The "Right" Right

Friends of Faith:

This weekend we saw the movie “God’s Not Dead.” Would you be willing as a college freshman (or an even more mature adult) to stand up to someone with authority and defend your choice to believe in God and to choose the right “right?” (If you haven’t seen the movie, I would highly recommend it.)

When God looks into my hearts and asks: “Have you been for me, or against me—what will I honestly be able to answer?” This is the “million dollar” for “all eternity question.”

“But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” 1 Sm 16: 7

What is permissible by God and what has been made by man to SEEM permissible by God?

God looks into our hearts. God sees differently than you or I. He sees differently than what the world sees.

Man may make “laws,” and deem something necessary (a choice, an equality), but God sees right laws, and true necessities (disciplines and responsibilities.) He sees the one, true, holy right.

The separation between what God teaches, what Christ gives us as an example and what the world wants us to believe as the truth can be very small. It is one of the reasons I keep seeking education about my faith, because sometimes the differences between God’s right and mine (human’s) can easily trick me into wrong decisions or judgments.

We all know the commandment: “Keep holy the Sabbath.” But yet Jesus preached, healed and performed miracles on the Sabbath. It was one of the reasons the “legal system” of that time abandoned and crucified him. Yet, as Jesus himself depicted, how can something be deemed a “sin” when it is performing miracles in God’s name?

“This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them.” Jn 9: 16

Christ chose to cure the blind man on the Sabbath. He chose mercy over the law. He chose to make God’s mercy visible to others even though it was the Sabbath. Otherwise he would have been the hypocrite who said, “go, take care of yourself, I can’t help you because I am “obeying” the law and not  working today.” So, will my own choices make God’s mercy visible and present to others? Will God see my choices as a choice for him?

Every time I make a decision to DO something is it “my desire” or a “work of God’s?” Does it draw me closer to God, or does it keep me FROM God? Is it of this world, or of God’s world? Am I justifying what I do because it is what I want to be believe (my right), or am I justifying what I do, because I truly believe that God would say it is the “right” right?

Some examples from my life: shopping—Am I spending money I don’t have, buying things I don’t need or am I stopping for a gallon of milk because the refrigerator is empty and I have hungry kids to feed?

Working: Is my work to help others, or is my work to make more money for myself out of greed (different than sustaining the needs of my family)?

Becoming more Christ centered: Am I fulfilled and satisfied by attending church, do I make it my priority, or do I let others convince me that something else is more important?

How am I “justifying” my decisions—based on God, or based on what “everyone else” is doing?

Christ Jesus, You were sent here to be my example. Teach me right from wrong. Help me to discern what is Your way, and what is deceptively just “my way.” Thank you for giving me the opportunity and the freedom to be in your presence each week. Help my life to make You and Your mercy visible to others. Amen.

God IS NOT DEAD!! Stand up for your beliefs. Choose the “right” right for the right reason this week.

Blessings,

Charlotte

We Can Become

Friends of Faith:

“Lord, may your kingdom come.”

We can always become more. We can always become greater. We can always become more knowledgeable by having a deeper understanding and fulfillment thru the Spirit of Christ.

Stan and I have become even more aware as we have talked to others about the opportunity of the Alexander House marriage retreat this weekend that regardless of where we are at or what we are doing in our lives we need encouragement, enrichment and enlightenment –to stay focused, to know our purpose and to not become complacent or think that we have it all figured out.

(You can still take advantage of this awesome opportunity to build, grow, strengthen and enrich your marriage by joining other Christian couples this weekend, Saturday, Sept 14 at St. Henry’s in Marshalltown from 9-4:30. Please register asap by going to www.enjoyyourmarriage-iowa.eventbrite.com or by replying to this email so that we can plan for materials, food and setup (and especially, if needed, childcare).

We can always become more, greater, more knowledgeable – the excuse, in this instance, “that my marriage is doing okay” (replace that with any of your responsibilities and/or jobs in life) –only works today, because tomorrow will certainly change the “okay” to something different – for better or for worse, depending on the choices we make—the choice to be okay with okay, to fall down, or to continue the quest to become better, as God calls us to be.

“It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. For this I labor and struggle, in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.

…That their hearts may be encouraged as they are brought together in love, to have all the richness of assured understanding, for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Col 1: 28-2: 3

God’s work here on earth is to give us the grace so that we can be presented perfect in Christ. He promises us we can become more! And because it is hidden in the treasures of the knowledge of the mystery of Christ we are called to a continuous quest and search for his wisdom.

So are we “satisfied?” Do we really just want to be “okay”at marriage, our job, as a part of any team, or in life in general?

Matthew Kelly says: “We are made for greatness but the world calls us to be average.”

Wouldn’t it be more fun to say: “I am great!” “We are great!” “My marriage is great!” “My job is great.” And “I am fulfilled by knowing God in those around me.”

Becoming great is a constant journey. A journey where we can’t be complacent or “okay” because “okay” is never great, it is just okay.

Just as is God always present and available to us, so the devil also seeks to become a greater part of our lives. If we in anyway take God out of the equation (by a lack of forgiveness, by judging another person’s intentions, by self reliance or self indulgence, or by worshiping and trusting false gods (money, entertainment, or secular media) then the “okay” will become sorrowful and regretful because we have let down our guard and the devil has inserted first his toe and then his entire self into our slightly open door.

But when we invite God IN, when we open our heart and open His door by seeking His truth, His aid and His mercy and understanding, his grace blocks the devil out and with His help, the “okay” turns to “GREAT!”

Heavenly Father, it is in You we become great. Thank you for your constant reminders that you are in charge and without you I would be nothing. Help me to give you control over my life. Strengthen all those who struggle to give their heart to you, to forgive as you teach, and to remain in your truth. Amen.

God asks us to become GREAT, to be perfect in Christ, like Him –to continually seek His truth, and to seek education which teaches His plan for us (as in the marriage retreat). We can never be perfect – but we can keep trying, we can keep working, we can become….

Better, greater, richer in Him.

In Christ,

Charlotte

www.morningreflection.blogspot.com

God, Politics and Santa Claus

Friends of Faith:

I figured if we were tired of politics, it must be time for Santa Claus.

I learned several important lessons growing up: God is everywhere and knows everything (and so is Santa Claus.)

With God all things are possible (Mk 10:27): and if you don’t believe (in God or Santa Claus)—you won’t receive (heaven or presents.)

And in order to prove that you believe, you must DO (work hard) for what you believe—hard work, I thought, especially as a little girl; but even harder work, I have realized, as I have grown up.

“You know the commandments.” (Mk 10:18-19) A clear set of common sense rules to live by. A clear reward if we choose to live by them. And a clear punishment if we don’t: it probably isn’t a coincidence that a lump of coal could easily symbolize the fires of hell.

As a little person, the choices didn’t really seem that difficult, or even that tough. I had to work (and play) within the boundaries my parents, and God, as our Father, set—to receive what is most important for every little child—their parent’s (and the promise of God’s) love.

It was always Christmastime at our house—the Christmas of love, as a child the equivalent of Santa love, as I grew older the knowledge that I am always loved. Love had both a long memory, and much forgiveness—just like the love I more and more grow to desire from God.

Back then, I didn’t know it, but everything I did was a choice—a choice of choosing between rights. Mom and Dad’s commandments were pretty clear (and very much in line with God’s commandments). If we disobeyed we had to ask both their forgiveness (and do a penance for them) and do something for God (an extra prayer, often asking God’s forgiveness thru confession.) It was a great life lesson, both because we knew our boundaries and because we learned the discipline and hard work of choosing right truths.

I did have a choice, but when I chose to disobey, to take the easier way out, or to choose what seemed like more fun, or less work, I also had to face the consequences of that wrong choice (sin). And the pain of those poor choices was much more difficult than the work of right ones.

Santa Claus love, represented my parent’s love, and like God’s love, always won out in the end.

As an adult, the choices may seem more difficult, but our eternal parent, God, is just as clear with his commandments, His rules, His disciplines, His boundaries and His promise of love.

God’s consequences are much bigger than my parent’s consequences. Almost as if, growing up, means I have to grow up to a higher standard—God. The choice is no longer for Santa Claus presents, the choice is now for eternal presents. And life keeps getting shorter, because thru the reality of living I now realize that our time here on earth isn’t forever—in fact, it isn’t even my choice—it could be over in a second and when it is over, I will no longer have the opportunity to choose: in God, politics or Santa Claus gifts and rights.

Maybe that is what God means by saying he is the power over principalities (Eph 6) and the reason he gives us the hope that regardless of what the principalities do he is always in control and the final judge. (Lk 12:1-7)

The commandments: A clear set of common sense rules to live by. A clear reward if we choose to live by them.

And the political ads are like the Christmas ads growing up – Santa Claus ads which showed what would happen (toys or a lump of coal) (heaven or earth) if I didn’t/don’t work for the right beliefs and choices. (Choosing right was and always will require money, work and difficult discipline—they won’t be easy or free!!)

Someone said to me this week that the political ads looked like an ad for the Catholic/Christian Church.

I can’t and won’t disagree: We are being asked to choose: to give up money, for work and to be disciplined: to choose God’s design for marriage, protection for life, and obedience to Him vs. lifestyles of promiscuity, greed, homosexuality, abortion (murder) and the freedom to choose these wrong and sinful behaviors.  (Gal 5:18-25)

And these right choices may mean we have to work harder and sacrifice here on earth to receive what we desire of God, heaven, just as we worked for, and sacrificed for, our parents and God when we were younger, so that we can always receive what each of them promised: a Santa type present—only received because we believed, and because we acted as if we believed. (Gal 5:1-6)

The freedom to choose is only a right when we are obeying God’s laws. “The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived.” (1Jn 2: 3-6)

God is very clear on both the commandments and the consequences. Who will we obey, who will we choose—in the politics of both heaven and earth?

Heavenly Father, your gifts are far greater than any we have ever received from Santa Claus. Help us to do the hard work you require in our vocations (marriage, celibate, or single), in our families and in our choices for you. Thank you for your forgiving and ever “present” love. Amen.

If we believe in God, all things are possible. Make them possible this week,

Blessings,
Charlotte

Introspection or If God Looked In

Friends of Faith:

If God looked into me what would he see?

I have often said that what I write each week is really an introspection of my own, an examination of my own conscious. (And as usual I continue to be amazed by the “coincidence” of the Sunday gospel readings as they pertain to these introspections.)

I cannot write without seeing inside myself, without seeing my own inability to change the things about myself that from the “outside” look or seem to contradict the very things I write.

In one of those “wide awake” nights this weekend I wrote the following: “Sometimes we have to answer the tough questions and make tough choices, but often times it is not the choosing that is difficult but rather executing those choices. And our choices are these:  right or wrong, good or evil, heaven or hell, saint or sinner.

Only God can know me (and your) personal inner struggles, in our thoughts and in our prayers, as we seek to continually face the challenges which will allow the Spirit of God (our conscious) to guide us and change us for Him.

I am pretty sure, for some, my writings sometimes seem like a “bull in YOUR china closet;” meaning the ideas they contain seem to try to beat you, or break the very ideas that you hold nearest and dearest to your own heart.

It is humanly difficult to “break” or have “broken” a sin of the past by the Spirit who gives us the gifts of wisdom, understanding and awe at God’s greatest desire for our lives—to remain the innocent child he created.

I am also reminded with an ever growing humility, that I have been given something many others have not, and that is the gift of a great husband, a great friend. It is a gift to know that not only does Stan pray for me, but he is equally committed to God’s ultimate goal for us. We are blessed with joy in our marriage, and to share the knowledge that our intentions for each other are “right” and that we are willing to serve and be served by each other, for life, freely and faithfully. (This is God’s design for marriage.)

So, I pray, with the hope of God, that you understand where my writing comes from—not from a desire to change you, but from my own introspection, my own experience, my own sins and my own struggles to choose God—every time. It comes from a desire to change myself, so that I will be as He designed me to be—created in His likeness, a holy child of God.

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Mk 10: 17-22

I do have one other desire and that is that every one of us would share heaven together.

Yet God’s own words this Sunday pointed out: “Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Mk 10:23-25

God did not say it would be easy to be human, because as humans we are sinners.

I know that I will often be challenged, emotionally and spiritually, with the failings of culture and our society.  And I struggle in my writings to contain my patience, anger and judgment of others. But I also know that I must become what I believe and that I am called to share my beliefs. (Blessed Pope John Paul II, The New Evangelization)

Therefore, my introspections are often challenging: a growing realization that I have been given unique gifts, and that I must use these gifts; but the more I use them, the more I am challenged by them: to change the wrongs in myself, before I point out the wrongs of others.

And of course this creates the challenge that I may be ostracized for sharing my thoughts, just as many of God’s followers were outcast.

So it is with great hope I continue Mark’s gospel: “They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Mk 10: 26-27

So here is my abbreviated and concentrated short examination of conscious (and long prayer) for myself this week—

God blesses me with an abundance of food: I choose to be healthy. Help me not eat everything I see, but instead to seek His true food, the Eucharist, at every opportunity.

God blesses me with an abundance of earthly wealth: I choose to be humble and thankful, making my decisions based on WWJD and not about money or gain for myself. Help me to give up control and seek opportunities for others without a “pat on the back” for giving away my time and treasures.

God blesses me with the opportunity to attend church: I choose to put God’s time first. Help me to focus on prayer and see church time as a privilege and an opportunity rather than as an obligation.

God blesses me with a talent to write: I choose to write about how God’s teachings influence my religious conscious, with the prayer that God’s voice in life and death issues will be heard above the culture of materialism. Help me to be guided and protected by the Spirit, and help my words to be charitable and tolerant. May I always write faithfully on God’s design for marriage (one man and one woman) and in expressing the need to vote for the protection of innocent, voiceless children and the freedom to make decisions based on my religious conscience. Amen.

“I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire. Beyond health and comeliness I loved her, and I chose to have her rather than the light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep. Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands.” Wis 7:7-11

May my own introspection guide you to see God’s Spirit in your life this week,

Blessings and thanksgiving for each of you who hear my heart,

Charlotte

 

 

"I do it myself"

Friends of Faith:

I’m feeling a little alone this morning as I find myself, for the first time in about four weeks, alone in my own house, with none of our children and no precious grandchildren (ages 2 & 4) saying “I do it myself.”
 

And yet I see God written all over the last four weeks, the last four years, the last forty years plus –in the realization that I didn’t do any of this by myself—God was in complete control—giving me gifts beyond measure—a husband, children and grandchildren, continuing another circle of life.

He gave us life and marriage and life again--“In the beginning God created… (all living creatures)...then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being….The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him…..The man gave names to all the tame animals, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be a helper suited to the man. So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman. When he brought her to the man, the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man this one has been taken.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.^*Gn2:7, 18, 20-24

And for the third week in a row we heard that not only did He give us life at creation, but He gives us life through the body and blood of the Eucharist: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." Jn 6:51

I am not to “do it FOR myself” I am to “do it for God.” I was created to be a “helper.”

I am not to “choose” whether I will give life—He has given me the gift of life.

And just as we have to have patience with a two year old who wants to do it herself we are to have patience with God who does it Himself—IF we let him.

“For with God all things are possible.” Mt 19:26

God is in control: of our life and our every blessing here on earth—family, food, shelter and health, and ultimately our spiritual well-being, our eternal health and life in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are the Maker, the Creator, the Life of us all. Help me to appreciate and never take for granted all of the living gifts you have given me. Thank you for physical health, for the spiritual food of Your word, and for the heavenly food given to us by Your institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Praise be your life giving rain and sunshine which provides food for our earthly bodies. Amen.

So while we have gotten very good at “doing it ourselves” have we forgotten that God’s purpose for us was to be “helpmates” for each other?

And has teaching “I do it myself” become “it’s all about me”—selfishness?

Or should it be an opportunity to teach patience, dependence on each other, reliance on God, appreciation of life and thanksgiving for our many gifts, especially the gift of life itself.

Will we teach just as strongly: “I do it for God?”

What can I really do myself? I can choose God’s truth. I can choose life. And I can choose to be a helpmate to all of his human creation.

This week “do it for God and with God”—not by yourself or for yourself,

Blessings,

Charlotte

I didn't do anything wrong

Friends of Faith:

“But, I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Sometimes the sin isn’t in what I did but rather in what I didn’t do.

If I don’t plant a seed, it can’t grow. And if that seed that doesn’t get watered and fed it dies.

In the gospel today, the apostles ask: "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear." Mt 13:36-43)

We have been given ears to hear God’s message and as humans we have been given the choice to plant for God, or to plant for the devil. It is our choice: when and what to plant, to nurture and how to nurture others (especially young plants/children), and how and with what we fertilize ourselves and each other.

If I plant nothing and do nothing, nothing will happen.

If I plant weeds through sin in the garden of my life, they are sure to grow. By sinning I am telling others it is “okay to sin”. By spreading lies like: “If she/he can do it, so can I” or “Everybody else is doing it” of “if no one knows I did or did not do it, it won’t hurt anyone” and “it only affects me” I grow these lies and allow God’s truths to be uprooted. This is especially true in the examples I set for my children—right or wrong.

If my choice is to miss a meal, a week of meals, a month of meals I will go hungry, I may even starve and die. And if I don’t feed my family they will starve and die with me. Where am I getting my fertilizer; and how am I spreading it?

Jesus told us “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35 He provides the food which will sustain us for eternity if we eat at His Eucharistic table. 

God always seems to provide us food when we need it the most. He fed Moses and his people as they wandered in the desert by providing them with quail and manna. And when Jesus was teaching in Galilee he fed the five thousand present by multiplying the loaves. Jn 6: 1-15

God says to pray: “Give us this day, our DAILY bread.” He provides for us daily in scripture, prayer and with daily Eucharist at Mass. The more healthy food of Christ’s I eat, the more healthy I grow in Spirit!

But if I choose to miss a meal, a week of meals, a month of meals, I will starve just as if I missed eating that many breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Just as I won’t survive without eating human food daily; I can’t survive without choosing to eat the heavenly food He has provided. I will starve for His grace.

And to do nothing with the gifts that God has given me—that is the sin of omission—of allowing others to wander, to follow evil and/or to avoid the truth.

I have been given opportunities to teach by example, listen with compassion to those who are hurting, and to show kindness to a spouse or friend—maybe sometimes with a simple smile and/or a kind word. If I do not sew the seed which God has given me—who will?

Heavenly Father, you bless us with the richest of food—Your son, who gave us His body and blood to fulfill our souls. Help keep my ears open to Your word and Your truth. Give me the wisdom to separate the weeds from the seeds. And help me to plant only good, by my example, my speech and by my deeds. Thank you for giving me this day and for my daily bread. Amen.

If I don’t do anything, nothing can grow.

Plant and feed a good seed this week,

Blessings,

Charlotte

Right Road--Giving God Priority

Women of Faith:

Life constantly throws us “curve balls” readjusting our schedules, sending us new duties, illness, or even hurts and sufferings so that we are given the chance to reaffirm our “road” and to be allowed to make our choice FOR God.

And this was one of those weeks where I was reminded over and over again that as long as I stay on the “right road” I can accomplish and achieve something much more worthy by following Him than I can by following a road I made for myself.

Because my ultimate goal is to work thru God, for God and in God, then the journey He sets for me is often different than the one I expected, tried to control or even envisioned in my well laid plans.

If we have truly been called by Christ and have chosen to follow Him, then our mission, our goals in life, and our road to that goal will have been given to us by Christ’s life here on earth, not by our will, but by His. “Thy will be done.”

I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all…..

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ. Eph 4:1-13

And as long as I know where I am going, what my priority is, what my goal is in life, than I will do whatever it takes to get there, I will constantly readjust the turns in my life to stay on the “right road.”

Jesus said to his disciples: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mk 16:15-20

I was told over the weekend, “you don’t have time for this, you have other things to do, you shouldn’t be here and you shouldn’t be taking the time to talk to me.” And my answer was, “no, this is where God wants me to be, this is my choice, I will be here now, where my friends NEED me to be.”

I hope you too were given an opportunity to be called by God: to be a witness to Him. And that you took that opportunity and answered God’s call, YES!!

I hope that God chose you to lift up your spouse, to love a friend thru their pain, to find joy with a young person as they walked across a high school or college graduation stage or to care for a loved one who was suffering illness: to offer peace, comfort, caring and kindness as St. Paul did for all he met on the different roads he traveled.

Heavenly Father, we give glory in your name. Help us take the opportunity to push away the devil and our own selfish desires; and to listen to and speak the words you have given us which encourage and offer peace, joy and comfort to others. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your servant and to build up Your Body of Christ. May we all become one in union with you, in one faith, in one baptism and in one Church. Amen.

Are you listening to God’s call? Are you willing to make Him your priority and to change your ways so that you will stay on the “right road, His road?” Are you making your spouse a priority even while patiently waiting for them to accept your love? Have you been available for a friend who needs your help or a stranger who needs a word of kindness or have you been “too busy” to see their needs?

Take the time, follow Christ’s road this week, and use your God given gifts to make His tasks your priority,

Be blessed on your journey down the right road!
Charlotte

Grown in love

Women of Faith:
I am grown in the choices I make. I choose to be grown in love.

Love is not a feeling; happiness is a feeling.
Love is not an emotion; anger is an emotion.
Love is not a state; confusion is a state.
Love can include feeling and emotion and leave you in a state,
But love is, at heart a decision.
Love sees the imperfections, sins and failings and says, “I still choose to love you.” --Mark Hart, Blessed are the Bored in Spirit

We are grown in love thru God.

I choose to weed out the lies which our fed to me by the media and influence all of our lives—the lies that say we can do no wrong. We are all sinners with imperfections, so we must choose to make God a priority so that we can grow closer to him.

The lies that say “it’s all about me and what’s important to me, and how I feel about me, and if I am happy in me.”It’s about putting God in each of those statements for it will only be his judgment in the end.

The lie that says our wrong choices are unforgivable, so there is no hope for me. God always forgives, but it is our choice to forgive others and to ask for forgiveness so that we may be forgiven: “And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And the lies that say we have a “right to choose.” Yes, we have a choice… but if we choose death over life, if we choose to sleep in instead of going to church (keep holy the Sabbath), if we choose anger over unconditional forgiveness then our choice is not God—our choice is not love.

Everything we have is a gift from God: Our time, our bodies, our children, the air we breathe, and the food that sustains us. Do we give thanks by choosing to let His seed be firmly planted in the soil of good friends and a God enriched environment?

I choose to be firmly rooted in my faith by truly trusting in the words of scripture—his words which fertilize me. I choose to be regularly fed by daily prayer, weekly attendance at mass and receiving him in the Eucharist so that my soul will be filled by the body and blood he gave us on the cross.

I choose to be watered by His grace because I seek His grace.

I choose to be warmed by the SONshine when I choose to give everything back to God in prayer and thru forgiveness.

Love One Another. As I have Loved You, so You should also Love One another.
John 13:34

Heavenly Father: We praise and thank you for the Spirit that gives us grace (thru water), fertilizing us thru your holy word and blessing us in the gift of your Son. May our choice be to love others as you love each of us. May we seek to be chosen by you, and may our choice be to serve you by serving each other. May we all choose to be grown in love, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Weed out the bad seeds, be firmly rooted in Christ thru your choices, be watered by the grace of forgiveness, fertilized by scripture and may the Son shine on you this week,

Happy Valentine's Day,
Charlotte

Middle of the Road

Friends in Faith:

I don’t like conflict. I am a peacemaker. I want to see good in everyone I meet. I have a hard time listening to someone who is talking “trash,” or to someone who is laying blame on another person instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. I don’t like the confrontation of having to tell someone that their choice is against God’s commandments.

I have a difficult time taking a “righteous” stance if it means I might have to offend or make an enemy of someone. I want everyone to be my friend. I don’t want to have to “suffer” someone’s ill thoughts that I was either judgmental or acting out of my own self fulfillment. I sometimes find it easier to walk the “middle of the road” than to be persecuted because I chose to reveal or speak God’s truth.

But God says that we will suffer because we have faith. Many of His chosen people, the saints, who have been raised to the glory of heaven, were martyrs; martyrs who died because they took a path that wasn’t “middle of the road.”

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope … to an inheritance … to a salvation that is ready to be revealed … although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:3-9
If we are walking on the “wrong” side or with the “wrong” friends we are probably being told that we can do what we want and that we can make our own path. We may think that because God loves us no matter what we do, or how we choose, we are safe. Those on the “wrong” side are choosing to ignore the laws; they are driving down the wrong side of the road. It isn’t difficult to see that the accident waiting to happen will be deadly.

If we walk in the middle, we might feel safe or it might be the path of least resistance, but chances are we are still going to be hurt. But the middle is exactly what it says, we are in a place where we can choose either to be saved, or we can end up dead. When we are in the middle, there is usually an outstretched hand, a spouse or friend waiting to pull us to safety. God is putting that someone in our path to help us to make the right choice.

The middle of the road is more difficult to “see.” It may not be completely wrong, but it is just as dangerous, maybe more so, because we feel better, “safer,” when we are in the middle.

Eventually we must choose. God does love us no matter what, but He gives us the freedom to choose to follow Him. We must ask forgiveness, we must seek his mercy and we must have the commitment and discipline to try to do better.

What happens when I walk in the middle of the road in my faith journey? Will I become “road kill?” Can I survive?

When I am in the middle, I am no better than Thomas when he is doubting Christ or Peter when he is denying Christ. I must choose one side or the other, the right or the wrong. I must choose between heaven and hell. There is no middle path, no middle destination, when we are talking about our choice to follow God.

Dear God: Praise be Jesus’ choice to suffer and die for me so that I may have the opportunity to join You in heaven. Thank you for His resurrection which was given with the promise of eternal life if I choose His path, the right side of the road. Help me to choose His way even when the middle looks easier. Give me the strength to choose what is right and to accept my sufferings with the Spirit of courage you have granted me in faith. Amen.

Does it bother me that someone will speak about me unkindly? Yes. But if I am choosing the right side, if I have moved away from the middle, I know that God has promised me His protection. I may suffer, but in the end I will have achieved the ultimate in survival.

Blessings as you move away from the middle,

Charlotte

Wrestling for our God's Right

Posted on the Focus on the Family website: Since all of us from Iowa have had this conversation with someone over the past week.

www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/Finding_Home/2011/02/23/should-boys-wrestle-girls

My comment: we have another opportunity to show an example of faith over society: and again in Iowa !!

Joel was right in picking his faith and morals over societies “equality” of all. Like all of the other issues that have to do with “equal” treatment and fairness—God did not make us equal, and life is not fair.

God created men and women differently, for a reason, we have a purpose, Genesis, Ephesians etc.. We were not created equal. The only thing that is “equal is God’s love for us. The rest is about service to/for each other and taking care of each other to elevate us to God’s standards. It may be in good “fun” but God isn’t about “fun” or “fair” he is about love and joy; service and sacrifice. That is what Joel did—he sacrificed his personal goals and pleasure for God.

We have to start drawing the line somewhere: equal rights in “gay” marriage; freedom of choice for abortions; equality in sports—it all speaks of the same societal freedoms that are not really freedoms but free will choosing society instead of God.

May God give us the courage to choose His will, not ours.
Love and Blessings to you all,
Charlotte

God's Super Bowl

Women of Faith:

What would happen to the world if we celebrated God in the same way as we celebrated the Super Bowl?

What if we had the same excitement, the same anticipation, the same parties that we had yesterday during the Super Bowl, when we came out of church on Sunday morning? Or even if we had as many people at church as we had watching the Super Bowl—all with one purpose and one goal?

Or what if our marriages had the same good natured arguments as two friends cheering, one for the Packers and one for the Steelers—and ending up with a pat on the back, and a “we’ll” be back for more tomorrow?

No, I am not saying it is wrong to enjoy the Super Bowl. But when I woke up this morning I really didn’t care whether my side won or lost last night.

But in God’s game, winning or losing, is heaven or hell. That matters, now I care.
And while I get a second chance every day when I wake up, when the game is over, God’s decision, God’s judgment of what I have done with my life; of which quarterback I have followed—Jesus or another, will be final.

My goal is to win God’s Super Bowl. I have faith and hope that I will be a winner if I follow Him.

God’s super bowl has a game plan. It is the bible and the interpretation of His church, given to us all to read and follow. These were some of His instructions this week:

“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body.
Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers. Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you. Thus we may say with confidence: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me? Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Heb13:1-8

“Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Mt 5:13-16

Do we want to be like the bowl games performers, the quarterbacks, and the actors in the commercials? Are they our role models? Are their “goals” becoming our goals? Are their lights “brighter” and set on “higher” lampstands than those of God’s followers, of those who see and seek the truth? Who do we imitate? Who do we follow?

Who are our role models? And who is our quarterback?

What would change in the world if everyone attended church the way they attended the Super Bowl (in person or on TV)? God’s commercials would ask us to serve the poor, the widowed, the orphaned and the children. The commercials would ask us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, shelter the homeless etc. They would ask us to be unselfish and to die to our own selfish ways and desires for our spouses and our marriages, just as Christ died for his spouse, the Church.

What if we knew, understood and studied Gods game and “players” of as well as the players of the NFL, all their stats, all of their history. How much do we know about the Hall of Famers “Saints” in God’s game?

Are we following a false quarterback, a societal god? Do we follow those who say we should have freedom of choice for life, marriages of equality, a need to be rich and famous, or the “it must be right, everyone is doing it attitude?”

Or are we following God’s quarterback, Jesus? Do we imitate His selfless service to believers and non believers alike, loving each other in good times and bad, for richer, for poorer? Do our choices in life recognize that God’s bowl game has the ultimate, the SUPER outcome?

Heavenly Father: Praise be the real game, that of life itself. Please bless us, the players of the game, so that we will know the truth and follow the one you sent, Jesus Christ, as our coach. Praise be Jesus who was sent here to make us winners of Your gift of eternity. I am sorry for the times when I have allowed myself to be influenced by the rich and famous, when it is your riches that I desire. Thank you for being my guiding light. Amen.

Put God into Your Super Bowl game. Make Jesus Christ your coach. May we be led by His play book.
Blessings,
Charlotte

To Be or Not to Be

Women of Faith:
How are our lives and our society driven by convenience?

We have “convenience foods,” drive-thru drug stores and even drive up windows at “eat-in” restaurants, so now we can save the time that might have been required to prepare the food. We have DVD’s in our cars to entertain the kids. Our stores stay open 24-7 so that we will have “convenient” shopping hours. We have “convenience” stores that carry everything from milk and bread, to medicine, to gas for our cars. We carry cell phones and hand held computers so that we have “convenient” access to our email, our offices and we can be “tracked” and kept track of without every really talking to our children or our spouses.

What has all this convenience done for us? We no longer sit down as a family to have a meal, or to hang out on a regular basis in the kitchen, learning how to cook. Sunday’s (and even Christmas and Thanksgiving) are filled with shopping for a something we might “need” (or is that want?) Our children are entertained not only by the TV at home, but even when we are traveling down the road. When do we take time to talk and find out about their day? And we (and our spouses) are always connected to our work, so that we never really have “free” time or silence in our lives, a chance to connect with each other, or a time to listen to God’s call in our lives.

In St Paul’s letter to Timothy he says: “Beloved: Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” 2 Tm 3:14-4:2

God is not a God of convenience. God is a God of truth and mercy. His word is inspired with wisdom for our salvation, forgiveness for our past wrongs, and perfect love for those who chose to seek His narrow path. We are asked to be persistent (and patient) in learning, convincing, correcting and encouraging others and ourselves to live His truth and share His love.

How do we make our faith lives convenient? We justify our every choice with the ever popular “it must be right, everyone is doing it.” We choose to do something for ourselves, rather than to do something for our neighbor (next door, or in a country around the world).

We ignore the opportunities we are given to help a child (both our own by giving them quality time with us or by being a good role model for our younger generations). It is inconvenient to talk to our lonely, elderly neighbors, or to help out the person next door who may have lost their job or have no food on their table. Instead we use our time and money to entertain ourselves and give ourselves more toys and conveniences, filling our homes with “useless” treasures.

We go to church when it is “convenient,” when it fits our schedule. We choose marriage and divorce with convenience—it’s easier to live together than to make a commitment to one another (and to not communicate God’s word to those who are making this choice); and when our spouse “fails us,” divorce becomes the “convenient” choice.

We even choose “life” when it is convenient, with birth control, abortion and euthanasia or by voting for someone who is pro-choice, because they promise us “lower taxes.”

It is tough to take the “inconvenient” path. It is not easy to “do” what God tells us is right. And as Paul said, it is not always “convenient” to speak the truth: to “know Him, love Him, and serve Him.”

Dear God: Praise be Your merciful forgiveness of my past “convenient” choices; for sending Your son who suffered “inconvenience” for me and died on the cross. Forgive me for the times I have chosen entertainment over service, anger over love, or envied “what everyone else” was doing. Thank you for the “conveniences” I am blessed with—a warm home, a car that starts, food on my table and friends to support me. Help me to listen to You in the silence and to be patient with those who have not yet heard Your truth. Help me to remember that the inconveniences of this world will be blessed in Your world. Amen.

Be “inconvenienced” today! Blessings,
Charlotte