It's been a crazy week, and I seem to be saying that a lot recently. Therefore, I am thankful for the opportunities I have to refocus. I am studying a book on thoughts and emotions, and it has made me very aware of how I think. I want to be the person who lives joyfully because I have trust in God. So although I don't do this well every day, I hope that every day I try.
Prayer - Lord, thank you for the 'opportunities' to practice my faith. May I never take it for granted.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Aaarrrggghhh
No - I'm not preparing for my role as a pirate. It's been a week of frustration, challenges, emotions, and pure craziness. Everyone is busy and there is always a lot going on, but this week took that to the extreme. Some of the chaos included my parents health issues (they are both okay), water pipes breaking all over the area (lots to do at work), deadline to write my talk for an upcoming retreat, plus all the usual things that have to be done - clean clothes, meals, groceries, dishes, open the mail. I am assuming that the bills I receive are not just suggestions - people would like me to pay them, right? Then you add in my regular scheduled stuff - women's group (I was tempted to skip), book study group (I was tempted to skip), bible study (I was late), and no wonder I'm tired!
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011214.cfm
Quick recap:
1st Reading - Isaiah - Servant song (you may recognize this reading from Holy Week)
Psalm - 29 - The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Epistle - Acts 10 - God has come for all
Gospel - Matthew 3 - Baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan by John (Luminous Mystery #1)
Baptism isn't a one-time event, it is a call. We are reminded of that call this weekend as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This is the Sunday that bridges our Christmas Season into Ordinary Time. We are to continue to celebrate and proclaim Christ's birth, but we are also reminded that we must live what we proclaim. And we do that in our ordinary, everyday lives.
Quick recap:
1st Reading - Isaiah - Servant song (you may recognize this reading from Holy Week)
Psalm - 29 - The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Epistle - Acts 10 - God has come for all
Gospel - Matthew 3 - Baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan by John (Luminous Mystery #1)
Baptism isn't a one-time event, it is a call. We are reminded of that call this weekend as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This is the Sunday that bridges our Christmas Season into Ordinary Time. We are to continue to celebrate and proclaim Christ's birth, but we are also reminded that we must live what we proclaim. And we do that in our ordinary, everyday lives.
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
Thankful Thursday 1/9/14 - Fathers
I'm early on my thankfulness (which is always a good thing), and a lot has happened since my last post, so here goes:
I am very thankful for my Dad - January 8 is his birthday. He was 53 when I was born, and he's just as sharp as ever. I wouldn't say he's perfect, as no human being can ever be truly perfect, but he has always done what he believed was right. I appreciate his wisdom, his blessings, and his sense of humor. But thinking about my dad brings to mind another dad - Our Father in Heaven. It can seem pretty intimidating to live up to the standards of perfection that is Our God. I recently revisited the movie Courageous. If you have not seen it, I highly, highly, highly recommend it. It is the story of a group of friends, mostly cops, and their growing realization of the importance of their role as fathers. They are not perfect; they all have hurts, failures, and problems to overcome. But with God's guidance and keeping each other accountable, they discover their true purpose - to serve God and lead their families.
I am very thankful for my Dad - January 8 is his birthday. He was 53 when I was born, and he's just as sharp as ever. I wouldn't say he's perfect, as no human being can ever be truly perfect, but he has always done what he believed was right. I appreciate his wisdom, his blessings, and his sense of humor. But thinking about my dad brings to mind another dad - Our Father in Heaven. It can seem pretty intimidating to live up to the standards of perfection that is Our God. I recently revisited the movie Courageous. If you have not seen it, I highly, highly, highly recommend it. It is the story of a group of friends, mostly cops, and their growing realization of the importance of their role as fathers. They are not perfect; they all have hurts, failures, and problems to overcome. But with God's guidance and keeping each other accountable, they discover their true purpose - to serve God and lead their families.
Friday, January 03, 2014
Thankful Thursday 1/2/14 - A New Year
Wow - 2014! I had a little hiatus over Christmas as I got to celebrate Christ's coming in so many ways; the history of His birth in Bethlehem, Christ's presence in our daily lives, and our belief in His 2nd coming. Good times.
But, as I'm working on getting back to my routine, I've pondered what my first Thankful post of 2014 should be. Feeling the pressure, I (obviously) procrastinated until I couldn't put it off any more. My sister asked me last week if we were making resolutions this year. We've done this in the past, and I believe in goal setting and making a plan, and all that, but this year I just couldn't get in a resolution mindset. But then I remembered something one of the trainers at the gym posted. She said that you didn't have to wait for a new year to make a change. You could make a change with a new day, or even in the next hour. So with that thought, it became a little more obvious how I wanted to approach the 'resolutions' of 2014.
But, as I'm working on getting back to my routine, I've pondered what my first Thankful post of 2014 should be. Feeling the pressure, I (obviously) procrastinated until I couldn't put it off any more. My sister asked me last week if we were making resolutions this year. We've done this in the past, and I believe in goal setting and making a plan, and all that, but this year I just couldn't get in a resolution mindset. But then I remembered something one of the trainers at the gym posted. She said that you didn't have to wait for a new year to make a change. You could make a change with a new day, or even in the next hour. So with that thought, it became a little more obvious how I wanted to approach the 'resolutions' of 2014.
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