The gift of Sam...

"I came at they may have life and have it more abundantly."

John 10:10
 

I'm using one of Sam's favorite verses today because, this very special weekend, Daughter Sam is graduating from Boise State University. It is, of course, a time for reflection on the warp speed of life and one vivid memory stands out in my mind. Sam was just in Kindergarten, the two older kids were in school. Sam usually came home for lunch after her morning in Kindergarten class. One day, as I was making her lunch, I noticed her outside, with her little backpack on, standing still. Periodically, she would take a step forward, then stand still for another second or two. It was an odd little ritual, so I hollered out, "Sam, what are you doing?" "Oh," she replied, "I'm in the lunch line at school, waiting for my lunch!" Sam wanted to be a Big Kid...and now, college degree in hand, she is a Big Kid. God gave us a very special gift in our Sam and we rejoice every single day in this delightful young woman! A most abundant life awaits, Sam! Love, heidi

 

One, Two, Many

"The Piraha, a small tribe of Brazilian hunter-gatherers, retain a tribal-cultural and simple language that remains basically unchanged since primitive times. Their uncomplicated arithmetic, also found among pre-industrialized native peoples elsewhere in the world, amounts to counting, 'one, two, many.' This easy computation that uses 'many' to mean anything more than two would be judged a simplistic exaggeration by industrial cultures that require the use of precise computation. Yet the measurement of 'many,' even if inaccurate, is a poetic and encompassing way to count the years you've been married, lived in the same house, been friends, or worked for the same company. The lavishly generous word 'many' is also a marvelous measurement of the abundance of good things in life you've been given."

Fr. Ed Hays, "A Book of Wonders"

 

I can't add anything to that, except maybe to say that I wish you MANY blessings on your May Thursday! Love, heidi

Come away with Me...

"Come away with me to a quiet place,
apart from the world with its frantic pace,
to pray, reflect, and seek God's grace.
Come away with me. Come away."

Mary Nelson Keithahn, "Come Away With Me"

 

It was just like that scene in "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," when the guys are squished together in the plane and Del Griffith takes off his socks. He tosses his head back, left and right and just says, "Ohhhh...that feels good!" I was sitting by the pond, early in the morning, at the retreat center last weekend. I had a comfortable lawn chair and a fresh cup of coffee. I sat down, just as the birds were tuning up their songs. "Ohhhh...That feels good!" God calls us to come to the quiet ("quiet" is relative--the birds were making quite a racket!) But, God calls us to come away from our lives and just sit a spell, maybe learn some new stuff. Our lives get so busy, so frenzied that we can lose sight of who we are inside. If we can spend some time away from the computer, iPhone, iPad, iEverything and all the other devices that hold us captive, we can peer inside and find someone special...ourselves and our Greatest companion, God. Whether you can carve out an afternoon on your own in silence, or a day or two of retreat, please give yourself the gift. Your busy life will be fine while you're gone. Love, heidi

Love one another

"The good is here, in our daily lives, in our willingness to follow the call of our hearts and give ourselves away to others."

Fr. James Stephen Behrens, "Living Faith"

In today's Gospel John 15:13, Jesus says, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down ones life for ones friends." For many of us, that seems way beyond what we are called to do in our work-a-day lives. But Fr. Behrens brings it right down to where we are. It is how we give of ourselves to those in our everyday lives that counts. The people in our families, the coworkers, the clerk at the store we frequent, the barrista at our coffee stop. Each one of these people, who come in contact with us each day, are deserving of the love of Jesus we have to share. We think easily of laying down our lives for a family member, that may not be hard to wrap our heads around. But each of the people we will encounter today deserves to see Jesus in our eyes, in the way we treat them and in the manner of our being. This brings Jesus' commandment right into our own lives this day. "This I command you: love one another." (v. 17) Let's think of this with every person we meet today! Love, heidi

A mother and child reunion

"Am I not your Mother?"

Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, December 12, 1531

 

I received the same question this past weekend during a silent retreat on Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was an amazing time of reunion. Not exactly a reunion of people I'd known before, although it was great to see the DiLorenzos who direct the Nazareth Retreat Center. But it was more a mother and child reunion, like the Simon and Garfunkel song. Several years ago, I had a closer relationship with my Blessed Mother and the last few years we had drifted apart. Well, she stayed the same, I was the one who drifted. What I found on this retreat, in the silence and peace of Nazareth, is that I have a dear mother, friend and awesome cheerleader waiting to pray with me through my days. The love and support offered by our Mother Mary cannot be duplicated or under-stated. It is a mother's love, in spades, multiplied by a million. And who couldn't use some of that? So, thank you, Dear Mother Mary, for calling me back and reminding me..."Am I not your mother?" Thanks be to God--Yes! Love, heidi