Sunday Snippets - A Catholic Carnival May 31

This past week I kept busy working on a Day of Reflection. I worried a lot about it. And I prayed to the Holy Spirit.
Guess which helped me more?

Come, Holy Spirit

Who Me? Worry?

You can participate in Sunday Snippets or read other contributions by visiting RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing

Come, Holy Spirit

Saturday I presented a Day of Reflection at my parish. I had been working on my talks for the past few weeks, getting nowhere. The inspiration was just not there. So naturally, this past week I began to panic. The theme was A Personal Encounter with Jesus. I had originally wanted to talk about being a disciple of Jesus, about witnessing for our faith. My first reflection about having a personal relationship with Jesus went well. Still, I had 2 more reflections to do. Saying "Help" every day didn't seem to be working. I needed to sit and listen. (When will I ever learn to do that in the FIRST place?) Then it came to me. I had been trying to do this without the Spirit's help. I had been trying to force my own ideas. No wonder the words wouldn't come. Once I stopped to listen, once I took time to pray, to listen to the Spirit within, the words came. What did I talk about? I talked about how we need to slow down, pray, put Jesus first. I spoke from my heart, from my own life. The Holy Spirit had led me, yet again, to where I needed to be.
"... the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us." (Romans 5:5, NAB)

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God Moments - May 29

I have two God moments to share this week. The first one I had posted about already but I needed to mention it here anyway:

My deacon hubby and I went to the ordination of 4 permanent deacons last Saturday. Jesus was surely present there with the bishop and the priests and deacons in attendance. The sacrament of Holy Orders is truly moving: the laying on of hands, the deacons prostrating themselves in humility before the Lord, the Litany of the Saints, the priests and deacons standing in line to embrace and welcome the new deacons. Goosebumps and tears were in abundance for me.

Since I already posted about the ordination this week, I will include another God moment. I had written a Letter to Our Lady for the Mary Moments Carnival. I was writing to tell Mary that I was praying for a deeper devotion to her. I was a bit nervous about the reaction I would get about this letter. Would others wonder why I did not have a deep devotion? My insecurities were showing. I was worried about being judged.
Well, I received many comments encouraging me and giving me advice and some even telling me that I must have a devotion already because of the letter I wrote. Thank you to all who commented and encouraged. And thank you, Lord.
Jesus just reached into my heart and said - what are you worried about? I love you and so does my Mother.

Please visit Karinann's blog to participate in this meme and read about others' God moments this week.

Who Me? Worry?

I love the scripture reading of Matthew 6:24-34. It is the one where Jesus tells us not to worry so much.
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Mt 6:27
I am a worrier from way back. I can remember worrying even as a child. And while I understand what Jesus is telling us here, I have a difficult time living it out. I feel comfort when I read it, but then the very next day I am back to worrying.
The funny thing is, I tend to worry more about the little things in life. When a major crisis hits, I am like the Rock of Gibralter. I sense God's loving and strong presence and I hang on.
I think I worry about the little things when I am not living in the present moment. I worry because I am living in tomorrow or in yesterday and God is not there. God is eternal and therefore God is always in the NOW. God is in the present moment.
St. Benedict says in his Rule (4:47) - Keep death daily before your eyes.
One way to interpret this is - live life fully today for who knows what tomorrow may bring? And what if tomorrow does not come?
We need to seize the day. Live each day like it is our last one. Live life fully. And remember what Jesus told us - Worrying does not add a single moment to our life-span.
reprint from Prayerful Morsels, May 22

Diaconate Ordination and Remembering

Saturday my husband and I attended the ordination of 4 permanent deacons in our diocese. It was truly inspiring and moving and so much more. This is the first ordination I have attended since my husband was ordained 4 years ago. Tears came to my eyes several times during the Mass as I remembered our own special day, a day that has to be lived in order to be understood. Mere words are never enough.

I sat with other deacons' wives. Some of their husbands were ordained with my husband. We all knew what each other was thinking and feeling. We all knew we were remembering.

I remembered the years of study and worry that led up to that day. And I remembered the years of prayers and graces also.

I remembered the fear that I had that I wouldn't measure up, that I didn't have the "call" to become a deacon's wife, that I didn't even know what that would come to mean in years ahead. And I remembered learning to trust and to surrender it all to the Lord.

I remembered the day of Ordination. My whole family being there, children and grandchildren. Parishioners coming to support us. My mother and brothers coming from hundreds of miles away.

I remembered the feeling of awe when the bishop laid his hands on my husband's head. And the realization that I was being called to share my husband with the Church. And how proud I was of him. And I just knew that God was pouring graces into all our hearts. And I remembered the pure joy of it all.

Last Saturday, I looked at the other wives. There were tears and smiles and glowing faces. I looked at my husband, sitting with the deacons, and he looked back at me at the same time and he smiled that smile that said - are you thinking what I am thinking? Do you remember, too?

I smiled back in answer. Yes, I remember.
I will always remember.

Thankful for Blessings - May 26

Thank you to Judy who hosts this meme at A Thankful Woman's Blessings. You can participate or read other posts by visiting her blog.

1. I feel blessed by having participated in the Mary Moments Carnival yesterday for the first time. I took a chance and poured out my concerns in a letter to Mary and got such encouraging and heartfelt responses. I feel like my prayers are being answered already.

2. I feel blessed to have been able to attend a diaconate ordination last Saturday. It was so moving and just filled me up to the brim with joy. If you have never attended an ordination, try to do so sometime. It is another opportunity to be present for a sacrament.

3. I am blessed to be working on a Day of Reflection for this coming Saturday. It is time-consuming and stressful but I always seem to get more out of doing these than I put into them. The Spirit often seems to call me to work on messages that I am needing to hear myself!

4. I feel blessed that I live in the United States and I wish to pray for all who have served and are now serving this country in so many ways.

5. I feel blessed that I am a Catholic. I converted 20 years ago and I thank God everyday. My life and my relationship with God changed dramatically and I am so grateful.
Hope you all receive many blessings this week!

Letter to Our Lady

Dear Mary,

I have been praying lately to grow closer to you. I see around me so many Catholics who have such a deep devotion to you and I am beginning to feel like I need that. I am beginning to feel like I want that.
I am a convert, and did not grow up learning all the Marian prayers and feast days and songs and titles. Devotion to you seems to come so naturally to some people I know. They have such strong feelings for you. My relationship with you seems to ebb and flow.
A friend of mine went to Medjugorje and told me so many stories about her experiences there. I started reading every book about it that I could get my hands on. Then I started reading about other apparitions. I could not get enough. I especially loved the story of Guadalupe. I still do. However, my interest in reading about apparitions eventually cooled. I went on to reading other kinds of spirituality books.
I used to pray the rosary every day. But I rarely pray it now. Lately I find rote prayer to be too dry. But I pray it when I feel called to do so, like during the recent Notre Dame scandal.
I am an empty-nester now, but as my children were growing up, I would sometimes turn to you. I knew you knew what it is like to suffer for one's child. You know it better than anyone. Those were the closest times I have had with you, when I needed your motherly understanding.
And Mary, I love the way they portrayed you in the movie, The Passion. I love the way Jesus teased you when he showed you that table he was making. Was your relationship with him really like that? My boys like to tease me, too. Mothers and sons. What a special relationship we have.
And there was the flashback when Jesus was a little boy and he had fallen. You ran to gather him in your arms and let him know you loved him. I was so moved when you then ran to hold Jesus when he fell with the cross. I know it was just a movie, but it made me think more about what it was like for you. I cannot imagine how you felt when you watched your son die. I cannot imagine.
I, too, am here for my boys when they need me. If they fall, I too, go running to them, to help pick them up, to let them know I love them and I am here.
Are you there for me, Mary? If I fall, will you come running to pick me up and then lead me back to Jesus?
Looking back at what I have written makes me see that you have surely helped me to grow. Grow in prayer. Grow in my desire to know more about spirituality. I do see you as a wonderful role model. And your Magnificat never ceases to move me.
Perhaps my desire to grow closer to you means I already am growing closer to you. I do love you in my own way.
Mary, thanks for being there.

If you wish to participate in Mary Moments Carnival or read other posts, be sure to go to just another day of Catholic pondering. Thanks to Sarah for hosting!

Sabbath Rest

I am feeling called to rest more. Ever since I read about Sabbath Moments, I cannot get enough of finding more articles and books about it. Considering how busy I am these days, and how overwhelmed I seem to get lately, I can understand why the idea of Sabbath rest really gets my attention.
The other day I had one of those Sabbath moments. I stopped what I was doing at work and I went to the window and I watched the rain fall. We have not had much rain here in a very long time and the rain was a pleasant one. Not stormy or scary. Just a steady rain, nourishing plants and wildlife and maybe even my heart and spirit. I sat there for just a few minutes. But it was enough.
After dinner, I went into my bedroom with a spiritual book and sat, reading in silence for about 30 minutes. Not long. But it was enough.
Jesus took time to be alone and to rest and to pray. We need to do the same. We need to take time to stop, rest and contemplate the presence of God in our lives. When was your last Sabbath moment?
Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Sunday Snippets - A Catholic Carnival May 24

Last week I participated in the Sunday Catholic Carnival and was celebrating the news I was going to be a grandmother. This week I must sadly tell you that my daughter-in-law had a miscarriage.

My emotions have been on a roller coaster ride and my week was marked with deep sadness and concern for my son and his wife. However, even in the midst of sadness, God lets us know we are not alone. I wrote about His surprise treat in my post for the meme, Touch of Our Savior's Hand.

To read more posts from this week, be sure to visit RAnn at her blog, This, That and the Other Thing where she is hosting Sunday Snippets!

Touch of Our Savior's Hand - May 22

Thanks to Karinann for hosting Touch of the Savior's Hand. I love this meme! It helps to remind me to be aware of God's presence in my life. If you wish to participate, visit her blog and read more about it.

I was driving home from work yesterday. I was feeling tired and achy and just plain blah. It didn't help my mood any that it was raining. But as I drove over a bridge, I was amazed at what I saw. On one side of the bridge was dark sky and the river looked black. One the other side, there was a faint rainbow with just a sliver of sunshine peeking through the clouds. It was as if the Lord was telling me that He is with me in dark times as well as bright times. Instantly my mood lifted. God is with me, I thought. Thank you, Lord.

Small Successes - May 21

Participating in the weekly meme of Small Successes forces me to pay attention to the positive things I do during the week. Most of my life I have seen only my mistakes and failures. This is such a healthy new habit!

1. I took a break in the middle of my workday to go to the chapel and pray. That is huge for me because I had a lot of work to do and I tend to just work right through the day.
2. I have been frustrated by my diet not working so well, but I resisted the urge to go and buy some M&M's!
3. I am an introvert. I am not a social butterfly by any stretch of the imagination. Social situations often make me very uncomfortable or anxious. But this week hubby and I have accepted two dinner invitations by two different couples to go have dinner with them. I am not nervous in the least. I am actually looking forward to it. Makes me wonder what is going on.
Read more Small Successes at Faith & Family, hosted by Danielle Bean.

Dry Spell

It rained today. We are in our dry season and we have needed rain for a long time. The ground was so parched, it just soaked up the water from today, leaving the ground still looking dry.
I have felt parched myself lately. Thirsty in a spiritual sense. My prayer life has been so dry, I feel like I am in the desert. A friend of mine said that she often pictures grace as falling down on us like rain. I am praying for thirst-quenching graces to rain down on me and end my dry season.

I know I need to wait, but I do not wait well. As I waited for the rain to come to my neighborhood, so too, I must wait for my thirst to be quenched. And pray for the graces to be patient and to persevere. And to trust.

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Thankful for My Blessings - May 19

1. I am blessed with faith. Faith has helped me deal with some sadness this week.

2. I am blessed with a job that I love. I work at my church and am blessed to be able to help others and listen to them and to talk about God all day long.

3. I am blessed with a husband who loves me and who loves God.

4. I am blessed with all kinds of friends, including blogger friends and twitter friends who responded to my request for prayers immediately and spread the word. Thank you.

5. I am blessed with an insatiable love for reading books, especially spiritual ones. Books helped me survive an abusive childhood and to this day, help me to grow in my knowledge and love of God more and more each day.

Thank you to Judy at A Woman's Book of Blessings who is hosting this meme. Check out her blog to read about more blessings from Judy and others.

Prayers Needed

Life can change in just the time it takes to answer the phone.
My son called me. My daughter-in-law has had a miscarriage. Where there was once pure joy and excitement and happy dreams, there is now sadness and a deep sense of loss. And a sense of helplessness. I can do nothing for them, but love them and pray for them.
And hang onto the One who loves us.

Sunday Snippets - A Catholic Carnival May 17

I am happy to participate in this week's Catholic Carnival. Hope you will join us.

This week, I learned I was going to be a grandmother again!! I was very excited and wrote two posts about it:

Grandmother's Day - My story of how I learned about becoming a grandmother and the joy that went with it!

Heart Beat - My son sends the first sonogram of my grandbaby-to-be and I am amazed at the picture of the heart! How can people not know this is Life?

And last but not least - Touch of Our Savior's Hand - May 15 - how I experienced the presence of Jesus this week. You will not be surprised by this!!

Be sure to visit RAnn who is hosting this Carnival to read others' posts and participate if you wish.

Touch of Our Savior's Hand - May 15

This was easy this week. I felt Jesus' touch when I saw the ultrasound of my new grandchild-to-be. I felt such joy. But more than that, there was the sense of awe and wonder. I was looking at a miracle. And miracles come from just one source - the hand of our Savior.
To participate in this meme or to read others' stories of their God moments, be sure to visit Karinann at Blessings of the Day.

Heart Beat

My son sent me the first sonogram of his new baby. Baby is only 5 or 6 weeks along but look at that dark circle - that is the heart!!
I sent him an email and told him that pro choice people would call that just a piece of tissue. He wrote back and said he had actually seen the heart beat. He watched it beat!! Mom, he said, that is not just a piece of tissue.
The heart beats within my grandchild. That child is now, has been and will forever be a person.
This is not an opinion. This is not a political statement. This is truth. This is life.

Grandmother's Day

I got 2 Mother’s day cards from my oldest son. That was a puzzle. The first card was beautiful with beautiful words and a nice little angel token to carry in my purse. I was pleased.

Then I opened the 2^nd card. On the front it said – You’re a new Grandma! Huh? I am a new grandma? Hardly. I have 15 grandchildren. I am only in my 50’s so I consider that quite a feat. BUT, if you insist on getting technical, my grandchildren are a combination of His and Mine. However, they don’t care about getting technical and neither do I. I am their grandmother. So, let me repeat, I have 15 grandchildren.

And then I realize what the card means. My son and his wife are going to have their first baby!! Then all I could do was say, “O my gosh” over and over and cry at the same time. And laugh too. Very strange combination but there you have it. I was a bit surprised and very excited.

My husband could not figure out what was going on as I cried and sputtered and ran to the phone. I called my son to congratulate him and my daughter-in-law and I cried some more and giggled at the same time and was so excited, aIl my son could do was laugh at me.

My younger son is getting married in August and now my older son is having a baby sometime near January 1^st. My heart is just filled to overflowing!

Joy, joy, joy. O happy day!

Small Successes - May 14

This is the first time in a long time that I have joined this meme and I think it has something to do with my difficulty in seeing my successes. So maybe this should be on the list - being aware of my successes this week!

1. I love to stay up late, but last week I went to bed earlier than usual and had some prayer time in the morning. I love praying early in the morning. So quiet and peaceful.

2. I was able to take some moments during the week to just be with the Lord without needing to accomplish something. Just sit and hang out. This may be a big success for me.

3. Just getting back to work from vacation often stresses me out because I get overwhelmed with trying to catch up on my work. But this week I just went with the flow. Maybe that has a lot to do with #1 and #2??

Thank you to Danielle Bean who is hosting Small Successes and you can read more and participate yourself if you visit her site here at Faith and Family.

Interview

Check out my interview by Jo Linsdell on Writers and Authors blog. Thank you Jo!

Thankful for My Blessings - May 12

Here are some of my many blessings this week!

1. I am blessed with 2 sons. I am thinking of them as I write this on Mother’s Day and I love them so much I could bust!

2. I am blessed with 4 stepchildren who enlarged my family and my heart. I love them more than they realize.

3. I am blessed with a husband who always spoils me. He is the love of my life.

4. I am blessed with a mother who is also one of my closest friends.

5. I am blessed with a best friend who has been my best friend for over 49 years!

Thank you to Judy at A Woman’s Book of Blessings who is hosting this meme.

Sunday Snippets - A Catholic Carnival May 10

This is the first time for me to participate in Sunday Snippets. Here are a couple of my posts from this past week:

Sabbath Moments is about discovering that we can have moments of rest throughout the week - moments when we just sit with the Lord and rest in His presence.

The Thin Place - about other kinds of moments when we sense that we have experienced the presence of God. Celtic Spirituality calls these places "the thin place."

Thanks goes to RAnn for hosting this week's Sunday Snippets. Be sure and visit her blog to read more and find out about joining up and contributing to Sunday Snippets as well!

Thoughts on Life

I suggest you read this comment on Amy Welborn's blog Via Media. Just skim down through the comments and look for the one with the title - Thoughts on Torture. This comment is trying to make a point about what people say about the abortion issue. The word abortion is substituted with the word torture. I read another post written by someone else where she/he substituted the word abortion with the words child abuse.
These writings are very effective in bringing home the point that our pro life view on abortion cannot be compromised. It is not about having a difference of opinion. We do not argue about how wrong torture or child abuse is.
Causing the death of an unborn child is just as wrong as causing the death of a child who has been born. If a mother killed her 2 year child because it was inconvenient to have her around, would we be arguing about how wrong that is or about the mother's "right to choose?"
Let us all remember to pray for the unborn and for the conversion of hearts.

Touch of Our Savior's Hand - May 8

I was at a Catholic Council of Catholic Women’s Conference this past week. One day, I was approached by 3 different women who proceeded to tell me their conversion stories. I was not seeking them out and I did not ask them for their stories. But they gave them freely. They trusted me, though they did not know me very well, and they shared their stories. I was moved. I do not know what to make of it. I cannot even begin to try to figure it out. Sometimes we just need to surrender and thank the Lord for his blessings without needing to understand why.

In this meme, we share the ways in which we have been touched by the Savior’s Hand during the week. Be sure to visit Blessings for the Day to see others’ contributions.

The Thin Place

I am at a convention. I am sitting by my table where I am selling my books. I thought it would be a boring day but I have met some very interesting and kind women while sitting here. What a blessing.
We start off doing something for one reason and it turns into something else. God has a way of entering into our lives and surprising us. Sometimes in major ways like St Paul going blind. But most often it is in small little ways.
We can feel far away from God and then the veil is lifted just so slightly and we experience God in such a close personal encounter. The Celtics call this the "thin place." I really like that expression.
Have you experienced the thin place recently?
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Seeing God in Nature

I sit by my hotel window and look out at the ocean. I feel peace. I always feel peace when I get a glimpse of the sea. I always sense God’s presence at the beach. I don’t know why. It just is.

Thankful for My Blessings - May 5

Thank you to Judy from Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings for hosting this meme again this week. Here are my blessings:

1. I am thankful for the opportunity to lead a day of reflection last weekend. I love speaking about God and prayer and the spiritual journey.

2. I am thankful for the time off from work this week, to get some much needed rest and prayer time.

3. I am thankful for ice coffee, especially early in the morning.

4. I am thankful for my sons who are such good, kind and caring young men.

5. I am thankful for friends both online and offline who share their faith and spiritual journey and help us all grow in our relationship with God.

Blessings to all!

Letting Go

I spoke to a group of about 30 people yesterday about God’s loving mercy. The day after I do a retreat day I always feel a bit drained. I try to give it my all and then I worry so much about it, wondering how it was received, etc. I fret over it like a mother frets over her child. I remind myself that all I can do is put it in the Lord’s hands. Turn it over and give it to God.

I am not perfect, but I know I gave it all my all. I gave it all I had. I even had some sleepless nights. And now I know I need to let it go.

So I will.

Tomorrow.

Just Wondering - May 2009

Why is it that when a pregnant woman takes drugs or drinks too much, she is charged with child abuse (rightly so), but if she aborts the child, it is okay because it is her “choice”?

Am I the only one who thinks this makes no sense?

Touch of Our Savior's Hand - April 30

My God moment this week – I am looking at the Atlantic Ocean and it is beautiful. Its colors are blue and green. Waves roll peacefully to the shore. The ocean stretches far beyond what my eyes can see. Seagulls fly lazily overhead. I feel such peace.
I always sense God's presence when I am at the beach. I wrote about it before when I first started blogging last summer.
So when I need to be refreshed, when I feel like I have lost that connection to God, I run to the beach, and I feel as if I am back in touch with my Lord.

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting – a wayside sacrament. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be sure to visit Blessings for the Day to read others' posts about their God moments.