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I have been thinking about this passage a lot lately. I have been wondering if I really live as though the power of Christ dwells in me. Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle that blocks the power of the Holy Spirit is ......me. I make up excuses....if only I had more time....more resources.....more talent....more opportunity-- I could do so much more. I have discovered that I am much better at making excuses than I am in exploring the living, powerful, mysterious Presence of the One who dwells in me. I feel that I have only scratched the surface, but it is time to break the glass and allow God's Spirit to do more in my life. I no longer wished to be controlled by what I perceive to be my limitations. God lives in me, and I need to stop limiting His power by my weaknesses. I need to hand my small thoughts and actions to God and let His powerful Spirit take over. Dwelling with the Spirit is so much more than I ever realized!
-Susan
Today is the Feast of the Nativity of Mary! Happy Birthday Mom! Today would be a great day to invite Mary to your house, so you can spend some special time together. My grandma had a great love for Mary her whole life. She told me she would offer Mary a beautiful rose every day while they were in season. According to my grandma that was the reason she had such a beautiful rose garden in her backyard. God allowed her the opportunity to shower Mary with love! I am grateful that my grandma shared this story with me. So, if you will excuse me, I am on my way to find a rose for Mary in my garden! I hope you find a special way to say "I love you" to Mary as well.
-Susan
As my kids made plans to leave the house for a day of fun, my daughter announced, "Good luck at work today, Mom."
Previously self absorbed in eating lunch my son exclaimed, "What? You have work today? Who's going to do my laundry?"
I shook my head and said, "Honey, you are perfectly capable of handling that yourself."
Most of us would rather go have fun than clean up our messes. But I think it is a good idea for each of us to take an honest look at ourselves and decide what needs cleaning. Unfortunately, we all mess up from time to time, and we have to take responsibilty for own dirty laundry. It is best not to let some stains sink in too deep. Doing laundry is not that difficult. We just simply have to put our heart into it. We are so fortunate that we have an all loving God who is always willing to cleanse us. Whether we find ourselves in hot water or distant cool waters, God gently removes our sins and gives us a fresh clean start. All we need to do to start the cycle is say, "I'm sorry." It's just that easy.
-Susan
There is a little church I pass by on my way to work. It always has one on those thoughtful little sayings on it's sign. This week it read "There is always an "I" in sin." I nodded my head in agreement as I read it. Many sins occur because we put ourselves first. But what would life be like if we put others first? What we changed the "I' to an "O" and sin became Son? Isn't that what Jesus preached--love one another? We need to put others before ourselves. The solution to this puzzle is so simple and obvious I wonder why in the past two thousand years we haven't figured it out yet? This weekend I challenge you to solve the puzzle for yourself.
-Susan
This past weekend I hopped in the car ready for a little fun. I had a two and half hour solo ride ahead of me and I was prepared. I had my Diet Coke in one hand and some Christian CDs in the other, and I was ready to rock. I placed the first CD in the car stereo, turned up the volume, and sang my heart out to God as miles and miles of road became my personal stage of prayer!
Prayer doesn't always have to be quiet. Some prayers are meant to be joyously shouted (or sung)! I think mixing up your prayer routine keeps your prayer life exciting. I mean let's face it, who loves variety more than the Creator. He didn't make just one type of flower, or bird, or fish, or animal. He spoiled us with hundreds and hundreds of different species in a multitude of sizes, shapes, and colors. God is amazing and He is always finding new ways to reveal Himself to us. If we always said the same prayer, the same way, in the same place, we might miss out on a new perspective. Take a chance and start up a completely new conversation with God and see where it takes you. The road to heaven may be straight and narrow, but it is also filled with moments of joy, excitement, and discovery!
-Susan
I have been doing a little reading this week. I picked up a book about avoiding procrastination. Of course it sat on my counter for a few days. Each day I would look at it and say, "I should definitely read that today." The next day would come and go as the book sat unread. (No wonder I need help in this area.)
I'm sure I'm not alone in my procrastination. There never seems to be enough time to do everything I would like to get done. I did eventually get to reading the book and I found some helpful advice. The book suggested making a list every day of what you would like to accomplish and then cross it off as you complete the task. That sounds simple enough.
This got me thinking .... How much procrastination can creep into our spiritual life as well. Most of us want to spend more time with God, but how many of us actually do give God the attention He deserves and the time our souls so desperately need? How many times do we put off reading scripture? Going to the Blessed Sacrament? Reconciliation? Or deepening your understanding about the Eucharist? When we are children, we think these things will occur when we become adults. When we become adults we seem to be too busy and so we continue to let God wait. It's unfortunate that when we pray, we want God to respond immediately, and yet when He calls us closer, we ask Him to be patient.
While I thought about this, I decided I need to make some changes in my life. I started with this prayer, "God I'm done making you wait. Every day I want us to do something special together. Help me to do this."
-Susan
(Sorry this post is a little late, I was busy spending a little one on one time with God.)
We all get a little discouraged from time to time. We are not perfect. We make mistakes. We are not the followers of Christ that we so desire to be. Although it is uncomfortable, sometimes coming face to face with our shortcomings is an opportunity for growth. We need to acknowledge what obstacles have caused us to stumble, and how to push those obstacles out of our lives. It is only after we have decluttered our path, that we are able perceive and follow our Lord's footprints again. The more we trust in the infinite mercy of God, the clearer our path becomes. Although we may fail, God never fails us. Over and over He calls out to us, "Come, follow me. Come, follow me......"
I pray that God's mercy and peace heals us all.
-Susan
