New Hope, KY

It feels good to go on a personal retreat and go back to the place where my conversion happened! Yup, that's right, New Hope, KY. I came down to KY for the Ignite Your Torch Youth Conference. http://www.igniteyourtorch.org/

But, with things going the way they were back home, I decided to come down a few days early to the place that I met God! I surprised my great aunt, everyone knew I was coming but her. She loved it!

I have been staying in the retreat center for the past 2 nights, but tonight they are giving me the boot. They are moving me to the rectory (since there is no priest at the community anymore). So tonight I will be in the rectory, and tomorrow Fr. Anthony will be here from Texas with his youth group for the conference. So the youth will stay in the retreat center, and I will be with Fr. Anthony in the rectory.

I am really excited about this, because I have been wanting to talk to Fr. Anthony for about 8 months, and now is my chance!

Well, I must go. But more to come later. For those of you who haven't heard of Ignite Your Torch, you better come next year!!!

Update

Sorry it has been so long to post. I have had a rough couple of weeks. One of the guys I work with passed away. He was a senior in high school and a very bright young man.

Also, I have ran into a lot of my very close and best friends putting me down for me being Catholic and even thinking about the priesthood. Some of my family does not support me in my decision either.

So with that, it has been a very hard and upsetting couple of weeks. But, I know that I can rely on God to get me through it!

Camp Union

Over this past week, I have been a camp councilor at Camp Union, in Union County (Ohio). It was my first time ever at camp. And man was it great!!!

It was a non-denominational camp for 2-4 graders. There was no talking about doctrine, just about Jesus and God. It was amazing!!!

I don't even know where to begin. The first night there, we dealt with a lot of homesickness. It seems like none of the campers would do anything because they already miss mom and dad.

That night, I was asked to lead the campfire devotion. I did it on Matthew 6 where Jesus talks about how we don't have to worry. Some of the things I talked about is: how great our God is, how we don't have to worry about mom and dad, school, family problems or anything like that. Why? Because we have an AWESOME God who will take care of that for us!

The rest of the week was a lot of fun. We played games, made crafts, had chapel and just had a great time! The last night we where there it was my turn to lead the devotion for the 14 guys in our dorm. I spent about 4 hours making costumes for the guys in the dorm. I made the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) for the guys out of cardboard.

That night we went over the armor of God and they got to keep their belt of Truth, breastplate of Righteousness, shield of Faith, helmet of Salvation and sword of the Spirit. They absolutely loved it!

I can't wait to go to another camp!!!

4th of July

I hope everyone is enjoying this 4th of July (my 22 birthday)!!!

I also ask that as we celebrate our freedom and independence, that we will also pray for our freedom from sin. America is a great country, but we are still not free from sin. We are living in a world that says it's ok to kill innocent life's with abortion, or take other life's with the death penalty. We are now defiling marriage by saying that its ok to have same sex marriage.

Even though we are free to make the choices we do, help pray with me on this day for our freedom from sin! Let us worship our creator and repent, and ask for freedom from the sex, drugs and violence that surrounds our nation today.

God bless and happy FREEDOM DAY!!!