A HUGE PRAISE REPORT 

Our Tenacious One was in an accident in my truck near campus last Friday.  When the call came from the Ottawa County Sherif's department, my reaction was subdued and hopeful.  I have prayed so hard for her to be safe and not hurt anyone with the vehicle.  

In the back of my mind, there was always a little niggle of a worry that she would have an accident.  Well, this the third one in less than a year.  No one was hurt badly in any of the accidents, but her confidence level in driving has dropped significantly. 

The truck was totaled (according the the sheriff-our insurance company has yet to investigate.) But OTO was checked out the the local hospital and was found fit, but bruised.  All Praise to Jesus Christ for hearing the prayers of this mom and dad and
so many others (including several Saints in heaven) who have been praying for her for a very long time. 

She will not have a vehicle now and that takes care of two prayer requests at once.  One-no more accidents that she is responsible for in her near future (though now I have to pray for her driving friends!) and two- that she would meet some very nice Catholic friends on campus this year. This is not totally taken care of yet, but she will have to attend Mass on campus instead of roaming the area in search of new places for Mass.  This increases the odds of Catholic friends on campus tremendously.  

While we are on the subject of praise, I'm also very grateful that she took a huge step toward getting her laundry taken care of on campus instead of a drive to a friend's house.  So grateful!

God is so good all the time.  Just look around you and find things to thank Him for.  Never miss an opportunity for gratitude. 

Can People Tell You're Catholic?

One of the kids asked me today, "Is he Catholic?"  When I said yes, she said, "I didn't know that."

That speaks volumes!!

Do others know that you are Catholic?  Does it show in how you speak?  Does it show in how you act toward others?  Does it show in other actions?

Or are you only Catholic on Sunday for an hour, or for that matter, in name only?

Our prime mission as Catholics is to go into the world and proclaim the Gospel.  We don't have to stand on the street corner screaming out Bible verses to back up our proclamations.  We don't need to be  Bible scholars -though we do need to read it and join Bible studies to know what it says and have a basic understanding.

What else do we have to do?

We have to smile at people and show our joy.

We need to lend a helping hand to someone in need, whether it's opening a door, bringing a meal, driving someone to Mass, raking an elderly neighbor's leaves.

We need to be willing to pray in public.  Do the Sign of the Cross and bless your food in a restaurant. Take a walk and pray a Rosary with your rosary in hand.  Join a Marian procession or an Advent tree lighting at your church.

Speak about the Lord and what He had done in your life.  Praise Him out loud.  Tell someone you'll pray for their needs.  Don't complain about anything, even the weather.

We talk about so many things, lots of them unnecessary.  How often do we speak of the One who gave us life and a whole lot more.

Have children!  That may sound weird but it's a question that often comes up when I tell people we have nine kids.  Trust God with this area of your life.

Volunteer at soup kitchens, crisis pregnancy centers, etc.  Because it is a part of your life, you're bound to talk about it, and that spreads the Gospel about taking care of the less fortunate.

Bring Jesus to others.  Do not let anyone, even for a moment, wonder whether you're a Catholic.

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