Seeing God in the everyday moments in our life.
The spiritual journey is to love God above everything. To love with all our heart, mind, and soul. We do this through seeking what is true, right and just. The Spirit draws us closer through both beauty and through pain to the truth. That we were designed by God for God. Our human nature causes us to forget.
Continue reading “Day 27: Knowing I’m Loved”What did I learn today?
Recently, during my Holy hour when I first wake up in the morning, I read something through a new lens. This is the time that I spend orienting my day in prayer, God‘s word, and being attentive to my body.
Continue reading “Day 25: Making the Better Choice”Is your heart rightly ordered?
We are told there is never enough. There’s never enough money, status, time, beauty, or life, and so the world sets us up to follow the gods of anxiety, the god of saving, the god of fear, and even the god of self-reliance. Holy Scripture tells us that we have a choice before us: live in prosperity or death and doom.
Continue reading “Day 24: Discerning God Voice”Do I make good choices in what I do and in what I avoid?
We have entered into the season of Lent and are focused on the three great pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to prepare ourselves for the resurrection of Jesus at Easter. For many of us, including me, Lent can become a time of focus on self-improvement or dieting (physical preparations) and not necessarily on the spiritual preparations for Easter. Taking better care of ourselves, eating better, getting more sleep, and exercising more are all good things, but I think that God is calling us into something more meaningful and deeper to discipline and prepare our hearts and souls for the coming of Jesus at Easter.
Continue reading “Day 22: Called to Go Deeper “Do I remember to pray for the needs of my family and friends?
There are so many people that suffer, and in need of prayer and support. My heart hurts when I see news reports of natural disasters, wars, violence, and injustices of every kind that impact people throughout the world. I take time to add those people to my prayer list, asking God to protect and comfort them and to ease their sufferings.
Continue reading “Day 21: Sending God’s Mercy”Do I ask God to guide me in making decisions about the next steps in my life?
As a child, I remember being asked “So, what do you want to be when you grow up?” The answer changed over time (I had dreams of being an astronaut at one point but came back down to earth when I realized how much math would be involved!), and I eventually found the career that I have been involved with my entire adult life. Looking back on the path and the decisions that I made, I realized that I often did not include God in the equation of figuring out what I should do with my life, where I should be, and with whom I should be spending time. I kept moving forward and making decisions, but in racing forward I would sometimes forget to sit still and take my questions about my future path to God in prayer.
Now as I contemplate the next phases of my life and face decisions about what path to follow, I ask God in prayer “Is this what I am meant to do?” and then listen for the answer. I may not always get an immediate response, but if I am patient, quiet, and thoughtful, the answer will come to me through an experience or thought, or through the counsel of a good friend. I find that I am increasingly placing my trust in God, who always wants what is best for me. I truly know and accept that my life belongs to God, not to me, and that time spent in discernment is always time well spent.
What is God calling you to do with your life?
Thank you, God, for leading me to the right path for my life. I pray for the trust and strength to follow Your path for me, wherever it may lead. Authentically Yours.
Do I offer up my sufferings for others?
Suffering is an inevitable part of the human condition. Ever since sin entered the world as the result of the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, we are all faced with various sufferings throughout our lives. These sufferings manifest themselves in different ways, most often as physical illnesses, but also mental, emotional, and spiritual illnesses. It is hard enough to suffer ourselves, but even more difficult when we watch a loved one suffer.
Continue reading “Day 18: Suffering for 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 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”
Smitten With Goodness 