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blogging update

Hey friends of ChristLife. So, we've been slacking a bit on blogging as of late (if you haven't noticed:) We are on a bit of a hiatus from blogging.

However, you can stay connected to the latest and the greatest on our news page. Here you'll find my twitter feed and our eupdates.

Eupdates are really the best source of ChristLife news and updates. We send them out every week or two. Sign up here.

Have a great Easter

three good articles

This week I read three really inspiring articles that I thought I would share. They are worth printing out and reading/reflecting on prayerfully. I was really impacted by all three, but especially by the second one by Chaput. I believe all three are definitely part of what the “Spirit is saying to the churches.”

Cardinal Offers New Style for Priest-Lay Teamwork
Laity Council President Indicates Dangers for Both Sides
Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko

Archbishop Chaput to Congress on Priests and Laity
"The Prince of This World and the Evangelization of Culture"
Archbishop Charles Chaput

On Francis of Assisi
"The Secret of True Happiness: To Become Saints"
Pope Benedict XVI

What struck you in the reading of these articles? How do they encourage or challenge you to live out your Christian faith?

Haiti

There is so much to say, tears to shed, and prayers to offer for Haiti right now. I have no idea how to comprehend the earthquake and the immense, immense suffering going on right now.

One initiative I came across is http://www.fastforhaiti.com It encourages the Church to fast, pray, and donate to Haiti. Check it out.

A friend sent me a thought-provoking and hopeful blog post, "Why did God allow Haiti's Earthquake?" Also, read the comments that follow, there is some good discussion going on among thoughtful Christians.

I responded to the blog just a few minutes ago with some of my reflections and thoughts in reference to this terrible tragedy:

I really appreciate Dave's blog. With that said- Yesterday I was grappling with the question "why would God would allow the earthquake?"

i went for a walk and was crying out to Him - in anguish for the people of Haiti. I saw a picture of a young girl, 1 yr old, crying out without any parents around. This made me very angry. I have a baby girl myself.

This drives the question deeper than an event like an earthquake? the question to me is about death itself:

"why did God create death?" or "did God create death?"

This recalled to me a passage from the deuterocanonical / apocryphal book, "Wisdom of Solomon:"

"God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. For he created all things that they might exist, and the creatures of the world are wholesome.... for God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil's envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it." 1:13,14; 2:23,24

So it seems in some way the devil is involved with all of this...

Is Jesus angry at the earthquake I wonder?

He must be.

Maybe he is inviting us to be warriors with him? To alleviate suffering, injustice, & pain with fierce warrior love.

This is the testimony of the Church in a time like this. We care and will continue to care and to fight back and to be on the streets showing people that there is a God and He sent me to love them.

I've been encountering homeless people and I usually place my hand on their shoulder and in any way possible try to communicate the love of Jesus to them... Its supernatural. The world will forget Haiti soon enough (the political headlines today are already stealing attention), but we won't.
-
This Friday I'm going to the March for Life in DC with 100-200 thousand people angry about the 50 million lives terminated in the womb since 1973.

I think Jesus is angry about that too and invites us in all situations, in His Spirit, to battle against evil in all its forms. All the while trusting Him, crying out to Him, and looking forward to the joy set before us in the resurrection of life.

--
An addendum to my comment, I just read Peter Kreeft's article on suffering.

I love how he begins:

"To question God's goodness is not just an intellectual experiment. It is rebellion or tears. It is a little child with tears in its eyes looking up at Daddy and weeping, "Why?" This is not merely the philosophers' "why?" Not only does it add the emotion of tears but also it is asked in the context of relationship. It is a question put to the Father, not a question asked in a vacuum..."

Read the full article at http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/suffering.htm I think it sheds light on the Haiti situation.

--

Do you have any thoughts on this?

the 'movements' in the Church

This article is a great look into Pope Benedict's view of the "new movements" as "gifts to the Church." E.g., organic realities like the charismatic renewal and other initiatives of the Holy Spirit that spring up from men and women touched by the Spirit of God. ChristLife certainly sees itself in this vein of the Church, though, of course, we are recognized as an apostolate of the Church - our beginnings were very organic and a response to the founders being touched by the Holy Spirit...

Pope Calls Movements Gifts to the Church

Lauds Cardinal Cordes for Helping Them Grow

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is praising a cardinal who welcomed the inspiration of new movements in the Church, and is highlighting the positive contribution they have made.

The Pope affirmed this in a letter he sent last week for the 75th birthday of Cardinal Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.

"I no longer remember when we first met," the Pontiff said, as he recalled a long history of friendship with the cardinal, including a shared membership in the German bishops' conference before both were called to serve in the Roman Curia.

"With courage and creativity at the beginning of your work in Rome you opened up new roads to lead young people to Christ," the Holy Father affirmed. "You also made a contribution to the genesis and the growth of the World Youth Days."

He underlined the prelate's "pastoral involvement" and "commitment to the movements" in his role in the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

"The charismatic movement, Communion and Liberation and the Neocatechumenal Way have many reasons to be grateful to you," the Pope said.

"While at the beginning the organizers and planners in the Church had many reservations in regard to the movements," Benedict XVI stated, "you immediately sensed the life that burst forth from them -- the power of the Holy Spirit that gives new paths and in unpredictable ways keeps the Church young."

Integration

He continued: "You recognized the pentecostal character of these movements and you worked passionately so that they would be welcomed by the Church's pastors.

"Certainly, with respect to organization and planning, there were often good reasons to be scandalized as they brought new and unforeseen elements that could not always be integrated easily into the existing organizational structures."

The Pontiff acknowledged the cardinal's ability to see that what is "organic is more important than what is organized."

He affirmed the prelate's vision that "here were men who were deeply touched by the spirit of God and that in such a way there grew new forms of authentic Christian life and authentic ways of being Church."

The Holy Father continued: "Of course, these movements needed to be ordered to and brought within the totality; they needed to learn to recognize their limits and to become part of the communitarian reality of the Church in her proper constitution together with the Pope and the bishops.

"Thus they need a guide and purification to be able to reach the form of their true maturity."

"They, nevertheless, are gifts to be grateful for," Benedict XVI said. "It is no longer possible to think of the life of the Church of our time without including these gifts of God within it."

--- --- ---
read the full text of the letter for more details.

faith is first and foremost...

"Dear brothers and sisters, this is true for every Christian: faith is first and foremost a personal, intimate encounter with Jesus, it is having an experience of his closeness, his friendship and his love. It is in this way that we learn to know him ever better, to love him and to follow him more and more. May this happen to each one of us!"
-Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, Oct. 21, 2009

missional living

I bumped into this 4 minute video today on "missional living." Its one of the core values of an evangelical church called The Village Church. The pastor in the video gives a really encouraging and challenging call to intentionally living life (wherever you are and whatever you do in your vocation) with the understanding that God has specially created you with a purpose to reach the people around you.
It is the same message we give in our Sharing Christ program, in the last session- "Missionaries: Anytime, Anywhere."

So what do you think? Any examples of you seeing God use you in your unique circumstances?

Graduate/STL program in New Evangelization

"I sense the moment has come to commit all the Church's energies to a new evangelization.... No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples."

These words of Pope John Paul II from his encyclical Mission of the Redeemer (#3) have inspired countless new efforts to proclaim and bring the Gospel to people throughout the world. From grassroots initiatives like going out on the streets and sharing the Gospel to ministries like ChristLife to seminary programs.

The following video is an inspiring look at the world's first licentiate in sacred theology in the new evangelization at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. The priests and laypeople in the video are inspiring and bring hope to the leadership of the Church effectively responding the Holy Spirit's constant call to proclaim the Gospel!

Underestimating God

Ever read Exodus and think, "What was wrong with those people?"

The Israelites see God a.) part the Red Sea, b.) give them bread from heaven and c.) get water from a rock and still they complain that they're going to die of hunger in the desert. They still doubt that he's looking out for them.

And what do they do? They doubt and gripe and start worshiping a golden calf.

Today I had the realization that I am so very much like the Israelites - and that this attitude will totally get in the way of evangelization.

Here's my story: I underestimate God. Even though I've seen Him work miracles, change lives and do the impossible, I still doubt that He's going to come through.

An example: I had a job interview today that required I go to downtown DC. I decided to take the metro rather than fight the traffic. All day yesterday, there was a persistent worry in the back of my mind that I would not find a parking space at the metro station - a reasonable fear, since I'd be arriving at the station after rush hour.

Last night, in the midst of my worry, God prompted me to open up The Word Among Us and these parts of the Nov. 18th meditation jumped out at me:

Don't forget who God is! Remember his love for you! Remember his good plan for you and your family! Remember that he made the universe and has everything under control... Approach this day alert to the opportunities and challenges you will face, but be sure to look up! When you are tempted to sin or feel weighed down by burdens, try to picture the God who made the universe looking on you in love.

Reassured, I went to sleep in peace.

This morning, I got to the metro station at about 9:30. I needed to be on the train leaving at 9:47.

There were no parking spaces. I circled the lot three times. Absolutely nothing available, and I started to worry because while there was a later train I could take, it would require that I run to make the interview on time and me running in heels is a recipe for disaster.

In fact, I start to gripe out loud, "God, I really need a parking space. Can't you find me one?" (Which sounds awfully similar to the Israelites whining about why they can't have meat. Mea culpa.)

I barely finished the sentence before I found an empty spot, which was definitely not there on the previous lap.

So yes, I am an Israelite. But I'm really glad God pointed it out to me this morning. Because as I've thought about this, I've realized that this attitude of underestimating God can carry over in my attitude towards evangelization.

God can soften even the hardest hearts. Therefore, I should be willing to share the Gospel even with people I'm sure will reject it. I shouldn't underestimate what powerful things God can do with my witness and my words.

Because He is the God who can change lives, turn water into wine, part the Red Sea, rise from the dead and find parking spaces at the metro.

Who am I to doubt Him?

Wow. So encouraging!

Feedback from OLPH Discovering Christ course

Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City recently wrapped up a Discovering Christ course. I wasn't part of it. However, I have had the privilege of reading the feedback participants wrote. WOW! It's amazing how God has worked through those seven weeks of teaching, fellowship and prayer. Here are some pictures and testimonies:

"While it is hard to explain, I feel closer to God and more willing to show my feelings out loud. God had invited me to open the door to him in the past, and now that door is open wider."

Women's small group.

"The most important thing that I learned was to not just focus on God, but to open and talk with God...Also, going to confession was empowering because I learned the word Gratitude and actually felt the Holy Spirit come in...Another thing that was great[:] my husband is now listening to Christian music."

Overhead shot of Discovering Christ final night.

"During the laying of hands I was on fire of the Holy Spirit."

"I don't worry anymore, esp. about the future. I really have placed my life in God's hands - total freedom."

Kids' table at OLPH DC (Aren't they cute?)

"After being prayed with at the retreat, I felt a real connection with God. I feel a fullness that always used to be empty. "

"Before the course I was not involving God in my daily life and felt very unfulfilled and felt like I was failing in life. Now I see that God is with me everyday even when the days are bad. I feel a freedom from the stress and have more clarity."

Some of the kitchen crew - who help make it all possible.

"It was a very moving experience. Very hard to write explanation. Holy Spirit was working in the room. I know I want a deeper relationship and I can have it!"

It's exciting to see what God has done through Discovering Christ - especially when it's going to be released nationwide at the conference next week, and be able to impact lives across the country, and maybe even throughout the world.

Holy God, we praise thy name.

Following Christ course ends...

Well, I have time for a quick blog today. All is well here at ChristLife, lots going on in preparation for our upcoming conference and much more!

Last Thursday we finished up Following Christ, a course that helps to mature and deepen the conversion which many encountered during Discovering Christ.

It really is an amazing course that I love to go through. It deals with establishing a daily personal prayer life, reading Scripture as God’s word, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, the sacraments, spiritual warfare, and lots more exciting topics in following Jesus as Lord.

It was my fourth course, and I loved it! Ally and Leyna did as well :)

15-25 young adults came each week and at the last session, many shared what the Holy Spirit accomplished in their lives during Following Christ when responding to:

Can you describe any life change as a result of Following Christ?

"Bottom line, I've praying more. I've been able to see Jesus more in my day, not just during prayer. Being a part oft this has made me walk confident in my faith to share with others."

"It has changed my life, the first time and has reconvicted me! Praise God- prayer especially"

"I have started to keep a prayer journal now and I can now pray in tongues."

"Daily prayer and worship"

"My prayer life has grown exponentially, and I've become fully alive in my faith. Morning mass and the rosary are cornerstones of my life, and I'm able to witness to people like never before!"

"I have been so inspiring to other people in my life- really spreading the Lord's light"

These remarks and others are so inspiring to the ‘mission’ team- Dave, myself, Brittany, Ally, Marg – and all those who prayed for us and financially supported the course. Thank you!!'

Come, Holy Spirit

I was reading the Gospel of John the other day and I ran across a few verses that really emphasized how important the Holy Spirit is to evangelization:

And when [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. - John 16:8-11 (NRSV)

This is so important.

We need the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to show the world what is sin and reveal that God the Father gave us Jesus as a provision for our sins.

We need the Holy Spirit to show us the Righteous One - Jesus Christ - so that we might believe in him. (Think about St. Peter's confession.)

Finally, we need the Holy Spirit to reveal to everyone that Jesus came to save us and condemn the evil one - that Christianity, at its core, is about God's radical love and forgiveness.

Sometimes, I think these points get lost. Too often, Christians are depicted as these sin-obsessed people, self-righteously condemning the world and everyone in it. Which is definitely not who we are called to be.

That's not to say that we should ignore sin or dismiss it as inconsequential. One look at a crucifix reminds us how awful sin is. But it does mean our focus, the basis of our faith, should be that Jesus came to save us, not condemn us, and that grace is at the center of our faith, not sin.

And so we pray:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Following Christ retreat

What a wonderful weekend! Thanks to all who helped out- Dave, Ally, Brittany & especially Marg. For all who donated $ to make it happen, and who prayed for protection and the power of the Holy Spirit to be with us!

How can I share what happened for the 24 young adults? I'm hoping they will share a bit themselves in the comments below...

But here are few phrases that come to mind-

joyful praise deep prayer & reflection encounter with Jesus fresh and intimate community great food and drink beautiful weather & retreat location lots of laughter (and noise in general!) freeing discovery that we are at war sweet bonfire and smores

Thanks to Jen, Dave, and Miguel- here are a few pictures:

The whole group of us

My prayer spot on Saturday morning, beautimous (a made up word, yes, I know :)

one of the guy's small groups (the loud group :)


beautiful weather on Saturday

one of the girl's small groups

Miguel and Robbie with their tasty lunches

one on one sharing on the great stump

Following Christ for young adults

I want to share with you a letter I sent out yesterday to some close friends asking for prayers and support for one of the critical areas of mission ChristLife is involved with:

September 30, 2009
Feast of St. Jerome

Dear friends of ChristLife,

I'm writing you to ask for your 1) committed intercession and 2) financial support for a Following Christ retreat, Dave, Ally, Brittany and I are running this Friday-Saturday
(Oct 2-3).

This summer ChristLife hosted a Discovering Christ course for 60+ young
adults. Many lives were touched - from regular Catholics to nominal
Catholics to non-Catholic Christians to unbelievers. In fact one of the
young adults who shared the last session, came from a non-Christian background
and shared:

"I've really been touched by this course, I don't know what it is, but I
feel like I'm in the right place. I'm not making any commitments yet. but I
really enjoyed this."

She's been coming to mass with a friend for the past several weeks and is
coming on this weekend's Following Christ retreat. Praise God! And, not only
is she coming, but 24 other young adults who the Holy Spirit has touched in
various ways!

This didn't happen overnight though. We prayed and struggled with the
feasibility of even running a retreat. We faced four obstacles:

1. Location. Finding a retreat center with less than a month
notice
2. Commitments. Needing 15+ young adults to commit (we only had
15-25 coming weekly)
3. Affordability. Making the retreat affordable for young adults,
while meeting the costs
4. Obedience. Juggling so much at ChristLife, and not wanting to
get-ahead of the Lord, or behind Him.

Long story short, the Retreat Center had an opening this weekend.
One obstacle down! We then prayed about this "open door," and the day I had
to make the decision, "yes" or "no," just 2 weeks back, I got three
confirmations:

1. Enough people. 15 young adults confirmed their attendance,
followed by 10 more the next week (25 of us overall!)
2. Drop in price. I get an email from the retreat center dropping
our price by $300
3. The Lord speaks provision. I read the Gospel for the day from
Luke 8, which immensely struck me, a) the ragamuffin band of followers Jesus
attracted - the apostles, women from Herod's court, former prostitutes -
which feels a bit like our Following Christ group - very diverse; and b) how
they and "many others provided for them out of their resources." (vs. 3) And
I felt like the Lord was saying, "go ahead, I have my people. tell them what
you are doing, and I will provide."

So, I'm writing to make you aware of our needs spiritually and financially.
This morning in prayer, I prayed, "thank you Jesus that we never have enough
money, because it keeps us dependent on you and on the family of the Church!
" So here's how you can help:

1. Pray for protection. Really. Friday is the feast of "Guardian
Angels." I don't think a coincidence, as our retreat is themed We are at
War: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Pray for angelic protection and
the power of the Holy Spirit. I know Friday is first Friday and many
chapels have adoration. Will you commit time to pray? We have huge
anticipation the Lord is going to changes lives eternally! (Pray for those
in attendance and for ChristLife's leadership.)

2. Make a donation. In an effort to make the retreat affordable - to
attract young adults - we are only charging $35, though it costs more like
$105 per person to meet our costs. That's a $60 difference. Would you
consider a donation of this amount or more to help us meet our costs for
this retreat? If so send a donation to 12280 Folly Quarter, Ellicott City,
MD 21042 or donate online at

Thanks so much! Blessings in the Lord Jesus,

Pete Ascosi
Young Adult Coordinator

Thanks so much for considering this request and joining our mission to make Jesus known and loved!

Pope Benedict XVI's October prayer

October prayer intention:

"That the entire People of God, to whom Christ entrusted the mandate to go and preach the Gospel to every creature, may eagerly assume their own missionary responsibility and consider it the highest service they can offer humanity."

Today is also the feast day of St. Therese of Liseux, who is not-so-coincidentally the patron saint of missionaries!

If you were looking for confirmation that God wants you to share your faith, consider this it. ;-)

How have you lived out your "missionary responsibility" lately?

Do you truly consider it "the highest service" you "can offer humanity"?

St. Therese of Liseux, pray for us.

Following Christ - Young Adult edition!

Soo, it is actually week five of Following Christ tonight.

If you're wondering, Brittany, why did it take you so long to post about Following Christ?, I'll sum it up really quickly. Four words: Discovering Christ Leaders Conference. That, and Pete and I interviewed Fr. Francis Martin for a podcast last week. Definitely go check those out.

Anyway, we've had between 15 and 25 young adults come out each week. All the talks so far have been fantastic - especially those on personal prayer and reading Scripture.

If you haven't made it out yet, please consider coming at 7:30 tonight to ChristLife's offices. Tonight's topic is how God guides us - and what young adult doesn't need some direction in that area? :)

Here are more pictures from the last few weeks:

Pete giving a talk on reading Scripture.

A young adult participant gives a testimony.

And the Word became flesh...

Madelein Delbrêl, a French laywoman, writer, mystic and a former atheist- and perhaps, future saint - wrote this beautiful meditation:

We cannot be missionaries if we have not sincerely, generously, and warmly welcomed the Word of God, the Gospel, within ourselves. The vital dynamic of this word is to take on flesh, to become flesh in us. And when this word comes to dwell within us, we become capable of being missionaries.

You cannot pass on what you do not have. As an intern here for the past few months, I know firsthand that Jesus was right: "without me you can do nothing." But with him, we bear great fruit - "we become capable of being missionaries."

The time of martyrs comes and goes, but the time of witnesse continues without end - and being witnesses means being martyrs. This incarnation of God's Word in us, this allowing ourselves to be molded by it, is what we call witnessing. To take the Word of God seriously,we need all the strength of the Holy Spirit. If our witness is often mediocre, it is because we have not realized that the same kind of heroism is needed to be a witness as to be a martyr.

I read once, somewhere, that everyone is called to be a martyr. Some, like Sts. Peter and Paul and Perpetua die gruesome deaths for the love of God. But the majority of us endure different martyrdoms - dying to self in little ways every day, like driving in rush hour traffic without giving in to road rage, or living a Christian life even when it means losing friends or sacrificing sleep for someone else's benefit. And these acts of martyrdom are only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. We cannot be effective witnesses without the Holy Spirit.

At the beginning of each hour of the long day, we could say, "I must begin this hour as if I were going to be a martyr, and a witness" - because there is not one second that we have the right to let God's Word lie dormant in us. And this entails awakening a fervor in our very being in the presence of the grace of each moment, a wildly passionate expectation for that strength, without which we would turn traitor.

Remember Ephesians 2:8-10? For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

God has called each one of us not only to a personal relationship with him, but also a mission: to tell the world about his love for us, to be witnesses to that love, and by doing so, lead others to him. Realizing that should lead to "a fervor in our very being" and "a wildly passionate expectation for that strength" he gave us.

(picture source)

Love is calling you

I was driving to work this morning, and the song "The lost get found" by Britt Nicole came on the radio. At first I thought "who is this?" because it sounded very mainstream, and checked to see if I was on the right radio station... Sure was... So I listened and ended up really appreciating the message, and felt like God was speaking to me through this song. Here are a few of the lyrics that stuck with me-

Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found....

There's a girl on the streets, she's cryin'
There's a man whose faith is dyin'
Love is calling you....

Why do we go with the flow
Or take an easier road?
Why are we playin' it safe?
Love came to show us the way
Love is a chance we should take....

There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it

I especially like the line "love is calling you." Isn't this the ultimate reason for evangelization? Does it really have much to do with "I'm right" and "you're wrong" and so I'm going to correct your errors? Or should love (or His voice of love) be the reason and motive?

I have no desire to tell others about Jesus naturally, other than as St. Paul exclaims "for the love of Christ urges us on!"

Here is a short interview with Britt on her new song, and why she wrote it:

If you want to get the song, you can buy at iTunes or listen to it streaming from her myspace page.

What do you like about this song?

ChristLife's intern Maria says goodbye

(Maria and a friend at Discovering Christ)

The summer of 2009 is already coming to a close. Wow. For me, that means the end of my internship and the start of my sophomore year of college!

As is probably expected, I’ve spent much of my last day at work just reviewing my entire experience here. It’s almost funny thinking back to when I first began 13 weeks ago, mostly expecting a fun job that would be informative and helpful in the exploration of my future English/communications field.

It turned out to be as I expected in this aspect, but was also much more fulfilling than I could have imagined.

Through the blogs, podcasts, and Discovering Christ program, I’ve actually witnessed how the Lord’s work affects people. I’m so accustomed to doing things for others and not seeing the benefits, but over these weeks, God has blessed me in showing how I have been able to help touch people.

I thank those who listen to our podcasts, visit our blogs, and generously give donations. They’ve shown me that despite a time of immense difficulties and struggles, people still seek the Lord and He always answers them.

God is truly working in our lives at all times. This is something I have accepted as true, but while working here I’ve actually seen it. Whether it was helping us run an immensely successful Discovering Christ program or providing us with money when we needed it the most, He is sincerely at work in our lives.

I was excited that ChristLife would give me the opportunity to bring people closer to God, since that’s something I strive to do every day of my life. I did not expect, however, that it would help bring me closer to God as well. I felt strong, confident, and firm in my faith coming into this internship, and I feel even better coming out.

Thank you for helping make this an incredible experience! God bless!