Driving Miss Mary

I've wanted to create a Mary Garden in our backyard for quite some time. There's a perfect corner that gets plenty of sunlight and is already perfectly sized. There used to be a wooden deck that my husband and I recently demolished, and I began to focus on making my dream of a Mary Garden a reality.

Knowing my desire to eventually create my garden, my sister-in-law was gracious enough to buy a statue for me last summer. After a 3-hour drive in the back of my car, Mary was placed in our garage, where she sat for the remainder of summer, fall, and winter. I actually got used to seeing her there, as if greeting us as we pulled into the garage.

I spent quite a bit of time researching what to plant, where to plant what, and, most importantly, Mary’s location.

Is she supposed to face the house? Toward the sunrise or sunset? Are there certain flowers that should be planted near her, in her garden to make it a true Mary Garden? What about a bench? Or a kneeler in front of her, maybe?

I found myself getting caught up in so many little details to the point that I felt like I couldn't move Mary to her final place until I figured everything out.

During my children's recent spring break, I couldn't take it anymore and decided that day, Mary would be taken to her new home. What I didn't think about was her weight. A statue made of concrete? I'm strong, I've got this ...

I could barely budge her.

I managed to shimmy her to the front of the garage as one of my children drove up in their green car. You know, one of those electric ones for kids.

And it hit me.

I asked my youngest to step out of the car and decided THIS was how I was going to get Mary down the hill in the backyard to her new home. I was driving Miss Mary.

As I drove her, the kids cheered me on and thought it was the coolest thing to me a statue of Mary through our backyard. I'm sure I exceeded the weight limit of that poor car—but I was determined.

After finally getting Mary out of the car and settled, I realized it doesn't matter what I plant, how she faces, or the fact that my Mary Garden isn't perfect. God doesn't expect us to be perfect. He finds beauty in each and every one of us, despite our imperfections. He still loves us. He never leaves us. So, as I look out into our backyard and see Mary in her new home, it doesn't matter that it's not perfect yet and likely never will be perfect. What's important is that she's always there now, as God our Father is always there for us.

Humility: My Word of the Year 2023

One of the first things I notice each time I discern a word of the year is how randomly I suddenly see that word or hear it said. It's like those moments when you are made aware of something that you immediately notice more. For example, I decided long before I could drive that my dream car was a Volkswagen Beetle. I saw one nearly every time I was in a car and still notice them, especially if it happens to be a metallic blue Super Beetle, to be exact. But this year for 2023, instead of a car, it is a word. And, ironically enough, I feel like God has been using my love language (which is "words of affirmation") to continue to solidify where He is guiding me. I honestly don't remember the exact moment in time when it hit me but I knew it was my word. Or, rather, several variations of this word. Once again while driving, I heard it—just as I had heard my first word . Humility: freedom from pride or arrogance: the quality or state of being humble. ( Merriam-Webster.

Discerning a Word of the Year: 'Abide' to 'Mother'

Several years ago, I was introduced to the concept of a word of the year by way of a podcast series called Abiding Together. The women’s group I had recently joined had been listening to the series as a way for us to continue to grow in our faith. After listening to the episode about discerning a word of the year, I reflected on an earlier episode that talked about striving versus abiding . After listening to it again and, having not yet decided on my word for the year, I initially felt convinced it should be "strive." I wanted to strive to do better as a wife and mother and faithful daughter of God. I was so confident, in fact, that I shared what I thought was to be my word of the year with several of my friends. Looking back, I can see that God was guiding me in the right direction but re-focused my attention. Literally, while I was driving. I distinctly remember the moment and location I fully discerned my first word of the year. As I paused to a stop, I said to my

Faith Abroad: La Santina, Our Lady of Covadonga

The summer of 2004 is one I will never forget for multiple reasons. It was my first trip overseas and I was thrilled to get my first stamp in my passport. I had dreams of filling that passport with stamps from all over the world but my first stop was on a study abroad I took to the beautiful country of Spain. I was minoring in Spanish and thought this would be the perfect way to practice my Spanish while getting to see a part of the world I had always dreamed of seeing. As a bonus, our professor was a native to the part of Spain in which we would spend most of our time and knew of places beyond your typical travel guide and tourist attractions. As I said goodbye to my family, my dad blessed my forehead and reminded me to say a prayer every time I traveled. Upon our initial arrival to Madrid, I took in all of the beautiful scenery, including the stunning and historic basilicas and churches. I knew the country as a whole was predominantly Catholic and I was looking forward to attending M

Jennifer J Thomas

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