Give thanks!

"I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart;

I will declare your wondrous deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praises to your name, Most High."

Psalm 9

This is me today, Friends, as we look forward to an autumn weekend!  I am thankful for a Friday, but also that God helped me all week to do what I do.  The week's end brings me humbly to a place of gratitude that I have the job I have and work with the people I meet each day. I offer up in prayer all those who may not have work they enjoy, giving purpose to their lives, and putting food on their tables.  I pray for all who suffer in this life, for whom this weekend may be a lonely, sad undertaking.  May God comfort all who struggle!  And may God lead me to anyone who could use my help.  Blessings on your Friday, your weekend, and all next week.  I will be away from a computer most the week, but will be praying for each and everyone of you!  Love, heidi

God's will vs my will?

..."how much more will the Father in heaven give to those ask of him?"

 

I used to think that God's will and my will were vastly different wills.  Like I would want to do one thing and God would want me to do something completely different. I was, sort of, praying against God to get what I wanted. (Seriously?  I was young.) Thanks be to God, I've outgrown that little dilemma!  Now, I realize that God puts God's will deep into our hearts as our own desire.  Looking back, I can see that God put the desire deep in my heart to work with blind folks and viola! I followed that desire into a thirty-plus year career in just that! See how that works? God and I don't want completely different things!  So, today, as we read Jesus beckoning us to ask, seek and knock on God's door, what is it we deeply desire?  Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit will give us the wisdom to discern and do.  Can we spend some quiet time searching deep within? What desire is there?  Love, heidi

Reason to be angry?

"Have you reason to be angry?"

Jonah 4:4

 

Yes! Did you see the way that car cut me off?

Yes! Did you hear what she said about me?

Yes! My boss won't give me a raise!

Yes! Our country is being taken over by immigrants and welfare recipients!

Yes! I don't have enough money/stuff/retirement savings!

Yes! Things are bad and getting worse!

Do you ever feel like people are simmering just under a full boil?  And what does God say to us? I have this picture of God saying, "How do you think I feel?"  What God asks of us is mercy.  God wants us to feel mercy for the guy who cuts us off, the gossipy neighbor, the boss who doesn't appreciate us.  God wants us to love and show mercy and kindness to the immigrant and the poor.  God knows we don't need anymore stuff and we should share what we have with those who have less.  God wants us to relax...in love...with God...and our fellow human beings.  Love, heidi

Martha time/Mary time

"There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

Luke 10:42

 

I have told you about my "Martha/Mary" weekends, haven't I?  I spend Saturdays as Martha, running around, distracted and worried about many things.  But then I spend Sunday, silent, sitting at Jesus' feet.  It's a great system and I recommend it to you heartily!  But sometimes I need a bit of Mary in my Martha. Like last weekend.  I was tired from Martha-ing and just restless. So many things needed doing in my house--laundry, vacuuming, the dogs were crazy.  I didn't know where to begin.  I sensed a beckoning to The Quiet.  I gathered up some spiritual reading and my journal and headed to the day chapel at church.  There was nothing for me to do there except sit at Jesus' feet and listen.  It was an amazing time! There are times when Jesus just wants my undivided attention, and in order for that to happen I need to free myself from all distractions.  There are other times when Jesus wants me out there, trying to be a Good Samaritan.  There is grace in trying to balance them out.  Sometimes I need a bit of Mary time during my Martha time.  Love, heidi

Neighbors

"...he said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'" Luke 10:29

"Which one of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robber's victim?" Luke 10:36

 

There are two key questions in today's Gospel and they are kind of the same..."Who is my/the neighbor?"  Indeed, we are faced with the same exact questions today, this October Monday.  Who is our neighbor this day? Is it a client, student, coworker, stranger, landlord? Is it a person with whom we struggle? Is it a person we enjoy? I kind of think the answer is the most difficult person we encounter today is our neighbor.  I also think the answer could be any person who needs us, even in the slightest way, today is our neighbor. So, we can ask the question of the scholar this morning, "Who is my neighbor?"  And, at the end of the day, as we are beginning to take our rest, we can ask the question of Jesus, "Who was the neighbor?"  Hopefully, our answer, as we snuggle into our beds, will be "WE were." Jesus, help us live our Monday as true neighbors to each other. Love, heidi