Amanda Zurface

08/07/2024

➡️ Comment "WEBINAR" if you're ready to dive deeper into your relationship with Christ through Spiritual Direction! 🌟

Throughout Sacred Scripture, we see that God often works through human mediation. So, why wouldn’t God continue to do this today? The Spiritual Director acts as an instrument for God, guiding the Spiritual Directee toward Him.

Spiritual Direction is about guiding YOU, the Directee, to seek answers from God and inviting you to explore your inner depths. It's not about the Director's wisdom but about pointing you towards God.👏

The pursuit of Spiritual Direction is all about:

✨Deeper intimacy with God
✨Exposing our hearts to God
✨Being in God's presence

God is drawn to our weaknesses and places of deep vulnerability and poverty. Setting aside time for God can bring forth great healing and renewal.

➡️Comment "WEBINAR" or visit https://amandazurface.com/free-webinar to learn more about dedicating time to expose your heart to God and be in His presence.

Your story is sacred and important. Christ and the Church extend to you the life-changing gift of Spiritual Direction.

07/20/2024

I hope your summer is bringing you sunshine, Rosary walks, belly laughs, and bonfires!

I've been discerning how best to support you, and God has placed an invitation in my heart to welcome you to my home for a retreat.

On the blog, I share why retreats have been so meaningful to me and how they’ve impacted my spiritual journey. Click here to learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4d4uERC

I’m excited to offer you the chance to experience a retreat at my cabin, where I’ve found rest, healing, and renewal.

This is your official invitation to join me for a unique retreat experience.

🏡 Exclusive Private Cabin Accommodation: Perfect for individuals or married couples.
🙏 Personalized Retreat Experience: Choose between guided and self-led options.
🗣️ Daily Spiritual Direction: One-on-one sessions to support and guide you.
📚 Relaxation and Reflection Spaces: Enjoy our cozy barn lodge for reading and contemplation.

Limited spots are available for a personalized experience. Book early to secure your spot!

Experience the blessing of an annual Catholic retreat. Rediscover your identity, find peace, and discern God's plan through guided or self-guided retreats.

07/04/2024

Today, I'm wearing a "Loves Jesus and America too" t-shirt, and I'm sipping on a non-alcoholic Italian Aperol Spritz. (It's been 18 months since I've had alcohol and I'm loving it! 🍹) We're hosting a crab boil for my nephew and his friends to celebrate the 4th of July! 🦀

As an American, I'm grateful for our unique privileges and freedoms. Living and traveling abroad taught me how precious and fragile freedom is.

Thankfully, there is a deeper freedom that God extends and can't be taken away by anyone: interior freedom.

Identity is at the core of our inner freedom. Embrace your identity as God's beloved daughter without fear, as God dwells within it, providing the greatest freedom of all. ❤️🙏

06/29/2024

Do you ever offer to pray for someone and wonder in the back of your mind if you really mean it? I know I do! 🙋‍♀️ It's easy to say the words, but following through can sometimes feel challenging. We can stop questioning ourselves and confidently offer our prayers. 🙏

In my latest blog post, I've shared ten ways to ensure we genuinely support others through the gift of prayer.

These ways will help us turn our good intentions into real follow-through, deepening our spiritual life while offering up our loved ones and their intentions to God.

Dive into the full article to learn how to actually mean it when you promise to pray for others.

Discover how to follow through on praying for others. These nine forms of prayer can transform your promises into genuine acts of love.

06/27/2024

Feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to turn? You should probably pray. 🙏

When life feels uncertain and you're seeking guidance, you should probably pray.

In moments of gratitude and joy, you should probably pray. 🙌

Struggling with decisions and need clarity? You should probably pray.

Anytime you need strength and comfort, you should probably pray. 🩷

06/07/2024

Intimacy. We're all seeking it, whether we realize it or not. Again and again, I've found my thirst quenched when I press my heart to the Lord's. ❤️ I close my eyes and imagine myself leaning against Jesus' chest, just as Saint John did at the Last Supper. He cares for me tenderly and provides what I need because He knows me intimately—not only because He created me but also because He has shown me His heart, making me feel safe to share my needs and desires.

I pray before the image of the Sacred Heart almost every day. 🙏 My grandmother, who passed the Catholic faith to my mother and then to me, practiced her faith at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. I remember accompanying her to the church, where she devoutly prayed each bead of the rosary while I played in the pews. I've always felt a special bond with her and chose St. Helen as my confirmation saint in her honor.

When I lived in Rome, I found comfort at the Sacred Heart altar in Saint Peter's Basilica, featuring a famous mosaic depicting the vision of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. 🖼️

After college, a friend took this picture of me with the Sacred Heart statue, which has always been dear to me. This image symbolizes my ongoing surrender to God and my trust in Him.

I believe that the Sacred Heart reveals the true nature of our God—a God of boundless love, mercy, and compassion. In daily prayer, the Sacred Heart reminds me of His tenderness and assures me that I am safe with Him. You are safe in His heart, too. He invites you to draw near to His Sacred Heart and find comfort and peace.✨

Sending my love to all of you on this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus' heart burns for you and is always available to you.🔥❤️

06/03/2024

The true treasures of the Church are the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the suffering. While society often looks down on those who are vulnerable and aching, they are the ones who truly teach us to trust and lean on Jesus. 🙏

Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions, the African martyrs, were among twenty-one others executed between 1885 and 1887. Even in the face of death, they proclaimed Jesus with ultimate trust and surrender. ✝️ This courage wasn't a one-time proclamation; it resulted from daily learning and choosing to share the truth, which culminated on the day of their martyrdom.

Will you choose Christ with me today? ✨This choice may be expressed through a small act, a decision, or an offering. Each little "yes" we give adds up to God's ultimate purpose for us.

I am still grateful for the "yes" God asked of me to bring the "Theology of the Body" to these Ugandan treasures. 🇺🇬❤️

What “yes” are you grateful you’ve given to God? Meet me in the comments. ⬇️

06/02/2024

A few weeks ago, I was part of a breathtaking Eucharistic procession at the Star of the North Congress, kicking off the Marian Route for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. 🙏✨ It reminded me of the Corpus Christi processions many of us experienced yesterday or today, but with a crowd of about a thousand people!

Despite the grandeur, my focus was entirely on Jesus in the monstrance, and I felt a deep warmth and connection. ❤️ My first experience of this profound warmth was during Eucharistic Adoration in high school. Sitting with Jesus, I felt a connection I wanted to experience again and again.

At the Congress, Bishop Barron described the Eucharist as a "Fire in a cold world" and encouraged us to "Stay close to the fire." 🔥 He shared a story about Saint John Vianney, who understood the importance of contemplation before the Eucharist. A man once told Saint John Vianney, in regards to sitting before the Eucharist, "I look at Him, and He looks at me." 👀

Throughout history, Saints have discovered the significance of staying close to the Eucharist. For instance, Edith Stein found the strength to face martyrdom through the hours she spent in front of the Eucharist. The Eucharist has given this courage to all the Saints, and it is a gift offered to each of us.

As we celebrate Corpus Christi, let’s ask ourselves, "What are we seeking?" If the answer is Him, the Eucharist is for us. It is not just a symbol; Christ is fully present, offering Himself to us. ✝️💖

05/30/2024

Four years ago, I was in Colorado, working in a Diocese and dealing with complex Church issues. I had just returned from meeting the Holy Father in Rome 🇻🇦 but I felt exhausted and depleted instead of grateful. I moved back to Ohio during the onset of COVID-19, struggling with isolation and seeking ways to help others in their relationships with God.

God invited me to stop focusing on my needs and to look outward, especially during the intensified isolation of the pandemic. With the support of family and friends,💒 I created a spiritual direction ministry platform, offering guidance to Catholic women. Since 2020, I have journeyed with hundreds of women and received a certificate in spiritual direction.

I am excited to share that I am now full-time with my spiritual direction ministry. As a certified Catholic spiritual director and licensed canon lawyer, I am here to support you in your faith journey. It's just that important! YOU'RE just that important!!🙏✨

05/29/2024

Do you smell that?

It's the aroma of summer: freshly cut grass, spring rain, grills firing up, and firepits crackling. They stir up a mix of memories and feelings. What do they evoke for you?

It feels like I've just woken up from a winter slumber, and suddenly, summer's here! 🌸☀️ While some places have been in summer mode for a while, I've just returned from Minnesota, where they're just starting to feel its vibes. Who's up for some lake time? ⛵️

What's on your summer agenda? I'm itching for some of those slow days at the lake.

Knowing how jam-packed summer can get, I'm already planning to carve out some time for prayer and reflection. Here's what I'll be pondering:

1️⃣ How's my relationship with God?
2️⃣ How's God's relationship with me?
3️⃣ How am I nurturing my spiritual connection daily?
4️⃣What's God revealing to me through prayer and life?
5️⃣ What's weighing on my mind and heart?
6️⃣ What do my recent experiences teach me about God?
7️⃣ How is God nudging me to grow in faith, hope, and love?

I've found that being honest with myself and God is crucial for health and growth in our relationship. Sometimes, just one of these questions can keep me reflecting for days.

Remember, prayer isn't confined to specific times or places—it can happen anywhere, whether amidst nature, doing everyday tasks, or enjoying moments with loved ones.

Summer will be busy, and I know we'll skip prayer sometimes to make memories with loved ones. Ask God ahead of time to pull you back to Himself. You were made for this connection!

Here's to a summer filled with blessings!✌🏻

05/22/2024

Satisfy that longing ache within you.😌

The fleeting highs✨and superficial feel-good moments are fun, but you are destined for something much greater.🫶🏻

Discover how to start pursuing the joy that God has intended for you! https://bit.ly/3yyY8bG

Save yourself from lengthy self-help books and instead explore the timeless wisdom of the Church. You may be surprised that it's not as complicated as you think.

Delve into this free practical guide and experience it for yourself!