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Joy Stories: The First Call by Nancy Shuman
In memory of Nancy Schuman who died on August 30, 2017. I fell in love for the first time when I was six years old. Coming from an “unchurched but Catholic-on-the-books” family, I did not learn of Jesus until I entered first grade. I’m forever grateful to my parents for sending me to Catholic school, for...
Joy Stories: Finding Jesus In My Life
By John Chomistek In the past, I’ve had fleeting times and moments of contemplating if there was a God. Was there really this Jesus Man-God that walked the earth some 2000 years ago? I was always able, though, to see those moments of uncertainty as just a passing thought and again concluded that God and...
Joy Stories: ‘Jesus loves me’
by Linda Schubert I spent my early childhood years on my grandmother’s 2400-acre ranch high up in the Santa Lucia mountain range along the Northern California coast between Monterey and Big Sur. My early education was in a one-room school on the coast with 15 students, six grades in one room. Dad, Charlie Vander Ploeg,...
Joy Stories: Broken Brain, Fortified Faith
By Virginia Pillars I consider myself a “Cradle Catholic.” My family and both sets of grandparents attended the same Catholic parish. My first outing after birth was to church where I received the sacrament of Baptism. I grew up in a large farm family with eight brothers and two surviving sisters. For many years, one...
Joy Stories: Reversion at Passover by Faith Roberts
My reversion back to the Catholic Church was very slow and subtle with many little turning points. One that stands out in my mind happened at Passover dinner. This was before I was even dating my Jewish husband. At that time I was searching for something to believe in. I was very curious about Sufi...