So many changes...

Many things in my life have changed since I last wrote. First, that my husband has finally located a good, full-time, permanent position with a small company which has plenty of room for him to grow. I would like to say I had been praying for months, but that's not really accurate. I desperately wanted it, mind you, but I hadn't yet turned it over to God. I began praying on February 21, 2008 that he would at last find "an occupation within his vocation" at home, by myself as part of my prayer of the rosary. The morning of February 26th, I attended morning mass and then went in front of the Blessed Sacrament with my prayer. I did this again on Thursday, February 27th. That afternoon, he called to tell me he had an interview on Friday. I went a third time the morning of Friday, February 28th. That afternoon, he called and told me he not only had a job but that he started Monday! He had been out of work since the end of September 2007! Praise be to God Almighty, for whom nothing is impossible, praise be to Jesus Christ His Only Son, who answers all prayers, praise be to the True Presence of Christ as available to us in the Blessed Sacrament through which we are given direct access to Him in His physical being, praise be to the Virgin Mother who brings all our prayers and petitions before her Blessed Son.

As it happened, we were short the money for rent because that Tuesday his unemployment had failed to come in. We thought we would be okay, that we could delay long enough to pay rent the next Thursday when my paycheck came in. Unfortunately, my check ended up being delayed. We weren't sure when exactly my husband would get his first paycheck or how much of a paycheck we would receive. We had rent due, plus late fees, a car payment due, and an electric bill due for a total of just over $1500 we needed plus we were $400 overdrawn on my bank account. When I did finally get paid, it was only $1000. There seemed to be no way we could avoid getting evicted. I brought it before God. On Friday the 14th my husband got a full paycheck - $1100. Enough to not only pay the remainder of what we had to pay but also to ensure we would have gasoline and groceries. Again, I say, Praise be to God.

I had won tickets to the second decade tour for Catholic Answers live - a family pass, in fact, allowing me, my mother, and my son to go to the conference for both days at no cost. I was excited to go, but even more excited because this was a real gift to my mother and something she could in no way afford to do for herself. It was such an amazing thing that I won the tickets to begin with. In December of 2006, I was praying very hard for the life of the niece of a friend of mine. The niece had been diagnosed with an incurable and rare disease. She was 5'6 and weighed only 90 pounds. Doctors had told my friend the niece wouldn't make it to see New Years day. The Guadalupe Radio Network, which hosts Catholic Answers Live, was having a telethon to raise money and they promised that for those who contributed they would keep bringing the intentions of the donors before their listeners. I thought there was no better way I could spend my money than to get that young girls name out to people who would be more faithful about praying than I would. I pledged $25 a month - and was faithful to the pledge even when times were hard and it actually cost me more than that because my account went into overdraft. I never listened to GRN even one time during the entire year that I was a donor. In fact, I didn't begin to listen to them until February. One day I was listening at work and heard that they had a family pass of tickets for the first caller who had donated in the past - I called and won the tickets! God rewarded my past generosity twice over. The girl that I had been praying for, and still do, has lived and moreover has gone back to 140 pounds. She still doesn't have a perfectly normal life, but she lives and where there is breath there is hope.

At any rate, so I won these tickets and was able to take my mother to the conference. To my surprise, my son agreed to go with me. He had attended a mission with me that week at church, and I really think it had a very big impact on him. He's such a deep thinker. At any rate, during the conference I got several huge blessings: 1) My son has decided that he does indeed want to be baptized into the Catholic Church 2) my son is considering the possibility he may have a call to the priesthood 2) my mother was able to meet a personal hero of hers, Rosalyn Moss 3) Rosalyn is starting a religious order and my mother may be joining it! 4) I was able to purchase the CAL Faith Deposit Box for only $30 - it contains 1500 books of Church doctrine, including several different versions of the Bible, writings by Early Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church, as well as the Catholic Catechism, and Papal writings. This purchase will not only further my own personal Catholic education but provide me the tools I need to write, and write with accuracy, the Catholic role playing game I intend to create. What we need, God provides in abundance!

I am tired, it's late, and I have work tomorrow. However, I enter the new day refreshed with the waters of hope and certain that the Love of God will continue to rain down upon my family. God does not always show His love by wealth, but sometimes through suffering too. Whichever way He choses, I am happy to be His.