TGIF May 15th

This week has been challenging- I got some potentially very disturbing news from the doctor by email and they "worked me in" to be seen in 3 weeks so the doctor could talk to me about it. It's one of those "could be nothing, could be something incredibly serious" situations that I seem to be encountering all too often lately...

My mom, my aunts, my grandmother and I prayed a Novena at the beginning of May, from May 1st- May 9th to "Good Saint Anne" the mother of Mary. She is the patron saint of mothers and mothers-to-be and women who hope to be mothers someday. Her story really touched me. http://www.saintanne.webhero.com/

We said the following novena: http://www.prayerbook.com/Novenas/annenove.htm

I am questioning God's intercession a lot lately and how and why God actually intercedes in our lives the way He does, or sometimes, the bigger question, the way He doesn't. But praying the novena was powerful for me and helped me to feel that I was doing something in a situation where there is so little I can really do. It was also so meaningful to know these women around me were taking time to pray for my intention (as well as their own) every day. It helped me to feel very loved and cared about.

I have also gotten more specific in asking God for what I want, because I've heard and read that sometimes the more specific you are, the more clearly you can see your prayers being answered...

With that being said, some things I'm thankful for this week are:

1) That the appraisal came back positive, we got a great deal on homeowner's insurance, and we are closer and closer to being homeowners as we near the end of the month!

2) That I've been getting really good rest lately.

3) That Juan Carlos and I have been able to be healthy and active lately. He's playing soccer on Tuesday nights with some friends now regularly (as if working in construction all day wasn't exercise enough) and I got back to the gym a couple days this week, which feels really good!

4) That I get to teach a Freshman Seminar class in the fall that I'm really excited about and that I am helping to plan the annual Latino Youth Summit for Fall 2009 and I'm meeting a lot of great people through that.

5) That I have my own journey- with my own mountains and valleys and my own story to tell. Sometimes it seems I spend more time watching everyone else's life than thinking about my own, but when I take the time to look at my own life and all the different pieces and experiences that have been a part of my path, I find there is a lot of hurt and disappointment, but there is also a lot of laughter, a lot of beauty and a lot of love.