From a decade ago…a timeless reminder!
God remains in you in order to hold you up.
You remain in God in order not to fall.
–St. Bede the Venerable
Good words we all need to hear (or at least I do)…and pretty much all the time!
Moving Through Lent
14 Mar 2021 2 Comments
in Liturgical Year Tags: Faith, Inspiration, Lent
For those of you who’ve been here before, this is an updated post from three years ago but the link is definitely still relevant, pandemic and life in general notwithstanding. Also, there is one other thing about Lent that’s new for me this year. “It’s not about what you give up it’s about who you become.” Thank you, Matthew Kelley, for summing up so well the essence of this liturgical season.
Wait! Before you get the link I just remembered a second thing that has stuck with me. Fr. Mike Schmitz said, in his homily on the first Sunday of Lent, “The heart of Lent is that we don’t trust God and we need to learn how to trust Him.” There. You. Go. Lent is all about loving God more, not just praying more, fasting more, and giving more, although these are all a part of the season and ways in which we show that love. The whole purpose of Lent is to become more Christ-like and that can only happen when we trust Him more. More trust equals more faith in Him.
Lent has been here since Ash Wednesday, of course, but on this Laetare (“Rejoice”) Sunday, in typical procrastinating fashion I’m just now taking the time to share something that my readers who observe Lent might find helpful. After all, we may be on the downhill run but we’ve still got three weeks to go! Below you will find–in my opinion–the best one-stop shopping (so to speak) for all things Lent from the wonderful Karen Edmisten.
So, grab your favorite acceptable Lenten beverage–I know some of you have painfully given up your precious Dr. Pepper or cozy cup of joe–settle into a comfy chair, and prepare to be informed, encouraged, and generally motivated to embrace this season in all of its unique challenges. Finally, I pray you and yours have, as Karen’s youngest daughter once said, “a meaningful Lent.” Blessings to you!
http://karenedmisten.blogspot.com/2018/02/its-back-meaningful-lent.html
Second Sunday in Advent: A Prayer for This Season
09 Dec 2018 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: Christianity, Faith, Inspiration, Liturgical Year, Prayer, Reblogged
Yes, we’re now in the second week of Advent and life is just whizzing by–or at least it is for me and I suspect the same is true for you. If you could use some practical, realistic, non-guilt inducing inspiration for the season then this just might do the trick…
Prepare a way for you, Lord? I’ve got lots of work to do!
Help me prepare a way for you into my home, Lord:
help me find a place, a room, a corner, a chair
where you and I can meet each day to pray.
Perhaps I’ll put a candle there, with a Bible;
maybe a statue or a picture; a rosary or a prayer card:
something to mark the spot as the place I keep
to go each day to sit and rest, to take a deep breath,
to remember your presence and open my heart in prayer.
Help me prepare a way for you on my calendar,
an “appointment” each day;
even just ten minutes for you and me to get together,
to talk about the day, its ups and downs,
and get to know each other just a little better than yesterday.
Help me prepare a way for you to enter my thoughts, Lord.
When I’m trying to figure things out, nudge me
to ask for your guidance and counsel,
your Spirit and your wisdom,
when I’m making decisions and choices.
Help me prepare a way for you, Lord,
in my family and among my friends, at work and at school,
in my parish and in my neighborhood.
Help me prepare a way for you to come into the hearts
of those around me who are alone.
Help me prepare a way for you, Lord,
in the crazy rush of Christmas all around me.
Help me remember it’s your birthday
and that you should get some presents—from me.
Help me remember the poverty of your nativity:
make your way into my wallet and spend generously
on those whose needs are so much greater than my own.
Help me remember that of all the gifts I might receive,
none is greater than the love you have for me.
Help me prepare a way for you
to enter my life decisively, Lord.
In the quiet of my prayer, Lord,
help me clear the path you walk into my life, into my soul.
In the stillness of my prayer, Lord,
help me see you as you make your way towards me,
and show me that no matter the roadblocks I put up,
you’ll find a way to come, to enter,
and to fill me with your presence. Amen.
From Good Morning, Good God! by Fr. Austin Fleming, The Word Among Us Press, 2015, via
Advent is Here!
02 Dec 2018 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Advent, Christianity, Christmas, Inspiration, Intentional Living, Music, Prayer
Disclaimer: This is a rerun from last year with a few brand new music recommendations included…
If you observe the liturgical year, then let me wish you a Happy New Year as you celebrate the first Sunday in Advent. If you use an advent wreath or candles and already have them out, good for you! Here are a couple of resources you might not know about to enrich your Advent experience as you prepare your heart to celebrate the nativity of the King of Kings.
Flock Notes’ Carpe Verbum text messages for Scripture reading, prayer, and thoughtful action.
You can read the blog but it’s more convenient for many of us to get their daily text for reading, praying, and listening to God as preparation for how you will live out the day. There’s even a nifty image and capsulized message that can be saved and used for your lock and/or home screen. The content was written with teens in mind but I haven’t found this to be limiting. In fact, some of the features designed for the younger mindset come in handy for the over 50 crowd as well–both my mom and I are using the daily screenshot reminder of that day’s key point, along with an Advent candle graphic, to keep our Advent focus going in a festive yet practical way.
Young Oceans’ Advent album for a soundtrack.
Good contemporary music for Advent is hard to find. So imagine my surprise when I went searching this morning on Amazon Music Unlimited this morning and found this gem! I am mesmerized by its perfectly pleasing mellow harmonies and lovely musical textures, not to mention the solid Advent lyrics. Plus, the multiple instrumental pieces are both soothing and uplifting with an anticipatory feel to them. I’m a musical fussbudget but this is something reminiscent of both Taizé and Jars of Clay but altogether its own sound. If you’re looking for something new for Advent, I highly recommend sampling this.
Additionally, a brand new resource available for 2018 is Matt Maher’s ingenious album: The Advent of Christmas. As always with his music, there’s something for everyone in terms of style and content from the soothing sublime to scintillating songs old and new.
Finally, there are also two new albums of piano music for Advent and Christmastide in 2018 for a nice ambient touch. Thomas Keesecker’s The Quiet Center: Piano Music for Advent and Christmas and The Quiet Center: Music for Christmas and Epiphany.
What are some of your favorite Advent resources? Please feel free to share. Have a blessed season of preparation to celebrate Christ’s birth!
On Being Whole
22 Nov 2018 Leave a comment
in The Writing Life Tags: Christianity, Faith, Inspiration
For quite some time I have not posted and I wanted to let my readers know that–despite my silence–I am thankful for all of you. Between not doing well healthwise and writer’s block I just haven’t been able to muster up the mojo to get anything written. After talking with a wonderfully encouraging friend recently I decided to start back using baby steps: posting a quotation that I’ve run across and perhaps saying a few words about it. This way at least I’m getting over the hump of resuming posting on my always irregular basis…So, without any further ado, this Thanksgiving I just want to say how grateful I am for all my family and friends and readers and I hope to be more active again in the future. In the meantime, here are some words worth pondering…
“God did not tell us to follow Him because He needed our help, but because He knew that loving Him would make us whole.”
St. Irenaeus
Our Spiritual Implant
28 Jun 2018 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: Inspiration, Intentional Living
A guest post from Sandra Ralph…
Recently while watching the local evening news I saw a remarkable story. A baby (I think nine months old) born deaf had received a cochlear implant and was hearing the sounds of her mother’s voice for the first time while sitting on her lap. The wonder and sweet smile that kept appearing on her little face was precious, and the mother was overcome with emotion.
Earlier that day I was reading from a Sonja Corbitt book–Unleashed: How to Receive Everything the Holy Spirit Wants to Give You–and she was relating the importance of learning to “hear” our heavenly parent’s voice and the blessings that flow from that. Surely that is God’s intention, but due to our broken world (and often broken bodies) we, too, need help in becoming able to hear clearly. But when we can–and do–the joy our Heavenly Father desires for us is made manifest. Praise be to God!
Lord of all creation…help me to hear your voice. Heighten my sense of your presence in times of gladness and times of sorrow or suffering. Implant your spirit deep within and be the instrument that enables me to hear you clearly.
A Wee Bit of Verse
23 Jun 2018 2 Comments
in Poetry Tags: Faith, Inspiration
Passion, poetry all unbending
To our greater understanding
What has been dark is now made light
In the early dawn that follows night.
Eye can’t see nor ear has heard
All the wonders of The Word
God Incarnate, Christ the Lion
Laying down His life for Adam’s scion.
Truth be told it all seems new
Yet familiar echoes in all is true
Waiting for the breaking dawn
When all will gather on Heaven’s lawn.
Until that Day we wait our life
Mindling hope, love, joy, and strife;
Our Creator awaits us there
When He welcomes us to His chair.
Copyright Sabryna Noltie
Our Most Powerful Tool
10 Apr 2018 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: Inspiration, Intentional Living
Recently one family member shared some encouraging words to another one, who then passed them along to me. Here is what touched me deeply.
“Know that your dilemma is out of your control and that the only power you have over it is our most powerful tool…prayer…practice trust in Jesus and patience while He resolves the issue.”
I have felt out of control lately and I don’t like that feeling. Circumstances aren’t pleasant and I can only do so much–which, other than prayer, is really very little–to address the situation. It is one that time and the providence of God will resolve one way or another. Jesus will resolve the issue. It’s not up to me, although I have to practice trust and patience and, as Elisabeth Elliot would say, keep on “doing the next thing” that needs to be done…which includes a great deal of praying! I must cooperate with grace, exercising humility and swallowing my pride when things need to be done that I’m not keen on.
In the long run, as Julian of Norwich has said, “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”
Rest in God: Easter Edition
01 Apr 2018 4 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: A Simple Life, Easter, Inspiration, Intentional Living
Right now I have multiple friends and family–mine included–who are going through challenging circumstances, so I’m sharing this profound quote on this blessed Easter Sunday as part of my Easter prayers and wishes for you. True rest is sometimes elusive for me, even on days of rest–and celebration!–such as Easter Sunday. In that vein, I find comforting the following words from St. Edith Stein. I’m embracing her sentiments in hope that today and throughout the following ones I will be experiencing this Easter week as “a new life.” Maybe you will want to do the same…
“God is there in these moments of rest and can give us in a single instant exactly what we need. Then the rest of the day can take its course, under the same effort and strain, perhaps, but in peace. And when night comes, and you look back over the day and see how fragmentary everything has been, and how much you planned that has gone undone, and all the reasons you have to be embarrassed and ashamed: just take everything exactly as it is, put it in God’s hands and leave it with him. Then you will be able to rest in him–really rest–and start the next day as a new life.”
Be You Very Well 