I was invited last minute to hear Mr Kelly speak at St Mary’s in Cincinnati. I attended with two friends and my pastor, Father Nick. I wasn’t sure what to expect and it was the first time I had ever been to a “speaking event” that was actually ‘in’ the sanctuary. As a convert, I just always thought that was not approved by the church because the focus in that space was to be on Jesus alone. Once I got past my own distracted thoughts and listened to Matthew, he truly spoke to my heart and showed me that the focus actually was on Jesus. Although he is a very talented speaker, I didn’t leave there looking up to him, but I left there more in love with my faith, on fire to do something NOW and to stop living my life on the surface of my past. I’ve been blessed to hear what God put on Mr Kelly’s heart and I am ready to grow deeper into who I am to be for my God, with my God.
So, first point, is that I want to say thank you for the sacrifices those at TDCI make to share their passion with me. Second, God moved me a few years back to trust in Him and do what is asked of me. In turn, I have been blessed to serve my church family and many in the community. I am the community coordinator with a local boot camp fitness group that wants to keep a focus on ‘giving back’ and I am a hands on volunteer for my parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary, in Burlington Kentucky. I was able to leave my career as a microbiologist of 10 years to be a stay at home Mom for my four young children. Through all of that, God has made it clear that he didn’t “free up my time” but, rather, He has redirected me and my efforts. Since hearing Mr Kelly’s talk yesterday, I keep thinking about how I can move Catholicism and I get a lump in my throat….I feel passionate, I feel pulled to take action, I want to get involved on a deeper level than just on the surface of my church’s basic needs. I’m ready for a game-changer.
When I asked my God today, “what is my one thing to focus on this week?” all I could think of was the difference TDCI is going to make in the lives of so many…and how are they doing it?…by starting with our youth during confirmation. This speaks to me on a whole new level and, maybe someday, I can share my story with someone here. Summing up, my “one thing” for me to do this week is to pray daily for the Dynamic Catholic team and your efforts and to see how I can get involved.
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