Hello everyone!

May the joy of the Advent season be with you! I pray that your Thanksgivings were filled with the blessings of family, friends, food, and above all else, the love of our Father in Heaven. 

My team and I had a week-long break for Thanksgiving, and so we left Cincinnati and headed to Cedar, Michigan, where one my my team member's family lives.

Once we arrived in Michigan, we quickly took to exploring. We went to the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Glen Arbor, and also visited the nearby Traverse City. It was so wonderful to be able to spend time together as a team and talk about family traditions.

It was such a blessing. Another blessing was the fact that there was a perpetual Adoration chapel close to where I was staying with some of the women on my team, and we had the privilege of spending time with Jesus in Adoration constantly. One night, we were there from 1am to 2am, as we were filling in hours of the parishioners who were out of town for Thanksgiving.  It was so peaceful, and it just helped me to stop and think about a lot of things. Simple things, but I hope I can share them with you. 

At this point, my team and I have ministered to over 3,200 youth, and we've done 43 retreats. It's very easy for one to stop and think that we've done it. It's so easy to say "yeah we nailed it on that retreat today," and forget to say that to God. It's so easy to take all the glory. But honestly? The glory was never ours to own in the first place. Think about it. It is so easy to shove God off to the side and take all the praise, even though without Him we'd be nothing. I know I do that sometimes. At night when I look back on my day to see where I need to grow, I realize that I don't thank God enough. I ask Him for quite a lot, but I constantly forget to thank Him for everything He's already given me. 

And when I do thank God for what He's already done for me, I realize I don't need a lot of what I ask for. I'm content in knowing that as His Daughter, I am enough.

And so are you. Simply by being His children, you are enough. You have a dignity and worth that no one can ever take away from you. In order for you to see this more clearly.  I have an invitation. Join with me, dear reader, as we journey through Advent, and let's try to see what God has done for us. It is so easy to focus on the negative, so let's look at the positive. Every day, thank God for something. It can be simple, like "thank you for letting me wake up this morning" or "thank you for every breathe I take". It can be thanking Him for people He's placed in your life. It can be for the food you eat or the clothes you have. Just be thankful. And realize what He's done for you. 

Prepare your heart for Christmas. May your Advent be holy, and may it prepare your hearts for the coming of a King.

In Christ through Mary's Immaculate Heart,

Michaela Donovan