Recently I visited my daughter. It was a long overdue visit and good for the soul. The soap dispenser in her bathroom is a pumpkin with the words “Hocus Pocus” written in black lettering. As I washed my hands one time, I thought about the magic of integrity.
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Eight. Integrity. Hocus Pocus. “It takes a lot of integrity to love well. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and uprightness.
For me, integrity is a guiding value in my relationships. Having been in many relationships where there was little honesty, as I’ve learned to love myself, I found this was a deal breaker for me. This value is a driving force in my successful marriage today.
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Eight. Integrity. Back on Track.”Are you looking for God’s goodness by growing in reverence? Reverence is the way of radical respect and it is a practice we can incorporate in our daily life. It recognizes and honors the presence of the sacred in everything — our bodies, other people, animals, plants, rocks, the earth, and the waters. It is even an appropriate attitude to bring to our things, since they are the co-creations of humans and the Creator.
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Seven. Reverence. Looking for God’s Goodness and Weekly Reflection Summary.”Having a genuine heart toward God, instead of going through the motions outwardly, allowed Jesus to be heard by His Father in heaven. How genuine is your heart today? Here are a few reminders I’m thinking about to develop more reverence and a genuine heart.
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Seven. Reverence. Genuine Heart. “The pure of heart perceives the mystery of sex. We perceive its depth, its seriousness, and its intimacy.
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Seven. Reverence. Mystery.”
We all need good role models. Especially when it comes to growing in reverence. I continue to be drawn to St. Joseph and walk with him and get to know him. St. Joseph is known as “the just man” and, as such, was a man of singular virtue. This strength of character, this reign of virtue, extended to all aspects of his life and his person—including his heart. His whole being was oriented to his God. His love was properly ordered, his affections purified.
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Seven. Reverence. Chaste Heart.”What are some ways to be pure, guard your heart and live with reverence? We can properly order our physical appetites to our vocation.
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Seven. Reverence. Steps We Can Take.”Virtue helps us battle sin which can become our vices. Temperance helps us moderate our sensual desires, and helps us cast off the spirit of the world. Lust, one of the seven deadly sins, can be counterbalanced with chastity. Practicing virtue and choosing what is good reorients us to God and His goodness, and we grow in reverence.
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Seven. Reverence. Reoriented to God.”
Reverence, by definition, is profound respect and love. The virtue of temperance helps us develop reverence. When we have a reverent attitude toward God, we honor Him, express our gratitude, and are drawn to obey His commandments. As I grow in reverence towards God, I see my belovedness and value myself. As I lose reverence, my ego and will reigns.
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Seven. Reverence. His Will. “When we doubt our true nature and belovedness, we carry that in our heart. This battle finds its way into the world, many times without our awareness, breaking down trust. In the book The Courage Way, Shelly Francis and the Center for Courage and Renewal share ideas about creating spaces of trust among people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs. They have identified eleven “touchstones” or “ground rules” to help move groups into greater trust, belonging, and understanding:
Continue reading “Week Thirty-Six. Tempted to Doubt. Looking for God’s Goodness and Weekly Reflection Summary.”
Smitten With Goodness 