Here is my collected wisdom after the 3rd time I have had to choose a mortgage loan:
 

• Decide how much cash you can comfortably spend toward the downpayment (for me, it has always been less than 20% of the total cost)
• If less than 20% downpayment, you have to either get PMI or a second loan–I recommend the second loan
• Now you want to find the best loan package you can (primary loan, second loan, fees, rates)–I like the primary loan at a 30-year fixed rate and the secondary loan at 15-year fixed with “straight amortization”–in other words at the end of 30 years the primary loan is paid off, and after 15 years the seondary loan is paid off, assuming you make no extra principal payments.

more…

 
God bless Nicole Kidman and her husband, Keith Urban, as she appears to have returned to the Catholic Church!
 
Her church of Scientology marriage to Tom Cruise was annulled–probably one of the easiet decisions that the marriage tribunal has ever had to make.

 
Katie told me about this story recently, and I just read it in full–amazing and awesome!
 
Gianna Jessen survived a late-term abortion and was born alive but handicapped because of the abortion. On the day that the Colorado government chose to honor Planned Parenthood, who took part in maiming Gianna, Ms. Jessen sang the national anthem and showed the poor abortion proponents the reality of what they believe in.

 I volunteered this morning at a local pregnancy care center. It’s a wonderful place, filled with laughter and peace and the love of God. I feel blessed to share in such a ministry, but I must tell you that my time there is causing me to ponder some things. Namely, the Protestant “reformation”. Schism. You know.
 
You see, the center is predominately staffed by separated Christian sisters and seems to espouse evangelical “sola Scriptura” theology. And, it really makes a difference. I’m not sure if I can put it into words, but it seems like life for my Christian sisters is so simple. They know they’re saved. God loves them and wants them to be happy. Their world seems to operate on very simple principles and follow very clear rules. Now, I’m sure they have great difficulties in their lives, and I don’t mean to imply that their lives are whitewashed, somehow.
 
I can’t help but feel, though, when I’m at the pregnancy center, that I’m a something of an oddity, carrying wisps of incense into the center, with my feet grounded in the Mysterious. I know this sounds silly, but I feel like, as a Catholic, I speak a different language than my co-volunteers. In some ways, I’m drawn to the faith of my Christian sisters, to their simple theology and clear Sunday sermons.
 
Yet, as a Catholic, I know that there’s more. The Mysterious interpenetrates daily life, heaven kisses earth each time the priest celebrates Mass, saints and angels walk through our walls and whisper in our ears. My world is stuffed full of beauty and divinity and holy messiness.
 
Now, again, I’m sure that my separated Christian sisters would agree that their lives, too, are stuffed full of divinity. But, it’s different. We speak a different language of faith. And, I’m not sure how to share with them the truth of who I am. Please, Jesus, may we be one, as You and the Father are one.

 Devin and I have a house! Well…I mean…our offer has been accepted. Devin cautions me that this is just the beginning of the process, and I know he’s right. But, I’m so excited at the thought that this could very well be the place Our Lord has prepared for us, the place where we will begin our domestic church and foster a culture of life. We’ve both waited so long for each other, and now, to actually have a home together, seems like an unimaginable gift.
 
Thank you, St. Joseph, for working so speedily to lead us to this house. We consecrate to you this process of purchasing our home and invite you to lead us as we seek to follow Jesus. Protector of the Holy Family, Guardian of the Word Incarnate, please teach us how to have a holy family.

 
Whew! The weekend is over, and it has been amazing. Katie and I began praying a novena to St. Joseph for finding our future home, and God has answered quickly!
 
We found the two houses yesterday and made an offer on one of them. Tomorrow we will find out whether the seller accepts our offer, and it looks promising.
 
Katie and I have been talking about our budget, how we want to improve our house to make it into our home, and many other things–it’s becoming more and more real that we are preparing to join our lives together in Christ when we get married. The magnitude and grandeur of this call from God is too deep to fathom–a true mystery that only God can seal and bring to fruition.
 
Katie and I can’t wait!

 
Katie and I made an offer on a house today!
 
We had not planned on making an offer on any houses for at least a month or so, to give Katie enough time to get a feel for the neighborhoods and home prices, but we found two houes today that both of us liked a lot.
 
If the first house falls through, then we will most likely make an offer on the second house, so we are in a good position. The first house is over 1600 square feet and a great bargain, located within 5 minutes of my workplace and close to our parish. The second house is about 15 or 20 minutes away from my work and that much further from church, too, but it is a more attractive floor plan than the first. The second one is also about 200 square feet smaller.
 
So we are praying for God to open up the door to whichever house he wants us to get and close the door to the one he doesn’t want for us. Katie and I are both very excited!

 
Gerardo and I both proposed to our girlfriends, Roxy and Katie, on the same evening–we didn’t plan it that way, but it worked out that way.
 
However, it was only yesterday morning that Katie and Roxy finally got to meet, and it was really cool! We went to Mass in the morning and then to breakfast. It was great because the two most important people in me and Gerardo’s respective lives finally got to meet each other and begin a friendship which will last forever in Christ.
 
We imagined our future children playing with one another and us hanging out and Roxy and Katie speaking Spanish to our children so that they will be bilingual–so many awesome ideas and dreams. Blessed be God forever!

 
So often, in the media, we hear about young people who are lost and dull their pain with all manner of false gods. It can seem there there is no hope, that we are a culture destined for self-annihilation.
 
Yet, Pope John Paul II declared an unfolding springtime of the Church, beginning with the Jubilee year. (Just think, Devin and I will be graced with children–please God–who will grow up during the Church’s springtime! Alleluia!) And, last weekend, I was gifted with a glimpse of this springtime. Please allow me to share stories from the Ignite conference in Louisville, KY. more…

 
I’m glad to be back on St. Joseph’s Vanguard, after a 3-week absence. It’s been a whirlwind of moving, wedding planning, youth conferencing, and becoming a Texan. Whew! Praise God.
 
So, after school ended at Deming Public School, I packed my classroom and said goodbye, after which I traveled to visit my sister, Kelly, in Colorado for a few days. She’s still searching for her St. Joseph, gentlemen, so if you’re in your late 20s and waiting to meet an amazing woman, you can ask us for her phone number. After spending very graced time with Kelly, I returned to Deming (please God, let that be my last 10-hour drive alone…ever), where Mom and I commenced a one-week flurry of wedding planning. Can you believe it, it’s all done! Thanks to the help of Our Lady of Cana and Deming’s kind vendors, Devin and my blessed nuptials are planned.
 
Then, I packed my stuff and drove to the airport to pick up my sweetie, Devin. We had a delightfully blessed last visit with my family, during which they TOTALLY surprised me with the bridal shower. It was such a wonderful gift!
 
And, now I’m here in Austin. I’m a Texan! Devin has just been the best fiance ever, calming my moving stress and facilitating meet-and-greets with new friends. I’m happily occupied with getting to know this city, about which I will post more later, as well as sharing with you about last weekend’s youth conference, Ignite Your Torch. Praised be Jesus Christ, I saw Devin today for lunch and will see him for Mass tomorrow morning. God is so good!