Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..."
Yeah. He does.
I pouted for a while about things not going my way in life. I should have known better.
A friend recently asked me to pray for her, via text message. I responded that I would, and than quickly realized how lame I had been. I then thanked her for the reminder she was to me. She needed prayers because for the first time in a while she was totally putting her trust in God. What had I been doing this whole time??? Well, not totally trusting Him, that's for sure. Thank you April, for that humbling reminder.
I probably couldn't have planned my life any better than it is beginning to tun out. But I guess God knew that, didn't He? It doesn't matter what our plans and disappointments, or how much things change around us. Sometimes our expectations don't seem like they could possibly be met, and in the end they are truly exceeded. It's just so funny to me how God does work. And yet I wonder, why is it that I am always surprised? I should know better by now.
I guess the apostle Paul was right...
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
GAH!
It's been a while since my last post.
I didn't really have anything to blog about, or so I thought. Then i figured I should throw something up here -and the first thing that came to mind was the frustration of the last two weeks.
The only way I could possibly describe it was just, GAH!! Everything seemed to be falling apart around me. I had escaped to that pitiful place in my mind where I am the victim of such injustices -did anyone ever watch that Nickelodeon show "Doug?" He had a sister named Judy, and in one episode I remember her reciting poetry or something and the line she repeated was, "Oh cruel, cruel world, with such people in it!!!" That has been me. For the past twelve days. Pretty obnoxious.
Life is full of little (and BIG) frustrations. Road blocks and challenges. I don't know if or when anything really changed between that perspective and a new one. It all seemed to come tumbling down around me of late.
Once I centered myself -which took days, it seems- things all came together. I was done with the pity party, feelings of worthlessness and unimportance, and frustrations.
Those mentalities are just lies. Straight from the mouth of the king of lies. Our Lord is so much bigger than our adversary. And we can't ever forget it.
But there is a line from a Mike Doughty song. "Let me know your enormity and my tininess. Help me see your infinity and my finiteness." God is infinite. He is bigger than anything. And he sees me through these challenges. And He sends me angels -my guardian angel, the amazing women in my life that are truly angels to me...He gives us the body of Christ.
It doesn't make it easy. Actually, sometimes things do genuinely suck. And they are hard. And we get lost in it. But we are totally equipped to get through, and when we keep the faith, and we hold onto hope, we make it. Against all odds, we survive.
No matter what challenges may come, no matter how out of control the world around us is...we are given all the tools we need to persevere. Just look to the cross.
I didn't really have anything to blog about, or so I thought. Then i figured I should throw something up here -and the first thing that came to mind was the frustration of the last two weeks.
The only way I could possibly describe it was just, GAH!! Everything seemed to be falling apart around me. I had escaped to that pitiful place in my mind where I am the victim of such injustices -did anyone ever watch that Nickelodeon show "Doug?" He had a sister named Judy, and in one episode I remember her reciting poetry or something and the line she repeated was, "Oh cruel, cruel world, with such people in it!!!" That has been me. For the past twelve days. Pretty obnoxious.
Life is full of little (and BIG) frustrations. Road blocks and challenges. I don't know if or when anything really changed between that perspective and a new one. It all seemed to come tumbling down around me of late.
Once I centered myself -which took days, it seems- things all came together. I was done with the pity party, feelings of worthlessness and unimportance, and frustrations.
Those mentalities are just lies. Straight from the mouth of the king of lies. Our Lord is so much bigger than our adversary. And we can't ever forget it.
But there is a line from a Mike Doughty song. "Let me know your enormity and my tininess. Help me see your infinity and my finiteness." God is infinite. He is bigger than anything. And he sees me through these challenges. And He sends me angels -my guardian angel, the amazing women in my life that are truly angels to me...He gives us the body of Christ.
It doesn't make it easy. Actually, sometimes things do genuinely suck. And they are hard. And we get lost in it. But we are totally equipped to get through, and when we keep the faith, and we hold onto hope, we make it. Against all odds, we survive.
No matter what challenges may come, no matter how out of control the world around us is...we are given all the tools we need to persevere. Just look to the cross.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Tweet tweet!
I've had some grimmer thoughts lately. Lent is an amazing time for penance, a time for repairing and strengthening our relationship with Christ. Maybe it's the act of reconciliation that's got me on this line of thought. Especially during this liturgical season, we recognize our sinfulness. We try to make reparation to the beautiful heart of Our Lady that is pierced by the sins we commit against her Son. Our God longs for us to make our way back to Him -our Shepard waits, with his arms open wide.
It's somehow lead me to the topic of abortion. God knows us intimately in the womb, he formed us all individually in His image and with all the love he has within Him. Let's refer to Psalm 139:
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
After spending some time really reflecting on the tragedy of abortion, I feel like it must just break Our Lady's heart -the mother of all people- to see the slaughter of her little ones. Our God must constantly ache over the disregard we have for the gift of life, and our failure to protect the most defenseless and innocent among us.
I don't have much more to say about abortion in general in this post, but today i was reminded of AN interview by Bryan Kemper of the pro-life ministry Stan True. It was with Angie the Anti-theist. If you don't know about her, She tweeted her abortion.
You can read the interview here:
http://bryankemper.com/2010/02/24/my-interview-with-angie-the-girl-who-live-tweeted-her-abortion
For whatever reason that interview came to mind while looking at Little-Disciples.com (super cute christian baby clothes). To look at these adorable onesies, the cute and punny sayings, and think about what a blessing babies are. But to remember that so many of those bundles of joy don't even survive to the world God made them for.
So Angie states that her goal in doing this was to"demystify" abortion or "reduce stigma." To explain what's going on, I guess. Maybe to make it less taboo? But so taking her train of thought, a light went on in my head.
This was just an idea, here -what if one of us Catholics "live tweeted" our confession?
I mean, I'm not volunteering to do it. I don't know if that takes away from the nature of the sacrament in anyway. I'm pretty sure the priest wouldn't care for you typing away on your iphone as you give your act of contrition, but it was just food for thought. I just thought it would be a pretty stark contrast -the "stigma" of an abortion vs the "stigma" and mystery (and grace!!!) and Sacrament of Reconciliation being brought live to the world to see.
**Just a note to readers, please don't tweet and receive sacraments. Probably a very bad idea.**
I guess that's one thing I personally have to pray more about. The end to abortion. And I would encourage you all to get involved too. Here's a list of some web sites to visit:
www.Rockforlife.org
www.Standtrue.org
www.AbortionNO.org
Financial contribute if you can, spiritually support the movement with prayer, or think about representing the cause with an awesome t-shirt (everyone loves awesome t-shirts right!?).
You can read a lot more from Bryan Kemper's awesome blog at www.Bryankemper.com.
Ok, hopefully we are all equipped to go out and fight the good fight! Remember what Mother Theresa said,"I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself."
And for all you sister suffragettes, Susan B Anthony (one of the 1st feminists ladies!) once stated, ""Guilty? Yes. No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; But oh, thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime!"
**** This blog does NOT recommend tweeting while receiving any of the sacraments.
It's somehow lead me to the topic of abortion. God knows us intimately in the womb, he formed us all individually in His image and with all the love he has within Him. Let's refer to Psalm 139:
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
After spending some time really reflecting on the tragedy of abortion, I feel like it must just break Our Lady's heart -the mother of all people- to see the slaughter of her little ones. Our God must constantly ache over the disregard we have for the gift of life, and our failure to protect the most defenseless and innocent among us.
I don't have much more to say about abortion in general in this post, but today i was reminded of AN interview by Bryan Kemper of the pro-life ministry Stan True. It was with Angie the Anti-theist. If you don't know about her, She tweeted her abortion.
You can read the interview here:
http://bryankemper.com/2010/02/24/my-interview-with-angie-the-girl-who-live-tweeted-her-abortion
For whatever reason that interview came to mind while looking at Little-Disciples.com (super cute christian baby clothes). To look at these adorable onesies, the cute and punny sayings, and think about what a blessing babies are. But to remember that so many of those bundles of joy don't even survive to the world God made them for.
So Angie states that her goal in doing this was to"demystify" abortion or "reduce stigma." To explain what's going on, I guess. Maybe to make it less taboo? But so taking her train of thought, a light went on in my head.
This was just an idea, here -what if one of us Catholics "live tweeted" our confession?
I mean, I'm not volunteering to do it. I don't know if that takes away from the nature of the sacrament in anyway. I'm pretty sure the priest wouldn't care for you typing away on your iphone as you give your act of contrition, but it was just food for thought. I just thought it would be a pretty stark contrast -the "stigma" of an abortion vs the "stigma" and mystery (and grace!!!) and Sacrament of Reconciliation being brought live to the world to see.
**Just a note to readers, please don't tweet and receive sacraments. Probably a very bad idea.**
I guess that's one thing I personally have to pray more about. The end to abortion. And I would encourage you all to get involved too. Here's a list of some web sites to visit:
www.Rockforlife.org
www.Standtrue.org
www.AbortionNO.org
Financial contribute if you can, spiritually support the movement with prayer, or think about representing the cause with an awesome t-shirt (everyone loves awesome t-shirts right!?).
You can read a lot more from Bryan Kemper's awesome blog at www.Bryankemper.com.
Ok, hopefully we are all equipped to go out and fight the good fight! Remember what Mother Theresa said,"I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself."
And for all you sister suffragettes, Susan B Anthony (one of the 1st feminists ladies!) once stated, ""Guilty? Yes. No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; But oh, thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime!"
**** This blog does NOT recommend tweeting while receiving any of the sacraments.
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