Whole-y Weak

Moving through my Good Fridays to Easter Sundays for wholeness below the surface.

Lent offers us the opportunity to take inventory of our Christian Living. Many of us don’t do this in a way that really gets to the heart of things in our lives. Most often we stay on the surface, giving up or taking on things that fail to challenge us in our Christian Living.

Whole-y Weak is about the realization that my wholeness is weak without Christ’s leadership. In my quest to be whole, to be peaceful, I come to understand that I must be weak in my heart; in my soul, so that Christ can fully enter into my being and turn my Good Friday moments into Easter Sundays. 

Funny how long I sought to be strong; to have it all together, so I could live as a good Christian. What Whole-y 

Weak has taught me is that my strength is in Christ, that my wholeness is only in and through the ways of God. Truly I am not whole on my own. On my own I am holey; incomplete.

In following Christ I better understand that my Good Fridays are destined in Resurrection. Fully understanding Whole-y Weak leads me to Holy Week where I am able to celebrate with Jesus the Christ death to the things that harm and RESURRECTION to new life.

Silent Company

As I sit on the couch next to Jesus, I find that we are enjoying a comfortable silence. I am watching the sun set while Jesus is busy with the world in His hands. I find it unnecessary to say anything. Just being in His company is enough.

Night Prayer

Hey God, thought I'd come over and hangout. How've You been? That good, huh? Well that's great. Me? Oh, I'm good. Especially since I've been hanging out with You. I really appreciate You letting me come over. I really feel good when I'm with You. Funny thing, we don't even have to be doing anything. Just being with You is fine with me. You too? Wow! Thanks.

(Originally written 18 March 2014 during my Night Prayer)

Getting Ready for LENT

I'm so excited for LENT 2014. God has been doing such GREAT things in my life and I can't wait to join in Her work. Though I have been working with God, well truth be told, and against God, Lent gives me the opportunity to put some practices in place that say, "Yes God I'm on board; I'm willing to do your will." And these are the practices I chose. Sure the Church puts in place a few things to get us started: prayer, fasting/abstinence, and alms-giving. How those things get lived out is totally up to the individual.

This year, not only am I giving up something, I'm also taking something on. WOW!! Here goes!!!
For all of my Candy Crush players out there, I'm giving up Candy Crush; Pet Rescue; Solitaire Blitz; Words with Friends; AND Pepper Panic Saga. Now this may not be much to many of you but it is way too much for me. In recent months I have found myself playing these games entirely too much. So, out they go. Does that leave anything? Sure it does: Criminal Case, Pyramid Solitaire Saga and Matching with Friends. These 3 games have limited playing time so I think I'll be okay with the amount of time playing computer games.

What am I taking on you ask? Several things: a 6-week daily retreat (Your Spiritual Garden: Tending to the Presence of God by Pegge Bernecker); morning and evening prayer; and daily Mass (at least 2 times a week). In my free time I will be writing my book and practicing Spanish.

Aren't you excited with me? Of course you are!!

How are you planning to participate in God's transformation of you?

Investing for the Future

I've been struggling with this term, Investing for the Future, for some time now. Especially when someone wants to spend money I don't think should be spent. I didn't know why it was a struggle, until now.

I find it hard to grasp the concept of spending one's few earned dollars on investing in stocks, property, gold, jewelry and the such, knowing the gain is elusive.

I do find it a worthy investment to take my few earned dollars and invest them in people. Cultivating relationships, creating bonds of friendship, mentoring while breaking bread or sipping coffee/tea.
Now that to me is true Investing for the Future.

All of us should take time to be "pastorally present" to one another. We don't have to do much. Just learning to be comfortable with one another will go a long way to healing our hurts.