"If we take seriously the word of the risen Christ, 'Know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time,' we should expect that he will be actively present in our lives."
Brennan Manning, "Reflections for Ragamuffins"
Experiencing Jesus' presence in our lives can be very different for each one of us. And it can be different for us at different times on our journey. There are times when Jesus' presence was so obvious to me, and other times when I wondered what was keeping him... But, in hindsight, Jesus was always there, whether the presence was felt or not. And that is the promise, as Brennan Manning reminds us here, in Jesus' own words (Matthew 28:20). Jesus never leaves us. The "us" that are the apostles who walked with him on the earth, the "us" that share in the celebrating of Jesus here in the year 2012; all of us share in the presence of Jesus in our daily lives! Let's celebrate that this spring weekend! Love, heidi
Friday, April 20, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Our work is a gift...
"If you realize that your whole life is a gift from God, you work in a different mode: calmly and harmoniously."
Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen, "This is the Day the Lord Has Made"
Some days, my work is not always calm and harmonious! Even when one has the "best job in the world," which I have, there are days that don't go exactly right and I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall. But, it is true, as Fr. Stinissen relates here, when we see everything in our lives as gift, our work is definitely on the list. In pondering this, let's think of how we got started doing what we do...what led us to our work? Can we see God's tracks there? Can we see mentors and teachers along our path that inspired us to do what we do? I smiled to myself the other day, imagining some of my early teachers in blind rehabilitation and how, over thirty years later, they would be awed by the changes in the field! Thinking of my work as a gift from God can truly put those challenging days into perspective for me. What is God trying to teach me with these challenges? Is God simply raising the bar for me to be better at what I do? Today, let's think of our work as a special gift and see how that changes how we do it! Love, heidi
Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen, "This is the Day the Lord Has Made"
Some days, my work is not always calm and harmonious! Even when one has the "best job in the world," which I have, there are days that don't go exactly right and I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall. But, it is true, as Fr. Stinissen relates here, when we see everything in our lives as gift, our work is definitely on the list. In pondering this, let's think of how we got started doing what we do...what led us to our work? Can we see God's tracks there? Can we see mentors and teachers along our path that inspired us to do what we do? I smiled to myself the other day, imagining some of my early teachers in blind rehabilitation and how, over thirty years later, they would be awed by the changes in the field! Thinking of my work as a gift from God can truly put those challenging days into perspective for me. What is God trying to teach me with these challenges? Is God simply raising the bar for me to be better at what I do? Today, let's think of our work as a special gift and see how that changes how we do it! Love, heidi
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Long life!
"Here's to your coffin; may it be made with hundred-year old oak trees which I will plant tomorrow!"
Fr. Ed Hays, "A Pilgrim's Almanac"
Fr. Ed's toast could have said something simple, like, "Here's to your long life!" The Irish have such a way with words...I love this toast! But, like Fr. Ed points out, it doesn't matter if we just exist a long time. It's no big deal to live to one hundred years old anymore. It is far more important that we live our lives with passion and gusto! We aren't just counting the days off of a live-long calendar. We are squeezing every bit of life out of every single day; using it up and wearing it out. Let's think about how we are living our spring-time Wednesday, today. Let's not just mark time until summer, when we think we will REALLY live. Let's REALLY live our wet, windy April day with gusto! And, here's to your long, passion-filled life! Love, heidi
Fr. Ed Hays, "A Pilgrim's Almanac"
Fr. Ed's toast could have said something simple, like, "Here's to your long life!" The Irish have such a way with words...I love this toast! But, like Fr. Ed points out, it doesn't matter if we just exist a long time. It's no big deal to live to one hundred years old anymore. It is far more important that we live our lives with passion and gusto! We aren't just counting the days off of a live-long calendar. We are squeezing every bit of life out of every single day; using it up and wearing it out. Let's think about how we are living our spring-time Wednesday, today. Let's not just mark time until summer, when we think we will REALLY live. Let's REALLY live our wet, windy April day with gusto! And, here's to your long, passion-filled life! Love, heidi
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Moments of transformation
Moments of creativity...
Possible moments of transformation, Spring Wisdom Gathering, March 24, 2012
If you remember a few weeks ago, I shared other moments of possible transformation from our Wisdom Gathering--the moments of suffering. Today, I want to share another example from that rich and wonderful teaching...moments of creativity. How are we transformed by the times of creativity and using our gifts and talents? It's wonderful to think back and find these times in our lives. While doing this I thought of music ministry. There have been times in music ministry when all things have come together and the harmony was just so and I could feel the Holy Spirit well up inside me from my toes to the top of my head. I was transformed by those times because I realized the synergy involved...we were, as a group or duo, so much more than any of us were individually. It was the combination of us that made the sound. One can't harmonize alone! That was transforming for me. Let's spend a few minutes today thinking back on times we may have been transformed through the gift of creativity...we will likely be awed by how often using our gifts transforms us. Love, heidi
Possible moments of transformation, Spring Wisdom Gathering, March 24, 2012
If you remember a few weeks ago, I shared other moments of possible transformation from our Wisdom Gathering--the moments of suffering. Today, I want to share another example from that rich and wonderful teaching...moments of creativity. How are we transformed by the times of creativity and using our gifts and talents? It's wonderful to think back and find these times in our lives. While doing this I thought of music ministry. There have been times in music ministry when all things have come together and the harmony was just so and I could feel the Holy Spirit well up inside me from my toes to the top of my head. I was transformed by those times because I realized the synergy involved...we were, as a group or duo, so much more than any of us were individually. It was the combination of us that made the sound. One can't harmonize alone! That was transforming for me. Let's spend a few minutes today thinking back on times we may have been transformed through the gift of creativity...we will likely be awed by how often using our gifts transforms us. Love, heidi
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