Operation Postulant Prep

       I am making all sorts of preparations for my entrance to religious life in September! Of course, I'm cleaning out my things at the house (two more trash bags of fabric scraps gone and one more to give away), finishing up projects around the house, and working through my to-read shelf of books. As always, books keep getting added faster than I'm getting through them. I wonder how it happened that six of the biggest books I own are there... I'm getting much better about reading on my breaks at work again. And I'm soaking up every minute of time left with family and friends here.

My pile of accumulating postulant gear.
Books not included.

       There are also a number of things I need to purchace before going, and the searches have been rather interesting - even taking me into two hunting stores.

     The shoes were especially fun. I like cute, slip on shoes, and I have not owned a pair of lace-ups since I was little. My mom and I were both laughing each time I tried on a pair. They felt ridiculous, but I was excited to be making preparations for entering!

       Once, Chris was with me as I was searching clearance racks for a certain kind of shoe. I had found one pair, a little more expensive than I wanted, that I carried as I continued looking. Chris eventually suggested that maybe I should pray to St. Anthony to help me find some (St. Anthony is known as the patron saint of lost items). I smiled, and as I kept looking, I said a quick prayer along the lines of "St. Anthony, it certainly would be wonderful if you could help me find the right shoes for a better price." Less than a minute later, I came across a second pair of the shoes I was already carrying, but marked down to a lower price! There was no difference between the two. No flaws or difference in comfort. I smiled, thinking of all the times God has helped me, has answered these silly little prayers with utmost love and thoroughness. I felt rather abashed that I hadn't prayed for help in finding the items I needed before... and I bought the shoes.

O happy day, when my coat arrived!

      Finding the right coat was also quite tricky. There isn't much need for long, warm coats in July, you know! Maybe in Australia, but not in Texas. Several times I found good ones online, but only red XL's were left or something. I ended up ordering the perfect coat, but there were two different ways to get to it on the website. By one set of links, everything was normal, but by the other, the coat was no longer available. I was on pins and needles waiting to see if it would actually come, or if I would get an email saying my order had been cancelled. As you see, it did come! And it is as perfect as I had hoped.





May it please the supreme and divine Goodness to give us all abundant grace

ever to know His most holy will and perfectly to fulfill it.

- St. Ignatius of Loyola