Advent Changes Week 2

    Chelsea knelt down and repeated her prayer from the previous week.  "Lord, help me to draw closer to you this Advent season."  She thought about some of the changes she had tried to make this week.  Changing habits is easier said than done, but she felt like she was making some better choices.   Whenever she felt like making a snide comment, she held her tongue and remembered the beauty of the garden.  She pictured herself holding baby Jesus in this beautiful garden on Christmas Day. When she was done praying, Chelsea fell asleep trying to feel the incredible love she had felt in the garden.
  An hour or so later, Chelsea found herself far from the beautiful garden.  She found herself walking on a dusty street amid make shift houses of cardboard one right next to another.  The conditions were deplorable.  Who could live like this? Unfortunately, there were many living here.  Old and young,  malnourished and sickly, and so many different ethnicities were crying out and speaking different languages. Their voices were piercing, their stares disturbing, and the smell was unbearable.  Chelsea wanted to run, but there was nowhere to run.  Why was she here?
  Once again she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard him speak,  "Do you recognize where you are?"
  "No! I don't!" Chelsea almost screamed. Chelsea slowly turned 360 degrees trying to take in everything.  "I don't know where I am, but its obvious these people need help."
  "Who should help them?" her angel asked her.
  "I don't know who could help them," she hesitated for a minute and then added very softly, "Why doesn't God help them?" As the words came out of her mouth, she suddenly noticed that many of the people were on their knees. She looked up for the first time and noticed a roof above her.  Chelsea was so confused.
  "Chelsea if you look closely, you will notice you are in your church."
  "What?  I have never been in a church like this!"
  "This is the church you attend weekly."
  Chelsea shook her head.  "I don't understand."
  Christ came two thousand years ago to help the oppressed, the lonely, the forgotten, the poor, the isolated, the sinners.  The Church continues to do the same.  Think about some of the prayer intentions during the mass.  We are all children of God.  We need to help one another. We need to pray for one another.  If only people understood how powerful prayer can be. Prayer opens a heart and mind to the merciful love of God.  If only you understood His goodness and generosity, life on earth would be so different.  God hears every prayer and He inspires His people to act with mercy towards each other. But when hearts and minds and ears are closed to His voice, injustice and greed and jealousy flourish. Chelsea allow your prayers not only to touch the heart of God, but let your prayers touch the hearts of your neighbors.  Do not judge. Do not offer excuses.  Do not let your differences make you uncomfortable.  You are not different than them. At times, others have seen your face in this crowd.  God heard your cries and petitions and inspired others to help you.  Remember your garden will bloom wherever you allow it to grow roots."
  Hours later Chelsea woke up.  The vision her angel shared with her, burned deeply with in her. She had always seen her church as a building that housed the Lord. Now she understood that the Church needed no walls.  The Church needed people to carry the light of Christ out into the world.  After a lot of prayer, Chelsea went outside and began tearing down the fences that she had built between her and her neighbors.  Then she got down on her hands and knees and began to plant a garden.

-Susan

Advent Changes

  Chelsea knelt down in prayer. "My Lord, I desire to draw closer to you this Advent season. I don't want to just repeat what I did last year. Sometimes I feel like I am not fully awake to Your Presence. How can I better prepare for Your coming this year?"  Chelsea resisted the temptation to continue speaking. She cleared her mind and waited for a response. Moments of silence passed.
  "Ask your guardian angel to help you prepare," was the thought she heard.
  Chelsea wondered how she might do this?  She turned her attention to her invisible angel and said, "Please my angelic friend, help me prepare for the coming of Christ."  Nothing happened immediately.  Chelsea finished her prayers and then crawled into bed.  She closed her eyes and fell asleep within minutes.  An hour later Chelsea found herself walking into the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. She had never seen plants and flowers like this before.  Their vibrant colors were indescribable. The flower petals felt like velvet and the blades of grass felt like silk.  Exotic birds rested in amazing flowering trees. Each step forward led to another incredible discovery.  The air gently blew around her with a hint of honeysuckle and orchids. A flowing turquoise river tumbled down a granite mountain misting the air with refreshing peaceful energy.  Chelsea sat down near the river. She placed her hand on her heart expecting to touch the love she felt, while listening to a beautiful song of praise being sung from the mountaintop.  It was the most joyful moment of her life. She wondered if she had died and gone to heaven.  
  Just then she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.  "Do you not recognize where you are?" asked a voice.
  "I'm sure I would remember being in such an incredible place," Chelsea answered. 
 "You are inside your soul the day God made you."
  " I was made with this much love and beauty?"
  "Yes."
  "Does my soul still look like this?"
  Silence. "The beauty of your soul is up to you. The more you are open to God's love, the more beautiful it becomes.  Be open to God, but guard yourself from what is not. God's love is unlimited.  He can restore and heal everything."
   Chelsea awoke the next morning remembering everything. She realized that God's love was even more incredible than she had ever imagined.  She thought deeply for a minute, and then got down on her knees.  "Lord restore my soul to its former beauty.  Help me to guard myself against any damaging habits. Help me to be open to new possibilities."  Chelsea spent the next week very consciously choosing to make changes in her life.  She was no longer willing to risk injuring the beauty of her soul with unthoughtful habits.

-Susan

So Thankful to Be Blessed

    I am blessed.  Some days that is difficult for me to say, and some days it comes more easily.  Like most people, I have my ups and downs, and plenty of difficult moments. I am not blessed with an easy carefree life, instead I feel like most of my blessings come as gentle little raindrops refreshing me and calling me to draw closer to God. As I prepare for Thanksgiving I would like to thank God for all these little moments. 

       

So Thankful

Thank you God for putting so many smiles in my life  

which made me feel happy and loved.

Thank you for those moments you helped me to see things clearer

and for giving me people who help me see things differently.

Thank you God for bringing loved ones to my aid 

when I thought no one else was listening.

Thank you for all the outstretched hands

that generously helped me and made me stronger.

Thank you for all those moments you allowed me to feel

 Your peace amidst my inner storms.

Thank you for those moments when life excited me                   

and laughter flowed with family and friends.

Thank you for the changes that I expected,

and all the changes I resisted.

Thank you for Your gentle touch of healing,

and for quieting the screams inside my heart.

Thank you for dwelling within me-

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I am so thankful.

I am blessed.

-Susan

The Present Moment

  This week I had the opportunity to venerate a relic of Blessed Solanus Casey at my church.  It's hard to believe that two years have already passed since I attended his beatification ceremony.  It's so easy to love Father Solanus. Some of his superiors may have thought him to be too simple at first, but in fact, he simply loved Jesus-- and it was his love that made him extraordinary.  Day after day he happily opened the door to Christ's heart to everyone he met.
  As I waited my turn in line, I prayerfully allowed my heart's intentions to ask Father Solanus for his prayers.  Was I hoping for a miracle? Yep.  I'm sure everyone else in line was as well.  I know that God is a God of miracles.  I know that God loves and cares for each one of us. So why not me?
  Not only does God have extraordinary love for each of us, He wants what is best for our soul. It is hard to understand how our crosses lead us closer to God.  Crosses are painful. It is difficult to appreciate spiritual growth when we are exhausted physically and emotionally, or when we have to watch loved ones suffer.   I stood in line I hoping for healing, but more importantly, I stood trusting that God's plan for me is better than anything I could hope for. Regardless if my prayers are answered the way I hoped they would be, I really enjoyed spending time with Father Solanus. As I knelt down in front of his relic, I sensed a door opening for me. Father Solanus opened the door to Christ's heart and I was happy to enjoy being totally present in that moment.

-Susan

A Touch Of Goodness

  Sometimes when I listen to the news, I have to change the channel.  The violence and unhappiness in our world is so discouraging. At times it makes me wonder, "Is there any good out there."  Of course there is. God is good and His goodness dwells in each of us.   
  Today I’m going to ask you to find some quiet time and join me in prayer.   Close your eyes and pray, "The living God, lives in me. His goodness is overflowing." Pray it several times and allow yourself to get excited about God. What does God feel like to you?  What does He sound like?
 If God is good and He dwells within you, you have an opportunity to share His goodness with others. Let God's goodness overflow in you and touch others.  Let’s make today a viol-less day.  God is more than good enough for me, is He good enough for you?

-Susan

A Letter to My Daughter on Her Confirmation Day

But What If.....

  How many of us have bought a product that promised to stop the effects of aging?  Of course, none of us can escape aging, we will all eventually wrinkle, go gray, move slower, and struggle with vision and memory.  We know that.  But what if ....there was a secret to slow down the process.  There are definitely some people who seem to age better than others.  If we didn't at least try, we might miss the opportunity that could really improve our lifestyles.  What if that product worked for us?
  I imagine millions of dollars are spent every year chasing that dream.  But what if. . . there was a better dream to chase.  What if you embraced the Truth? What if you could find a way to stop the effects of sin in your life?  What if you could discover the path that led to eternity?  Would that be worth pursuing?  It is easy to believe the promises of advertisers, but what about the promises and suggestions of the saints?  Why is it easier to believe we can beat the effects of aging, rather than believe we have the power within us to become saints?
  Today is All Saints Day.  Let's not just admire those who lived faithful lives even through difficult circumstances.  Let's ask them for their advice. Let's not be content with having mediocre faith lives, let's aim for something extraordinary.  What if we seriously took their advice and it worked!  What if the Lord has been waiting for us to jump at this opportunity? Shouldn't we at least try? 

-Susan