Ask and You Shall Receive...

I just finished hour 6 of the Power Novena of Childlike Confidence (a.k.a. the 9 Hour Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague) and the words "ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find..." have really struck a chord with me... especially after my week-long mini-vacation from Twitter and Facebook.

I did exactly as I said I would during my break; I prayed. I prayed that I would receive the answers I was looking for, or at least a sign so that I knew that I was doing the right thing. What I did not expect was getting answers to questions I didn't even think of asking. I had a lot of serendipitous moments that made me re-think some of the decisions I'd previously made. Most of it, ironically, happened at a time when I was doing something important -- registering for my Fall semester classes.

I was all set to attend Mount St. Mary's College (in Brentwood/L.A.) this Fall. I love that school (the professors, the people, the campus, etc.) and I was prepared to take on the loans... as long as I wouldn't be there for more than 2 years. Even with my scholarships and grants, I'm looking at a $23,000+ loan PER YEAR. Anyway, I went to enroll in my courses but we hit a snag. It turns out that they were only offering ONE course that I needed for the Fall semester... and the rest of the classes I did not need and would be, basically, a waste of time and money for me. Since I haven't finished my lower division requirements for my major (just the G.E. requirements) I'd have to wait to enroll in upper division courses for another year or so. That would mean I'd be at that school at least another year and a half. I would be at least $75,000 in debt by the time I would graduate. Uh... yeah, no. lol. So now, I will finish as many lower division Religious Studies and Creative Writing major requirements I can find at community colleges. I am already enrolled at courses at three different schools in order to achieve this. I will wait, yet another year, to transfer elsewhere. And, also, the money I've been saving is going to my parents for Dad's medical expenses which makes me VERY happy!

As you could see in the picture (and you can click on it to make it bigger), it was POURING that day I went. Since we got there early, I decided to sit in a bench, away from the rain, facing the chapel and Mary statue. As I sat there, thinking of how much I love watching it rain and how I hoped St. Medard (patron saint of good weather/against bad weather) would help us not get drenched on our way back home, everything just came to me. I knew what I had to do about some friendship problems I encountered last week. I knew what I needed to do about other things I was worried about/needed answers to. It was a definite "Ah, Eureka!" moment. I also had a dream, which I told a friend about, featuring the late Pope John Paul II (wearing all white) giving me his blessing, and also hope, so that pretty much made my break worth my lack of social interaction. I am at peace. I feel like myself again. Life is wonderful. :)

Oh... if there are some of you who are doing me the favor of asking either Pope John Paul II or Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati for their intercessions for my dad, THANK YOU. Dad's looking better... and he's excited because some of the yellow in his fingernails is somehow going away and returning to it's pink color. Also, I've noticed that his skin isn't as yellow as it was earlier. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I think our prayers are slowly being answered. I asked Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati to intercede for my dad, some he could retain his food, this morning and dad has been able to, all day, for the first time in weeks.

Hour 7 of the Novena is coming up soon so I'll wrap it up. I'm also asking St. Timothy (patron saint of stomach and intestinal problems) to intercede for me because I've had some sort of bug for almost two weeks and I've already lost a bit of weight. One more pound and I'll be considered underweight. (I'm 5'7" and currently 123 lbs... and I prefer to be 125-130 to be within a healthy range; I'm usually about 128 thanks to fast metabolism. I <3 food. lol.) Doctor says it's a combination of not being able to keep food in my stomach because of stress and the virus. Fingers crossed that the Infant Jesus of Prague and St. Timothy will answer my prayers. No, I KNOW they will; my prayers to them have never gone unanswered. :)

Alright, that's enough rambling out of me for now. I have the 9 Hour Novena to say in a minute AND I'm also continuing the Sacred Heart of Jesus novena I'm praying for a friend. I will try to update more frequently, and will probably be able to now that school it out... *singing* for summer! lol. As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :)
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