God's mercies are new every morning

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness."


Thanks for all the prayers last week as Paul and I made our journey south. We left on Tuesday morning and arrived in Temple on Friday afternoon. Although the long drive was exhausting, and at times stressful, we could really feel God’s presence with us.

All along the way, God kept reminding us that he was with us. During one of the most stressful moments of our trip we passed a huge billboard that said, “Trust in Jesus.” During the last leg of our journey, as we were passing through downtown Houston, Paul pointed out the “St. Joseph Professional Center.” I looked up just in time to see a billboard right beside the building with the word “TRUST” in big, bold letters, another reminder for us to trust in God and to entrust ourselves to the intercession of St. Joseph. Later that night, as we came out of a restaurant, I noticed a small truck parked near our car. On the side of the truck were the words: “God’s mercies are new every morning.”

Every morning, before setting out for the day, Paul and I prayed and committed the day to the Lord. Each night we thanked God for being with us and invoked the help of the archangels, particularly St. Michael. In the “Prayer before a Journey,” we asked God to “grant us, we beseech Thee, safe journey and favorable weather…”

The weather forecast, at least for Texas, was not very favorable that week, with the likelihood of storms almost every day. However, God was very faithful. For the most part, the weather was dry and somewhat cooler than it had been. We only passed through heavy rain a few times, and almost each time the rain only lasted a few minutes. Because there were storms in the area, though, we were able to witness some pretty amazing skies:


Paul got sick about halfway through the journey, so I ended up doing all the driving for the last 3 days. I usually have trouble staying awake for even short trips, so I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to drive each day. However, God was faithful again and enabled me to stay awake and alert. We made frequent stops, but I was able to drive for about 8 or more hours a day, which was quite miraculous.

We arrived in Temple at almost exactly 3:00 (“the hour of Divine Mercy”) on Friday afternoon, another sign, I thought, that God was with us.

After signing the lease, getting the keys, and unloading the car, we headed for Houston to spend the night with Liz and Charles. By the time we left Temple, though, it was starting to get dark. My night vision is not what it used to be, so we had to stop for the night on the outskirts of Houston, about an hour from Liz’s house.

When we arrived at Liz’s house on Saturday morning, we all piled into their rental car and set out for a family gathering in Louisiana. It was another long ride, but I didn’t have to drive, and I got to spend plenty of time hanging out in the back seat with Liz and Genevieve.


We had a wonderful visit with Charles’ family and arrived back in Houston safely on Sunday night. Thus ended Phase 2 of our big move to Texas.

Phase 2

D-Day has arrived! Tomorrow it will be Paul’s and my turn to make the long trek from PA to Texas. We are both scrambling to get everything packed up, so that we can leave here bright and early tomorrow morning.

It’s hard to believe this day has finally come. There is still plenty to do, but I’m trusting God that whatever must get done will get done at the right time. Please keep us in your prayers over the next few days. We hope to arrive in Temple sometime on Thursday.

Mission Accomplished!

Mission accomplished! Bob returned home from his long journey today. He completed the drive in three days and arrived in Houston just in time to have dinner with Liz, Charles, Charles’ siblings, and Baby G. He set out before dawn this morning to catch a 6:15 flight and arrived here a little before noon. Thanks to all who were praying for him.

Phase 1

Phase 1 of the big move has begun. Bob left here about 10:00 this morning to drive my car to Houston. We packed up his car with boxes, a suitcase, some snacks for the road, and all his electronic gadgets. If all goes well, he should arrive in Houston just in time for Charles’ birthday on Wednesday. Please pray for safe travels for him as he heads out on this long journey.

New Beginnings

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11)

This week has been party week for us: two farewell parties with family and two with church friends. I was very blessed by the outpouring of support from everyone, even though most of them don’t want us to leave.

The reality of leaving this town and my family and friends hasn’t really sunk in yet. I expect that it will hit me hard next week when Paul and I head out for that long drive to Texas. I plan to keep in touch with people through my blogs and through Facebook, e-mail, and snail mail, but that’s not the same as having a face-to-face conversation with someone.

One of the hardest things to leave is our parish here at St. John’s and our parish “family.” When we first decided to move to Pennsylvania from Maryland over seventeen years ago, the first thing we did was look for a good Catholic church and a house nearby, preferably within walking distance of the church.

We couldn’t have made a better choice. We felt welcomed here from the very first moment we entered the church. Over the years St. John’s has been a real “home” for us, where our faith has been nourished and our lives enriched.

As we began to plan our move to Temple several months ago, my first priority was to find an active Catholic parish with many opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship, and service. My research led me to St. Luke Catholic Church, which is less than two miles from our apartment in Temple.

St. Luke’s offers many Bible studies and has an active women’s group and young adult group. Also, the parish has joined with the two other Catholic parishes in Temple to run an outreach center which serves the poor of the community. Paul and I hope to get involved with charitable works once we move, and I’m hoping that this outreach center will be the perfect place to start. We also hope to continue our study of the Bible, so I have already signed up for a study on the Acts of the Apostles.

When we moved up here in 1998, we left behind a parish that we loved, and it was just as hard to leave then as it is now. Knowing how much God blessed us in our last move gives me confidence that He will do the same this time as well, in our new parish. I’m trying to keep in mind these verses from one of my favorite psalms (Psalm 139:7-10):

“Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend to heaven, thou art there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there thy hand shall lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.”

Wherever I go, God’s Spirit goes with me, and that is all that really matters. I just need to trust in God that, if I listen, his Spirit will lead me wherever I need to go and will show me what I need to do.

Taking the next step

With our move to Texas becoming a reality, over the next few weeks I expect to experience a roller coaster of emotions, ranging from excitement to panic. I hope, though, that in the midst of the chaos my overall attitude will be one of faith and thanksgiving.

When we first started seriously planning our move many months ago, I was beginning to wonder if we were making the right decision. We were preparing to leave our home of 17 years, our family, and many friends, to move to a city we had never even seen. Were we crazy, I wondered. I asked God to give me direction, and he was very quick to answer my prayer.

A few days later I was reading my daily meditation in The Word Among Us, and one section of the meditation really touched me. The Mass reading for that day was the story of Tobiah and Sarah from the book of Tobit. The reflection focused on marriage and the trust in God that married couples need to “move forward into the future.”

The meditation ended with this exhortation: “If you feel God nudging you down a certain path, know that he will be traveling down that path with you as well. So go ahead, and take that next step. Remember all the past times that you’ve seen the Spirit move in your life, and know that he will grant you joy as you step into the future he has planned for you.”

The answer couldn’t have been clearer. I had no doubt that this exhortation was meant for me, with regard to our move. I felt certain that God was saying, “Yes, this is my will for you. I’m asking you to trust me, and I will be with you.”

Over the past few months, when things have gotten crazy and the doubts and fears have started to creep back in, I have gone back to these words many times. I have also tried to remember God’s faithfulness in the past, especially the last time we made a big move.

Please pray for us as we “take that next step.” Pray that we can stay focused on God and that we remain open to whatever he is calling us to in our new home.