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The first article I wrote was about Staying Positive While Seeking God's Plan In My Life. August 20, 2014 was the beginning of a new chapter in my life of focusing on my Catholic Faith. Growing up Catholic, there was a point in time that I was moving backward, away from God, because I didn't feel His presence, and I was having a hard time trusting and believing in what He had in store for me.
Though, as a child attending Mass every Saturday, I never understood what the purpose was of attending Mass, besides making the sign of the cross and receiving communion. Now, moving forward, and gradually taking baby steps, I am seeing the big picture of having a trusting relationship and communicating with God daily. As I make a habit of doing this, it will make me see the good in myself as a person. I am NOT perfect, and God created the person He wanted me to be, as I would say, I'm one of his little sheep.
What I also noticed and realized, being a hard-headed and stubborn person, people whom I have met in my life have shared with me that I am VERY blessed with what I have in my life. The number one thing for me is taking care of myself and reminding myself that I am a good person, period! Whether, I want to argue or not- it's true! I would have to say, like many people, putting myself first is a hard thing to do. It is a bad habit that I have had and I want to change the bad habit into a good one. This habit is feeling bad, sad, depressed, guilty, or worried, and I have had a hard time opening up to family and friends by reaching out and asking them to help me. Instead of moving backward, I am now moving forward and focusing on the positive and all the blessings God has given to me.
In closing, I would like to share a relevant verse that a pastor gave in one of his homilies:
Matthew 7:7-12, Ask, Seek, Knock - 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
The challenge is to focus on the good instead of the bad.
Hello, it's lovely to hear from me again! My name is Renee Oania. I’ve been a resident here in Castroville, CA all my life and never left this town. I attended schools in the North Monterey County Unified School District from K-12. The city is well known for Artichokes! I graduated from California State University, Monterey Bay, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Telecommunication, Multimedia, and Applied Computing. Currently, I work as a Bank Teller at a small business bank called Monterey County Bank. One of my goals is to contribute articles for Catholic365.com. Hopefully, the articles I have written will be able to encourage others with their faith. I’m very blessed to use my talents. I'm active with my church at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church in Castroville, CA. I'm involved to volunteering at the church gift shop, I'm part of the Altar Society, I'm part the Italian Catholic Federation. In addition, I enjoy going to the beach after a long day at work. Spending time with family and friends on holidays or birthdays! May God Bless You!
