Do I want good for other people?
Today as I was driving, there was a gentle, light rain. I barely noticed the drizzle. As I started driving faster on the freeway, the drizzle became a blur on my window and I couldn’t see without turning on my wipers.
Continue reading “Day 14: Willing the Good of the Other”Do I ask God to increase my faith each day?
Sometimes I fail to appreciate the greatness of the gift of faith. Faith in God has provided a sure grounding for my life — it has made the blessings sweeter and eased the pain of sufferings I have encountered. I cannot imagine my life without faith in God. However, as someone who was raised in a faith-filled home and continues to practice my faith, at times I take for granted how God has blessed me with the gift of faith throughout my life.
Continue reading “Day 13: The Gift of Faith”An important service to those in need.
There are so many things that I love about the Catholic Church. The teachings, prayers, and writings from the saints all draw me deeper into my relationship with God. After all, this is the role of the Church to give us community and grow in our faith.
Continue reading “Day 12: Serving Others”What words do I speak throughout the day?
Words are powerful. They can be life giving or they can be destructive. When I started to notice my words, it revealed to me what was living in my heart. The times I would get caught up in gossip or comparison conversations with others, I noticed that I was feeling unworthy and less than. Once I shifted to do something life affirming for myself, I didn’t feel drawn to participate in those destructive, gossipy conversations.
Continue reading “Day 11: Words of Kindness”What is your plan?
What do you use to help shape your daily goals, ultimately your life’s plan? There are so many ways to approach our day, it’s important to remember that it is pretty much our intentions that make the difference. We can learn from various faith traditions including Twelve Step recovery on how to do this. God is constantly drawing us towards himself and uses all of creation to do this. When we slow down, we notice things. We become actors rather than reactors and this gives us a choice to live life with purpose.
Continue reading “Day 10: Living Intentionally”Did I keep a smile on my face today?
It is hard to keep smiling when I have a lot on my mind. Between issues with family, friends, work, other activities, finances, and devastating events in the world, it can be hard to keep smiling. I forget, though, the impact of a smile on my face for others and how it can help bring peace and joy to my inner turmoil as well.
Continue reading “Day 9: Spreading Sunshine”Did I lend a hand to help the poor and excluded today?
When I am driving and stop at a red light where there is a man or woman (or sometimes a child) asking for money to help their situation, I often find myself torn between offering them a few dollars or leaving the window rolled up and going on my way. I hear both sides of the debate — am I enabling someone to continue down a path that I don’t think of as good or healthy, or am I simply offering a helping hand to the person in front of me who is in need?
Continue reading “Day 8: Lending A Hand”What am I reading today?
I love to read. Once I learned to read as a child, you could more often than not find me with my nose buried in a book. As I grew older and entered into the working world, I found that I had less time for reading, but have been rediscovering over the past few years the simple pleasure of cracking open a book (or opening a book on my Kindle) and entering a new world.
Continue reading “Day 7: Nourishing My Mind”Did I sit in silence to be with God today?
The world seems so noisy today and it can be hard for me to find times to be quiet and sit in silence to pray. Between work and other obligations, I do make time for prayers and reading the Bible, but often that time becomes filled with me talking to God, rather than focusing on contemplative or centering prayer and listening for God’s voice. I find it hard at times just to sit in the silence and have to fight the urge to do something or say something.
Continue reading “Day 6: Gods Language, Silence”Did I remember to rest in the truth that I am a beloved child of God?
My family enjoyed a blessing in February with the addition of a new family member: a sweet, healthy, happy baby girl! I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet her in person on the day that she was born and to hold her for a time. It is amazing how quickly we love these new babies that come into our lives. Babies are so precious — of course they are easy to love as we look into their sweet faces and hold them close.
Continue reading “Day 5: Being Beloved”
Smitten With Goodness 