Love is All Around

 

1 John 4:12 says No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. 

As I got out of the car today, this little heart was sharing the parking spot with me. 💓 It made me stop and smile. I almost picked it up, but instead left it there, thinking that it may make the next person smile too. 

We get going so fast these days, buzzing around from place to place, picking up kids, groceries, medications, dropping things off, making the next deadline; we get frustrated so easily, yelling at cars who are going to slow, going to fast, in our way... this little heart reminded me that I need to stop and grant people grace, love, and kindness. They may be having a harder day than I am, no matter how hard I think my day has been, and they made need to see God's presence more than I need to be 17 seconds earlier to my next destination. 

Remember - you may be someone's only exposure to God's love. Think about that. You may be the only person in their world who offers them a smile, a word of kindness, or the time of day. Try to remember that. Spread kindness, spread joy, spread Love. 

Is "Good" Good Enough?

How do you make the decision between right and wrong? One would think it's easy, you do what feels good, what makes it easier to sleep at night, what doesn't weigh heavy on your conscience... But it's not always black and white. 

When you are faced with decisions that need to be made, do you choose "good" or "good enough"? Do you choose from which is bad over which could have been worse? People say "The Devil's in the details" and I don't think we ever realize how true that statement is! Temptation is around us all day, every day, and so many times we justify it with saying our decisions were "good enough" to be considered "good". 

Father Davis said in his homily last Sunday, that during Lent, we are meant to give much more time and focus on prayer, penance, and the effective use of the Word of God. The Holy Spirit helps to guide us to the path we need to be on, the path we should be taking. If we are truly listening with our hearts and not our minds, we will hear Jesus calling us by name, just as He promised us He would. 

I LOVE THIS! For me, this means listening in the silence.... God speaks the loudest when the rest of the world is hushed.... no TV, no phones, no music, no outside noises, sometimes I will put my headphones in and use them like earplugs - no sound on at all, just have it muting the world around me so I can listen to the silence. These are the moments of reflection, of direction, and divine communication, for me - what works for you? 

I challenge you, as we go forward on our Lenten journey this year, to make a habit of finding just 5 minutes of silence each day, and listen. Then, really think about the last time you chose the Right. The Good, not the good enough. Stare at that door, and really, truly make sure you are ready to open it.... listen for Jesus calling your name, I have faith that He will. 

Fasting from your Addictions

 So many people focus on fasting and giving things up, sacrificing things during Lent…. A lot of times they even make a big deal about it. It actually says, in the bible, NOT to talk about it. To bathe, get dressed, make yourself look presentable, and don’t let others see how you suffer.

But today, many of my claimants talked about their journey to becoming clean and sober. How their fasting from their addictions helped them turn their lives around, and how they have been able to see the changes, the differences in where they were, what led them down that path, and where they are now. 

I believe there are appropriate times to talk about what we have and haven’t given up. Our addictions, whether we are ready to acknowledge them or not, hurt so many people - soooo many more people than we may ever realize. Six degrees of separation doesn’t even begin to cover the trickle-down effect of how our actions, inactions, and reactions impact the lives of others. 

On this first Friday of Lent, let’s think about what we truly should be fasting from, and whether or not we should choose to share it. 

Let the Fasting Begin!

 What is Lent really about? Is it about what we give up for the 40-some days to honor (or grumble) every day that Christ suffered in the desert, resisting the temptations while in the desert? 

Last night, Father spoke about how Lent is the invitation to Christianity's Annual 40 Day Retreat! You get to leave your everyday life behind, take a step back from what plagues you on a regular basis, re-evaluate, trim your "spiritual fat" and make some changes for the better! 

Today was an absolutely emotionally and mentally exhausting day, but I do have more that I'd like to reflect on and share. Please, I know it's been a loooong writing hiatus, but hold me to writing here more, okay? 

See you soon, I promise!