Things I've Done Lately.

I sat and had a cigarette with Arley (I only smoke with him. I buy him a pack and then ask to borrow one!). He loves all the CSI shows, AND Navy NCIS. He likes Lost, but wishes they wouldn't do the flashbacks so much. "I want to know what's going on on the Island!"

Ashley, who turned 11 last week, was thirsty when we went to the motels. I got her some water from the corner store. Sometimes, I think I love her like she was my own kid.

Today we prayed with Debra. She's moving out of the permanent-trailer park. She lives with her husband, her sick father-in-law and her brother-in-law. She loves God very much and knows that she'll be okay. Faith is not knowing where you're going to live next and loving God anyway.

I sat and watched the daily Mass on EWTN, with Father Pablo Straub. He's the old man who exudes God's strength and love like a Play-Doh beard. I hope I'm like that when I'm and old priest.

I sang songs to God in the company of a couple hundred 20-somethings. I liked that. It's been a while.

I gave a rosary to Antoinette. She's about 10, and she's been asking for a cross to wear because she say's "Jesus came into my heart and forgave my sins!" God is absolutely real to her. She gave one of the top 10 hugs I've received this year.

I sinned. There's at least a little bit of that every day. Some days are better than others. Depends on how self-absorbed I am.

I wrote a couple articles for the Wittenburg Door. Haven't heard if they'll get picked up yet.

And God has performed 896,795,492,523 acts of grace and beauty today. But that's just counting the ones that I can see. They include everything from giving me a new breath every second and working fingers, to sunlight and green grass, to quantum mechanics.

God is big. Really big. Big enough to care about the tiniest details of human life. I like that.

Thanks, God, for a world for us to do stuff in.