 "All the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." - Genesis 8:22
Well, did you celebrate the recent three day holiday? You didn't miss it, did you? You know which holiday. The one that occurs four times every year and lasts for three days. We'll call it the "seasonal holiday." Four times a year, there's the last full day of the expiring season (Day 1), the arrival of the new season (Day 2), and the first full day of the new season (Day 3). With the most recent holiday, we celebrated the last full day of Summer, the arrival of Autumn, and the first full day of Autumn. It was awesome, wasn't it? From beach balls to colored leaves ... all in the blink of an eye. Similarly, we go from leaf rakes to snowmen, snow shovels to glistening buds, and tulips to lawn mowers. There is an enduring nature to God’s creation. Despite the changes in seasons, there is a divine order and stability that governs the natural world. God is the ultimate creator and orchestrator of the changing seasons. Like birds, who recognize the changing seasons and adapt accordingly, so should we remain attuned to God’s timing and purposes, even amidst the changes of life. Hope you took some time during this recent three day holiday to relax and soak in the beauty of God’s handiwork in the world around you. Awesome God, may I always find comfort and reassurance in the constancy of Your presence, even amidst the changing seasons of life. Amen. TAGS: Prayer, Reflection  A friend went to a talk at a Catholic church. The priest-speaker was rather loud, boisterous and animated throughout his talk which definitely kept the audience captivated, but it was exhausting to listen to him.
At the end of the talk, the priest-speaker mentioned that he had a Franciscan habit that belonged to St. Padre Pio. The participants were invited to come forth and venerate the habit and touch the plastic bag which housed it. The priest-speaker also blessed each participant with the habit as they left the area. As my friend walked away, he noticed a distinct smell of roses. He asked the people around him if they smelled it, and they did not. He says that he has never had such an experience. As he left the church following the talk and venerating St. Pio's habit, he noticed an eerie silence. No car noises, no birds, no talk: no sounds at all surrounded him. All he could do was keep walking, alone with his own thoughts. But was he really alone? Was the presence of a mystic with him? As the smell of roses lingered, and the serene peace of the outdoors enveloped him, there was no doubt. St. Padre Pio, pray for us. TAGS: Story  "No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light." - Luke 8:16
Three objects set in a row. All perfectly matched, intricately styled, and embellished with raised curves and shapes. Looking at the shiny gold luster evokes a sense of ornateness, wealth and richness. The classic and timeless Gothic design is meant to add beauty and elegance to the prayer experience. Indeed they do. The bases of these brass stands enhance the symbolism of the crucifix and the light of the candles which they behold. We could set the crucifix on a box and light candles in plastic cups. The simplicity of this act would convey a message of its own. But choosing to display the crucifix in all its finery glorifies the Lord in all His magnificence. The light of Christ shines visibly and brighter when lifted up close to Heaven. Glory Be to the Father. Amen! TAGS: Prayer, Reflection  Is God’s existence no more reasonable than leprechauns?
“It is easy to prove leprechauns exist when you don’t have to find and present them – I have one sitting beside me now – anyone care to prove that I don’t?” – an atheist’s view of life. It is impossible to absolutely prove that you exist. Yet you casually assume that you do. You can’t absolutely prove that Australia or Manitoba or Andorra exist, at least without having witnessed them yourself. You take their existence as facts because others have testified to it. This is precisely the same sort of data that the Bible provides us with in the case of Jesus. People saw Him, witnessed His miracles, and met Him after He came back from the dead. Atheists think they can defeat such evidence by simply dismissing the very possibility of miraculous occurrences. God, on the other hand, has given us plenty of ways to overcome the atheists. We can second-guess God all we like and try to figure Him out, or we can start following His advice and have a much more happy, joyful life. We have to exercise faith and trust. We’ll never figure everything out about God, anymore than we can figure everything out about His creation. There are many very bright, sharp people, including thousands of brilliant scientists and philosophers, who believe in God. Yet, science still doesn’t have the foggiest idea of how the universe began, how life began, how DNA began, etc. They study and seek, but they still don’t know. We can seek and try to learn all we can, of course, but it shouldn’t be a stumbling block or cause a lack of faith and joy, let alone unbelief. So, who is lurking in your trees: a leprechaun or God? EXCERPTED FROM: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2015/08/god-no-more-reasonable-than-leprechauns.html TAGS: Inspiration  What are the odds that the acorn would fall from the tree and land peacefully, albeit forcefully, on the very corner of the wind chime tube? Truly a balancing act, and definitely an act of God.
How often do you fly from place to place, task to task, looking for a place to "land?" When you try to balance our own act, it usually results in disaster. If you just "let it happen," like a free-fall, God will ensure that your landing is smooth, and has given you all the tools to balance all that you are intended to do. Don't worry about where you're at, what you're doing, or where you want to be. God has you in the palm of His hand and has placed you exactly where He wants you to be. TAGS: Reflection, Story  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." - Matthew 7:7
This blue Beetle, circa 1972, looks cute, practical and functional. Okay, maybe it drips a little oil, the seats are torn, and the hood doesn't close, but at initial glance, it sure looks pretty good! How many times do you look good on the outside, but inside you're feeling "blue?" Your stomach is in knots, your mind is in a tailspin, and your body is aching all over. You tell yourself that you just can't face one more ounce of turmoil. People look at you and comment how "together" you are, but you know different. You feel "down in the dumps", discouraged, anxious, and depressed. What's the solution? How to beat the blues? Shine up the outside, and then clean up the inside by going back to the basics: Ask, Seek, Knock. The Lord is holding the door open for you to enter His merciful and loving heart. Within no time, the drips will be plugged, the rips will be patched, and the hood will be hinged so that you'll once again be classy and functional! To the Mechanic of My Soul: hear me when I ask, find me when I seek, and open Your wide doors when I knock. Amen. TAGS: Prayer, Reflection  She gave a cutting of her daisies to her next door neighbor. She gave another cutting of her daisies to the neighbor across the street. The next door neighbor gave a cutting of her new daisies to the neighbor behind her. They put a cutting of daisies at the front entrance. Within a year or two, there were daisies throughout the neighborhood.
Spreading daisies; spreading kindness; paying it forward. What part of yourself do you give to others? Do you share your smile, your friendship, and your warmth with others? Do you initiate the "giving" or do you wait to "receive?" Spreading daisies. Do you? Master Gardener, help me to share the bounty of myself with others. Amen. TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer  Our Blog is celebrating its eighth anniversary. That's right! For eight years, we have been "looking at little life moments with a spiritual eye." And it feels great!
Even Count von Count from Sesame Street is celebrating with us. Click here to sing along with him. Hopefully, you've whistled a happy tune with one or two of our posts over these eight years as we've tried to enlighten you, inspire you, challenge you, and cheer you along. Let's keep on grooving into another year! Hooray!! Take a look back at our top hits from this past year:  She felt like having french fries, so she bought some at the cafeteria and carried them back to her office for lunch. On the way back to the office, she ran into her boss, who was known to have heart issues. He commented about how her lunch didn't look very healthy. "Oh, I'm on cholesterol-lowering medication!" she exclaimed, to which he replied, "So do you think that makes it all right?"
Similarly, we often think that we can sin as much as we want because all we have to do is go to confession and our slate is wiped clean. Or, we think that we don't have to go to confession because God forgives us of all of our sins. We love to put our own spin on logical thinking. Realistically, though, we are just convincing ourselves that what we want to do is the right thing to do. We would be more prudent to weigh whether our intuitions are based on truth or simply desire. God of All Mercy, guide us to seek Your mercy in all things instead of relying on our own judgment. Amen. TAGS: Prayer, Story  "Your life will hang in suspense and you will stand in dread both day and night, never sure of your life." - Deuteronomy 28:66
Like this errant balloon, have you ever felt as though you were "hanging on a wire?" Feeling so insecure as though you would lose your grip? God doesn't promise us a life without stress and anxiety. There will never be any letup, and there is no assurance that we will live to see the next day. You do not know what will happen to you. But if you look at the Life hanging before you, i.e. Christ on the cross, there is reason to believe that all will be well. God has made a covenant with you, and He will not disappoint. So instead of "hanging on a wire," hang yourself on the cross of Jesus Christ and feel His healing comfort and companionship. O my Lord and Savior, take me down when I am high-strung, lift me up when I am frazzled, remind me of Your promises, and always carry me close to Your heart. Amen. TAGS: Prayer, Reflection |
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