Mike Caldwell.....

What God Has Done For Me and My Life:    I went through the first 30 years of my life with little spiritual direction or interest in things of God. As I reflect back on those years though I can’t help but think that the Holy Spirit was giving me aid and assistance. I can’t swear to it but I wonder if my mother or someone else had me baptized as an infant and I didn’t know it. I know now that we receive the Holy Spirit at baptism and whether we acknowledge the presence of God or not, the Holy Spirit is in us and will guide and protect us when we follow our conscience. There were many decisions that I made in my first 30 years that seemed pretty random at the time but now I see that my life was formed by those decisions. Not the least of those decisions was my decision to pursue and ask Linda to marry me. When I called Linda during our courtship, I knew that we would marry even though I did not tell her that because she would have thought I was crazy. The next major decision I made on my Spiritual journey was to be converted to Catholicism when our first child was born. At the prospect of our first child I knew that we would need God in our family to help us become part of the Body of Christ. Even though Linda and I were a family already, I felt more responsibility when we had the salvation of a child at stake.

God has become the essential part of our family since I made the decision to be Catholic. Linda was already there and she carried me until I found my faith. Even though I had the help and assistance of the Holy Spirit with or without my knowledge, I became a much more effective partner with God when I was able to acknowledge God’s presence in the world and Jesus presence in each one of us. Now that I take the time to listen through prayer I can more easily discern God’s will for me and for those that I interact with. I find hope for the world because I can see God’s plan through the gospel messages. I have also learned to be patient with God and myself because I know that God’s will be done in accordance with God’s plan.

What St. Joseph the Worker Parish Means to Me:    St. Joseph the Worker parish has become my home base where I find spiritual nourishment and energy to continue my vocation. I realize the importance of evangelizing others in our Church community, neighborhood, workplace, and community. However, I need that friendly place to find my brothers and sisters in Christ as I take the moral beatings through these journeys. Of course, I include my family as part of this parish and they have always been there for me so I can relax and rejuvenate my spiritual tank. St. Joseph the Worker parish is full of love and welcoming. These people make it a pleasure to be called a Catholic.

GIFT (God Is Forever & Today)