This week has been an exciting walk down memory lane. 

 First, my surprise walk -

          My friend from high school, Gina, googled me and found this site :-)  It is wonderful to have such an opportunity.  If the internet did not exist we would probably never have heard from each other again.  The last time we saw each other was the day of my engagement party.  We were young and, well, girls so a small disagreement went wild and we haven’t spoken to each other in almost 14 years.  After we graduated from high school, her parents moved and my dad has also since moved.  Finding each other would have been a lot trickier, googling my name found this site.  After exchanging phone numbers we then enjoyed a several hour catch-up phone chat (somethings girls just don’t outgrow).  I thought you all might get a kick out of a few photos from back in the day.

    These first 3 are from a trip we took to Disney, I think Junior year.  The first photo on the left is in a restaurant, probably in Epcot.  Starting at the bottom you’ll see me, Samantha Osborne (Sam), Vicki Migliorisi , Gina Conigliaro, Janine Vogrin, and Janine’s mom.  I actually remember very little.  I do remember that poor Vicki was so sick the last day.  I remember the drive home, Vicki was in the back of whatever we had driven in and the rest of us ganging around her, putting wet washcloths are her burning forehead.  She had been such a trooper all day, so sick.  I am not including the pics of that day because I am sure she would hunt me down and seek revenge

      I choose these pictures because they best capture Gina as I remember her.  She was always smiling.  No matter what, she always looked happy.  The first picture is also from that Disney trip.  The second two are from a trip to Miami to attend a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul ll.  How I wish I could go back and tell the young me to appreciate that moment.  Here is a pic of him as he passed us in the Pope Mobile.  I apologize for the poor picture quality.  The picture is in a frame and I cannot remove it without tearing off a huge chunk.

Second big memory lane moment -

We have a visiting priest at our parish conducting a retreat.  As part of the scheduled events, two members of the parrish are asked to stand up and give their “testemony”.  To my great joy I was asked.  I say great joy rather then terror because, I am so very grateful for all the Lord has done for me.  I consider it a gift to have the opportunity to share with others the great Love and Mercy He has shown me.  Anyway, I was asked to speak for 3-5 minutes, ooooops, they should have known better.  I wrapped it up at about 7 minutes heeheehee.  I felt the Lord there, soothing me, calming me and helping me to speak, to reach out, and touch His children.  What an awesome opportunity.  The best part for me, was getting to meet so many new people and meeting people I already knew in such a new and powerful way.  The evening was for me unforgetable.  I will always treasure that night, knowing that I had, in such a small way, thank the Lord for His presence in my life.

I will wish you goodbye for today with a prayer:  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Heavenly Father, you sent your Son so that we could see with our eyes the Love you have for us.  You send the Holy Spirit so that we may have the strength and courage to share that Love with others.  Help us Lord, so that by our actions, we bring Your Love to those around us.  Help us to never be the bump in the road of a persons life that causes them to stumble or loose their way to You.  Lord, for those of us with children, we beg You to protect them from our failings.  We ask that You help us be the witnesses for our children You have called us to be.  Thank you for the many blessings in our lives, especially the blessings that at the moment do not seem to be blessings at all.  For these trials are ultimatly for the good of souls, ours or others in need of the graces made available by our suffering.  I also ask, Lord, for all who are holding within them, the gift of new life, that these women be given the strength, the courage, and the peace they need in this time.  For Your many “little love notes” thank you.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end Amen.