Grateful for Sandy

     Yes you read that right.  I never thought I would say that ever.  I never fully appreciated this awesome town I live in until that day.  We had to evacuate and got damage.  Some is fixed and some hopefully in the near future will be fixed.  Coming home that day, I cried going through this awesome town I lived in for years.  It was like a war zone, but everyone came together.  People dropped boxes off, came and helped.  My neighbors I cannot thank enough for helping my husband screw down what was left of our roof. This town came together like I have never seen it, or maybe my eyes were just not opened.  God opened them through Sandy.  I am truly grateful for Father Bernandino helping us through that emotional/spiritual storm. He helped me see what God was showing me. I am very grateful for my family.  My rock, my husband helped me to see the glass half-full mot half-empty.  My son, my boy scout, did things he told me he learned in scouts.  Let just say, I am so grateful for scouts preparing him for a disaster such as this and smacking me into reality. My daughter, who was my venting board, she helped me go out for that Barnes and Nobles cafe break of coffee when I got too stressed. For all our family and friends who helped and prayed for us thank you for being there. For one of my friends who sent a care package of cleaners from Minnesota, and letting me vent anytime to her. I am very grateful for all three Catholic churches: Epiphany, Visitation, and Saint Dominic's who helped throughout this disaster.  
      My view on life changed with this.  I realized I was asked to make a change that  I was not certain I had the courage to make. I have always been a planner.  God certainly make me take a loop I was not prepared for. We are still not finished with this particular journey and I am not sure will it will land me. But I am truly impressed He thinks I am able to do it.

Autism

Today is World Autism Awareness Day. People not just need to be aware but respect and try to understand those with it. I have my 1 in 50. It affects our lives everyday.  I have a 13 year old son who is on the spectrum, whom I am very proud of.  He has come a long way on his journey, through therapy and homeschooling.  Yes I homeschool him. I am not ashamed of it.  In the past I have never told people that because they tend to judge us.  I am very thankful for all the therapists he had and his boy scout troop.  They have helped him tremendously. I am a big advocate for funding therapy because I know how much it costs. Therapy does help, but you need to find the right one for your child.   Alot of which we paid for ourselves with the help of our insurance company. Autism is not a one size fits all.  Each autistic person adult or child is different.  I know there is a list of symptoms for autism, but not each autistic person displays them all.  I had many people tell me you would never realize he is autistic.  Well when he goes into sensory overload that is when you realize. So think before you judge.  Love before you judge.

Praising Him,
Noelle:)

God prepares you.

     I haven't written in awhile.  Life was turned topsy turvey when Sandy hit the NJ shore.  First I want to say I love living near the beach.  My kids growing up going to the beach all year.  We love it.  Even now 3 months later it is still hard.  Words can't explain it.  You have to go through it.  This whole event changed us as a family and people. Things in life I thought were important weren't anymore.  That morning were prepared to stay through the storm.  Nothing prepared me to evacuate and leave.  I never thought we would see our house again.
     God prepared me for this a year before with the tornado and the earthquake.  Coming home the day after was sad.  What I saw devastated me, our town, our house.  But this was a spiritual awakening too.  For months I knew we were to follow in a different path.  Growing up in NY always prepared me how to survive.  At first you fall down but then you get up and move on.  It is like riding a bicycle.  You keep getting up until you learn how to do it right.  In life we get up until we are following down the path God intended for us.  Some of us are a bit stubborn, like me.  It really must be that Spanish and Irish in me.
     I was very drawn to the churches in our town and the shore area. They help me deal with what happened.  They were there when we needed help.  People helped us who I would never guess would come to our aid. They helped and aided people immediately.  I never thought this would be a spiritual journey for me, but it has.  I started in one church and ended up going to another. I remember my old pastor once said that we are supposed to go out and spread God's word. I never thought it would be me.   I was so conflicted.
     I left writing 16 years ago because my kids were born. Now I feel the need to write about the journey, or God is prompting me. Three months ago I would have never thought I would be on this path.  I believe God prepares you for what you need to do.  A new parish community, writing and homeschooling has taken on more of a journey.  Who knows where it will lead to?

Book Review: The Little Way of Advent

Book Review: The Little Way of Advent by Father Gary Caster

This book is a great meditation book for the Advent and Christmas Season.  It starts in Advent and ends with the Baptism of the Lord.  Father Caster has a great insight to the readings along, with wonderful suggestions how to apply this to everyday life. In this book it includes Cycle A, B, C.  Each meditation starts with the readings. Each section has a theme, which he addresses into the meditation. As you go through it, you read the readings first and then read how each reading applies through the meditation to the advent season, and your everyday life.  Each section section ends with a small prayer in the true spirit of Saint Therese, small steps, small prayers.  I highly recommend this book for the Advent and Christmas Season.

You can view the book here:

http://www.catholiccompany.com/little-way-advent-meditations-spirit-st-ther-se-lisieux-p1111775/?

Given book to Review by The Catholic Company:
http://www.catholiccompany.com/

Looking back at 2012

What a year! I cannot explain how I feel.  I think you only understand unless you go through it.  God blessed us so much, a new business, a close family and close friends. The storm is changed us so much, the damage, it bonded my town.  I have seen what a storm can do to people who have lost everything.  We got damage but were blessed to have so many in our town care about us and help us;  So many people who we got closer during this storm who helped us; So many who we became close to during all this.  An awesome homeschool group from up north came down and help me and my town. I cannot say enough how thankful I am and how much they did for us. A good friend is doing a fundraiser for my town. Recently I felt like everyone forgot.  Then the concert came.  I heard what Bon Jovi and Billy Joel said and realized we are not alone. Recently I went to Epiphany church in my town and the priest said we are tired and broken, but we will survive. I cried through it but he knew exactly how I was feeling. I am so connected to this church.  I am so grateful and appreciate what I have.  Thank you for all that helped us through this and more.

The aftermath of Sandy

It has taken me 3 weeks to write this.  I would start, stop and cry.  First of all, we have an awesome Governor in NJ that prepared us for it and after it.  God Blessed us with Governor Christie. As I sit here I am preparing the house for Christmas, a Christmas  I thought we would never see. I am so grateful for so much, most of all that God spared our lives. The first week after Sandy I was numb.  The day after the storm driving through town was surreal. School buses blocked intersections, military vehicles, utility vehicles, police, firemen everywhere.  The ambulances rushing to the hospital brought me to tears.  It was not one or two but 5-6 at a time.  I pray that those people recovered.  I always liked the fact I lived 5 minutes from Mantoloking and Brick Beach.  The kids love the beach.  They grew up here.  The pictures that emerged from the shoreline made me cry.  I saw places that my children grew up with.  I loved sharing their childhood in those places.  People living more inland don't get the full view of what is happening until you visit a shore town. People who I thought were just friends I saw now and then became so much more during this storm, from bringing me boxes to crying with me. We became so much stronger as a family.  We endured and are strong, we will survive.  Those first few days the damage all over was so much too much not to cry.  I had a good friend tell me, thanks Nan, that I am strong and it was okay to cry.  Coming home I didn't know if we would have a house, we still do. I am so thankful to everyone who has helped our state, donated items, given free meals to people.  Our town has banded together like I never saw it ever in my 9 years.  Strangers became friends.  We are now truly neighbors not just passing by.

Praising Him always,
Noelle

Book Review: Engaging a New Generation by Frank Mercadante

Book Review: Engaging a New Generation by Frank Mercadante

This is a wonderful, informative, and engaging book for parents of teens, youth ministers, and pastors.  This book focuses on Millennial teens, who were born from 1981-2002. The author focuses how they are collectors of experiences and relationships.  They are full engaged in a world, which they want to make a difference to. They want to encounter God, in which they will experience him personally. He talks about  how youth ministries need to engage them in their faith through apologetics, faith development, and about the New Evangelization, called Immanuelization(God is with us). This approach moves from a program and agenda centered approach to a people and presence centered focus.  I highly recommend this book for parents of teens.

You can view the book here:

http://www.catholiccompany.com/engaging-new-generation-vision-reach-catholic-teens-p1006222/?

Given book to Review by The Catholic Company:
http://www.catholiccompany.com/

9-11, 11 years later

11 years. It seems like yesterday when I was pulled out of a classroom and shown what happened. They told me to go home and wait. Waiting is the worse.  The cell towers were down.  I was so concerned what was going on in Manhattan. I am from New York and proud of it. I realized at that moment they attacked my home town. My family was in the city. They all worked there. Friends who worked in the city. Some got out safe and some didn't. I always remember but today it is just more intense. I remember all of us waiting by a train station for my dad. He never talked about what happened not even to this day. I could see the tears in his eyes that day. He retired soon after. God bless them in heaven looking down on us. You are missed.  My son reminds me of one that a grew up with that died that day eleven years ago. Our sons are the same age. I always think of his wife and his son. God's reminder that life is short. Be grateful for those in your life and love them.God bless those are here today because you were late that day. I love you all.

Revelation through Crosses 9-11

Life is not safe, being a Christian is not safe. We all must carry our crosses. As I look at the cross, I see love poured out from Jesus to us through the nail scars. Lately my crosses have made me closer to God than I ever have been my entirely life. I am embrace Grace at the cross. I thank God everyday for the opportunities he has given and the blessings he has entrusted me with. Tomorrow will be 11 years...  11 years passed fleeting.  I remember like yesterday, so many lost. We will never forget the day that changed our world.  God Bless all the souls whom are walking with God.  You are missed....

God is amazing

I haven't really posted this before but I am writing a book.  I was unable until today to come up with a title for my book.  I was in the shower and God inspired it.  He answers when you least expect it.  Expect the unexpected.

Praising Him,

Noelle:)

Letting Go and giving it to God

I was unsure to write this, but several things happening lately forced me to talk about it. I never realized what letting go and giving it to God meant until recently.  My life has been a series of crosses lately.  Believe it of not Facebook has been one of them.  I need Facebook for my business and I enjoy getting my newsletter through there.  But the drama on there that normal wonderful people engage in has taken me back.  I had been praying about it for months and a decision was made.  If I have upset anyone in my decision I am sorry.  I chose to unfriend people whose drama upset me.  I have been trying to walk away from drama but it has come upon my personal life where I have had to let go and give it to God. A strong person walks away not to hurt others but to accentuate their life with the positive. So I have chosen to walk away from drama. Crosses are not easily carried alone. Christ is there aiding us alone the way, being our cheerleader than we can make it through. Through God the impossible is possible.   In His wisdom has shown me other wonderful things to come, the light at the end of the tunnel.

God Bless.