Tag Archives: faith

10 More Inspirational Quotes about Following God’s Will!

10 May

As I mentioned in my original 10 Inspirational Quotes about Following God’s Will post, I love collecting words of wisdom! I’m back again with some more to share! Please feel free to add your own favorites in the Comments section! I’d love to read them!

10 Inspirational Quotes about Following God's will

1. Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God’s will. -Eric Metaxas

2. Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly. -St. Francis de Sales

3. For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self. -Thomas Merton

4. There are no ‘ifs’ in God’s world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety – let us pray that we may always know it! -Corrie Ten Boom

5. For each of us, there is only one thing necessary: to fulfill our own destiny, according to God’s will, to be what God wants us to be. -Thomas Merton

6. Make sure you are doing what God wants you to do–then do it with all your strength. -George Washington

7. We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can – namely, surrender our will and fulfill God’s will in us. -St. Teresa of Avila

8. Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire. -St. Catherine of Siena

9. God doesn’t require that you succeed, he only requires that you try. -Mother Teresa

10. We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28

**UPDATE: This post originally assigned the first quote to Dietrich Bonhoeffer in error.  It is now corrected to reflect the actual author, Eric Metaxas.

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How Well Do You Know Your Guardian Angel?

3 May

angel

My fascination with angels began at age 11 when I had a brief supernatural experience at a cousin’s house. I woke up one morning to see two silent, somewhat-transparent figures standing with their backs toward me. One had short brown hair and the other had long blond hair, and they appeared to be wearing white robes. I remember feeling afraid that they would turn around and I just kept chanting, “Please help me God, please help me God.”  My cousin, who also saw the figures, darted back under the covers while I remained frozen and stared at them.  It wasn’t until I turned on the bedside lamp that they disappeared. I’m not sure if they were ghosts or angels, but I like to think that they were angels! 

Since then, I’ve always loved to read any story or watch any show that is about personal encounters with angels!  I had a well-worn Guideposts for Kids magazine that was all about angels from cover to cover. My conscious awareness of my guardian angel has come and gone over the years, though,  but my passion for angels was recently reignited again!  Just as I talked about the importance of the Holy Spirit a few weeks ago, our guardian angels can be powerful aides in helping us do God’s will.

Last week, I listened to a CD titled Angels Explained: What You Should Know About the Nine Choirs by Dr. Mark Miravalle courtesy of Lighthouse Catholic Media.  He offered a lot of great information regarding what the Catholic church teaches and what theologians have come to agree upon in regards to angels.  There were a few points by Miravalle that really stood out to me.  One of which is the following two-minute transcript specifically about guardian angels:

Now, I want you to imagine a civilization of people that are superior in most every way; more intelligent, more strength of will. A higher form of creative excellence in the whole hierarchy of being.  And, that God reveals to another group, another civilization of people, i.e. humans, that this higher superior group are given, in large part, to help us, to protect us, to guide us. 

Now think of this unfortunate fact.  That the lower group, the human group, chooses not to pay any attention to the higher group.  That the lower group, for whatever reason, whether it be will or distraction, fundamentally day-by-day, ignores the higher group.  How can this be pleasing to God? 

Now as we’ll discuss, the lower, in fact the lowest, level of the angels, the ninth choir, from which the vast majority of guardian angels are taken, would have, fundamentally, one angel for every human being that’s ever lived, because angels don’t recycle. So just the lowest choir would have at least equal quantity of all humans from all times.  This creature, your guardian angel, who was created at the beginning of time, has waited until this time for you.  To guide you, to protect you, to love you, and to begin a relationship, which God-willing, will become a never-ending relationship for the rest of eternity… 

We have to tap this God-given gift of spiritual persons.  And, I believe in our present age, where there is a raging spiritual battle taking place, that A., God has given special graces to the angels for our times and B., We can only engage those special graces, we can only reap the power of these angels, by our human consent.  We have to will it.  We have to consent to it.

It’s amazing to really comtemplate that we each have our own protector to guide us along in life, so that we may grow closer to God!  And just as with receiving gifts from the Holy Spirit, we have to ask and seek our angel’s help in order to obtain their special graces.

On the Angels Explained CD, Miravalle also shared a beautiful prayer of Consecration from the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum. There is a great line towards the end of The Consecration to the Holy Angels prayer that pleads, “enlighten my mind and my heart so that I may always know and accomplish the will of God.” 

So as we pray and strive to use our talents and do God’s will, let’s not forget about our guardian angels who can help us along our journey. All we have to do is ask!

For more information about what the Catholic church teaches about angels, visit Catholic Online or Catholic Answers.

Do you have a special angel story to share? I’d love to hear it!

Update: I’m linking this post up with the Catholic Bloggers Link-up Blitz for May! Be sure to check the other posts out, too!

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Five Favorites vol. 6

29 Apr

Five Favorites, hosted at MoxieWife.com

It’s that time again! Another Five Favorites post with Hallie! Let’s get to it!

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Catholic ABC’s

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I’ve mentioned this Catholic Preschool Curriculum created by Lacy Rabideau of Catholic Icing a couple times before on this blog, but I wanted to share it again. The Grotto craft pictured above is one of my favorites that we’ve done!  My three-year-old has really enjoyed this and we only have two letters left!

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Captivating

I’m currently reading this book by John and Stasi Eldredge. I first heard about it when I interviewed the co-founders of Dignitas Magazine last summer. Captivating is such a great book about embracing our true femininity and beauty as women.

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Jenn Bostic

Jenn Bostic- Jealous

Did you catch my special Dreamer in the Spotlight feature on this talented, genuine artist? Her story is so inspiring and so are her songs! Check out “Jealous of the Angels.” It has over a million views on YouTube!

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Winning the Culture War

I love Lighthouse Catholic Media! My mom gets the CD’s every month and now she runs the program at our church. I recently listened to Winning the Culture War by Dr. Peter Kreeft. It was so spot on and so true! I think I said “Amen” out loud a few times while listening in my car!

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Mint Chip Shake with Spinach!

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This Sneaky Healthy Mint Chip recipe has been making the rounds online and on Pinterest. I tried it out this past weekend substituting organic vanilla ice cream for protein powder or vanilla yogurt, and the girls and I both loved it. (Although, I overdid the peppermint extract a little bit!) I’ll definitely be putting spinach in my smoothies more often now. I need any trick I can use to get my two-year-old to eat her vegetables right now!

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Words of Wisdom From a Dad to His Future Son-in-Law

12 Apr

When Adam asked my father for his blessing to propose marriage to me, my dad had a little talk with him. From what I’ve been told, that talk included a discussion about what motivates people. My dad told my future husband that people are driven by one of the following:

1. Money
2. Power
3. Sex
4. Faith
5. Fame

My dad told Adam that he believed that my husband-to-be was motivated by faith and gave Adam his permission to marry me. (Thanks, Dad! Good decision!)

Engagement Collage

Adam and I have come back to this conversation several times when talking about right motivation and the way things are in the world right now. It’s so easy to see that when faith is not someone’s primary motivation, their priorities are out-of-whack, relationships are damaged, and they are ultimately unhappy. I think it can be a very helpful tool to use when making decisions to help us stay on track.

This is also useful when evaluating our goals and dreams.  Often, our dreams evolve into something else and take a turn down a different path. We grow and gain new perspectives. We get married… have kids… embrace our vocations, hopefully… Priorities shift and relationships need to be fostered. If faith is our number one motivator, then what matters to God will matter to us!

For Adam and me, the past couple years have consisted of slowly letting go of our old ideals and hopes, and learning to mold them into what God wants for us. It has been such a blessing to be able to see how our desires have aligned with God’s will for us and our family! Nothing that we can come up with on our own could ever be better than what God has in store for us! I can tell you that Adam and I are truly happier than we have ever been, even though our initial plans never materialized, because we are so grateful for each other, our children, and our faith! God is good!

I wish you true joy and peace, as well! I pray that you are open to wherever God is leading you! Have a great weekend!

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Got Holy Spirit?

5 Apr

Stained Glass Holy Spirit

Like millions of other viewers, I watched the finale of The Bible series on the History Channel last Sunday night. While it was very difficult to watch the re-enactment of the Crucifixion of Jesus, I came away from the series re-energized about the reminder that we all have, or can have, the same Holy Spirit that the apostles were filled with when spreading the truth about Jesus! 

This same Holy Spirit that gave the early Christians wisdom and the courage to risk their lives, is with us now in this day and time! In America, we may not have to risk death to practice our faith, but our beliefs and religious freedom are certainly being threatened in many ways. In other parts of the world, Christians are being persecuted because of their belief in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is very much-needed and very much alive!

It wasn’t until a couple of years ago, that I really began to appreciate and seek the Holy Spirit more. In my experience growing up Catholic, the Holy Spirit wasn’t discussed much outside of Pentecost Sunday or the Sacrament of Confirmation. Although I was very familiar with the Holy Spirit, I really didn’t understand the vital role of this third person of the Trinity in my everyday life and the need to continuously ask for His gifts and guidance. 

And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.d 10For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? 12Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit* to those who ask him.

-Luke 13: 9-13

 If we do not ask, we will not receive the specific blessings that we need from the Holy Spirit for certain situations and circumstances. This is why it is so important to embrace and believe in the promise of the Holy Spirit. For it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to overcome temptation, selflessly love others, and ultimately change the world!

Something else that struck me, when watching the final scenes of The Bible, was that the early Christians didn’t have many attachments. They seemed ready to go anywhere at a moment’s notice and were always prepared to see Jesus in Heaven. The more we seek the  Holy Spirit, the less we desire what this world offers. My husband and I have been talking lately about living a more simple life. I think the Holy Spirit must be working in us!

There are so many wonderful graces to gain from the Holy Spirit! The nine fruits of the Spirit include “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The seven gifts are understanding, counsel, wisdom, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.  Truly, everything good comes from God!

After I finish typing this post, I will begin writing a letter to the beautiful eighth-grade girl that I am sponsoring for her Confirmation in May. She is going on a retreat next weekend and the Sister that teaches her class has asked all sponsors to write surpise “support letters”. I hope to be able to convey what an important and powerful gift the Holy Spirit is to each one of us (and to her, personally)! The Holy Spirit enables us to be able to grow closer to Jesus and follow God’s will for our lives.

Have a blessed weekend!  And, remember, all you have to do is ask!

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Eric Metaxas Stops in Nashville on Bonhoeffer Tour

8 Mar

In January, I posted about five life-changing books I read in 2012. One of those, was Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. If you have not read it yet, I highly recommend it! It is a vital read for this day and time! I am a HUGE Dietrich Bonhoeffer fan now and a few of his published books are on my ever-growing to-read list!

I’m also an Eric Metaxas fan, as well! I recently read his short book, No Pressure, Mr. President! The Power of Belief in a Time of Crisis, about his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast last year and I just downloaded the Kindle edition of another book he wrote, Amazing Grace, which is only $2.99 on Amazon for the month of March!

Courtesy of ericmetaxas.com

Eric Metaxas / Courtesy of ericmetaxas.com

This past Tuesday, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Bonhoeffer Tour: An Evening with Eric Metaxas New York Times #1 Best Selling Author sold-out engagement in Nashville!  I loved how Doug Hudson, who introduced Metaxas, set the tone for the event in his brief speech.  Hudson commented that the night was not to celebrate Bonhoeffer or Metaxas, but “to celebrate Jesus Christ who is the root of our courage.” Can I get an “Amen”?!  It was such a blessing to be able to attend a talk that focused on two men striving to do God’s will so that others may know the love and grace of Jesus!

Having read two of Metaxas’ books already, I had a lot of background information prior to this event.  The Q & A session at the end was a great opportunity to hear Metaxas expand on certain issues and concerns.  One of the biggest, is the fact that there are so many parallels between the state of America today and that of early Nazi Germany.

Metaxas discussed that Hitler and the Nazis started out by “resricting religious liberty,” which was enabled because the church didn’t “seem to be willing to fight.” Metaxas went on to acknowledge later, “Religious liberty is genuinely being threatened right now.”  Of course, this is clear based on the pending  implementation of the HHS mandate and attacks on the vocation of marriage.  Metaxas also made this point:

If you don’t stand up early, it’s a lot harder to speak up later on.

Due to being in the blogging world, I have had the opportunity to read so many great posts by other Catholics.  I am very encouraged that there are so many Christians in this country who are standing up and writing about truth and striving to do God’s will!  If you are one of these amazing evangelists, please continue your good work!  Let us imitate Bonhoeffer’s saintly example by praying and acting!  Metaxas stated that Bonhoeffer believed that “prayer must lead to action.”  He truly lived his life based on this truth.  Metaxas also commented, “God calls us to live fully in this world” and “God blesses us to be a blessing.”  Amazing words!  Thank you for your work and example, Mr. Metaxas!  To learn more about Eric Metaxas, check out his conversion story!

May we have the courage to stand up for the right to live our faith, so that we may encourage others to do the same!

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***GIVEAWAY: WIN THIS NEW ADVANCE READER’S COPY of SEVEN MEN: AND THE SECRET OF THEIR GREATNESS!***

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TO ENTER, JUST COMMENT ON THIS POST OR RETWEET/SHARE MY LINK TO THIS POST ON TWITTER (@a_dreamers_wife)!  IF YOU DO BOTH, YOUR NAME WILL BE ENTERED IN THE DRAWING TWICE!  ONE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM.  THIS SWEEPSTAKES ENDS 8:00 PM EST MARCH 15, 2013.  WINNER WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA THIS POST, EMAIL, AND/OR TWITTER.  GOOD LUCK!

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February’s Bloggers in the Spotlight {7 Quick Takes (#7)}

22 Feb

7 quick takes sm1 7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 207)

I’m linking back up with the 7 Quick Takes crew at Conversion Diary today! It’s been awhile, so I’m glad to be a part of it again! This is also the fourth Friday of the month, which means it is Dreamer in the Spotlight time! So, once again, I’m combining both to bring my list of seven awesome dreamers – blogger edition!

Since I have focused on the topic of vocations quite a bit this month, I figured that it would be fitting to showcase seven amazing bloggers who inspire me with their dedication to fulfilling their vocations. You probably are aware of some of these blogs already (many are regular 7QT-ers), but hopefully there may be one or two that you aren’t familiar with and can check out! Let’s get started!

1. Humble Handmaid

This blog by Erin Franco is one of my absolute favorites! Her tagline pretty much sums up a big reason why I chose to feature her today – “Writing about my “yes” to God’s plan for my life, one late night blogging session at a time.” As a mother in my twenties myself, I can relate to a lot of what Erin discusses. I love the honesty of her posts about trying to be a good parent, wife, and Catholic. Erin’s passion for her beautiful family is evident all over her blog! If you are a young wife/mother and don’t already follow her, DO IT – NOW!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

2. Moxie Wife

First, I have a confession to make! I haven’t read Hallie Lord’s book Style, Sex, and Substance yet! It is on my to-read list for this year, though! I love how Hallie writes as if she’s a friend just filling you in on a great new product she found or linking you to an amazing article, in addition to sharing great advice about being a good wife and encouraging your husband! This is a lovely blog that embraces married life as the vocation that it is!

3. Biltrix

Obviously, blogs are a great way to evangelize and Biltrix is one of the best sites that I have found that does this very thing! The authors- James Stone, Fr. Jason Smith, Fr. Jose LaBoy, and Fr. Joseph Tham- use Catholic teaching and a little bit of humor to shed light on current events and enhance awareness of a variety of topics. Be sure to check out their blog to find out what a Biltrix is!

4. Life Happens When

This convicting, joy-filled blog is courtesy of former English teacher, wife, and mother of two, Leanne Willen. She is also a regular 7 Quick Takes participant! Just like Humble Handmaid, I stumbled upon this blog on Catholicmom.com when she wrote a contributing post that I connected with. She is another woman that I feel I can greatly relate to, since our kiddos are about the same ages! Leanne is frequently challenging herself and others to step outside their comfort zones and enjoy the blessings in life, especially family. I had the privilege of guest posting on Leanne’s blog back in November!

5. The Veil of Chastity

Okay, all you single ladies (repeat and sing it in your head, “all you single ladies”) out there! This blog is for you! Soon-to-be-published author of The Veil, Cindy, blogs about the vocation of single-hood and chastity. (And, also participates frequently in 7 Quick Takes.) She states on the sidebar of her blog, “I pray this blog provides wisdom and hope for single girls!” Cindy did not get married until the age of 38, so she can relate to all the single Catholics out there who are hoping to find that special someone! There is a lot of truth in this blog and it is definitely worth checking out!

6. Captive the Heart

For those single ladies mentioned above who are about to get married, this blog is your next stop! Stephanie Calis, also a contributing author at Ignitum Today, shares great ideas for wedding fashion, receptions, and ceremonies. She also writes wonderful spiritual reflections, and- bonus- I just love her joyful attitude that comes out in her writing! 7QT-ers will probably be familiar with this blog already, but if you are not, be sure to click on her site!

7. Conversion Diary

So, I have to give a big nod to Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts 7 Quick Takes each Friday! For those reading this who aren’t already aware, she is an atheist-to-Catholic convert and somehow finds time to write, speak, blog for the National Catholic Register, manage a household of five kids (with one more on the way), and, oh yeah, star in a reality show! How does she do it all?! And with such a great sense of humor?! Thanks, Jennifer, for giving all of us Catholic bloggers a place to connect and support each other! (All episodes of her show are now available via her website!)

Of course, there are many more blogs out there that I would love to highlight, so I’m sure a Part II and Part III will be coming in the future. As usual, if you know of someone that should be featured in my Dreamer in the Spotlight series or if you’d like to write a guest post to share your own inspirational story, please contact me!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Who’s your favorite inspirational blogger?

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The Greatest Vocation of All!

15 Feb

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I ran across the above quote last weekend and had to share it! It expands perfectly on my post about vocations from last Friday! It’s also timely, considering yesterday was St. Valentine’s Day – a day all about LOVE!

For the Year of Faith, I signed up for the daily e-newsletter, Read the Catechism in a Year, and Day 122 held this amazing paragraph by Jeff Pinyan.

If the Church was a body composed of different members, it couldn’t lack the noblest of all; it must have a Heart, and a Heart BURNING WITH LOVE. And I realized that this love alone was the true motive force which enabled the other members to Church to act; if it ceased to function, the Apostles would forget to preach the gospel, the Martyrs would refuse to shed their blood. LOVE, IN FACT, IS THE VOCATION WHICH INCLUDES ALL OTHERS; IT’S A UNIVERSE OF IT’S OWN, COMPRISING ALL TIME AND SPACE – IT’S ETERNAL!

In addition to reading this last Saturday, I heard a visiting Franciscan priest speak about this same topic at Mass on Sunday. He emphasized respecting others as the way to show love.

No matter who we are or what job we have, we are all called to love one another. Sometimes we get caught up in finding our passion and the right career, but no matter how old or young, rich or poor, etc., we can always make it a priority to show love through our everyday actions and treatment of others.

Have a great weekend full of love, everyone!

Above background image courtesy of Phaitoon/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

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Embracing Our Vocations: The Key to Joy

8 Feb

work-life balance

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sometimes pursuing dreams can be selfish.

We may be so focused on achieving what we want to accomplish so that we can make more money, be recognized, feel valued, etc., that we risk damaging relationships and destroying our faith.

So, how do we know when our dreams are good or when they are detrimental to us or others?  I think the answer comes when we take a look at what it means to have a vocation.

The past few days especially, I have been thinking about this quite a bit.  It’s been a consistent topic of conversation between my husband and me as we navigate what God is calling us to do.  And guess what?  I received a newsletter from DynamicCatholic.com this past Saturday with a special message from Matthew Kelly regarding this exact thing.  Here is what he wrote:

The Peace and Joy of Unique Ability

A few nights ago my little girl, Isabel, came into my office at home after her bath. With a huge smile, she walked over, grabbed my phone, held it to her ear, and said, “Call me, daddy!” I played along for a few minutes and then she came over, got up into my lap, buried her head in my chest and gave me a big hug. It was one of those times when I was able to be completely in the moment… and I was happy.

If I think back a few years, I was not so happy. I wasn’t unhappy. I loved my work, but something was missing. I didn’t have the deep peace and joy I have today. What was missing? Vocation. We talk a lot about it, but too often our talk is sterile and dispassionate. But vocation really is a thing of beauty. It is that thing that helps us make sense of everything. It is the feeling of finally being at home in our own lives. It is that place where your unique ability explodes usefully. It is the thing of great worth.

It also requires tremendous work.

How are you doing with your vocation? This Lent, I would like to encourage you to either search more rigorously for your vocation or give your vocation another look and recommit to it. Take it to the next level.

The world and the Church need more people who love life and live it with passion and purpose. Vocation animates us – brings us to life. Vocation fills us with a peace and joy that is immeasurable if we embrace and dedicate ourselves to our call.

Pretty powerful stuff!  Being an involved parent and spouse requires a lot of sacrifice, but it is also extremely fulfilling! This is exactly why my husband Adam tells people that he is the happiest that he’s ever been!  I’m sure the same can be said for anyone who has responded to God’s call for their life.  This is where we find our purpose, passion, and as Matthew Kelly stated, “peace and joy.”

Maybe, though, you are still saying “What is a vocation or how do I know what my vocation is?”  I did a quick little Google search to find a definition and stumbled upon the website Vocation.com.  While it is geared to those contemplating religious life, I found a great little article worth sharing titled, Is it a vocation or a job or a profession?  Below are a few paragraphs…

[…] when we use the word vocation we introduce a vertical dimension into our life, especially into our thinking process and decisions, since the point of reference when we talk about vocation is God’s will – what we believe he is calling us to do with our life, the purpose for which he created us as it relates to the salvation of our own soul and the salvation of others. So a vocation is not something you switch out of on a whim, since it is not something you go into lightly. In following a vocation the main question is: What does God want? and not: What do I prefer? So it would be a major mistake to approach a vocation to the priestly or consecrated life, or to marriage, thinking only of ourselves and not being willing to commit ourselves to it, “for better or for worse” because we know God wants us to see it through.

And so, if there is ever a conflict between our profession and our vocation, it is always the vocation that has to win. A married person who knows that a career opportunity that opens up to him will most probably destroy his marriage must opt for his marriage vocation even if the price is his career. A baptized doctor who risks losing his license if he refuses to do certain immoral procedures will follow his Christian vocation and even at the cost of his medical career. A priest who is a great success in a particular field of ministry and is asked by his bishop to serve in a different area must follow his priestly vocation which includes obedience to his bishop, rather than his “success” in a particular field.

I think the key when evaluating our dreams, is to always be sure that our aspirations are under the umbrella of our vocation.  Just as the article above mentions, if our goals are at the expense of living out our vocation, then they must be abandoned or reconstructed.

For us personally, the re-working of goals is why many of you may have been wondering why Adam’s website isn’t up yet or why we haven’t been promoting any new songs.  In addition to a lack of ample time, we have been going through a process of identifying priorities, finding nuggets of truth and wisdom, and assessing how everything fits in with our vocation of helping each other get to heaven and raising holy children.  I firmly believe that God wants to use Adam’s musical talents to reach people, but just how that all is going to happen  is still in the works!  I have already seen how much grace and peace he has given us especially in the past year, so even though the road ahead is a mystery, I have no doubt that we are on the right path.

When we stop trying to do things our own way and embrace God’s plan for our life, we will find true joy that is unattainable anywhere else!

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A Father Who Gets It

1 Feb

holding hands

Let me just start out by saying that I am truly blessed to be married to my husband, Adam!  In this world of broken marriages, fatherless children, and faithless families, I have a man who desires to do God’s will and be a loving, engaged husband and father.  When asked by other musicians about what he has been up to lately, Adam tells them, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been” despite not having much time to focus on anything musically.

Are our lives now quite like we envisioned they would be eight years ago? No…and yes!  No, Adam is not where we thought he’d be in his music career right now.  We are both working full-time jobs.  We live in a house with too many crazy issues that we have to spend more money on than we’d like.  Yes, because we get to be the parents of two beautiful, silly girls.  Adam writes meaningful, amazing music.  We’re able to pay the bills.  We work together as a team to take care of our home and family.  We’re continuing to grow closer to God and discuss his will for our lives.

Most recently on this journey of discovering what God is calling us, particularly Adam, to do in regards to his career, Adam has found what he is really passionate about – Being a good father and encouraging other men to do the same.  When our oldest daughter was born, he read Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Dr. Meg Meeker.  He loved it!  In December, he stumbled across the documentary, Absent, by Justin Hunt on Netflix.  Absent is about the effect that disengaged fathers have on their children and how this lack of a relationship affects society.  We also recently watched Courageous, a movie about this same topic.  What’s interesting is that independent of these movies, Adam was already thinking a lot about this.  These two films just reinforced that God is trying to show him something!

The path that we are exploring now includes possibly recording a CD of his latest real, positive music and putting together his own story for Catholic Men’s Conferences.   This would allow him to do what he loves and spread a message that can inspire others.  Adam relates to people very well and would be a great speaker.  This is definitely just the tip of the iceberg, but we feel that God is definitely giving us some sort of direction.

There are so many question marks and mysteries ahead of us, but I know that our priorities are in order.  I know that Adam has the right perspective on what is important in life.  The following quote from Courageous, when character Adam Mitchell speaks to a church congregation, sums it up. (Adam rewound this sentence twice!)

You can’t fall asleep at the wheel, only to wake up one day and realize that your job or your hobbies have no eternal value, but the souls of your children do.

Please pray for us as we continue to discern God’s call in our lives.  We will do the same for you!  Let’s also pray that more men will have the courage to be good fathers to their children!  Thank you to all the wonderful men out there who are already amazing husbands and fathers!  Your value in this world is priceless!

I’d like to also say a special thank you to my own father.  Thanks, Dad, for always finding time to support my interests and challenging me to be the best version of myself!

(Above photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/freedigitalphotos.net)

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