our own sense of purpose. God’s call often comes through questioning.

Blessings,
Sister Tarianne