Good morning, my lovelies!!

You guys!!  I can’t believe that this is the last week of “summer”!  It has been amazing!!  And I can’t wait to keep these amazing women’s stories coming bi-monthly in the school year!!  So, stay tuned!!

Speaking of amazing women, meet Cassie Noel!  I recently met Cassie on the Gram, and absolutely fell in love with her passion and love for the faith!!  She just graduated and is already doing so much good in her online community!!  Such a beautiful soul!  I know you will love reading her story!!

Be sure to give her some love on her blog, www.cassvolp.com, Youtube, and Insta!!!  And enjoy the interview!!!

 For those who aren’t familiar with you, please introduce yourself.

Hey Everyone! I’m Cassie otherwise known as @cassie_noel8 on Instagram and Cassie Noel on YouTube. I live in Illinois and have for my entire life. I am 18 and going to be a freshman in college. I love serving in any way at Church. My Church is like my second home to me. I have been part of LifeTeen for 5 years and it has changed my life in so many ways. I love going to adoration and just spending time with Jesus and sharing how He has changed my life.

+ When did your relationship with Christ first take root in your life? As a young person, how did your faith become your own?

I was raised catholic. I went to mass with my family and went through all the sacraments. After Confirmation I was ready to be done but then I got introduced to LifeTeen. It wasn’t until I joined LifeTeen that I had a personal encounter with the Lord. I know who God was but didn’t know who He was. I was going into my Junior year of High School and went on a retreat with my Church. I had my first ever charismatic prayer experience in adoration. Music started playing and that’s when the tears started and didn’t stop. People came and prayed over us too. In that moment I knew God was there and He loved me so much. That is the moment when I started my own personal relationship with Jesus and was on fire with the Holy Spirit. I put God at the center of my life and lived my life for him. I am usually the one in my family to make us go to mass and teach them more about Jesus. I didn’t rely on my family to make me go to mass and learn about God I took my faith into my own hands. It became my own when I started going to mass and adoration by myself without anyone telling me what to do.

+ How do you intentionally choose joy in your daily life

Honestly, I wish I had this down solid, but I struggle with it somedays. I have found that when I spend time with Jesus and read my bible that makes me happy. It makes my day so much better when I spend time with Jesus. When I wake up I thank God for another day that He has given me. At the end of the day during my time to pray I reflect on my day and see what was good and what I struggled with and offer it to God. Seeing how God worked through me that day makes me happy because He is there in every moment throughout the day even when we don’t see it.

+ What has most influenced your faith as a young person in a secular world?? Going to LifeTeen each week and being so involved in my Church. It is my second home to me, some weeks I am there more than my actual home. For the past 5 years My best friends and I come from different schools but Sundays we go to LifeTeen and are together. When our classmates, neighbors, and friends don’t believe what we do, or have the same lifestyle we have, makes a huge difference so having the friends I met through LifeTeen has helped me so much. They have always been there for me and believe the things I do.

+ Recently, you have begun sharing about your faith through a blog and YouTube channel!! Whoot Whoot!!  How has sharing in this public way helped shape your faith?

It has helped me to step outside my comfort zone. If you don’t step outside your comfort zone you will never grow. You have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Being bold has helped me shape my faith because if I didn’t share my faith publicly I would just be going through the motions and not have a personal relationship with God.

+ What has been the hardest part of sharing your faith through blogging/YouTube?

The hardest part has of sharing my faith in a public way is probably trying not to worry about the number of followers and subscribers. In the world we live in today that is what so many people worry about. I have to remind myself often that who cares about the numbers because this is to glorify God and He doesn’t care about those numbers. He cares that you are doing this for Him and nothing else.

 

+ You just graduated High School!  Congrats!!  What now?

I am going to my community college to get my associates degree. I am majoring in psychology to become a social worker. When I transfer I want to minor in theology and go to a catholic university, but we will see where God puts me. I am scared to start this new chapter of my life without my best friends in the same state as me, but I am trusting in God.

+ What is your biggest dream/hope for the future?  What do you hope to do for the Lord in the coming years? My biggest hope for the future is that I get to become a missionary for a year and serve others. I hope that I get to transfer to a catholic college but, we will see what God has planned for me. I hope that I get to serve others for the Lord and do his work. I hope that I get more involved in Church as I leave LifeTeen and get to show teens how God can change your life. I hope God gives me another great group of friends at college. I have these dreams and plans but, in the end, it is up to God. I am trusting that whatever He wants me to be just part of His plan for my life.

+ How would you encourage young people to live out their faith in a deeper way?

Be Bold and go for it! All God wants is you to talk to him. Do not ever be afraid of what other people think about you living out your faith because God is so good! Get involved go to your youth group if you have one or help in any way at Church. That is how I met my closest friends today and how I became so close to God. Spend time with God is essential to growing closer to him. Find the way you like to pray the best. Go to adoration, mass, confession if you don’t want to go alone ask a friend to go. If you have a constant relationship with Him the rest will come. Don’t be afraid of letting Jesus in your life, He will change you!

Have a beautiful day, my friends!!

Maddy