Encouraging Word October 21, 2013

May today be your day to dance lightly with life
to sing wild songs of adventure,
to invite rainbows and butterflies out to play,
to soar your spirit and unfurl your joy.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

 

 

This week we celebrate lives lived, of people who danced the short time they were on earth, who began families not knowing they would not get to live to see them grow all the way up, who embodied the spirit of faith and joy they were given the grace to share.

This week’s reminder is to try to always spread joy in people’s lives. You have no idea how you affect the people around you. It may be your smile, the pat on the back you gave or just doing a job with a happy heart that makes a difference in someone’s life.

This week we buried two dads, both in their late 40’s, both with young kids and tons of family and friends.  It’s times like these we have to work hard to remember that we need to live life to the fullest, with the grace God gives us, with joy and the hope of eternal life.

May God’s peace be with them and their families and may their children feel their loving presence throughout their lives.

Encouraging Word October 7, 2013

My family is often amused at my frequent use of the term, “Just, offer it up.” IT meaning whatever it is that is bothering them, real pain, sadness, lack of something they see as a necessity but really isn’t food, water or shelter, or even some person who is deemed as being a ‘pain in the neck.”

But no matter how hard I try, nor how old my kids and my loving hubs is, I still feel it necessary to instill good values into them, hence why I use this term so much. My own mother still tells ME to “Offer it up!” so why should be own family be exempt?

Offering it up, is a way for us to share in Christ’s suffering and I read a very good explanation of it today on one of my fav bloggers, HappyCatholic.

She shares, ” Offering it up” helps us not to“waste the pain!” of whatever it is we are going through, whether it’s a bad time, sadness or even an unpleasant medical procedure.

Offering it up essentially means, let’s remember what Jesus went through, agony in the garden, the way of the cross and the extreme pain of the dying on the cross.

I once read someone comment on Jesus’ suffering that they didn’t think it was so much. This person thought Jesus didn’t live in extreme poverty, he had friends and parents. Surely that “short time” on the cross wasn’t as bad as being a child in Africa dying of AIDS?

Wow, first I thought, how audace you would even write something like that, much less think it. Then I thought this poor guy never really got to experience Jesus’ love for him.  To think Jesus’ sufferings weren’t as great as a child’s? 

Our little bit of “offering up” a suffering of ours is of course nothing like Jesus’ suffering. He hung on that cross, short of breath, dying by way of drowning from lack of air, knowing people did not believe in the things He came to share with them, knowing He had tried his very best, yet there were those people laughing at him, scorning him like a common criminal while he died there for their sins.  They didn’t even realize what he was doing for their souls. He died for the little child, dying of AIDS because He knew HE was opening up heaven for that child!

So, next time you have the opportunity to “Offer it up,” remember, it’s not just a trite little phrase we use lightly as Catholics or Christians. We offer things up because we DO appreciate what Jesus did for us on the cross and it’s a tiny way we can say thank you for his suffering, so WE could have eternal life!

Encourging Word!!! Oct 1 2013

Again I say: "Let no one steal your joy!"

I know, it's a hard saying. And this week despite the constant negative news on television, radio and internet, and a good friend and co-workers mother passing away and my faithful cat of nine years in the last stages of cancer, I've been fighting and fighting to stay joyful. Wow it has not been easy... and even the devil has been getting in my way. "See all these sad things! See how divided your Church has become, it's a sin to be a joyful Catholic right now!"

"Dear St. Michael, I need you more than ever! Help me out of this doom and gloom! Help me see that other people are just as sad and frightened as I am about whether we are all living our faith the way God wants me to. Help me fight off these feelings of despair because all they do is draw me down, and not towards God. He made me a joyful person, He made me to love Him. Living a faith with joy and cheerfulness is not the wrong way to live!  Amen in Joy!

Encouraging Words Oct 1, 2013

"Let no one steal your joy!"

 

Jesus called us to joyfulness. We have the Eucharist. Let's spread the word about that.