God's answer to prayers may not be exactly as expected...

My husband had been out of town for a while on business and was required to be gone over the weekend.  It is difficult when he travels, but especially so when he is not here on Saturday and Sunday, our family and worship days, days when we grow together in the Lord.  As I was returning home from church after Mass, alone in my car, I began to feel a deep, wounding sadness.  I missed Carl.  I mourned the life that we were not experiencing together as a couple and as a family because his job requires him to be away many weeks out of the year.  In a deep, longing sigh, I asked the Lord to make our lives better.  The sacrifice my husband was making for the general welfare of our family was just too great, I said.  I implored God, in his infinite wisdom and abundant mercy, to make our lives better by allowing Carl to be at home with us more often.  I was thinking that maybe if he just didn't have to travel so often...

Today, out of the deep blue, my husband was laid off from his job that he has held for many years.  Shocked?  Yes.  Surprised?  No.  God has a way of granting requests, just not in the way you expect. 

God also is the giver of all good things and I truly believe in His divine providence.  We will be ok.  We will be more than ok.  I am so looking forward to having Carl home.  God indeed is good!

About the title...

The Lord is the shepherd
of our little flock of four.
When we seek and knock,
He always opens the door.
In return we give thanks
and strive to live life pleasing to Him;
He gives way to our needs
and disregards our whim.
Living by His rules
in our word and deed
helps us really to be
"simply Catholic" indeed.

Attention All Catholic School Teachers!

It is more important for secondary educators (remember parents are the primary educators) to impart Truth than to assist their students in "feeling good" about Truth.

Do we not teach the truth of math and disregard how someone "feels" about it?

Please, please, PLEASE treat the souls under your care with the same respect when teaching the tenets of the Catholic Faith as you treat the minds of your students in other subjects.

Also, keep in mind that faith is not just a product of squishy "feel good about Jesus" exercises.  It is also highly intellectual.  The children can not only handle Truth, they crave it.

We all, including children, are in constant spiritual battle with the master of deception.  Therefore, let us all don the armor of God. 

~Ephesians 6:10-18