Taken my first steps toward returning to the Lord

Hello,
I posted a thread in this section about a week ago regarding my struggle yet desire to return to the Lord and received many beautiful and inspirational responses. I was raised Roman Catholic but have strayed for several years, participating in actions which were not befitting of any decent person and which I would consider completely unforgivable. One of my reasons for being reluctant to return to the church is that I figured that I was such a mess God would not want me back... how could he?

But today I went and participated in the sacrament of reconciliation where I just laid out all my dirty laundry so to speak and begged for forgiveness. I came out feeling 100lbs lighter and full of joy. I feel like I am finally beginning the process of returning to the Lord and the way that he wants me to live. I will be attending mass for the first time in many years tonight and receiving the eucharist.

I guess I just wanted to tell someone how joyful I feel right now!

Thank you for your support! I have been struggling with a number of problems, stresses and upheaval in my life. I know that the life I had been leading was not working for me. And although of course those problems are still there and hurt, I feel that all my pains have been lessened when I accepted the Lord back into my heart. I feel like I have been truly been forgiven completely!

My university has a really beautiful chapel (built in the 1700s!) and I have been going there whenever I can just to think, pray and meditate. I am not sure if this sound crazy but I was sitting in the chapel about a week ago and I had the most distinct and clear though in my head that the Lord was telling me that He had been waiting for me to come back to Him and rejoiced the day I let Him back into my heart. I felt the most profound feeling of peace and love that I have never really experienced before.

Is this just my own imagination or is this really God's way of communicating with me? is this possible?