God wants to invade your soul - with His love.
John 17:26 says "I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Tricky guy....
This has actually been my philosophy on His love for a LOOOOOONG time. Unfortunately, I don't have a moment in time when I ever said "Oh, I like what John wrote, I'm gonna practice that..." no witness testimonies, nothing special that happened... it's just a part of me. A fabric of my being. "If I show someone unconditional love and acceptance, then eventually they'll see that it's not really my love, it's God's Love!" No spectacular "ah-ha" moment, just me.
Let God invade your soul. Let the Holy Spirit guide your path towards others, so that you might show them the love Christ had for us, the love God has for us. You don't have to preach or pass judgement; actions speak louder than words.
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Think... Think... Think....
I know there's people out there reading my blog, I see the stats every day...
What would you like to read about? I've hit a bit of a dry spell & could use some suggestions....
As always, praying for you, my gentle readers!
~ Melinda <><
What would you like to read about? I've hit a bit of a dry spell & could use some suggestions....
As always, praying for you, my gentle readers!
~ Melinda <><
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Pointing You in the Right Direction!
I absolutely love reading other people's blogs... and you do to, obviously! *wink*grin*
Please, check out my friend Crystal's blog. She is a co-author & my favorite writer at Faith, Friends, and Frappuccinos.
Check it out!!!
Please, check out my friend Crystal's blog. She is a co-author & my favorite writer at Faith, Friends, and Frappuccinos.
Check it out!!!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Mother, May I?
We all remember playing that game on the playground, right? "Mother, may I ___________?" and you fill in the blank with whatever request will help get you to the finish line fastest.....
What do we ask for in our everyday self-mutterings that we think might get us to our hypothetical finish line faster than the next guy?
"Please let me make that green light"
"Please let that car accident be on the other side of the freeway so I'm not late"
"Please let me be the next number they call"
Do you realize that, as trivial and/or exasperated as these requests might be, they're still a prayer of sorts? Whether or not you intend to talk to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Mary, or any of the other Saints about what's going on in your life, when you put that up to the universe, someone's always listening.
October is the month of the Rosary, and I challenge you to be a little more deliberate in your requests. Make it a little more formal, put a little more thought into it (and I mean, like, 3 extra seconds - doesn't have to be a disertation!). Ask Mary to pray for you, thank her for being with you through the day... (it's called secondary mediation, and it's the same as if I asked you to pray for me, only Mary won't forget because she's not distracted by worldly things!) Rather than worrying about the car accident affecting your commute, say a prayer that the people involved are alright, and give thanks that it's not you! Rather than stressing out about not making the green light, thank the Spirit for keeping you on the path that was intended for you that day.... catching on? (sorry about the earlier typo, no- I was not speaking ubonics!)
Try to take those little irritations and ask Mary to give you the Grace to find them as little blessings in your life. It's not easy, believe me, I struggle with it too.
I leave you today with a Hail Mary. Don't just breeze through it, say it like you would a conversation... "Hail Mary" is a greeting, and start from there...
Hail, Mary, full of Grace! The Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
What do we ask for in our everyday self-mutterings that we think might get us to our hypothetical finish line faster than the next guy?
"Please let me make that green light"
"Please let that car accident be on the other side of the freeway so I'm not late"
"Please let me be the next number they call"
Do you realize that, as trivial and/or exasperated as these requests might be, they're still a prayer of sorts? Whether or not you intend to talk to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Mary, or any of the other Saints about what's going on in your life, when you put that up to the universe, someone's always listening.
October is the month of the Rosary, and I challenge you to be a little more deliberate in your requests. Make it a little more formal, put a little more thought into it (and I mean, like, 3 extra seconds - doesn't have to be a disertation!). Ask Mary to pray for you, thank her for being with you through the day... (it's called secondary mediation, and it's the same as if I asked you to pray for me, only Mary won't forget because she's not distracted by worldly things!) Rather than worrying about the car accident affecting your commute, say a prayer that the people involved are alright, and give thanks that it's not you! Rather than stressing out about not making the green light, thank the Spirit for keeping you on the path that was intended for you that day.... catching on? (sorry about the earlier typo, no- I was not speaking ubonics!)
Try to take those little irritations and ask Mary to give you the Grace to find them as little blessings in your life. It's not easy, believe me, I struggle with it too.
I leave you today with a Hail Mary. Don't just breeze through it, say it like you would a conversation... "Hail Mary" is a greeting, and start from there...
Hail, Mary, full of Grace! The Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Humility
In September we prayed the Litany of Humility with the youth group, and it wasn't until last night as I was leading it that it really hit home.
Oh Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
Amen.
--
What's really striking a chord with me today, especially given events that have happened lately, are the lines "That others may be loved more than I, chosen and I set aside, praised and I unnoticed..." Wow. How powerful are those lines, really?! Especially in today's society! Everyone wants credit for even the littlest thing they do, everyone wants to be the most popular, have their 15 minutes of fame in the limelight, and that's not what it's all about.
A short & sweet food-for-thought to go with this prayer today....
Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.
Oh Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it
Amen.
--
What's really striking a chord with me today, especially given events that have happened lately, are the lines "That others may be loved more than I, chosen and I set aside, praised and I unnoticed..." Wow. How powerful are those lines, really?! Especially in today's society! Everyone wants credit for even the littlest thing they do, everyone wants to be the most popular, have their 15 minutes of fame in the limelight, and that's not what it's all about.
A short & sweet food-for-thought to go with this prayer today....
Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Forgiven
What does it mean to be forgiven? Can we just say "I'm sorry" and be done with it? Do we deserve to be able to say "I'm sorry"? What does it mean to you when someone asks you to forgive them after they've wronged you in some way? Is it easy? Can you really forgive, forget, and move on?
It.is.not.easy. It's not easy to forgive or to give forgiveness, and for a lot of us, it's not as easy as we think to actually be forgiven. To be absolved of whatever wrongs we have committed is pretty hard - not because God doesn't forgive us, but because we don't always forgive ourselves. We don't always think we're worth it. That little pang of guilt hits when something reminds you of your wrongdoings.
What we need to realize is that we can be forgiven, NO.MATTER.WHAT. Now- it doesn't mean I'm going to go out, steal a few shirts or drink just to get drunk, and say, "Oops, I'm sorry, Lord, forgive me," be forgiven, and go through the whole routine again the next weekend... You have to really and truly mean it in your heart, and only God knows when you're there. What we need to remember is that, when God forgives us, we also need to ask Him for the grace to forgive ourselves.
I'd like to share a song with you - of course *grin* - called "You Love Me Anyway", from Sidewalk Prophets' album Three Simple Truths. I encourage you to read the lyrics a few times before listening to the song, that way you really do hear them. Unconditional Love. Forgiveness. Putting all of our sins aside, God loves us anyway. The bridge is what really gets me, where the song talks about how we are every person who did Jesus wrong, and yet we are still loved. We betrayed Jesus in Judas' kiss, we shouted & chanted for His blood to be spilled, we are sin, and God still loves us. Even when we choose the easy way out, even when we tell that little white lie, even when we have hurt one another... God gives us the grace to be forgiven, the opportunity to love Him back, and in choosing to do that, we forgive ourselves.
The question was raised
It took more than my strength
But You love me anyway
See now, I am the man that called out from the crowd
It.is.not.easy. It's not easy to forgive or to give forgiveness, and for a lot of us, it's not as easy as we think to actually be forgiven. To be absolved of whatever wrongs we have committed is pretty hard - not because God doesn't forgive us, but because we don't always forgive ourselves. We don't always think we're worth it. That little pang of guilt hits when something reminds you of your wrongdoings.
What we need to realize is that we can be forgiven, NO.MATTER.WHAT. Now- it doesn't mean I'm going to go out, steal a few shirts or drink just to get drunk, and say, "Oops, I'm sorry, Lord, forgive me," be forgiven, and go through the whole routine again the next weekend... You have to really and truly mean it in your heart, and only God knows when you're there. What we need to remember is that, when God forgives us, we also need to ask Him for the grace to forgive ourselves.
I'd like to share a song with you - of course *grin* - called "You Love Me Anyway", from Sidewalk Prophets' album Three Simple Truths. I encourage you to read the lyrics a few times before listening to the song, that way you really do hear them. Unconditional Love. Forgiveness. Putting all of our sins aside, God loves us anyway. The bridge is what really gets me, where the song talks about how we are every person who did Jesus wrong, and yet we are still loved. We betrayed Jesus in Judas' kiss, we shouted & chanted for His blood to be spilled, we are sin, and God still loves us. Even when we choose the easy way out, even when we tell that little white lie, even when we have hurt one another... God gives us the grace to be forgiven, the opportunity to love Him back, and in choosing to do that, we forgive ourselves.
"You Love Me Anyway" ~ Sidewalk Prophets
As my conscience fell
A silly, little lie
It didn’t mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind
Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then, I turned away with this smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life
But You love me anyway
Oh, God… how you love me
You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
You love me, You love me
You love me, You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Verse of the Day
James 1:22 - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
We've all done it... gone to church, listend to the Word, and on the way out the door done or said something in sin. Even something as little as stubbing your toe in the parking lot and saying "Jesus!" or forgetting you needed to get groceries on the way home and let a curse word drop nice & loud as you turned the car around. Or this one.... I know we all do this.... while greeting people & watching the crowds exit church, we start thinking, maybe saying something to our friends or family there with us, about how so-and-so did such-and-such, and can you believe it... passing judgement.
We're human. We make mistakes. That's what forgiveness is all about... But it's not an excuse to not be diligent about living God's words in our day-to-day lives. As you prepare yourselves for church this week, or weekend- rather, I challenge you to not only be receptive of The Word, but hold yourselves accountable to it.
We've all done it... gone to church, listend to the Word, and on the way out the door done or said something in sin. Even something as little as stubbing your toe in the parking lot and saying "Jesus!" or forgetting you needed to get groceries on the way home and let a curse word drop nice & loud as you turned the car around. Or this one.... I know we all do this.... while greeting people & watching the crowds exit church, we start thinking, maybe saying something to our friends or family there with us, about how so-and-so did such-and-such, and can you believe it... passing judgement.
We're human. We make mistakes. That's what forgiveness is all about... But it's not an excuse to not be diligent about living God's words in our day-to-day lives. As you prepare yourselves for church this week, or weekend- rather, I challenge you to not only be receptive of The Word, but hold yourselves accountable to it.
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