May God give you…For every storm, a rainbow,For every tear, a smile,For every care, a promise,And a blessing in each trial.For every problem life sends,A faithful friend to share,For every sigh, a sweet song,And an answer for each prayer. … [Read more...]
Closing All Doors to Find Your True Self – Quote of the Week
Every time you close another door--be it the door of immediate satisfaction, the door of distracting entertainment, the door of busyness, the door of guilt and worry, or the door of self-rejection--you commit yourself to go deeper into your heart and thus deeper into the heart of God.This is a movement toward full incarnation. It leads you to become what you already are--a child of God; it lets you embody more and more the truth of your being; it makes you claim the God within you.Henri J. M. Nouwen … [Read more...]
God is With Us – Lenten Quote – Edwina Gateley
God is With Us - Lenten Quote - Edwina GateleyI know that no matter how far we travel, how much we accomplish, how deeply we suffer, or how joyfully we dance, God is always with us in all of those things for the whole of our life's journey.That dark, silent, and mysterious place stays with us, housing the holy.Like the Lenten experience, there are no extra props. There is just the darkness and the emptiness and, at the very heart of all that the divine presence, the Holy One whom we seek, breathing, hidden within us, eternally loving and waiting.~Edwina Gateley … [Read more...]
Weekend Blessing – Quote of the Week – John O’Donohue
Blessed be the longing that brought you here and that quickens your soul with wonder.May you have the courage to befriend your eternal longing.May you enjoy the critical and creative companionship of the question "Who am I?" and may it brighten your longing.May a secret Providence guide your thought and shelter your feeling.May your mind inhabit your life with the same sureness with which your body belongs to the world.May the sense of something absent enlarge your life.May your soul be as free as the ever-new waves of the sea.May you succumb to the danger of growth.May you live in the neighborhood of wonder.May you belong to love with the wildness of Dance.May you know that you are ever embraced in the kind circle of God.John O'Donohue … [Read more...]
Daring Greatly, Being STRETCHED and Jumping into the Arena
What is daring greatly? I “met” Brene Brown through her TED talks. She speaks on ThePower of Vulnerability here and her talk on Listening to Shame here. Both are worth your time to listen. TED talks are wonderful conversations about life, the world and curiosity. People present in less than 20 minutes a peek into their research, their experiences and/or their learning. Their mission is to spread ideas. I always learn something new when I watch a TED talk. Brene studies and writes about such fascinating topics as shame, vulnerability and courage. She listens deeply to people and the journalist in me loves the questions she asks others to explore. Brene Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, graduate school of social work. She has written several books: The Gifts of Imperfection and I Thought I was Just Me. My daughter, Valerie gave me her latest book, Daring Greatly, at Christmas. (Thanks Val!) I just finished Daring Greatly. Don’t you love it when a … [Read more...]
Lenten Prayer – Henri Nouwen
Lenten Prayer The Lenten season begins. It is a time to be with you, Lord, in a special way, a time to pray, to fast, and thus to follow you on your way to Jerusalem, to Golgotha, and to the final victory over death. I am still so divided. I truly want to follow you, but I also want to follow my own desires and lend an ear to the voices that speak about prestige, success, pleasure, power, and influence. Help me to become deaf to these voices and more attentive to your voice, which calls me to choose the narrow road to life. I know that Lent is going to be a very hard time for me. The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my life. I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words that are your words, and actions that are your actions. There are not times or places without choices. And I know how deeply I resist choosing you. Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place. Give me the strength and the courage to live this … [Read more...]
4 Lenten Quotes of Wisdom
I love quotes. I can chew on one bite of wisdom for hours, even days. I find the short insights from someone wiser than me or more experienced with God, guides me on my own journey. A fellow blogger, Nancy Ruegg, left me a comment last week after she read some of the other Lenten quotes I shared. Her plan was to take parts of the quotes and create her own Lenten Prayer. Isn't that a terrific idea? I found this post the other day, 40 Days to a New You.where 40 thought provoking Lenten quotes, perfect for Lent, were listed. Maybe these will inspire you to write out your own Lenten prayer. How could you use Lenten quotes? Here are four samples: An Ash Wednesday prayer: How often have I lived through these weeks without paying much attention to penance, fasting, and prayer? How often have I missed the spiritual fruits of the season without even being aware of it? But how can I ever really celebrate Easter without observing … [Read more...]
Attitude – Our Daily Choice – Quote of the Week
The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window.“I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.”“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied.“Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged … it’s how I arrange my mind.I already decided to love it … It’s a … [Read more...]