Janice

There is Joy In All Things

Saint Paul tells us to “always be joyful in your union with the Lord” (Phil 4:4). This is a curious comment. How can we always be joyful when we are surrounded by so much suffering? Some things are pretty bad. Where is the joy in murder, abortion? Well, I don’t think there is, but we can still find joy in all situations as long as we are mindful of our union with the Lord.

St. Paul goes on to say that we must “Show gentleness to everyone.” (Phil 4:5). Joy in all things and now gentleness towards everyone when they cause me to suffer? Yes. If we want to maintain our connection to God and have that joy, we must not let people get under our skin, embrace a negative attitude and use harshness. That’s not to say we can’t stand for righteousness. It simply means if we want the connection to God to be maintained, we must maintain a gentle spirit or we will lose our awareness and sensitivity to Him and His whispers. He is always there and with us, but we have to do our part. Sometimes we feel alone because we have broken the connection due to sin, even venial. Sometimes the darkness is necessary for our growth and we may feel like we have broken our connection, but a gentle and peaceful spirit will say otherwise.

There’s more! Paul then tells us not to worry about anything, but pray so we have peace. “Be anxious for nothing ,” (Phil 4:6). In other words, we are advised to give all our concerns to God and let Him handle them. That should give us peace. Remaining joyful in union with the Lord requires us to also be trusting so that we can remain in love and, again, not break that connection. He later goes on to list some things we can think of that will aid us in maintaining our connection. (Phil 4:8)

But we may argue that this is hard because sometimes the suffering is great. Even some things that are daily done cause us to feel overwhelmed with great suffering. How do we find joy when all we really want to do is fall apart? First of all, if falling apart is in our heart then we know we can talk to Jesus about it and give Him our heart to take care of so we have can then have peace. Once we’ve done that we can sit back and be mindful of what Jesus did for us and how that bond we have with Him is first given to us daily through our crosses, our sacrifices.

Jesus died for our sins. We are crucified with Him in that our flesh is dead to the sin in the world, but we are resurrected and alive with Him in the spirit (Gal 2:19-20). Jesus conquering death is a tremendous gift. Another awesome gift is our free will. It was awesome in the garden and it is awesome now. Unfortunately, we do at times abuse it by choosing to sin, but Jesus gave us a way out. Forgiveness and picking up our crosses daily. We may not be crucified and put to death for our sins, but that doesn’t mean we don’t struggle and suffer because of them or because of the sin in the world when the struggle is not our doing. Jesus was without sin, but he had to carry the sufferings of life and pick up His cross daily because He wanted to be fully man minus our sinfulness. He wanted to experience what we did, including the results of original sin while never sinning Himself. So on Good Friday He had to carry His cross, but then came Simeon who then carried it for Jesus. In my relationship with Jesus I believe that happened because Jesus couldn’t die for our sins on His cross of sin. He was sinless. It is one thing to suffer as a result of original sin. It is another thing to suggest that the sin was His. His cross had to really be ours. He couldn’t have us united with Him if it was His cross. For a union to exist, we had to be a part of it. In my relationship, I believe the Father sent Simeon because it had to be seen that the cross of sin was ours and Jesus would take our place. He took our place, not on His cross, but ours. He was crucified for our sins, not His. The cross became ours when Simeon picked it up and carried it just as Jesus said we would have to do. Luke tells us that Simeon carried it behind Jesus. In other words he was not alone, but following Jesus (Luke 23:26). Jesus died on our cross and as Simeon carried it, he represented each one of us. We now all must daily pick up and carry the cross of original sin and at times our personal sin knowing we are not alone, following Jesus and carrying it so He can then nail it to the cross for us. The burden of our sin is heavy on Jesus so by carrying it we help in union with Him. As Paul says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Col 1:24). We are what is lacking until we pick it up and carry it and, as Paul notes, we can rejoice over that.

So getting back to all things having joy in them. I like to think that in our suffering, we carry the cross, our cross, so Jesus doesn’t have to. We do it for Him. He is with us, but we carry it out of love so He doesn’t have to. He died on it. We carry it. We have the easier job, but we don’t do it alone. There is joy in knowing He is with us. If we are open and mindful, we can find joy in knowing that by carrying our crosses for Jesus, we are living out what John told us when he said, “We love because He first loved us” (1John 4:19). With every cross we bear our bond grows stronger as long as we can be mindful of our union, remain gentle with others as He did on the cross and give everything to Him so we do not have to be anxious and lose the awareness of our connections. When we do this, suddenly daily responsibilities such as cleaning our homes isn’t an awful chore that overwhelms us, but a noble one. It makes people feel good and refreshed when they enter a clean home. Suddenly all common and unlikable chores become noble in union with the King of kings. We do it for Jesus and we do it for our neighbors. All things become a prayer when we realize who we are doing it for. All things are loving and nobly done for those who benefit directly and indirectly when we use our very life as a prayer being offered for someone else. We become ambassadors of love even when we are alone because we are united to the King. That is definitely something to rejoice about.

We are in a battle and some crosses are thrust upon us due to the sins of others. They are heavy and oftentimes heartbreaking. If we want to be victorious we need to pick up those crosses with joy as well. We battle for God and neighbor and when done right, we maintain a gentle connection of love and peace. When we are connected to God by love, we are connected to everyone else who is connected to Him. When we do that we pour forth a spirit of love that effects them even thought they may be unaware. It is as if we form a giant net to catch everyone in and knowing that love is always victorious helps us to know we are helping to stomp out the evil in the world. We are knee capping the enemy. When we are aware of this, we can truly embrace always being joyful in our union with the Lord. The stakes are high and breaking that union is far too costly for our relationship with God and the needs of our neighbors in the world.

Prayerfully reflect on:

Each of the scripture passages above. Choose one a day. With each passage, talk to Jesus about what was stirred up in your heart. As you then go about your day, be mindful of what happened during your prayer time and try to live it out.

In the evening review your day. Did you stay connected? For the times you didn’t, tell God your sorry and resolve to pick yourself up and lovingly try again.

God the Father’s Loving & Miraculous Care for Us is Unwavering

Miracles happen every day. God’s love for us is manifested miraculously every day and if we were more open to that truth, I believe we would see these miracles more often and our gratitude and trust would increase. I believe we don’t see many miracles because we have taken them for granted and only label that which is larger than life and out of the ordinary as a miracle. The amazing small things go unnoticed. What do I mean by that? I think some examples would be the best way to explain.

One of the things I really enjoy is watching glass blowers make beautiful glass sculptures from nothing but melted glass. I can watch them for hours, but have limited myself to 30 minutes. There’s only so much staring they probably could take!

I find the entire process to be filled with God. All creativity is God being manifested through His children and there could be no question that creativity like that can only come from God. Who else can inspire someone to take glass, melt it at over 2000° and then blow in a tube and use other tools to shape it? Blowing in a tube with molten hot glass on the other end…Only God could inspire that and our ability to hear the inspiration is a miracle. We are given the gift of being able to hear God and act out on His inspiration, creativity and designs. We can hear God! That is amazing, but we often take it all of that for granted instead of standing in awe. Because we do that, we miss so much.

The other part of the process of glass blowing that helps me to see it’s filled with God is that God can do anything. No miracle is off the table. Where we see impossibility, He knows it can be done “for nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37). Where we lack confidence, He asks what Father would do anything other than give his child what he needs and desires. (Matt 7:7-11). He said “Let there be light” (Gen 1:3) and there was. He said, “This is my body (Matt 26:26) and we can trust it was. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and always (Heb 13:8). His loving and miraculous care for us is constant.

When we rob ourselves of seeing God fulfill His desires in us, we miss so much. We miss out on seeing His love manifested. We lose out on peace. We lack a daily ability to see His care and by that grow in trust of Him. Instead of standing in awe over His creative designs that are fulfilled through his people, we judge. We miss out on so much.

I write all this as I sit on my deck and take in the beauty of the many potted plants I have on it and the plants that decorate an old wooden swing set. I do not have a green thumb and yet these plants are thriving. I know this to be a miracle that can easily be taken for granted. I look at plants and know I have a Father who loves me deeply. On a practical note they cost a lot of money and He has made sure it’s not wasted. He knows how much pleasure I get from gazing at His creation. If He could care for these flowers, I know He can be trusted to care for me. ( Matt 6:28-29). That confidence is an example of what we can miss when we fail to see the small miracles all around us because we take so much for granted.

Upon gazing at the miracle of these flowers, my dog began barking at me. I am able to deduce that he is thirsty and wants water. That was the problem exactly. That I can understand a dog and take care of his needs is a reminder to me that not only do small miracles of love and care happen all the time, but God uses me to give them as well as receive them. The interruption could have been seen as an annoyance, but because I am currently open, I find the interruption to be a chance to grow closer to God the Father. I see that not only does He provide for the flowers, but for dogs. I am reminded that I am made in His image and likeness and if in that image I have it in my heart to take care of a dog, how much more can I be brought to the certainty that He will take care of me. I am again strengthened in my assurance that He loves me and will always provide for me.

Last week I talked about the need for a relationship with God the Father in order for us to grow and model the humanity of Jesus which was centered on love of God and neighbor and the trust that comes from that relationship. I would suggest that we take this further by being open to the miracles that happened all around us throughout our day because we are loved in return.

I would suggest you look around and consider what you see. What has inspired people to create? How many small things flourish because someone is being used as God’s hands? What impossible situation is manifesting itself in a parting of the Red Sea moment for you? Are you judging what could be such a moment? I would suggest you look at humanity through the lens of a Father who loves His children. His love surrounds us and His enemy is always trying very hard to get our focus off that fact. In a time when the world seems upside down, knowing we have a Father who loves and cares deeply for us can bring us so much peace, strength and courage. I suggest that we all continually work on our relationship with our Father just as Jesus always did. I know we won’t regret it.

Prayerfully reflect on:

The six scriptures noted above. Go to God the Father with Jesus and talk to them about what you discovered in your heart.

List some things that are gifts from God that you have come to take for granted. Reflect on the love He has for you as indicated by His provisions in these ordinary miracles. In union with Jesus, go to the Father and talk about them. Make this a regular practice so that your trust and confidence in difficult times can still be strong.

If you are going through a difficult time, look for the little ordinary miracles that are actually gifts of love surrounding you so that you may find peace in the storm.

In what ways might God be using you to give miracles? Receive them? Talk to Him about this.

Our Relationship with God the Father in Union with Jesus is Vital

Our humanity can be more fully understood in the strong relationship Jesus had with God the Father. Actively Participating in a relationship with God the Father in union with Jesus is vital for our humanity, love, trust and peace. Without a Fatherly relationship with God, we cannot expect to have the humble, childlike trust we so desperately need in the world (Matt 18:3-5).

Jesus came down from Heaven and emptied Himself of His divinity to share in our humanity. He taught us how to live out our humanity when He told us the two greatest commandments were to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39). He made it clear that He Himself loved the Father and He wanted the world to know this ( John 14:31). Perhaps one of the most beautiful things Jesus said were the first two words of the prayer He taught us… Our Father (Matt 6:9). In this prayer He showed us that we were family and our neighbors were all our family members. He often gave parables to let us know how much the Father loved us as well. The prodigal son is one such story (Luke 15:11-32). Another story is where He assured us that the Father provides and answers our prayers (Matt 7:7-11).

Yes. The major marks of Jesus humanity were surrounded with love of God and neighbor and by making His Father our Father, we became one family. When we look at His life and His humanity from those two perspectives, we get a better idea of how we are to live.

Jesus was born to a very poor and humble family. He didn’t grumble about it. He said yes to His Father and trusted that He was being put into the arms of love. We often say He was born in a manger and into a poor family because He was humble. That is true, but it also shows that He loved and trusted the Father to have made the right choice. He was always going off to lonely places to pray to the Father. He definitely worked at their relationship and He made it very clear that He was here to do the will of His Father. He was born poor and died stripped and yet, no matter what it may have looked like on the surface, He always pointed to the Father that He trusted. He preached about the Father and told us how much He wanted to do His will and glorify Him. He assured us of His Father’s love for us and His mercy towards towards us. He wanted us all to have the same great relationship with the Father as He did. All these aspects are what His humanity was focused on and what He wanted us to know and model. Do we? Do we live these out? From being born into a poor poor family to being crucified on a cross, Jesus trusted the Father because He loved Him, had a relationship with Him and knew He was loved in return.

Do we pray to the Father? Do we work on our relationship with the Father? Can we improve on our relationship if we have one? Do we do His will? Do we trust the Father to the point that Jesus did? Do we have fear in our lives or do we trust we have a Father who loves us and takes care of us? If we had a relationship with the Father in the way Jesus did, would our life be different? Would we fear less? Would we trust more? From His parents, Mary and Joseph, to Pontius Pilate, He trusted the Father in all circumstances of His life and with all the people He encountered. Do we do the same? If we get fearful or upset, where is our belief in having a very loving Father who watches over us? How would our relationship with God be if our relationship with God the Father was greater?

Have you ever looked at Joseph and thought how many attributes he must have had, though to a lesser degree, that were the Father’s? It stands to reason that God would pick a father for Jesus that mirrored Him. The first fatherly relationship Jesus understood was with Joseph. He had a very strong foundation of fatherly love from Joseph that He could then use to transition to loving God, the Father. Oftentimes people say they have a hard time relating to God as a father because their relationship with their own father was a bad one. In a world where families are degraded as well as Father’s, it stands to reason why this tactic would be used. If one can’t see their own Father as a protector and provider, how could they see God the Father as one? How could they truly trust and give their circumstances to God without always taking them back? Add to that the desire this world has to push fear and how does one embrace the Fatherly guidance of God and the unfailing trust in His protection that He so desires we have? Sadly, they often do not. Sadly, while we are encouraged to be in union with Jesus, we are often given a pass not to even try to model the relationship He had with His Father. This is especially true if we had a bad relationship with our own father. Instead of praying to be able to grow in that relationship, we take the pass. I believe we would all be better off if we developed a strong relationship with the Father right alongside Jesus so we, too, could have an unshakable confidence in His love and care for us. We must have a Father/child relationship just as Jesus did. If you have trouble with this, would it help you to better understand the Father and His love for us if you reflected on Joseph and his love for Jesus?

There are many questions here to prayerfully reflect on. With Father’s Day approaching it would really serve us well to reflect on these questions and see where we are in modeling Jesus and the extremely important relationship He had with His Father…a relationship He desires that we also have in union with Him.

Prayerfully Reflect on the following:

What type of Father was Joseph was for Jesus. Talk to Jesus about this. What can you learn from that reflection that you may be able to use to improve your relationship with God the Father.

What is your relationship with God the Father like? Go with Jesus to the Father and talk to Him about it.

Reflect on scriptures noted above in regards to your relationship with Gid the Father..

Use any of the questions above to grow in your relationship.

Running From The Cross Robs Us Of Great Love & Joy

We live in a world where all the bells and whistles are tempting and where all those who care about us understandably want us to be happy. As Christians we are called to live a standard of love that is apart from the ways of the world and instead calls for us to be self giving. This self-giving way often seems contrary to the best our friends and family want for us. It is hard to reconcile that to truly love and find joy we must embrace the self-giving cross.

Often those who love us want us to run from the cross. They become a Peter to us. They don’t realize that to run from the cross is to run away from Jesus, who is God, and God is love.

We must remember that running from the cross does us no good. Jesus‘s purpose was found in the sacrifice, the cross He bore. The same holds true for the sacrifices we choose to bear and the many crosses that may come our way as a result. We call Jesus’s sacrifice His passion because His love was so great, He was willing to die for us. We should strive to carry our crosses with love just as Jesus did. Peter wanted Jesus to run from the cross, but Jesus affirmed us that nobody took His life. He freely gave it out of love for us. In spite of that and in spite of the fact that Jesus told Peter he was acting like Satan in wanting to rid Jesus of His cross, in the garden it was Peter who drew his sword in order to prevent Jesus from being crucified. On the other hand, Simon helped Jesus carry the cross and that is what we should do for God and others. There is a big difference between the bond of love that can be forged by helping someone with their cross versus encouraging them to run away from it.

We must except that we are all at different places. When someone has an opportunity to make a sacrifice, we should never tell them to bear what we could bear. We must encourage them to carry what they can lovingly carry. We are never more truly the prayer as when we are carrying a self-giving cross. It is a prayer that should be offered in love, not in anger, bitterness or grumbling. One may only be able to carry a small amount or they may be able to carry more than what we could. The important thing is to encourage them to do what they can do with love and then offer to help in whatever way you can. One sacrifice can lead to many unknown crosses down the road so it is vital to take on what we initially can with love.

While all of this may be difficult on our own, it can be easier when we take a pause to remember that it is not we who live, but Christ who lives in us. We can’t do it, but when we recall that we are vessels that Jesus can live through, we can invite Him to take the reins. This reminder can help us when we are carrying our cross, helping to carry the cross of another or in prayer at the foot of someone’s cross. It is this reminder along with the realization that self-giving is an opportunity to grow in love, to bond to Jesus and to bond with our neighbor that the cross can become lighter and a source of love that can be a powerful prayer. The world’s standard is to grow in love through the bells and whistles and to save ourselves by running from the cross. This relief offers no growth in love and no growth in deep joy. The standard of a Christian is to embrace whatever position we may find ourselves to be in with the cross and embrace it for the good of others, the glory of God and the increase of love within us. It is there that we will find not only great love, but great joy.

Prayerfully reflect on:

The bolder areas above.

“Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (MATT 16:23)

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (MATT 16:24-25)

“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Manchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into his scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?” (John 18:10)

“They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.” (Mark 15:21)

“Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

Every Face Tells an Important Story, a Gospel Story

The face says it all. We are made in the image and likeness of God. When we take the time to look at someone’s face, we see both God and our neighbor.

The smile, the wrinkles, the joy or sorrow in their eyes, the softness or the leather like look of their skin all tell a story. They tell the individual’s Gospel story.

To take a pause and look at one’s face gives us a chance to be mindful that God is in our neighbor. It gives us a chance to take a brief moment and have reverence for God. In someway, whether we know them or not, we know that God is working out a purpose He has given only to them.

When we take a pause, we cease to judge. Instead, in that moment we can find love and mercy because we love God. When we come back to the moment and end our pause, we may find ourselves more loving and compassionate. We may come out of it different knowing that even if they are doing wrong, they are loved by God and have a purpose that only they can achieve for God. Perhaps they got off course, but so did Saul. God has a way of using all for His good. He is the writer of all our Gospel stories. In the moment that we take a pause during the encounter with one who may have gone in the wrong direction, we may be reminded that while we must always defend truth and love, we also cannot forget that God has a plan and we cannot get in the way by becoming angry and judgmental. Those reactions only cause division. We can express our desire for the truth and love in these situations while, at the same time, loving the person because God loves them. We can trust we may be a part of their change of heart, but not necessarily the entire instrument used. We give our yes in the moment and give thanks to God for having been some part of that person‘s Gospel story whether we see it or not.

With every encounter, our faith is changed because our heart has changed. We have a new sentence to our Gospel story. We are now a little more like Jesus and we trust in someway the person we were with is changed also. In some way we have added something to their story as well. Once again we can take a pause and give reverence to God for the two hearts that are now slightly different than they were before. We are all connected because we are all one in the Body of Christ, but now our union with that person is a little deeper because in having an encounter with them, we’ve had an encounter with God because God is in our neighbor. Just as Moses’ face radiated (Ex 34:29-35) because he had spoken with the Lord, our face now radiates. We may not be aware, just as Moses wasn’t. Nevertheless, it does and because our Gospel stories have been added to, the world has been made a little better.

So much good can come out of taking a pause and looking at one’s face with reverence for God. It can take an insignificant moment and make our lives and the lives around us better. It can make the world a little better because in the brief pause of that moment, we can be reminded that we are the prayer.

Prayerfully Reflect on the Following:

“We know that all things work for the good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28). This is true for us and our neighbor. It is true for those we like and those who rub us the wrong way.

Reflect on Exodus 34:29-35. Imagine what you must look like and what is seen in the spirit of those around you when you come out of prayer.

“God created mankind in His image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” (Gen 1:27). We can be in awe over the fact that God chose us all to be made in His image.

We strive “to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call.” Ephesians 4:3-4

“As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many are one body, so also Christ. For in one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one spirit.” 1Corinthians 12:12-13

PUTTING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD HELPS US TO KNOW GOD’S WILL

Suit Up!

The Holy Spirit is the ultimate spiritual director and He gives us very useful direction in Ephesians when Paul tells us to put on the armor of God. It is direction that can regularly be used and is beneficial when we are trying to discern the will of God.

We are told to put on the belt of truth. This is of great value in trying to make a decision. It should always be taken out of our discernment toolbox to use. We are living in a time of information. We all have to be careful who we listen to. Because there is so much out there, we have the opportunity to really exercise this much-needed skill. Truth is not an option. The truth is not a conclusion we come up with based on emotions. Truth is hard-core facts and facts only. Emotions that help to form opinions cannot make something factual, but we can easily get caught up in the emotions and react as if they were facts. If we are going to exercise discernment for making decisions in our life, we must know the facts. People can say a lot of things, but where is the evidence that what is being said is factual? I think that social media is a great way to practice this skill. If we read enough and look to see if facts over emotions and opinions are written, it can become second nature in time. Suddenly we may find we are in the situation of having to say yes or no to an offer. Because of all we have practiced it will be second nature to ask what the facts are in the offer. In doing that, we would be looking for the truth, who is God. We would avoid hiding or ignoring the truth, which are actions that comes from the father of lies, because we are looking for factual truths and not feelings. That is just one tool we need to use in discernment. There are five more.

Paul says the next thing we need to do is put on the breastplate of righteousness. This breast plate covers our heart. It goes hand-in-hand with the belt of truth. Once we know what the truth is we can act righteously, which is always the loving thing to do. This piece of armor goes hand-in-hand with the belt of truth because you can easily think the right thing to do is the action that is surrounded by feelings. We could easily feel bad and fear not being fair to someone or ourselves and then find ourselves acting upon our feelings and not the truth. This is not a path we want to be on. Real love acts righteously even if it’s hard. Temptation to do otherwise is the wide and easy road. Often times in this world acting righteously will get us into uncomfortable situations, but we know we are never alone when we find ourselves being persecuted. In discerning, once we we have all the facts about any given situation, we must ask where the righteous path is.

Next we are to place our shoes on and run toward the Gospel of peace. In other words, is our choice going to bring about peace or chaos? God is the author of peace. The Gospel, among other things, is a message of peace. The enemies path always brings chaos. Try and look ahead to see what your decision will bring…peace or chaos. When our decision is final, we must also discern if we have peace. Being peaceful about a decision is a sign we have made the right one.

Next we have the helmet of salvation. Jesus died for our salvation. He is the head of the Body of Christ. Being mindful of that helmet is imperative. Jesus never made it about Himself. In our decisions, we need to look to see how they may affect God and neighbor. If we are single or married with a family, how does the potential new job offer glorify God? If we have a family, how does it affect them? Are we taking it out of greed? Does it use the gifts given to us to glorify God? Does it offer health insurance that is much needed for our family? You can know the truth, know that saying yes is righteous, but find that saying no is also righteous and more in line with the helmet of salvation when you weigh everything out. With the helmet of salvation, we may find that like Jesus, we must die to self and not try and save our lives.

Next we pick up the shield of faith. While this shield is always necessary, sometimes it is more prevalent when we know that what we are saying no to is more of a temptation than anything else. It seems exciting, but it has all the bells and whistle‘s of temptation on it. We know, for example, that we would love the new job. It would have prestige and more money that really isn’t needed, but we feel that this is what we’ve been working for. The excitement is great, but the timing is off and uprooting our family would cause major sorrow at this time. We know by taking it our happiness would be short-lived because it would be hard to have happiness while watching our family suffer. We need the shield of faith to know our decision is right. We need to know that all will be well. We need to know that when we lose our life, we will gain it. We need to know something better will come along… something that will not have the bells and whistle‘s of temptation on it.

Next we pick up our sword, which is the Word of God. Whatever the path is, courage is needed. God’s word gives us that. Even on the days when we make choices without even thinking, our discernment muscles are getting stronger day by day. We know this step is imperative. Having daily picked up the Word helps us when we find ourselves at an important cross road. The word of God comes to us before we even pick up the Bible. It is in our soul. It has formed us into the child of the Father and the spouse of the Son. We are one and it is His word that helps us to better recognize Him when the choices come.

Truth, righteousness, peace, being other oriented with the helmet of salvation, faith and God‘s word are the cornerstones of our lives that are held together with prayer. Find these six things surround them with prayer and you will find God and there is no better choice to be made than that. Of course, with all major decisions having help in discerning God’s will is always recommended. Things aren’t always so basic and cut and dry as with the examples given above. It can be difficult and take much time in certain cases. Seeking out help from a director is always advisable. However, if we practice putting on God’s armor on a regular basis, when the major decisions come along, we are already half way there to knowing God’s loving and peace-filled will.

Prayerfully reflect on:

Each piece of armor in Ephesians 6:10-18. How might you be able to practice using each piece of armor in your daily life? Is there a decision or conflict you are facing that putting on God’s armor may help you with?

God loves us so much that He gives us His armor to wear. How might knowing this help you in your relationship with God?

Paul reminds us to wrap all our lives in prayer. (Eph 6:18). Reflect on how wrapping our lives in prayer is wrapping our lives up in God and essential for our relationship and discernment.

EVERY MOUNTAIN WE CLIMB TRANSFORMS US TO BE MORE LIKE CHRIST

We are all mountain climbers!

Yes! Every day we awake and begin our journey towards God. Each journey is a journey within a bigger journey. The bigger journey is travelled so we can be with God in Heaven and all the little daily journeys are what get us there. Each journey begins at the base of a mountain and is complete when we reach the top. Some mountains are small and we can see the top before we even begin. Others are so big that the top is covered with fog. We have no idea how far or how long we must climb. The journey is a mystery set before us.

Some journeys are pleasant while others are not. Some unpleasant journeys seem inconsequential such as doing the dishes. The journey from dirty dishes to clean dishes put away is done without thought. It is a mountaintop we can clearly see. Other journeys, the ones covered in fog, can be very difficult such as nursing a loved one to health. We move with no idea as to when we will reach the peak. Whatever the size of the mountains are, however, they all have two things in common.

The first commonality is that we never experience them alone. Whether it’s a small mountain we must climb or a large mountain, the journey is always done with Jesus. (“Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up the high mountain apart by themselves.” Mark 9:2). We are never alone in it. (“Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the Lord himself, will be with you. He will not value or abandon you.” Deut 31:6)

The second commonality is that when we reach the mountaintop, if we are willing to take the time to notice, we can see Jesus and understand that we are united to Him. We are aware that the journey has transformed us. It is our transfiguration, so to speak. There is never a question that each journey changes us. If we take the time, we can be aware of it and experience God. The question is whether or not we take the time to notice.

When we have finished putting the clean dishes away and we are at the mountaintop do we look for Jesus? It wasn’t a hard climb. We didn’t need any consolation to get to the top, but God was there. He was there in the sacrifice made so you would have clean dishes to eat on. Neither you nor your family will have to run the risk of getting sick from bacteria. You cleared the way for all by accomplishing what needed to get done because you were proactive in keeping your family healthy and strong. You made a difference. You did it for Jesus and them. He is smiling. Whether you know it or not, each day that you are aware of your accomplishment done with Jesus, you will grow in virtue. You may not be aware of it, but you are slowly being transformed because even the little things shape us to be in conformity with God. As Brother Lawrence said, “God is in the pots and pans.”

With the higher mountains tops we often sense the presence of God. He sends us consolations. Sometimes they come in a tangible form such as someone who helps us carry our crosses. Sometimes they come in the form of “Godincidences”. Either way, when you take the time to notice you know you are not alone. When you reach the top of the mountain you can see God. He is in the health and recovery of your loved one, the success of the trial, the neighbor helping, the sunset that stirs your soul, the truth discovered, etc. You are in union with God and when you look at who you were in the beginning and who you are now you know you have been transformed. Perhaps your faith is stronger. Maybe you are more loving, more forgiving or more patient. In any event, you know you aren’t the same. You look a little more like Jesus and you know that in some way your heart has grown because “God is love.” (1John 4:8)

Each mountain helps us to grow and when we are daily aware of them, we can better handle the more difficult ones that we suddenly find we have to climb. We know that the higher mountain may appear, but we are not alone in the climb. We know we will be rewarded. We know the prize is Jesus. The climb is hard, but the reward makes it worth it for you, all who may be climbing with you and all you have taken with you in the depths of your heart. They are the ones you prayerfully offered each step of the climb for. It is for them that you were the prayer.

Prayerfully reflect on:

Each of the three scripture passages above. Talk to God about them.

Brother Lawrence reminds us that God is in all things and all things conform us to look like Jesus. Reflect on God even being in something so little as the pots and pans.

How might little daily mountains be transforming you to look more like Jesus? How does this help in your relationship with Him? With your neighbor?

If you were climbing a higher mountain recently, reflect on how you saw Jesus at its peak and how you may have changed to become more like Christ because of it. How has this helped in your relationship with God? With your neighbor?

If you are currently climbing a mountain, try and keep your heart open to seeing the love God is sending your way. At some point in the day, sit with God and speak to Him about seeing and experiencing His love. Give thanks for it. Let the realization of that love embrace you in the silence of your heart so it transforms you and lifts you up.

The Whispers of God are Good for the Soul

Sometimes God speaks the loudest in the whispers.

We embrace the undeniable “Godincidences”. We rest in the impressions of love that deeply penetrate our souls. We feel great joy when the lightbulb goes off with something we read in scripture because we sense the presence of God. There are times, of course, when we feel alone and dry. We aren’t going through any difficulty in life, but we just feel blah. We would love to sense the presence of God so that our souls would be enlivened, but as much as we long for it, we still come up dry. Those are the times that we would do well to listen for the whispers of God.

That is precisely what happened to me this week as I was praying on what to write about. I listened for the whisper of God that came in the form of a houseguest…my mother. It came in the form of sitting quietly on the couch at night before bed and just talking. It came in the dogs that were like Velcro to her, a type of companionship that can only come from a dog. Seeing her give the dogs water because she decided they were thirsty even though their water dish was full was a gentle whisper of God’s love.

When we push back from the table and observe our surroundings, we are better able to see those whispers. The key is becoming mindful of what is happening around us and listening not for what we can hear, but for what we cannot hear. The whispers of God can only be heard when we listen to the heart.

The people down the hall who are in conversation with smiles and laughter can be a whisper of love. The smiles on their face and the laughter from their lips shows they are enjoying each other. The conversation doesn’t matter. The joy that can be seen in the smiles and laughter is what can bring us in touch with God. No words or noise are needed. Seeing someone carrying a handful while the person next to them carries nothing can be seen as a whisper of God’s love. In the depths of your heart you can hear God saying, “Let me help you. I can carry it.” Watching a pet owner walk their dog is a whisper. They are friends and while the dog definitely gives unconditional love, the owners care is evident as he or she takes the time to walk their friend. It is a companionship. The noise of the details doesn’t matter. The soft whisper of love says it all if you take the time to listen.

On the days when stress is high, when you feel blah or when you are looking for God, take the time to block out the noise and listen to the whispers of the heart, which is where you will find God. Children playing, strangers talking, a neighbor cutting the grass… The list is endless because God’s love is endless and He is in all things. When we turn down the noise and listen to the heart of the doer we can hear the whisper of God’s love. We don’t need words. Actions are motivated by love and as long as we can perceive it as not being self-love, we will find the heart of the whispers of God’s love. It is a practice that is good for the soul and even when we feel the dryness of the desert, we can find the waters of love.

Prayerfully reflect on the following:

“Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks— but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire—but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a soft whisper of a voice.” 1Kings 19 11–12

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Who is God? “God is love.” 1John 4:8

Make it a practice each day this week to observe without the noise at least once a day. Talk to God about how you encountered His whispers of love. How has what you found helped in your personal relationship with God? How has it helped in your relationship with God in your neighbor?

WE CAN NEVER ASK FOR A BETTER PARTNER THAN OUR LOVING GOD

We are in a loving partnership with God. We do all things with Him. We never do anything alone.

Every moment God is there partnering up with each of us. When we realize this, we can wake each and every day with an excitement and energy knowing that no matter how good or bad we expect the day to be, God is with us and that will make it an amazing day.

All God asks is that we show up. He desires that we partner up with Him. We recognize that what we are doing is not done alone. We have a partner that is there doing our task with us. When we give God our yes and show up, He is there. This is true of all aspects of our lives… We just need to say yes and show up.

At times prayer is dry and it’s hard to even begin. Show up. We may wonder why bother. It may seem that our prayers aren’t changing anything. Show up and praise God for all He is doing to work things out anyway. We need to be aware of this partnership in our prayer life just as we would do with any other area of our lives.

In the circumstances within our life, in our encounters with our neighbors and when we see we can do nothing to cause calm and peace in the world other than pray, we need to show up knowing and believing that when we say yes and show up to do what little we can, God partners with us and does the rest. When we show up with this awareness and love for God and God in our neighbor, we glorify God and amazing things happen even if we can’t see them.

In practicing this with the daily little things in life, we can build up many joyful memories that can hold us up in the more difficult times. Feeling tired and unmotivated to do anything? Say yes and make a first step. Show up and take note of where you may feel energy. That’s God honoring your yes. Not feeling well? Feeling down? Try with all you can to show up and then take note of what happens. For instance, who may have called and lifted you up enough so that you could get much done and feel better about yourself? You have to make dinner again, but feel uninspired. Suddenly inspiration comes for no reason other than you have been God inspired. As evening rolls around and you think back on your day, how exciting it can be for you to know that simply by showing up with nothing more than your yes, God came and in partnership He supplied all your needs. What may have looked like a day where you were going to go to bed feeling blah, unproductive and even alone turned out to be a great day because God partnered up with you. Your yes is all He needed to supply all your needs and make your day one filled with joy, but that’s not all. One simple yes can bring about an overflow of your needs AND whether you realize it or not, the needs of others because we are one.

Waking up each day with hope-filled anticipation because you know you are taking the day on with God can change everything. Your yes to the partnership can change your interior life, your active life and the lives of others even if you don’t see them. It can help you in all circumstances including encounters with your neighbor so you can love both them and God in them. Even in a world where you seem small you can say you made a difference simply by saying yes. In partnership with God, yes is a very powerful word.

Prayerfully Reflect on the following with God.

Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 and carefully reflect on each of the following

Being in partnership with God
Doing our part in showing up
Trusting that when we do our part, whether we are aware or not, God is doing His part to change things for the good.
Reflect on anything else that may have touched you in this passage.

On the first Christmas, how many were aware that the world was about to change due to a yes in partnership with God? (Luke 1:26-39)

On Holy Thursday how many were aware that the world was about to change due to a yes in partnership with God? (Matt 26:36-46)

How does all this effect your relationship with God in your prayer life, active life and with your neighbors you know and do not know.

The Cross is Never the End of the Story but a Sign of the Resurrection that is to Come

Recently while at Church I looked up and saw the phrase, “Jesus I trust in you”. I never realized until then that God ordained that the name Jesus would hold the word “us” in it. It is a name that holds more than one person within. That fits with Jesus saying, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Jesus also said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees him nor knows it. But you know it, because it will remain with you, and will be in you.” (John 14:16- 17) and “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” (John 14:23). Clearly we know by these words that the most Holy Trinity is not just with us, but in us! We all truly are one in Christ.

“JesUS, I trUSt in you.” TrUSt also has the word “us” in it. Trust us. Scripture is filled with messages calling us to trust in the Lord. I don’t think it was an accident that, once again, God put the word “us” in such a powerful word. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trUSt in the name of the Lord, our God” (Psalm 20:7). What a calming reality all this is. “Jesus, I trust in you” is a tremendous reminder that we can trust the most Holy Trinity that is in us. We can trUSt the “us” that is in each one of us.

This Easter week is a great time to reflect on this. Jesus was nailed to the cross. There was nothing He could do. There is something oddly calming about not being able to do anything about any given situation if you can pause for a moment and recall that you are not alone. In that pause we can trust just as JesUS did. In this Easter week we are reminded that the crucifixion was not the end of the story. It may be awful. We may feel great sorrow and the situation may feel overwhelming, but in the depths of that pain, if we are still and take note, we can experience great comfort. That comfort is Jesus. We are not on the cross alone and the cross is not the end.

When we are in pain and unable to move and the heartache is deep, we can trust that that is precisely the moment that God can show up and work it all out. What’s overwhelming to us, is never overwhelming to Him. He does His best work when we are powerless and can’t move. He does his best work when we cannot get in the way to try and fix it and make it better. If we aren’t feeling overwhelmed and powerless, then we may not be at the point

where God can come in and do His best work because we are still getting in the way. Until we are resolved that we are powerless and there is nothing we can do, we haven’t given it entirely to God. Until we powerless with nowhere to turn, He can’t move as mightily as we may need for Him to move..

TrUSt JesUS can be a tremendous reminder that the Holy Trinity, the Us in all of us, has the power to raise the dead and roll back the boulder in our lives just as was done for Jesus. It is in this position that nobody can ever doubt who the author of our resurrection is. The crucifixion isn’t the end of the story. It is a lesson that we will often feel like we are trapped in a corner with no place to move. We may feel dead in any given situation and as painful as that is, that is when God’s resurrection power can come. That is when we can be a witness to the Us that is in JesUS and the Us that you can trust is in you.

The phrase, “Jesus, I trust in you” when looking at a crucifix is powerful. God never leaves us for dead. We are always victorious when we trust. Anytime we feel the fear entering in any given situation we know we can feel better by going to the crucifix and saying “Jesus, I trust in you.” It can be a reminder that the pain and discomfort we are feeling is not the end. Jesus died as an ultimate act to show us all that we are saved. Sorrow was turned to rejoicing. Now we have an opportunity to complete what is missing in the crucifixion. St. Paul assured us of that when he said, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.” ( Colossians 1:24). But then Paul goes on to say that this is a, “mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.” (Colossians 1:25- 27). Paul shows us that it doesn’t end with the crucifixion. It wasn’t the end for Jesus and when we are united to Him and filling up what is lacking, it is not the end for us either. There is a mystery involved and our hope is in God and the glory He receives from our participation in Jesus cross and resurrection.

Jesus came to save us and like Him our prayers for our good and the good of others may be answered through a cross. When we suffer we can hold that hope of an Easter moment in our lives. Even if we cannot see, we know the cross is never the end. Good will come out of it for “We know all things work for the good for those who trUSt in the Lord and are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). We may be experiencing pain so that an answer to a prayer we have been praying for may be realized just as it was with Jesus. You never know, but in any case good will always come for we are always given “victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ” (1Cor 15:57) and that is the hope and glory of the mystery that is lived out in is as we live our lives as a living prayer.

Prayerfully reflect on:

The highlighted scripture passages above.

Think of the times in your life when a resurrection occurred after your suffering. Can you now see where Jesus was helping you carry your cross though you may not have been aware of it at the time? What was the Easter story afterwards? Was a prayer you had been praying for unexpectedly answered in your Easter story?