(Update: Michelle passed away on July 10th, 2018. If you are reading this, please offer up a prayer for her and her family. The video I mention below has since been taken down.)

‍I'm so happy to bring you April's featured woman, Michelle, of Give Him 5 Ministry. Michelle was prompted to start her ministry to encourage people to give Christ at least five minutes each day. As I was prepping Michelle's blog, I came across a video of her where she discloses that she has terminal cancer. As I watched the video, my eyes filled with tears--not of pity, but of awe in this woman who still has a smile on her face and joy in her heart. In the video, Michelle genuinely smiles and talks about how she wants to use this cross she is bearing to draw people closer to Christ. She also said that cancer is not going to steal her joy. I was infinitely impressed. Michelle has such a great ministry and I ask that you all pray for her. Pray for her strength, for courage, for healing, and for others to be encouraged and comforted by her words. She is an amazing woman and I pray that this blog blesses you in some way.

‍1. Are you a cradle Catholic or a convert? If a convert, where did you convert from?

‍Both! Alright, I know that isn’t a valid answer, but it makes sense to me. I grew up Catholic. My family went to Mass most weekends. It was my wonderful mother who “made” the family go, but as a child I didn’t get anything out of it and Mass meant nothing to me. I had no idea what was going on and I was not well catechized. My parents divorced when I was young and my mom tried her best to keep us going to Church. In my mind, I was always thinking, “I can’t wait until I’m old enough to make my own decisions and not have to do this anymore.”

When I was in my twenties I felt the Lord drawing me back. It was then that I finally learned about the treasure that is found in the Catholic Church. I am still unpacking its beauty. It was also at that time that I fell in love with Jesus Christ and finally felt worthy of His love. That’s a story for another time.

‍2. Who is one of your favorite saints and why?

‍That’s a difficult question. I love so many of the saints. They are a great inspiration to me and I know their intercession is powerful. Saint John Paul II has always been very special to me. He died on my birthday and I love his deep devotion to Mary and Divine Mercy. St. Peregrine has now become my “go to” guy.

‍3. Besides the Eucharist, what is your favorite part of the Mass?

‍That’s not really a fair question, but I will answer. Everything! I feel so much joy just walking into the church and looking up at the Crucifix and greeting my King. I feel as if I have come home every time. I love the readings and the music and preparing ourselves to receive His most Precious Body. The prayers of the consecration would be my favorite part as we wait for the moment when everything changes and Our Lord is fully present before us. Wow!

‍4. Where is the best Catholic place you’ve visited?

‍We had the opportunity to visit Rome for our 25-year wedding anniversary and it would be impossible to narrow it down to one place. The churches were beyond my imagination in their beauty. I also loved visiting the home of St. Catherine of Siena.

‍5. What’s a myth or misconception you hear about the Catholic faith?

‍The myth that grieves my heart the most is when I hear people refer to Catholics as not being Christians. I have been hearing this more and more lately. The idea really hit home this past summer when I was with some friends at a non-Catholic church event. I was introduced to someone as being Catholic. The person then added, “Oh, but she really loves Jesus”. The way she said it implied that I was an exception because I was Catholic AND had a great love for Jesus. I think that is a very popular misconception among other faiths that we don’t worship Jesus Christ.

‍6. Why do you love being Catholic?

‍As a Catholic, I have the ability to receive Jesus fully present in the Eucharist. That is why I love being Catholic! It hasbeen such a profound and intimate experience in my life that God placed a song on my heart called Like The First Time. I ,also, love the unity we have with the universal Catholic Church. Each day, across the globe, we are all worshiping with the same Scripture readings that unite us as a community. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. I have experienced this recently in my own local church community. I have been a member of my parish for 26 years and upon receiving a recent diagnosis of terminal cancer I have been showered with an abundance of love, prayers and support from this beautiful community. It is because of my Catholic faith and my love for Jesus Christ that I have hope in the plans God has for me.