Its only just begun...

First let me begin by saying please do not be fooled by my username J-money. My blog is entitled “Hope, Faith, and Charity” and yet my username gives off a materialistic impression. The only meaning behind my username is that I find it funny, and my friends lovingly and jokingly bestowed it upon me. I decided to begin a blog after being inspired by two of my co-workers. I was struggling to decide exactly what my focus should be. I soon realized that there is no need to box myself in. I want to allow this blog to take whatever course it is destined to take.

There are a few main points in which I intend to center my blog on. First, is my Christian journey. I was raised Catholic, in a very Italian Catholic family. My father became a Born Again Christian over ten years ago. Despite this, he attends a service at his church, and then goes to my Catholic church with me. It’s give and take really, because he is willing to attend mass with me so I don’t have to go alone, and I attend some of his church functions, so he doesn’t have to go alone. One of my closest friends is Indian and her religion is called Brethren. I consider her beliefs very similar to my father’s based on their trust in the Bible, with the addition of some cultural components to her church. I frequently meet with her for Bible study, in addition to enjoying her company and our chit-chat sessions. I will post a future entry about how this friend who I will call AJ, re-entered my life, and how I know that God’s intervention led it all. Right now I would call my “religion” Christian, but I am enjoying the beauty of the customs and beliefs of these different denominations. I love attending my Catholic church that I grew up in and teaching a weekly religion class to Catholic children in the community. I also enjoy attending functions at my dad’s church and bible study with AJ. There are differences between each groups’ beliefs, but at the core we all believe in Jesus, so I benefit from each experience. I have been journeying the past few years to deepen my own faith in Christianity. I always believed in God and Jesus, but personal tragedy really focused me to want to learn more. I saw firsthand how fragile life can be, and I realized I wanted to learn as much as possible about the next phase of life, once we die. Some people get angry or turn away from God when bad things happen, but for me I wanted to deepen my faith, because I know I will see those I miss in heaven someday. I have been reading the Bible more, as well as other books and pamphlets to learn more about Protestant based beliefs, as well as trying to learn more about the traditions of Catholicism. I am far from knowing all the answers, but I believe that deepening my faith can only be a good thing.

In addition to blogging about my religious readings, conversations, and discoveries, there is one other main area I hope to use this blog for. That is to remember and honor my beautiful mother whom I lost to cancer three years ago. She lost her battle when she was only 47 and I was 19. Time may pass, but the pain never goes away. So I want to use this site to further work on my memoir that I have begun in dedication to her. It is based on my memories, sporadic diary entries from my childhood and teen years, as well as my current feelings and emotions centered on my relationship with my mom. My mom was my mother, my best friend, and now she is my angel. I also want to promote my charity “Crochet for a Cure” in which friends and I make and sell handmade yarn goods, and donate a good portion of the profits to The American Cancer Society.

I might throw in an occasional entry about searching for a teaching position, since I just graduated from college, happy moments with friends and family, etc. I tend to be a rather stressed out, anxious person, so maybe blogging will be a healthy way to ease some tension. Overall, this blog will be an expression of J-money and all the components that make me into the person I am. And who knows, maybe it will help someone else out there, who is searching for God, dealing with personal tragedy, or looking for a laugh…