The Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. ~ John 14:26 NLT
I don’t claim to know everything. I am learning along the way. One fact I know is Jesus is alive today in you and me. The Holy Spirit resides in us. Have you made yourself aware, are you available to hear our God’s promptings? Are you listening? I know there is a higher power watching over the comings and goings of you and me. And that higher power is the Holy Spirit. That same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you and me as Romans 8:11 reminds us. Over 2000 years ago Pentecost Sunday brought the promise that we, too can live with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, comfort, and power.
And if the Spirit of God, who raised up Jesus from the dead, lives in you, he will make your dying bodies live again after you die, by means of this same Holy Spirit living within you. ~ Romans 8:11 TLB
The Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. ~ Romans 20:26 GNT
Some days I feel weak, I feel my hands are tied, my brain fried trying to figure it out, running at full speed, then brake just before hitting a brick wall. When I stop my motions long enough, pray, and listen to our Father God, and do what Jesus would do, then the fruits of the Spirit are evident.
“The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control …” ~ Galatians 5:22 – 23.
Love is seen and felt in so many places and ways. Unless you are giving it or looking for it through God’s lens, most days it seems love doesn’t come knocking on your door. It seems selfishness, jealousy, envy, hatred, rejection, uncaring, and lust are the common themes that this world hands out in droves. I am so relieved that God’s Word tells us that we can love because God loved us first. His Word also reminds us that we are chosen, enough, strong, brave, victorious, unique, capable, and beautiful.
“We love each other because He loved us first.”
~ 1 John 4:19 NLT
Last week my husband and I took a mid-southwest vacation to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Our vacations are half planned with time and space left for whimsical stops and visits. One of my Dean’s wishes was a visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. The federal building bombing happened 30 years ago this April. This incident was so impressionable back then and still is. What was an unspeakable act of hatred that killed 168 people and injured hundreds more became a beckon of hope in God’s love in His people. This community and our nation rallied around determined to beat hatred with love. God’s justice prevailed.
As a souvenir and reminder of the love gathered at the memorial service almost 30 years ago, I bought a teddy bear at the gift shop. The bear is similar to the ones gifted by Illinois’ first lady to Oklahoma’s first lady in 1995, then handed out to the family and friends of the bombing victims attending the memorial service. Just one example of God’s love and grace. So many other provisions of comfort, kindness, and grace continue to be extended. Love wins!
“A Day of Darkness. Years of Light.”~ Oklahoma City
This day before the winter solstice is a cold blustery day. It is colder this afternoon than it was when I was up at 5am this morning. The forecast promises the winter solstice to be the same. The cold wind slaps my face and takes my breath away like the cold-hard fact that my brother is not here on earth any longer.
The grief of it all is too much some days. I went into my boss’ office the other day and had a “good cry”. Just days ago I wrote on my other blog a post about my 65-year-old brother’s untimely death, and how good will come of it. Today, I am thinking, why, God? What good comes from the death of a loved one? And if only Dean or I had been available to take Rick and Joan to the airport, so he wouldn’t have had to clean the snow off their car and have that heart incident the day they arrived back at Lambert Field.
I know I am bargaining now. I cannot reverse what has been done. The “if only” cannot change the outcome. Bargaining is one of the stages of grief. This online resource describes the 5 or 7 stages of grief. These are the basic five: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The seven stages expand on the five: shock/denial, pain/guilt, anger/bargaining, depression, the upward turn, reconstruction/working through, and acceptance/hope.
A friend of ours lost his son and two grandchildren in a fatal car accident on Tuesday. The pain these friends and their family are feeling must be incredibly deep. The wife and mother of the two children, I cannot even fathom where her heart is right now. All I can do is pray, “God, gracious Father, send your Holy Spirit to comfort. Bring each sorrow to a place where a healing salve gently massages the raw, open heart to receive Your Love, Your Words, Your Comfort.”
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
I am coming out of a very busy few weeks with St. Jude fundraiser and Asheville outreach projects. I finally am able to sit down and breathe deep breathes even though Thanksgiving brunch preparations started. Cooking for nine or ten family members seems easy compared to cooking for the hundred or double that many meal-on-wheels and seniors on any given day last week. I have a four-day weekend ahead of me. Nice.
As Christians, we cannot have Martha without Mary, and vice versa, Mary without Martha. This is the pull for each of us. “Faith without works is dead.” Then there is the contrasting scripture. “She has chosen the better,” Jesus tells Martha after her complaint about Mary sitting at our Savior’s feet. I sit in the quiet before sunrise, before steps are heard from any other eleven family members (including the furry creatures) in the cottage and meditate. So much to be thankful for. God, You give me life. You give me Jesus. You give me the Holy Spirit. You give me love.
My Novena Rose Prayer O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose from the heavenly gardens and send it to me as a message of love. O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favors I now place with confidence in your hands… St. Therese, help me to always believe, as you did, In God’s great love for me, so that I might imitate your “Little Way” each day. Amen.
I had an odd feeling this week; it was kind of like a deja’ vu feeling. But instead of the feeling that I have been somewhere already, it is the feeling that I need to be someplace I have been before. And that need to be somewhere is now, or as soon as I am able. It is a place Dean and I had vacationed at for a 3-day stay while Airbnbing for a 9-day vacation through Tennessee and the Appalachians over 7 years ago. Asheville, North Carolina. We fell in love with the mountains and streams there. I felt a spiritual connection to its people. For my health, it is a locale we considered moving to for milder winters than the St. Louis area. God hasn’t moved us yet. We are needed here in St. Charles, Missouri as a help to our children and grandchildren.
"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them." ~ 1 John 4:16 NLT
Asheville and surrounding counties are one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene over a week ago. Death and devastation for so many. Out of this disastrous storm follows stories of great loss, but also great humanity, sacrifice, love, God’s love seen through His people. The Appalachian people will have months and even years of recovery from this one. The need is calling us.
"Your Father knows what you need even before you ask." ~ Matthew 6: 8 CEV
This week Dean and I looked over our calendar of commitments, and mid-November is the best time to get to Asheville for a weekend of hurricane relief service. We already booked a place to stay nearby where we stayed 7 years ago. We will keep our eyes peeled and ears open to hear God’s voice on the best organization to be involved with to provide assistance. I hope to be cooking meals. Dean wants to be loading and unloading supplies. We will see what the needs are of the people in Asheville when we get there. Meantime, we will gather bottles of water and toiletry items to take for one of the charitable organizations to distribute.
"In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words." ~ Romans 8:26 CEV
Our God’s Holy Spirit is at work in us. It is with confidence that we can pray because God, Our Father knows what we and those we love need even before we do. The Holy Spirit prays for us. God loves us, so we can come to Him by the grace that He has given just when we need it.
"Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it." ~ Hebrews 4:16 GNT
This week bring some nostalgia to your Valentine’s Day. A little goes a long way. Wear red or pink. Type a love letter. Gift a bouquet of flowers. Bake some cookies to share. Give an old-fashioned Valentine card. No sweetheart to spoil? How about the friends in your life, or someone who needs a friend? Bring lunch to your elderly neighbor. Your sweetheart has not been so sweet lately? Be the example. And pray for him or her. Quoting A.W. Tozer, “While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who has not surrendered His authority.” With faith, love and believe.
"Most of all, have a true love for each other. Love covers many sins." ~ 1 Peter 4:8 NLV
Years ago I would begin the new year with writing down a few resolutions, a list of goals to accomplish. I have curbed this down, so life’s goals can be more focused and obtainable. A couple of years ago I read a suggestion from author Gretchen Rubin. Think of one word to summarize your new year’s resolution(s). For example, this year Gretchen has chosen “revisit”. Her goals and actions in 2024 will reflect “revisit”. For me the word for this year is “present”. To coincide with the 7-dimensions of wellness model I believe in, for 2024 I have in mind to be “present” in the spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, social, environmental, and occupational aspects of my life.
The first thought to the word “present” is to be “present moment”. That could fall into every aspect of my life, but I feel it most pertains to my spiritual life. Prayer, talking to God and being present with God throughout my day, every day, every moment. A relationship is a 2-way street, so listening to God every moment of every day throughout my day most importantly. ”Present day” is an extension of “present moment”. It is living each day like it is a present. “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it ‘The Present’,” a saying attributed to Alice Morse Earle, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bil Keane, and A.A. Milne. Treat each day as a gift. Giving thanks to God for this day He has gifted me with. Like the awesome sunrise He gave me this morning as I sat on the couch looking out the front window covered with ice and snow.
"This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let’s rejoice and be glad in it." ~ Psalms 118:24 NASB
It is Sunday today. With the frigid subzero temperatures and my severe allergy to the cold, my husband and I chose to stay home and participate with the televised Mass from our home parish St. Charles Borromeo. So happy we chose to be present in this worship time and to hear the homily even if via online. This homily is one of the most compassionate messages to address nontraditional marriage. The truth is the infinite value God has placed on each and every human being at the price of the blood of Jesus Christ. Then charity shown by sharing and acting on this message of infinite value, and the change that takes place in each of us when meeting our Savior.
I will stop here for today. To be continued in future posts a reflection on the word “present” related to the other aspects of life. What’s your one word for this year?
“Prepare for God’s arrival! Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God." ~ Isaiah 40:3 The Message version
Christmas Day is two weeks away. Are you prepared in your heart? Am I prepared in my heart? All the commercialism can get me off track. Even going to church this past Sunday white twinkle lights at the altar are blinking to catch attention. Has the commercialism invaded the church sanctuary, too? Preparing for Jesus is a heart matter.
This craziness this world is in can have our heads spinning and our hearts aching. The hatred, wars, and unrest are disturbing, distracting from what matters. The love of God is there for each of us to embrace. Hatred has to stop! We think we arrive with our religious views, rituals, and teachings. But what is in each heart of man, woman, and child?
"As John preached he said, 'The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will change your life. I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out.'" ~ Mark 1:8 The Message version
God, change me from the inside out. Help me to be an instrument of Your peace, Your love, and Your purposes. Give me courage and strength to carry out Your will today, tomorrow, and always.
Life has become one big chore once again. Busyness and obligations have taken over my calendar and mindset. I dislike it when I allow these to take over my gratefulness and joy in life. Little time to think about what I want to think about and do what I want to do. Like reading, writing, and creating, the introvert’s dream.
This busy season too shall pass as other seasons have and will do. Besides carving out the space and time for a few days of reprieve, it is taking moments during these pressing everyday things to thank God for the breath I breathe, the food I eat, warm bed to sleep in, and loved ones to care for. I count it a blessing to be a part of the lives of many family members that include my husband, children and their spouses, grandchildren, a parent still with us, and a big extended family. Then there are my friends, co-workers, and neighbors. I feel I neglect so many. One day at time, sweet Jesus. Allow time for a tea with my granddaughter, hug and cuddle my grandbaby, party with the young ones, or an early morning breakfast at the neighborhood diner with my love. Guide my tongue to speak words at the apt time.
“Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken at the right time.”
Proverbs 25:11
Tyler Childers does a wonderful rendition of Space and Time, a song original to S. G. Goodman. The lyrics so eloquent and apropos. My heart is singing again …
I never wanna leave this world Without sayin’, “I love you” Without sayin’ what you mean to me You know you make me happy Oh, when we, share this space and time Want you to know you shape this heart of mine And I never wanna leave this world, oh Without sayin’, “I love you” Oh, and out in the woods This picture is clear to me I owe my life, to even my enemies The ones who have loved me The ones who have tried Thеir grips on my heart And their grips on my mind The strangеr I pass, my momma, brothers Friends and my father They’re God undercover I’m tellin’ you now In case I must go Want you to know I never wanna leave this world Without sayin’, “I love you” Without sayin’ what you mean to me You know you make me happy Oh, when we, share this space and time Want you to know you shape this heart of mine And I never wanna leave this world, oh Without sayin’, “I love you”
The word “love” is interwoven in God’s Holy Scriptures approximately 310 times, depending on which version you read. It would be remised to ignore the importance God places on love. Of course, the most referenced is 1 Corinthians 13, “Love is patient, love is kind … love endures all things”. Jesus’ love is the most perfect.
Why do we have a difficult time feeling love towards others or showing acts of love? Or in the reverse, accepting others’ love towards oneself? Some of it is just recognizing the differences between people. A person’s love language can be words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and/or physical touch. Yours might be different than your neighbor’s, spouse’s, sibling’s, parent’s, co-worker’s. Sometimes we don’t give love because we are wrapped up in our own life, being selfish with our time, and don’t want to be inconvenienced. It may be envy or arrogance that stands in the way. Or is it you have been hurt by someone on multiple occasions? You do not want to be set-up again for offense or disappointment another time. Is that person incapable of receiving love? Pray for God to reach them.
Some things are meant to be left undone, so that others God has appointed can carry the torch to the finish line. But does it take sickness and death to know that some things like love are meant to be for now, forever, and always?
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ~ 1 Peter 4:8
Woman Warrior 