Snowball

Friends of Faith:

This thought is like a snowball which keeps getting bigger and deeper and more encompassing, with a realization that it is central to our Christian purpose.

Love = subordination = subject to the mission = service: All which hopefully makes us holier and brings us closer to God. And God is love. And this is the circle that is a growing snowball which cannot be denied. Reference the following 3 readings:

"Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs  with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 
Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.” Col 3: 12-21

“Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.” Eph 5: 21-33

“For if I do not have love, I have nothing….. Love is patient, love is kind… but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor 13: 1-13

I cannot deny a single word of these three readings about love, subordination, subjection, and submission (being under the mission of Christ, led by my husband, serving each other—be it family or friend or even enemy.)  

Each reading boldly leads to the definition of love – to service for one another and most importantly for service to God. They lead me to Jesus, the cross and the Church. They lead me to see Jesus’ example of teaching us how to be and how to do love – to be a selfless sacrifice for another. And they lead me by reminding me that no matter what I give up for the honor of serving Him, I should be willing to do it – nothing, NO Thing, NO event, should be greater than God.

It pains me when I hear or even say: I’ll take care of ‘person’s name’ later; or ‘husbands or child’s name’ will wait till later; or I didn’t make it to mass on Sunday because ‘event or happening’ was during that time.

So, no matter where I go with the thought – about doing something good or succumbing to the bad, the concept grows and shows me how big God really is and how central to my life God is and has become. I can’t escape Him no matter where I run, what I think or where my heart turns –not that I want to, but only to further make me realize how important He is to the creation of happiness, holiness, peacefulness and joy – all of which I crave with every fiber of my being.

I realize quite loudly that without God, there is nothing; without God, I am nothing; without God, I can do nothing; and WITH God, everything IS better, greater and has a larger purpose. And that is because I am not putting myself first. I am subjecting myself to God, to my husband and to others the way God intended and the way God created us.

The cardinal rule: Love one another as God has loved us – is bigger, is bolder, than anything on earth we can imagine. And while it is normal to take this “out” to the homeless, the impoverished, even our enemies we should not forget that this starts first and foremost in our homes with our spouses, our families and our Church family. Many times, loving, being subject to, and serving those closest to us, is more difficult than taking it out into the world.

O loving Father, May I always be reminded of your generous love in the gift of your son, Jesus. Thank you for the mercy you have bestowed on me when I fail to reflect your generous love to others. And give me the grace to be strong in you by reflecting your light to others in their darkness. Amen.

Snowball love. Be generous, be a servant, and be subject to God’s mighty power.

Blessings,

Charlotte

Giving Tuesday from the Perspective of the Gifted

Friends of Faith:

Today is giving Tuesday. I thought it would be appropriate to share what giving looks like from the perspective of those who work for the agencies that benefit from your generosity. Hopefully we remember to give to those who truly need support this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

As a tribute I am sharing a “guest” column from one of our favorite charities—Bridgehaven, pregnancy support center, in Cedar Rapids. This Christian organization serves mothers, babies, and families with women’s health, prenatal care, post birth and post abortion support. Some of their financial support comes from my favorite second hand store, Treasures, located in downtown Cedar Rapids. Our daughter, Kristy, is on the board of directors.

This column was written by Kylee Pusteoska, Director of Development and a Traer native. Please look them up at www.bridgehavencr.org

“For most of us, Thanksgiving is a time of family, food and football. We anticipate a favorite dish, whether it be Aunt Nancy’s mashed potatoes or Cousin Andi’s Asian salad. Some are concerned about the outcome of the Cowboys game. Still others worry about cleaning their bathrooms for the in-laws who will be spending the weekend. But what if you were the Development Director at a local non-profit? This would mean you were planning a wonderful Giving Tuesday campaign for your beloved charity.

Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday…November 29th this year. Traditionally, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate philanthropy. Around the globe, social media lights up with wonderful stories about the valuable work of of non-profits, along with a call to financially support these great organizations. We, at Bridgehaven, happen to be pretty proud of the work we do and I can’t wait to share that with the world.

My Marketing Coordinator and I came up with a fabulous plan, including photos and videos of our staff and volunteers talking about our work. I thought it was going to be an easy sell to the staff members…not so much. Apparently, being videotaped is a phobia-inducing experience for some. Others were worried about lipstick or hair. Others wanted to make sure they said exactly the right thing. There were several practice sessions and videos taped over and over. In the end, I think we are going to promote the joy and love that radiates from Bridgehaven but the experience got me thinking.

Doesn’t God ask us to shine our light into the dark world? Isn’t he asking us to show love to our neighbors and help care for the least of his people? The staff and volunteers at Bridgehaven do this every single day. They meet with young women who are often frightened and alone. They counsel young families facing difficult circumstances and teach classes to men and women who are trying to make their lives better. The staff is constantly making connections in the community so that we can offer our clients information about services we don’t provide. We work with several other non-profit organizations in Cedar Rapids to make sure our clients get the care needed by them and their families. Every day, these men and women at Bridgehaven work hard to do God’s work….to be the hands and feet. And they do it with a grace I am in awe of. So why was it so hard for them to share that?

I think everyone on our staff feels called to be here. There is a connection with each other and with our clients that could not exist outside of this non-profit ministry. The love that moves through this place is like nothing I have experienced. It is such an honor to be part of this team. I am pretty sure everyone feels that but there was a disconnect when it came to saying it out loud on a video. Was it modesty? Humility? Was it the ol’ Iowa nice kicking in? It could have been any number of these things…it could have been all of them. But I think I finally figured it out.

Bridgehaven is a place of acceptance and love. The people who work here see that as normal and merely answered God’s call to be here and to serve. They don’t understand that what they do every day is miraculous. The work that happens at Bridgehaven involves faith and a comfort in knowing we are changing the future for the better. But the men and women who work here don’t realize all the gifts and talents they bring to the table. They don’t understand that I see them all as rock stars in Jesus’ band. They simply show up every day and love. They love each other and they love the clients and families who walk through our doors. They solely live the mission of Bridgehaven “to empower choices for life through Christ-centered education and support.”

So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful I work with a team so involved in love they don’t know how to express that in a promotional video. They come and hold the hands of our clients and offer them information without judgement. They sort clothes at Treasures to help raise funds to support the ministry. They teach classes about parenting to create stronger families. They do ultrasounds and teach classes about positive life choices. Some of us get to watch all of this and be amazed by what happens here. So when I tell you that the staff and volunteers here are exceptional, believe me. Just don’t ask me to show you evidence on video.”

Kylee Pusteoska

Director of Development

Unwrapped

Friends of Faith:

Even though my favorite part of Christmas are the lights and the reactions of everyone to those lights, for many it is the unwrapping of presents—big, small and everything in between. A lot of attention goes into shopping, buying and wrapping and then of course unwrapping all of the glitter that was so carefully placed around each treasured purchase.

But after they are all unwrapped, and more importantly for those of us who are practical shoppers, we hope that the presents we so carefully gifted won’t just continue to sit under the tree or on a shelf, be wrapped back up to be re-gifted, or be hidden in a cupboard, but that the presents will be explored, loved and/or put to good use.

“Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Is 60: 4-5

It is the same with God’s greatest gift to us, Christ Jesus. God intends us not to just “unwrap” his presence in our lives, but to explore him—learning all we can about Him, love Him as the greatest gift we have ever been given and put his presence to good use—learning, doing and being by his example of servitude, charity, kindness and compassion.

Heavenly Father, the gift of Your Son, Jesus was a manifestation of Your love for us. Just as we have given our family heartfelt gifts, so too did You give us Your heartfelt gift—love enough that Your son sacrificed His entire life for our sake. Help me to be as kind, as charitable, and as compassionate in serving others. Help me to look beyond the glitter, looking inside the package you presented so that I can give to others in a way that uses your gifts to me compassionately and worthily. Thank you for unwrapping Your presence in my life. Amen.

Christmas doesn’t end when the wrapping paper is torn off. Christmas has only just begun!

Blessings,

Charlotte
 

Advent Hope

Friends of Faith:

Like little children trying to be good for the Christmas Santa, the preparations of Advent symbolically guide us to become ready for the Christmas Jesus.

I hope that the rewards of the coming of Christ will be searched for every day.

I hope that every Christmas light illuminating our home represents a life being touched by my presence.

I hope that instead of BUYING gifts for those whose needs are already met I will recognize those that truly have a physical need  and those that desire to feel the gift of Christ’s presence.

I hope that my desire to be in Christ’s presence receives as much time as accomplishing the rest of my Christmas lists.

I hope that putting aside family differences, forgiving, and being forgiven will not just happen on these days of Advent and at Christmas gatherings but all year round.

I hope that I live my life in the service of love; by trying to become better not just during the season of Advent, but by getting ready for the coming of Christ in the Christmas of every day.

“Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Mt 10: 6-8

God’s hope for us isn’t just for this season, but for eternity. It is a hope without cost, just like the best gifts are those without cost—love, hope, joy, and peace.

Heavenly Father, You are all that is Good. Thank you for the gift of life, the gift of truth, and the gift of forgiveness. May I succeed in fulfilling a childlike goodness by sharing these gifts with others. Help me to prepare this Advent season to give these gifts away just as Your Son gave away His entire being for us. Amen.

There’s no greater time of Hope than in the season of Advent. And God’s promise is that our hope will be fulfilled by the coming of His son, Christ Jesus.

Live those hopes as fervently as a child in waiting for the “Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Blessings,
Charlotte

The Gift I Wish

Women of Faith:

The gift I most want to give and to receive is a gift that is free to everyone. It is a gift in the sense that we do not deserve it or earn it, and it is readily available if we want it. It is the gift of FAITH!

My parents gave me the gift faith when they brought me to be baptized. They carefully nurtured the faith, grew it by example, and encouraged me to be fed by the Eucharist. I formally accepted the gift when I said yes to the Sacrament of Confirmation. It is a gift that I hope I never abuse but rather display proudly by my example.

It is a gift that everyone desires, but some do not yet know what it is they desire. It is a gift that everyone is offered, but some don’t quite know how to ask for. And it is a gift that everyone desperately needs—God’s presence/presents in their lives.

Faith is a gift that I hope everyone will have for its promise is life changing.

“Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you.” Mt 7:7

Once faith is received it remains within us. But faith is not an “easy” gift because it requires us to look deeply into ourselves and under the package wrappings. And if we revere our gift of faith by continued study we will form and transform every part of our being.

And I am most saddened when I see a faith that has been set aside, neglected or left unwrapped because something else became more important.

In the gospel today, Jesus praises the men who let the paralyzed man down through the roof. "When He saw their faith, He said, 'As for you, your sins are forgiven.'" (Luke 5:20) (First Century Palestinians believed that sickness and infirmity were the result of sin, one's own or that of one's ancestors.)

It is thru faith that I am given the gifts of the Spirit—reverence, wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe, courage, right judgment, and knowledge. And it is thru faith that I am forgiven each time I have failed God’s commandments.

No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. 1 Cor 12: 4-7

Heavenly Father, in You I place my trust. Thank you for the faith which allows me to overcome the discouragement of superficial earthly wants and desires. Help me to see the many opportunities which my faith has given me. Help me use faith’s power and to be available to assist others who wish to unwrap their own gift of faith. May Your Spirit guide me with an increase of patience and charity, especially for those who seem to ignore Your gift of faith. And help me to nurture my faith with awe and wonder so that I may be inspired to move forward by faiths’ limitless beauty and challenges. Amen.

Pope Benedict has declared this a Year of Faith. Advent is the perfect time to take the gift of faith, unwrap it and share it with others.

May you be blessed by accepting His gift of faith,

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

My Part

Friends in Faith:

Those of you who know me know that I am somewhat of a perfectionist. I tend to get stressed and frustrated when something isn’t done right, when someone else doesn’t see the work that needs to be done, or when someone doesn’t complete their part.

My instinct then is to become very independent and just do it all: the supermom, the super organizer, the super doer :)

I constantly need reminded that God doesn’t want me to do it all; that I am only a tiny part in this great big world; that we are each put here to be a part of each other; and that we are each given different gifts, different strengths, so that we can serve and be served.

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,so also Christ.” 1 Cor 12:3b-7

God deliberately gave men- women, husbands- wives, children- mothers and fathers. He very deliberately gave us bible role models, Mary, Martha, Ruth and Sarah; Abraham, Moses, Noah, and Peter.

What if Noah had said “no?” No time, no money, someone else can do it. (Lack of resources—but God says he will always provide). What if Noah had tried to do it alone or allowed only one of each species on the ark? Are we working two by two?

What if Mary had said “no?” Too much work, I’m not the person for the job, not listening to the calling of God. What if she had not allowed Joseph to take her to Bethlehem? (Fear of the unknown, but God said He is the Way, the Truth). Are we seeking the role models of other Christian parents and marriages?

What if Peter had said “no?” Too big of a job, someone else should do it, I’m not strong enough. (Fear of doing it alone, but God gave him the Spirit for wisdom, fortitude, and understanding.) Are we being a leader, using our talents to serve others, and allowing the Spirit to be our guide? Are we asking God for help?

Do we lovingly accept the resources, the help, provided to us by our spouse, or do we have to “earn” our own incomes? Do we try to do it all on our own, never seeking their help, so that they are left to feel as if we don’t need them EVERY day? Are we being a supermom and leaving dad feeling alone and left out?

Do we accept the advice and the truth of our friends who may see us following the wrong path?

Are we trying to be everything to our children, not allowing them to work, not allowing them to learn basic household jobs and forgetting to teach them to pray, to ask God for their needs? Are we setting them up for failure because they don’t know how to work, how to take the initiative and how to help others? Are we a frustrated “superdoer?”

Are we doing our “part” and allowing others to complete us with their “part?”
We are each a part of the Body of Christ. We are each given the opportunity to be spoken to “in our own tongues.” We must not only act, but we must learn to listen.

We must not only do our part, but we must allow others to do theirs so that the Body of Christ will be complete.

Heavenly Father, Praise be the Spirit sent to give me guidance and wisdom. Thank you for speaking to me in my “own language.” Thank you for giving me the gifts of patience and understanding and for providing me the resources to do Your will. Help me to accept Your guidance, and those you send my way to help me with wide open arms. Help me not only to do my part, but to accept the help of others. Help me to give You control. Amen.

Blessings,
Charlotte