I was raised Catholic. My parents were very Catholic and at times I resented it. Getting up early every day to attend Mass during Lent never made things better. I went to a Catholic high school(and grade school)staffed by a large number of nuns. During high school I started to look at religion differently. The nuns were very influential(not in a bad way) and helped me to see the more "human" side of God instead of the "rules and regulations".

Through the years when I resented all those Sundays and Holy Days I had to go to Mass when my friends were home sleeping or going to parties, I was looking forward to going to college so I wouldn’t have to go to church!

Guess what?! Once I got to college I realized how much I need my faith and realized I couldn’t live without it! I probably went to Mass more during college than in all my high school years!

Now that I’m a soon-to-be single mother, I know I could not have survived the last year without my faith! It has brought me from the depths of despair. I know God has a plan and I trust in Him. I am finally where I want to be in my relationship with God. He does work in mysterious ways! I just told my mom the other day, "Thank you for the gift of my faith, because today I don’t know where I’d be without it."