Illuminated By Joy

J.M.J. "Go and Fear Nothing, I Will Help You".  These are the words I read every morning as I look at a beautiful picture of Our Lady hanging above my dresser. Last May, I had the wonderful opportunity to complete my first pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin- the only approved Marian Apparition in the United States.  21 miles. Early morning wake up. Rain. No training. These four things rang in my mind at 5 am on the morning of the pilgrimage. Little did I know how much this pilgrimage would change my life, and increase my trust very deeply. Up to this point, I was on a roller coaster in discerning various things in my life. I had graduated with my AS degree, but I was in total confusion regarding transferring colleges. All of my friends were in a four year college, and here I was, juggling three daycare jobs and caring for over 30 children every day. The thought that "these jobs are putting me behind" was constantly in m

 Hey everyone! I hope you've all been having a great Christmas season and end to 2023! Around this time of year, people like to reflect. They look back over the past year and forward over the next year. They evaluate where they are in life. However, it can be so easy to get caught up in it, that we miss out on small things. It doesn't even have to be things we did-- sometimes it can be things we received, or even ways that God was present in our lives. God is always working in ways that we can't see. Throughout the process, He has blessed us with so many gifts. More than you can imagine! It might not seem like it, but there is a popular Christmas carol that reminds us of God's goodness-- The Twelve Days of Christmas. Apparently, Catholics who lived in England during the persecutions wanted to remind each other of the truths of their Faith, but needed a way to do it secretly. So, they composed the carol. Each number of gifts in the song stands for a gift God gave us in t