As I sit here pondering on what it is I should share with you here, I hear the clock tick and a bird sing it's good morning song. Time marches on and a new day begins regardless of where we are in our lives.
It makes me aware of the fact that just as we can't stop the sun from rising and ourselves from aging, we also can't change the past and we don't know what the future will bring. So why do we spend so much time rehashing the past and worrying about the future? It's truly futile.
Yes. We do need to address the past so that we can understand where we came from and so that we can work through and heal from any hurts, traumas, disappointments, etc. Yes. We do need to plan for the future so that we can take care of ourselves and those we love. But why do we waste so much of the present on the past and the future. GUILTY!
This is why one of the things that I am working on is to be more present. Present in the present to myself and others. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not guaranteed. Cliche' I know, but true. Present to myself so that I can be aware of and enjoy more of what is going on around me with nature, people, and events. Present to myself about myself as to where I am personally and where I need to go, in the areas I need to grow and the things I need to let go of. Present to others so that I can hear and see what it is they need from me - a word, a smile, a hug, a listening ear, to be left alone, and so on.
The past is part of who we are, there is no need to live there anymore. The future is a far away land to which only God knows the way. Be present. Enjoy the moment. Present the present of the present to yourself!
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Love Better
I'm am writing this with at most 2 hours of fitful sleep so I may not make much sense. Not sure why I initially couldn't sleep but then that burgeoned into pain which led to how do I reduce that enough to fall asleep. Therefore, enter Mr. Ben Gay! Helps to trick my brain to focus on the burn instead of the pain. I think I slept a little between 3 and 5 because I did dream some. In the dream, that made no sense, I remember trying to get everyone's attention and no matter what I did, no one saw me or if they did, simply overlooked me. Ever feel that way in your life? Overlooked? Invisible?
In reality, I think that we are all overlooked and invisible to most people, even to ourselves. Most people see only the "public" us which includes the assumptions, judgements, stereotypes, and perspectives from their world view. It also includes the persona that we choose to allow others to see. The safe persona that doesn't expose the real us to others. And as for us, we often see ourselves as the person that others say we are and/or remain only at the level of the actor on this stage of life that we portray to the world.
Who are we really? In in today's Gospel, Mk 3:31-35, Jesus calls us His mother, His brother, His sister. He says that whoever does the will of God is part of His family. I don't know about you but that excites me! That I am chosen by Him and if I but follow Him, I belong to His family. That is who I want to be.
I don't know too many people that come from perfect families of origin. Actually, I don't know anyone that does. I certainly didn't. Did I love them? Did they love me? Absolutely! But that was and is an imperfect love. Only His love is perfect and something to be desired. Do we strive for that love? Or do we spend all of our time pretending we are something we are not or trying to fit someone else's mold? I want to be all that He created me to be so that I might be worthy of being called His!
How do I get there? Only through the power of the Holy Spirit within will I be able to attain that goal. It is through discovering and connecting with Him that I will have the strength, courage, and grace that it takes to do God's will. In this season of my life, I sense that He is calling me to listen more to His inner voice, to draw upon and be obedient to that voice, and most of all, to love better.
We all have been hurt and walk around wounded with bandages that look and act more like walls. Fortresses around our hearts. I think only Our Lord can nurse us back to health so that we might allow those to fall away. And by doing so, to be willing and able to love better. To love without fear knowing that we are not alone and that no matter what, He will always love us. He can't not love us because He is love and we belong to Him.
Then how are we to love better? What is it that I need to do? Again, I feel that by tapping in to the Holy Spirit within, allowing Him to speak to my heart and mind, that I can be who God created me to be and learn to love without fear and with abandon. Oh, Lord, that you might heal our broken hearts, that we might love You better and through that love, love one another as members of the family of God.
Only His love will free me to be my authentic self. To be the beautiful butterfly that He brings out of the dark cocoon with wings that are His work of art with pattern and color, to fly high on the winds of His Holy Spirit leading us to our final destination, into the arms of Jesus! Amen!
I close now because as you can see from the comments above, I've got work to do! Spread your wings and fly brother and sisters!
In reality, I think that we are all overlooked and invisible to most people, even to ourselves. Most people see only the "public" us which includes the assumptions, judgements, stereotypes, and perspectives from their world view. It also includes the persona that we choose to allow others to see. The safe persona that doesn't expose the real us to others. And as for us, we often see ourselves as the person that others say we are and/or remain only at the level of the actor on this stage of life that we portray to the world.
Who are we really? In in today's Gospel, Mk 3:31-35, Jesus calls us His mother, His brother, His sister. He says that whoever does the will of God is part of His family. I don't know about you but that excites me! That I am chosen by Him and if I but follow Him, I belong to His family. That is who I want to be.
I don't know too many people that come from perfect families of origin. Actually, I don't know anyone that does. I certainly didn't. Did I love them? Did they love me? Absolutely! But that was and is an imperfect love. Only His love is perfect and something to be desired. Do we strive for that love? Or do we spend all of our time pretending we are something we are not or trying to fit someone else's mold? I want to be all that He created me to be so that I might be worthy of being called His!
How do I get there? Only through the power of the Holy Spirit within will I be able to attain that goal. It is through discovering and connecting with Him that I will have the strength, courage, and grace that it takes to do God's will. In this season of my life, I sense that He is calling me to listen more to His inner voice, to draw upon and be obedient to that voice, and most of all, to love better.
We all have been hurt and walk around wounded with bandages that look and act more like walls. Fortresses around our hearts. I think only Our Lord can nurse us back to health so that we might allow those to fall away. And by doing so, to be willing and able to love better. To love without fear knowing that we are not alone and that no matter what, He will always love us. He can't not love us because He is love and we belong to Him.
Then how are we to love better? What is it that I need to do? Again, I feel that by tapping in to the Holy Spirit within, allowing Him to speak to my heart and mind, that I can be who God created me to be and learn to love without fear and with abandon. Oh, Lord, that you might heal our broken hearts, that we might love You better and through that love, love one another as members of the family of God.
Only His love will free me to be my authentic self. To be the beautiful butterfly that He brings out of the dark cocoon with wings that are His work of art with pattern and color, to fly high on the winds of His Holy Spirit leading us to our final destination, into the arms of Jesus! Amen!
I close now because as you can see from the comments above, I've got work to do! Spread your wings and fly brother and sisters!
Monday, January 28, 2019
Walk On Water
Okay. I am going to give this a try again. I have been gone for a while working some things out for myself and not in a place where I felt like writing. I think and hope that I am now in a place that I can draw on my creative juices and on The Lord for inspiration to be able to commit to writing on a regular basis.
I recently attended a workshop on The Holy Spirit. The main precepts I received from this were being docile and obedient to The Holy Spirit. In other words, to be open to receiving direction from Him and then to follow His guidance and instruction.
I have always had a love and affinity for The Holy Spirit and have tried to be obedient to His promptings. I have not always been successful at doing so. I have found that when I am focused on the difficulties of daily life, of old hurts from the past, on the struggles with my health, etc., it is very difficult to hear from God and even more difficult to be obedient. When I focus on and open myself to His love and mercy, it is then when I can receive His guidance and then when it is easier to follow those promptings. Just as when Peter focused on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. The minute he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the storm around him, he sunk.
What are you focused on? Are you walking on water with Jesus or are you sinking in your own storm. Look up and He will reach out and save you from yourself.
I will do my best to remain focused on The Spirit and not "my world" and continue to post any insights or struggles here that we might walk this walk together. Hopefully we can all learn to "walk on water" towards the true person that God created us to be, in order that we might live according to the purpose for which He created us; that we might walk toward the embrace of our Savior.
I recently attended a workshop on The Holy Spirit. The main precepts I received from this were being docile and obedient to The Holy Spirit. In other words, to be open to receiving direction from Him and then to follow His guidance and instruction.
I have always had a love and affinity for The Holy Spirit and have tried to be obedient to His promptings. I have not always been successful at doing so. I have found that when I am focused on the difficulties of daily life, of old hurts from the past, on the struggles with my health, etc., it is very difficult to hear from God and even more difficult to be obedient. When I focus on and open myself to His love and mercy, it is then when I can receive His guidance and then when it is easier to follow those promptings. Just as when Peter focused on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. The minute he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the storm around him, he sunk.
What are you focused on? Are you walking on water with Jesus or are you sinking in your own storm. Look up and He will reach out and save you from yourself.
I will do my best to remain focused on The Spirit and not "my world" and continue to post any insights or struggles here that we might walk this walk together. Hopefully we can all learn to "walk on water" towards the true person that God created us to be, in order that we might live according to the purpose for which He created us; that we might walk toward the embrace of our Savior.
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