This morning I thought again about how I haven't been to confession in a year. I never made it yesterday after resolving to go. I read about taking the sacrament of the Eucharist in relation to reconciliation. I resolved not to take it until I have been to confession. I remembered how I went over a year without it until I corrected m marriage. I remembered how the spiritual communion got me through all that time and how good my conscience felt for having persevered.

At mass our readings were about the Apostles giving up all their possessions and the appearing of Christ to doubting Thomas. It was also the Feast of the Divine Mercy. The priest could have gone in a lot of directions with this but he spoke emphatically about how all the parishioners want all the easy pastoral services but no one wants to go to confession.

I felt like he was speaking to me.

I got to go to the treatment center today. It was a dramatic meeting as a relative of mine was there. My sponsor was also there and so was an ex sponsee who is a good brother in recovery. There were also two fairly new guys who did a great job carrying the message. We made a circle today and talked about the disease concept.

In the afternoon I got spend time with my daughters as my wife took my sons to shop for clothes. I did yardwork and barbecued and pushed them around on their cars. I was grateful that I get to be a father to them. My 3 year old daughter asked me why their is a rainbow. I explained to her that God made the rainbow for us so that after a bad storm we could know he loves us. I thought about how there is often a rainbow in the wake of a tornado. I told her that she should think that when trouble comes her way to remember that there will always be a rainbow afterward.

During dinner I watched the "Crossing the Goal" program. The subject was being a father. They touched subjects like being the spiritual leader of the home, how guys don't want or know how to be spiritual (but we must), how we must be present with our children, how we must love them, and how we have to be a parent not just a pal.

Later in the evening someone unexpected confided in me about their family problems and we talked about how my family overcame them.

I was an awesome day full of inspiration, love, and opportunities to serve God.