Just have Faith

 

Friends of Faith:

Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” Mk 5:21-43

Seems so simple, but do a faith check; and a fear check and a trust check….

How are you really doing?

No matter who we are, there is some area of our life where we “fear” and/or some part of our life where we try to control the situation (so lack faith or trust.)

I haven’t written for a while partly because I have “feared” judgment; that my message would be taken politically or in judgment of another’s fear. And partly because I didn’t want to sound like I was judging another’s faith or trust.

And because of my fear it’s possible that someone else hasn’t been supported or lifted up in their own faith. That’s what being a witness for Christ is all about. That’s what having faith is all about.

What a tangled web we weave – because of fear, because of a lack of trust – or even because we are trusting in something other than God himself.

The woman who was hemorrhaging had faith enough to simply reach out and touch Jesus’ cloak and she was healed. The family of the dying daughter had enough faith to ask for her healing and she was brought back to life – from death to life.

Yes, God has that much power – to bring us back to life. But will we even take the challenge to ask?

My biggest regret looking back at the last 20 or so months, hasn’t been that I feared sickness or death, but that I lacked faith – faith enough in your responses; faith enough in the Holy Spirit so that you would hear HIS message through me. Faith enough that the Holy Spirit would guide my message so that those reading would be converted, be comforted, strengthened and given the courage to trust in their own relationship with Christ Jesus, and in his healing power.

That is what I keep learning that the devil wants – to keep us in fear; to push down our faith; to take away courage inspired by the Holy Spirit and most importantly to keep us away from the Eucharist and our communion of faith – the Church community to which we belong; where we are given strength in numbers (where 2 or 3 are gathered….)

Go. Ask for God’s healing and conversion. Do not fear. Just have faith!!!!

Blessings,

Charlotte

The "Commander" in Chief

Women of Faith:

My question today is soul searching, and yet I believe God has given us all the simple solution: Are we living by God’s commands? And the solution: WWJD!

What commands/laws have we created as humans because we “are” human?

Moses said to the people: "Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin upon you, you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it. Dt 4:1-2

God says we have a choice: good or evil, God or the devil.

God says we are all equal: not that we will be treated equally by the law, but by HIM.

So what laws protecting choice and equality are of God, and what laws protecting choice and equality are of man? Do our laws protect what God designed: Life and Marriage? Or are humans redesigning God’s commands?

This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." Mk 7: 6-8

Do the laws we follow honor God’s Ten commandments? Or as the Ten Commandments have been taken off of the courthouse lawns, have God’s 10 been taken out of our moral and social compass, and therefore our human laws?

Is our government a god who is taking care of orphans and widows? Is everyone who proclaims to be “needy” really in need? What is it that we as humans really need? And have we determined that it is  government that will be the god to those who want to be taken care of, or is that the role we as humans, designed by God were given—to unselfishly take care of those in need?

All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.  Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world. Jas 1: 17-28, 21B-22

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. 1 Cor 2: 1-5

Our conscience is the soul God gave us as a “natural checkpoint” of right and wrong. What does our conscience tell us are the right things to teach, promote and most importantly to do?

He summoned the crowd again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile. "From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy,  blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile." Mk 7:14-15, 21-23

Lord, I love your commands. From every evil way I withhold my feet, that I may keep your words. From your ordinances I turn not away, for you have instructed me. Ps 119: 97, 101-102

Lord God, Heavenly King, the Greatest Commander, may I DO what I KNOW is Your will. Help all who proclaim to be Your followers have the courage to defend the unborn (God’s orphans) and to take a stand against all who promote and allow abortion.  Help us to give encouragement to single mothers (God’s widows) who have been abandoned by fathers of unborn children. Help them to be guided to Pro-life centers who have the resources necessary to support them and their children. Thank you for Your most perfect gift, Life.  Amen.

Follow God’s Command!

Blessings,

Charlotte

Patience Required

Women of Faith:

I’ll admit it, I can be very judgmental and don’t have a lot of patience for all of the wrongs I see around me. I want EVERY relationship, every marriage, to be loving and kind. I want kids to be disciplined and obedient. I want communication between families to be “right.” I hope that more will give, more will serve and more will dedicate their gifts to others. I wish everyone could “see” the difference between the truths of the Church and the evils of society.

I am impatient with laws and the interpretation of laws which allow and tolerate freedoms which so obviously go against God’s natural design for life. I think our laws should protect us from abortion, pornography, terrorism, gay marriage and other self-serving greed. And I want immediate change and the satisfaction of seeing a world changed by God’s perfection.

Sunday’s reading of the parable of the weeds sown among the seeds of grain was a gentle, humble reminder of the fact that God is stronger than the abundance of evil around us. It gave me hope because it reminded me that the devil who plants the evil among us won’t be the ultimate decision maker over which seeds will be harvested.
I must be patient….

"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 13:24-33

Jesus taught in a parable, but then explained that parable so that it wasn’t left to our own interpretation. He said that each of us, as children of God, were created as good seed and that the “bad” seed is sown by the devil who is trying to choke out our good nature, the nature God created in each of us. Jesus said that none of us will be thrown out until the last day, because to do so might be to throw out someone who might change, and God is giving us time to change and always allows us the opportunity of forgiveness for our sins.

We are reminded that it is God who has the ultimate power, and that it is in God’s time that these decisions will be made. We are told that if we succeed in growing healthy amongst the evil weeds we will ultimately be harvested into His kingdom in heaven.

Aw, more patience…..

“For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved…. and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.” Wis 12:13, 16-19

Again a reminder that I must be patient for there is perfection in God. A perfection that allows Him to be perfectly tolerant, perfectly lenient, and perfectly merciful, as we slowly change, growing in our faith to become the grain that He has so lovingly planted and that He will harvest when it is His chosen time.

Heavenly Father, I am awed by the mercy you show us when we give in to the evil that continues to plant weeds around us. Thank you for Your merciful forgiveness. Thank you for giving us Your son as the sunshine to light our way. Thank you for giving us the Spirit raining down upon us so that we can grow stronger each day. Help us to avoid the choke hold of the evils planted in our lives and stand strong together as Christians. Help us each to assist each other in finding Your good soil and to be patient as we grow together in Your love. Amen.

May we each be as patient, tolerant and merciful of each other’s sins and imperfections as God is of ours.
Blessings,
Charlotte