(this is the first post I moved from Wordpress)
Warning! Long Post
My husband and I have discussed from time-to-time where we would like to live in 2-5 years. We have thrown out different ideas/states/areas, but we really have not committed to extensive research. Our hope is to one day live in a Catholic, vibrant, faith-filled, family-centered community. We do not have children, so there is no one to take care of us if we should ever need assistance, or if one of us passes before the other. We would need to be part of an old-fashioned, close-knit community to (God-willing) stay out of nursing homes one day. We also like the idea of having the ability to remain outside for the majority of the year. Here in the northeast we would be stuck in the house a good part of the year. I really believe this ages older people very fast because they lack light, exercise, fresh foods and human contact.
I was thinking about our goal for the future (near or far) when I found a link to Ave Maria, Florida. This is a town constructed by the owner of Domino Pizza. He had a conversion experience and the outcome was that he sold off his plane, boat and other unnecessary objects of wealth. His dream was to build a community based on Catholic values. Everyone is welcome to live in Ave Maria, but the values are based on those of the Catholic/Christian teachings and beliefs. Fleeting thoughts fill my mind about this town as I move from excitement to apprehension. The pros include everything we desire (Catholic, faith-filled, vibrant, family-centered). The cons include apprehension about living in Florida (Hurricanes, excessive humidity, insects...the biggest obstacle is the thought of Hurricanes and weeks without power, along with needing to be evacuated from my home.) If we move to Hurricane territory one day this will definitely be under the heading of "stretch assignment" from God, and "other duties as may be required." I do not need to live in the lap of luxury, but I do like my creature comforts, and evacuation and no power does not appeal at all.
My next step was an intense desire to take this to prayer. I also realize that this could be an ongoing prayer for weeks/months/years and the answer will depend on God's timetable, not mine. Names of known saints began running through my head, and I figured the easiest way to discern which saint I should be praying to was to pull up a list of patron saints. Sigh...seemed like a great idea until I remembered I am the world's worst Googler. I found a list, but was confused about how to find a saint who is the patron of every question I have:
* Where to live?
* How to pay off debt our quickly? We are on a plan, but have approximately 2-years left before all the credit card bills are gone for good. Is there a way to accomplish this goal sooner?
* How to get the money to do the necessary home repairs needing to be completed before we could even think about selling our home?
* How to get rid of all the excess "stuff" in our house. We need to make money, and not just give it all away, but we do not want to have others pay too much for our "stuff".
* What would we do to earn a living in Florida? (Or anywhere else for that matter.) We still need to work for several years.
* How would we get ourselves organized to accomplish all this?
The list of my questions goes on and on. We truly want to discover and fulfill God's will for us. I "Googled" again and fell into the blog of a woman who will pray, and email to those who ask, the name of a patron saint who has chosen the person asking. Hmmm...I like that idea. A saint who has chosen me to pray for his/her intensions for those here on earth and in purgatory, and for whom I can ask to pray/intercede for us as we face not only the questions of where we should live, but also as we face our daily challenges. If you are curious about who your patron saint for 2010 is, you will find the link to Marianne's Blog in my Blogroll to the right.
Once Marianne gets back to me about our Saint(s), I'll post the name(s) and some information about the Saint(s). I'm looking forward to growing in holiness as Paul & I discern God's will for our life together.
May our Lord bless you abundantly on this glorious day.
ETA: The woman is not currently accepting any requests for saint names. For now, I'll stick to my favorites...St. Joseph, St. Anthony, Divine Mercy Chaplet & I'll add the Rosary back to my daily prayer. I think the "right" saint has already found me. ;o)
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