Judge like Jesus

"Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide."

Isaiah 11:3

 

Last night, I had a special prayer time via an Advent retreat from the site "Pray-As-You-Go." (Link below).  It was a wonderful way to spend quiet time with Jesus, as a lightly guided time of prayer and reflection.  It starts by having us ask Jesus for what we would like and I asked to draw closer to Jesus, as is my quest this Advent.  What Jesus conveyed to me is worth sharing...

Jesus asked me to try to be more understanding of others.  I am so quick to snap to judgments, but Jesus said to try and understand that others have a history that leads to where they are now.  "Try to understand that others may not have felt the love you felt in their lives.  They are wounded and their actions may speak of how they were treated.  Try to understand and seek the good in them.  Try to see them the way I see them."  Wow, right?  Such a powerful message for our Advent journey.  Today, let us not judge others as we see them, but try to understand and see them the way Jesus sees them.  Love, heidi

http://pray-as-you-go.org/prayer-resources/advent-retreat/

 

Come, (closer) Lord Jesus!

"Come, Lord Jesus!"

Advent prayer

 

What does this mean to me this year? Especially since I have such a powerful sense that Jesus is already here? Jesus never leaves my side, so what, exactly, am I praying for during Advent? I answered my own question, while praying about this yesterday. I came to the realization that, no matter how close Jesus seems, I always want more.  Jesus is like potato chips. I can never get enough; I am always longing for more. I have a harder time relating to the centurion in today's gospel who tells Jesus, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof..." (Matthew 8:8) My plea is more like, "Jesus, come! Make yourself at home, and please, don't ever leave!" So, I guess my theme for Advent this year is more like, "Come closer, Lord Jesus!"  Or even "Stay, Lord Jesus!"  As my Dad used to say about my behavior in mass, "There is always room for improvement!"  There is always room for a closer walk with Jesus...that is my quest this Advent...prayers for you and your quests, too!  Love, heidi

Give thanks!

"O sing to the Lord, giving thanks;

sing psalms to our God with the harp..."

Psalm 147:7

 

And now we give thanks!  Let's pull out our harps and sing psalms to our Glorious God!  We all have so much for which to be grateful, it's hard to know where to begin.  Let us start with our health, our families, our loved ones, those with whom we work and play, those we encounter each day in our comings and goings, those with whom we share our towns, cities, country lane.  Our family gets even bigger once we realize that all of us human beings are the family of God.  Our figurative Thanksgiving table grows to include all with whom we share this planet.  Today, let's all consider our human family...billions of us (phew! That's a lot of pie!)  My prayer for this Thanksgiving is our grateful hearts lifted up to God, safe travel for all who are leaving home, and our open hands, sharing with those who have less.  Blessings on your holiday and next time I write it will be Advent!  Love, heidi

The essence of faith...

"The essence of biblical faith lies in trusting God."

Brennan Manning, "Reflections for Ragamuffins"

All the study, talk, conviction, all of it, can be reduced to this one sentence.  Trusting God.  It is easier in some cases than it is in others.  There's a situation right now, that, while I'm sort of up-in-the-air in it, I am totally at peace, knowing it will work out.  But there are many other situations that I stress and worry about and can't seem to let go, peacefully trusting God.  Why would I trust God in some things, but not others?  Well, that is the mystery of me, but I think we all have some situations that test our faith. It is easier for me to release situations that are more spiritual in nature to God than the more secular areas of my life, but that doesn't make sense either.  Isn't God involved in EVERY area of my life, not just the spiritual?  I can look back through my whole journey and see God in every bit of it, not just in spiritual endeavors!  So, as we begin the bustle of Thanksgiving preparations, let's practice the essence of faith--trusting God.  God is certainly worthy of our trust, because no one loves us more!  Love, heidi

Our King serves...

"Above him there was an inscription that read, 'This is the King of the Jews.'"

Luke 23:38

 

Yesterday was the Feast of Christ the King, so I spent some time praying and pondering what that means for us now, when kings seem so out of style.  I realized that Jesus does not sit on a throne, as a king would, but instead hangs on a cross.  What does this mean? I think it means that our human death is not the end.  We will live on in another realm--another kingdom--Jesus' Kingdom.  Also, I realized that Jesus' last words from his cross/throne were directed to and for others.  Jesus forgave and encouraged the Good Thief (Luke 23:43).  Jesus took care of his mother (John 19:26) and Jesus forgave those who persecuted him (Luke 23:34).  This tells us that our King is a king who serves and cares for others, even in his own agony! It tells us that we must be about others, too.  Our King is leading us by example, all the way to his cross.  Even in our darkest hours, it is not just about us.  Let us think today how we can best follow the example of our King! Love, heidi

Remembering President Kennedy

"Every American ought to have the right to be treated; as he would like to be treated, as one would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated."
John F. Kennedy

President Kennedy was not a saint, but he certainly is remembered on this day.  It seems like a lifetime ago that he was assassinated in Dallas.  Those of us old enough to remember can tell you just how we learned of the horror. The images are still burned into my mind.  (Lest anyone think I am much older than I really am, I was a very young, but impressionable, child!) What can we learn, these fifty years later, from the killing of President Kennedy?  Well, one thing is just what he says in this quotation:  Every human being has the right to be treated as one would wish his children to be treated.  If we can remember that today, we can be kinder, more forgiving, and a gentler society.  As I poured through many quotes, finding the one I wanted to use today, I came across one that made me laugh out loud.  Someone asked the newly inaugurated president how he liked his job and President Kennedy quipped, "Well, the pay is good and I can walk to work."  Let us honor his memory today by treating everyone we meet with kindness and peace, like we would want our children to be treated.  Blessings on your weekend! Love, heidi