As I thought about the article for this week, I had many ideas I wanted to share with you. However, given this is Thanksgiving week, I want to focus on what is most important to me … faith and family.
Faith
My family and I have attended Holy Spirit Catholic Church since 2008. During the early years, my wife insisted we make churchgoing part of our life. However, I fought it, thinking there was little value in it.
Looking back, I resisted participating in the church community because I was not ready to commit my life to doing what is right and just. I wanted to do what felt right and what was easy.
My wife dressed the kids each Sunday morning, and they went to church. At one point, my wife mentioned that people at church thought we were divorcing since I never attended.
This is something I did not like to hear. I needed to act, but I was still unconvinced that leading a Godly life was good for me.
In short, I was afraid to take this step. I was all too comfortable with a life where I did not have to be accountable.
In 2014, I decided I would at least go to church one Sunday per month. At one point, I recall hearing an announcement regarding the need for ushers, and divine intervention led me to inquire about this ministry. Shortly thereafter, I was placed on the usher team for the 10 a.m. mass.
The rest is history!
After a few months of ushering, I learned the value of service. The other men on my team participated in several other ministries, and they asked me to join them. Before long, I could see that my service was helping other people.
Of course, it has become obvious that the real transformation was happening within me.
Family
Because my mother went off to court reporting school, I grew up with my grandmother. She raised not only her kids, but many grandkids. While we were a poor migrant family, my grandmother and aunts ensured we had plenty of love and attention.
My grandmother always did her best to provide food on the table, especially during the holidays. More importantly, she reinforced the value of humility. She wanted us to remember our roots. She also made it clear we should help others in need.
While I have a few close friends, I spend most of my time with family. I enjoy going on vacations, playing video games with our son, attending a cheerleading event with our youngest daughter, or visiting our oldest daughter in Houston. She will soon move to San Diego, which gives us a good reason to vacation in California.
Of course, my wife and I spend significant time with each other. I even tried Pilates with her before injuring my knee with one of the exercises. She, on the other hand, has nearly reached the 100-class milestone. She outlasted me!
Thankful
As I share about my faith and family, I realize all how grateful I am this holiday. I’m also thankful to have the opportunity to share this weekly newsletter with you. I hope my experiences provide some food for thought and bring a smile to your face.
Happy Thanksgiving!