A Return to the Ordinary

I've been pondering lately what it means to live the liturgical season.  I've found some amazing
resources, inspirations, and overall felt a greater awareness of the importance and wisdom in the seasons in our church.  I'm usually one who drags my feet when it comes to putting away decorations and taking down my Christmas tree.  I absolutely love the glow of Christmas lights, especially when entering an otherwise dark house.  It's inviting and warm and evokes feelings of happiness and joy.  That's not to say that there is any magic that emanates from these bright globes, they will glow whether I've had a good or bad day, whether it snowed one inch or ten.  But like Pavlov's dog, I seem to have conditioned myself to find, see and welcome joy into my life more quickly when the tree is lit.  I also love the parallel that as we approach the shortest day of the year, we enjoy our lights while we crave and seek the true Light - Jesus Christ.

Chasing joy

Daylight Savings Time- my favorite time of year (major sarcasm).  Losing an hour of sleep is not on my list of good ideas.  I have enough struggles with distractions and temptations on my own; I do not need an outside source robbing my of my sleep!

Pardon my mini-tantrum, I'm short on sleep . . . ha ha.

They can take away my sleep, but I shouldn't also give away my joy.

Thankful Thursday 11/20/14 - Give Thanks part 2

Yesterday was a full day, but, as I anticipated, it went smoothly.  I credit that to my focus.  By looking to God's plan, and not mine, I kept things in perspective.  Yes, it was a long day, and I struggled at various points, but, I believe that because of my focus, my day was better.  Matthew Kelly refers to the goal of being intentional; what are you going to do, and how are you going to do it, and then you get up and do it!

By naming my priority for the day, I was intentional about my actions.  Much like one can choose his/her attitude, I chose my focus.  I wanted to be glad in my Maker, and sing for joy (see post here).  No, I did not break out into song during the meetings, although I was given permission to do so during one meeting!  I'm not saying that every day I'm going to keep this up or have my focus on that priority.  I will, however, continue to strive for that attitude on a regular basis.

I want to sing for joy.

Thankful Thursday 11/13/14 - Emmalyn

I'm posting this early, because I wanted to share a connection that has been instrumental in my life.  Today I learned that my very first piano teacher died.  Emmalyn was a dear soul.  I don't remember a lot of details from my first piano lessons with her, but there are a few things that stick out.

Her house had a beautiful sun room, and I loved to peek in after my lesson was
finished.  I sometimes got to wait in there for my mom to pick me up.  I remember working in my very first piano books that had the funny songs and drawings to help me learn my lessons.  She always had a sweet treat for after the lesson, but it wasn't a bribe or reward for doing well; she simply had the gift of hospitality.  I liked her, even as a young child.  I've had teachers who intimidated me, but Emmalyn was a welcoming presence.  She loved music and teaching, which was evident.

I don't recall when I stopped taking lessons from her, but living in a small town meant our lives intersected many more times.  Over the course of my grade school, high school, and college years I took some more music lessons, but none of my teachers had a cool sun room or cookies after lessons :)  My technique improved, and my love of music grew.  Over the years I played for many, many church services, school Masses, and even, on occasion, just for fun.  I dabbled in teaching my own students, minus a cool sun room, and truly enjoyed helping students grow and learn.

Thankful Thursday 9/11/14 - never forget

This post is overdue, I know.  There are so many things for which to be thankful, but 9/11 reminds me of the value of life.  I need to live each day completely, as I may not be here tomorrow.  I also need to live each day ready to die.  That means my soul needs to be prepared, and my actions should reflect the state of my soul.  I'm not trying to be dramatic or induce a panic.  The reality is we don't know when we will die.  Sure, we have life-expectancies, and many of us will meet or exceed them.  However, there are accidents, and misfortunes, and evil that is a part of our world as well.

We probably all know the story of someone who was in the towers, or was supposed to be in the towers.  Life is fleeting.  9/11 makes me want to simultaneously collect all of my friends and family and hug them like I'll never see them again, and go out and live life fully, pushing the boundaries of what I thought I could do.  Confusing?  Yep.  The emotional response to such a tragic event is both the need to hold on to what we have, sometimes too tightly, and to throw caution to the wind.  I think of it as a see-saw, trying to balance what we think we can control and also doing something that takes away our control.  Like stock-piling food to prepare for the worst and then going sky-diving to feel really alive.

A grateful heart

There are so many blessings in my life right now.  Even with the stress and fear that the uncertainty of a loved one's health, I am blessed.  It overwhelms me.  I'm listening to my current playlist called 'Meditation' and I am remembering my blessings.  A wonderful evening spent with a kindred soul, a quick text from a friend, a letter in the mail, looking at the smiling face of my goddaughter; all of these things are pieces of my life, things that feed my soul.  What have I done to earn this?  Nothing.  If that's true, then how can I keep these things from slipping away?  I can't.  But I have faith in God, and comfort in the knowledge that God is certain, even if nothing else makes sense.  

I pick up lots of interesting pieces of information and quotes that catch my attention.  I came across this gem again, and it fit so well with my current thoughts, I wanted to share it here:

"Being grateful makes us happy! Not the other way around, we are not necessary grateful when we become happy, however a grateful heart becomes happy without fail! Find something to be grateful about in every moment, I guarantee you, you will know happiness in every moment. You don't have to be grateful for the bad situations, but in every situation, you can chose to find something to be grateful about, to focus on the good, to count your blessings, there is always! Look at the sun, the moon, the stars, how beautiful and how blessed we are have them at our service!!!"  ~Immaculee

I had the privilege of hearing Immaculee speak at an event last year.  Her story is inspirational and amazing.  I highly recommend her books, especially "Left to Tell".  I want to be a person with a grateful heart.  I want to radiate that love and joy in my life.

Prayer - Lord, I am so easily overwhelmed in my life that I lose focus on You.  Help me to see with the eyes of my heart and to know the beauty that exists even in the midst of sadness and pain.  You are my constant. 

Gratitude

I just participated in an awesome celebration of thanksgiving, and I marvel at the blessings I have received.  Tonight we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Catholic Newman Center at UNK (give or take a few years).  We started our evening with Mass.  It was a spirit-filled time, and while I may be rather biased, there was a lot of  joyful noise happening, and it sounded great!  The entire liturgy was as if time stood still.  I was blown away by the participation of everyone present.  I mentioned this to one of the students, and she reminded me that these people wanted to be there, so they were willing to participate.  Good point.  We followed our Eucharistic Meal with a delicious meal and great conversation.  People spoke about the past, present, and future of the Newman Center, and it was all exciting.  The atmosphere was charged and alive - the Spirit was a-movin'!

Prayer - Lord, thank you for those moments of awareness when I feel Heaven.  While I know that faith is more than emotions, these glimpses of the Eternal Now just make me even more excited to live for You!  Help me to keep on course, especially when I don't 'feel' like it.

The grace of music

Tonight I did something special.  I played the piano for Jesus.  It was after a wedding rehearsal, and everyone else had left, and I could just play for Jesus.  The sun was setting, lighting up the windows of our church, and I just enjoyed making music.  As I was playing, I thought to myself, "Why don't I do this more often?"  Hmm.  Well, if you know me at all, you know I tend to keep my schedule 'full'.  So, the answer seemed obvious.  But it was something about the time I spent there that soothed my soul like nothing has in the past few weeks of my busy life.

Yes, it was good that I stopped to just be, but I think that there were 2 other pieces that made it even more soul-touching:  1)  I was making music, and 2)  I was aware of God's presence.

Music is an amazing thing.  I feel so very blessed that I am gifted with music.  I love singing and playing, enjoying and listening to music.  It speaks to me in a way that words can't describe.  I pray best through music.  Music is my prayer.  Music has the power to express emotions that words can't touch.  Without music, I feel less alive.  So, taking the time to make music was an opportunity for my soul to bloom.  I played a variety of songs, and I ended with a favorite that is fun to play and has a beautiful melody.  As I listened to the last note fade in the church, I felt peace.  I hope I never take this joy for granted.

While I was playing, I imagined God smiling at me.  Probably the indulgent smile of a parent who sees their child experiencing a simple joy.  I also imagined that God was also wondering why I waited so long to do this.  You see, I used to go and play just for Jesus every week when I was growing up.  I'm not talking about playing for a liturgy or church event.  My parents always kept a holy hour of Eucharist Adoration every week, and when I went, I would play the piano.  It always felt different at church.  My music was more . . . . . . everything!  The notes were right, the songs were uplifting, and it was just better.  I don't attribute this to a better piano or improved acoustics.  It's because I was very aware of my audience.  It's hard to miss Jesus when the tabernacle is in the same room!  The same was true tonight.  My music sounded sweeter than anything I could play at home.  I'm not saying I can only play for Jesus in a church, but the environment certainly impacted my awareness.  Yes, God is everywhere.  But being on holy ground, in a sacred place, with Christ present is almost beyond words.  It makes the good stuff even better.

In our catechism study last week, we looked at the section on singing and music (yay!).  I especially appreciated the quote from St. Augustine, "He who sings prays twice."  [please note that it doesn't say he who sings well prays twice - any singing will do!]  When I heard Immaculee Ilibagiza speak (her website is here), she emphasized how beautiful music is to Our Mother Mary.  Music drops defenses and allows our souls to open.  I encourage, no, I beseech you to use music as a way to open your soul to God.  The next time you are in church, fully participate in the music.  It can be intimidating, but God is not glorified by our self-consciousness.  We must act with holy boldness so we can praise God with our full, active, and conscious participation, both in our liturgies and in our lives.  

Prayer - God, thank you for the gift of music.  I can open myself to You through song.  I want to find the joy in every act; help me to see the blessings all around me.  "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him."  ~Psalm 28:7

Blessings

Tonight I held my great-niece for the first time, and she was just barely 24 hours old.  She is so precious and amazing, I am in awe of her perfection.  She still has the Heaven smell, of innocence and purity.  I imagine God cradling her as she grew in her mother's womb, preparing her for this time and place.  As I was holding her, all I wanted to do was pray.  I held this tangible link to Heaven, and I couldn't get enough.  Maybe that's why we are drawn to babies; we know that they emanate God, and we just soak it up.  I'm not really sure when exactly we start hiding that love or when we sever that link to God (or at least try to).  Tonight, I was reminded of how much God loves us, no matter what.  Just as we look at a sweet baby with love, God constantly embraces us like that, even when we are yucky and hurtful and covered in human sins.  God's love is bigger than anything we can imagine.

Prayer - God of Love, help us to be open to Your love.  You came to earth so that we might relate to You, and You have a love so perfect, we cannot comprehend it.  Help me to accept this love and to trust in it.  My human knowledge of love is so limited when compared to You.  May I live my life secure in Your love.

Mah-waige (aka marriage)

I just returned from festivities celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage yesterday.  My good friend married a great guy, and it was an absolutely beautiful day, in so many ways.  I knew I wanted to come back and reflect on the event some more, and I started thinking how I wanted my post to go.  How could I possibly do justice to such a beautiful sacramental celebration?

I admit, I gave it a lot of thought, and borrowed some inspiration from other blogs, such as this one.  For while we all know lots of great wedding movies or wedding scenes from movies, nothing can top the Princess Bride:



Of course, the video really has nothing to do with the celebration in which I participated as far as characters, accents, or backstory, but I couldn't resist a reference to the classic line, "Mah-waige is what brings us together."

Marriage is what brought all of us together yesterday; friends and family, neighbors, co-workers, extended family, young and old.  We came together to witness the beginning of a new family.  I was privileged to be a lector for the ceremony, and I proclaimed the first reading, which was from Genesis.  The words took on a whole new meaning, as I directed them to my friends.  ". . . and the two shall become one flesh."  They have become a new creation in the eyes of God and the witnesses present.  They are no longer separate.  She was glowing the entire day, and he was beaming as much as I've seen any guy beam!

In my attendance at many, many wedding ceremonies, I am amazed at how my perspective of love is deepened.  I remember one particular homily that was given at a wedding, and the priest recommended that the people who were present at the liturgy should stay close to the couple because the couple was overflowing with God's grace, especially today (the day of their wedding).  He said when the sacrament of marriage is celebrated, God's grace is even more abundant, and that it would be spilling over the couple.  Thus, the recommendation to stick close and experience some of the overflowing grace!  I love that imagery; God pouring a pitcher of never-ending graces on the couple as they administer the Sacrament of Marriage to each other.  How amazing is that?  Sign me up, please!

So, along with the funny clip above, I have one other piece I wish to share - the lyrics to another song by Francesca Battistelli - A Hundred More Years.  I wish this as a prayer to my friends, that the joy, grace, and love they experienced on their wedding day may last for a hundred more years.

Hundred More Years

Album: Hundred More Years
Artist: Francesca Battistelli

Diamond ring and 12 red roses
Everything she ever wanted
All those dreams and now they’re finally here

She’s so young and he’s so perfect
They waited for love and it was worth it
She wants to feel like this for a hundred years
All of this life still yet to live and they can hardly wait

(Chorus)
They can laugh
They can cry
The future looks so beautiful and bright
They can dance
Under the moonlight
‘Cause God is smiling down on them tonight
And she wants to stay right here
Make it last for a hundred more years

She’s got blue eyes just like her mother
Three years old, he’s crazy for her
He wants to freeze this day before it disappears

She’s spinning like a little princess
Making sure he’s gonna notice
He could watch her twirl for a hundred years
She’ll grow up and she’ll leave home but until that day

(Chorus)
They can laugh
They can cry
The future looks so beautiful and bright
They can dance
Under the moonlight
‘Cause God is smiling down on them tonight
And he wants to stay right here
Make it last for a hundred more years

And it’s only time
But it flies right by
And today is sweeter than we know

And so they dance
Under the moonlight
‘Cause God is smiling down on them tonight
And they want to stay right here
For a hundred more years

Words & Music By: Francesca Battistelli / Ben Glover