How Big Is Your God? (55/100)

Clearly it has been too long since my last post...what have I been doing these last 28 days?!?

Day 55.  In honor of yesterday being Easter, I wanted to spend parts of today giving glory to God.  In reading, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, I was particularly drawn to one of the questions the author, Mark Batterson, poses;

"How big is your God?"  

"The more we grow, the bigger God should get.  And the bigger God gets, the smaller our lions (fears) become.  The reality is that nothing is too big for God."  (pg 39)

Many times I get sucked into the dilemas of my day & my life and get bogged down.  I feel shelfish asking God to come quickly to my aid when my troubles are minor in comparisson to other areas of the world.  And yet, He is there for me even in my minor troubles.  He does care about all the details in my life even if they seem ridiculous in comparisson to others who are dealing with more severe hard times... He cares because my troubles are just that...mine.  He wants to comfort me. 

I, along with many others, never want to appear demanding or even needy, or rely too heavily on the consolation of God.  But God puts desires and needs in my heart and He longs for me to ask for His help.  We can work to help each other.  Friends look out for each other and neighbors should help neighbors.  

I like to remind myself that at times when I may be upset with certain people that make up a body within the Church, or upset at ideals that are in questions... I need to remember that at the heart of the matter & what is truly important is that I am not upset with God.  For He is perfect..  He is my ultimate reason.     

Fresh Start (Day 1/100)

 I am open to the idea of what the next 100 days will bring in my 100 Day Reality Challenge.  I am ready to send out my intentions and take action to bring about a new and empowered self by May 24th!

It's Day 1 - I am up and energized...about to do a whole apt deep cleaning (I always feel better when I am in a clean house, don't you?)

For now I am excited to see where the next 100 days takes me and how I can use the power of positive thought and focus to impact my life...

100 Day Reality Challenge

Ok, so here's an idea I have for the next 100 days.  Starting tomorrow and going until May 24th, I will be partaking in the 100 Day Reality Challenge!  Please visit http://cocreatingourreality.com/ to see the website and read more about this facinating project. 

Basically, for the next 100 days I will:
1. Focus on an intention - something I different I want in my life
2. Take steps to make this intention happen
3. Bring out positive thought, mediation &/or prayer to help guide me
4. Surround myself with positive people, events & things that will help be fulfill my set intention
5. Journal, blog, tweet, facebook, text, post to my new pinterest page, and possible video blog to share/grow deeper in my journey

It may sound trippy - but I think it is worth a try!  I am so glad that my dear friend ask me to join her on this epic journey.  I mean, what else did I have planned for the next 100 days?  I might as well work to make my life richer and more engaging.  One of the creators of this movement, Lilou Mace, talks about having a "juicy" life.  What a fun image!  Just a life more full of flavor!  A life you can sink your teeth in - a life that is savory & tasty.  A life you can truly enjoy! 

I will be posting updates on my journey and I hope you will check out this project/program and give it a try.  Let me know if you do!  

And...we're off...reality challenge...I accept!

What a beautiful image - God is there to help us reach our "best" selves.  I am ready to be a brilliant butterfly! 

New Years: Resolutions Too?

Now that it is officially 2011...and yes, it's usually the time for some self searching and determining a new resolution.  I found that for 2010 I was able to stick to my resolution because of something I heard off of the radio.   While living in VA, I would listen to KLOVE on my way to work and right around New Years for 2010, they announced that for 2010 they were going to pick a "word" that would help them stay focused and centered.  I loved the idea of picking a "word" to aspire to for my new year.  The word that I chose for 2010 was WORTHY.  I felt that I have stayed true to this...I worked toward being a worthy friend, worthy daughter, worthy of my job, worthy of my apartment, worthy of God's love, etc.  I know it seems too general to count as a resolution, but it really helped me feel like I had accomplished something in 2010.  I feel like 2010 showed real growth and promise. 

My word for 2011 is TREASURE with a specific emphasis on treasuring every moment.  I want to wish all of my family and friends and reader alike a beautiful, healthy and happy New Year.  May 2011 reveal its special treasure for you each gem at a time. 

Easter Season

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right...

~Phillips Brooks, "An Easter Carol"

Good Friday: Holy Friday

"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God."
- Luke 23:46

Holy Thursday: Washing of the Feet

Happy Holy Thursday

Jesus knew that His hour had come ... "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me ... Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean ...

He said to them "Do you realize what I have done for you? ... If I, ... the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet.  I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you shoud also do." 

The Gospel of the Lord

Holy Wednesday

As we come to a close of our Lenten Journey, may each of us soak in the final graces of this special time with Christ. As we step closer with Christ during His final days, may we be reminded of those Disciples that were especially close to Jesus. They each wanted nothing more than to be in His presence.

The journey is not over and there is still time to fulfill our own Lenten promises and resolutions.

Take a Breath

As the Lenten Season comes to a close, you may be thinking to yourself, "I haven't really spent any time this Lent truly reflecting and preparing for Easter." I ask that today, you take a breath and truly give yourself a good 10 minutes to at least get today in order. Let today be a great Lenten Journey!

LUMP

A very dear friend recommended a short video for me to watch and I found it online. It's called "LUMP" and it's put on by a company called NOOMA. This short film is sharing the message of unconditional love, guilt, hiding and most importantly that no matter what each one of us has done, there is nothing in our past that would make God love us any less...Nothing. I highly encourage you to watch this 10 minute video found on youtube.

Solemnity of St. Joseph

Saint Joseph was a just man, a tireless worker, the upright guardian of those entrusted to his care. May he always guard, protect and enlighten familes.

---Pope John Paul II

A Holy Lent

Lent is a time for deep prayerful reflection, fasting and charitable acts of mercy (such as alms giving). May we all focus on keeping this Lent "holy" and with good intentions. What better time than during Lent to refocus our attention to Christ...this time before Easter is especially important and should be treated as such. Remember your neighbors, friends and family this Lent and keep them all close in your heart.

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

Being that it is almost the 1st Sunday of Advent, today is the perfect day to make your heart ready for Christ's coming. It is time to "Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room." Advent is a perfect time to "clean-up" and "get ready" for the birth of the Newborn King. I took time this morning to vacuum and dust. It felt great cleaning up my apartment as a small offering to God. I also got out my Advent wreath, which I am very excited to light the 1st candle tomorrow! Next to my wreath is a vase filled with fresh flowers as another small offering to Christ.

What do you need to do to prepare? Do you have to resources available to help? Invite your family and friends to help and get closer to Christ with you.

I will leave you with the lyrics to "Joy to the World," because we need to ring out the JOY that Jesus is coming!

JOY TO THE WORLD

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

All Souls

In honor of All Souls Day, I wanted to post a short prayer. It is important to take the time to pray for the souls in purgatory and for all those who are lost.


Invocation for the Souls in Purgatory

My God,

bestow Thy blessings and Thy mercies
on all persons and on those souls in Purgatory
for whom I am in charity, gratitude, or friendship bound
and have the desire to pray.

Amen

Good Friday

Without the victory of the resurrection, the death of Jesus would have been in vain. For death by itself is no victory, no matter how well-meaning the sacrificial lamb, no matter how noble the cause. Through His resurrection, Christ broke the power of death once and for all time. Salvation was not completed only because of the cross. It was completed by the victory of the empty tomb. "... Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor 15:54b-57 NIV

Katherine Walden
I Lift My Eyes Web Ministries

Holy Thursday

John 13:1-15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples´ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well." Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all." For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean." So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ´teacher´ and ´master,´ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another´s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."

Take time to reflect today on His passion. His love. His sacrifice. His selfless nature. His hope. His journey. His walk. Our cross.

Palm Sunday

"Practically everyone has known the taste of Palm Sunday, the sweetness of success and popularity, and nearly all of us have tasted the bitterness of Good Friday, of failure and rejection. What saves us from an endless round of ups and downs, what frees us from the tyranny of events over which we have no control is our commitment to press forward in obedience to God -it is trust in God's love to bring about Easter morning, - knowing that the meaning of life is to be found in the knowledge and love of God,- and in sharing that knowledge and love with those who accompany us on the way."

Rev. Richard J. Fairchild

Easter Means

Easter is approaching...April 12th will be here soon. All the stores have all their brightly colored plastic eggs ready in hopes people will stock up for their "Egg Hunt."

I would love to host an "Egg Hunt." It would be fun and all the neighboring children would come and join in.

What would be even better is if I was with my family and had all my second cousins looking for the eggs. I have lots of cousins and quite a few second cousins at this point and seeing their little eyes light up would make my heart very happy!

It will just have to wait until I can go visit them for Easter, or until they come out to see me...hopefully, they will wait until I have a family of my own too.



Easter also means that Easter lilies are in bloom. I love seeing them adorn the altar in honor of the Risen Jesus. What a beautiful offering! This flower, a lily, is pure and wonderful. No other such flower would give justice to this blessed event.

When I move into my new apartment, I want to start a new tradition of having fresh flowers by my picture of Our Lady and Jesus. It will be a special offering to them as well as a perfect way to decorate my home. It will brighten up any area with the right amount of "life."



Clearly, Easter is a celebration for Christians everywhere! We are rejoicing in the Risen King! He died on the cross and then rose from the dead.



Is there a greater love then that?!?!

This is the ultimate sacrifice...and therefore, the ultimate testimony of LOVE.

Journey to Easter...

Lent is a journey for all of us to walk closer with Christ.

Easter is approaching and so we should be preparing our hearts for the glory of His love! Jesus has died and risen for me...for you...for ALL of us!

LENT is a beautiful time for me to reflect on all of my hardships and those times in my life where I fell short. I certainly am NOT perfect, but God knows how much I aim to please Him.

He created me in His likeness and has blessed me with a beautiful life so that I may give back to my fellow brothers and sisters. Charity has been my focus this Lenten Season and I feel I am moving forward and have been "giving" back.

How has this journey been going for you?