Never lose hope

Joshy and I traveled to Colorado for Thanksgiving with his parents so I have some fun pictures from there to post.  Also, we had our first SERIOUS snow in Nebraska! So I hope to post some pictures soon.

I also read a great post today on a really uplifting blog I read The Shine Project. I am re-posting it here!

Lately I've been searching for more hope, more guidance,

more faith.

On Friday I was invited to go to a charity gala that

supported different Phoenix organizations.

I didn't know that it would be an answer to my prayers.

In 2009, an American journalist named Laura Ling

was captured in North Korea. It was all over the news,

and many feared that this American would never return home.

She was the main speaker at the event.

She spoke of her capture that lasted over 4 months;

about being drug across frozen ground,

while being beaten by foreign soldiers,

thinking she was being taken to her death.

She told of wanting to end her life,

because nothing had ever been so dark, so isolated, and so helpless.

She revealed the fear that filled her whole being,

and the complete devastation that shook her very core

when she was sentence to 12 years in a hard labor camp.

The night that she had learned of her fate,

she collapsed in a ball in the corner of her cell,

and cried.

She sobbed so hard that it hurt,

and she was left in despair.

In that very moment, a woman guard,

the very woman who was in charge

of keeping her in prison,

who was cold, anti-American, and cruel,

came up and touched her on the shoulder.

Their eyes meant, and for a moment,

the guard showed an ounce of compassion,

"You must never lose hope."

And then, the guard walked away.

We each have our own moments where

we feel prisoner to circumstances beyond our control.

We have our trials that make us weep so uncontrollably,

that it feels like it will never end-

but consume us forever.

Some of us go through things that our best friends don't even know,

while others feel beaten by years of feeling like we've fallen short,

only to get knocked down again.

To you I say,

"You must never lose hope."

It's hope that gives us light at the end of the tunnel

of complete blackness.

It's hope that stirs something within our souls

that makes us feel things will get better.

It's hope that makes dreams turn to legacies,

and weak men to be honored.

It's hope that gives us a reason to keep fighting for what we desire.

Let's support each other in our own journey to find more hope,

and help other women around us reach the things

that they are hoping for.

It's when we lift others that we truly learn

what life is all about.

Shine on,

you crazy diamonds.

Trust

I am a huge planner by nature.  One of my favorite parts of each semester while I was in school was planning my classes, and watching as my plan fulfilled my graduation requirements.  My husband has been so patient with me as I considered more school.  I realized that my spirit is tired, and no, more school is not the answer for me.

It has been harder to follow a neat and tidy plan as I got older.  I ended up working for great people in a city that I had never visited before my interview.  I have learned a lot here.  I have also learned how to be a strong woman here.  I'm still not the kind of person that enjoys going to the movies by myself.  But I really don't mind evenings alone now.  There are endless opportunities to learn, create, and explore our beautiful world.  We have been working on new plans as we think about having a family.  I am excited to report, allbeit vaguely, that new plans have been made.  I have been praying about whether this is the right course of action.  I've never felt God's booming voice speak to me.  However, I have found ways for me to feel that he is guiding me.  Today I received one of those affirmations that our path is the right one.  I know it will be many months before our plan is fulfilled and we live together 24/7.  I hope we are heading where God wants us to be though.

Source: ragstostitchesboutique.com via Angela on Pinterest

God is Real

I read this interesting blog post today.  “The Last Post” by Derek Miller.  It was posted by a man who had passed away.  Obviously his family posted it for him.  I found it profoundly saddening because of his untimely death and his lack of faith.  Apparently his atheism was very important to him.  He talked about how wondrous and beautiful humanity and this world can be.  I found that so confusing.  How can you appreciate the intricate amazing things that our world and humans in general have to offer, without really considering how they were created?  I do realize and think that some evolution has happened over time.  I cannot argue with science and skeletons of early humans.  However, I do not think that humans evolved from mice.

I will pray for your soul Derek Miller.  I realize that you probably would not like me to, being an atheist and all.  But I know that your soul is somewhere, even if your body has died.  I will pray that your family can be strong and find their own faith along the way.  Even though I am catholic I do not think that any of the various Christian faiths can know that they 100% have it right.  I just know that Christ died so that we could be in heaven with him.  We obviously could not come into a perfect place and be with perfect beings without someone paying the price.  Thank you for doing that Jesus.  I'm sorry that some people refuse to acknowledge your sacrifice.

As much as I did find Derek Miller's last post very sad because he thinks his soul has gone to nothing now, I did not want to leave a comment.  I just am not a combative person.  I did not want to cause more pain to his family.  I hope they find their way to faith in a way that works for their heart.  Lord please help guide them to a knowledge of you and your wonder.

Don't worry about treasures here on earth

I receive daily emails with inspirational words from this website.  Today's was particularly timely and wonderful.

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30
Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Matthew 6:19-23



A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
But Store Up Treasures in Heaven. . . . (Matthew 6:20)

Jesus advises us to pay no attention to the worthless and empty things that fill most people's time on Earth. Take no delight in what money can buy - for then all one does is buy and buy and buy. Take no delight in food, for then all one does is eat and eat and eat. Where your treasure is, there is your heart also.

Be thankful for every good thing that is given on earth, be they riches or treasures, and be prepared to give all of them up for the sake of Heaven, for we can take nothing with us to that far country. God blesses us with these good things for the good of all around us. Money is worthless if it cannot help those in desperate situations.

Store up treasures in heaven - treasures of prayer, of service, of joy in the Lord. You can store these up as easily now as later. God is generous with His treasures and if we spent as much time searching for these as in the worthless pursuits of the day, we would be wealthy beyond words. Even so, even in our weakness, God waits, patient and loving, for us to take Him up on the offers He makes to us.

Store up your treasures in heaven - God gives so generously - allow Him to shower you with riches and joy and to lift up your life from the steady state it has come to be in.

~ JuandelaCruz | email: sriddle415(at)yahoo(dot)com 

What To Do When You Don't KNOW

I have been struggling with issues lately.  This post from MakeUnderMyLife is exactly what I needed to read.  I'm trying to let go of the “needing to know” and just start living life with the not-knowing.

Okay guys, time to level. I apologize about not getting too “deep” here lately. I’ve been very busy with Jess LC, consulting, life, and so on. Not too “out of whack my life is upside down,” but just working at a very brisk pace. And as an result, there will be some exciting product launches at Jess LC in the next few months.

I should also mention that I highly recommend Bridesmaids as a movie choice. (Even Mr. Lively thought it was great.)

Okay, now it’s time to get back to business, or in this case, life.

A few weeks ago I was going through some serious pangs of wondering, questioning, and over-thinking. And it’s taken me a lot of thought, reflection, and seeking to really sort out the cause, solution, and wisdom from the experience.

I believe that we all have pieces of our life puzzle that shift in and out of place over time. Sometimes pieces change shape, get lost, or simply disappear. And sometimes pieces miraculously fit, appear out of thin air, and complete the picture. Puzzle pieces can be large or small, foundational or peripheral.

But when one of the foundational pieces seems to be missing, it’s uncomfortable.

Lately I want to know whether something in my life will happen (or not happen) in the future. Though I have a million thoughts about what I want to happen, I know that I need that cool, deep, calm feeling of knowing in my gut before taking any real, decisive action.

But the simple truth was no matter how hard my ego thinks about this topic, it does not make me one ounce more confident in the spiritual knowing that I seek to feel so desperately.

Eventually on a run last week I realized that the pangs of frustration and uncertainty that I felt about my situation probably correlate closely to the pangs others feel about trying to find their life purpose or a fulfilling job.

Or those who are seeking their life partner.

Or those might be ready to have children.

Or for those with a relationship needs to end (or begin).

Or for those that need to seek help for an addiction.

Or those contemplating retirement.

Or those who feel a deep sense of discomfort in some area of their life.

And then, in that moment of clarity, I began to reflect on my own personal quandary and apply what I’d tell a purpose seeker.

I began to remind myself to not forget the other awesome pieces of my life that are in place this very moment. Though one important piece of my life puzzle isn’t in place yet, I have so many other pieces – HUGE pieces – that are there. And I do a disservice to my life and enjoyment of this present moment if I disregard the right parts of my life in order to focus only on the missing pieces.

I also realized that there was no way that my ego is able to talk my spirit into knowing anything. I could rationalize all day long, but I was never going to turn thinking into knowing. And the worry that began to grow with this crazy obsession became more of a witch hunt, trying to attack all the thoughts I felt about the situation and see if they lead to some (un)certain conclusion.

All the frustration and frantic seeking got me was worried and anxious. Eventually I even felt sick to my stomach.

But none of the craziness was going to help me find the puzzle piece I was seeking.

So I started to interrupt the crazed and worried thoughts and started to replace them with the truth that I didn’t ‘know’ but that I was doing the best I could and realized I was exactly where I needed to be in that very moment. I started to re-balance my perspective on life to include all of the dozens of things that are going really well right now.

I let go of the “needing to know” and just started living life with the not-knowing.

Since then, my mind has relaxed quite a bit. And ever so slowly I am starting to get a better handle on where my gut might lead me in the future without pushing it in any one direction. By living my life, trying new things, and leaving room for the unknown I think I might just make a place for knowing to actually exist when the time is right.

I just need to remember that the “time” just isn’t something I can force with my mind, but trust to my spirit.

Quiet your heart to hear God.

In this season of Lent, I do not think I have done well hearing God.  I feel like I am trying because I do bible study and volunteer.  But I need to do a better job being quiet so that God has a chance to speak to me.  When I had quiet time recently while doing my bible study I did "hear" him for the first time.  It wasn't some loud rumbling voice.  But a thought popped into my head that was not related directly to what I was reading or had been thinking.  It was relevant to what I was reading though.  I was working on Beth Moore's study about the Apostle Paul's journeys.  She made a comment about how even though we cannot all be missionaries, we minister to people in our every day lives.  I am not an "in your face" Christian.  I do not want people to feel uncomfortable around me that don't know God.  But I want God to be able to show himself to others though me. I felt I distinctly heard God tell me to "show them who you are."  I need to work on that.  Perhaps my relationship with God is not felt by others.

So here I am, hearing about quieting my heard to hear God again!


Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Jeremiah 7:23-28
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Luke 11:14-23



A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
Jeremiah lays it out clearly in today's first reading. Even his sentence construction is precise, in a type of "couplet." God says, if we listen to Him, then we will be in right relationship: He will be our God and we shall be His people. But first, we must listen. Further, He says, "This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the Lord, its God."

To listen takes attention and a certain amount of silence. Do we pay attention to the Lord in the din of modern noise? Lent can be a time of silence and paying attention to God if we make the effort to stop the distractions and really hear what God is trying to tell us.

Turn off the TV! Curb the radio while you drive! Get off the computer (after you read this)! Think for a minute about what you hear - stop a minute and listen. Is the washing machine or dishwasher running? Is it quiet enough to hear a bird outside? Or a baby breathing during his nap? Or the sound of the wind blowing through the trees?

Take the time - now or as soon as you can - to make a quiet space to listen to God. Only then will you hear Him. Only then will you soften your own heart to better obey Him. Only then will He be your God and you one of His people.

~ Mary Nadeau | marynadeau(at)verizon(dot)net

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Alive and Well

Return to the LORD and give up sin, pray to him and make your offenses few.  Turn again to the Most High and away from sin, hate intensely what he loathes; Who in the nether world can glorify the Most High in place of the living who offer their praise? No more can the dead give praise than those who have never lived; they glorify the LORD who are alive and well.  How great the mercy of the LORD, his forgiveness of those who return to him!

Sirach 17: 20 - 24

Pictures from the blog Aura Joon.

Your Cross was Made for You

Below is a daily devotional that is emailed to be every day.  Today it tapped into something I have never thought of before.  I have felt so much anger and resentment over the last year and a half that Joshy has not lived here with me.  Yes, his stuff is here.  But he's not Monday through Thursday.  There were many justifications for his staying with his company and traveling, which I will go into another time.  


The positives of this situation have become more apparent to me over time though.  Before this living situation, I did not like to be alone.  I did not know what to do with myself.  Since I have been living without Joshy though, I have found myself.  I have found many hobbies that I really enjoy.  I actually like myself.  I like who I am and who I aspire to be.  Ofcourse there are many areas I would like to improve on (being more spiritual, working out more often, being consistent and stable in my life).  But generally, I like myself.  That is not something I could have said a few years ago.  So perhaps this was my cross to bear.  And this cross was built for me.  it did help straighten the areas of myself and my spirit that needed to be straightened.  Feel free to take a look at the devotional below.  


Listening to: Blessed by Brett Dennen.  I love his upbeat music!

by peggy gardner

Uploaded 1 Oct 2008 — 13 favorites

Picture from Peggy Gardner.




Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

Genesis 11:1-9
Psalm 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15
Mark 8:34-9:1

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
Take Up His Cross. . . .

This is a powerful passage that tells us about how Jesus expects us to behave. We are to take up our cross. Not our neighbor's cross, not the cross three houses down on the left, not a leftover cross. Our own cross.

Why is this so important? We need to understand that our own crosses are made for us. They are orthopedic. They are meant to straighten out the crooked places and bend the places that should not be straight. They are designed to help us conform to the person we will be at the resurrection. As such, they are medical devices for the spirit. Just as we would not trade glasses for anything other than an experiment, so it will not avail us to wish for the cross someone else bears.

What we need to understand is that no matter how light, how easy, how relatively small the cross of another, it is designed for that person. It hurts just as much when we want to conform to the world and do as everyone around us does. It is painful in a way that is meant not merely to hurt, but to change us for the better. Think braces on teeth - they hurt while they are on, but when they come off, our teeth are better able to perform their function.

So are our crosses while we live. They are designed to make us straighter, truer, stronger. They hurt day by day, but they help the seed of the world to come grow within us.

Do each day, take up that day's cross and be thankful that the Lord cares enough to help us grow as we need to in order to help those around us.

~ JuandelaCruz | email: sriddle415(at)yahoo(dot)com

Please recommend The Journey website to your friends and Catholic webmasters