There is the saying that if you aren’t moving forward, you are moving backward. I’m finding that this is especially true in spiritual life. If I’m not always striving to do better, live a virtuous life, and make progress, I’m usually surrendering to the comfort of worldly things and ideals.
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Three. Fortitude in Love. Making Progress.”Do you own your God-given belovedness? As I grow in this awareness, there is a presence about me that flows to others around me and from them back to me. It’s the ability to take a sacred pause when I want to react in an emotional manipulative way, take a deep breath in prayer, and respond with kindness and love. This shifts the energy in the interaction into detachment, allowing God to dictate the flow. As I see through God’s eyes, I can recognize this flow around me. The flow of pure love and God’s goodness.
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Three. Fortitude in Love. Pure Love.”In my quest to learn what it means to love, I am constantly amazed at the way the Spirit shows me how to love. Recently, I’m finding the link between the quality of my prayer life and the practice of fasting. The strength of these two practices directly correlate to how strongly I am tethered to a loving spirit and frame of mind. As I’m learning more about disciplines that lead me deeper to know God’s goodness, I’m seeing the cause and effect of these two practices. We are taught how to do this:
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Three. Fortitude in Love. Love and Discipline.”When I persevere in loving myself in a rightly ordered way, I have moments of understanding what it means to “Be Not Afraid.” These three words are cited 365 times in the Bible, signifying their importance. I like to think of it as one for each day of my year.
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Three. Fortitude in Love. Courage.”How do I remain in God’s love? Jesus instructs us in the way of loving others with God’s love:
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Three. Fortitude in Love. Remain.”Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
John 15:9-11
Today is Pentecost, one of my favorite celebrations in the Church. This is the Paschal Mystery brought to completion, where by the power of the Holy Spirit we are united with God’s Only Begotten Son. This is the same Spirit, as the Church came to birth, opened all peoples to the knowledge of God and brought together the many languages of the earth in the profession of the one faith. It’s pretty cool to think that for those of us who believe, we have this fire of divine love within.
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Three. Fortitude in Love. Fire Within.”
Month Five. Fortitude to love myself, expands my hope and kindness
Who mentors you on how to live life? Research shows that we are influenced by those we surround ourselves with. As I was called to love, I’m realizing how important it is that I, the vine cling to love, the branch of Christ. If I’m to know pure love, I must be attached to love. This is the spiritual journey of becoming. The narrow gate of contemplation is a path to transformation, allowing me the gift of loving my whole self and bringing gentleness into the world.
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Two. Gentleness. Looking for God’s Goodness and Weekly Reflection Summary.”We can win the spiritual battle of envy with kindness. Do you struggle with envy at times like I do? I’m convinced it is part of our human condition but we can prevail if we walk the gentle path of kindness. Kindness or wishing the best for others helps me overcome my sin of envy. As I learn to love myself, I become more accepting of myself, allowing me to be more accepting of others without bias or spite. God blesses each of us in different ways and it is through these gifts that He fulfills His purpose in the world.
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Two. Gentleness. Winning the Battle.”It has been said that life is for enjoyment. It is not a race to see how much you can get done.
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Two. Gentleness. Enjoying It.”The further I journey down the spiritual path of transformation, I have a clearer line of sight to meaning and to my value, purpose and identity. God is always true to His word, when I seek I find. This is the gentle path of transformation.
Continue reading “Week Twenty-Two. Gentleness. Transformation.”
Smitten With Goodness 