Katie Bartleson - Seer and Sage

For those who haven't - meet Kaitlin Bartleson - my youngest daughter. She is about 8 months old and has been a "good" baby all her life. She slept throughout the night at about 1 month old, she never turns her nose up at any new foods and best of all she loves her Daddy.
So this baby has taught me a good many things that surely I'm not the first (or last) to learn from a tiny, dependent person. I got to spend a good part of the day this Sunday with Katie cuddled up close to me watching cartoons and football and observing the things katie was good at that I need do...

Security
Katie knows she will be just fine because her needs are met by loving parents.
If I pay attention (and it is hard to do some days) I find that I am cared for in every way by our loving Father. My needs are met. I get so easily caught up in moment by moment concerns and so quickly unsure of what to do when considering future outcomes that I can forget who I am.
Katie doesn't forget who she is. She just looks around until she sees me or Renee (Mom), or even brother and sister, and she smiles at the reminder that she is loved.

Dependence
Katie knows how to ask for help. Ouch.
John Wayne didn't ask for help unless he had a bullet lodged in his spine. Even then...
Anyway, when Katie gets hungry she starts makin' some noise - not crying at first - she just starts to yell. She picks a note (like A#) and holds it for about 20 seconds at the top of her lungs. She gets our attention at feeding time, diaper time, when she's tired or when she bumps her head or is otherwise frustrated.
This sound off turns to tears if there is a poor response time, normally Katie can go about 5 minutes without much of a response before the REAL crying comes on.
I don't think I even ask for half the things I really want. I often find myself trying to ask for things that would please God to ask for. Knoble? Or just a reflection of my inability to trust a loving and generous God?
Sometimes I act like I don't know who He is.
Even when we respond poorly, Katie's ability to ask for help is not deterred. She doesn't consider that we won't help her.
Katie knows who we are.

So after Sunday's lesson from Miss Kaitlin Bartleson, I have resolved to try to watch when I feel secure - and why. And to try to remember that I am God's little child.
And I'm also trying to remain dependent on God and others. A tough one for me (I must be a lot like John Wayne).
Adios Pilgrim,
Dan

Mid Way Through Training!

What a blessing to be a part of evangelization! These young adults are great witnesses to the enthusiasm and devotion of Catholics and their desire to serve Christ and His Church.

This last weekend marked the end of the second week of training and begins our retreat skills training and the teams' initial retreats begin next week. Please pray for them and the youth they will be serving.

The breakdown for training this year.
week 1 relationship with Christ - conversion and holiness
week 2 Catholic teaching and faith formation
week 3 retreat components and skills
week 4 facilitating youth retreats (initial retreats begin)

Some highlights so far for me include dinners at the Record family home, the swing/barn dance at the Sevigny's, Pizza night courtesy of the Lebeau's and cooking dinner with the Reach men for the group. I am also loving the foosball and ultimate frisbee. Pretty soon we'll have a bball hoop up, jealous yet?

The most enriching parts of the last few weeks have been the many holy people who have come to share the Gospel with us here and simply getting to know the Reach members more personally.

That's about all the time I have, training is pretty intense; 14 hour days are the norm.
In the Peace of Christ,
Dan