Friends in Faith,
Happy 4th of July! America was founded under God to give us the freedom to create and the opportunities to achieve a bucket list. Are the bucket lists we have created with the freedom of our independence something that God would be proud of?
“Consequently, brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Rom 8:9, 11-13
Is the bucket list you have created heavy with goals of the world rather than the Spirit? Is your bucket filled with self doubts or self pity that you don’t have enough worldly gifts to reach the bottom so that you can empty the bucket? Is the bucket filled with worries about family, friends and things that cloud the goals with fear?
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Mt 11:25-30
So who lightens your bucket? Who is in your life to help you see clearly to the bottom, unload the burdens, and empty the bucket?
“Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.” Gn 8:10-22a
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now, I see. T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares we have already come. T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far and Grace will lead us home. The Lord has promised good to me His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.” Lyrics Amazing Grace
God’s amazing Grace. The Grace that He gives us in the Spirit is always with us, always near us, and always promised to us no matter how heavy, how murky, or how covered up the goals become. His Grace, His Amazing Grace, will help lighten our load, will help carry and empty the bucket, will help free us to get us to our own ultimate goal and to help others get to what should be their ultimate bucket goal—heaven.
“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4: 6-7
God’s grace calls us not to worry, to always ask and to always give thanks to God for all that we have. If we can remember to ask, if we can remember who has given us every blessing, if we can remember who is ultimately responsible, not only for helping us attain our bucket list, but also for who is in charge of what should be in our bucket list, than His Amazing Grace will also lighten our burdens and flow into us when we need Him the most.
As servants of God we are called to be the spouse, the spiritual advisor, or the friend who can help lighten someone’s bucket by making someone smile through their tears; by saying a comforting word to give someone a glimmer of hope; or by using our gifts with the purpose for which God intended.
God is giving us Grace to be shared, the Spirit that needs to be spread, and the hand to lighten our spouses, neighbors, or friends load by sharing their sufferings and sacrificing our own worldly goals for that which is spiritual.
Is our service to God today, not to complete our own bucket list but to help someone carry their bucket, or to lighten their load? Are our words and deeds helping someone accomplish their bucket list by clearing the junk out of their bucket?
Heavenly Father, In you my God, I place my trust. Thank you for giving me a bucket to fill. Help me to fill that bucket with YOUR desires for me. Help me to share my gifts so that they will help lighten the buckets of those around me. Please fill the buckets of my family with Your Amazing Grace. Thank you for the people who sacrificed their lives so that we can live in a land so abundantly rich and so free. May I always be reminded that the richness, the freedoms, that have been given to me are from You and are for Your purpose. Amen.
May your bucket be filled with the Spirit of His Amazing Grace,
Blessings,
Charlotte
Monday, July 4, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
We Are Fed
Friends of Faith:
I want to be fed. I want satisfaction. We all want the satisfaction of feeling full—fully happy, fully successful & fully fed. But these are human desires, human needs & human wants. There is only one thing that will truly satisfy us, truly fill us & truly feed us – and that is to be ONE with God—to be spiritually full--to be spiritually fed.
The nature of sin experienced by Adam and Eve is still present in all humans as we continue to be tempted to search for worldly happiness, worldly success & worldly satisfaction. But in both the New and Old Testament readings this weekend: Deuteronomy 8 & John 6, in the Lord’s Prayer, and in many other places in the Bible, we are reminded and promised by God that He is always here for us and He will always provide us what we need to live. Whether it is the manna of the Old Testament or Christ’s body and blood of the New he gives us the food to fill us spiritually and physically.
In Dt. 8 ‘Moses reminds the people in the desert to "remember their story.”’From the beginning of creation, God had always taken care to feed the people He created. They failed to appreciate the delicious fruit in the Garden of Eden, so they lost it! But later He gave them that mysterious "manna" in the desert. They got tired of that, too.
Then Jesus promised His listeners something much better than manna. He told them, "Your fathers ate manna in the desert, and they're all dead!" However, they couldn't trust Jesus and all His talk about "flesh and blood." So, they ran, except Peter and the apostles who did a double-take, thought a little about the alternative of leaving Him, and decided to stay it out.” Usccb.org meditation June 26, 2011
“Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "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."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." Jn 6:51-58
”How good it was, for the Church and for themselves, that they did stay! Even though the Last Supper was still shrouded in mystery, they got the idea of how He would give them His own Body and Blood at the Last Supper, but it took the power and light of Pentecost for their firm understanding.” Usccb.org meditation June 26, 2011
Do we fail to appreciate and understand that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist? Have we lost true fulfillment because we are searching for something more, by accepting something actually less; something more pleasing, more palpable than His true presence in the Eucharist.
Jesus let many listeners leave him who did not understand. Had Jesus said this metaphorically or meant the Eucharist to be a symbol, he then would have called them back. But because he meant this was His true flesh and blood he let them go. What is being lost by those who don’t understand? What are we losing because we are choosing to be fed by the world instead of God?
We too have the free choice to believe and to receive His body and blood in the Eucharist, fully following Him and being fed; or to turn away from the completeness of the Eucharist, leaving ourselves empty or wanting, searching for more.
God promises us fulfillment. Are we trying to understand the truth so that we can be fully fed? Not by this world, but to be fed by God’s true presence renewed each time we receive the Eucharist—to be truly FED, with the TRUE presence.
Heavenly Father: May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved. Thank You for the sacrifice given to us in His Body and Blood at each Eucharistic sacrifice. Help me to allow myself to be fed and to take the time to be fed by You and not the world. Amen.”
Be fed in Christ, by Christ, through Christ,
Blessings,
Charlotte
I want to be fed. I want satisfaction. We all want the satisfaction of feeling full—fully happy, fully successful & fully fed. But these are human desires, human needs & human wants. There is only one thing that will truly satisfy us, truly fill us & truly feed us – and that is to be ONE with God—to be spiritually full--to be spiritually fed.
The nature of sin experienced by Adam and Eve is still present in all humans as we continue to be tempted to search for worldly happiness, worldly success & worldly satisfaction. But in both the New and Old Testament readings this weekend: Deuteronomy 8 & John 6, in the Lord’s Prayer, and in many other places in the Bible, we are reminded and promised by God that He is always here for us and He will always provide us what we need to live. Whether it is the manna of the Old Testament or Christ’s body and blood of the New he gives us the food to fill us spiritually and physically.
In Dt. 8 ‘Moses reminds the people in the desert to "remember their story.”’From the beginning of creation, God had always taken care to feed the people He created. They failed to appreciate the delicious fruit in the Garden of Eden, so they lost it! But later He gave them that mysterious "manna" in the desert. They got tired of that, too.
Then Jesus promised His listeners something much better than manna. He told them, "Your fathers ate manna in the desert, and they're all dead!" However, they couldn't trust Jesus and all His talk about "flesh and blood." So, they ran, except Peter and the apostles who did a double-take, thought a little about the alternative of leaving Him, and decided to stay it out.” Usccb.org meditation June 26, 2011
“Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "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."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." Jn 6:51-58
”How good it was, for the Church and for themselves, that they did stay! Even though the Last Supper was still shrouded in mystery, they got the idea of how He would give them His own Body and Blood at the Last Supper, but it took the power and light of Pentecost for their firm understanding.” Usccb.org meditation June 26, 2011
Do we fail to appreciate and understand that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist? Have we lost true fulfillment because we are searching for something more, by accepting something actually less; something more pleasing, more palpable than His true presence in the Eucharist.
Jesus let many listeners leave him who did not understand. Had Jesus said this metaphorically or meant the Eucharist to be a symbol, he then would have called them back. But because he meant this was His true flesh and blood he let them go. What is being lost by those who don’t understand? What are we losing because we are choosing to be fed by the world instead of God?
We too have the free choice to believe and to receive His body and blood in the Eucharist, fully following Him and being fed; or to turn away from the completeness of the Eucharist, leaving ourselves empty or wanting, searching for more.
God promises us fulfillment. Are we trying to understand the truth so that we can be fully fed? Not by this world, but to be fed by God’s true presence renewed each time we receive the Eucharist—to be truly FED, with the TRUE presence.
Heavenly Father: May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved. Thank You for the sacrifice given to us in His Body and Blood at each Eucharistic sacrifice. Help me to allow myself to be fed and to take the time to be fed by You and not the world. Amen.”
Be fed in Christ, by Christ, through Christ,
Blessings,
Charlotte
Monday, June 20, 2011
Long Summer Daze
Women of Faith:
I’d like to start with a prayer request for the mom’s (and families) of Nick and Luke who left home this weekend on a new journey. It’s never easy when the nest gets empty, but even more so when they go far away. Pray not only that Nick and Luke (and family) will be at peace, but that they will be guided and protected by God in all that they are asked to do. And that their moms (and families) will find comfort and peace in knowing that they are following God’s path by using the gifts and talents He has given them to serve others.
I don’t know why, but the longer the days, the more I try to fit into them. Instead of the lazy days of summer, I feel dazed by the rush and like I am missing out on more than I am enjoying.
“Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Cor 13:11-12
I find that when I am distracted I am more easily led astray. I need encouragement. I seek peace and comforting acknowledgment that there will be another day to get it all done.
I have three things I keep close by to help me stay grounded. 1) I always have a Christian or motivational book by my bed— to put my mind back on the right track, or to help me fall asleep :)
2) My radio is turned to Christian: KNWS 101.9 FM or 1090 AM—both in my car and on my computer at work—music not only relieves my stress, but alternatively the beat of the music energizes me, or if I am on AM then the motivation is turned on!!
And 3) When I am on a long ride in the car, dreading the thought of using the elliptical, or taking a true “time out,” my rosary and a prayer book are always close at hand. Sometimes I just don’t know where to begin to pray, and sometimes I just need the calming effect of a common prayer --in either case I know that praying will bring me closer to Jesus’ and that Mary will understand and reassure me that my requests are really no different than hers were for her son, her family and her friends.
Heavenly Father: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Help me to keep it simple. Help me to keep on the straight and narrow path towards you. Thank you for the encouragement of friends you put in just the right places at just the right times. Thank you for Christian musicians and writers. Amen.
Keep your days lazy and your gaze turned upward.
Blessings,
Charlotte
I’d like to start with a prayer request for the mom’s (and families) of Nick and Luke who left home this weekend on a new journey. It’s never easy when the nest gets empty, but even more so when they go far away. Pray not only that Nick and Luke (and family) will be at peace, but that they will be guided and protected by God in all that they are asked to do. And that their moms (and families) will find comfort and peace in knowing that they are following God’s path by using the gifts and talents He has given them to serve others.
I don’t know why, but the longer the days, the more I try to fit into them. Instead of the lazy days of summer, I feel dazed by the rush and like I am missing out on more than I am enjoying.
“Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Cor 13:11-12
I find that when I am distracted I am more easily led astray. I need encouragement. I seek peace and comforting acknowledgment that there will be another day to get it all done.
I have three things I keep close by to help me stay grounded. 1) I always have a Christian or motivational book by my bed— to put my mind back on the right track, or to help me fall asleep :)
2) My radio is turned to Christian: KNWS 101.9 FM or 1090 AM—both in my car and on my computer at work—music not only relieves my stress, but alternatively the beat of the music energizes me, or if I am on AM then the motivation is turned on!!
And 3) When I am on a long ride in the car, dreading the thought of using the elliptical, or taking a true “time out,” my rosary and a prayer book are always close at hand. Sometimes I just don’t know where to begin to pray, and sometimes I just need the calming effect of a common prayer --in either case I know that praying will bring me closer to Jesus’ and that Mary will understand and reassure me that my requests are really no different than hers were for her son, her family and her friends.
Heavenly Father: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Help me to keep it simple. Help me to keep on the straight and narrow path towards you. Thank you for the encouragement of friends you put in just the right places at just the right times. Thank you for Christian musicians and writers. Amen.
Keep your days lazy and your gaze turned upward.
Blessings,
Charlotte
Monday, June 13, 2011
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
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
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Growing Cycle
Friends in Faith:
As I grow in faith, as we each grow in faith, I realize how closely Jesus’ life and our lives with Him follow the natural growth cycle.
Jesus’ life cycle follows an ageless growing cycle: the “preparation” for His birth, the “planting” of the Nativity, the “nurturing cultivation” of His life and teachings, and the “abundance of the harvest” in His dying and Resurrection.
With the Ascension this week the Apostles briefly felt “empty” as Jesus left them alone and went to be with His father in heaven.
“He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons …But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, … When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,… two men in white garments … said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return ….” Acts 1:7-11
This is the same emptiness we feel when we are hungry or have not eaten properly; when we choose a starvation diet or to be nourished by food which is either “sweet” or “rotten.”
Yet we know God never leaves us empty, alone or unfed, if we live for Him and through Him.
Do we believe Jesus when He said “eat my flesh” or are we the Jews who quarreled among themselves and then left Jesus (John 6:66)?
"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." The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." Jn 6:51-58
In receiving the Eucharist our growing cycle is always fulfilled. He promised the Apostles the guidance to “new life” in the abundant gift of the Spirit of Pentecost (next Sunday.) And in his flesh and blood given us in the Eucharist at the Last Supper when He said, “Do this in memory of me.” (In old Greek, memory means “make present today.”)
We may each be in a different place in different parts of the life cycle. However, just as the growth of a plant must be nurtured by God thru Mother Nature, so must our own lives be nurtured by receiving the Eucharist regularly and following God’s plan in Holy Scripture. For instance, in our marriages, Ephesians 5:21-33 www.usccb.org/nab/bible/ephesians/ephesians5.htm
If we are to live spiritually our life cycle must follow Jesus’ life so that we will wisely “process” the food that He has prepared, planted, cultivated and harvested. We will then be “sustained” by the harvest, and enriched with a new and more abundant life, the richness of heaven.
So where am I in the growing cycle?
Am I in preparation, seeking what is right?
Am I planted firmly in my faith, following the truth?
Am I being cultivated properly, growing in faith by adding spiritual food (regular church attendance, daily prayer, friends, books, music, etc.) which will lead to an abundant harvest?
Am I harvesting, spreading the good news, gathering and mentoring those who are seeking a role model in Christ and spreading new seed to continue the growth cycle?
And regardless of which part of the cycle, am I always feeding myself with His abundant Spirit and the Eucharist—leaving aside the “sweetness” that society tempts us with (materialism); or setting aside the “rotten” untruths of the culture (sexual impurities, gossip, etc)?
Heavenly Father, Praise be your nurturing fulfillment in Your Spirit. Help me to always seek the fulfillment of Your true food (the Eucharist) and to avoid the temptations of the sweet and rotten. Thank you for enriching me with great friends and role models. Thank you for the many blessings You give me and for the richness of faith You have implanted in me. Amen.
Prepare, plant, grow, harvest and be fed abundantly.
Blessings,
Charlotte
As I grow in faith, as we each grow in faith, I realize how closely Jesus’ life and our lives with Him follow the natural growth cycle.
Jesus’ life cycle follows an ageless growing cycle: the “preparation” for His birth, the “planting” of the Nativity, the “nurturing cultivation” of His life and teachings, and the “abundance of the harvest” in His dying and Resurrection.
With the Ascension this week the Apostles briefly felt “empty” as Jesus left them alone and went to be with His father in heaven.
“He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons …But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, … When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,… two men in white garments … said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return ….” Acts 1:7-11
This is the same emptiness we feel when we are hungry or have not eaten properly; when we choose a starvation diet or to be nourished by food which is either “sweet” or “rotten.”
Yet we know God never leaves us empty, alone or unfed, if we live for Him and through Him.
Do we believe Jesus when He said “eat my flesh” or are we the Jews who quarreled among themselves and then left Jesus (John 6:66)?
"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." The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." Jn 6:51-58
In receiving the Eucharist our growing cycle is always fulfilled. He promised the Apostles the guidance to “new life” in the abundant gift of the Spirit of Pentecost (next Sunday.) And in his flesh and blood given us in the Eucharist at the Last Supper when He said, “Do this in memory of me.” (In old Greek, memory means “make present today.”)
We may each be in a different place in different parts of the life cycle. However, just as the growth of a plant must be nurtured by God thru Mother Nature, so must our own lives be nurtured by receiving the Eucharist regularly and following God’s plan in Holy Scripture. For instance, in our marriages, Ephesians 5:21-33 www.usccb.org/nab/bible/ephesians/ephesians5.htm
If we are to live spiritually our life cycle must follow Jesus’ life so that we will wisely “process” the food that He has prepared, planted, cultivated and harvested. We will then be “sustained” by the harvest, and enriched with a new and more abundant life, the richness of heaven.
So where am I in the growing cycle?
Am I in preparation, seeking what is right?
Am I planted firmly in my faith, following the truth?
Am I being cultivated properly, growing in faith by adding spiritual food (regular church attendance, daily prayer, friends, books, music, etc.) which will lead to an abundant harvest?
Am I harvesting, spreading the good news, gathering and mentoring those who are seeking a role model in Christ and spreading new seed to continue the growth cycle?
And regardless of which part of the cycle, am I always feeding myself with His abundant Spirit and the Eucharist—leaving aside the “sweetness” that society tempts us with (materialism); or setting aside the “rotten” untruths of the culture (sexual impurities, gossip, etc)?
Heavenly Father, Praise be your nurturing fulfillment in Your Spirit. Help me to always seek the fulfillment of Your true food (the Eucharist) and to avoid the temptations of the sweet and rotten. Thank you for enriching me with great friends and role models. Thank you for the many blessings You give me and for the richness of faith You have implanted in me. Amen.
Prepare, plant, grow, harvest and be fed abundantly.
Blessings,
Charlotte
Monday, May 30, 2011
If Only
Friends in Faith:
Is your faith, your marriage, your family life, or your time tested by the “if only’s?”
If only… I had tried harder or not given up so quickly. If only… I had said this or not said that. If only…. I had one more day or one more hour to do something differently.
“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it….
“... So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, or when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. No one experiencing temptation should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. … and 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. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does…. “ James 1
How many times do we have to live with the regrets of an “if only” because we gave up too soon?
Do we give up because we lost confidence or felt like there was no hope? Do we give up because we don’t feel like we can take the pain any longer? Do we feel like we are reliving “ground hogs” day and we don’t want to do it one more time?
What if God would have given up after he created the sun and the moon? What if God would have given up after he created Adam? What if God would have given up when Adam and Eve sinned? What if God had given up before He sent Jesus to us? What if God had given up before He sent us His Spirit to guide us? What if there were no apostles to spread the Gospels?
What if parents quit telling their young children “no?” What if a home builder couldn’t “see” past the framework? What if no one “talked” to their family? What if no one ever served another person, a waitress, a beautician, a housekeeper, or a cook? What if no one ever said “please” or “thank you?”
Sometimes I am tempted to give up on a goal because I feel as if everything is working against me.
If only…I had stayed on my diet and not given in to that one little “brownie” put before me.
Sometimes I am tempted to quit because there just isn’t enough time, so I put off what is truly important because of more urgent demands.
If only… I had spent time with family or friends instead of searching the internet or reading “junk mail/email.”
Sometimes I am tempted to give up on societal problems because they are so large I don’t know how I could possibly improve the situation or help solve the problem.
If only…I were more influenced by the example of the saints, like Mother Theresa who just kept moving forward for God’s greater goals and less influenced by “the Jones.”
Sometimes I am tempted to give up because I don’t see a “personal” reward or the person I am working with doesn’t show any gratitude for the time commitment I have made to help them.
If only…I would remember that God rewards me with His grace even when I forget to say “thank you” for His blessings.
Heavenly Father, Your example of perseverance is perfect guidance and strength. Help me to focus on goals that are made for Your glory—my family, my health, Your time, and Your grace. Thank you for blessing me with this day, this hour to spend in Your presence. Help me not to give up too soon, but to move forward in Your path, towards Your light, guided by Your truth. Show me the way by guarding me from the evil that tempts me to give up so that I don’t have to live with the regrets of the “if only’s.” Amen.
What is your “if only?” Is God Your strength? Will you persevere in seeking and finding His truth, living his commandments and serving others as he has called us to do?
Make today a day that you set aside one “if only!”
Blessings,
Charlotte
Is your faith, your marriage, your family life, or your time tested by the “if only’s?”
If only… I had tried harder or not given up so quickly. If only… I had said this or not said that. If only…. I had one more day or one more hour to do something differently.
“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it….
“... So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, or when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. No one experiencing temptation should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. … and 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. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does…. “ James 1
How many times do we have to live with the regrets of an “if only” because we gave up too soon?
Do we give up because we lost confidence or felt like there was no hope? Do we give up because we don’t feel like we can take the pain any longer? Do we feel like we are reliving “ground hogs” day and we don’t want to do it one more time?
What if God would have given up after he created the sun and the moon? What if God would have given up after he created Adam? What if God would have given up when Adam and Eve sinned? What if God had given up before He sent Jesus to us? What if God had given up before He sent us His Spirit to guide us? What if there were no apostles to spread the Gospels?
What if parents quit telling their young children “no?” What if a home builder couldn’t “see” past the framework? What if no one “talked” to their family? What if no one ever served another person, a waitress, a beautician, a housekeeper, or a cook? What if no one ever said “please” or “thank you?”
Sometimes I am tempted to give up on a goal because I feel as if everything is working against me.
If only…I had stayed on my diet and not given in to that one little “brownie” put before me.
Sometimes I am tempted to quit because there just isn’t enough time, so I put off what is truly important because of more urgent demands.
If only… I had spent time with family or friends instead of searching the internet or reading “junk mail/email.”
Sometimes I am tempted to give up on societal problems because they are so large I don’t know how I could possibly improve the situation or help solve the problem.
If only…I were more influenced by the example of the saints, like Mother Theresa who just kept moving forward for God’s greater goals and less influenced by “the Jones.”
Sometimes I am tempted to give up because I don’t see a “personal” reward or the person I am working with doesn’t show any gratitude for the time commitment I have made to help them.
If only…I would remember that God rewards me with His grace even when I forget to say “thank you” for His blessings.
Heavenly Father, Your example of perseverance is perfect guidance and strength. Help me to focus on goals that are made for Your glory—my family, my health, Your time, and Your grace. Thank you for blessing me with this day, this hour to spend in Your presence. Help me not to give up too soon, but to move forward in Your path, towards Your light, guided by Your truth. Show me the way by guarding me from the evil that tempts me to give up so that I don’t have to live with the regrets of the “if only’s.” Amen.
What is your “if only?” Is God Your strength? Will you persevere in seeking and finding His truth, living his commandments and serving others as he has called us to do?
Make today a day that you set aside one “if only!”
Blessings,
Charlotte
Sunday, May 22, 2011
I'm Still Here!
Friends in Faith:
Yes, I am still here. And, no, the world didn’t come to an end on Saturday, at least not for anyone reading this message.
But, whether we like it or not; whether we are prepared or not; whether we have changed the way we are living our life or not—we are all closer to our end, to judgment day, to the end of what we know as life on earth.
But are we one day closer to heaven or are we one day closer to hell? Would we be satisfied that tomorrow or even the next second might be our last?
“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Mark 13:33-34
Just because the world didn’t end Saturday doesn’t mean that the world won’t end someday. And just like we didn’t know whether that day would be Saturday, we really don’t know when that day will be.
Jesus also told us how we should love, how we would know His love and how He would reveal His love so that we could be with Him in our final time:
“Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. “I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Jn 14:21-26
I have been taught His commandments, so am I living His commandments? God has been revealed to me thru Jesus’ death on the cross, so am I keeping His word, am I loving as He has taught me to love, and am I willing to sacrifice my life for His?
Or am I waiting until the last possible moment to make that choice, living day to day, and hoping that somehow I will know when my last day will be, so that I can change, pray, accept, love, serve, believe, care or give, “just in time.”
When will the last day be, when will my last day be? I don’t know. But I do know
that I am not going to wait to find out, to try to “market time” my life. God deserves better! Jesus gave us more, therefore I need to give everything, not just at the end, but all the time.
Heavenly Father: Praise be the time You have given me, Your time. Thank you for each moment you give me to learn to serve you. Thank you for all the time I have been given to spend with Stan, with my family, and with my friends. But most importantly thank you for the time I have to give back to you. I owe you so much for your promise of heaven. Help me to make every choice as if it were my last. Help me to speak every word as if it were my last. Help me to be deserving of an eternal life with you. Amen.
Make every moment count!
Blessings,
Charlotte
Yes, I am still here. And, no, the world didn’t come to an end on Saturday, at least not for anyone reading this message.
But, whether we like it or not; whether we are prepared or not; whether we have changed the way we are living our life or not—we are all closer to our end, to judgment day, to the end of what we know as life on earth.
But are we one day closer to heaven or are we one day closer to hell? Would we be satisfied that tomorrow or even the next second might be our last?
“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Mark 13:33-34
Just because the world didn’t end Saturday doesn’t mean that the world won’t end someday. And just like we didn’t know whether that day would be Saturday, we really don’t know when that day will be.
Jesus also told us how we should love, how we would know His love and how He would reveal His love so that we could be with Him in our final time:
“Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. “I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Jn 14:21-26
I have been taught His commandments, so am I living His commandments? God has been revealed to me thru Jesus’ death on the cross, so am I keeping His word, am I loving as He has taught me to love, and am I willing to sacrifice my life for His?
Or am I waiting until the last possible moment to make that choice, living day to day, and hoping that somehow I will know when my last day will be, so that I can change, pray, accept, love, serve, believe, care or give, “just in time.”
When will the last day be, when will my last day be? I don’t know. But I do know
that I am not going to wait to find out, to try to “market time” my life. God deserves better! Jesus gave us more, therefore I need to give everything, not just at the end, but all the time.
Heavenly Father: Praise be the time You have given me, Your time. Thank you for each moment you give me to learn to serve you. Thank you for all the time I have been given to spend with Stan, with my family, and with my friends. But most importantly thank you for the time I have to give back to you. I owe you so much for your promise of heaven. Help me to make every choice as if it were my last. Help me to speak every word as if it were my last. Help me to be deserving of an eternal life with you. Amen.
Make every moment count!
Blessings,
Charlotte
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