New Column!

I am pleased to share with you about my new monthly column at CatholicMom.com. It will be posted on the 4th Monday of every month and my first submission is today!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to write "beside" such good writers, some of whom I know in the Catholic blogging world.
Today's article is on Valentine's Day and marriage and the God who loves us and gives us all we need. And more.
Read more...

This Day Will Never Come Again

But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. (Matthew 6:33-34)

Oh gosh. I am such a worrier.

I worry about lots of little things and I worry about big things and I even worry about worrying.

I also worry a lot about tomorrow and what it will bring. I have to keep reminding myself that I need to live in the present moment. Because that is where God is.

When the day is over, all I can do is let go. Ah, but that is the rub isn't it? We can only let go if we trust. And trusting is not an easy thing to do.

I remember once reading a reflection by Thomas Merton (from the Merton Institute of Contemplative Living) who was writing about a beautiful summer afternoon and he said - "This day will never come again."

This phrase really grabbed my heart and I have not forgotten it. I am far from knowing how to live it out perfectly, but I try to remember it whenever I realize I am worrying about tomorrow yet again.

Worry wastes the gift of today that God has given us, a day we can never get back. Worry leads us to focus on ourselves rather than focus on God.

Seek God first and the rest will be given to us.

This day will never come again.

Dear Lord, please help me to remember to let go of my worries. Help me to trust in you more, Lord, and to think about myself less. Help me to put you first in all I think, do and say. Amen.
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Sunday Snippets - February 27

This is the weekly Catholic Carnival! Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing and check out some posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Why not join us and share a blog post or two from last week?

Here are my contributions for this week:
Loving Our Enemies 
Thankful for Blessings: Communities and Chocolate

Sabbath Moments - Pray and Play

Sabbath moments are the moments we rest in God, when we take time to just Be with God rather than Do. Sabbath moments are also those times when we live in the moment and find the holy in the ordinary. I invite you to share your Sabbath moment(s) here on Saturdays. Be sure to sign into Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, please share about it in a comment!
Some of my sabbath moments this week:
1. Lunch with a friend, discussing God and our spiritual life. I do not have a spiritual director right now so we regularly get together to discuss our prayer life and support each other. Taking time to talk about our life with God is a beautiful sabbath moment.
2. I drove to work one morning and sat in my car a few minutes, just looking around. There are a couple of big trees in front of my favorite parking place and I noticed a lot of activity. Squirrels!
There were about 10 or more squirrels running from limb to limb, following each other like they were playing "Follow the Leader!" And the funniest part was when they hopped from one tree to the next! Each of them would jump, grab the flimsy limb, hang there for 2 or 3 seconds getting their bearing and then continue their "game." I was enjoying this scene so much, I almost forgot to go into work!
What a peaceful and joyful moment, sitting there, watching God's creatures. Laughing. Thanking God.
To think some playful squirrels could give me a sabbath moment! But it reminded me of how we all need to find time to play!

Chocolate Shortage? Say It Ain't So!

Everyone is asking me about the chocolate shortage that I mentioned in my blog today. I first heard it on the local news last night.

All you have to do is google: "chocolate shortage" and you will find tons of info. However, this blog post I found really does a good job of telling the story.

I am beginning to wonder if I should start stockpiling chocolate. 

I shudder to think of life without M & M's.

Thankful for Blessings - Communities and Chocolate

I love Wednesdays because it is the day I join my special friend, Judy, in this thankful meme at her inspiring blog, A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings. In this meme we give thanks for the five things we are most thankful for this past week and then link to Judy's blog. Be sure to also check out her website when you visit! Thank you, Judy, for helping me keep an attitude of gratitude!
Some of my blessings this week -
1. My mother - a doctor thought she had a blood clot in her leg, but thankfully the ultrasound revealed there was no clot. Thank you, Lord!
2. Blogging & Facebook friends - so many of my blogging and Facebook friends prayed for my mom when I asked for prayer. Recently Pope Benedict said that social media can be used to spread the gospel. Over and over again, I have seen people doing that, through prayer, as well as through informative and inspiring writing. Thank you, Lord, for showing us that there is more than one kind of community, more than one way to come together and pray and support one another. More than one way to love our neighbor.
3. My parish - we have an active parish, vibrant, spirit-filled, warm and welcoming. We have a real sense of family there, a feeling of belonging. My hubby and I have been members since the very first Mass, 20 years ago last fall. Thank you, Lord, for leading us to this faith community.
4. Springlike weather - warm during the day, cool breezes at night. Reminds me of the Holy Spirit - ruah. Thank you, Lord!
5. Chocolate - I really love chocolate, but I am worried. The local news announced tonight that there might come to be a shortage of chocolate in this country. If that happens, I may lose the will to live. (Just kidding... I think.)

Loving Our Enemies

"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust." - Matthew 5:44-45

Love your enemies. This is such a hard thing to do. So very hard.  But what really touches me is verse 45 - he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good...

We are always tempted to think that we can earn our way into heaven. OR that God loves us best because we are Catholic or we never committed a crime or... whatever.

God is not about crime and punishment, an eye for an eye, tit for tat.

God loves all of us, every single last one of us. 

God loves people we do not consider very lovable. Which means that God loves us even when WE are not very lovable.

Thank goodness.

Lord, I love you with all my heart. Help me to love those who are unlovable. Help me to love my enemies. And please, God, help me to learn to love myself. Amen.
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Sunday Snippets - February 20

This is the weekly Catholic Carnival! Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing and check out some posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Why not join us and share a blog post or two from last week?

Here are my contributions for this week:

Law and Love

Sabbath Moments - Words Not Enough

Sabbath Moments - Words Not Enough

Sabbath moments are the moments we rest in God, when we take time to just Be with God rather than Do. Sabbath moments are also those times when we live in the moment and find the holy in the ordinary. I invite you to share your Sabbath moment(s) here on Saturdays. Be sure to sign into Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, please share about it in a comment!
Some of my sabbath moments this week:
1. Beautiful full moon the other night. I loved just sitting outside, looking at it, and I said a little prayer, thanking God for his amazing gifts.
2. Eucharistic Adoration. Words are not enough.
3. Someone texted me. She was feeling depressed and anxious. I talked to her about praying. She texted back - someone had just called "out of the blue" and helped her calm down. I told her that her prayers had been answered by the call. She said - I told her you would say that. I saw the smile through the text message! Just a few minutes - one quick prayer, and God was there.

Thankful for Blessings - Valentines

I love Wednesdays because it is the day I can join my friend, Judy, in this thankful meme at her inspiring blog, A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings. In this meme we give thanks for the five things we are most thankful for this past week and then link to Judy's blog. Thank you, Judy, for helping me keep an attitude of gratitude!
Some of my blessings this week -
1. My hubby - we do not usually make a big deal out of Valentine's Day but my husband surprised me with a beautiful card, a gift and a wonderful dinner. He even baked me chocolate chip cookies which are my favorite! What a guy!
2. Eucharist - I am always so thankful for the opportunity to go to adoration. I am thankful for being Catholic and for my devotion to the gift Jesus gave us - the gift of Himself.
3. I am also thankful that people have been helped and inspired by my book, The Third Floor Window. It is now available as a Nookbook, which is pretty exciting!
4. My oldest son  - he celebrated his 29th birthday last week! He has brought so much joy into my life since the very first moment he was placed in my arms. (Actually, from the very first moment I knew I was pregnant!)
5. My adorable grandson - we sent him his very first Valentine and my son and daughter-in-law video-taped him looking at it! How cool is technology? How cool is Landan?

Law and Love

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." - Matthew 5:17

At first glance, today's reading seems so legalistic. All about law and sin and judgment. We cannot possibly live up to all of these standards, can we? Kind of makes me feel unworthy.
But then I realize that while all of us are called to these standards, none of us are perfect. We all fail. We all sin. Jesus knows that.

Maybe this is more of a lesson, reminding us that we are not alone and we need not judge others.

Maybe it is more of an invitation, calling us to say "yes" to God whenever we have to make a moral choice.

Maybe it is more about striving to be perfect, knowing darn well that we are not perfect and cannot be perfect without God's grace.

God calls each of us to holiness, to Love, to Himself. Could that be what Jesus means by fulfilling the law?

Add some Love to the law and what do we get?

Mercy.

God, you know I am not perfect. Help me to work on those areas in my life that I need to work on. Help me to grow closer to you and give me the graces I need to always do the right thing. Amen.
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Sunday Snippets - February 13

This is the weekly Catholic Carnival! Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing and check out some posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Why not join us and share a blog post or two from last week?

Here are my contributions for this week:
Let Our Light Shine
Daybook

Sabbath Moments - God's Loving Mercy

Sabbath moments are the moments we rest in God, when we take time to just Be with God rather than Do. Sabbath moments are also those times when we live in the moment and find the holy in the ordinary. I invite you to share your Sabbath moment(s) here on Saturdays. Be sure to sign into Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, please share about it in a comment!
Some of my sabbath moments this week:
1. Attended a moral theology class with my husband. It was for deacons and we wives were invited. It was pretty heavy with a lot of material crammed into 4 hours but I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Amazing how theology, which is all about head knowledge, can lead one to prayer and to reflect on God and his loving mercy.
2. Woke up this morning to the sound of a light rain falling outside my window. I felt warm and dry and cozy in bed and I just laid there listening to the rain, and thanking God for this moment and for the rain and for the feeling of home.

Daybook

Reading

The Long Yearning's End by Patrick Hannon

In Thanksgiving

I am grateful for my husband and for our life together.
I am grateful for my oldest son who is celebrating his birthday today!

A favorite thing
There are some great Catholic apps for my iphone. In fact, most of the apps on my phone are Catholic ones! My husband and I prayed the Divine Office together last night. Awesome!
The Scripture in my heart
Psalm 56:4 - When I am afraid, in you I place my trust.

Meditation
Trusting is not easy. It has always been an issue for me. But God has been teaching me to trust. And I am learning. I am learning to trust God more and more.

My prayer this week

Lord, I place my trust in you.
Picture to Share

My grandson with his 2 best friends!

Let Our Light Shine

Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:16)

We are the light of the world. Jesus tells us this.

Jesus tells us that we cannot hide our light. We cannot put it under a bushel basket. 

We cannot pretend to be someone else.

We cannot hide the gifts we were given.

We cannot hide who we are. 

For we are children of God. And so, we must let our light shine. The light God gave each of us. We must let it shine so others will see (not us)... So others will see our Father in heaven.

Dear God, I know I sometimes let my light dim. I hide from others the gifts you have given me, the person you created me to be. 

I hide the light from others and I hide the light from myself, too. Sometimes I get scared. Help me to come out of hiding. Help me to remember that there is no light without you. Amen.

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Sunday Snippets - February 6

This is the weekly Catholic Carnival! Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing and check out some posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Why not join us and share a blog post or two from last week?

Here are my contributions for this week:
Blessed Are We
Sabbath Moments and Retreats

Sabbath Moments and Retreats

Sabbath moments are the moments we rest in God, when we take time to just Be with God rather than Do. Sabbath moments are also those times when we live in the moment and find the holy in the ordinary. I invite you to share your Sabbath moment(s) here on Saturdays. Be sure to sign into Mr. Linky below. If you don't have a blog, please share about it in a comment!
Some of my sabbath moments this week:
1. I already wrote about the parish mission this week, but it has to be mentioned again here. I was so tired and really fought the idea of going, but something told me to go anyway! It was worth it, and certainly was a great way to spend time with the Lord!
2. Friday was spent writing and relaxing in my pj's. A truly wonderful day of sabbath moments!
3. I have been feeling drawn more to Jesuit spirituality recently and have been reading In the Midst of Noise, An Ignatian retreat in Everyday Life. This little book gives me great food for thought every day. The short chapters are just enough to give me sabbath moments throughout the day - moments of time resting with God.

Thankful for Blessings - February 2

I love Wednesdays because it is the day I can join my friend, Judy, in this thankful meme at her inspiring blog, A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings. In this meme we give thanks for the five things we are most thankful for this past week and then link to Judy's blog. Thank you, Judy, for helping me keep an attitude of gratitude!
Some of my blessings this week -
1. Our church has had a parish mission this week. What a blessing! The Lord has been giving me gifts through this retreat and I cannot wait to share them!
2. My husband is feeling the best he has felt in a long time! Woo hoo! Thank you to all who have prayed and supported and worried with me. And praise to my Lord!
3. I am experiencing an RA flare - symptoms get worse temporarily (we hope). On top of that, I have just been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (my RA probably has a lot to do with it). I was waking up with pain in my left arm and wrist, so the doctor told me to wear a wrist splint at night. Wow, what a difference. I have been using it for the past 4 nights and have had no pain!!
4. For Christmas, a friend gave me a mason jar filled with little slips of paper. On each slip there is a "blog prompt"  - ideas to help get me started in writing if I am having writers' block of some kind. I have not used them yet, but I love the idea! Yesterday I was reading over some of them and there are some great writing prompts there!
5.The weather has been beautiful here, like an early spring. This time of year in Florida, our temperatures often go up one day and down the next. Like a yo-yo! But I am so grateful for each and every day!