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Tuesday, May 24th, 2011
Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,
the things you are, the things you never want to lose.
(From the television show The Wonder Years)
Yesterday we buried my cousin, Bill. He had a very hard life, but was happy in the circumstances in which he found himself.
At the graveside ceremony his twin brother, Jim, spoke. He talked about when he and Bill and I were growing up. Every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas we were together at our grandmother’s. The weekend of the county fair we would sit on the porch of her apartment and watch the parade pass by on Main Street. Then, we would go to the fair.
My grandmother and parents and Bill and Jim’s father are gone. In my memory, though, I can see all of us sitting in my grandmother’s living room and gathered around her table. In fact, in my mind, I can see everything in her apartment.
That is the beauty of memory. All of the special times in our lives are still alive in our minds and our hearts.
Memory is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: memory, sacred gifts
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Sunday, May 15th, 2011
From the time I was a little girl I loved these lyrics by Irving Berlin:
If you’re worried and you can’t sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.
Young as I was I loved the idea of falling asleep safe in God’s arms after I said my bedtime prayer. As I grew up life with its troubles pressed on me and sometimes it was hard to put aside my worries long enough to count my blessings.
I always knew I was blessed. I always knew that I had many blessings to count. But…. (Isn’t there always a “but?”) I knew I had many blessings, but there were always troubles clamoring for the blessing-counting place in my mind.
The challenge for me and maybe for you, too, has been to try to halt the clamoring shouts of my troubles and replace them with the sweet whisperings of my blessings. It was a wise man who wrote these words:
A good memory is one that can remember the day’s blessings and forget the day’s troubles.
(Unknown)
Counting blessings instead of troubles is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Posted in Inspiration, spirituality | 1 Comment »
Sunday, May 8th, 2011
Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while,
but their hearts forever.
(Author Unknown)
When I think of the greatest gifts the Lord has given us, it is impossible not to think of mothers. I think of Mary, Jesus’s mother. I remember her unquestioning obedience to God’s will when she was little more than a child herself. I think of her gentle love for Jesus as she and Joseph raised Him to be what God wanted Him to be.
Ivana Kobilka
(1861-1926)
I think of all the mothers throughout history who loved their children more than themselves. I know that a mother would give her life to save her child from harm. I know the joy and worry, the fear and tenderness of being a mother. I thank God each day for my daughters. Without them my life would have been a pale shadow of what it has been.
Knowing a mother’s love and giving a mother’s love are sacred gifts. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: mothers, sacred gifts
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Thursday, April 28th, 2011
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
As I wrote about how much of a failure I often feel myself to be I was reminded by a reader that we are each created in our mother’s womb to be what God wants us to be. Her words made me think that, instead of seeing the negatives about ourselves, we should see the positives.
That made me ask myself, “What are my strengths?” As I began to think about this question I thought of the strengths that we would normally list: courage, kindness, honesty, patience, intelligence, a loving heart, perseverence, loyalty.
These are amazing strengths, but there strengths that we might never consider: the ability to meditate, to be alone, but not lonely, to rejoice in a sunset or a rainbow to savor even the smallest pleasures -a bagel with cream cheese, a smile, a root beer lollipop, the sound of geese returning in the Spring.
What are your strengths? Be kind to yourself as you answer this question. The Lord has fashioned you amazingly. Your strengths come from Him and were fashioned by Him.
Your strengths are a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Posted in Inspiration, spirituality | 2 Comments »
Sunday, April 24th, 2011
“Be not affrighted. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.”
Mark 16:6
Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Fra Angelico
Resurrection of Christ and Women at the Tomb
1440-42
Jesus’s death and resurrection were a sacred gift for us. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: Easter, resurrection, sacred gifts
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Friday, April 22nd, 2011
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble,
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
We attended a beautiful Good Friday service today. As they sang this song and read from the Passion of our Lord my heart was heavy with grief. I thought of all that Jesus suffered.
He was left alone in the Garden of Gethsamane while He prayed. He asked his disciples to stay awake and be with Him, but they slept. He asked again and again they slept, leaving Him alone to bear the agony of knowing his coming pain and death. St Luke wrote,
“And being in Agony, He prayed the longer.
And His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground.”
He was mocked and beaten and scourged. He suffered the pain of having a crown of thorns pushed down on his head and, then, pounded into it. As He bled He was forced to drag a heavy cross up to Golgotha where He was crucified, a death of unimaginable pain.
My heart is so sad for the pain Jesus suffered. As Christians we sorrow for Jesus and this sorrow, a measure of our love, is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacredgifts.
Tags: sacred gifts, sorrow
Posted in Inspiration, spirituality | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Psalm 139:13-14
I have always wrestled with the idea that the Lord made me special. I sure think that He made everyone special, but, as I think that, there is always the exception – me.
I know that He created my inmost being. I know that He knit me together as I was being formed in my mother’s womb. I know that I am wonderfully made, because He made me, and I know that His works are wonderful, BUT…
I have always had great difficulty seeing myself as wonderful. Instead I see every flaw, from the tiniest to the most huge. I see every place that I have failed. Everything I did that I shouldn’t have done. Everything I didn’t do that I should have done. In my mind I hear every word that I should have spoken and I hear every word that I shouldn’t have spoken.
I am acutely aware of my failings and often feel a failure, even though I don’t think that the Lord wants me to see myself that way. I think He wants us to see ourselves as He sees us. The Lord told Samuel,
“I look at the heart.”
Samuel 16:7
I hope that you will see yourself as the Lord sees you instead of seeing where you may have failed. Seeing “me” through God’s eyes is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: failure, me, sacred gifts
Posted in Inspiration, spirituality | 1 Comment »
Saturday, April 2nd, 2011
Be still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10
I had my accident exactly a year ago. March 27. You would think that when my world literally crashed around me I would be able to be still and listen to the Lord. In the beginning when I needed help with everything I should have been able to listen. I couldn’t, at least not very well.
The physical demands of living and the emotional upset were so strong that I was simply surviving. My unhappiness overwhelmed me. I never thought of it this way before, but it wasn’t just a black cloud hanging over my head. It was a black heaviness inside me. It filled every pore.
I spent hours and hours watching television. Most of what I watched was mindless drivel. Maybe being still was the last thing I wanted to do. I read and read and read. I have always loved to read. After the accident, though, reading wasn’t just a great pleasure. It was a great escape. Of course, you can’t escape pain, but you can escape the mental anguish for awhile.
During my recovery I did find myself drawing closer to God. I am very grateful for that. This closeness, though, was never stillness. I have always found it difficult to be still and just wait to hear the Lord speak. My mind is filled with “why did…” and “what should I….” and “how am I going to….”
Turning off my mind is very difficult. I have read that we are supposed to let a thought float into our minds and float out so that we can meditate. That doesn’t work for me. I have so many thoughts that they race through my brain like they’re on a freeway. To make matters worse, the big thoughts refuse to leave. They take up residence and run around and around in my head.
“Be still” is a command I find impossible to keep. I may sit there and say, “Here I am Lord. I’m ready,” but the chatter in my head doesn’t stop.
As I thought about how to solve this problem I decided to look at the quote in a new way. “Be still and know that I am God” may mean simply “Stop worrying and know that I am always here helping you, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.”
I may not be able to stop the thoughts whirling through my brain, but I can choose to believe the Lord’s words and know that He will give me strength.
SO DO NOT FEAR, FOR I AM WITH YOU;
DO NOT BE DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD.
I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU AND HELP YOU;
I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH MY RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND. ~
Isaiah 41:10
Choosing to still our fears is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts, stillness
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Monday, March 28th, 2011
“As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:15)
I love this verse. To me it says everything we need to know about being good a good Christian. In fact, it says everything we need to know about what it means to be a good person. What it means to serve is summed up in Christ’s words in Matthew 25:35-40.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in.
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me.
I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
The “righteous” asked Christ when they saw him hungry or thirsty or needing clothes or in prison or sick. Christ answered,
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
I so often feel that I have failed in doing what I should do and not doing what I shouldn’t do. I feel that I should be so much better in every area of my life. It helps me to think about these verses and to know that as we help other people in even the smallest ways we are serving the Lord.
Serving is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts, serving
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Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Two days ago I spent an hour sitting in a mall people watching. Before my accident I would have happily been shopping, walking easily through the mall, not even thinking about how lucky I was to be able to walk.
Now, walking can be difficult. I definitely walk slowly. Going up an escalator is not possible. That’s why I chose to wait and not shop with my family.
As I waited I watched a parade of people coming and going. I was struck by the differences I saw. The people were of different races, sizes, shapes and ages.
Some spoke languages I didn’t recognize. As I looked closely I began to notice differences in the way they walked. There was the older man who walked with the rolling gait of a long-time sailor. As he stood near me I was tempted to ask him if he had been in the navy.
There was a couple that both had distinctive ways of walking. He walked with the weight favoring the outsides of his feet. She walked a step behind with a slight limp. A little girl came past literally dancing on air, hopping and twirling. She radiated joy.
That was another difference I saw. Most people showed little emotion. They just walked by with neutral expressions, even when they were talking.
Sometimes, though, someone animated came past. There were two middle-aged women in an intense discussion. They were gesturing with their hands, nodding their heads and one said, “But you told me you would….” I lost the rest of the sentence as they moved past.
I enjoyed people watching. As I noticed the differences in people I became to think about the idea of being “different.”
There are many ways we are each different. Some of our differences are involuntary, like our ages and the way we talk, our facial expressions and the color of our eyes. Other differences are of our choosing, like the clothes we wear and the words we speak.
I began to think about how choosing to be different could change our lives. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could take our mind out, give it a
shake, put it back in and see the world in a different way?
If we are intolerant, we could be different and be tolerant. If we are fearful of life, we could be different and be brave. If we feel overwhelmed, we could instead feel in charge and at peace with where we are in life.
Whatever our situation, we can choose to see it differently, to look at it from a different point of view.
Differences in ourselves and others are a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts
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Monday, March 14th, 2011
“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.”
(Reinhold Niebuhr)
I am not a serene person. Even the suggestion that I might be would make anyone who knows me laugh. Not only am I not serene. I am as far from serene as it is possible to be.
Today, though, I decided that I want to be serene. I had a wonderful, long conversation with a friend, Vann. He told me how he and his wife and son have made copies of the Serenity Prayer and taped them up around their house as reminders.
We talked about the recent death of his sister and the grave illnesses of his father and young brother. We, also, talked about my slow recovery from my injuries and my sadness at not being completely healed yet and my refusal to accept that I might have to settle for a new “normal.”
While I don’t know if I will ever accept that idea, I do know that I would like to be able to face the possibility with serenity. In fact, I would like to start distinguishing between what I can change and what I can’t change and letting go of hurt and upset and anger and frustration over what I can’t change.
As Vann said, we need to “let go and let God.” If we don’t, it means that we don’t have enough faith. He is right. The people I have known who were serene were also people who had a deep faith.
Aftter today’s conversation I can see why Vann is such a happy person. Talking to him reminded me of the lyrics from one of my favorite hymns:
“Be not afraid.
I go before you always.
Come follow me, and
I will give you rest.”
Serenity is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts, serenity
Posted in Inspiration, spirituality | 2 Comments »
Sunday, March 6th, 2011
You do not even know what tomorrow will bring.
(James 4:14)
I spend too much time worrying about tomorrow and next week and next month and next year. I have been praying for the Lord to help me stop worrying about what might happen and what could happen and what “they” forecast will happen.
Instead I need to focus on today. I need to focus on the things I can control, right now. Of course, my family and friends will say this is impossible. I am an Olympic gold medalist in worrying. That’s why I am praying. I can’t do it alone.
I am trying to focus on today by asking myself:
What should I do today?
Whom can I help today?
What can I do today that will make tomorrow better?
Are my words helping or hurting others?
I try to keep remembering, “Sufficient to the day the trouble thereof” (Matthew 6:34), rather than borrowing trouble from tomorrow.
The ability to focus on today is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
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Saturday, March 5th, 2011
“What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”
(Mother Teresa)
I am easily discouraged when I think of all the outstanding people in the world. Instead of outstanding, I am ordinary. That must be why I like Mother Teresa’s words so much. Each of us, no matter what our limitations, can do small things. Each of us can act with love every day.
I think of all the small acts of kindness I have seen or heard about in my life. I remember the story of my father rescuing a tiny puppy who was tied to a metal trash can at the curb. He brought her home and she became the sweetest, most loving dog in the world.
My husband is an EMT and his calm presence soothes people who are hurt or scared. I can picture him reassuring parents whose baby had a reaction to a baby pain medication and stopped breathing.
The tiniest act of kindness, even if it appears silly, can be a true help to someone. When I was 19-years-old, I got on a bus for a four-hour trip to my future in-laws’ house. It was summer and I was wearing a short-sleeved dress. I never thought about the fact that it might be cold on the bus. It wasn’t cold. It was freezing. I think the bus driver thought he had to provide Arctic breezes as the cold air blew down on us from the overhead vents.
The woman sitting next to me took pity on me. She opened a package she had just bought and pulled out a plastic tablecloth that she wrapped around me to keep me from suffering in the cold. It may seem like a silly thing for her to have done, but I was so grateful and I have never forgotten her kindness.
One act of kindness done from the heart can be what Mother Teresa called “something wonderful.” Whenever I think of that lady’s caring, I think of another woman who sat next to me on an airplane. I sat against the window crying. She turned, looked at me quickly, turned away and totally ignored me. How simple it would have been for her to ask if I was alright. How easy it would have been for her to do that small act of kindness.
Every day mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, teachers and friends, just by doing their work with love, do something wonderful. In the end, no matter how small the act, what is done in love is great.
The ability to do small things with great love is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts
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Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth;
likewise to the small rain,
and to the great rain of his strength.
(Job 37:6)
I can’t believe I am writing about snow, but I should have known this would happen. A few days ago I was enjoying the soft breezes of Spring. Foolishly, I thought they would last even though I knew they couldn’t. Not in February.
Now we are back to what Winter normally is like. Last night it was 16 degrees below zero. Tomorrow we are expecting snow, snow, snow. My first thought was to lament the snow. Then, I began to think about how beautiful snow is.
Of course, it isn’t beautiful if you have to drive in it or shovel it, but when you can just enjoy it it is incredibly beautiful. It is pure white and bright, reflecting the light of the sun. Children and some of us adults love to try to catch snowflakes on our tongues.
Snow means sledding and snowmen, turning the land into a playground. It means snow angels and the delightful crunch of snow cracking under our boots.
Snow provides food for our imaginations as we remember that no two snowflakes are alike, just as no two people are alike. We see the hand of the Creator in the incredibly delicate snowflake as we see His hand in the uniqueness of each person.
Uniqueness is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts, snowflakes
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Friday, February 18th, 2011
“For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’ ”
(Song 2:11-13)
I know it isn’t Spring yet. I can still see snow on the ground and ice on the driveway, but it feels like Spring. The wind is blowing and the air is soft against my check.
It isn’t possible, but I think that I can smell Spring. It is definitely a good-to-be-alive day. The sun is shining and I find myself smiling for no reason.
Of course, I haven’t even seen a robin yet, but it still feels like winter is winding down and the earth is getting ready for new life. In that spirit I’d like to share some of my favorite flower pictures with you.
Spring is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts, Spring
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Monday, February 14th, 2011
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
(1 Corinthians 13:4–8a)
Today is Valentine’s Day. It is a day when we celebrate love, often with cards, candy, flowers, romantic dinners, jewelry or perfume. It is a day when we tell the people that we love how much we love them.
I love Valentine’s Day, but not for the cards and candy, although, being a chocoholic, candy is always welcome. I love Valentine’s Day because it is a special day to tell my family and friends how much I love them.
It is just one day, though. What is most important isn’t what we do or say that day. It’s what we do and say the other 364 days of the year. It’s what we do or say when we try so hard to not be “easily angered” or to not be “self-seeking.” It is what we do or say when we try to be “patient” and “kind,” especially when the other person is making being patient and kind very hard.
Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love. How we live our lives every day is an even greater celebration.
Love is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts, Valentine's Day
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Monday, February 7th, 2011
The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.
- William Faulkner
“I’m down in the dumps.” “This is the pits.” “I’ve hit bottom.” How many times have you said these things? How many times have you felt like you don’t know how to crawl out of the pit to get back to “normal.” Meanwhile, everywhere you turn you are being exhorted to climb mountains, personally, professionally and spiritually.
My mother loved the movie, “The Sound of Music.” She could have happily watched it every day. In the movie the Mother Superior tells the young Maria to:
“Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
Till you find your dream. “
This is a beautiful sentiment, but how do you climb mountains and follow rainbows when getting through the day seems like more than you can do? The Mother Superior didn’t tell Maria how and I can’t tell you.
I do think that Faulkner’s advice was good. We need to begin by carrying small stones. To me that means doing what I can do today, even if I can move only a few small stones and even if I can’t move them very far.
Lao-tzu (c 604-c 531 bc),said:
“A journey of a thousand miles began with a single step.”
If all we can do today is take a single step, that’s okay. Other days we’ll be able to do more.
Each step is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: mountains, sacred gifts
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Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
May the Lord continually bless you with heaven’s blessings as well as with human joys.
Psalms 128:5
Today I have been thinking of the reason I started writing this blog. I wanted to share with people the blessings that are all around them just waiting to be found.
I think of my greatest blessings, each one an incredible gift from God. These gifts are my family, my friends and my faith. When I think of the love that fills my life, I am overwhelmed with joy.
After my greatest blessings, I think of the other gifts that God has given us:
- a warm, safe house
- the ability to buy the food that we want to eat rather than having to eat the food that is given to us
- being able to buy clothes we want to wear rather than having to wear a stranger’s cast-offs which my mother had to do all the time she was growing up
Each of these blessings is a gift that we could take for granted.
Finally, I think of the countless small blessings that we are given each day. There are blessings in our homes and blessings that we can see just outside our windows. Each blessing is a free gift given to increase our “human joy.” Some of the gifts we have been given are:
a little girl’s sweet giggle
a little boy’s strong hug
two yellow butterflies who flew outside my window for several days when my world was confined to my bed and the window
chocolate chocolate chocolate chocolate
a high school track team that stopped during a training run to have a laugh-filled snowball fight
a new book by a favorite author
What gifts have you been given? What are your greatest blessings? Your tiniest?
The gifts we receive every day from the Lord are sacred. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: blessings, sacred gifts
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Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
“Along your pathway of life you will observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.”
(Thomas S. Monson)
I thought of this quote today because I needed help. I needed my husband to take me to the doctor’s and to the drugstore. I needed the doctor to diagnose my bronchitis.
While I am the needy person today, in so much of my life I am able to help other people. I am very glad that so many times I can help people. It gives me joy to do it.
Since I have too little resilience today to be able to write, I’d like to just leave you with these questions:
Who needs your steadying hand as infirmity has made them unsteady?
Who needs you to grasp their hand and give them comfort?
Who needs your encouragement to go to school or stay in school?
Who is thirsty for the inspiration you can give them?
Whose soul could you help save?
As I write these questions I remember Jesus’ words:
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
(Matthew 25:36)
Helping people is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: helping, sacred gifts
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Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
“Come to the edge.”
“We can’t. We’re afraid.”
“Come to the edge.”
“We can’t. We will fall!”
“Come to the edge.”
And they came. And he pushed them. And they flew.
Guillaume Apollinaire
1880-1918
French poet and playwright
This quote from Apollinaire reminds me of Jesus’ words:
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26
I think of all the things that were thought impossible.
Albert Einstein is regarded as the father of modern physics yet his grade school math teacher said that he was too unintelligent to learn math.
After his first audition, Sidney Poitier, one of America’s greatest actors, was told by the casting director, “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?” Poitier went on to win an Oscar and become one of the most highly-regarded actors in the business.
Elvis Presley is one of America’s most famous and best-loved singers, but in 1954, Elvis Jimmy Denny, the manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis Presley after just one performance. He told him, “You ain’t going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to driving a truck.”
You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in America who hasn’t heard of Oprah Winfrey. She is one of the most famous people on TV with a net worth of $275 million yet she was fired from her job as a television reporter because she was “unfit for tv.”
Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen received 140 rejections for Chicken Soup for the Soul. To date their series, which includes 65 titles, has sold more than 112 million books. In each case the impossible was possible.
Through faith and perseverance each of these people succeeded. Truly, all things are possible for those who believe in the Lord and wait on Him to lead them to success.
Achieving the impossible with the Lord’s help is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: possibility, sacred gifts
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Sunday, January 16th, 2011
“Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.”
These words were written by 90-year-old Regina Brett of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. They jumped right off the screen at me because they are the reason I write this blog.
Regina calls them miracles. I call them blessings. Whatever we call them they are gifts from God, given to each of us. They are freely given to us to enjoy.
I think of the miracles I saw this past week. We drove by a field filled with tiny Christmas trees. Each one would fit in the palm of your hand. The snow sitting on the trees was as high as the trees.
Someday each of those trees will be in a home. They will be decorated and bring joy. Today they are so small that they are easy to overlook. Someday they will be tall and fat and fill a room, perfuming the air and bringing a smile to the lips.
I read about another miracle, a human miracle. A man was approached by a homeless man. Instead of turning away the first man gave what he could to help the second man.
Both of these miracles were gifts from God. As Regina said, “Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.” It is the gift of many small miracles.
Miracles are a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
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Thursday, January 13th, 2011
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?
Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
Isaiah 6:1-8
Isaiah’s words have been in my mind as I thought about the tragedy in Tucson. The words reminded me that we are each messengers from the Lord. At least, we should be.
God’s messengers were at the scene.
In the form of a mother, Mary Reed, who took three bullets to protect her daughter.
In the form of George Morris who tried to shield his wife from the gunman’s bullets.
In the form of Dorwan Stoddard who sacrificed his life to save his wife’s life.
In the form of Daniel Hernandez, a volunteer in Congresswoman Giffords’ office who ran to minister to his boss, applying pressure to her wounds to keep her alive.
In the form of the men who forced the gunman to the ground and the woman, Patricia Maisch, who wrestled away his ammunition clip so that he could not reload and shoot more people.
God’s messengers continued to appear after the shooting. The doctors and nurses and emergency medics brought God’s healing. God’s messengers appeared in the form of all people who have prayed for the injured and the dead and their families. They will even be appearing in the form of angels.
Some Tucson residents will be wearing 8-by-10 foot “angel wings” to shield mourners from picketers who belong to a local church that has picketed the funerals of military veterans and AIDS victims.
Their acts have been called an “angel action.” We have all been called by the Lord to be His messengers, his human angels who bring His message in the form of love and kindness.
Lorenzo Lotto (1480-1556)
The ability to say to the Lord,
“Here am I; send me,”
is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: angels, God, sacred gifts
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Sunday, January 9th, 2011
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Singing alleluia.
I found this song going through my mind off and on all afternoon. I don’t know why.
Maybe it was because this is the beginning of a new year, which would be the appropriate time for a new song. Maybe the lyrics kept going through my mind because I have been thinking about this blog.
I wonder who my readers are. I wonder what their worries are. I wonder how I can help them. I hope that my words are touching their hearts.
I hope they have touched your heart. I hope they are a new song for you and all my readers. I hope that they are a new song for all of you.
Songs sung to the Lord are sacred gifts. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts, songs
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Thursday, January 6th, 2011
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold,
there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King
of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
(Matthew 2:1-2)
Epiphany, also known as The Feast of the Three Kings, for me completes the circle begun on Christmas when the shepherds came and found Jesus lying in a manger.
The shepherds were some of the lowliest members of society. On Epiphany the Wise Men come. These men were some of the highest.
Within the circle from shepherds to wise men lay all the rest of the people. For me this says that Jesus came for all men.
In fact, in the Gospel of John, Christ says,
“I am come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.”
(John 10:10)
The small baby that the shepherds found in the stable came to bring all of us salvation. Salvation is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
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Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
Twinkle, twinkle, little star; How I wonder what you are;
Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky;
I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.
When I did my last post, The Gift of Might, I considered how much kinder it is to yourself to think about the possibilities of what you might become rather than beating-up on yourself with resolutions about what you are going to make yourself become.
Today, as I thought about that post, this wonderful child’s refrain came into my mind. “I wish I may, I wish I might…” “Might” is a delicious word. It is like your favorite ice cream melting on your tongue. It is sweet and pleasantly cooling. It is filled with a universe of possibilities.
The possibilities created by the idea of “might” are sacred gifts. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts
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Monday, January 3rd, 2011
What will you be in the new year? What will you do? What would you do if you could do absolutely anything your heart desires?
Where will you go in the new year? Who will walk with you through your sad days? Who will rejoice with you in your happy days?
Whom will you help? Who will recognize you as an angel in his life? Who will thank God for your being in her life?
At the start of this new year it seems like a good time to ask these questions. Many magazine and newspaper articles counsel us to make New Year’s resolutions. I used to do that, but stopped because I found that they all ultimately led me to be disappointed in myself.
I never kept my resolutions. Of course, I was overly optimistic when I made them. My resolutions were goals like: ”Lose 50 pounds by March 1″ or “Go to the gym and workout for an hour five days a week.”
Anyone who knew me knew there was no way either resolution was going to be kept. Instead, as a new year starts, I spend time thinking about what I might be in the New Year and how I might touch other people’s lives for their good.
“Might be” is a delicious thought and certainly much kinder than any resolution to whip myself into shape. Being able to dream about what we might be is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: sacred gifts
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Saturday, January 1st, 2011
“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord…
plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
The old year has passed away and today is the start of a new year. Usually, I am delighted to see a new year begin, but have little thought about what the old year going means. This time it is different.
Last year I was shaken to my foundation by an accident. First in the hospital, then in rehab I had to have strangers do nearly everything for me. To say I hated it all would be an understatement. I detested it and felt like I was in prison.
For months after I came home I had to have my family take care of me in ways I didn’t want to have to need. I was embarrassed and apologetic even though I knew I would glady do the same for them.
Because of the past nine months I am delighted to see the old year end. It was one of the hardest years of my life. I am anticipating a wonderful new year. While the doctor says that sometime in this year I will be as “healed as I am ever going to be,” I choose to believe that I will be completely healed.
A new year is a time for hope. What hopes do you have? What do you wish will happen? I pray that you will receive all that you hope for.
A new year that arrives with hope is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: hope, sacred gifts
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Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
Christmas is love. It is the love that God had for his people when He sent us His son. It is the love that Mary had for the Lord when she replied to the angel,
“I am the Lord’s servant.
May it be to me as you have said.”
(Luke 1:26-38)
It is the love Joseph had for Mary that led him to follow God’s command.
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”
(Matthew 1:18-25)
Christmas is love. It is the love we give to family and friends in the form of gifts and time spent together. It is the love we give to strangers when we take a name off the angel tree and help make their Christmas a little happier.
It is the love we give to children in an institution for troubled youth when we fill a Christmas stocking for them so they can feel a little bit of the joy they would feel if they were part of a family.
Christmas is love and love is the most precious of the sacred gifts. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: Christmas, love, sacred gifts
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Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010
“Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!”
When I picked up the newspaper three days ago, I felt so sad. The headline read, “Many skip holiday’s religious side.” As I turned the page another headline screamed, “For many, Jesus isn’t the reason for the season.”
Three in four people responded to a survey by saying that the things they enjoy this season “have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus.” It made me think of everyone coming to your house on your birthday, giving each other gifts and never saying to you, “Happy Birthday!”
For literally millions of people Jesus is no longer the reason that this is a season of love and joy. Thankfully, though, people are filled with love. We are grateful for the love of our family and friends.
Being able to express that love through our faith is a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: Christmas, sacred gifts
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Thursday, December 16th, 2010
What Child Is This?
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
[CHORUS]
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
I love Christmas. I love listening to carols and shopping for gifts, making Christmas cookies and decorating the tree. This is the most wonderful time of the year and not just because Christmas is coming.
It is wonderful because of the joy in children’s eyes and voices as they look forward to Santa bringing gifts. It is wonderful because of Christmas pageants where children, in their total innocence, sing of Jesus’ birth. Most importantly, it is wonderful because we celebrate the baby who was also a king.
Jesus’ birth was a sacred gift. I wish you countless sacred gifts.
Tags: Christmas, sacred gifts
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