Kechup Notes

Ha! Ha! Gotcha!  I got clever here. 

Well, I was going to write a post of a very powerful story today and I may yet, however, I also thought I would just catch you up on the what is going on here in our life in general first and then pick up writing other things.  I may not include finer details here, because some things are not clearly my right to speak of, I don't feel, unless it is positive, because adult people have the right to privacy and that sort of thing, however, I know that when I write positively about my family or friends, by name, they won't have a problem..so here goes.

Danny is still working as he leads the maintenance crew as their Master Mechanic at our water treatment facility.  What a dedicated guy.  He still enjoys being a Knight of Columbus and a Catechist for the children of the RCIA parents and making sure they are prepared for one to several Sacraments, including working with the First Holy Communion class so that those kids can receive this Sacrament along with the larger group. He serves as an EEM for Masses several times a month and offers his help to most anyone who needs him.  He is a joy to be around...what a guy and I love him! :)

I'm still working as a Catechist for the children's Religious Ed. program as a 4th grade teacher, I am on call as an EEM, a Sacristan, and I am very much involved in the Pro-Life group at our church as well as in the community with other pro-life folks.  I like to sing with the choir when I can and I will be starting a new class on Wednesday morning with a group of parishoners..The Catholicism series..I believe with a Father Barron.  Perhaps you have heard of him and the series.  I am looking forward to this as I hear it is very good. I still work very part-time for Hallmark..usually Wed and Fri nights and some on Sat. during the day.  I mostly enjoy that except the selling of "christmas" and "easter" if you know what I mean..with a little c and a little e ..if that makes sense. Ah!  Retail!

If you recall, our young adult children are Maria, Teresa, Crista, and Shane.  Maria's life continues to be very busy and she is on her path learning so much about life.  She has four sons and our grandsons, Jordan (12), Isaiah (11), Aaron (9), and Keegan (2 1/2).
She has worked very hard on some very important things in life and the past four months have been a blessing! Maria works at our local Chick-Fil-A and I hear her fellow employees just love her! :)  Keep her and her family in your prayers, will you?  Thank you.

Teresa, has met a most wonderful young holy Catholic man, David, and is now engaged to be married!  We are very happy for both of them.  This went and still goes on with alot of prayers and yes, many thanksgiving prayers.  They both have spent alot of their life taking their time, praying and looking for the person God had planned for them and it was not always easy for either one, I am sure, but it paid off..the prayers, the patience, and all.  Their meeting and dating, and engagement is a beautiful story that maybe I will share with you one day.  It is also like the Lord giving us our little David in the body of a young adult man...David is also only one year older than our David would have been on earth and just a precious person.  Thank you, Lord.   Teresa teaches at St. Charles Daycare and will stay until they marry.  They will reside about two hours south of us. David lives on the border of Indiana across from Louisville, KY..he works in Louisville, however.  Teresa has also worked with our youth group tremendously.
Happy for her.

Crista is so busy I hardly ever see her.  She is a phlebotomist now at our local hospital and is so good at it, patients request her over other employees.  I had a friend who told me how easy she made it.  She has always been a trooper, wherever she was employed, so I have no doubt of this.  She is on her path and looking for her true vocation no doubt..hopefully praying for it more and more and listening to God..please also, keep her in your prayers. She is the quiet one, most of the time, if you know what I mean and so I don't know alot of details..just appreciate your prayers so much. Thank you. :)

Shane is 18 1/2.  He has also had a rough couple of years, as many of you may recall.  He seems to be having a very strong spiritual change coming over him.  He is back home.  He left school, got his GED, moved out (before getting a car), but because he got a job so close to the apt. and had signed a lease, he stuck it out..often walking to his job.  Shane is a swing-shift manager for McDonalds and once again, I hear for others..a very good one.  He works pretty darn hard..it is a busy one, right by the IU campus. He has been saving since he came back home after breaking up with an old girlfriend and not spending on frivolous things.  He is back with his 12-Step group (since many of you know of his involvement with m.j.) he would not mind me sharing this.  He has a good Christian sponsor who is also interested in music and helps with youth groups at various churches around town.  This is like an older brother type mentor..I know Shane always wished he had an older brother.  Shane has also returned to his Faith and Mass in a strong way and is seeking God's path for him, I think with a very sincere heart.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with him this past later part of the summer and I cannot express my gratitude to God and all of the folks who have prayed for him.  He is sharing himself in his AA group, musically with young people, studying good books like "The Sacrament of the Present Moment, " by Jean-Pierre De Caussade, which fellow blogger, Maggie, had lent to me and he found!  Says he.."I LOVE that book!"  Anyway, I could go on...this is not to brag..this truly is a note of thanksgiving, let me tell you and because I know how hard many of you have prayed for him and others in my family, so I think it only right to share.  He is also trying to get to the Sundays for Confirmation classes to be a facilitator for those..God willing and he does have some stuff to share, so, that is good.  It is One Day At A Time in my family all over the place..so anyway, thanks for prayers. 

Our grandsons are all growing and they are special young men and I love em so much.  I can't spend the same time with them as before, but I place them in God's Hands and I ask our Blessed Mother to take care of them..keeping their thoughts and hearts yearning for the Lord whenever they feel alone.   That's what a Mimi can do! ;) St. Anne, pray for me.  St. Joseph, pray for them!

I stop here with a video.  My young adult children all spent a wonderful couple of days together with David (and David was instrumental in helping this happen) and the third of our grandson's , Aaron, in Chicago.  They wanted to be together for various reasons and I am so grateful to share this video that Shane put together of this nice time.  He did a real good job!  I hope you enjoy (even if you've already seen it..ha!)