Anxiety

Do not let anxiety sabotage

your search for God.

You know well that when

you search for something too anxiously

you can come upon it a hundred times

without ever seeing it.

Anxiety masquerades as true spiritual energy,

even as it wearies out mind,

drains our enthusiasm,

and deadens our soul.

It pretends to stir up our soul,

but all it does is dampen our spirit.

It pushes us until we stumble over our own feet.

We need to be on the watch for this impostor

that would have us believing

that our spiritual life

depends completely on our efforts,

so that the more panicked we are,

the more anxiously we search,

the more likely we are to find God.

Let God do his part.

Be patient.

Not even our best efforts

can earn the blessings of God.

Our role is to be ready

to receive God’s gifts

with an open heart -

carefully, humbly, and serenely.

Set Your Heart Free -

The Practical Spirituality

of Francis de Sales

by John Kirvan

Prayer for the Sick

All praise and glory are yours, Lord our God.
For you have called us to serve you and one another in love.

Bless our sick today so that they may bear their illness in union with Jesus' sufferings and restore them quickly to health.

Bless those who have grown old in your service and give them courage and strength in their faith.
Lead us all to eternal glory.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Mother of Perpetual Help pray for us!

Precious Trials

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Aristotle said, “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.” Laws are important. They help us maintain a sense of order in a chaotic world. However, laws also can mire us in a swamp of rules and regulations that stifle us. As Thomas Jefferson reflected, “Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.”

And so, in our first reading today from Deuteronomy 4, we hear Moses exhorting the Children of Israel to observe carefully all the statutes and decrees given to them by God through Moses. They were not to “add to what I command you nor subtract from it.” Fast forward a millennium or so and we hear Jesus taking on the scribes and Pharisees about their “human precepts” which they taught as doctrine. Over the centuries the scribes and Pharisees did exactly what Moses told them not to do. They added, and added and added thus distorting the Laws of Moses. Jesus called them hypocrites because they “disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition” (Mark 7:8).

Jesus presented his followers with a new covenant. This covenant does not emphasize the minute details of everyday life. Rather the new covenant liberates us and allows us to focus on what really matters and that is what we hold in our hearts. If our hearts are sinful then what comes out of them are “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly” (Mark 7:21-22).

In today's second reading St. James describes the new covenant that Jesus gave us, "All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights …." (James 1:17). Rather than practicing a religion focused on laws, statues and decrees, St. James tells us that “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). We are to “humbly welcome the word that has been planted in [us] and is able to save [our] souls” (James 1:21). He calls upon us to “be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.”

Father, God of the ever-new covenant,

you have tied us to yourself

with leading strings of lasting love;

the words you speak to us

are spirit and life.

Open our hearts to your words,

that they may touch us

in the deepest parts of ourselves.

May they move us to serve you

not in a slavish way

but as your sons and daughters

who love you and whom you have set free

through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

All human beings hold to the tools of their own destruction. 

– Barbara Gordon author of "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can" [1979]

People who live in the forests and mountains of India have an age-old method of catching monkeys. They do not run after the monkeys, and they do not use ropes. Rather they rely on their understanding of a monkey's behavior. They carve pots with necks as long as a monkey's arm and a base large enough for a banana. The monkeys, eager to collect their food, put their arms down the neck of the jar until they have the banana in their tight grasp. Unable to pull it through the narrow neck, they sit holding their treasure, unwilling to release their grip for fear of losing it. Because they cannot give up the banana in their grasp, they remain immobilized, and the villagers simply pick them up.

We are all afraid of letting go of what is in our grasp, that is why we become prey to the domination of others, whether that be advertising, other people's will pressed upon us, or mindlessly following the crowd. We take a leap of faith when we "let go," but in that leap of faith we might find our freedom in a variety of small or big ways. I will release what my mind is clinging to and refusing to let go of.

What I hold onto holds onto me.

Choices

God gives us choices – it's God’s will that we should have free choices.  Maybe God doesn’t have the same control issues we do.  God’s will for us is to make wise and healthy and loving choices.  Abundant Grace accompanies the gift of free will.  We call that “the power to carry it out”.  God still leaves it up to us to accept the Grace and to accept God’s will.  The consequence of not accepting the Grace is known as an "unmanageable life."

The Little Box

My life was like a little box

The insides were all I could see
The walls were covered with mirrors
So all that I could ever see was me

Then I met you and you taught me something new
Then the mirrors turned into windows
Because of you I now could see
A world I never knew.

Unknown

A Hermit's Prayer

I Pray…
That I may depend on You and myself;
That You, Jesus and Your Spirit will fill my emptiness;
That I will ask You for help;
That You will give me a sense of well being;
That You will fill my loneliness;
That I will yearn only for You;
That Your Blessed Sacrament will give me dignity;
That I will solve my own problems with Your guidance;
That I will face myself;
That I will face the responsibilities of life;
That I will face my commitments;
That I will face life's tensions one day at a time;
That I will face myself;
That I will find my security in Your mercy;
That I will know that I am not alone, that You are with me as You said;
That I will turn myself over to Your care and protection;
That I will be available to myself;
That I will recognize my delusions and other's illusions;
That I will intimate with myself;
That I will ask for faith;
That I will know You are with me;
That will know that You will make up for my inadequacies;
That I will understand that I am worth your Son's life;
That I will know I am in Your arms and You will never let me go.

Sr. Emmanuel Bryant

Fragrance Prayer

Dear Jesus,

help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go.

Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love.

Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly

that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine.

Shine through me and be so in me that every soul

I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul.

Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus.

Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine,

so to shine as to be a light to others.

Amen.

Attributed to Cardinal John Henry Newman
Prayed daily by Saint Teresa of Calcutta

The Face of God

In 1987, a newspaper photographer was sent to Ecuador to cover a devastating earthquake that devastated much of the country. In the midst of such catastrophic suffering, he witnessed a simple scene of compassion that moved him deeply. The photographer wrote:

The line was long but moving briskly, and in that line, at the very end, stood a young girl about 12 years of age. She waited patiently as those at the front of that long line received a little rice, some canned goods, or a little fruit. Slowly but surely she was getting closer to the front of the line, closer to the food. From time to time, she would glance across the street. She did not notice the growing concern on the face of those distributing the food. The food was running out. Their anxiety was beginning to show, but she did not seem to notice. Her attention seemed always to focus on three figures under the trees across the street.

At long last she stepped forward to get her food. But the only thing left was the lonely banana. Quietly she took the precious gift and ran across the street where three small children waited --- perhaps her sisters and a brother. Very deliberately she peeled the banana and very carefully divided the banana into three equal parts. Placing the precious food into the eager hands of the three younger ones --- one for you, one for you, one for you. She then sat down and licked the inside of that banana peel.

In that moment, I swear I saw the face of God.

 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Since mid-July, we have reflected on the sixth chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus’ discourse on the Bread of Life and the Eucharist. We began our reflection with the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. We heard Jesus tell us that he has something better to offer us, the bread of life, “bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die” (John 6: 50). Today we end the chapter with a reflection on personal faith and commitment.

In the Gospel Jesus challenges his followers whose faith is wavering. Many found his words “hard” and unacceptable. In fact, Jesus’ actual words contradicted everything that they had been taught in the Torah. Joshua also challenged the children of Israel in the first reading. Having led them into the “Promised Land,” Joshua warns them that unless they serve the Lord “completely and sincerely” they will lose all that God the Father has given them. When they recall all that God has fulfilled for them, the entire nation proclaims “we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”

Jesus did not get the same response from his followers. When he told them that “no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father,” many left. Turning to the twelve disciples Jesus asked “Do you also want to leave?” Peter answered “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

The faith of Peter is extraordinary. Even though he didn’t understand much about what Jesus said, he still believed. The disciples did go against the prevailing wisdom of the day by following Jesus; suffering and the death will never be popular. However, there is no way to measure the enduring power of love and sacrifice. In his study of The Gospel of John, William Barclay reminds us “Christianity is not a philosophy which we accept, nor a theory to which we give alliance. It is a personal response to Jesus Christ.” Faith in Jesus is a commitment for eternity.

Faithful God of the covenant,

in the daily choices we have to make

give us the courage always to choose

to follow your Son and his ways

and to remain close to him.

Bless the difficult road we sometimes have to take

without seeing where it will lead us.

Keep us from making half-hearted decisions

where we have not enough faith, and

to accept all the consequences of our choices.

Keep us always faithful

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Four Wives

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate, and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, "I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"No way!", replied the wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." Her answer came like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you and follow you no matter where you go."

The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was so skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"

In truth, we all have 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul, often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasures of the world.  However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. So cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us who will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.

When the world pushes you to your knees...

You're in the perfect position to pray.

A Better Prayer

One man, too inebriated to drive, was walking home along railroad tracks when his foot suddenly became stuck. He pulled and tugged, but could not free it from the tracks.

Then he heard a noise and turned around to see an oncoming train. In a panic, he prayed. "Dear God, please get my foot out of these tracks and I'll stop drinking."

Nothing happened.

With the speeding train closer, he tried again. "Oh, Lord, get my foot out of these tracks and I'll stop drinking AND I'll quit cheating on my wife!"

Still nothing, and now the train was just seconds away.

He tried one last time. "Lord, if you get my foot out of the tracks, I'll quit drinking, cheating, AND I'll become a minister!"

Suddenly his foot shot out of the tracks and he dove out of the way of the passing train. Dusting himself off, he looked toward Heaven and said, "Never mind, Lord, I got it out myself."

Does that kind of prayer sound familiar? How often are prayers, even when one is not in a state of emergency, concerned only about physical needs -- health and safety?

Mahatma Gandhi claimed to have never made even a minor decision without prayer. Gandhi was known best as an Indian nationalist and spiritual leader, but he was also a man of rare courage. He developed the practice of nonviolent disobedience that eventually forced Great Britain to grant India's independence.

He spoke often about spirituality and prayer. He told about traveling to South Africa to oppose a law there directed expressly against Indians. His ship was met by a hostile mob and he was advised to stay on board. They had come, he was told, with the express intention of lynching him. Gandhi said of the incident: "I went ashore nevertheless. I was stoned and kicked and beaten a good deal; but I had not prayed for safety, but for the courage to face the mob, and that courage came and did not fail me."

Gandhi preferred courage over safety. If accomplishing his goals put him in the way of danger, then he wanted to face that danger bravely. His prayer was to receive enough courage to do what needed to be done, not to live his life free from harm.

Rabbi Harold Kushner speaks about such prayer. He reminds us that "people who pray for courage, for strength to bear the unbearable, for the grace to remember what they have left instead of what they have lost, very often find their prayers answered. Their prayers helped them tap hidden reserves of faith and courage that were not available to them before."

Like you, I know what it is to be afraid. I'm afraid of accidental injury, dismemberment or death. I've been afraid of a pending medical diagnosis. There must be a million different faces to the fears of life.

I'm tempted at these times to hope for, and pray for, a way to avoid the danger ahead. I want to be safe, secure and healthy. But none of us is always safe, secure or healthy. So, I, too, have come to see that the better prayer is for courage to face whatever life may bring. And in some place deep inside me, I am not only convinced that the courage will come and not fail me, but that it will be enough. Always enough.

Trust Him

A Christian Prayer in Union with Creation

Father, we praise you with all your creatures.  

They came forth from your all-powerful hand;

they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love.

Praise be to you!

Son of God, Jesus,

through you all things were made.

You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother,

you became part of this earth,

and you gazed upon this world with human eyes.

Today you are alive in every creature

in your risen glory.

Praise be to you!

Holy Spirit, by your light

you guide this world towards the Father’s love

and accompany creation as it groans in travail.

You also dwell in our hearts

and you inspire us to do what is good.

Praise be to you!

Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love,

teach us to contemplate you

in the beauty of the universe,

for all things speak of you.

Awaken our praise and thankfulness

for every being that you have made.

Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined

to everything that is.

God of love, show us our place in this world

as channels of your love

for all the creatures of this earth,

for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.

Enlighten those who possess power and money

that they may avoid the sin of indifference,

that they may love the common good, advance the weak,

and care for this world in which we live.

The poor and the earth are crying out.

O Lord, seize us with your power and light,

help us to protect all life,

to prepare for a better future,

for the coming of your Kingdom

of justice, peace, love and beauty.

Praise be to you!

Amen​

by Pope Francis

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the great Marian Feasts of the liturgical year. This celebration commemorates the end of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary's life here on earth when God took her " body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she shares in the glory of her Son's Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body"(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 974). The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an ancient feast celebrated since the 4th Century AD. Venerable Pope Pius XII formally recognized the Assumption as a dogma of faith in his encyclical, Munificentissimus Deus November 1, 1950.

Although the Solemnity of the Assumption celebrates a special blessing bestowed on the Virgin Mary, it is a sign of hope for all of us. The Solemnity of the Assumption provides us with a glimpse of what lies ahead when we too " shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ ..." (1 Corinthians 15:22-23). While she lived on earth, the Blessed Virgin Mary lived a life of humble obedience and fidelity to the will of God. She is our very human role model of "faith and charity" (CCC, 967). In heaven, she is our advocate. She intercedes for us, extending her prayers on our behalf. And she is ready to guide us into the kingdom.

The Feast of the Assumption glorifies humanity. It reminds us that we are all called to share Christ's victory over death (1 Cor. 15:57). And it reminds us that we too are blessed because we have the opportunity to "hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28).

Lord our God,

you took Mary up into heaven

with her body as well as with her soul,

to share in the definitive triumph over death

of Jesus, your Son,

because on earth she humbly served your plans

as the first of those who believe.

Grant us her attitude

of trusting openness to your will,

that you may overcome evil and death in us

and lead us safely with Mary

into your everlasting joy.

We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Let Go and Let God

 

Laughter

“The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed.” – Chamfort

When we are adrift and fixated with this world, we take ourselves very seriously and often lose contact with reality. We become lost in fantasy and obsession. Life becomes joyless because we can't see beyond our possessions, and we find no real satisfaction there. We lose touch with the joy and humor of life, and we find that everything around us and inside us is grim and dark.

One of the many positive signs of our return to health and sanity is our recovery of the gift of laughter. Each day as we gain more energy and zest of life, we move in to the world and find many things that are humorous, in ourselves and in other people. We laugh and find we are no longer alone.

Laughter is the mark of a healthy, happy human being. Laughter shows that we are truly a part of the human community. It is a sign that we are alive and on the way to a healthy spiritual life.

Let us be glad when we can laugh and feel in touch with ourselves and others.

 

Success

 

God Within

The seed of God is in us. Pear seeds grow into pear trees, nut seeds into nut trees, and God seeds into God. Meister Eckhart

Often we may feel critical and judgmental about our maturity or personality. When we read we have God seeds within us, we may find that difficult to believe. How can we have the God seeds within us that other people have? It may seem everyone else has more good within them than we have.

Just as we admire certain qualities about other people, so can we admire qualities about ourselves. We need to remember a good critic looks at both the good and the bad. A good critic doesn't pass judgment, but merely assembles the facts to allow others to make judgments.

The seeds that grow pear trees don't yield perfect trees. Some of the fruit is ripe and juicy, some is hard and dry, some fruit never matures. Yet the pear tree will be a good tree if it's tended with care. So it is with us. Every part of us may not be perfect, but with care we can make the best person possible from the God seed that began us.

We can be a healthy, bountiful people if we give ourselves plenty of care. God will never give up on us.

Tolerance vs. Love

Apologist, author, and speaker Josh McDowell writes:

Tolerance says, "You must approve of what I do."

Love responds, "I must do something harder: I will love you, even when your behavior offends me."

Tolerance says, "You must agree with me."

Love responds, "I must do something harder: I will tell you the truth, because I am convinced 'the truth will set you free.'"

Tolerance says, "You must allow me to have my way."

Love responds, "I must do something harder: I will plead with you to follow the right way, because I believe you are worth the risk."

Tolerance seeks to be inoffensive;

Love takes risks.

Tolerance glorifies division;

Love seeks unity.

Tolerance costs nothing;

Love costs everything.

Source: Josh McDowell, Focus on the Family Magazine

(August 1999)

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our gospel today, John 6:41-51, continues Jesus’ discourse on the Bread of Life. Like the manna that sustained the Israelites on their journey through the dessert, the bread Jesus offers us comes from heaven. Unlike manna, the bread Jesus offers does more than feed our physical hunger. Whoever eats the living bread Jesus gives us “will live forever” because the bread Jesus gives us is his “flesh for the life of the world" (John 6: 51). The people who ate the manna in the dessert died in the dessert. “Everyone who listens to [God the] Father and learns from him,” everyone who believes in Jesus and believes that God the Father sent Jesus to us “will have eternal life.”

Jesus is the Bread of Life. This bread sustains us through the good times and the bad times. In our first reading from 1 Kings 19:4-8 God provided Elijah with heavenly bread to strengthen him for his journey of “forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.” The bread Jesus gives us strengthens us as we journey through life. I often wonder how people without faith in Jesus survive the traumas of life. Without food for our souls, we could fall into the trap St. Paul warns us about in the second reading, Ephesians 4:31-32 and become filled with bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling and malice.

Jesus is our soul food. Jesus is our comfort food. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive Jesus, “the living bread that came down from heaven.” We are united with him in his suffering and in his overwhelming love. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us “in the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ's sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering” (CCC 1368).

God, Father of life,

your Son Jesus is our living bread

come down from you to give life

to us and to our world.

Let him restore our strength and courage

as we journey with him through life,

and give us the will and love

to share our bread with those who need it,

for in them Jesus cries out his hunger.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Amen

Mistakes

A humorous story has it that a newly appointed young clergyman was contacted by a local funeral director to hold a graveside service at a small country cemetery in mid-western USA. There was to be no funeral, just a graveside service, because the deceased had no family and had outlived her friends.

The young pastor started early to the cemetery, but soon became lost. After making several wrong turns, he finally arrived a half-hour late. The hearse was nowhere in sight and cemetery workers were relaxing under a nearby tree, eating their lunch.

The pastor went to the open grave and found that the vault lid was already in place. He took out a prayer book and read a few paragraphs. As he returned to his car, he overheard one of the workers say, “Maybe we’d better tell him it’s a septic tank.”

Why is it we make our biggest mistakes in public? And some people can’t avoid it. Former hockey goalie Jacques Plante wonders, “How would you like a job where, if you made a mistake, a big, red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?”

But we should never give up our right to be wrong. Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment. It is your right to be wrong. “No (one) ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes,” said William E. Gladstone. Great mistakes are opportunities for great learning. And great learning makes for great living.

Now, that’s something I can get into. I don’t need to be a great person, just one who believes that his life is worth living well. And if that means I need to make some magnificent mistakes along the way, I’ll take that on as part of the price to pay.

You and I have a right to be wrong. And if we are to move toward great living, we might even have a duty to make great mistakes. Sometimes we can laugh them off. Certainly we can learn from them. And always, let’s just make sure the next mistake is one we haven’t made before.

Making a Mess

Six-year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten. Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad.

He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked!. Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky.

And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process.

That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our vocation gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or we can't stand our situation, or our health goes sour.

Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes" for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried.

Happiness Within

Even before Christ, there existed wonderful philosophy in Greece and Rome. The ancient Romans were practical people. They did not ask themselves theoretical questions. They asked how they, as people, could become happy. They concluded that they must keep the source of happiness within themselves. They were the Stoic Philosophers. The writers included Epictetus and the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. They were wise and wonderful.

The Stoics believed that they could not depend on the "outside" for happiness. The "outside is beyond my control. I must keep some control over my happiness or I will always be a victim. Example: I would be happy if my wife (or husband) were cheerful in the morning. I will be happy when I win the lottery. This is not the road to happiness. Happiness is securely found only from within.

The Stoics said that we could not let our desires go unrestrained. If I let my desires go wild, I can convince myself that I need a yacht to be happy. I do not need a yacht, or a DVR or a Porsche, or a widescreen TV. We can decide what we need; we can be content with what we have. In this regard, there are two ways to get rich. I define a rich person as one who earns more than s/he wants to spend. You could earn a fortune, more than you could ever want to spend. Or you could limit your desire to spend. J.P. Morgan chose the first way. Francis of Assisi chose the second. They were both rich.

The Stoics were a secular philosophy. They did not bring God into the picture. When we take the Stoic wisdom and add our spirituality, then we really have a plan of life. Look inside yourself for happiness. Inside you find the God who loves you. This God is the only sure source of happiness. Now we find that Francis of Assisi just might have been the happiest individual whoever lived.

I Choose

It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice.

Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love.

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy.

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical, the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace.

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience.

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite Him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness.

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness.

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness.

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness.

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control.

I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Against such there is no law.”  ~Galatians 5:22-23​

Humility is Freedom

Humility has nothing to do with depreciating ourselves and our gifts in ways we know to be untrue. Even humble attitudes can be masks for pride.

Humility is that freedom from our self which enables us to be in positions in which we have neither recognition nor importance, neither power nor validity, and even experience deprivation and yet have joy and delight.

It is the freedom of knowing that we are not at the center of our universe, not even in the center of our own private universe.