I am sorry to keep you waiting....

Well hello there friends! I wonder if anyone still checks this since I am so spontaneous in updating….

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

It was very odd to have a different kind of celebration this year. I spent it in Rhode Island for those of you who didn’t hear—all the coworkers from all over the USA met there for a week of renewing ourselves—it was totally needed. currently I am sitting on the plane back to Atlanta (its no longer so hot…) and I feel like kinda a big deal typing away on my laptop. J then there is this guy from first class who keeps walking back to my aisle, looking at me and then goes back up to first class half smiling. I can’t decide if I should be flattered or creeped out. I think if he comes back again, I think I might ask him if I can help him with something, but then again maybe I won’t because it is really funny to just watch him walking back and forth.

Anyway—life has been interesting. Last weekend I had the privilege of my dad visiting for a father/daughter event with Pure Fashion (an apostolate I am working in) and just spending QT with my Daddy was so much fun! He left Monday and Wednesday I was off to Boston to then get to RI. Boston is so beautiful! I actually (mom, I didn’t tell you this yet because I didn’t want you to freak out…)met this woman on the plane—she was an artist from Russia who created Russian icons for churches. Needless to say we had a lot to talk about and somehow through her broken English and my smile and nods we carried on a conversation for about 2 hours and when we arrived in Boston, she asked what I would be doing. i had a few hours to kill, and she suggested I go into the city—and she would show me where to go. So together, we hopped onto the metro and she helped me into the city. About an hour later, the rest of my team met me in the city and we walked around watching the shopping centers amidst the cobblestone streets turn into Christmas wonderlands. I decided I am even more obsessed with Christmas this year than ever before for two reasons:

1. my family—I have a whole new appreciation for them. I miss them terribly and God has opened my eyes tot the fact that it doesn’t matter what I do, where I live, but it does matter about who is with me and my family is the most important. Thanks goodness I have fallen in love with the Nasti, cause that’s where I’ll be for awhile I think.

2. JESUS! This year I am so excited to live Christmas and Advent. Christ is the most amazing gift I could ever ask for and He has chosen to be born in my heart. This year, I choose to love Him.

My getaway to RI is just what my soul needed—I’ve needed time to process so many things that have happened and Christ just helped me walk through all of it. There is a song I heard at the first Mass I went to at Pinecrest (the high school I work at) that goes “see I am making all things new, heart of my heart let me die with you, Father my heart is ready, I am your servant, I am your handmaid” well I started sobbing in church when I heard it. (welcome to my life) everyday in prayer since that day those words have been constantly in my thoughts. This pat week, I was praying about all the crap I was feeling and He sang that song to me so gently, and when he was through, He just softly added, “you are here Maria, because I want to make you new.” And once again the flood gates dropped down and I just sobbed. He loves me so much, sometimes I just get so overwhelmed. John 15:16 says “you did not choose Me, but I chose you.” Basically that was my AHA! My thanksgiving was all about that, that Christ has chosen me, and not only that, but that also Mary gave me the grace to choose Him too. Pretty much everything that is going on above us is completely amazing.

I also got a shot of spiritual expresso—I am so excited to get back into gear with my girls and doing fun stuff with them, to pump them up about Jesus. I realized all I want is for everyone to realize the gift of Jesus, how if you love Him, you there are no problems. If you love Him, you’ll love others, and you can do anything as long as it is done and is for love…so the moral of this is just love Jesus.

I am shamelessly listening to NSYNC Christmas. Oh wow, I know—nothing says Christmas like NSYNC. Totally kidding. I don’t have anything else of my computer…something is going to have to be done about that. Josh Groban has a Christmas CD out if St. Nick wants to send anything to me…you can buy it at Starbucks I know for sure, but I’m sure other places too. J

I know this is short considering the time it has been since I last updated…I have a problem just living in the moment, and then moving on….maybe I’ll get better eventually!

Know that I love all of you, I appreciate your prayers and know you are in mine!

28 days until I hit da nati again!

Ps—Mariah Carey Christmas just came on—mom your favorite secular Christmas song (you gotta love Jan, you totally know she said that) “All I want for Christmas is YOU!”

See you soon!

PPS—he just walked back again. Hysterical.