Fear and Anxiety

I know that when I breathe deep that I am accessing the spirit of God in me. Wei allow myself to be in th epresence of God, than I am fully human, that I am fully transformed in that moment into my highest and best self. I realize the universality of my existence and I am best able to isolate fears and flip them into fountains of fortitude. I am at peace. I am calm in the presence of the only true force in th euniverse - th elope of God. I was born with this love, an dot has grown I me as I have grown. I access it daily. It is a constant force that beats back by humanness, the humanness of fear and sin, of error and waywardness. The constant love that I enjoy is a reminder of how to be and how to live, of how to spread patience and kindness and how to be transformed. each day I allow loveto be more present than ever before. More of my days are spent loving and being in love than fearing and being afraid.

Rev 21:1-7

"'Look, here God lives among human beings. He will make his home among them; they will be his people, and he will be their God, God-with-them.'"

Dear God,

You are present in me and through me all the time. I need only to be aware of your presence and you are there.

Please remind me to seek this comfort, not only in difficult times, but in glorious times as well - as all things are created because of you. May I accept you as my constant companion and friend, as my God. May I live my life according to your will and feel your spirit guide me on the only true path - the path of love.

Amen

Rev 21:1-7

"...there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness or pain. The world of the past has gone."

Dear Jesus,

You have the power to transform lives. When I turn to you I know that I can remake myself in your image. I have faith that all will be well.

Jesus, help me to have faith. Keep my faith strong. Banish doubt and fear from my daily life.

Dear Lord, I want to spread your good news. The good news of love. Love conquers all and love heals. Love promotes growth.

Right now, all measure of flowers are shooting, bursting up in the resurrection of life in the natural world. May I be aware of this more keenly than ever and may I be a conduit, a catalyst for the spread of this love.

Amen

The Gift of Others

I am grateful for Mary Beth every day. Mary Beth shines love on me each day through her words and actions. She enables me to see the love in myself that has always existed, and helps bring it out.

Mary Beth reminds me to love myself and to value who I am and what I do. Together we have the joy of being parents to Zack and Nick. Together we shepherd and guide our boys through life. We look to our past to guide us through the future, knowing that today is both similar and unique to what has come before.

Mary Beth's family has embraced me as fully as I could possibly expect for over 20 years. Rick, Karen, Katie, Jeff, Meg and Rob have bestowed countless blessings on me. I cannot imagine a more loving group of people to call my family. I am richly blessed.

Mary Beth has opened my eyes to new realities - in art, perception, and the spirit. She has fostered in me creative possibilities that I didn't know existed. I am much richer for knowing and loving her.

Eph 3:14-21

"'...so that Christ may grow in your hearts through faith...so that...you may be filled with utter fullness of God.'"

Dear Lord Jesus,

Fill me with the fullness of your Spirit. Help me to love others with compassion, to teach with understanding and patience. To educate with care and love and genuine concern for the growth and development of everyone I meet from birth to death.

May I never forget that I have played every role in the human drama and that I have the ability to positively shape outcomes by banishing fear in my interactions with all people. I think about Sara Wilkie and what makes her unique and it it is because her loves emanates from a place of no fear. As a result, the only thing that's left is pure love, and it shows.

Lord, may pure love show in me today.

Amen

Eph 3:14-21

...may he, through his Spirit, enable you to grow firm in power with regard to your inner self, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith.

Dear Jesus,

Be in my heart today. May your love radiate in me and outward from me. may I touch others with this love so that they, too, feel love and feel loved. May I be cognizant of the power of your love and the ability it has to change hearts as it changes mine now.

Amen

Lk 23: 50-56 The Burial of Jesus

"Meanwhile the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus were following behind."

Dear Lord Jesus,

Martha, Mary, Mary Magdalene, and your mother followed behind you after you died. They were with you in death as in life. May I be with you always. May I be faithful to your teaching.

May you bless Jon Tripp, Marilyn, Jan, Catherine and Jon's wife and daughter. Bless them with faith. Give them faith that somehow Jon's death was not in vain. Help them to survive and to grow in faith. Help them through their pain.

Amen.

Lk23: 1-49 Passion and death Part 2

The two criminals
"'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well.'"

"'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' He answered him, 'In truth I tell you today you shall be with me in paradise.'"

Dear Lord,

I know I have been both criminals. I have been full of fear and doubt and have lashed out in my own self-righteousness and anger. I have looked outward to find fault with others and to justify my own inappropriate behavior. I have compared myself with others hoping to find some sense of worth. I have lied to myself. I have sinned.

Lord Jesus, help me to find my inner love, to access the peace that comes from knowing that I am already and have always been loved. Help me to ask you for assistance today and everyday to live as I ought to. To follow you and your way. The way of truth. The way of love. The way of knowing that ll that matters is that I love others. When I honestly do this, I will see myself in all people. I will see myself in every action and understand that I am one with all and we are one in life. My job, my vocation, my daily calling is to embrace others and in so doing embrace you.

I seek to be with you in your kingdom now.

Amen.

Lk23: 1-49 Passion and death Part 2

Dear Lord,

I know you were an innocent man, yet you accepted your fate as divinely inspired.

Help em to have the faith to accept my fate and the fate of the ones I love.

Please bless Jon Tripp and receive him into heaven. Receive him into your care and heal his spirit with your power and grace.

Please help Jan, Marilyn, Catherine, Jon's wife and step daughter as they try to understand the reasons behind his suicide. Lord, give them comfort - I don't know how, but give them comfort. Let his death not be in vain, as I believe that no death is in vain.

Is abortion death? I don't know. I know it feels like death on some levels and not as much on others. I know the point is, is that no life or death exists without a purpose and meaning, and it seems like that purpose and meaning is to glorify you God, in some way. i may not know what that way is, but I must have the faith to believe that there is a reason why things happen. Although I don't know the reason, i believe that it exists, and that is the essence of my faith. The belief.

My I believe in you, love you, love myself, and love others.

Amen.

Lk 22: 47-71 The Passion 1

"'But from now on, the Son of man will be seated at the right hand of the Power of God.'"

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help me to know your divinity and your humanity. Help me to feel your human pain and suffering in the days leading up to Easter. I know that you are a man and also God, but I seek to fully appreciate the range of human emotions you experienced and to know that you understand and empathize with every emotion I've ever felt.

As you are divine and human you have the benefit of bridging both worlds. You suffered greatly and unjustly, but you accepted your fate as the will of your father.

May I live in serenity, may I love as you loved, and may I have the faith to know that I am doing your will every day, without fear.

Amen

Lk 22: 47-71 The Passion 1

"'Woman, I do not know him'"
"'I am not, my friend'"
"'My friend, I do not know what you are talking about'"

Dear Lord,

I know there are times when I am like Peter and I am afraid. I fear for consequences of what I think other people will say or do. I deny you by not doing your will and not living the way I ought to live as a Christian and a good human being.

May I always be true to who I am and what I stand for. May I not be afraid of anything, but operate from a principle of pure love. I know when I speak from love and with love that I am filled with faith, and I don't have to be afraid.

I am sorry for my transgressions. I will live today from a position of fearlessness. i will breathe deep and bring in the Holy Spirit to fill me with the love of you that is always there.

Amen.

sday, April 5, 2011 Mt 27: 1-56 Crucifixion and Death

Dear Lord,

Help me to withhold judgement,
to have patience
to have faith
in all I have
in all I do
in all I am.

Help me to look to you for strength,
to see your example as one to emulate,
of strength
of forbearance
no matter what may come.

Amen

Mt 27: 1-56 Crucifixion and Death

"To make fun of him they mocked him, saying 'All Hail King of the Jews'"

Dear Lord,

Forgive me the times I have mocked others from my own fear and insecurity. Fill me with with love.

Jn 11:1-44 Lazarus

"Then Thomas said to the other disciples, 'Let us also go to die with him'"

Dear Lord,

Let me die so that I may be saved. Let me die so that I may see. Let me experience death so that I may truly be reborn and fully appreciate the beauty of new life.

Let me die so that I may know what real life is and value all I am, all I have and all I do. May my faith be strengthened, emboldened, and grown in the power of your love.

May I pray to my sister Andi, my mom, my dad and all those who have passed on before me as they will reassure me that there is life in death. My I draw on the wisdom of the Aztec tradition of the Day of the Dead - the belief that the dead are always with us and that death is truly a natural part of life.

I am strengthened and emboldened by death - my faith grows when I submit and accept, trusting, faith-filled, knowing that God is in charge. My job is to obey, that is, to love fiercely and relentlessly all people, always.

Amen

Jn 11: 1-44 Raising of Lazarus

"'I am the resurrection
Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?'"

Dear Lord,

May I always remember the power you possess to resurrect us. May I call on you when I am dead so that I may revive. May I know that those in the communion of saints are very much alive in me and guiding me to paths of happiness and joy, peace and love.

No matter my level of despair or concern, I will be resurrected, No matter how dead I am or how dysfunctional, I will be resurrected. Lord, keep my faith strong and help me to believe this truth. Help me access your spirit which resides in me, to summon it up and let it spread throughout me to all others. May I glorify you through my words and actions. May I love relentlessly.

Amen!

y, April 1, 2011 Lk 7: 11-17 Raising of the dead man

"'A Great prophet has risen up among us; God has visited his people.'"

Dear Jesus,

You visit us now, every day. I feel your presence when I love and allow myself to feel love. When I set aside my own fears and selfish agendas I can allow your spirit to reside in me and work in and through me to be an agent of love. It is your love that conquers all. Your love knows no bounds and is all powerful. It is unlimited. I am blessed to even begin to understand the power of your love.

Help me to be faith-filled enough to spread your word - which is love - without fear. Help me to truly know you. If I know you I will know myself. I will access the love that has always existed within me. My love is waiting to spring forth at every turn.

Last night, Mary Beth was helping Zack in the bathroom because he had a bloody nose. She was getting frustrated after a long day. I went upstairs calmly and quietly and took over for her. I was able to help Zack get settled.

This was a manifestation of divine love. I could feel it emanate forth and call me into action. I was blessed to respond in the way I did since there have beeen plenty of times when I have not responded in this way.

Dear Lord, may I visit people the way you visit us, with steadfast love and undying faith every day. Amen.

Lk 7: 11-17 Raising of the dead man

"'Young man I tell you, get up.'"

Dear Jesus,

I see you raising the dead man up and giving him back to his mother. I am there as a witness and I am in awe. I look on and think, "Wow. This is truly the power of God."

May I always trust in your power. May my faith be unshakable. Help me to remember that all things are possible with you. May I also spread this message through my words and actions. May I always believe in the power of your love and the all-powerful force of your love as it conquers death. I know that with you, dear Jesus, all things are possible, even resurrection from the dead. There is nothing more powerful than your ability to transform lives, individually and collectively. Again, help me to cultivate that in myself and work for that in my relationships with others without fear.

I am truly blessed. Amen.

Mk 7: 31-37 Healing of the deaf man

"'Everything he does is good, he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak'"

"... the more he insisted the more widely they proclaimed it."

Dear Jesus,

Help me to hear you speaking to me. Give me the strength of your spirit so that my words may speak truths in such a way that people will hear me, my spouse, children, colleagues, and students. Help me to stay in perspective and to remember human psychology. Help me to be strong when I am weak and steadfast when I want to fall apart.

Help me to maintain what I know is best, which, in all cases, is to love as you would love. Remind me not to personalize the behavior of others or inflate it beyond what it truly is. May I always remember it is this loving spirit of right action that will always serve me well and keep me free of entanglements.

Amen

Mk 7:31-37 Healing the deaf man

"'Be opened.' And his ears were opened, and at once the impediment of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly."

Dear Jesus,

Please loosen my tongue and enable me to speak clearly. Please help me to speak the truth to my students and keep that truth in the proper perspective. Help me to remember to be kind, gentle, and loving in my discipline. Help me to remember that these children are my own children and that they do not see the world from my eyes.

May I keep my children unburdened with my adult perspective, while at the same time enabling them to do their best work.

Help my tongue to be unburdened by anger, fear, and anxiety. Help me to be guided by faith, hope, and love in all I hear and all I say. I've done this many times before, and I can do this more than I do this now.

When I make mistakes, and evil creeps in, may I reflect without perseverating, forgive myself and move on, reincorporating the gifts of faith, hope, and love in my hearing and my speech. Amen.

Lk 10:38-42 Martha and Mary

"'Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving by myself? Please tell her to help me.'"

Sometimes I have a fear of doing things without support, that I am not good enough to go ahead and get things done alone. I need to trust myself that my role in a given situation is right. I have to accept my position with faith and believe that I am capable of the task at hand. I will receive the necessary help at the appointed time.

I do not have to wait for the support of someone else in order to begin a task or project. I need to be content that I can handle a given task without assistance and that the outcome will be okay. All will be okay. I will be okay.

Lk 10:38-42 Martha and Mary

"'...you worry and fret about so many things
and yet few are needed, indeed only one."

Jesus makes it clear that the word of God is powerful and a guide for living. If I focus not only on the word of God but the way it manifests itself in me I will be more happy, more balanced. I especially need the word of God to fill me with patience when I am tired and compassion when others are tired. I can call out to God and and ask for help when I need it. Just this calling will be a source of strength.

My priorities always need to be God-centered.

Mt 5:1-16

"'Blessed are the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Blessed are the pure in heart:
They shall see God.'"

When I show mercy to others I am recognizing my own humanity. I realize that my roles in life are very fleeting and that the dynamics in all relationships are fluid. When I truly approach all relationships as opportunities to serve God, love others, help people achieve their highest and best selves, and maximize their own loving potential, then I know I am truly living as God intended me to live. When I am wronged, insulted, offended, or violated, and then show mercy, I know I will in turn receive mercy.

I can feel when my heart is pure. I feel a lightness of being, a joy that reminds me that there is no greater, happier, more meaningful moment in my life than right now. I am glorified in the realization that I am alive. I breathe. I see, hear, notice, feel, touch, taste, and smell God. All is well.

I am never guaranteed any more life than that which I am living in this instant. Nothing else truly matters when defining my happiness. Here I am. This is all I need.

Mt 5:1-16

"'No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub;
they put it on the lamp-stand to shine for everyone in the house.'"

I am charged with sharing my light, my gifts, my talents with all I meet. I know they aren't really uniquely mine, but God's and that they were given to me to do God's will, that is, to love other people and spread God's love. My gifts should serve as an inspiration to others. As I celebrate and share my gifts, I give others permission to share theirs. We then live to our highest and best potential by glorifying God through the demonstration and implementation of who we are most deeply and completely.

Dear God, may I love you profoundly by loving myself and others through the practice of my gifts. May I do so with a joyful heart and a smile, knowing that I am alive. May I look to others like my sister Andrea, who, despite great physical pain, still managed to celebrate life and cultivate love in all she met.

Lk 5: 1-11

"'Master we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so I will pay out the nets.'"

Faith and trust. Peter shows both these things when he decides to expend th etiem and energy to do what seems to him to be a complete wate of time. Instead, he is rewarded with that which he had been seeking.

Jesus reminds us to trust and sometimes to trust what seems to be silly or ridiculous. If I have faith, If I believe in what is possible, and am not bridled by fear or anxiety, I can achieve anything if it is the will of God.

Lk 5: 1-11

"'Do not be afraid; from now on it is people you will be catching.' Then, bringing their boats back to land they left everything and followed him."

I have nothing to be afraid of if I trust in and follow the Lord Jesus. He sees the true me and loves me . he sees the goodness, the potential and urges me to do the same. He reminds me to leave my fear at the water's edge and begin each day, each moment with words and actions of faith. I will catch people as Peter did with words and deeds of kindness, faith, hope and love. There are no greater forces in the universe, and if I remember this always, not only will I be happy but I will spread love, joy and happiness to all those I meet. Jesus calls em to this ministry. I am commanded to do this - it is the only way to truly live.

Jn 1: 1-18

"Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received -
one gift replacing another,
for the Law was given through Moses,
grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.

I am the beneficiary of much grace. My life is full of examples of grace. They are too numerous to count. I am loaded with the blessings of God. Jesus's life serves as a model for me to spread this grace and let it abound around me.

I have many gifts that are the same person or relationship which continue to give to me each day. The unfolding of relationships are some of the greatest gifts I could ask for because if I really pay attention, I see God manifest, or the power of God at work. I have to stop to look and pay attention, without judgement or reservation. The gifts of God are there, waiting for me.

Jn 1: 1-18

"..and the Word was God."

When I remember that the word of the gospel (whole bible?) is the word of God, I understand the power of the words and am better able to believe in the power of their presence in my life. When I live by these words, I am happy, or at least questioning, which is a form of happiness. Questioning is a kind of prayer, a dialogue with God. I ask things like, "Is this really true?" and "Does this really work for me?"

Luke 2: 41-52

"...and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies."

This passage reminds m e of the power of listening and truly hearing. Oftentimes I'm only listening for what I want to hear and just waiting foir the answe rto arise that validates my preexisting understanding of how things are or how things ought to be. When I am truly open, without preconception or judgement I can hear new things and be astounded.

This, of course relates to the children in my life - my own and my students - but it also relates to anyone with whom I interact. I should prepare to be astounded by the smallest of interactions.

Luke 2: 41-52

"'My child, why have you done this to us?
See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.'"

Mary's exclamation of fear and concern is very reminiscent of my own. I can empathize as a parent with the concern of knowing where my child is and what he's doing. I also understand the child Jesus' response which is all too common. Essentially, he's telling his mother to relax, and can't understand what the big deal is. He is supposed to be there. This is a beautiful example of the challenge of finding the balance in a relationship, of love and concern, and a foreshadowing of the letting go that many parents face in paternal relationships.

Reflections on Psalm 130

"For with Yahweh is faithful love
with him is generous ransom;
and he will ransom Israel
from all its sins."

There si nothing greater than the love of God. God's love will take away my sins, will liberate me from fear and oppression. All I have to do is call on God and embrace God's ways, the ways of love, and I will be set free. I see the face of God in everyone I meet. There are some people who exude love constantly, freely and easily - Sara Wilkie, Michael Jones, but the fact is that the love of God is present in everyone and comes out at various points in time at various ways through acts of kindness and goodness.

God's love is with me always and my mission is to access it, let it fill me and infuse me, then spread it out to the world in joyful ways. This is why I exist.

Reflections on Psalm 130

"If you kept a record of our sins
Lord, who could stand their ground?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you might be revered."

I am blessed because I know I am forgiven. My humanness is forgiven and I am able to continue to grow and change and unfold in the lov eof God because I have the promise of a new day and a new beginning. I hope I am forgiven by family, friends, and all people, but I know I am forgiven, always, by God. God knows my heart annd knows my intentions and actions and the gulf between the two. I am accountable most to God. I am am faithful, loving and true to the word of God, I will serve my family, friends, and all other people well.]

Likewise, God's forgiveness is a model for my own forgiveness toward family, friends and all people. It is so easy to hold grudges, to remember the hurts. God's forgiving nature and love reminds me to let go of those hurts, forgive all their humanness and look forward to the promise of a new day. I am blessed more when I forgive others than when they forgive me. I am able to actively love, and give when I forgive.

Reflections on Lam 3: 21-26

'Yahweh is all I have' I say to myself
'and so I shall put my hope in him'

At the end of the day I know that I exist to serve the will of God. I know that this is what I rely on to sustain me and give my life meaning - that this is the need/desire/commandment to love. I think, I exist, therefore I love.

Now, my challenge is to do this every day with kindness and patience and without judgment. That is tricky. I think I get better as I get older and wiser, but it sure is still tricky :-)

Reflections on Lam 3: 21-26

"Surely Yahweh's mercies are not over,
his deeds of faithful love not exhausted;
every morning they are renewed;
great is his faithfulness.

There is no end to the love of God. There is only an end to my ability to accept God's love and live it, spreading it to others. However, I constantly have the ability to renew myself in God's love and continue the will of God, which is to bring that love to everyone I meet. Absolutely everyone, without condition, especially the people who hate me, despise me, mock me, ridicule me, challenge me, and generally make my life difficult. This is a pretty difficult challenge, but people do it every day and I can do it too.

Reflections on Lk 18: 9-14

"I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, and adulterous like everyone else, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here."

I constantly compare myself to others. Who they are, what they do and what they have. I am constantly making value judgements about others peoples' behavior and motives and comparing it to my own. This is not only unhealthy, but inhibits my ability to form true relationships with others based on love, care, and mutual respect.

Lord, I pray that you help me to lower my gaze and open my heart. That you allow me to serve without judgement and to offer myself as a friend and support to others in the way the tax collector offered his prayer to you. May I live as one who loves and gives without condition or judgement.

Reflections on Lk 18: 9-14

"He spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being upright and despised everyone else."

I have fallen into the trap, into the false sense of security of despising everyone else. I have fallen into the trap of believing that t I am better than others, that I am superior to others, That if I only "bring people along" than they'll finally see things my way and I'll get what I want.

Jesus, let me be more compassionate, more sympathetic, more empathetic. St. Francis, help me to understand rather than be understood. Help me to care about others, not use others as tools for my own selfish ends, for my own gain. Help me remember that the glory of all good things goes to God, that I am an agent of the Lord, and that I claim no independent validation for my good works, short of doing the will of God and justifying the glory of God.

Reflections on Lk 18: 9-14

I have very much been the Pharisee in this parable. I haev battled asuperiority complex my entire life. I continue to struggle to reach out to all people, in my private and public life, without condescending. I need to only remember the love Jesus teaches when I think about how I ought to treat people. I realize, too, that superiority is really insecurity, and that real, true superiority is available to me only when I love God and love my fellow human beings. I have something to learn from everyone with whom I interact. Everyone and everything have something to teach me if I just listen.

Reflections on Isaiah 55

"For the heavens are as high above earth
as my ways are above your ways,
my thoughts above your thoughts."

I cannot pretend to know the will of God. I have to accept the will of God and realize that god is in control. I can do my best to live according to the laws of the scriptures and be content at that. It is about loving relentlessly and fearlessly. It is about never yielding to fear, about never worrying that the issues of this world are too great to overcome me, because I know I always have the love of God in me and through me. There is nothing but the now (which is the past and the present fused.) I am always ready to be transformed again and again through the love of the creator. When I keep this love at the forefront, at the center of my life, then I begin to know the ways and thoughts of God. "God is love and he who lives in love is rooted in God and God lives in him."

Reflections on Isaiah 55

"...come to me,
listen and you will live"

Embrace God, that is the idea. When embracing God, I embrace love. When I embrace love, I yield my fears, anxieties, inefficiencies, frustrations, resentments, anger, jealousies, envies, lacks, wants, and deficiencies (or perceived deficiencies) and I embrace a spirit of never-ending universal love. I embrace complete and total possibility. A belief in the what could always be. i am not diminished by the reactions, responses of others, but seek to love others, show compassion for others and relentlessly embrace the power of God in my life.

When I trulyu embrace the power of God, when I come to the water, I am not burdened when I don't get what I want or thought I wanted because I realize that everything that occurs (painful, uncomfortable, distasteful) is part of the will of od. It is my job to stay close to God and to continue to love. To love fiercely and relentlessly. This love will calm me, guide me and give me peace. Peace and happiness. Today. Now.

Reflections on Isaiah 55

"Why spend money on what cannot nourish
and your wages on what fails to satisfy?"

Dear Lord, may I always remember the relationship in my life that truly is above all others and truly matters the most - my relationship with you. I know that if I am true to you and true to our covenant, than I will be happy and all my other relationships will flourish. I have finally realized that it is up to me to grow our relationship through daily devotion, focus, study, and prayer. All of this contemplation is nothing new. It is as old as humans ourselves and our need to be closer to the divine. I acknowledge that I am in the relationship every hour of my life, and it is up to me to draw even closer to you by simply living according to your will and your word. I can feel your presence in me and through me and when I take time to remember that you are always there, I am filled with comfort, even when I am in pain.

There is no human dynamic that is too great nor any situation that is too difficult that would exclude you, God. All I need to do is come to you and be with you. Do as you do and live according to your plan and commandments. If I do this, I will find peace and happiness.

Reflections on Isaiah 55

"Pay attention, come to me,
Listen and you will live"

If I truly pay attention to the way I ought to live, to follow the will of God and trust in the way of faith, hope, and love I will live and be happy. I will be able to spread the good news through my words and deeds. i have spent enough of my life not paying attention, not coming to God, and not listening. As a result, I was not fully living.

I am more alive today, right now, in this moment than ever before. i am more aware of the love of God in my life and God's dynamic presence than ever. I know it's up to me to continue to follow in the way, and to believe in the way. I know this is the essence of what it is to be happy.

Reflections on Jn 15:1-9

"As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,
unless it remains part of the vine,
neither can you unless you remain in me."

This passage speaks hugely to me since I have spent a good part of my life being happy to do things on my own. I have battled a superiority complex where I have believed things like, "I'm right and you're wrong," and "No one can do it as well as I can, so I'll just do it myself." Although Jesus is talking about the importance of keeping the commandments and remaining part of the body of Christ, it is clear to me that he also makes a comment about the importance of humility and belonging in community. I have never been a patient person, and have always wanted change to occur on my terms and fast. In order for real change to occur and be lasting, it has to involve real buy-in from all the stakeholders involved, or at least a willingness to continue to dialogue through the change process.

There is no greater strength than that which is found in community. There is also no greater opportunity for personal growth than when people come together to solve problems. Just as significant is the content, i.e., the problem solved, is the process of solving the problem and the quality of the relationships that result. This truly gives glory to God, when we work in true community.

Reflections on Jn 15:1-9

"It is to the glory of my father that you should bear much fruit and be my disciples"

Our fruit is our love and our ability to spread that love. There is no limit to the amount of love that we can show toward others. As long as we breathe, we show love through our words and deeds. When we remember that we are branches on the vine, and that the vine sustains us, we know we can reach out and accomplish anything as we glorify God ("you may ask for whatever you please and you will get it.")

The understanding for me is that when my motives are true and pure, I will find the love necessary to sustain me and help me to sustain others. There is no limit to this love, I just have to reach out and access it. It's there for me - it always has been. There's no end to it.

Reflections on Jn 15: 1-9

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
you may ask for whatever you please and you will get it."

With God all things are possible. With faith, hope, and love, all is possible. No obstacle is too great to be overcome by God.

This is a simple truth but it is all too easily forgotten in the daily experience of human life. When I pause to realize my love in God, my lightness, I am capable of anything. I let go of fear, despair, anxiety, and concern and I just am. When I truly just am, I am able to be myself and be happy. I realize that life in God is the life that I was destined to live, and that no greater way of being exists. It's so easy to access, but elusive to keep at the forefront of every interaction, every moment of my daily life.

Lord, may I keep you at the forefront of my life. May you be present in all I am, all I do, all I have. May I dwell on you and let your spirit shine in and through me always. Amen.

More reflections on Hosea 11 1-5

"I was like someone lifting an infant to his cheek/and that I bent down to feed him"

The Lord God takes care of me in ways large and small. I am insignificant compared to the vastness of the universe, yet as significant as anyone. I am loved. I am cared for. I have my needs provided as long as I remember the presence of God in my life always.

Reflections on Hosea 11: 1-5

"...but they did not know that I was the one caring for them,
that I was leading them with human ties."

I do not remember the presence of God in me, through me, and around me enough. It is easy for me to slip into myself. To slip into fear, and anger and for that anger to be displaced onto my children, Zack and Nick, especially, because they are the easiest targets. They are the ones who are most easily hurt and least capable of seeing what is truly happening, which is my own insecurity.

I realize that this is what it means to be human, and that I must ask for forgiveness of all concerned in times of weakness. I must also pray that I do not forget the constant presence of God as a source of strength and support, of wisdom and guidance in all things.

More reflections on Psalm 145

"Great is Yahweh and worthy of all praise,
his greatness beyond all reckoning." (5-6)

I cannot conceive of the greatness of God. I know that it is a constant and that God is always present (Yahweh I know you are near/Standing always at my side/You guard me from the fall/and you lead me in ways everlasting) I know that all I need to do is reach out and feel for God and God is there.

I know that whether I am in great pain or experiencing great pleasure, God is with me. I know that if I live my life in way that glorifies God, I will feel God's presence most deeply. When I err, I am more quick to return to God just by knowing that God is there, always there. ("Your kingship is a kingship forever/your glory lasts from age to age")

I struggle with the line "Yahweh guards all who love him, but all the wicked he destroys" because I don't understand this. I have trouble rectifying this with the New Testament notion of God as a loving, forgiving God. Plus, I wonder if humans destroy themselves through their own fear and lack of faith, hope, and love. I wonder how this is contextualized, if it refers to the enemies of the Israelites or if it also had/has a meaning for individuals.

I also wonder about happiness. I wonder why some people are happy and others aren't. i know I have experienced varying levels of happiness in my life which correspond to the level of access to the divine I allow myself. I am never happier, never better, than now, because I am constantly evolving and transforming into a more actualized being. Is it selfish or foolish to think that not everyone does the same whether they realize it or can articulate it?

Reflections on Psalm 145

Dear God,

I seek your wisdom and counsel to live upright. I seek to be infused with love and to let your mighty love shine in me and through me. You are great, the source of all life. You bless me in ways I can't even fathom. I know I am loved each and every day by you as manifest in the people around me. When I reach out and access the eternal love that you provide I am happy.

Love,
Rick