Women of Faith:
Have you heard the song: “I can only Imagine” by Mercy Me? While it talks about “imagining God when we are called to heaven,” we should remember that we are continuously in God’s presence. And we shouldn’t only strive to be good to be saved on the last day, but we should do good to honor God’s presence every day in our lives.
So, do I ACT like God is “near” me every second of every day 24-7? I wish I could say yes, but then that would mean I was perfect and I most certainly am not a perfect person, not even close. I have the same issues as most other humans—I am selfish in wanting “me” time; I haven’t given away all of my belongings or used all my time to serve others; I haven’t quit judging others for what I think are short comings; and while I strive to love others –well, I have plenty to work on in that area and many others as well.
Sunday night we listened to a presentation by Matthew Kelly, author of the bestselling book, ‘The Rhythm of Life,’ (he’ll be in Cedar Rapids tonight and again on Weds night in Iowa City, in case anyone is interested in attending). He says, “Become the best version of yourself. This is your essential purpose. Embrace this one solitary truth and it will change your life more than anything you have ever learned. In every situation, ask yourself, which of the options before me will help me become the-best-version-of-myself.” Or as Zig Ziglar puts it, “will this action move me closer to, or farther from my goal.”
This is consistent with Peter Kreft’s book, ‘Before I go’, which has a chapter entitled “Only One Thing Necessary.” “I don’t care whether you’re rich or poor, only that you’re good. ..You don’t have to be smart,… You don’t have to be beautiful,… You don’t even have to be successful. If you were poor and stupid and ugly but good, you’d be successful. If you were rich and smart and beautiful but evil, you’d be a failure. Why? Because good is what real is, good is what God is.”
The chapter that follows says, “Step one is to stop pretending you are ‘good,’ and to stop “accepting yourself as you are.”
So, in essence, while we can only “imagine” what being with God in heaven is like, God doesn’t have to “imagine” what he wants us to be like. He tells us what He wants us to be, we are to be like Him. God wants us to be good, because we were created in his image and God is good. And none of us are “good” enough, we must continually change and continuously strive to be our “best self.”
My own plan of action is this: change myself to follow Christ’s actions by being less self centered, and more self giving; to work to serve myself less, and serve others more; to judge less and pray that more people will accept God’s call; and to live, love and work “out loud” so that the joy and happiness found through Christ will radiate through me.
So how do I “imagine” myself; what are my dreams, my visions of myself? Is it a “healthier” me (not necessarily beautiful or skinny, definitely not “perfect” in my own eyes) but healthy? Do I look at the tasks before me not as “what it will do for me;” but as “how will this help someone else?”Or is my prayer that I will make my choices to “be good” and to “be my best self.”
Dear God, “The Lord is good, His mercy endures forever.” Forgive the times when I took control of guiding my own vision, rather than listening for “Your vision.” When I have “only imagined” you at death, and forgotten that you are with me every step of the way. Thank you for reminding me of what your vision for me is; for putting the right people before me, for giving me constant reminders that “goodness” is by your standards, not mine. Help me to give You the chance to be near me every second of every day.” Guide my choices to allow me to be “the best version of myself.” Amen.
Blessings on your week.
Charlotte
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
New Focus
Women of Faith:
Have you ever needed to refocus your life? That is the way mine always is right after April 15th. Stan said my writing this morning needed a new GPS system—the GPS went on overload, and my writing was slightly misdirected, needed guidance, and took several detours and a couple of dead ends in the process :)
So I completely started over and am going to borrow this morning from a good friend. Those of you who read Faye’s website will recognize the following—
From Duane’s writing--“What I was thinking about in the tractor was what I had done to the ground. I was using heavy equipment to turn over the ground, uprooting the plant, totally disturbing the field so that it could be prepared for a new purpose; a new crop. Without going through the total disruption of the ground, it would become less fruitful; stagnate from doing what it always did. But now the farmer can come in and begin anew. There is unlimited potential for an incredible harvest.
“Well you can likely see the comparison coming. What I was struck by was that God had come in and totally disturbed my field, my life. He had turned it over, exposing the roots of all that I had known and cared about and now my field was laying bare and exposed. It looks barren and dead, but what God sees is my life being readied to begin a new, to be ready to accept a change from what could become stagnate. What fruit will be harvested remains to be seen, but it is that hope that drives the farmer to plant each spring and wait for the harvest (well actually they don’t do well sitting or waiting) but they understand they cannot produce the crop on their own. It is the hope of the ground, my life, becoming productive and showing evidence of new life, that encouraged me that day in the tractor and continues to give me hope.
“Now apply this to your own field. What shape is the ground in? Has it gone to weeds and become overgrown with worthless brush (busy work)? Is it in the 10 yrs set aside and laying dormant, inactive and not much to look at? Does it have houses, boats, cars, jewelry, shoes galore, all over it, so much so, that you can’t even see the ground anymore? Is it torn apart and used by many different people without regard for anyone? Are you so busy you haven’t been out to check the field in months? No one should have to work in the field just so that they can enjoy themselves.
“You assess your own field, but be prepared, the owner may come in and uproot everything. Will God plant a crop and see a great harvest or will your ground remain barren?
“You all will play a part in my ground producing fruit as any good farm ground needs to be worked and kept up. Exposed ground can be very susceptible to the weather, erosion and washing away of the valuable top soil, so it is important to not let it set long without planting and getting a ground cover.” www.caringbridge.com/visit/fayebossman
I think of my life after tax season like the earth in Duane’s analogy, different reason, but like his dirt, dug up and ready to be refreshed. Glad to have time to spend with God, and to see the next path on which I will be lead; Assessing my choices, my path; knowing that I must be guided by God, looking forward to new seed, a refreshing spring rain and the Son’s shine.
Dear God, “Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.” Ps 30:4 Thank you for guiding my path, for keeping me awake during the long hours and for giving me friends and especially a husband who cares and supports. Give me wisdom and understanding: a recalculating my GPS, a new focus. Refresh my soul.
Blessings, and Many Thanks to Duane for his words of wisdom!
Charlotte
Have you ever needed to refocus your life? That is the way mine always is right after April 15th. Stan said my writing this morning needed a new GPS system—the GPS went on overload, and my writing was slightly misdirected, needed guidance, and took several detours and a couple of dead ends in the process :)
So I completely started over and am going to borrow this morning from a good friend. Those of you who read Faye’s website will recognize the following—
From Duane’s writing--“What I was thinking about in the tractor was what I had done to the ground. I was using heavy equipment to turn over the ground, uprooting the plant, totally disturbing the field so that it could be prepared for a new purpose; a new crop. Without going through the total disruption of the ground, it would become less fruitful; stagnate from doing what it always did. But now the farmer can come in and begin anew. There is unlimited potential for an incredible harvest.
“Well you can likely see the comparison coming. What I was struck by was that God had come in and totally disturbed my field, my life. He had turned it over, exposing the roots of all that I had known and cared about and now my field was laying bare and exposed. It looks barren and dead, but what God sees is my life being readied to begin a new, to be ready to accept a change from what could become stagnate. What fruit will be harvested remains to be seen, but it is that hope that drives the farmer to plant each spring and wait for the harvest (well actually they don’t do well sitting or waiting) but they understand they cannot produce the crop on their own. It is the hope of the ground, my life, becoming productive and showing evidence of new life, that encouraged me that day in the tractor and continues to give me hope.
“Now apply this to your own field. What shape is the ground in? Has it gone to weeds and become overgrown with worthless brush (busy work)? Is it in the 10 yrs set aside and laying dormant, inactive and not much to look at? Does it have houses, boats, cars, jewelry, shoes galore, all over it, so much so, that you can’t even see the ground anymore? Is it torn apart and used by many different people without regard for anyone? Are you so busy you haven’t been out to check the field in months? No one should have to work in the field just so that they can enjoy themselves.
“You assess your own field, but be prepared, the owner may come in and uproot everything. Will God plant a crop and see a great harvest or will your ground remain barren?
“You all will play a part in my ground producing fruit as any good farm ground needs to be worked and kept up. Exposed ground can be very susceptible to the weather, erosion and washing away of the valuable top soil, so it is important to not let it set long without planting and getting a ground cover.” www.caringbridge.com/visit/fayebossman
I think of my life after tax season like the earth in Duane’s analogy, different reason, but like his dirt, dug up and ready to be refreshed. Glad to have time to spend with God, and to see the next path on which I will be lead; Assessing my choices, my path; knowing that I must be guided by God, looking forward to new seed, a refreshing spring rain and the Son’s shine.
Dear God, “Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.” Ps 30:4 Thank you for guiding my path, for keeping me awake during the long hours and for giving me friends and especially a husband who cares and supports. Give me wisdom and understanding: a recalculating my GPS, a new focus. Refresh my soul.
Blessings, and Many Thanks to Duane for his words of wisdom!
Charlotte
Monday, April 12, 2010
Let Go and Let God--Trust in Letting God Have Control
Women of Faith:
Do you ever feel like your life is spinning out of control? Like no matter what you do, things aren’t going to go your way? Like you just want to make the world stop and go back to a simpler time, a simpler place, or a place from the past?
I felt that way last week when my computer decided to catch a “virus.” Like no matter what I did, or how organized I had tried to be, something or someone was out to get me, through my computer screen or lack of one, trying to reach out and pull me down or under. Obviously my computer had gotten too much control in my life.
So how did I regain control? I didn’t. I said one very long prayer, and remembered the postcard I have in my kitchen… “Good morning Charlotte, This is God, and I will be handling all of your problems today, I will not need your help. So relax and have a great day!” And I gave God control, I placed my trust in God.
I decided maybe this was God’s way of telling me I wasn’t supposed to work all of Easter weekend (the repairman had the weekend off). I gave up the computer and trusted that God would give the repairman the knowledge and tools to help fix it (he did). And I trusted that God would take care of it in the right time and give me the right tools (like an extra laptop, and backups) to meet the April 15 deadline in my schedule.
Now I am sure some of you are saying, “that might work for you, but not for me.” Or, “my problem won’t get fixed by a repairman.” Or, “my problem is a lot bigger than technology problems.” You could be right: your problem could be a parent who is ill; a child who is misbehaving; a husband who doesn’t help out around the house or with the kids; or that a friend or family member has died and left you grieving. So, have we asked God? Did I pray today? Did I give Him control, and listen to His advice?
None of these problems are as easy to fix as taking a computer to a repairman. But all of these problems are out of our control. We can’t heal our parents, change our children or our spouses, or bring back our best friends, anymore than I could “immediately” fix my computer and continue to work.
But we can all “let go and let God.” We can let him calm us (as he did me that day), guide us, comfort us, or give us peace. We can ask his blessings on repairmen and doctors, on children, spouses and parents. And we can ask for forgiveness and understanding for the people in our lives that don’t know or want to seek God. Most importantly we can ask God to help our own attitudes, to help us change, to give us perseverance, to help us change ourselves. The only thing we really have any control over is our self, our attitude, the way we handle a problem. Everyone else, and everything else is in God’s control.
The apostles must have felt some of these same feelings after Christ’s death and resurrection. They were afraid of persecution, they felt abandoned, and they were so scared without their best friend that they hid behind a locked door.
They did not want to believe in Jesus’ presence or give Him control. Thomas was very bold about doubting Christ’s presence and asked for proof that he was really the same Jesus who had died on the cross.
Thomas’ response was similar to ours when someone tells us to “trust” that God is present in our life: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. …. Jesus replied to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Jn 20:19-31
That “locked door” represents our hearts. Hearts which must “open” so God can get in, so He can help change us. But we must give up control, we must give up our selfishness, so that God can “get in, and have control.” Our sufferings, our needs, are given to us, so that we can share Christ’s sufferings on the cross with Him. He didn’t take control and take Himself down from the cross, He gave God control and let Himself suffer so that we could live.
My Lord and My God! Don’t let me be a “doubting Thomas” asking for proof of you in my life, because “blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Thank you for reminders and signs that you are in my life. Thank you for computer repairmen and deadlines which give closure. Help me to believe without seeing; to trust without touching; and to always give you control. Thank you for giving me support, for wrapping your arms around me when I am hurting, and for calming my fears. Give me appreciation for the people in my life who reflect your love and who remind me of your healing power. Amen.
Let Go and Let God,
Charlotte
Do you ever feel like your life is spinning out of control? Like no matter what you do, things aren’t going to go your way? Like you just want to make the world stop and go back to a simpler time, a simpler place, or a place from the past?
I felt that way last week when my computer decided to catch a “virus.” Like no matter what I did, or how organized I had tried to be, something or someone was out to get me, through my computer screen or lack of one, trying to reach out and pull me down or under. Obviously my computer had gotten too much control in my life.
So how did I regain control? I didn’t. I said one very long prayer, and remembered the postcard I have in my kitchen… “Good morning Charlotte, This is God, and I will be handling all of your problems today, I will not need your help. So relax and have a great day!” And I gave God control, I placed my trust in God.
I decided maybe this was God’s way of telling me I wasn’t supposed to work all of Easter weekend (the repairman had the weekend off). I gave up the computer and trusted that God would give the repairman the knowledge and tools to help fix it (he did). And I trusted that God would take care of it in the right time and give me the right tools (like an extra laptop, and backups) to meet the April 15 deadline in my schedule.
Now I am sure some of you are saying, “that might work for you, but not for me.” Or, “my problem won’t get fixed by a repairman.” Or, “my problem is a lot bigger than technology problems.” You could be right: your problem could be a parent who is ill; a child who is misbehaving; a husband who doesn’t help out around the house or with the kids; or that a friend or family member has died and left you grieving. So, have we asked God? Did I pray today? Did I give Him control, and listen to His advice?
None of these problems are as easy to fix as taking a computer to a repairman. But all of these problems are out of our control. We can’t heal our parents, change our children or our spouses, or bring back our best friends, anymore than I could “immediately” fix my computer and continue to work.
But we can all “let go and let God.” We can let him calm us (as he did me that day), guide us, comfort us, or give us peace. We can ask his blessings on repairmen and doctors, on children, spouses and parents. And we can ask for forgiveness and understanding for the people in our lives that don’t know or want to seek God. Most importantly we can ask God to help our own attitudes, to help us change, to give us perseverance, to help us change ourselves. The only thing we really have any control over is our self, our attitude, the way we handle a problem. Everyone else, and everything else is in God’s control.
The apostles must have felt some of these same feelings after Christ’s death and resurrection. They were afraid of persecution, they felt abandoned, and they were so scared without their best friend that they hid behind a locked door.
They did not want to believe in Jesus’ presence or give Him control. Thomas was very bold about doubting Christ’s presence and asked for proof that he was really the same Jesus who had died on the cross.
Thomas’ response was similar to ours when someone tells us to “trust” that God is present in our life: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. …. Jesus replied to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Jn 20:19-31
That “locked door” represents our hearts. Hearts which must “open” so God can get in, so He can help change us. But we must give up control, we must give up our selfishness, so that God can “get in, and have control.” Our sufferings, our needs, are given to us, so that we can share Christ’s sufferings on the cross with Him. He didn’t take control and take Himself down from the cross, He gave God control and let Himself suffer so that we could live.
My Lord and My God! Don’t let me be a “doubting Thomas” asking for proof of you in my life, because “blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Thank you for reminders and signs that you are in my life. Thank you for computer repairmen and deadlines which give closure. Help me to believe without seeing; to trust without touching; and to always give you control. Thank you for giving me support, for wrapping your arms around me when I am hurting, and for calming my fears. Give me appreciation for the people in my life who reflect your love and who remind me of your healing power. Amen.
Let Go and Let God,
Charlotte
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Meaning of It All
Happy Easter!
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
If we had been with Jesus that first “Holy week” and thru Easter we would have celebrated the “meaning of it all” in those few days?
The Tridium celebrations (Holy Thursday Jn 13:1-15; Good Friday Jn 18:1—19:42; and Holy Saturday Lk 24:1-12) are the beginning of the traditions of our Church, of Christianity. They let us experience, through Him, suffering, dying and resurrection (Love and Hope in Sacrifice, Death, and Eternal Life) in a few short days.
With Him on Thursday night, we celebrated His first mass, the sacrament of the Eucharist and the first rite of Holy Orders. There, He gave us His body and blood to continue to be shared; there, He blessed his apostles, anointing them and making them our first priests. Holy Thursday is the beginning of our Church, the celebration of the Eucharist (Mass), and the continued sharing of our faith thru the leadership of our priests.
On Good Friday, we walked the Stations of the Cross with Him. We experienced His unjust sufferings, as we too suffer “unjustly” in our own lives. And we experienced another giving of a sacrament, in the Confession and forgiveness of the thief on His right. On Good Friday we experience true Love. The love he showed by His forgiveness of those who condemned Him, the Love and respect He gave to His mother, Mary, and ultimately the Love and forgiveness He gave us in allowing us to be forgiven so that we might enter the Kingdom of God when we pass from this life.
Without his sufferings where would we be? What hope of forgiveness would we have? What hope of salvation would we have? Old Testament Jew’s had rituals and sacrifices to please God so they might enter his kingdom but Christ came to be the ultimate sacrifice so that “all” would have the hope of the kingdom. The suffering on the cross is the “meaning of life,” the reason that we love, the reason that we can have hope in our sufferings and death.
And on Holy Saturday, thru the rites of the blessings of new fire (light) and new water, we witness two more sacraments, Baptism and Confirmation. These sacraments cleanse us and make us a living part of the church, first at baptism and secondly as we reconfirm our role and relationship, thru the sacrament of Confirmation. We will also be reminded of the gifts of the Spirit in the celebration of Pentecost which end the Easter season.
Ultimately, then, we are able to experience the true joy of His resurrection on the third day and the knowledge that we can join him in celebration of Easter whenever we are called.
We are blessed to know, 2010 years later, that we too can be forgiven, that we too can rise on the last day, that there is Hope and Love for us all, no matter what our sufferings and sins may be.
This is the meaning of it all. The reason we suffer, die and love. Without these “three days” of remembrance there is no meaning, no reason for our lives, for our sufferings, for our hope to be resurrected and to enter the kingdom of God.
So what are we doing to honor God? How do we celebrate these rich traditions of our faith? How do we accept our sufferings, forgive our enemies and care for those we love? What is the “meaning of our life?” Who in our lives do we treat like the thief, with forgiveness; like Mary, with caring; like those who condemn us, with love?
Dear God, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Praise and Thanksgiving! Thank you for your forgiveness and suffering on the cross. Thank you for your undeserving love. Please help me to be more like you each day: help me to accept my sufferings; to forgive those who condemn me or wrong me in ANY way; and to love unconditionally, with no expectations of something to be given in return. Thank you for giving me the traditions of the church and the bible stories of your life to serve as a constant reminder of what is “the meaning of it all.” Amen.
Let us too, be resurrected to renew our faith, love and hope In Christ Jesus!
Charlotte
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
If we had been with Jesus that first “Holy week” and thru Easter we would have celebrated the “meaning of it all” in those few days?
The Tridium celebrations (Holy Thursday Jn 13:1-15; Good Friday Jn 18:1—19:42; and Holy Saturday Lk 24:1-12) are the beginning of the traditions of our Church, of Christianity. They let us experience, through Him, suffering, dying and resurrection (Love and Hope in Sacrifice, Death, and Eternal Life) in a few short days.
With Him on Thursday night, we celebrated His first mass, the sacrament of the Eucharist and the first rite of Holy Orders. There, He gave us His body and blood to continue to be shared; there, He blessed his apostles, anointing them and making them our first priests. Holy Thursday is the beginning of our Church, the celebration of the Eucharist (Mass), and the continued sharing of our faith thru the leadership of our priests.
On Good Friday, we walked the Stations of the Cross with Him. We experienced His unjust sufferings, as we too suffer “unjustly” in our own lives. And we experienced another giving of a sacrament, in the Confession and forgiveness of the thief on His right. On Good Friday we experience true Love. The love he showed by His forgiveness of those who condemned Him, the Love and respect He gave to His mother, Mary, and ultimately the Love and forgiveness He gave us in allowing us to be forgiven so that we might enter the Kingdom of God when we pass from this life.
Without his sufferings where would we be? What hope of forgiveness would we have? What hope of salvation would we have? Old Testament Jew’s had rituals and sacrifices to please God so they might enter his kingdom but Christ came to be the ultimate sacrifice so that “all” would have the hope of the kingdom. The suffering on the cross is the “meaning of life,” the reason that we love, the reason that we can have hope in our sufferings and death.
And on Holy Saturday, thru the rites of the blessings of new fire (light) and new water, we witness two more sacraments, Baptism and Confirmation. These sacraments cleanse us and make us a living part of the church, first at baptism and secondly as we reconfirm our role and relationship, thru the sacrament of Confirmation. We will also be reminded of the gifts of the Spirit in the celebration of Pentecost which end the Easter season.
Ultimately, then, we are able to experience the true joy of His resurrection on the third day and the knowledge that we can join him in celebration of Easter whenever we are called.
We are blessed to know, 2010 years later, that we too can be forgiven, that we too can rise on the last day, that there is Hope and Love for us all, no matter what our sufferings and sins may be.
This is the meaning of it all. The reason we suffer, die and love. Without these “three days” of remembrance there is no meaning, no reason for our lives, for our sufferings, for our hope to be resurrected and to enter the kingdom of God.
So what are we doing to honor God? How do we celebrate these rich traditions of our faith? How do we accept our sufferings, forgive our enemies and care for those we love? What is the “meaning of our life?” Who in our lives do we treat like the thief, with forgiveness; like Mary, with caring; like those who condemn us, with love?
Dear God, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Praise and Thanksgiving! Thank you for your forgiveness and suffering on the cross. Thank you for your undeserving love. Please help me to be more like you each day: help me to accept my sufferings; to forgive those who condemn me or wrong me in ANY way; and to love unconditionally, with no expectations of something to be given in return. Thank you for giving me the traditions of the church and the bible stories of your life to serve as a constant reminder of what is “the meaning of it all.” Amen.
Let us too, be resurrected to renew our faith, love and hope In Christ Jesus!
Charlotte
Monday, March 29, 2010
Patience
Women of Faith:
I am a very impatient person. I want to get places fast, get things done and move on. Cars traveling slowly, people walking to “smell the roses,” and people who weigh out their decisions carefully thinking about what others will think can sometimes drive me crazy. And bureauracy frustrates me (and guess what I work with every day!)
Yet, I know God puts these obstacles in my life for a reason. He puts the slow drivers in front of me so that I don’t get a speeding ticket (has happened more than once (not the ticket, the slow driver!) He puts the people that smell the roses in front of me so that I stop and appreciate the beauty around me. And those people weighing out decisions have more than once caused me to change my own mind and do something differently which had a better outcome than the path I would have taken.
I also know that impatience does not make me a “good” person. It is often the cause of anger, frustration, ill spoken words and judgement. It is part of my constant “chanting” prayer, “help me Lord, give me patience, slow me down.”
My impatience in day to day tasks follows directly into my faith life. There, I want others to understand, accept, and care about their faith life as much or more than I do. I want others to “see the need for God” just as I “see a need for him.” And, I want us to be ONE, truly ONE. I have to keep reminding myself that God has “perfect timing.” And that these things will come when it is His time, not mine.
We have all heard and thought about the answer to the question: “What would you most like to achieve?” And almost laughed when the answer was “World peace.” My similar answer to that question would be this, “I want, what would have to be heaven on earth, I want oneness. I want a place where love abounds, where we are all one, where we have One God and One heavenly goal, One Church, One Faith, and One Truth.” I want us to all worship in One church every week, not just on special events, like weddings and funerals.
Of course, this answer leads to me to further impatience! And I ask “why?” Why does everyone else not want to learn the faith, why do so many chose to live less than truthful lives, why is there so much division, and so little understanding between people especially between Christians?” Sometimes, when I attend a retreat with all faiths, or a wedding or funeral, which by nature are interdenominational, I can almost cheer the unity I feel. And at other times all I can see is division: Division in families, division in marriages, division in churches.
Paul gave these instructions to the Ephesians about patience and unity: Eph 4:1-13” Brothers and sisters, I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the calling 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 calling; 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.”
Paul asked for patience in striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through a bond of peace so that the end result will be one church, one faith, one baptism, and one God over all. I have to remember that impatience is not the way to get there, but rather the key is patience, to bear with one another thru love.
What am I doing to “slow” myself down? Do I appreciate the unity that we know as Christians enough, or does my impatience blind me to the “good” things we are achieving together? Does my impatience give the devil a stronghold to make me angry, or do I instead use my times of impatience to refocus and remind myself that God is in charge and God will make it all work, “in his own time.”
Dear God: “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.” Forgive my impatience, which has led to frustration and anger. Forgive my rushing and “have it all quickly” attitude.”Thank you for putting the right obstacles in my path to slow me down, and for teaching me patience. Thank you for glimpses of heaven and moments of unity, like witnessing a long married couples anniversary, or celebrating family events together. Help me to continue to pray, to never give up, to be patient and have understanding of differences. Remind me to “stop and smell the roses,” and to enjoy different recipes of life. Give me patience to live “worthy of your calling,” and to help others to “attain the unity of faith and knowledge.” In Your Name I Pray, Amen.
Patient Blessings,
Charlotte
I am a very impatient person. I want to get places fast, get things done and move on. Cars traveling slowly, people walking to “smell the roses,” and people who weigh out their decisions carefully thinking about what others will think can sometimes drive me crazy. And bureauracy frustrates me (and guess what I work with every day!)
Yet, I know God puts these obstacles in my life for a reason. He puts the slow drivers in front of me so that I don’t get a speeding ticket (has happened more than once (not the ticket, the slow driver!) He puts the people that smell the roses in front of me so that I stop and appreciate the beauty around me. And those people weighing out decisions have more than once caused me to change my own mind and do something differently which had a better outcome than the path I would have taken.
I also know that impatience does not make me a “good” person. It is often the cause of anger, frustration, ill spoken words and judgement. It is part of my constant “chanting” prayer, “help me Lord, give me patience, slow me down.”
My impatience in day to day tasks follows directly into my faith life. There, I want others to understand, accept, and care about their faith life as much or more than I do. I want others to “see the need for God” just as I “see a need for him.” And, I want us to be ONE, truly ONE. I have to keep reminding myself that God has “perfect timing.” And that these things will come when it is His time, not mine.
We have all heard and thought about the answer to the question: “What would you most like to achieve?” And almost laughed when the answer was “World peace.” My similar answer to that question would be this, “I want, what would have to be heaven on earth, I want oneness. I want a place where love abounds, where we are all one, where we have One God and One heavenly goal, One Church, One Faith, and One Truth.” I want us to all worship in One church every week, not just on special events, like weddings and funerals.
Of course, this answer leads to me to further impatience! And I ask “why?” Why does everyone else not want to learn the faith, why do so many chose to live less than truthful lives, why is there so much division, and so little understanding between people especially between Christians?” Sometimes, when I attend a retreat with all faiths, or a wedding or funeral, which by nature are interdenominational, I can almost cheer the unity I feel. And at other times all I can see is division: Division in families, division in marriages, division in churches.
Paul gave these instructions to the Ephesians about patience and unity: Eph 4:1-13” Brothers and sisters, I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the calling 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 calling; 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.”
Paul asked for patience in striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through a bond of peace so that the end result will be one church, one faith, one baptism, and one God over all. I have to remember that impatience is not the way to get there, but rather the key is patience, to bear with one another thru love.
What am I doing to “slow” myself down? Do I appreciate the unity that we know as Christians enough, or does my impatience blind me to the “good” things we are achieving together? Does my impatience give the devil a stronghold to make me angry, or do I instead use my times of impatience to refocus and remind myself that God is in charge and God will make it all work, “in his own time.”
Dear God: “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.” Forgive my impatience, which has led to frustration and anger. Forgive my rushing and “have it all quickly” attitude.”Thank you for putting the right obstacles in my path to slow me down, and for teaching me patience. Thank you for glimpses of heaven and moments of unity, like witnessing a long married couples anniversary, or celebrating family events together. Help me to continue to pray, to never give up, to be patient and have understanding of differences. Remind me to “stop and smell the roses,” and to enjoy different recipes of life. Give me patience to live “worthy of your calling,” and to help others to “attain the unity of faith and knowledge.” In Your Name I Pray, Amen.
Patient Blessings,
Charlotte
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Family Forgiveness and the T
Family, Forgiveness and the Prodigal Son Monday Morning #40
Women of Faith:
Spending the last several days with our family in Colorado and holding our beautiful new granddaughter, Karolina, have reminded me of the importance of family togetherness and the constant forgiveness being part of a family requires. Sunday’s gospel story of the prodigal son, reminded me of how often a family must accept its members weaknesses, and be ready to offer forgiveness with compassion and understanding, even in the smallest happenings in a short day. Christ’s death and resurrection was the ultimate love and forgiveness story because he gave His life to forgive my sins, each one, including those that I repeat and those that I am not ready to ask forgiveness for.
Lk 15:1-3, 11-32 “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me (deserving).’ … the younger son … squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation….Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger…..”’
So he got up and went back to his father…. his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion….His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘….Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’…(unconditional forgiveness).
Now the older son… became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you… yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
The father said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
I have been fortunate to have an extended family who has shown love, forgiveness, acceptance and compassion for each other and for each others faults. Those are the traits that Jesus is teaching in the story of the Prodigal son and the traits that make marriages and families bind together. Like every person though I have not been immune to the fallout from unforgiveness and unacceptance which has led to family grudges, bitterness and divorce. I am saddened each time I hear of another friend or family member who’s relationship is being torn apart. I truly believe in Pope John Paul’s statement, “as goes the family, so goes the community. And as goes the community, so goes the world.”
Marriage statistics outside of God’s sacrament show that 1 out of every 2 marriages currently ends in divorce. Marriages with the grace of God and regular church attendance show less than 1 out of every 250 marriages end in divorce. And add regular, daily prayer together with your spouse and the statistics change to less than 1 in every 1100 ending in divorce. What an amazing multiplication of how God’s influence and love in our lives strengthens our marriages and our families. (By the way, it doesn’t make any difference which church denomination you belong to—these are ALL church statistics, not a specific denomination).
Think about it another way, without our parents marriage, and their parents marriage and all those grandparents before, none of us would be here today. Put a break in any of God’s unions of the “two becoming one” and we are no longer a part of this conversation. (Compound those statistics with the abortion statistic of 1 out of 4 conceptions ending in abortion, and just being a child of God with the opportunity for love and forgiveness becomes statistically small).
In turn I would not be experiencing the joy and happiness received by being able to spend time with my family and my new grandchild if somewhere along the way, many, many times, family members had not forgiven and accepted the Prodigal sons in their lives.
So how does marriage and family life fit with the story of the prodigal son? We are all sinners, just like the youngest son, and come home to our spouse to ask for forgiveness, many times, sometimes as often as daily or hourly. We also must be like the parent, like the father, ready to give forgiveness and accept our loved ones faults.
Why then is it so difficult to be like the father and the youngest son in the story? Why is it sometimes so difficult to ask for forgiveness and acceptance? And why is it so difficult to accept and forgive the person/s we love the most when they ask our forgiveness?
The difficulty comes because we set our expectations for love higher for those we love the most, we build a circle, a chain of thinking that we deserve love and forgiveness like the older son thinks he deserves, and the more we deserve something the higher our expectations become.
When instead we should be like the prodigal son and the father and build that circle, that chain, in love with compassion, and forgiveness. In prayer by asking for God’s grace we should build a chain of continual forgiveness, asking and receiving forgiveness, not because we deserve it, but because we accept and forgive the faults of those we love, just as Christ did for us on the cross. Adding love, acceptance and forgiveness to our family circle tightens the circle, just as Jesus’s loving arms are tightened around us.
How often must we forgive, and accept? In Matthew 18:22 Jesus instructed us that we must forgive “as many as seven times seventy times” our wrongdoings. That really means we must forgive continually.
How many times am I like the older brother in the story, holding a grudge, building a circle of unforgiveness? Am I unwilling to forgive and accept the “unfairness” of a situation because I think I should be “loved more” than another. Do I become jealous of someone else’s good fortune because it has come at my own expense? Or am I willing to accept that good fortune is God’s will and someone elses’ blessing, because I already have enough of my own blessings?
Can I be more like the prodigal son’s parent, willing to accept a request for forgiveness from my spouse or someone close to me? Am I willing to have compassion for the wrongdoings of others, even if I have been hurt in the process? Do I strive to act like Jesus when he died on the cross, ready to sacrifice everything, to bring joy and love into the circle and bring love “back into the flock?” Do I realize that forgiving the sinfulness of my spouse or another family member is the same act of forgiveness Jesus tells about in this story and the same act of forgiveness he gave for us on the cross? Do I seek to create a household honoring God thru unconditional and repetitive forgiveness?
Can I strive to also be like the youngest son, willing to realize my sinfulness, ready to ask forgiveness, ready to become a servant to the family member I have wronged. Can I learn be like the young son, willing to accept less, because with love, all things are possible?
Dear God, Thank you for your love within my marriage. I realize it is what creates a family and forgiveness and acceptance are what makes a family a stronger circle. Help me to be like the prodigal son, ready to seek forgiveness of those I love. And help me to be like the prodigal son’s parent, ready to accept “I’m sorry and I want to come home” just as you do each time I sin. Thank you for the prodigal son’s reminder to me that I don’t need it all, I only need love, your love and my families love. Help me to seek love and forgiveness like the prodigal son; and to be open and ready to accept and give forgiveness with the compassion of the prodigal father. Amen.
Blessings, Charlotte
Women of Faith:
Spending the last several days with our family in Colorado and holding our beautiful new granddaughter, Karolina, have reminded me of the importance of family togetherness and the constant forgiveness being part of a family requires. Sunday’s gospel story of the prodigal son, reminded me of how often a family must accept its members weaknesses, and be ready to offer forgiveness with compassion and understanding, even in the smallest happenings in a short day. Christ’s death and resurrection was the ultimate love and forgiveness story because he gave His life to forgive my sins, each one, including those that I repeat and those that I am not ready to ask forgiveness for.
Lk 15:1-3, 11-32 “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me (deserving).’ … the younger son … squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation….Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger…..”’
So he got up and went back to his father…. his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion….His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘….Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’…(unconditional forgiveness).
Now the older son… became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you… yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
The father said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
I have been fortunate to have an extended family who has shown love, forgiveness, acceptance and compassion for each other and for each others faults. Those are the traits that Jesus is teaching in the story of the Prodigal son and the traits that make marriages and families bind together. Like every person though I have not been immune to the fallout from unforgiveness and unacceptance which has led to family grudges, bitterness and divorce. I am saddened each time I hear of another friend or family member who’s relationship is being torn apart. I truly believe in Pope John Paul’s statement, “as goes the family, so goes the community. And as goes the community, so goes the world.”
Marriage statistics outside of God’s sacrament show that 1 out of every 2 marriages currently ends in divorce. Marriages with the grace of God and regular church attendance show less than 1 out of every 250 marriages end in divorce. And add regular, daily prayer together with your spouse and the statistics change to less than 1 in every 1100 ending in divorce. What an amazing multiplication of how God’s influence and love in our lives strengthens our marriages and our families. (By the way, it doesn’t make any difference which church denomination you belong to—these are ALL church statistics, not a specific denomination).
Think about it another way, without our parents marriage, and their parents marriage and all those grandparents before, none of us would be here today. Put a break in any of God’s unions of the “two becoming one” and we are no longer a part of this conversation. (Compound those statistics with the abortion statistic of 1 out of 4 conceptions ending in abortion, and just being a child of God with the opportunity for love and forgiveness becomes statistically small).
In turn I would not be experiencing the joy and happiness received by being able to spend time with my family and my new grandchild if somewhere along the way, many, many times, family members had not forgiven and accepted the Prodigal sons in their lives.
So how does marriage and family life fit with the story of the prodigal son? We are all sinners, just like the youngest son, and come home to our spouse to ask for forgiveness, many times, sometimes as often as daily or hourly. We also must be like the parent, like the father, ready to give forgiveness and accept our loved ones faults.
Why then is it so difficult to be like the father and the youngest son in the story? Why is it sometimes so difficult to ask for forgiveness and acceptance? And why is it so difficult to accept and forgive the person/s we love the most when they ask our forgiveness?
The difficulty comes because we set our expectations for love higher for those we love the most, we build a circle, a chain of thinking that we deserve love and forgiveness like the older son thinks he deserves, and the more we deserve something the higher our expectations become.
When instead we should be like the prodigal son and the father and build that circle, that chain, in love with compassion, and forgiveness. In prayer by asking for God’s grace we should build a chain of continual forgiveness, asking and receiving forgiveness, not because we deserve it, but because we accept and forgive the faults of those we love, just as Christ did for us on the cross. Adding love, acceptance and forgiveness to our family circle tightens the circle, just as Jesus’s loving arms are tightened around us.
How often must we forgive, and accept? In Matthew 18:22 Jesus instructed us that we must forgive “as many as seven times seventy times” our wrongdoings. That really means we must forgive continually.
How many times am I like the older brother in the story, holding a grudge, building a circle of unforgiveness? Am I unwilling to forgive and accept the “unfairness” of a situation because I think I should be “loved more” than another. Do I become jealous of someone else’s good fortune because it has come at my own expense? Or am I willing to accept that good fortune is God’s will and someone elses’ blessing, because I already have enough of my own blessings?
Can I be more like the prodigal son’s parent, willing to accept a request for forgiveness from my spouse or someone close to me? Am I willing to have compassion for the wrongdoings of others, even if I have been hurt in the process? Do I strive to act like Jesus when he died on the cross, ready to sacrifice everything, to bring joy and love into the circle and bring love “back into the flock?” Do I realize that forgiving the sinfulness of my spouse or another family member is the same act of forgiveness Jesus tells about in this story and the same act of forgiveness he gave for us on the cross? Do I seek to create a household honoring God thru unconditional and repetitive forgiveness?
Can I strive to also be like the youngest son, willing to realize my sinfulness, ready to ask forgiveness, ready to become a servant to the family member I have wronged. Can I learn be like the young son, willing to accept less, because with love, all things are possible?
Dear God, Thank you for your love within my marriage. I realize it is what creates a family and forgiveness and acceptance are what makes a family a stronger circle. Help me to be like the prodigal son, ready to seek forgiveness of those I love. And help me to be like the prodigal son’s parent, ready to accept “I’m sorry and I want to come home” just as you do each time I sin. Thank you for the prodigal son’s reminder to me that I don’t need it all, I only need love, your love and my families love. Help me to seek love and forgiveness like the prodigal son; and to be open and ready to accept and give forgiveness with the compassion of the prodigal father. Amen.
Blessings, Charlotte
Monday, March 22, 2010
New Beginnings
Women of Faith:
Spring—A Time of New Beginnings.
Welcome to some “new” friends, may this mark a new beginning in your continued search for the truth on your spiritual journey. For all of us maybe this is a good time to share this meditation with a sister in faith so that they too may have a new beginning.
This has been a week of new beginnings, our new granddaughter, Karolina, born March 9, 7 lbs; a new stage in Kristy’s relationship with Tyler, yes, he became her fiancé on the ski slopes of Beaver Creek, CO; and with the loss of a special faith friend, Faye, a new life with God, ready to be a new guardian angel in heaven. All of these are cause for celebration, because the Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
One of the greatest hopes I find in my relationship with God, is found in today’s reading from Jn 8:1-11 when Jesus forgave the adultress, after allowing the Pharisees, who wanted to condemn her, the choice, that they could stone her, if, they themselves were without sin.
So many times am I like the Pharisees ready to “cast stones,” only to realize that I too am a sinner and my sin is no less than any other. I got good advice today, that when I have the inclination to “judge” I should instead PRAY. Pray for those who might not be tithing, Pray for those who I think are acting selfishly, Pray for those who can’t or won’t listen to or seek the truth, Pray for those who are less than faithful to their spouse, Pray for those who are hurting those who love them, Pray, Pray, Pray.
I have hope from this reading, though, because knowing I am a sinner, I also know I will be forgiven, just like the adultress was forgiven. No sin is too great for God’s forgiveness. And as Joe said today, not only must I forgive others, but I must forgive myself. That is the greatness of a new beginning, to be able to start over, and follow Jesus’ advice to the adultress to “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
I must Pray for my own change, to be given strength and grace to help me when I am inclined to gossip or judge, to be more compassionate to other people’s needs and choices. There is no way I can be in another person’s circumstance. As much as I try, I cannot completely walk in someone else’s shoes and see why they make the choices they make.
Spring and lent are a time to begin anew. Our slates can be wiped clean. Our past sins, our faults, can be changed. We can be converted, like Paul who persecuted the Romans and became one of the main writers of the bible, suffering in jail because he followed Christ.
Regardless of whether a fault is personal (like not taking care of our bodies, by overeating(gluttony) and/or not exercising); against another (like envy, greed or jealousy); or against God by not putting Him first in the choices we make (like not taking time to pray each day, failing to attend church, or by ignoring the church teachings to fit my needs so that I can accept something that society has legalized, like abortion, gay marriage, or other relationships outside of sacramental marriage). For any of these sins we can be forgiven, we can begin anew, we can change our thoughts, ask forgiveness, or maybe even change courses in our decisions and thoughts, if we ask for God’s help. It is never too late for a new beginning. For with God, all things are possible.
Dear God: You have done great things for me, I am filled with joy. Please forgive me when I judge the faith and actions of others, I cannot know their hearts. Thank you for all the gifts you have given me, especially for a loving family who depends on your guidance and is continually seeking your wisdom and grace. Help me to forgive myself and others, to not look back, but to go forward and to know your grace to help me “sin no more.” Help me to accept my sufferings, and to not let them lead me to sin. Thank you for giving us your son, Jesus, to show us how to suffer and how to forgive. Amen.
And if anyone can’t find natures “new spring beginnings” I invite you out to see my crocuses that are blooming, and 2 new puppies—don’t know how long that combination is going to last :)
Blessings!
Charlotte
Spring—A Time of New Beginnings.
Welcome to some “new” friends, may this mark a new beginning in your continued search for the truth on your spiritual journey. For all of us maybe this is a good time to share this meditation with a sister in faith so that they too may have a new beginning.
This has been a week of new beginnings, our new granddaughter, Karolina, born March 9, 7 lbs; a new stage in Kristy’s relationship with Tyler, yes, he became her fiancé on the ski slopes of Beaver Creek, CO; and with the loss of a special faith friend, Faye, a new life with God, ready to be a new guardian angel in heaven. All of these are cause for celebration, because the Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
One of the greatest hopes I find in my relationship with God, is found in today’s reading from Jn 8:1-11 when Jesus forgave the adultress, after allowing the Pharisees, who wanted to condemn her, the choice, that they could stone her, if, they themselves were without sin.
So many times am I like the Pharisees ready to “cast stones,” only to realize that I too am a sinner and my sin is no less than any other. I got good advice today, that when I have the inclination to “judge” I should instead PRAY. Pray for those who might not be tithing, Pray for those who I think are acting selfishly, Pray for those who can’t or won’t listen to or seek the truth, Pray for those who are less than faithful to their spouse, Pray for those who are hurting those who love them, Pray, Pray, Pray.
I have hope from this reading, though, because knowing I am a sinner, I also know I will be forgiven, just like the adultress was forgiven. No sin is too great for God’s forgiveness. And as Joe said today, not only must I forgive others, but I must forgive myself. That is the greatness of a new beginning, to be able to start over, and follow Jesus’ advice to the adultress to “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
I must Pray for my own change, to be given strength and grace to help me when I am inclined to gossip or judge, to be more compassionate to other people’s needs and choices. There is no way I can be in another person’s circumstance. As much as I try, I cannot completely walk in someone else’s shoes and see why they make the choices they make.
Spring and lent are a time to begin anew. Our slates can be wiped clean. Our past sins, our faults, can be changed. We can be converted, like Paul who persecuted the Romans and became one of the main writers of the bible, suffering in jail because he followed Christ.
Regardless of whether a fault is personal (like not taking care of our bodies, by overeating(gluttony) and/or not exercising); against another (like envy, greed or jealousy); or against God by not putting Him first in the choices we make (like not taking time to pray each day, failing to attend church, or by ignoring the church teachings to fit my needs so that I can accept something that society has legalized, like abortion, gay marriage, or other relationships outside of sacramental marriage). For any of these sins we can be forgiven, we can begin anew, we can change our thoughts, ask forgiveness, or maybe even change courses in our decisions and thoughts, if we ask for God’s help. It is never too late for a new beginning. For with God, all things are possible.
Dear God: You have done great things for me, I am filled with joy. Please forgive me when I judge the faith and actions of others, I cannot know their hearts. Thank you for all the gifts you have given me, especially for a loving family who depends on your guidance and is continually seeking your wisdom and grace. Help me to forgive myself and others, to not look back, but to go forward and to know your grace to help me “sin no more.” Help me to accept my sufferings, and to not let them lead me to sin. Thank you for giving us your son, Jesus, to show us how to suffer and how to forgive. Amen.
And if anyone can’t find natures “new spring beginnings” I invite you out to see my crocuses that are blooming, and 2 new puppies—don’t know how long that combination is going to last :)
Blessings!
Charlotte
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