Journey Through A New Lens~Taking Prayer Requests!

It's almost time to go!  

My Rome pilgrimage is just on the other side of this week…I can hardly believe it…So many emotions are stirring inside of me.

I'm beyond excited, yet never eager to leave the kids for any number of days.  There's always a bit of guilt lurking around but at the same time, I just can't ignore the way things fell in place at just the right time.  Though undeserving, I have to believe it was meant to be…It was definitely a plan that was not my own.  And besides, I know there will be all kinds of Daddy-fun going on while I'm gone so that definitely makes a happy {Mama} heart. 

Meanwhile, my soul is settling into the driver's seat as I set out on this journey, looking through a new lens...

Yesterday, we took a little family adventure to Yosemite National Park.  It was a great opportunity to practice using one kind of lens...my new point-and-shoot-camera!  Rod got me a Samsung with a great zoom for Christmas…A good ZOOM in hopes of a good Papa Francis paparazzi shot;)  I practiced quite a bit and found the zoom worked great for Half Dome!

I really liked the vignette setting (below)…

and the oil painting setting was an interesting effect.

It seemed to take pretty good people-photos too:)

I think the clarity can be practiced a little more by the operator;)

Overall, I was just really thrilled with the zoom.  After having my iPhone as my only camera for years, I have really missed having a good zoom.  Capturing wild life was super fun!

Hello there...Isn't he so cute?

Ultimately, it was a fabulous day to practice my New Year wonder through a new lens, that of my camera and that of a wondrous heart.  The glory and beauty of God's creation never ceases to amaze me.

That being said, I'm going to try really hard not to be stuck behind a camera lens during my pilgrimage…I want to take it all in and savor each blessed moment! I hope and pray it will be a journey seen through the lens of my soul.

"Pilgrims are not tourists. They have come, quietly and humbly, to seek the holy and enter more deeply into God's blessedness."

~Sr. Wendy Beckett~

Amen.  I am looking forward to being a pilgrim!  In thanksgiving for this great blessing, I would love to take the gift of prayer for anyone who wants or needs it.  If you have a special prayer intention or prayers of the heart that you would like me to take, I would be honored to do so.  If you have any special connection to the following places that contain remains and relics of the saints that are special to you, please let me know and I will bring your prayer intentions to that specific place.  

The title of our pilgrimage is Walking in the Footsteps of the Early Christians…It's going to be amazing!  Our pilgrimage leader is a theology professor and I think he said he holds 3 degrees in Theology.  Did I already say amazing?  My goodness, it most certainly will be a wonderful journey!  A few of the places we will be attending daily Mass will be St. Peters Basilica at The Vatican, the Basilica dedicated to St. Agnes on her feast day, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Clement, St. Mary Major, and the Catacombs of St. Sebastian.  I also hope to make it to the Basilica dedicated to St. Augustine that hold the remains of his mother, St. Monica and the church that holds the remains of St. Catherine of Siena.  We will also be making a day trip to Assisi to walk in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi.  Wow, I can hardly believe it, myself!

+Please send me a private email with your prayer intention and I would love to take it with me+

*Can't wait to share fruits of the journey upon our return!*