Liz Buncher's blog

Ahh...Easter.  My favorite holiday.  The joy of singing Alleluia, the stale peeps, the promise of new life that Easter brings.  Something wonderful happened to me this Easter. Brian Miller asked me to marry him.  I said yes.  We had spent much time in prayer during the triduum, going to every Holy Week service together, starting the Divine Mercy Novena together; prayer has been a central part of our relationship from the beginning.  As teens in youth group together and then 9 years later as a dating couple (God surprised me with this one…I never saw it coming!), we’ve prayed together a lot. 

Last year on Good Friday I decided I would in small way try and unite my self with Christ.  He gave his blood for me; I donated blood for someone else.  I’ve given blood before, I know the routine, but this time something strange happened.  The tube broke that my blood was going through.  My blood was gushing out all over the place.  It was a bloody mess.  When the needle was pulled out of my arm, I applied pressure, and very quickly noticed that my arm was still gushing blood, creating a bigger bloody mess. 

We have all seen those biohazard trash cans in our doctor’s office.  Medical people have to be very careful when dealing with blood, my bloody mess was a biohazard.  I’m not sure that they will be able to use the blood that I donated.  Even though the blood bag was full, the exterior was contaminated.  What a waste!

In response to “Chasing Girls” I would like to offer a woman’s perspective.
 
The concept of letting guys chase us is hard in today’s world.  The world makes us believe that we have to do some of the pursuing, if we don’t, we are weak and not equal to a man.  This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
 
I want to express to you that God’s plan for men and women is amazing, and unfortunately, is something that our culture is trying to throw out the window.
 
Think about the natural God-given instincts He gave to men and women.  Men like adventure, like hunting, and like danger.  Think about how great they feel about themselves when we as women allow them to be that way.  Do you think it’s easy for a guy to ask you out?  Heck no!  You’re amazing.  You could reject him and humiliate him.  That is scary, but a real man has courage and is willing to take that risk. 
 
To the core, every girl wants to be pursued-- to know that she is worth chasing after.  I am telling you ladies:  you are worth it.  God created us to be this way.  If you chase after guys, call them, ask them out, there is no adventure or work involved.  With no excitement that comes from the chase, the guy will get bored very quickly and move on. 

Mr. Allen died a few days ago.  He was my Aunt’s father, a nice 93 year old man who had quite the story to tell.  At the funeral home my Aunt said “Liz, you know you were his girl.  He just loved you.”  All I ever did was sit with him.

He would come to family functions and would be sitting alone, I would sit by him.  He would ask me questions about my car or my job, he would listen.  I would ask him how he was doing, I would listen.  Sometimes we sat in silence.  He loved me, every time I saw him his eyes lit up.  I did nothing but sit with him, I loved him too.

Do you know a person who could use someone to sit with?  Perhaps you have a great aunt who is alone, a grandparent you don’t visit enough, or maybe a stranger that you haven’t even met yet that just wants someone to sit with.  You could be Christ to that person if you just take time to sit with them.

“Oh my God, my only hope, I have placed all my trust in You, and I know I shall not be disappointed”
  -Diary of St. Faustina

It’s hard to trust God sometimes.  We think that we have it all figured out, then something changes, a roadblock comes, our plan doesn’t work out.  No matter what’s going on in your life right now, know that God has a plan bigger than yours.  Even though it's hard, Trust in Him, and know that in the end you won’t be disappointed.

I hear it more and more.”I want my teenager to have a youth group, our parish doesn’t have one, but we want to get one, can you help!?!  I’m not that good with teens, they don’t respond when I speak, I’m out of touch, we need someone young here.” All common concerns of the middle aged woman who is trying her best to bring Christ to the youth of her church. 

I have been involved in a few parishes where the youth ministry program is mother-run, and let me tell you these programs are dynamite.  Why?  These parents (yes, dads too) care so much and invest great time and energy into the ministry.  Parents have the life experience that us youngsters don’t, giving them an advantage in dealing with the cards often dealt in youth ministry. 

I have been hearing it a lot lately from my girlfriends, from a lot of men in my life:

“Liz, men are pigs.”

At a chastity talk I gave a question was posed by a young girl, “why do boys have a pink marshmallow bunny for brains?”  I tried to disprove this statement, but I’m pretty sure there was no convincing this young girl that boys do in fact have human brains as brains.  Why do men get such a bad rap?

When people say this to me, I am upset, because I’d like to hope for better.  And I know better.  There are some awesome men in my life.  My Dad, my Brother, my Uncles, my Grandpa….and yes there are even men, many men, outside of my family - good friends of mine that are amazing strong holy men.

It’s kind of funny, I’m 24, but Stanley Clause still makes an appearance at the Buncher house every year.  Each year Mom and Dad (Stan) ask me what I want for Christmas.  Typically I reply saying Malibu Barbie and her dream house, they are never pleased with that response, and Barbie never comes over for Christmas.  Most of the time I have no idea what to ask for.  This year I told them I wanted a spice rack. 

What do I want for Christmas?  It dawned on me today.  I was in the chapel looking through my prayer book and came across a prayer for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  These gifts are talked about when we get Confirmed, and at Pentecost, but why not ask for them now, for Christmas?