Joy In The Journey

Hard to believe this was 10 years ago, where does the time go.... I was in awe and drenched from the mist!! The roar of the water and gushing of the falls was deafening and the spray of the mist was so powerful it came down in a constant turret!! Truly one of the most awe inspiring and majestic experiences I have every witnessed!! There were many areas along the catwalk to stop and take in the beauty of the falls. It was pure grace that I found myself alone at the edge of one of the platforms nearest the falls, head, face, heart and hands lifted in awe and praise to God for the majesty of His Wonder as the mist gushed down over me. A most powerful experience!! I didn't want to leave but everyone was already up at least two tiers away and so I had to force myself to leave.....for me it was the best part of the Cave of the Winds!!! Niagara Falls is awe inspiring and amazing and it was a blessed family trip. And a big note to self for next trip to Niagara, bring a waterproof camera ...

I came across this picture and this article  in the Corpus Christi Caller Times doing a Throwback Thursday about my  sister Irma and her husband, my brother-in-love Len amusement park called Magic Isles that was written in October 2017. And it got me thinking about people that I love and the lessons in life and in business that I have learned from their example. Since I was 7 or 8 years old I have grown up knowing Irma and Len's love story and being a firsthand witness to their powerful example of love, fidelity, dedication to family and community, hard work, generosity and wisdom individually and as a couple.   And their love story is an ongoing tribute to love and legacy as they celebrated 52 years of marriage this August, their unity in all things and Leonard's trail blazing, innovative and intuitive spirit that has not only made him a successful businessman and entrepreneur but his influence that has been passed down to his children providing a beautiful legacy f...

“Mercy and truth have met each other: justice and peace have kissed. Truth is sprung out of the earth: and justice hath looked down from heaven. For the Lord will give goodness; and our earth shall yield her fruit. Justice shall walk before him: and shall set his steps in the way.” Psalm 84: 11-14  When my parents moved to Texas one of the first things they did was cultivate the soil in the backyard for a beautiful and bountiful garden. They planted fruit trees throughout the yard and grape vines over a beautiful arbor.  When my parents lived in Massachusetts they did not plant fig, apricot or olive trees because of the harsher climate. However in Texas with the warmer climate my father was so pleased to plant and grow figs which are a family favorite. And not long after the move to Texas my dad also planted an olive tree which reminded him of Italy.  He took tender care of the olive tree and his gardens. My mom would often send care packages with all kinds of goodies ...

  San Gabriele - Our Lady of Sorrows I have known about you and loved you since I was a little girl.  I got to know San Gabriel I guess you could say from the day I was born, although it would be a few years before I could say his name and come to know him through my mothers devotion to him. And it would be a few years more till I developed my own friendship and devotion to this joyful and youthful Saint. I came to know San Gabriele of Our Lady of Sorrows through stories my mother would tell me about him, his miracles and his life. He is the patron saint of the Abruzzi region in Italy where she lived and grew up.   My mom   loved San Gabriel and often spoke of him.   She often would ask for his intersession with the Blessed Mother and Jesus. And she longed to return to visit his shrine that was built in the Gran Sasso mountains of Italy. I guess you could say my mother came to know him from birth as well through my Nonna Rosina who was devoted to the Sacred ...

  Pope Francis dedicated this year in the church to St Joseph and my beloved and I could not be more excited because we both have always had a devotion to St. Joseph.  Years after I had received my annullment I had no intention of every marrying again.  But I always remained open and I would tell the Lord that the only way that I would marry again is if he sent me a just man, a good man, a man like St. Joseph.  And just when I was settling into a comfortable single vocation the Lord did just that and sent me the greatest gift and blessing of all in my beloved John.    Since the beginning of our relationship we have always prayed together in addition to our individual prayer. So a few months ago when John was gifted the book of the Consecration to St. Joseph as part of his men's sharing group we decided to do the 33 day concecration together.  But after a few days we became distracted, then inconsistent and decided not to continue and to do the concecra...

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I’ve been off track, out of my groove and indulging in too many treats. I know because of how my body feels and because my scale tells me that I am up 7.9 pounds. Frankly I’m shocked I’m not up 20 pounds. I’m not lamenting or complaining, I don’t feel bad and its not anything that is going to hold me back from continuing to move forward, I’m sharing simply to hold myself accountable and be transparent. I’m not at all concerned because my mindset is strong and in a very different place than it was years ago when something like this would have had a whole different reaction. It’s life, it happens. I’m a big girl and I’ve come a long way and I have all the tools and knowledge in my tool belt that I need to get my balance back. A...

Merry Christmas, peace, joy and blessings to you and yours!  Stay tuned, 2020 is going to bring a host of new blessings.   For now we end out this year's blog with our Joy in the Journey 2019 December Newsletter