As a spouse of Jesus Christ and as a Sister of Life, my heart has found the freedom and adventure it always longed for – an adventure that leads to Heaven and brings Christ to life in the world each day.

When the priest took the monstrance around, I was not ready to experience what was going to happen next. I kept my eyes on the monstrance the whole time and I said to God, “I’m holding on to you in the storm and I give You everything that I am”. In that moment I felt a lot of peace, joy, grace, and love in my heart.

This realization opened my heart to another yes that changed my life once again, and continues to do so everyday - my husband. Through him, God continues to pursue me in every moment, even when I’m frail, distant, and ignorant. We are sure of God’s amazing plans for our marriage and our mission!

My relationship with Him continues to deepen and His love for me continues to be the driving force in all that I do. But, at the end of the day, I am just a normal, flawed man. I am a sinner who is striving to become the saint God is calling me to be.

I still work in policing, serve at a military chapel and volunteer as a police chaplain. We have an adopted son, a daughter, and 3 granddaughters. My ministry centers on a love of Our Lady, as well as seeking to help people find Jesus amidst our crazy lives.

The Lord has shown me over and over again the power of loving through letting other people into my story, and allowing them to share their own.

My journey is a journey of consistently saying yes to the Lord as I have come to realize that saying anything otherwise is really not a choice but my own demise. The more I say yes to Him, the more He reveals Himself to me.

Not only in that first encounter, but over and over again in my life I have come to recognize His providence, faithfulness and grace working to do extraordinary things, through a simple surrender and “yes” to Him.

I have led my closest university friends in faith studies, as well as a few of my colleagues, and I was a part of an online mission this summer called “Be the Light” with CCO. God has taken my “yes” and is running with it.

Years later, Jesus asked me to take another leap: toward religious life. After months of wrestling with postgrad options, I heard Jesus invite me to stop fretting over myself and look at Him instead.

From then on I've been set free. My life has completely changed for the better and I couldn't imagine being in a different place. I feel like the most important part of my YES, is that I have to consciously continuously say it and accept Jesus in my heart every day.

As the Great JPII says, “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.” There are so many ups and downs, falling away and then returning to deeper conversion toward the Lord, all sustained by His grace and His Holy will. Our journey continues on and we are excited to share a little window into all He is doing in our lives so far.

I found young people who were clearly in love with Jesus. I found people who could articulate how and why a relationship with Jesus had changed their lives, and I found the joy I was looking for.

Once you open the door of your heart just a little, God will take that and use it to abundantly bless you in ways you didn't think were possible for such a sinner like you. This is what He did, He is a Father that never gives up.

Mother Mary did not leave my side, she hugged me and held me close. Jesus became my best friend who I had conversations with every day. And the Holy Spirit protected me and guided me in every step.

I would look at something as small and seemingly insignificant as a leaf and how much detail God put into its creation. From its cells to its stem, it was perfect. Why would God put so much attention into the design of a leaf and then leave something as important as His Church up to interpretation?

My Grandpa said yes to Jesus and His Church at one of his last moments on earth. My prayer is that you wouldn’t wait to open wide the doors to Christ. Do not be afraid. Never mind where you have wandered. Just come home. Love stands waiting for your return.

Never had I read something so logical and beautiful as the Theology of the Body. This was one of those times I grabbed the hand of Christ as He reached out to me. My perception on men and women and their relationship to one another and to God had never been so clear, and this gave me so much peace.