Everything is all right.

We are at Jesus' disposal. If he wants you to be sick in bed,
if he wants you to proclaim His work in the street,
if he wants you to clean the toilets all day,
that's all right, everything is all right.
We must say, "I belong to you. You can do whatever you like."
And this ..is our strength,
and this is the joy of the Lord. -- Mother Teresa

As I think about this and reflect on what it means to me
it's like God shaking me and forcing me to see how
he really works in people's lives.

What's surreal is that many people (including myself)
can go almost a whole day without God crossing their minds.
Meanwhile, God so loving and merciful holds me into existence- THAT WHOLE DAY!

All of us have a variety of things we do each day, whether it
be serving a child, serving others, cleaning, cooking,
folding laundry, scrubbing, filing , answering phones, studying...the list goes on
but in reality what we are doing is what God has called us to
in that moment. If we are listening and asking God what we should be doing
and then we end up filing all day , or cleaning up after a 2 year old
then Glory to God. Yes, yes this all sounds nice and dandy
but it's hard. It's hard to deal with a disgruntled person or
a dirty toilet and see your vocation but it's with your spirit that
you are giving God His glory. And through that spirit in turn
physically helps you get through your daily tasks.

So what's the point? The point is God will fill you with Joy
and Peace and when you DO think about him in your daily routine
it is then you can choose to use your work to GLORIFY.
and then everything is all right.


Precious Jesus,
With your blistered hands you worked
with Joseph under the hot sun, and yet,
you are the Savior of the World...
Help me know you are in my work
and let me give it back to you.
Amen

Let the waters rise

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees...
So let the waters rise
If you want them to
I will follow You

(mike's chair, let the waters rise)

I know this is a occurring theme I've been thinking
about in my blog lately but I guess it's just really powerful
and something we all really need to know
not just think about every once and a while,
we need to know that God is with us
during the pain and sometimes
it's His providence that we go through what we do.

Thinking about intense pain, it reminds me of losing my father.
The pain that a child experiences is profound but I think
my daddy is interceding for me in heaven to bring me to
where I am right now. Who knows where I would be if he was still alive.
And while I'm not saying that he had to die in order for me to be faithful...
I am saying that he died, when he did, for a reason. My daddy had a beautiful devotion to the blessed mother
and his bible and it's funny because I think I have a foundation
that is pretty strong in my faith but the two weak area's are
reading the bible and truly forming a relationship with Our Lady.
Maybe it's because I needed that foundation before I could really
develop these things. But I encourage you to reflect on your pain,
and I know it may be hard and it may bring back some harsh memories
but find God in it, because he worked in that pain.

Almighty, show me the beauty of your Word, and the
journey your Mother took to becoming the bearer of
the Living God. Help me to look to her when I don't
know why...help me proclaim Fiat when I don't know all the answers. Amen

It's all about Will

"So many times I went to you God but I was never really willing to change"

This is me paraphrasing something I heard recently and it struck me.
I think mainly because it hits the nail on the head for most of us
in our spiritual journey with God.

I think about my daily life and what I do for God
and it's hard for me to think, YES,yes i am willing to change!
because in many ways I'm not. I do trust God, I trusted him
with this move and that Stewart would get into medical school
and that everything would be okay and it has been. But
I'm talking about a deep change, a change that is radical, that
would move your world.

I know that Stewart and I talk about moving to Ecuador and living
their for a little while with our children when he is a doctor
but I like to talk to him about it every once and a while
- To make it real.
I don't want this dream of ours to fade away
and let "the American dream" get in the way
of God's plan for Stewart and our family.

I want to be willing to change on a dime,
the second God places a plan in my life.
Of course, practically I may not be able
to drop everything in a second
but I would be able to eventually
and that's what I always want to hold close to my heart,
the passion for His will in my life

The passion to surrender.


Dear Jesus,
let Your dreams for me
become my passions. Amen

Release

Sometimes emotions just seem to collide.
It's odd yet predictable, you feel it coming on
and you feel out of control.
Overwhelmed. With joy,laughter,sadness,stress,pain,yearning.

Even though sometimes I find myself caught in
a storm of emotions... God is still the same.
The lyrics that come to mind are
"you are who you are no matter where I am"
from: praise you in this storm, casting crowns
and as I reflect on that I feel peace just knowing
my sovereign King.
As I got into my car after feeling so overwhelmed
by the day I shut the door and praise filled my ears
and I found peace in Him.
Knowing he can comfort me and guide me just
by simply acknowledging him is unbelievable, yet true.

God calls us to praise him, regardless of our situations
at work,home,with family or friends, because amidst the struggles
it is then you can seek His peace. For how do we know the precious
gift of breath if we are always above the surface?


O God, I pray that I may seek you
when I can no longer breathe
and that I may praise you for
the beautiful release that comes
by just knowing you are my King.
Amen.

A Remarkable Inner Act

Recently, I have been having a hard time understanding
what God is wanting of me, of my life...it's been a struggle
of trust, prayer and hope but I really think God spoke to me
in the smallest yet very clear way.

It was after asking for
specific direction I was led to this bible verse...

"There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:18-19

We can love because God is in LOVE with us!
Yes this sounds simple but it is
remarkably hard to be confident
when you are surrounded by fear.
All I can say is
when you are in union with Christ, fear isn't an option
Because God is Love.
So really God was asking to please strive for Love
why fear the future? He is my future and that's all I need to know.


Holy God, draw me close to Your love,
so that I may rid myself of the fears
of this world and know that I belong only
to you. Amen.

I'll take my chances to hear You call my name

There is the song I have been hearing on the radio
and I found it to be so radically honest.
I think i'm drawn to it because of the
bluntness.

Just simply stating exactly what is going on
in your heart, so it's out there and everyone will
now know where you are in your faith is so radical,
only because I feel like the only people I know that
radically lay open their book of life for everyone to read, hear and know
are speakers or maybe a very close friend and that's it.

I'm not saying go around and be vulnerable to everyone and talk
about everything you are going through with your faith
but I think we all need to reflect on how we can be more honest
with ourselves.

Maybe "pretend" you are about to give a talk
that calls you to be vulnerable and write everything you are
feeling down or just take
it to prayer and maybe then it will be easier to identify where
your heart truly is.

So here are the lyrics,
"Hold your heart" - tenth avenue north

How long must I pray, must I pray to You?
How long must I wait, must I wait for You?

How long 'til I see Your face, see You shining through?
I'm on my knees, begging You to notice me.

I'm on my knees, Father will you turn to me?

One tear in the dropping rain,
One voice in the sea of pain
Could the maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breakin' heart?
One light, that's all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You're everything You say You are
Won't You come close and hold my heart

I've been so afraid, afraid to close my eyes
So much can slip away before I say goodbye.
But if there's no other way, I'm done asking why.
Cause I'm on my knees, begging You to turn to me
I'm on my knees, Father will you run to me?



So many questions without answers, Your promises remain
I can't sleep but I'll take my chances to hear You call my name.


Father, help me to jump off the ledge and into your arms, because when it comes down to it...I need to know you'll be there with your arms wide open. Amen.

Be the one.

"It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner."

This bible verse is from today's Gospel reading.
The Gospel is about the 10 lepers and how they were
all cured but only one came back to Jesus to praise him
for curing him.

This reading is so powerful. Not only because Jesus
acknowledges,
"Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? "
He asks Where are they?
So i urge you to ask yourself where are you?
Are you at the feet of Jesus thanking him
or are you wrapped up in your crazy life and have forgotten
about the time he came to your rescue?
Or the time you were begging for him
and he arrived and spoke right to your heart.

Sometimes, I think its so easy to forget how you got where
you are today. I know I look at my life and get scared about
where I would be if I hadn't turned to God when I did.
But that doesn't mean I remember that all the time...
let alone praise him for bringing me to where I am today.

All Jesus wants is for us to remember that we aren't our own.
That we don't have things "all figured out"
That many times we COULD go to him with something but we don't.
We forget...we forget that he cured us once and he can cure us again.

Jesus, please remind me of the time you carried me,
and give back to you what you are always ready to give me...Love.